Osseous technology Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

This thesis used a feminist archaeological theoretical framework to approach the analysis and presentation of the osseous tool collection from the Broken Mammoth site (XBD-131) in interior Alaska. The Broken Mammoth site dated to the... more

This thesis used a feminist archaeological theoretical framework to approach the analysis and presentation of the osseous tool collection from the Broken Mammoth site (XBD-131) in interior Alaska. The Broken Mammoth site dated to the Pleistocene/Holocene transition and has good organic preservation, which allowed for the recovery of seven formal osseous tools, which were available for physical analysis. Each tool was assessed for use and manufacture wear, and examined and photographed using a high-resolution scanner, digital micrograph, and standard digital camera. The tools were compared to a dataset of osseous tools from Western Beringia, Eastern Beringia, and North America compiled from previous research, in order to interpret the collection by function. The tools were interpreted as a combination of a projectile point or composite projectile pre-form cache, blunted projectiles, a foreshaft or projectile, and an eyed-needle. The feminist theoretical approach was used to develop a reflexive interrogation of the process of the tool analysis and to engender activity at the Broken Mammoth site.
The osseous tool collection was, in part, reflective of hunting strategies for small, fur bearing animals and of detailed or decorative sewing. I conducted a review of ethnographic literature from the Arctic and Subarctic, noting where men and/or women participated in the manufacture of clothing from raw material procurement through hunting to use of a completed garment. This analysis revealed the importance of women’s labor in this process.
The results of the ethnographic review were applied to previous research from the Broken Mammoth site, and the results of the osseous tool analysis, leading to the conclusion that women’s activities are visible at the Broken Mammoth site.

Raw material selection of animal hard tissue is directed by technological, but also cultural reasons. Availability of specific skeletal elements, their physical and mechanical properties, as well as cultural attitude towards certain... more

Raw material selection of animal hard tissue is directed by technological, but also cultural reasons. Availability of specific skeletal elements, their physical and mechanical properties, as well as cultural attitude towards certain animal and its body parts are the main factors in selection. In the Early Neolithic in the Balkan region, osseous raw materials had an important role for crafting everyday tools, but also for personal ornaments. In this paper will be presented some aspects of exploitation of osseous materials, in particular raw material acquiring and managing. Bones from both domestic and wild animals were used, and also antlers, teeth and occasionally mollusc shells. Preferences in selection of a specific skeletal element of a specific animal for specific tool-type may be observed – for example, preference of cattle metapodial bones for spoons and projectile points, predominance of skeletal elements from wild species for ornaments, etc. Furthermore, certain diversity among different Early Neolithic communities may be observed, in particular in ratio of antlers; in some settlements antlers were well presented while in others almost completely absent. To a certain extent, this is related to the immediate environment, but also is connected with differences in economic activities and local cultural preferences.

Osseous artefacts were very important in everyday lives of prehistoric communities, especially before the invention of metallurgy. However, they were long neglected area of study, particularly in some regions of Europe. For the Early... more

Osseous artefacts were very important in everyday lives of prehistoric communities, especially before the invention of metallurgy. However, they were long neglected area of study, particularly in some regions of Europe. For the Early Holocene period, the region of the Iron Gates is particularly interesting, because the presence of both Mesolithic and Early Neolithic sites enables analyses of traditions and innovations in raw material selection, technological choices, etc. Relatively rich finds were published in more detail for the sites in Romania. This paper will focus on the Mesolithic and Neolithic sites from Serbia (Kula, Velesnica, Knjepište, etc.). Technological and typological data will be discussed: raw material selection, manufacturing techniques, etc. Antlers were the dominant raw material in the Mesolithic period and their importance continues into the Neolithic period, although in most of the Starčevo sites bones prevailed. Typological repertoire included heavy duty and small craft tools, rarely other types of artefacts. Certain techno-types introduced in the Neolithic sites are of Near-Eastern origin, in particular spatula-spoons from cattle metapodia. Manufacture debris is not abundant and the question is whether this is related to taphonomy, excavation and recovery techniques, or specific activities carried out at some of the sites. Overall importance of analyses of the osseous industries and comparative approach of different technologies will be discussed.

Abstract: The identification of an early phase of the Magdalenian (Lower Magdalenian) between the Badegoulian and the Middle Magdalenian has breathed new life into research concerning the emergence of Magdalenian societies in Western... more

Abstract: The identification of an early phase of the Magdalenian (Lower Magdalenian) between the Badegoulian and the Middle
Magdalenian has breathed new life into research concerning the emergence of Magdalenian societies in Western Europe. Moreover,
the initial phase of the Middle Magdalenian, or ‘Early Middle Magdalenian’ or EMM, plays a unique role for our understanding of the
Late Paleolithic given converging technological, economic and symbolic changes and innovations. Such developments are reflected,
for example, in individual burials (e.g. Saint-Germain-la-Rivière, Laugerie-Basse, Lafaye, Chancelade…), rockshelters with friezes of sculpted animals (e.g. Roc-aux-Sorciers, Chaire-à-Calvin…), development of human representations (engraved slabs, decorations on
bone and antler implements). Historically, this period has been characterised by different ‘facies’ defined by the presence of particular
objects: the Magdalenian with Lussac-Angles points, the Magdalenian with navettes or the Magdalenian with scalene bladelets.
The distribution of these three so-called entities of the EMM overlaps from the Poitou to the Périgord, and especially in the Gironde,
which is the subject of the present work. Building on the work of M. Lenoir, the re-evaluation of several assemblages North of the Sable
des Landes as part of the ‘Magdatis’ Project has revitalised questions concerning the characterisation of EMM lithic and osseous implements
as well as the regional demography of these groups. In addition to revising the ‘classic’ assemblages assigned to the Magdalenian
with navettes — Roc-de-Marcamps (original collections) — the analysis was expanded to included Saint-Germain-la-Rivière (Blanchard
Collection and Trécolle excavations), Moulin-Neuf (Lenoir excavations), Roc-de-Marcamps 1 and 2 (Lenoir excavations) and the Grotte
des Fées (Daleau Collection). While clearly biased by differing excavation methods, this database nevertheless allows varying techno-
economic behaviours reflected in the composition of the flint and osseous industries from sites attributed to the different entities
of the EMM to be addressed. The identification of Lussac-Angles points at the Grotte des Fées, located just above Roc-de-Marcamps
(Magdalenian with navettes), opened the debate concerning the contemporaneity of these two sites.
New radiocarbon dates obtained on diagnostic objects (Lussac-Angles points, ‘navette’, pierced phallic batons) and identifiable faunal
material (reindeer, saïga, bison) and human remains demonstrate some degree of contemporaneity between the different EMM entities.
Beyond the presence or absence of particular objects, comparing data from lithic and osseous industries in terms of the organisation of
the chaînes opératoires for the production of domestic tools and hunting weaponry revealed elements common to the different entities,
suggesting a relative cultural permeability. Additionally, new data concerning the circulation of lithic raw materials further reinforces the
idea of dynamic cultural interactions between the valley of the Cher, the Poitou, the Charentes, the Périgord and the Chalosse, exposing for
the first time a north-south axis of communication. Comparisons of lithic and osseous material from several assemblages dated to approximately
19 and 17,5 ky cal. BP thanks to a series of targeted radiocarbon dates has allowed traits particular to the EMM of southwestern
France to be identified. Future research goals include better understanding this important period which, while clearly marked by ideas from
the Lower Magdalenian, sees an acceleration in the emergence of the ‘classic’ Magdalenian. This general increase in the pace of cultural
innovations is clear both in symbolic manifestations as well as techno-economic changes. The integration of these different data forms
should help refine the mechanisms underlying the development of a Pan-European Palaeolithic culture with distinct regional variations.

The importance of investigating maintenance and discard behaviours in Palaeolithic osseous technological systems is only now becoming clear, thanks to recent advances in our understanding of how these implements were repaired in various... more

The importance of investigating maintenance and discard behaviours in Palaeolithic osseous technological systems is only now becoming clear, thanks to recent advances in our understanding of how these implements were repaired in various techno-complexes. While significant work has been completed on European assemblages, the issues of maintenance and discard behaviour have generally received only passing mention, and thus, the nature and frequency of Palaeolithic osseous projectile point rejuvenation and discard remains largely unknown. This paper presents the trace and formal analysis of more than 4400 Middle - Late Magdalenian antler projectile point artefacts excavated from two central datasets (Isturitz, Pyrénées - Atlantiques and La Vache, Ariège), and complemented by examination of a further 22 collections recovered from throughout France and southern Germany. Analysis of individual artefacts, collections, and regional samples resulted in significant new insights into the use life of the iconic Magdalenian barbed point, as well as single and double bevel based point technologies. These insights concern not only how the projectile points were resharpened, reworked, and reused, but also cultural ideals concerning point form, and even potential differences in functionality.

Si les sociétés gravettiennes de France et d’Europe orientale (Russie) ont eu recours au même « bagage technique » pour l’exploitation des matières dures d’origine animale, la place accordée à certains procédés au sein des systèmes... more

Si les sociétés gravettiennes de France et d’Europe orientale (Russie)
ont eu recours au même « bagage technique » pour l’exploitation des matières
dures d’origine animale, la place accordée à certains procédés au
sein des systèmes techno-économiques varie toutefois considérablement
entre ces deux régions. C’est le cas de l’extraction de baguette par double
rainurage longitudinal. Ce procédé, simple d’un point de vue conceptuel,
constitue une innovation technique importante dans le domaine de l’exploitation
des matières osseuses au Paléolithique supérieur. Pourtant, ce procédé,
aux implications techno-économiques « révolutionnaires », ne s’est
pas épanoui de la même façon dans toutes les régions d’Europe au cours
du Gravettien. En France, il tient une place importante, voire essentielle à
certains moments, dans le travail des matières osseuses, tandis qu’en
Europe orientale son impact sur les productions est plus réduit. Nous nous
interrogerons donc sur l’origine de ces disparités et plus largement sur les
mécanismes en cause dans l’émergence, la diffusion et la pérennisation de
ce savoir-faire dans l’Europe gravettienne.

Le Roc de Marcamps (Prignac-et-Marcamps, Gironde) est un site du Magdalénien moyen connu notam-ment par la découverte de nombreuses navettes dans les fouilles anciennes du secteur 1. Les travaux menés par Michel Lenoir dans le secteur 2... more

Le Roc de Marcamps (Prignac-et-Marcamps, Gironde) est un site du Magdalénien moyen connu notam-ment par la découverte de nombreuses navettes dans les fouilles anciennes du secteur 1. Les travaux menés par Michel Lenoir dans le secteur 2 durant les années 1980 n'ont pas livré ce type de marqueur osseux mais un ensemble de vestiges attribués également à cette période. Plusieurs dates radiocarbone raisonnées placent ce gisement autour de 18900-18600 cal. BP, soit lors des premiers temps du Magdalénien moyen. Cette phase de transition apparaît synchrone de l'événement climatique d'Heinrich 1 marquant une péjoration climatique avec des conditions froides et steppiques. Elle se caractérise en outre par d'importants changements techno-économiques ou symboliques. À l'interface des « faciès » à navettes, à pointes de Lussac-Angles ou à lamelles scalènes, le Roc de Marcamps 2, et plus largement la Gironde, occupe une place privilégiée pour la compréhension de la mosaïque géoculturelle structurant la genèse du Magdalénien moyen. Dans le cadre d'une révision collective du gisement par des membres du projet « Magdatis », cet article présente une approche croisée, détaillant les analyses taphonomiques et archéozoologiques des restes de faune (ongulés, méso-mammifères et avifaune) ainsi que les études typotechnologiques des industries lithique et osseuse et de la parure. La stratigraphie du Roc de Marcamps 2 comprend un ensemble supérieur mêlant dépôts récents, déblais de carrières, céra-miques et vestiges paléolithiques brassés par des animaux fouisseurs. L'ensemble inférieur apparaît mieux conservé et renferme les vestiges magdaléniens. Les restes fauniques documentent une chasse principalement axée sur les bisons, les antilopes saïga, les chevaux et les rennes durant la mauvaise saison et au début de la bonne saison. L'exploitation de ces ressources animales est intensive et orientée vers la récupération de la moelle en complément de la viande. L'étude des matières premières siliceuses, préférentiellement d'origine locale, atteste toutefois un apport de silex de Saintonge (silex « grain-de-mil »). La production lithique est principalement composée de débitages lamellaires voués à la confection d'éléments d'armatures de chasse. Le débitage laminaire fournit des supports normalisés pour la fabrication d'outils. L'industrie en matières dures d'origine animale est assez pauvre et comprend un équipement en os (aiguilles, lissoirs, retouchoirs) et en bois de renne (essentiellement des armatures de projectile) ainsi que des éléments de parure sur coquillages (en majorité des dentales) et sur dents (en majorité des incisives de renne sciées). L'étude typotechnologique des industries lithique et osseuse et de la parure suggère des rapprochements tant avec le « Magdalénien à navettes » qu'avec le « Magdalénien à pointes de Lussac-Angles », deux faciès dont le Roc de Marcamps 2 est contemporain. Ceci doit conduire à s'interroger sur la pertinence de l'utilisation de ces faciès pour définir des « cultures exclusives » qui finalement se recouvrent chronologiquement et géographiquement, notamment en Gironde.

This paper examines osseous beads and pendants from the Aceramic Neolithic mound site of Aşıklı Höyük (Central Anatolia, Turkey). The major part of the excavated occupational sequence spans c. 8350-7350 cal BC, a period characterised by... more

This paper examines osseous beads and pendants from the Aceramic Neolithic mound site of Aşıklı Höyük (Central Anatolia, Turkey). The major part of the excavated occupational sequence spans c. 8350-7350 cal BC, a period characterised by local differences in subsistence strategies prior to the emergence of agropastoral systems. At Aşıklı Höyük, gradual replacement of a variety of animals harvested for meat with caprines and stock keeping have been observed. Cultivation would be the prime explanation for the location of the site, which became larger and more densely occupied over time. Material culture provides evidence for technological and social behaviours changing at different rates and degrees. The osseous ornaments highlight deep-rooted habits and concepts as well as shifting attitudes toward personal adornment. Beads made from small mammal and bird bones and marine mollusc shells and deer canine imitations made from mammal bones were a constant choice. The major variations concern the spatial and temporal distributions of the tooth pendants and shell beads and the materials and skills used for imitation. We use here faunal and technological data to explore these distributions further.

Geometric art at Duruthy (Sorde-l'Abbaye, Landes, France): from Middle to Upper Magdalenian. Excavated by Louis Lartet and Gatien Chaplain-Duparc in 1874, and under the management of Robert Arambourou from 1957 to 1986, Duruthy rock... more

Geometric art at Duruthy (Sorde-l'Abbaye, Landes, France): from Middle to Upper Magdalenian. Excavated by Louis Lartet and Gatien Chaplain-Duparc in 1874, and under the management of Robert Arambourou from 1957 to 1986, Duruthy rock shelter provided an important collection of objects engraved with geometric compositions (129 pieces). As well as its quantity, this collection is of great interest thanks to its stratigraphic context, allowing us to discuss changes in symbolic world between Middle and Upper Magdalenian. Published as a catalogue in 2006, these objects had never been analysed deeper in order to precise symbolic behaviours yet. As part of our PhD research, we studied pieces kept in the Abbaye d'Arthous proceeding to the reconstruction of engraved objects from fragments, the drawing of engraved faces, the objects 'technological analysis and the compositions 'structural analysis. They emphasized the presence of two different graphic traditions in layers 4 and 3. This renewal of geometric compositions during Upper Magdalenian (layer 3) is associated with modifications in their organization and supports. Production of geometric compositions with different structures, on object more or less exceptional within toolkit, probably display symbolic and social mutations, noticed in other sites such as Isturitz cave. The collection of Duruthy provide in this way new clues about mutations in Magdalenian's societies from SouthWest of France.

Roman Naissus (modern Niš, Serbia) was one of the most important cities in Late Antiquity in the province of Dacia Mediterranea. Well-developed economy, as well as the fact that this was the birth place of emperor Constantine I (306-337),... more

Roman Naissus (modern Niš, Serbia) was one of the most important cities in Late Antiquity in the province of Dacia Mediterranea. Well-developed economy, as well as the fact that this was the birth place of emperor Constantine I (306-337), were the main reasons for the city’s prosperity in this period, today visible in rich and diverse archaeological remains, that include secular and sacral buildings, necropolises and individual mausoleums, and very rich portable archaeological material.
In one of the luxurious city building, presumably used as palatium for high officials, a large quantity of small decorative objects made from red deer antler was discovered. The find includes zoomorphic and geometrical shapes, decorated by incising and carving. This find represents remains of some sort of panel decoration, probably on (wooden) furniture, that was inlayed into the wood the similar manner as mosaic tiles were arranged to form a composition (in opus sectile technique). This is a unique find in the central Balkan area, and after stylistical traits may be dated from mid- or second half of 4 century AD to 6 century AD. Technological aspects, possible reconstruction and the place of this find within wider context of Late Roman craftsmanship will be discussed.

Sector GG2 corresponds to the north extremity of the Grotte du Pape at Brassempouy, the furthest from the main entrance. The celebrity of the Grotte du Pape was assured thanks to the meticulous excavations that E. Piette carried out... more

Sector GG2 corresponds to the north extremity of the Grotte du Pape at
Brassempouy, the furthest from the main entrance. The celebrity of the
Grotte du Pape was assured thanks to the meticulous excavations that
E. Piette carried out there at the end of the 19th century. It was the Gravettian
levels of the cave’s entrance which yielded one of the most important
collections of ivory feminine statuettes, including the «Lady of Brassempouy
» who was to give a face to Prehistory. Our article concerns the data
of the recent excavations made in the low back section of the cave where
the ceiling rises only about 1m20. A remarkable assemblage was discovered
in this zone a long way from the main activity sector in front of the cave
(excavation I). It comes mainly from the layer 2D, well situated between
an Aurignacian level and a Magdalenian level thanks to the existence of
stalagmitic and phosphatic floors. It is characterized by an important proportion
of lithic points mainly composed of the mesial part of backed
bladelets, microgravettes and shouldered points together with ivory points,
some of which are decorated with incisions. Besides the high proportion of
points, this assemblage is also distinguished by the quality of objects gathered
within a small space of a few square metres (choice of materials and
care given to the production). With the exception of some Noailles burins,
the domestic tools contained in this level are ubiquitous and it is thus on
these points and on their link with those (also Gravettian) from the Brassempouy
excavation I as well as those from the nearby important site of Isturitz that the attribution of this level to the Gravettian rests. The approach
we propose for this context, taking into account disturbances having affected
layer 2D and founded on the technological and taphonomical analysis
of the points which it contains, aims at estimating the homogeneity of this
assemblage and discussing the intentionality of this singular deposit. Finally
we will set this assemblage in the material and symbolic context of the
Gravettian in Central and Western Europe in order to interpret this unusual
concentration of points which henceforth adds to the cultural wealth of the
Brassempouy Gravettian.

The present study focuses on the osseous tool assemblage from the Mesolithic site at Răzvrata in the Iron Gates. Despite its small size, it supplied interesting data regarding raw material acquisition, the methods and techniques of... more

The present study focuses on the osseous tool assemblage from the Mesolithic site at
Răzvrata in the Iron Gates. Despite its small size, it supplied interesting data regarding raw material
acquisition, the methods and techniques of artefact manufacture, functionality of tools, their discard
and/or recycle. Most of the remaining 34 items of the collection were made of Cervus elaphus antler (32
pieces), one of bone and one of Sus scrofa canine. Given the larger number of items, for antler it was
possible to identify the series of products and sub-products of the châine opératoire. Most of the antler
blanks preserved the volume of the beams/tines, and were subsequently transformed in one typological
category only - bevelled tools. Although the assemblage shows little typological and technological
variability, it points towards a degree specialization of certain activities, such as wood working.

AVERBOUH A. dir. 2016 − Multilingual Lexicon of Bone Industry, Version 2 (Français-Anglais- Allemand, Danois, Espagnol, Italien, Portugais, Roumain, Bulgare, Polonais, Russe, Hongrois). GDRE PREHISTOS ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES II 2015, Hors... more

The socio-economic territories of the Upper Paleolithic nomad populations are founded on the basic overview of social resources, defining them as oriented elements to the production and / or reproduction of these groups. Some human... more

The socio-economic territories of the Upper Paleolithic nomad populations are founded on the basic overview of social resources, defining them as oriented elements to the production and / or reproduction of these groups. Some human productions allow us, by their characteristics such as the specificity of the origin of the raw materials, to better understand the economic and social behaviour. In this work we present an overview and recent results of analyses of raw materials, the procurement areas and mobility patterns of lithic productions and malacofauna manufactured as part of personal ornaments of Magdalenians of the southern slope of the Catalan Pyrenees.

We have focused our study on the projectile points of Cova de Parpalló. The Magdalenian sequence in this archaeological site is one of the most complete in the Upper Paleolithic from the southwest of Europe. We have analyzed 334 pieces... more

We have focused our study on the projectile points of Cova de Parpalló. The Magdalenian sequence in this archaeological site is one of the most complete in the Upper Paleolithic from the southwest of Europe. We have analyzed 334 pieces from an assemblage that includes well over 2000 fi nished objects, and consider these weapons as a representative sample from two well differentiated Magdalenian phases. The fi rst period studied dates to the Badegoulian (layer 2.40–2.20 m), while the second is Upper Magdalenian (layer 0.80–1.00 m). The main aspects of this analysis are typological evaluation (hafting kinds or bases, sections, mor-phometry) and fracture patterns (position and kinds of fractures , distinguishing between use, post-depositional or recent fractures). These two assemblages are compared before the Upper Magdalenian of Parpalló is contextualized within the rest of the Upper Magdalenian from Mediterranean Iberian Peninsula. The assemblages from Cova de les Cendres and Cueva de Nerja lead us to establish a relationship between the studied sites and create a general vision of the geographic articulation of these cultures, including an evaluation of harpoons and gorges from these archaeological sites.

RESUMEN En la excavación de la cueva de Ezkuzta (Azpeitia/Guipúzcoa; al nordeste del corredor cantábrico) se hallaron tres varillas aplanadas he-chas en asta de cérvido (¿reno?). Dos de ellas están casi completas; se conservan fragmentos... more

RESUMEN En la excavación de la cueva de Ezkuzta (Azpeitia/Guipúzcoa; al nordeste del corredor cantábrico) se hallaron tres varillas aplanadas he-chas en asta de cérvido (¿reno?). Dos de ellas están casi completas; se conservan fragmentos de una tercera. Sus fórmulas de decoración se corresponden con algunas de Isturitz y de otros sitios del Pirineo francés: son surcos espiraliformes o curvilíneos en dos de ellas e incisiones agrupadas en haces en la otra. Se consideran fósiles característicos del Magdaleniense medio pirenaico, entre aprox. 14500 y 13300 años BP. LABURPENA Ezkuztako haitzuloaren (Azpeitia/Gipuzkoa; kantauri aldeko korridorearen ipar-ekialdean) indusketetan oreindar (elur oreina?) adarrekin eginiko hiru hagaska topatu ditugu. Horietatik bi, ia osorik daude; hirugarren baten zatiak aurkitu izan ditugu ere bai. Beren apainketa patroiak Isturitzekoekin (eta beste pirinear haitzulokoekin ere bai) bat datoz: dira grabatutako espiralformako edo kurbadun hildoak bi kasuetan eta lerrokatutako inzisioak bestean. Halako apainduradun hagaskak Pirinear eremuko Erdi Magdalen aldiko fosil esanguratsutzat hartzen dira, egundik 14500 eta 13300 urte bitartekoak, gutxi gora behera. ABSTRACT In the excavation of Ezkuzta's cave (Azpeitia/Guipúzcoa; in northeastern Cantabrian corridor) three made smoothed rods (french. ba-guettes demi-rondes) of cervidae's antler (reindeer?) were found: two completes and fragments of the third one. His formulae of decoration grouped in faeces in other one. These themes are considered to be cultural markers of the Pyrenean middle Magdalenien, between aprox. 14500 and 13300 years BP. (1) Dpto. de Geografía, Prehistoria y Arqueología (UPV/EHU). (2) Basque Foundation of Science (IKERBASQUE).

Die Magdalénienstation Petersfels (Lkr. Konstanz) zählt mit ihrem umfangreichen lithischen und organischen Inventar zu den bedeutendsten altsteinzeitlichen Fundstellen Mitteleuropas. Die vorliegende Studie behandelt die... more

Die Magdalénienstation Petersfels (Lkr. Konstanz) zählt mit ihrem umfangreichen lithischen und organischen Inventar zu den bedeutendsten altsteinzeitlichen Fundstellen Mitteleuropas. Die vorliegende Studie behandelt die spätjungpaläolithische Geweihindustrie vom Petersfels unter den besonderen Schwerpunkten Archäologie und Taphonomie. Im Zuge von Untersuchungen an rezenten Rengeweihen im westgrönländischen Inland kann der Autor Sebastian J. Pfeifer eine Vielzahl von natürlichen Veränderungen beschreiben und klassifizieren. Anhand dieser Beobachtungen gelingt es, Auswirkungen taphonomischer Prozesse und anthropogene Modifikationen am paläolithischen Fundmaterial zu identifizieren und voneinander zu unterscheiden. Es kann gezeigt werden, dass sowohl Abwurfstangen als auch schädelechte Stücke am Petersfels eingebracht, gelagert und verarbeitet wurden. Eine stark rationalisierte Produktion kontrastiert dabei mit großzügigem Verbrauch des Materials und der Beobachtung, dass beschädigte Werkzeuge nahezu nie repariert wurden.

In the Bronze Age settlement of Odaia Turcului (Dâmbovița County) four levels of habitation have been identified, of which three are attributed to the Glina culture and one to the Odaia Turcului cultural group. In this study are presented... more

In the Bronze Age settlement of Odaia Turcului (Dâmbovița County) four levels of habitation have been identified, of which three are attributed to the Glina culture and one to the Odaia Turcului cultural group. In this study are presented the archaeological materials discovered in the four archaeological levels and and which sums up 21 artifacts (13 items attributed to the Glina layers, 6 items attributed to the Odaia Turcului layer and 2 items having an indeterminate context). Even if the archaeological assemblage is not very important from a quantitative point of view, we have tried to identify the characteristic elements in terms of raw materials and technological transformation schemes for the Glina and Odaia Turcului discoveries. Starting from the information provided by the study of raw materials, technological and use-wear marks we can argue that these artifacts were mainly involved in domestic activities (processing of leather, plant fibers and wood). We could identify some cultural mutations, at the transition from the Glina culture to the Odaia Turcului cultural group such as a wider variety of raw materials used by the Glina communities or the use of grooving for bone processing at the Odaia Turcului community, a technique that does not appear in previous layers.

Star Carr, North Yorkshire, has the largest deposition of Mesolithic antler barbed points in the country; in fact it accounts for roughly 97% of all Early Mesolithic barbed points known in Britain. There has been much debate about... more

Star Carr, North Yorkshire, has the largest deposition of Mesolithic antler barbed points in the country; in fact
it accounts for roughly 97% of all Early Mesolithic barbed points known in Britain. There has been much
debate about whether barbed point manufacture occurred at the site or elsewhere within the landscape but the
process of manufacturing has never been examined in great detail. This paper presents a new evaluation based
on analysis of museum collections, recent excavations and experimental work and concludes that there is
evidence to suggest that the full manufacturing process took place at Star Carr.

Personal ornaments are a clear way to display different ideological and symbolic aspects to other people or others human groups. The osseous adornment assemblage from the ar- chaeological site of Motilla del Azuer (Daimiel, Ciudad Real,... more

Personal ornaments are a clear way to display different ideological and symbolic aspects to other people or others human groups. The osseous adornment assemblage from the ar- chaeological site of Motilla del Azuer (Daimiel, Ciudad Real, Spain), dating to Bronze Age, has been studied in this paper. There is a systematic selection of the raw material used to manufactured each type of ornament. Extraction and segmentation, as flaking methods, and several manufacturing and finishing techniques, such us scrapping or abrasion, have been identified trough the traceological analysis of the artifacts surface.

This chapter introduces a global perspective on the analysis of faunal and worked bone assemblages through the adoption of an integrative approach. Using a series of Pre-Contact Iroquoian sites from southern Quebec (Canada) as a case... more

This chapter introduces a global perspective on the analysis of faunal and worked bone assemblages through the adoption of an integrative approach. Using a series of Pre-Contact Iroquoian sites from southern Quebec (Canada) as a case study, it illustrates the benefits resulting from a sustained and integrated collaboration between faunal and bone tool specialists. An archaeological bone has many dimensions, and the integrative approach promoted here allows researchers to combine these into a coherent conceptual framework that provides a more accurate and holistic understanding of faunal exploitation by human societies in the past. This can be accomplished without overriding the complexity and specificities of faunal and technological analyses by simply taking advantage of their natural, yet underrated interplay.

The timing and course of the recolonisation of Central Europe after the Last Glacial Maximum are intensively debated. Particularly puzzling is the distribution of sites between 19,000 and 18,000 calBP, attributed to the so-called... more

The timing and course of the recolonisation of Central Europe after the Last Glacial Maximum are intensively debated. Particularly puzzling is the distribution of sites between 19,000 and 18,000 calBP, attributed to the so-called Magdalenian ‘à navettes’, where the easternmost site (Maszycka, Poland) is located 1300 km away from its closest neighbour to the west (Grappin, France). The question of early recolonisation pulses into Central Europe is linked to the problem of identifying weak occupation signals within archaeological palimpsests, whose largest parts have accumulated during later periods of more intensive human activities. In order to disentangle palimpsest assemblages and identify components of early occupation events, we set aside traditional
archaeological units such as Middle Magdalenian and instead focus on artefact associations. Under this premise, we review the evidence of faunal assemblages, radiocarbon dates, artefact morphology, technology and artisan craftwork of sites in Central Europe between roughly 20,000 and 14,000 calBP. We identify numerous, previously overlooked evidence for early occupations, particularly for the periods from 19,000 to 18,000 calBP and 18,000 to 15,800 calBP. Our findings add new tesserae to the mosaic picture of the repopulation process in Central Europe after the Last Glacial Maximum and significantly alter the current view on its timing and course.

In this chapter I present the results of a use-trace study conducted on 357 pointed bone tools from terminal Pleistocene and Holocene assemblages in southern Africa. All the bone points considered here conform to the morphological... more

In this chapter I present the results of a use-trace
study conducted on 357 pointed bone tools from terminal
Pleistocene and Holocene assemblages in southern Africa.
All the bone points considered here conform to the morphological
criteria of projectile arrow heads, as defi ned by analogy
to historic Bushman arrows. Use-wear and residue traces
consistent with wood-working and hide processing reveal
that not all bone points functioned as projectile armatures in
the past. Functional diversity is evident only during the last
6000 years. Bone points from the Pleistocene are routinely
subject to rigorous use-wear analyses to establish their function,
yet it is often taken for granted that similar tools found
in the more recent Holocene were used as projectile tips.
This paper cautions against the specious imputation to projectile
technology of all bone points based solely on morphometric
criteria.

The Mesolithic site at Ostrovul Banului was investigated by Vasile Boroneant in 1966, prior to the building of the Iron Gates I hydroelectric dam. 227 items made of hard animal materials (in various stages of manufacturing) were the... more

The Mesolithic site at Ostrovul Banului was investigated by Vasile Boroneant in 1966, prior to the building of the Iron Gates I hydroelectric dam. 227 items made of hard animal materials (in various stages of manufacturing) were the subject of the present research. Four
categories of raw materials were identified: deer antler, long bone diaphyses, teeth (mammals and fish) and gastropod shells. All raw materials could have been obtained locally, suggesting their direct acquisition and processing by the Mesolithic community. The typological range is limited, but comprises well-defined tool series. The most representative were antler chisels, bone points and tusk side-scrapers. While the projectile points are indicative of hunting activities, the other items suggest domestic uses (cutting and shaving wood, perforating and cleaning hides, etc.). An important observation concerns raw material differentiation of the blanks: volume blanks for antler, and flat blanks in the case of bone and tooth. Analysis of the hard animal materials from Ostrovul Banului indicates a community that was highly
specialized both economically and technologically. The inventory fits the general pattern of Mesolithic assemblages from the Iron Gates.

Earth-working spades were crafted from bone, stone, and wood in preindustrial societies. In the early Hemudu culture (7000-6000 BP) in eastern China, bone, particularly wild water buffalo scapulae, was preferred for crafting spades to... more

Earth-working spades were crafted from bone, stone, and wood in preindustrial societies. In the early Hemudu culture (7000-6000 BP) in eastern China, bone, particularly wild water buffalo scapulae, was preferred for crafting spades to modify the margins of wetlands for cultivation and occupation. Experimental and ethnographic research show that earth properties in the area adequately explains why wooden spades were less common; however, preference for bone spades over stone spades requires explanations beyond techno-functions during use. This paper identifies potential factors during the manufacturing procedure that might have encouraged the development and persistence of the scapular spade tradition. Replication experiments reconstructed the manufacturing procedure of the Hemudu scapular spade in comparison to that of a groundstone equivalent. The results showed that the manufacture knowledge was sophisticated for bone as well as for stone. However, the adequate level of know-how for successful production was lower for bone. Surprisingly, the costs in time and manufacturing tools for crafting a good enough bone tool were higher than those for a stone counterpart. In fact, the manufacture of bone tools involved the use of advanced groundstone tools. Overall, the Hemudu tool producers appear to have made their technological choices based on traditional conformity as well as resistance to motor skill adjustment rather than comprehensive cost-benefit assessment. The persistence of the scapular spade tradition led to increased investments into sophisticated modifications to cope with increasingly arduous earth-working tasks and likely led to increased investment into raw material procurement when bone raw materials became scarce. The results also suggest that technological ease and manufacturing costs in tool production should be evaluated carefully within the behavioral contexts, while taking into account that implements crafted from a variety of raw materials were employed in manufacturing the tool and that the costs and benefits in production are not equally perceivable to decision makers.

Măgura 'Buduiasca' (‘Boldul lui Moș Ivănuș’) settlement has an important place among the Prehistoric settlements from the Balkans. It is characterised by continuous habitation from the Early Neolithic through to the Early Chalcolithic... more

Măgura 'Buduiasca' (‘Boldul lui Moș Ivănuș’) settlement has an important place among the Prehistoric settlements from the Balkans. It is characterised by continuous habitation from the Early Neolithic through to the Early Chalcolithic allowing an understanding of the development of utilitarian objects and personal adornments in respect of the raw materials used and their processing patterns. One group consists of local bivalves (Unio sp.) which were exploited in an opportunistic manner: first as an important source of food and second as a source material for producing artefacts after recovery from domestic waste. The local gastropods shells (Lithoglyphus sp., Theodoxus danubialis, Esperiana sp., Ansius/Planorbis sp.) are without any nutritional value and used only as a source of raw materials. They could be collected during specialized expeditions organized for this purpose at certain times of the year. Imported elements are a third category which most likely arrived at Măgura ‘Buduiasca’ as finished objects. They provide evidence for complex exchange networks at this period in prehistory. Species like Mytilus or Cardium most likely come from the Black Sea, while Spondylus or Glycymeris may have their origins in the Mediterranean Sea. The presence of these raw materials demonstrates different transformation methods with their origin influencing the processing procedure: allogene valves for adornments, while Unio sp. are especially transformed into utilitarian tools.

In the past two decades, archaeological studies of knowledge and skill transmission for pottery and lithic production in preindustrial societies have significantly improved our understanding of how technological traditions were... more

In the past two decades, archaeological studies of knowledge and skill transmission for pottery and lithic production in preindustrial societies have significantly improved our understanding of how technological traditions were transmitted and how the transmission processes influenced technological persistence and changes. However, case studies of craft transmission for osseous technology are rare despite their equal importance to pottery and lithic industries in preindustrial societies. Our research fills the gap by examining early Hemudu Culture’s (7000–6000 BP) scapular implements in the southern Yangzi Delta to understand the linkage between learning and maintaining the scapular shovel tradition in Hemudu’s socio-economic context. We first traced the history of scapular tools to the precedent Kuahuqiao Culture (8200–7000 BP), then used published experimental results to identify the product traits pertinent to craft learning and infer Hemudu scapular shovel blades’ learning and production patterns. Hemudu scapular shovels had a unique, complicated hafting style and an evidential raw material preference for old water buffalo scapulae. However, the blades’ morphological details and technical solutions varied significantly. In addition, most finished products display manufacturing mistakes resulting from crafters’ lacking skills, experience, and intervention. Practice pieces are rare compared to finished and used products. Although additional evidence implies that practice might have been more common than the studied sample suggested, it was carried out with less-than-ideal bones and insufficient for developing technical competency. We argue that the Hemudu societal norms for a scapular shovel applied only to the highly visible aspects of the implement. The shaft and ligatures could reduce the visibility of many manufacturing flaws on the shovel blade to reach the desired visual effect of the shovel. The shovel blades were made by household crafters emulating from an artifact or a memorized template but had insufficient training and practice in manufacturing. Communities of practice were minimal to nonexistent among the shovel makers; alternative mechanisms to maintain the technical norms or hold a high product standard were also lacking. Therefore, we concluded that the scapular shovels were less important as a technical implementation than a visual communicator of social identity. The binary system of conformist style and material preference mixed with loose quality control in the shovel blade production reveals that social conformity and the associated learning pattern are circumstantial and fluid even for a community’s iconic implement. Further research with other artifact types in Yangzi Delta would help shed light on whether similar learning patterns were applied besides the creation of scapular shovels.

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to analyze the funeral inventory (especially artifacts made of hard animal materials) deriving from the grave 79 of the Eneolithic necropolis of Urziceni (Vamă). A 40–50-year-old man was buried in... more

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to analyze the funeral inventory (especially artifacts made of
hard animal materials) deriving from the grave 79 of the Eneolithic necropolis of Urziceni (Vamă). A
40–50-year-old man was buried in this grave placed in a crouched position. Eight artifacts made of three
types of hard animal materials were deposited next to the skeleton (Sus sp. canines, long bones diaphyses
and Cervus elaphus antler). Typological categories are not varied: scrapers and projectile points. The
methodology we have used aimed not just to identify the operational schemes used for the manufacture of
different typological categories but also to determine if the pieces were used before they became a funeral
inventory. Our conclusion is that all the items belong to the hunting domain and that they have been used
throughout the life of the owner. The fact that such an inventory accompanied a man reflects the types
of religious beliefs of the community: the extension beyond death of the same activities, implicitly of the
social status.

One of the very important, but still not sufficiently known aspects of the Chalcolithic economy in the Portuguese Estremadura, is the osseous industry (made from bone, antler, teeth and mollusc shell). This aspect leads to many open... more

One of the very important, but still not sufficiently known aspects of the Chalcolithic economy in the Portuguese Estremadura, is the osseous industry (made from bone, antler, teeth and mollusc shell). This aspect leads to many open questions to be answer, such as reconstructing the chaîne opératoire and identifying workshops, since manufacturing debris often stay unrecognized during field excavations and later during laboratory analysis.
In a Pleistocene valley, the Roto Valley, in the municipality of Bombarral, is located the Chalcolithic settlement of Columbeira. It features two belts of reinforced walls with towers. The central fortification of quadrangular format, features circular towers, semi-circular bastions and have an entry turn to the southeast.
Discovered in the beginning of the XXth century and intensively explored almost a century afterwards, Castro da Columbeira still offers unpublished information on the Chalcolithic of the Portuguese Estremadura.
The study of the bone industry from the Castro da Columbeira, which is dated to the Middle Chalcolithic (without Bell Beaker; 3950±30 cal. B.P.) and its results will be presented.
The results obtained from this analysis, along with the comparison with contemporaneous sites from the Portuguese Estremadura will give us a better understanding of this archaeological site, providing a possible existence of a workshop in the site, as well as contributing to a better characterization of the Chalcolithic in the Portuguese Estremadura.

This catalogue contains metric and visual data on osseous projectiles (points, barbed points, half-round rods, foreshafts) from selected late Upper Palaeolithic sites in Central Europe. For each assemblage considered, there are attribute... more

This catalogue contains metric and visual data on osseous projectiles (points, barbed points, half-round rods, foreshafts) from selected late Upper Palaeolithic sites in Central Europe. For each assemblage considered, there are attribute systems (*csv files) and images (*tif files) available. The catalogue is updated continuously.
The work on this catalogue was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) within the framework of the projects:
PF 841/2-1 “Raw material. Weapon. Prey: Comparative analysis of the osseous projectile technology of the Central European Magdalenian“ (2016–2019)
https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/277455211?language=en
and
PF 841/4-1 “Grubgrabian – Epigravettian – Magdalenian. Characterization of the late Upper Palaeolithic in eastern Central Europe (c. 23.000–14.000 calBP) based on the osseous tools” (2021–)
https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/442218485

The excavations carried out by L. Pericot from 1929 to 1931 in the Cova del Parpalló documented the Gravettian in the base, a Solutrean layer, and a Magdalenian. These sequences comprise an exceptional assemblage of portable art because... more

The excavations carried out by L. Pericot from 1929 to 1931 in the Cova del Parpalló documented the Gravettian in the base, a Solutrean layer, and a Magdalenian. These sequences comprise an exceptional assemblage of portable art because of the number of plaquets/objects and the great chronological amplitude. With all this information, Parpalló was included in the reduced list of reference sites to organize the European Upper Paleolithic sequence in the first half of the 20th century. The Magdalenian layers were organized in four phases, following H. Breuil's classical proposal. Changes in bases morphology and decorative topics on osseous points permitted this correlation, identifying for the first time the oldest Magdalenian in the south of Europe.
With this precedent, we show in this work a preliminary technological and typological study of the Ancient Magdalenian or Badegoulian Parpalló's type osseous industry. The main objective is to identify the operational schemes that characterize the osseous material transformation working. We analyse the different artefact categories which belong to the production operational sequence (wastes, blanks, preforms, and finished objects). We compare these data with a sample of finished objects. They belong to
the production of an assemblage composed of spear points, half-round rods and awls.
The first approach reveals that in Parpallo, debitage by fracturing is predominant. The use of Double Grooving Procedure is documented as well. Both were used to obtain flat blanks to make objects like
simple bevel points, double points or simple based points. We make a valuation between technotypological transformations in lithic industries and radiocarbon dating. This is put in relation to the transformations produced in SW Europe in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM).

Master Thesis from December 2019