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In order to achieve maximum resolution of the individual hearths and their associated artifacts, what we now propose is to concentrate on areal exposure of the surfaces over approximately 15 m2, while employing detailed microstratigraphic techniques to distinguish individual occupational horizons. This will allow us to analyze the surrounding archaeological material to determine patterns in the use of the space of the cave in association with these features. Given the rarity of hearths in deposits of this age, it is also important to increase significantly the level of their documentation. Exceptional finds require exceptional documentation, both to demonstrate to others what has been found and to better serve as a resource for unanticipated questions that may arise in the future. The use of a total station to provenience artifacts works well for data that are essentially vectors – artifacts and samples as points, lines and polygons. These combustion features, however, are more like complex, three dimensional raster data of continuously variable color and texture with vector data embedded in and around them. Good photography is obviously critical, and it is essential that images be geo-positioned. We plan on applying a three-dimensional, visible light surface scanner was tested to determine its value for more detailed documentation of the combustion features - A Bruckemann optoTOP-HE surface scanner with interchangeable lenses. We will perform these three-dimensional surface scans as each microstratigraphic occupation surface is uncovered in order to preserve as much information as possible concerning the spatial distribution of both fea-tures and artifacts. This technique, coupled with the discrete nature of the hearths themselves, will facilitate the analysis of the distribution of hearths within the cave and their relationship to the distribution of lithics and faunal remains In addition, it is important to increase the resolution of the ancillary studies -- micromorphology of the hearths, geochemical studies of the burned remains, and paleoclimate and seasonality data – in order to understand these features in the full context of their use. Our assembled team of specialists includes I. Théry for analysis of the burned materials, H. Martin for seasonality studies of cementum, J.-Cl. Marquet for micromammals, D. Cabanes for phytolith studies, and P. Goldberg for micromorphology. The use of Roc de Marsal and Pech IV together creates an extremely powerful test case to show not only when fire does and does not occur, but also to determine what other parameters – climatic, faunal processing, and lithic technology/economy – vary in the same way.
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