The Capsian Escargotières

David Lubell (1) , Fekri A. Hassan (2) , Achilles Gautier (3) , Jean-Louis Ballais (4)

1 University of Alberta
2 WSU - Washington State University
3 Rijksuniversiteit Gent
4 UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie

Capsian occupation in the Chéria-Télidjène region of northeastern Algeria coinides with a phase of alluviation (about 9500 to 6500 years ago) with a semi-arid climate that was cooler and more humid than today. Capsian subsistence was based on a combination of hunting (gazelle, aurochs and hartebeest), land snail collecting, and presumably plant gathering. Partial excavation of the Aïn Misteheya escargotière has provided a number of insigths into Capsian subsistence, settlement and diet. The artifact assemblage from Aïn Misteheyia falls within the established general parameters for the "Capsien supérieur." In sum, we interpret the Capsian subsistence adaptation as innovative, conservationist, and highly successful - so much so, in fact, that despite the appearance of Neolithic economic practices in neighboring regions by about 7000 years ago, the Capsian pattern in the Maghreb appears to have remained basically inchanged for a further two millenia.

Keywords: Capsian; escargotières

Domains: Humanities and Social Sciences

David Lubell, Fekri A. Hassan, Achilles Gautier, Jean-Louis Ballais. The Capsian Escargotières. Science, 1976, 191, pp.910-920. ⟨hal-01541935⟩