Armas arrojadizas de caza de yacimientos del Paleolítico Superior Final de Byki (centro de Europa del Este): Coexistencia de puntas de hueso y puntas de sílex

The article deals with a specific Late Upper Paleolithic Byki site complex, situated in the Seim river basin, in the center of Eastern Europe. Main feature of Byki 1, 2, 3, 7 (cultural layers I and Ia) sites is presence of geometric microliths (triangles) in their flint assemblages. The sites’ radiocarbon uncalibrated dates are in between 18000 and 16 000 BP. Late Upper Paleolithic human visitors at Byki sites have been not living for a long time there. Byki site fauna collections are characterized by a dominance of ungulate and fur game species, while the rest known Late Last Glacial sites in the center of Eastern Europe and in the Seim river basin show a clear prevalence of mammoth. The aim of the present study was to understand a relationship between bone and flint hunting projectile weaponry at Byki sites. Our study showed a singleness of bone points there, although rather numerous and various bone / antler and ivory artifacts are well known in the Byki assemblages. At the same time, serial flint triangles serving, high likely, as arrowheads, have been basic hunting projectile weaponry elements for Byki site human inhabitants.El artículo trata de un complejo específico de yacimientos de Byki del Paleolítico Superior Reciente, situado en la cuenca del río Seim, en el centro de Europa del Este. La característica principal de los yacimientos Byki 1, 2, 3, 7 (horizontes culturales I y Ia) es la presencia de microlitos geométricos (triángulos) en su industria de sílex. Las fechas de radiocarbono sin calibrar se distribuyen entre 18000 y 16000 BP. Losvisitantes humanos del Paleolítico Superior Reciente en los yacimientos de Byki no han estado viviendo allí durante mucho tiempo. Las colecciones de fauna se caracterizan por el predominio de especies de ungulados y animales de caza, mientras que el resto de los yacimientos conocidos del final del último Glacial en el centro de Europa del Este y en la cuenca del río Seim muestran una clara prevalencia del mamut. El objetivo del presente estudio es comprender la relación entre los proyectiles de caza de hueso y de sílex de los yacimientos de Byki. Nuestro estudio muestra una singularidad de las puntas óseas, aunque se conocen bastante numerosos y diversos artefactos de huesos/ asta y marfil de los conjuntos de Byki. Al mismo tiempo, las series de triángulos de sílex que probablemente sirvieron como puntas de flecha, han sido los elementos básicos de los proyectiles de caza para los habitantes de Byki.

No direct evidence for the presence of Nubian Levallois technology and its association with Neanderthals at Shukbah Cave

Blinkhorn et al.present a reanalysis of fossil and lithic material from Garrod’s 1928 excavation at Shukbah Cave, identifying the presence of Nubian Levallois cores and points in direct association with a Neanderthal molar. Te authors argue that this demonstrates the Nubian reduction strategy forms a part of the wider Middle Palaeolithic lithic repertoire, therefore its role as a cultural marker for Homo sapiens population movements is invalid. We raise the following four major concerns: (1) we question the assumptions made by the authors about the integrity and homogeneity of the Layer D assemblage and (2) the implications of this for the association of the Neanderthal tooth with any specifc component of the assemblage, (3) we challenge the authors’ attribution of lithic material to Nubian Levallois technology according to its strict defnition, and (4) we argue that the comparative data presented derive from a biased sample of sites. Tese points critically undermine the article’s conclusion that Shukbah’s Neanderthals made Nubian cores and thus the argument that Neanderthals might have made Nubian technology elsewhere is unsubstantiated.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Small artefacts for special activity? A better understanding of the variability within the Hummalian industry through lithic refitting, Hummal, Syria

Hummal, located in the El-Kowm area of Central Syria, is a reference site for the Palaeolithic in the interior Levant due to its archaeological sequence of deposits from the Lower to Upper Palaeolithic. The site offers an exceptional opportunity to study patterns of continuity and variability within the lithic assemblages of its eponymous industry, the Hummalian. The particular lithic assemblage recovered from Layer 7 is the focus of an attempted refitting and provides the data used in the research presented here. The collected pieces allowed the reconstruction of several chipped stone tool manufacturing episodes and reveals details of the technological working processes and the life cycle of archaeological objects through this refitting. It alludes to, after the primary blade reduction, the manufacturing of small debitage pieces which in turn testifies to the technological variability within the Hummalian. Combined with other studies such as attribute analysis, distribution patterns and geomorphological analyses they contribute to a greater understanding of the occupational history of the site as well as site disturbance processes

Analyse fonctionelle de l’assemblage lithique du site de Mohelno-Plevovce LGM (Moravie méridionale, République tchèque)

Le site de Mohelno-Plevovce localisé en Moravie (République tchèque) a fourni deux structures de pierre qui représentent les restes de deux occupations courtes différentes. La chronologie de ces occupations les situent au milieu du dernier maximum glaciaire et leurs traits technotypologiques les relient à l’« Épi-Aurignacien avec des microlites de type Sagaidak–Muralovka ». L’analyse fonctionelle de haute puissance d’échantillons lithiques représentatifs des deux structures de pierre a été entreprise pour tenter de comprendre la fonction du site et les utilisations particulières des différents types d’outils représentés sur le site. Les résultats de l’analyse fonctionelle ont été utilisés pour tester si ces occupations représentent les signatures archéologiques de populations pionnières qui ont réoccupé cette région de Moravie, précédemment abandonnée en raison des épreuves climatiques dues au dernier maximum glaciaire.The Mohelno-Plevovce site, located in Moravia (Czech Republic), has yielded two stone structures that represent the remains of two different short occupations. The chronology of these occupations situates them in the midst of the Last Glacial Maximum, and the techno-typological features of the lithic assemblages link them with the recently defined ‘Epi-Aurignacian with Sagaidak–Muralovka-type microliths’. High power use-wear analysis of representative lithic samples from the two stone structures has been carried out to understand site function and the particular uses made of the different tool types represented at the site. The results of the use-wear analysis are used to test whether these occupations represent the archaeological signatures of pioneer populations that reoccupied the Moravia region, which had previously been abandoned by human populations due to the climatic hardships of the Last Glacial Maximum.</p

The problem of changes in Levallois technique during the technological transition from the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic

In this article we examine the basis of primary flaking technology, the particularities of the Levallois-based industries of the transitional period from the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic in the Near East (Southern Levant) and Central and Eastern Europe (southern Moravia and western Ukraine). An analysis is presented of the possible technological "generic" links between the Middle Palaeolithic Levallois industries and those of the transition from the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic. Elements of similarity and difference are determined for the corresponding industries in the Near East and Europe, with regard to changes in core reduction strategies and typologies in the course of development from the Middle Palaeolithic to the Transitional industries.La technologie du débitage {éclats primaires) ainsi que les particularités des industries Levallois et de celles de la période de transition Paléolithique moyen-Paléolithique supérieur au Proche-Orient (Levant sud) d'une part, en Europe centrale et en Europe de l'est {Moravie méridionale et Ukraine occidentale) d'autre part, sont discutées dans cet article. Suit une analyse des liens "génériques" éventuels entre les industries Levallois du Paléolithique moyen et les industries de transition. Des éléments de ressemblance et de différence entre les industries contemporaines d'Europe et du Proche-Orient sont évalués, tenant compte des changements de stratégie des séquences de réduction des nucleus et des typologies depuis les industries du Paléolithique moyen jusqu'aux industries de transition.Demidenko Yuri E., Usik Vitaly I. The problem of changes in Levallois technique during the technological transition from the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic. In: Paléorient, 1993, vol. 19, n°2. pp. 5-15