Les Bossats (Ormesson)

About

Les Bossats is a prehistoric outdoor site located in the commune of Ormesson, Seine-et-Marne. Its long occupation of about 30,000 years ranges from the Middle Paleolithic to Baden-gulian, including Moustarian, Châtelperronien, Gravettien and Average Solutreen, approximately 50,000 to 19,000 AP. The site is of primary importance on several archaeological aspects.

Its exceptional duration of occupation and its good conservation make it possible to establish a chrono-stratigraphic framework much more precise than that previously known to the north of the Loire. The interest is particularly high for the ancient Gravettien, a facies of the early Upper Paleolithic poorly known in the region; especially since the remains of this age are among the best preserved. He also delivered the first gravetian human fossil found north of the Loire.

It is also the most northerly Chatelperronian deposit in France and more generally in Europe - although this northern boundary may be due only to a lack of research rather than to the absence of sites per se.