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Internal and External Structures of the Upper Palaeolithic Dwelling No.4 from Mezhyrich Settlement (Ukraine)

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Abstract

DOMESTICATION OF SPACE: INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL DWELLING STRUCTURES IN MIDDLE AND UPPER PALAEOLITHIC SITES [PAM] Theme: 5. Climate Change and Socioenvironmental Perspectives Organisers: PEAN, Stephane (Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, UMR 7194 HNHP); Shydlovskyi, Pavlo (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Department of Archaeology and Museology); Mester, Zsolt (Eotvos Lorand Tudomanyegyetem BTK Regeszettudomanyi Intezet) Format: Regular session The structuration of the settlement area is a bright feature of Middle and Upper Palaeolithic campsites. Different occupation characteristics can be identified by the functional specifications of distinct archaeological structures, in relation to the palaeoecological framework and the dynamics of settlement development over time. Dwellings and constructional materials, pits (storage or dumping), hearths, activity areas, such as workshops or butchering zones, demonstrate the spatial arrangement of residential practices in different sectors. Their study requires interdisciplinary research to establish their chronological and functional relationships and the insertion of the settlement in the surface microrelief and local landscape features. The analysis of separate structures with functional peculiarities from Middle and Upper Palaeolithic campsites allows to reconstruct the interaction of inhabitants with the surrounding landscape, to understand the links between different types of activity inside the settlement area, to establish functional and seasonal characteristics of occupation and to identify behavioural features of Palaeolithic settlers. The session gives the opportunity to connect new researches on dwelling structures from Middle and Upper Palaeolithic sites though Europe, and interpretative studies of spatial behaviour, in relation with specific landscape, palaeo-ecological and cultural features.
28th ERR ANNUAL MEETING
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
31 AUGUST - 3 SEPTEMBER 2022
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28th EAA Annual Meeting (Budapest, Hungary, 2022) - Abstract Book
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ISBN: 978-80-88441-02-1
European Association of Archaeologists
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© European Association of Archaeologists, 2022
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403 DOMESTICATION OF SPACE: INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL DWELLING STRUCTURES IN MIDDLE AND
UPPER PALAEOLITHIC SITES [PAM]
Theme: 5. Climate Change and Socioenvironmental Perspectives
Organisers: PEAN, Stephane (Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, UMR 7194 HNHP) - Shydlovskyi, Pavlo (Taras
Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Department of Archaeology and Museology) - Mester, Zsolt (Eotvos Lorand
Tudomanyegyetem BTK Regeszettudomanyi Intezet)
Format: Regular session
The structuration of the settlement area is a bright feature of Middle and Upper Palaeolithic campsites. Different
occupation characteristics can be identified by the functional specifications of distinct archaeological structures, in
relation to the palaeoecological framework and the dynamics of settlement development overtime.
Dwellings and constructional materials, pits (storage or dumping), hearths, activity areas, such as workshops or butch-
ering zones, demonstrate the spatial arrangement of residential practices in different sectors. Their study requires
interdisciplinary research to establish their chronological and functional relationships and the insertion of the set-
tlement in the surface microrelief and local landscape features. The analysis of separate structures with functional
peculiarities from Middle and Upper Palaeolithic campsites allows to reconstruct the interaction of inhabitants with
the surrounding landscape, to understand the links between different types of activity inside the settlement area, to
establish functional and seasonal characteristics of occupation and to identify behavioural features of Palaeolithic
settlers.
The session gives the opportunity to connect new researches on dwelling structures from Middle and Upper Palae-
olithic sites though Europe, and interpretative studies of spatial behaviour, in relation with specific landscape, pal-
aeo-ecological and cultural features.
779
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STRUCTURES OF THE UPPER PALAEOLITHIC DWELLING NO.4 FROM
MEZHYRICH SETTLEMENT (UKRAINE)
Abstract author(s): Shydlovskyi, Pavlo (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv; Museum national d'histoire na-
turelle, UMR 7194 HNHP; Centre for Paleoethnological Research) - Pean, Stephane (Museum national d'histoire natur-
elle, UMR 7194 HNHP) - Tsvirkun, Ostap (National Museum of the History of Ukraine; National University of Kyiv-Mohyla
Academy; Centre for Paleoethnological Research) - Chymyrys, Marharyta (Taras Shevchenko National University of
Kyiv; Centre for Paleoethnological Research) - Dudnyk, Diana (Institute of Archaeology of the NAS of Ukraine; Centre
for Paleoethnological Research)
Abstract format: Oral
Mezhyrich is a Late Upper Palaeolithic settlement in Middle Dnieper basin (Ukraine), which belongs to the Epigravet-
tian cultural complex and dates to 15-14.4 ka 14C BP. Four mammoth bone dwellings have been discovered though
long-term research since the mid-1960's.
In 2018, investigations of the interior space of unit Dwelling 4 were resumed. It was found that the bones that make
up the structure form such elements as the basement (regularly dug in a circle of mammoth skulls and long bones),
outer cladding (flat, long bones, and mandibles), cover bones (tusks and scapulae that fell inside the structure). A
study of the interior space of the dwelling revealed differences in the lithic and faunal composition in different areas
of the filling. A lithic workshop was found in the north-eastern part. In the opposite SW part, relative to a central hearth,
the remains of medium-sized mammals were found in anatomical order together with a series of tools for leather pro-
cessing. The complexity of the internal filling of dwelling is complemented by the presence of at least three surfaces
with a subhorizontal location of the findings. In previous years, two cultural layers were found in the adjacent area,
as well as several functionally different structures surrounding the dwelling: pits, workshops, areas of dense cultural
layer. Current research, together with the previously established multi-layered nature of the Mezhyrich site, proves the
periodicity of the residents' stay in the settlement.
The whole settlement structure of Mezhyrich site consists of four spatial units. Each unit consists of functionally differ-
ent structures located around a mammoth bone dwelling and in different archaeological horizons and should be
considered as a complex dynamic structure that characterizes the interaction of a small social group with the local
landscape.
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Article
Full-text available
Sites of Mezhyrichian tradition of the Middle Dnieper Epigravettian provide critical insights into the seasonal mobility and functional use of space by prehistoric communities. The study of the Dwelling 4 at the Mezhyrich settlement has unveiled distinct patterns in the organization of living space, particularly concerning the placement of functionally diverse objects within and around mammoth bone dwellings. An analysis of the interior of the fourth dwelling reveals a clear differentiation of economic activities across different sections of the space. This functional variation within the dwelling suggests diverse aspects of social life, potentially including gender roles and economic specialization. The spatial arrangement of household assemblages demonstrates a pronounced symmetry, with objects systematically arranged around a central hearth and oriented according to the cardinal points. This centralized spatial organization is evident not only at the individual settlement level but also across the broader micro-region, reflected in the relationship between major settlements with monumental architecture and temporary summer camps. The analysis of site layouts, along with the spatial and topographical positioning of Middle Dnieper settlements, provides compelling evidence of the regularity and symmetry in the behaviour of Epigravettian society. Seasonal mobility played a crucial role in shaping worldviews, which were expressed through the spatial arrangement of objects and the creation of «landscape ornament» by these prehistoric inhabitants. Ornamentation in art, architecture, and the placement of anthropogenic objects signifies the process of humanization, the domestication of space, and the symbolic mastery of the landscape. These phenomena were vital tools for the psychological adaptation of groups to the conditions of the late Würm Glacial, ensuring resilience in a changing environment. Key words: hunter-gatherers, Upper Palaeolithic, Eastern Epigravettian, Mezhyrich culture, archaeological site, spatial analysis.
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