Earliest evidence of human occupations and technological complexities above the 45th North parallel in Western Europe. The site of Lunery-Rosieres la-Terre-des-Sablons (France, 1.1 Ma).

Lunery-Rosieres la-Terre-des-Sablons site (Lunery, Cher, France, 46° 56‘ N et 2° 16’ E) is among the earliest evidence of human occupation of mid-latitudes in Western Europe. It demonstrated than hominins were present in the Loire River Basin at the transition between an interglacial stage and the beginning of the following glacial stage.

Three archaeological levels, associated between two diamicton levels deposited on the downcutting river floor, indicate repeated temporary occupations. The lithic material yield both evidence of simple core technologies and complexities on local Jurassic silicifications and Stampian millstone. Hominins used the natural stone morphologies to produce flakes with a limited preparation. Some cores indicate a centripetal management and a partial prepared striking platform.

The mean ESR age of 1,175 ka ± 98 ka obtained on fluvial sediments that overlaid the archaeological levels could correspond to the transition between the marine isotopic stages (MIS) 37 and 36, during positive Cobb Mountain subchron, and specially at the beginning of MIS 36.

The site at Lunery attests that the hominins were able to overcome environmental conditions and find strategies to occupy areas not yet inhospitable because they are at a latitude a little far from the forming ice cap.