Upper
Paleolithic groups used the open-air site of Solutre (Saone-et-Loire,
south-eastern France) as a location to intercept and hunt horse and reindeer
herds. The primary goal of this study is to conduct a high-power use-wear
analysis of a sample of lithic artifacts from each of the Upper Paleolithic
cultural components in an effort to address a number of topics. A further aim
is to test the current inferences of site activities at Solutre and attempt to
identify any consistencies and differences in lithic toolkit structure and tool
use through time at the site. A use-wear analysis of this sort allows one to
recognize other activities unrelated to or secondarily related to the primary
site function. Such methods can also be used to determine if tool use strategies
changed or remained stable over time against the backdrop of site function.