walpurga antl - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by walpurga antl
Scientific Reports, 2022
The origin and key details of the making of the ~ 30,000 year old Venus from Willendorf remained ... more The origin and key details of the making of the ~ 30,000 year old Venus from Willendorf remained a secret since its discovery for more than a hundred years. Based on new micro-computed tomography scans with a resolution of 11.5 µm, our analyses can explain the origin as well as the choice of material and particular surface features. It allowed the identification of internal structure properties and a chronological assignment of the Venus oolite to the Mesozoic. Sampling numerous oolite occurrences ranging ~ 2500 km from France to the Ukraine, we found a strikingly close match for grain size distribution near Lake Garda in the Southern Alps (Italy). This might indicate considerable mobility of Gravettian people and long-time transport of artefacts from South to North by modern human groups before the Last Glacial Maximum.
From 1993 to 2007 excavations at the Gravettian 25 ka y BP site Grub/Kranawetberg in the March va... more From 1993 to 2007 excavations at the Gravettian 25 ka y BP site Grub/Kranawetberg in the March valley near Stillfried in the northeast of Lower Austria exposed a multilayered area with dwelling structures and an adjacent refuse disposal area. About 20 m from this refuse disposal to the east dwelling structures with hearths and pits which surround them were unearthed. Several phases of firing show that the site was used repeatedly. Grub Kranawetberg and Ollersdorf/Heidenberg are two of 13 palaeolithic sites in the microregion around Stillfried.
From 1993 to 2011, excavations at the site Grub/Kranawetberg exposed four archaeological horizons... more From 1993 to 2011, excavations at the site Grub/Kranawetberg exposed four archaeological horizons (AH) separated by sterile loess deposits. The assemblage of adornments made from ivory is the biggest in the Austrian Palaeolithic comprising a wide range of varieties. Apart from tools, weapons, and adornments, there are pieces of raw material as well as semiproducts, waste from tool production and a series of unmodified fragments. This contribution gives a first view to the whole spectrum of ivory objects at this place. While ivory was found in all layers, AH4, the lowest cultural layer, contains more than 90% of the ivory unearthed at the site.
Rezension zu: Sibylle Kastner, Jagende Sammlerinnen und sammelnde Jagerinnen. Wie australische Ab... more Rezension zu: Sibylle Kastner, Jagende Sammlerinnen und sammelnde Jagerinnen. Wie australische Aborigines-Frauen Tiere erbeuten. Ethnologie Band 42. Lit Dr. W. Hopf, Berlin 2012. € 59,90. ISBN 987-3-643-10903-3. 599 Seiten, 34 Abbildungen.
E&G Quaternary Science Journal, 2013
Excavations at the Gravettian site Grub/Kranawetberg from 1993 to 2011 exposed four archaeologica... more Excavations at the Gravettian site Grub/Kranawetberg from 1993 to 2011 exposed four archaeological horizons (AH) separated by sterile loess deposits. The lowest AH 4 contains a number of features, consisting of two hearths which both are surrounded by small pits. The overlying AH3 is separated from AH4 by 8 to 10 cm of loess. In AH3 there are no features. Above AH3 there are two more AHs (AH2 and AH1) with significantly lower find densities. Chronologically both AH4 and 3 are very close (Antl-Weiser et al., 2010) but there are big differences in the assemblages and the presence/absence of features. According to the present state of research the assemblages of the two AHs seem to reflect the presence of different groups using this territory possibly under changing environmental conditions. In 2010 and 2011 a series of samples for an IRSL-and OSL-dating program (Zöller et al., this volume) has been collected from two deep trenches in the east of the excavated area. Results suggest an occupation of AH4 to AH1 between 30ka BP and 27ka BP. The site gives an insight not only into an important part of the cultural development before the Last Glacial Maximum but possibly also into climatic changes during a longer time span of the Upper Pleniglacial period in this part of Austria. Das Inventar der archäologischen Horizonte 4 und 3 und das Lössprofil von Grub/Kranawetberg, einem Lagerplatz des Gravettien in Niederösterreich Kurzfassung: Die Ausgrabungen an der Gravettienfundstelle Grub/Kranawetberg bei Stillfried erbrachten vier archäologische Horizonte. Der unterste (AH4) enthält zwei Herdstellen, die beide von einer Reihe von Grübchen umgeben sind. Der darauf folgende Horizont (AH3) ist durch eine 8-10 cm mächtige Lössschicht von AH4 getrennt. In AH3 gibt es keine evidenten Strukturen. Über AH3 liegen zwei weitere archäologische Horizonte mit lediglich einigen verstreuten Funden. Chronologisch sind beide Horizonte zwar nahe beisammen, sie sind aber sehr unterschiedlich, was die Strukturen und das Inventar angeht. Zum gegenwärtigen Zeitpunkt scheinen die beiden Horizonte die Anwesenheit von zwei Gruppen widerzuspiegeln, die dieses Gebiet möglicherweise unter sich ändernden Umweltbedingen nutzten. In den Jahren 2010 und 2011 wurde eine Reihe von Proben für IRSL und OSL Datierungen an zwei langen Profilen im Osten der ausgegrabenen Fläche genommen. So gesehen gibt der Platz nicht nur Einblick in einen bedeutenden Abschnitt der kulturellen Entwicklung vor dem Kältemaximum der letzten Eiszeit, sondern auch in die klimatischen Veränderungen des Hochglazial in diesem Teil von Österreich.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2017
Cultural layers are a fundamental part of open-air loess sites. As complex representations of the... more Cultural layers are a fundamental part of open-air loess sites. As complex representations of the interaction between human activity and natural processes, we believe these layers deserve detailed investigation. In this paper we consider the impact of hunter-gatherers on sediments and soil formation and present a small-scale, micromorphological study of a cultural layer at Grub-Kranawetberg. Grub-Kranawetberg is a Gravettian site located on a flat crest overlooking the Morava river valley in Lower Austria. We used micromorphology to study the formation of the main cultural layer of the site as well as the bordering underlying and overlying deposits. The studied cultural layer of Grub-Kranawetberg shows evidence of 1) substantial anthropogenic input of organic and mineral material, 2) bioturbation by a diverse soil fauna including mollusks and earthworms, 3) translocation of carbonates, indicating soil-forming processes, 4) trampling and 5) a preserved, though bioturbated, occupation surface without signs of erosion or redeposition. By enhancing nutrient availability and soil faunal activity, the human waste influenced the diversity and composition of the plant communities. We argue that the cultural layer is best described as an anthropogenic soil, indicating that anthropogenic waste already played a role in Late Pleistocene human landscape modification.
Quaternary International, 2012
The role of humans in the formation of Gravettian mammoth bone accumulations of central and easte... more The role of humans in the formation of Gravettian mammoth bone accumulations of central and eastern Europe is a heavily debated topic. Grub-Kranawetberg, a multi-layered Gravettian open-air site in eastern Austria, yielded a bone accumulation in the vicinity of a campsite. Zooarchaeological, taphonomic, and spatial analyses of this assemblage offer evidence on both human subsistence and formation of mammoth bone accumulations. The deposit is dominated by Mammuthus primigenius but also includes Coelodonta antiquitatis, Rangifer tarandus, Equus sp., Megaloceros giganteus, Canis lupus, Ursus cf. arctos and Lepus cf. timidus. The presence of butchery marks on remains of both megafaunal taxa indicates a human accumulated assemblage. The absence of carnivore gnaw marks suggests that humans had primary access to meaty skeletal parts. An indication that humans occupying the adjacent campsite interacted with the bones is seen in the rearticulation of a left upper first molar of a mammoth from the campsite with its matching right first upper molar found in the bone accumulation. The deposit is further characterized by various indications of fire evident in lenses of burned sediment and abundant traces of heating faunal remains. The varied colours of burned bone, as well as reddish burned loess show that the accumulation was subjected to a wide range of fire temperatures. The current results argue for the intentional use of fire as waste removal strategy.
Forgotten times and spaces: New perspectives in paleoanthropological, paleoetnological and archeological studies., 2015
Scientific Reports, 2022
The origin and key details of the making of the ~ 30,000 year old Venus from Willendorf remained ... more The origin and key details of the making of the ~ 30,000 year old Venus from Willendorf remained a secret since its discovery for more than a hundred years. Based on new micro-computed tomography scans with a resolution of 11.5 µm, our analyses can explain the origin as well as the choice of material and particular surface features. It allowed the identification of internal structure properties and a chronological assignment of the Venus oolite to the Mesozoic. Sampling numerous oolite occurrences ranging ~ 2500 km from France to the Ukraine, we found a strikingly close match for grain size distribution near Lake Garda in the Southern Alps (Italy). This might indicate considerable mobility of Gravettian people and long-time transport of artefacts from South to North by modern human groups before the Last Glacial Maximum.
From 1993 to 2007 excavations at the Gravettian 25 ka y BP site Grub/Kranawetberg in the March va... more From 1993 to 2007 excavations at the Gravettian 25 ka y BP site Grub/Kranawetberg in the March valley near Stillfried in the northeast of Lower Austria exposed a multilayered area with dwelling structures and an adjacent refuse disposal area. About 20 m from this refuse disposal to the east dwelling structures with hearths and pits which surround them were unearthed. Several phases of firing show that the site was used repeatedly. Grub Kranawetberg and Ollersdorf/Heidenberg are two of 13 palaeolithic sites in the microregion around Stillfried.
From 1993 to 2011, excavations at the site Grub/Kranawetberg exposed four archaeological horizons... more From 1993 to 2011, excavations at the site Grub/Kranawetberg exposed four archaeological horizons (AH) separated by sterile loess deposits. The assemblage of adornments made from ivory is the biggest in the Austrian Palaeolithic comprising a wide range of varieties. Apart from tools, weapons, and adornments, there are pieces of raw material as well as semiproducts, waste from tool production and a series of unmodified fragments. This contribution gives a first view to the whole spectrum of ivory objects at this place. While ivory was found in all layers, AH4, the lowest cultural layer, contains more than 90% of the ivory unearthed at the site.
Rezension zu: Sibylle Kastner, Jagende Sammlerinnen und sammelnde Jagerinnen. Wie australische Ab... more Rezension zu: Sibylle Kastner, Jagende Sammlerinnen und sammelnde Jagerinnen. Wie australische Aborigines-Frauen Tiere erbeuten. Ethnologie Band 42. Lit Dr. W. Hopf, Berlin 2012. € 59,90. ISBN 987-3-643-10903-3. 599 Seiten, 34 Abbildungen.
E&G Quaternary Science Journal, 2013
Excavations at the Gravettian site Grub/Kranawetberg from 1993 to 2011 exposed four archaeologica... more Excavations at the Gravettian site Grub/Kranawetberg from 1993 to 2011 exposed four archaeological horizons (AH) separated by sterile loess deposits. The lowest AH 4 contains a number of features, consisting of two hearths which both are surrounded by small pits. The overlying AH3 is separated from AH4 by 8 to 10 cm of loess. In AH3 there are no features. Above AH3 there are two more AHs (AH2 and AH1) with significantly lower find densities. Chronologically both AH4 and 3 are very close (Antl-Weiser et al., 2010) but there are big differences in the assemblages and the presence/absence of features. According to the present state of research the assemblages of the two AHs seem to reflect the presence of different groups using this territory possibly under changing environmental conditions. In 2010 and 2011 a series of samples for an IRSL-and OSL-dating program (Zöller et al., this volume) has been collected from two deep trenches in the east of the excavated area. Results suggest an occupation of AH4 to AH1 between 30ka BP and 27ka BP. The site gives an insight not only into an important part of the cultural development before the Last Glacial Maximum but possibly also into climatic changes during a longer time span of the Upper Pleniglacial period in this part of Austria. Das Inventar der archäologischen Horizonte 4 und 3 und das Lössprofil von Grub/Kranawetberg, einem Lagerplatz des Gravettien in Niederösterreich Kurzfassung: Die Ausgrabungen an der Gravettienfundstelle Grub/Kranawetberg bei Stillfried erbrachten vier archäologische Horizonte. Der unterste (AH4) enthält zwei Herdstellen, die beide von einer Reihe von Grübchen umgeben sind. Der darauf folgende Horizont (AH3) ist durch eine 8-10 cm mächtige Lössschicht von AH4 getrennt. In AH3 gibt es keine evidenten Strukturen. Über AH3 liegen zwei weitere archäologische Horizonte mit lediglich einigen verstreuten Funden. Chronologisch sind beide Horizonte zwar nahe beisammen, sie sind aber sehr unterschiedlich, was die Strukturen und das Inventar angeht. Zum gegenwärtigen Zeitpunkt scheinen die beiden Horizonte die Anwesenheit von zwei Gruppen widerzuspiegeln, die dieses Gebiet möglicherweise unter sich ändernden Umweltbedingen nutzten. In den Jahren 2010 und 2011 wurde eine Reihe von Proben für IRSL und OSL Datierungen an zwei langen Profilen im Osten der ausgegrabenen Fläche genommen. So gesehen gibt der Platz nicht nur Einblick in einen bedeutenden Abschnitt der kulturellen Entwicklung vor dem Kältemaximum der letzten Eiszeit, sondern auch in die klimatischen Veränderungen des Hochglazial in diesem Teil von Österreich.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2017
Cultural layers are a fundamental part of open-air loess sites. As complex representations of the... more Cultural layers are a fundamental part of open-air loess sites. As complex representations of the interaction between human activity and natural processes, we believe these layers deserve detailed investigation. In this paper we consider the impact of hunter-gatherers on sediments and soil formation and present a small-scale, micromorphological study of a cultural layer at Grub-Kranawetberg. Grub-Kranawetberg is a Gravettian site located on a flat crest overlooking the Morava river valley in Lower Austria. We used micromorphology to study the formation of the main cultural layer of the site as well as the bordering underlying and overlying deposits. The studied cultural layer of Grub-Kranawetberg shows evidence of 1) substantial anthropogenic input of organic and mineral material, 2) bioturbation by a diverse soil fauna including mollusks and earthworms, 3) translocation of carbonates, indicating soil-forming processes, 4) trampling and 5) a preserved, though bioturbated, occupation surface without signs of erosion or redeposition. By enhancing nutrient availability and soil faunal activity, the human waste influenced the diversity and composition of the plant communities. We argue that the cultural layer is best described as an anthropogenic soil, indicating that anthropogenic waste already played a role in Late Pleistocene human landscape modification.
Quaternary International, 2012
The role of humans in the formation of Gravettian mammoth bone accumulations of central and easte... more The role of humans in the formation of Gravettian mammoth bone accumulations of central and eastern Europe is a heavily debated topic. Grub-Kranawetberg, a multi-layered Gravettian open-air site in eastern Austria, yielded a bone accumulation in the vicinity of a campsite. Zooarchaeological, taphonomic, and spatial analyses of this assemblage offer evidence on both human subsistence and formation of mammoth bone accumulations. The deposit is dominated by Mammuthus primigenius but also includes Coelodonta antiquitatis, Rangifer tarandus, Equus sp., Megaloceros giganteus, Canis lupus, Ursus cf. arctos and Lepus cf. timidus. The presence of butchery marks on remains of both megafaunal taxa indicates a human accumulated assemblage. The absence of carnivore gnaw marks suggests that humans had primary access to meaty skeletal parts. An indication that humans occupying the adjacent campsite interacted with the bones is seen in the rearticulation of a left upper first molar of a mammoth from the campsite with its matching right first upper molar found in the bone accumulation. The deposit is further characterized by various indications of fire evident in lenses of burned sediment and abundant traces of heating faunal remains. The varied colours of burned bone, as well as reddish burned loess show that the accumulation was subjected to a wide range of fire temperatures. The current results argue for the intentional use of fire as waste removal strategy.
Forgotten times and spaces: New perspectives in paleoanthropological, paleoetnological and archeological studies., 2015