Rhenen, NL, Helden, NL, Coquelle, France, c. 200,000 BP / k)coquel

The Coquellian tradition is an early blade tradition dating to c. 190,000 BP. The type site is Coquelles, just south of Calais, France. A series of stratified industries occur from the Holsteinian through Eemian and later ages. Of special interest is the 'Clactonian with blade' tradition that occurred long before the Upper Palaeolithic blade technology. The tradition is comparable to a similarly early blade tradition in Jutland (the 'Baltian'). The discoverer is the late A. Lefèbvre-Bara in the 1950's and classification and dating was confirmed by Abbé Breuil and O.K. Pielenz. [Lefèbvre-Bara, A. (1989). Archaeology along the coast: The prehistoric stone industries from the marine deposits of Coquelles. Archaeologische Berichten 19:134-186. Elst, NL.

Interpretation of some blades (see below) as representational, standing figures looking upward by J. E. Musch.

Illustration © Siemen Dijkstra. B. Duppen, Jan va Es, J.E. Musch. (1989). Special issue on Boukoul/Coquelles. Archaeologische Berichten 19. Elst, NL: cover illustration.