Why is Pech IV significant?
Pech de l’Azé IV is significant for several reasons. First, it is an important Neandertal site with a long sequence of occupations spanning a period of about 45,000 to 55,000 years during the last Ice Age (Pleistocene epoch). Second, the basal (bottom) layers at the site contain numerous hearths, which are not commonly found in European archaeological sites of this time period. Third, one of the lithic assemblages, the Asinipodian, is an unusual combination of very small and very large flakes and cores. This type of Neandertal assemblage is known only from Pech IV. (Read about this assemblage in the Story section, Chapter 7.) Finally, isolated Neandertal teeth have also been found at the site.
