Ounjougou stratigraphic sequence (Bandiagara, Dogon Country, Mali) is the most complete record in Western Africa for the Middle Pleistocene. This paper focuses on the lithic industry unearthed in the lowest levels of the sequence. Despite the impossibility to fix the dating of those layers, the assemblage clearly presents Oldowan features. A strong erosive process, combined to the absence of Acheulean industry, strengthens the idea of a probable ancient age for the lithic industry. Morphometric, Technological and techno-functional approaches were performed to study sandstone polyhedrons, spheroids and bolas, abundant in the collection, along with a flake production on quartz and quartzite pebbles. This study demonstrates that polyhedrons, spheroids and bolas were shaped from independent chaines operatoires to realize specific tasks. The hypothesis of opportunistic knapping does not fit with these materials at Ounjougou. The evidence of shaping is highlighted by diacritic schemes showing that the flakes detached are not controlled for their usability, but for shaping the morphology of the spheroid. Apart from those polyhedrons and spheroids, flake production is also identified. While the shaping process is made on sandstone cobbles, sharp flakes are produced from quartz pebbles. This clear choice of different raw materials to produce shaped heavy tools in one hand and light flake tools in another hand strengthens the idea of a deliberate shaping of spheroid tools. The discussion compares this assemblage with other known assemblages like Ain Hanech and Olducai Gorge. Our point focus on the methodology used to study these specific artefacts, very different from one author to another. We stress out the fact that using the term ‘polyhedron’ is not accurate to define artefacts that can refer to shape tools or multifacial cores. We suggest to avoid using it and to focus on a technical identification to name the artefacts as cores or tools. The technological and techno-functional approaches are relevant to make this distinction. Then we propose some hypothesis about the use of spheroid and bolas and suggest experiments and traceological analyses in the future to confirm their functionality. Ounjougou lithic tool kit, composed of flake debitage, retouched flakes and shaped tools on pebbles, along with the spheroids and bolas component, gives an evidence of a diversified tool kit corresponding to the Oldowan Industrial Complex, and then represents the first Early Stone Age site in stratigraphy in Western Africa.

中文翻译：

---

西非的早期石器时代？马里Ounjougou的球体和多面体

Ounjougou地层层序（Bandiagara，Dogon Country，马里）是西非中更新世最完整的记录。本文重点介绍了序列最低层出土的石器工业。尽管不可能修复这些图层的日期，但该组合显然具有Oldowan的功能。一个强大的侵蚀过程，再加上缺乏Acheulean工业，增强了石器工业可能古老的观念。进行了形态学，技术和技术功能方法，研究了集合中丰富的砂岩多面体，球体和硼矿，以及在石英和石英岩卵石上生产薄片。这项研究表明，多面体，球体和波拉斯是由独立的链状歌剧塑造而成的，可以实现特定的任务。Ounjougou的机会性绑架假说与这些材料不符。变音符号突出表明了成形的证据，即分离的薄片的可用性不是受控的，而是球形的形态得以控制。除了那些多面体和椭球形，还可以识别出薄片的产生。在砂岩鹅卵石上进行成型时，石英石会产生锋利的薄片。一方面可以清楚地选择不同的原材料来生产成形的重型工具，另一方面可以生产轻质的薄片工具，从而强化了对球形工具进行有意成形的想法。讨论将这种组合与其他已知组合（如Ain Hanech和Olducai Gorge）进行了比较。我们的重点是研究这些特定人工制品的方法，一位作者与另一位作者有很大的不同。我们强调了这样一个事实，即使用“多面体”一词无法准确地定义可指代形状工具或多面核心的伪像。我们建议避免使用它，而应专注于技术标识以将人工制品命名为核心或工具。技术和技术功能的方法对于区分这一点至关重要。然后，我们提出了关于球体和波拉斯的使用的一些假设，并建议未来进行实验和病理学分析以确认其功能。Ounjougou的石器工具套件，由薄片借记，修饰的薄片和鹅卵石上的异型工具以及球体和硼砂组成，提供了与Oldowan工业园区相对应的多样化工具套件的证据，