Glossary

A study, made in advance, generally using trenches, of the potential archaeological impact of planned large developments affecting the subsoil. If interesting discoveries are made, preventive excavations may be ordered by the Ministry of Culture.

Ère géologique qui a débuté il y a 2,58 millons d'années. 

Ère géologique s'étendant de -66 millon d'années à -2,58 millions d'années. 

Cette période géologique recouvre la fin du Tertaire et le début du Quaternaire, entre -5,2 millions d'années et -0.,9 millons d'années.

Multiform culture of very significant chronological and geographical extent (21,000-14,000 years ago, across central and western Europe) in the late Upper Palaeolithic. It takes its name from the Abri de la Madeleine (Dordogne). The major traits of the Magdalenian, which developed during the last Pleniglacial period, are the intensive use of bone, antler and ivory to make tools and weapons, the richness of the stone tool industry made on blades and thin flakes and the unprecedented development of personal ornamentation, portable art and cave art. Magdalenian groups initially demonstrated great mobility and significant adaptability to their environment. Towards the end of the Magdalenian, cultural regionalisation took place as a consequence of the gradual sedentism of some groups.

Conventional subdivision of Prehistory. In some regions, such as Europe, it includes the last hunter-gatherer societies from 12,000 years ago – the beginning of a great natural warming of the climate – to the appearance of the first agro-pastoral societies (in France around 7,500 years ago).

Photogrammetry is a method of surveying an object, a structure or even an entire site in three dimensions. After an initial phase of acquiring a large number of photographs (large coverage area), a second phase consists of analysing and processing these images using software that will reconstruct the volume using algorithms. Combined with measurements, photogrammetry makes it possible to obtain images to scale in two or three dimensions. Based on the principle of paralaxis and stereoscopy, this method is particularly useful for digitising objects or archaeological sites. Thanks to developments in this field, it is now possible to produce 3D reconstructions of remains in record time, so that researchers can return to them, work on them, take measurements and so on.

This technique is being developed in all disciplines, from cave art to urban archaeology and the study of excavated objects. It is also opening up new fields of study, such as deep-sea submarine deposits, where photogrammetry is tending to replace manual drawings.