Evidence for previously unknown mortuary practices in the Southwest of France (Fournol, Lot) during the Gravettian

European Mid Upper Paleolithic mortuary practices have been traditionally associated with primary burials, ochre, body ornaments and grave goods. Recently, evidence of the post-mortem treatment of skeletal remains, such as the displacement and removal of skeletal elements, has been reported for the Gravettian period in the Southwest of France. Here, we present the preliminary results of anthropological and taphonomic analyses of the human remains from the Gravettian site of Fournol (Soturac, Lot, France). We describe the first evidence of the scalping and disarticulation of human remains, a previously unknown post-mortem treatment in Gravettian contexts from the South West of France. •Red ochre burials are characteristic of European Mid Upper Paleolithic (MUP).•The situation seems different In the Southwest of France.•A site from this area with cut marks on MUP human remains is presented here.