The Middle and Upper Magdalenian at the foothills of the Massif central : synthesis test using lithic industries from sites in the Aveyron valley (Lafaye, Pénovaire, Montastruc, Fontalès) and comparative study with a site from the Dordogne valley ( Combe Cullier) ; Le Magdalénien moyen et supérieur aux contreforts du Massif central : essai de synthèse à partir des industries lithiques des gisements de la vallée de l'Aveyron (Lafaye, Pénovaire, Montastruc, Fontalès) et étude comparée avec un gisement de la vallée de la Dordogne (Combe Cullier)

In South-West France, from the Magdalenian era, and more particularly from the EMM onwards, two geographical areas stand out from a cultural point of view: the northern Aquitaine Basin and the Pyrenees. Indeed, although they share many similarities, particularly in terms of flint debitage techniques, typological markers tend to individualize them. Enclosed between these two areas, the Aveyron valley and its margins constitute a poorly known area during this period (except for the Lower Magdalenian) due to the often ancient excavations. The typo-technological study of lithic industries from several deposits undertaken in this thesis work thus aims to document a large Magdalenian sequence in the Aveyron valley, from the EMM to the LUM, in order to be able to provide additional information on the mobility dynamics of ancient human groups on the scale of southwest France.After bibliographical research and observation of the collections, different series were selected because considered as relevant for this study. The Lafaye, Montastruc (C2 and C4), Pénovaire and Fontalès deposits were thus taken into account. Eleven dating studies were carried out in order to complete the analyses made from the lithic industries, the reliability of the existing dates being for many questioned. A comparison with the archaeological units attributed to different Magdalenian stages from the Combe Cullier site, also located in the foothills of the Massif Central, although further north, and excavated with modern methods. This comparison has a double advantage: in addition to broadening the study area, it allows us to measure the impact that ancient excavation methods may have had on the analysis of their material.The comparison of the thirty or so dates available for the Aveyron Valley currently highlights a short hiatus of nearly a millennium corresponding to the EMM / LMM transition. Some of these, coupled with the observation of furniture, confirm the recent proposal to place the EMM to 19.5 cal ka BP (Sécher, 2017). The comparison of ...