Les analyses polliniques sur les sédiments des grottes

The first part of this work shows the difficulties which are encountered when pollen-analytical investigations are undertaken over cave sediments. First of all, in comparison with peats, a smaller number of pollens can be found. The question of « secondary » or « intrusive » pollens is then exposed. Several results are obtained by these researches : botanical, stratigraphical and, more important, climatic chronology. A climatic curve is then proposed which is founded on several pollen diagrams : Arcy-sur-Cure caves of which the whole analysis is exposed, Tursac shelter, Lascaux cave and, for comparison, Padul peat (Spain). This profil covers the time between 36 000 to 8 000 B.C. Only a short part of it, the « Lascaux Interstadial » has been studied here, as an example of what can be the contribution of pollen-investigations in caves or shelters, for climatic chronology over a little known period.