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THE BARMAKY, LEVEL 2 EPIGRAVETTIAN ASSEMBLAGE: THE CORE REDUCTION STRATEGIES

August 2022
Archaeology and Early History of Ukraine 45(4):33-57

DOI:10.37445/adiu.2022.04.02

License
CC BY 4.0

Authors:

Victor Chabai

National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Diana Dudnyk

National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

The Barmaky cultural deposits accumulated under the harsh climatic conditions of the periglacial zone at about 19 kyr cal BP. It is difficult to overestimate the meaning of lithic raw material supply as a component of the technological organization of mobility patterns of hunter-gatherer groups. The applied core reduction strategies are an integral part of the technological chain of raw material management. The two discrete core reduction strategies were defined for the flint assemblage of Barmaky, level 2: blade and bladelet / micro-blade. The former is based on the reduction of the sub-, cylindrical and narrow flaking surface cores; the latter is based on the exploitation of the narrow flaking surface cores. The blade cores were the source of lamellar products for the «domestic» toolkit; the bladelet / micro-blade cores reduction aimed at the insets for distant weapons.

Barmaky, level 2, the blade (1, 2, 4, 5), and blade / bladelet (3) cores: 1, 4 -unidirectional, sub-cylindrical; 2 -bidirectional-adjacent, sub-cylindrical; 3 -bidirectional, sub-cylindrical / sub-pyramidal; 5 -bidirectionalalternative, sub-cylindrical

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Barmaky, level 2, the attributes of core-like pieces: 1-3 -lamellar pre-cores; 4-6 -blade cores; 7-9 -blade / bladelet cores; 10-12 -bladelet / micro-blade cores

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Barmaky, level 2, the length dimensions distributions by metrical intervals: 1 -the lamellar crested pieces; 2 -the lamellar débordante pieces; 3 -the lamellar «regular» pieces

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Barmaky, level 2, the width dimensions distributions by metrical intervals: 1 -the lamellar pieces; 2 -the microliths, burins, and truncated pieces on lamellar débitage; 3 -the tools on lamellar débitage

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Barmaky, level 2, the core reduction strategies: I -bladelet / micro-blade core reduction; II -blade core reduction

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Available via license: CC BY 4.0

Content may be subject to copyright.



 











      



      

  









          

       

  

  

       





Keywords    

    



     

-







     



-



-

      

  







     

    

-

    

    

-



-

 -



     

       

       

     

    

    

       

     

      

    -



-

-



        

      

    



  

    

   



    

    -

 

    





 





34 



       -

     

-

     

     



      

     -

      

     

      



     

-

      

       -



     







  -



-



-





-





    

    -







-

-







     

-





       -





Sample     -

      

    

      

    -



 

      

     -

       

       

      

      -

      -







    -

-



     

  





    

   -



       

      

      







     



      

     

-



    

      



      

     

  



  -

      

-

-

      

 

-







    

-

     

        -

    



-

      

      

-

       -

  

      

       

      

    

       -

      







      

    -

 



36 







    

     -



    





38 



      

  



 -





        -

      

     

      



-







    

-



       



-



 

       

      

    

     





-

      

     

-



    

 -











   

      



       



      









-





-

     







   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   



    



    



    

    

    



    

    

    

    



    

    



    

    

    

    

40 





 

 

   



     

     

     

     



     

     

     

     

     

     

     



     

     

     

     

     

     



     

     

     

     

     



     



     



     

-

     



     

     

     

     

     

     

-

     

     

     



     

-

     



     



     

     

      

-





-



      



-



  -

-



   

     





     











       

   

    

     

-

       -



  -









      



       

     

     



     

  -









-

  

 -

  

     

       

-

-



    





     



     

-

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     



     



-

     



     

     

     



 

 

   

42 





  -



-





     

        

       

  

      

       



     

-

 





-







-



-







      -







-



 











   

-



       







    

        







-



      -

     

      

      

     -



    

-

      



 -















     

       

     -



    -

-



      

   

 

     

     





     



    











    

       -

    





    -

    







 

-



-





      

-



   -

-

     





    

   

    

       







     





     -

     



  

      

     

       





      

   





-

       

-

  

     

     

     

    -







   





    

####

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

44 



       





 





46 



           





     -

     -

 



   

  -

      

-

       



      

     

      





-

      

-





       



-

      





     -

      

      

      

-



-

       -



     

-



-

-





     

  -

    -



     

  

     

-





     



       -

     

     

-





    

-

   

  

  

     

-

   





-

       

    



-



    -





   

  







 



       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

48 



-

        

  





     

    -

     

      -

   

-

      



-



       

      -



-



     



 













      

    



   





     

     -





    -

-





-







       

-



     



       

     







       

      

      

      -

     

   

-





  



     

      



-





      

      

    

       









      

      

      



          

-



-



50 





-



     

 







     



      





     

      -

      





     

   

        

      

-

     

        





    

####

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        





       

-





-

-

    

       

     



-



-







     

    

      -

      

       

-

      



     -

     



-









52 



     -



      

   



 



-

-





      





    

     

     

      

      

       -



-

     



-



  



          





-





-

     



     



    

     

-

     



      

-

    





    

      



        



-







    



      

      



      









     

   -



    

    



-

       -





54 



-





   

-

    -



     

    







    







     



       -





     

     

-







    

-

     

    





   



   



    

     

 

   



-

-





    









    

   -



    



-



     -





    







    

-

     



   



     

-





     

     -

     



    

    -









     





     





       



-

       -

 



-

      -



-



      





   -

-



      

      

      

      



     

     





-





     

      

      





    -





 

     



     -

       



-







       



         







      





     







ia

       

      

       



 







   





      



 

    

      







      -





      

      













    



        -

 



 



     







     



      

      

  -







   



    

 

-



     

       



      













    



      -

-

       -

   







     

     









      

    

-

    







       







     











      



      

     -

     







      

    -



      

-

   



        

    -

      











56 



      -

      

  



      

 









  

         

        





   -



    

       

      



-





   







  

       



    







rale

      

       



        -

       









    











  



    







        

        

  





-







        



       

   





       



      -









  

  -

       



       

  -



 





-



      

        











  

          

     





      

   



      -



      -

       

       





  







      

      

       

   

     





      

     



 







     

      











-

        

      

 

-



      

     

 

 -

  

    -



     

      -



      





 

-

      



     -

 -







       

    -



-

     



      



      -

       

      

      

      -

  

    -

        

-



       

     -

 

-

-

    

     







    











   

-



    -

    

  

    

    

   -

    

-

     -

    

    

   -

    

   

-

      

   

      -

    

    -

      -

    

-

    -

   



     -

     -

   

     

     

    -





   

-

   

    -

    -





   

     

 

   

   

-





       -

-

     





   

   

-





    -





   







   

     



  

       







Core Reduction Methods of Mizyn Industry of Epigravettian Techno-Complex

Article

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Jun 2024

Diana Dudnyk

Використання кам’яної сировини і варіативність методів нуклеусного розколювання на пам’ятках фіналу останнього зледеніння має хронологічні, стилістичні та функціональні виміри. Стаття присвячена вивченню особливостей первинного розколювання крем’яної сировини стоянки Мізин. На основі аналізу колекції артефактів розкопу 1 з’ясовано, що мешканці Мізина використовували два дискретних методи нуклеусного розколювання: пластинчастий і мікропластинчастий. У статті стверджується, що наявність двох дискретних методів нуклеусного розколювання є особливістю мізинської індустрії, яка є піонером в реколонізації перигляціальних територій після майже 5-тисячолітнього культурно-хронологічного хіатуса.

Spatial Distribution of Mezhyrichian Objects (Eastern Epigravettian): A Model of Seasonal Mobility

Chapter

Full-text available

Jun 2022

In the basin of the Middle Dnieper and its tributaries, a large number of Upper Palaeolithic sites and palaeontological deposits have been uncovered. The archaeological settlements are attributed to various chronological and cultural complexes: Gravettian, Epi-Aurignacian, Epigravettian, and Final Palaeolithic. A part of Epigravettian vestiges refers to the Mezhyrichian type of industry, and is dated to the rather limited time span of 15–13 ka 14C uncal. BP. The conducted typological-technological analysis of lithic assemblages allows us to assert the unity of processing techniques within this type. Such technological, territorial, and chronological unity of sites represents the remnants of activity of single society. These objects have different functional and seasonal characteristics, which offer the unique opportunity to reconstruct certain aspects of life, seasonal mobility cycles, and group hunting strategies within a common ecological niche. The spatial distribution of sites and objects indicates the presence of a logistic structure of seasonal mobility, which manifests itself at different hierarchical levels: dwelling, residential assemblage, base camp, and subsistence territory. The base camps were mainly settled during the cold season, while during the warm season there was a wider activity associated with topographically high relief areas. Key words: Upper Palaeolithic, Eastern Epigravettian, Mezhyrichian, mammoth bone dwelling, seasonal mobility, lithic assemblage.

Mid and Late Upper Palaeolithic in the Adriatic Basin: Chronology, transitions and human adaptations to a changing landscape

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2022
QUATERNARY SCI REV

This paper presents the first attempt to establish a Mid and Late Upper Palaeolithic absolute chronology of the Adriatic basin, including both eastern and western Adriatic coasts and their hinterlands. The proposed chronology for Gravettian, Early and Late Epigravettian techno-complexes is based on statistical analysis of 278 ¹⁴C dates from 66 archaeological sites. Our analyses are directed towards 1) identifying whether major climatic episodes and corresponding transformations in the local environments are correlated with long-term demographic trends, and potential changes in spatial patterning of human occupation, and 2) identifying robust absolute chronological estimates of techno-complexes to establish the timing of their succession, including their possible overlaps. Results show that the Gravettian appears in the Adriatic area at c. 35-34ka cal BP and ends at c. 26-25ka cal BP. Early and Late Epigravettian timespans are between c. 26-25ka and 18.1–17.6ka cal BP and 17.6–17.1 ka and 11.9–11.6 ka cal BP respectively. The Early-Late Epigravettian transition in the Great Adriatic-Po Region coincides with the transition between GS-2.2 and GI-2.1 and is also associated with apparent transformations in settlement pattern as new biotopes appear to be occupied, particularly in the mountainous areas such as Alps and Dinaric Alps. According to our results, the timespan of Early Epigravettian covers the Badegoulian, Solutrean and even Lower Magdalenian periods in western Europe, hence challenging the earlier interpretations on Early Epigravettian and Solutrean contemporaneity. This suggests an independent cultural evolutionary path for territories that previously (during the Gravettian) showed a high degree of technological affinity.

The Epigravettian chronology and the human population of eastern Central Europe during MIS2

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2021
QUATERNARY SCI REV

The goal of this paper is to refine the relative and absolute chronology of Epigravettian culture (26.5–15.0 ka) in eastern Central Europe (ECE) and clarify its relation to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and subsequent climatic changes. Epigravettian sites were sorted into three chronological clusters: initial LGM (ILGM) (26.5–24.0 ka), local LGM (LLGM) (24.0–20.0 ka), and post-LGM (PLGM) (20.0–14.7 ka). We obtained new radiocarbon dates from previously dated and undated sites, then analysed the lithic tool typology and faunal data to seek correlations between age and archaeological features. The lithic typology study did not find differences between ILGM and LLGM sites, but the tool type variance between LLGM and PLGM was significant, applicable for relative chronology. ILGM and LLGM lithic assemblages were characterized by domestic tool dominance and the frequent use of flake tools. PLGM assemblages were correlated with armature dominance and blade/let tools. Among the armatures, backed point variants characterized the PLGM sites compared to the ILGM and LLGM. The sole ILGM lithic armature was the retouched blade/let point. The LLGM also possessed this type and often included backed blade/lets. ILGM faunal data, although few, implied the hunting of mammoth and reindeer. The LLGM data represented recurring hunting of reindeer and horse, and PLGM data indicated the hunting of horse, reindeer, and mammoth. Our results suggested that the territory of Poland was deserted by humans in the LLGM. Moravia and Lower Austria was inhabited until the first half of the LLGM, while the Carpathian Basin was all along the ILGM. The preference for the Carpathian Basin could have been the milder climate, the abundance of fauna, and permanent access to tree vegetation. After the LGM the glacial flora and fauna gradually disappeared, leading to a reduced human presence in southern ECE. Thus, the disappearance of the Epigravettian culture and Pleistocene hunter-gatherer occupations are linked to the amelioration of climate that resulted in the disappearance of the Pleistocene environment.

Chabai & Demidenko 1998 - The Classification of Flint Artifacts

Chapter

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Jul 2019

The particular classification and attribute analysis system was written in 1995 and started to be used since then for Crimean Middle Paleolithic flint artifact analyses.

Lithic analysis of the Middle and Late Upper Palaeolithic in Hungary

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2018

György Lengyel

This paper presents lithic technology studies on the Middle and Late period of the Upper Palaeolithic in Hungary between 26 and 13 ka BP. The studies aimed at describing and then comparing the technological processes from lithic raw material procurement to the formal tool making. An attempt was made to find correlations between technological features and chronological positions of the assemblages to see if lithic technology operated traditionally or opportunistically. The study found that technology was rather shaped toward efficiency with an adaptive behavior. Therefore, in most cases, the way how tools were made is useless to differentiate archaeological cultures, while the tools themselves, especially the armatures, can be markers of cultures as was shown earlier. This study found that the formation of the archaeological record and its variability most likely depended upon the dynamism of human ecology.

Multidisciplinary Studies of Chagyrskaya Cave – A Middle Paleolithic Site in Altai

Book

Full-text available

Jan 2018

The monograph discusses key results obtained in a multidisciplinary study of assemblages recovered from Chagyrskaya Cave, a unique Middle Paleolithic site of North Asia. This publication presents archaeological, anthropological, palynological, palaeontological, geological and paleogeographical data, as well as absolute age determinations. Investigations undertaken during 2007–2015 enable reconstruction of the Neanderthal subsistence strategies in the Altai Mountains foothills over several millennia. The book is addressed to scientists who study human prehistory.

REASSESSING THE MIDDLE AND LATE UPPER PALAEOLITHIC IN HUNGARY

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2017

György Lengyel

Most Upper Palaeolithic sites dated to 28–12 k uncalibrated BP years in Hungary were classified with the Gravettian Entity model (GEM). GEM sorted lithic assemblages by their technological, typological, and chronological attributes into three units: Pavlovian, Ságvárian, and Epigravettian. GEM claimed technological differences among the groups, and argued that typologically the lithic assemblages were similar. This paper tested the assumptions of GEM and found significant typological differences between the three units. The results supported to create an alternative classification scheme for the Middle and Late Upper Palaeolithic assemblages in Hungary

The Terminal Gravettian of Portuguese Estremadura. Technological variability of the lithic industries.

Thesis

Full-text available

May 2000

Francisco Almeida

The Aurignacian V from Laugerie-Haute, France, has been one of the most problematic assemblages in Paleolithic research because of its typological characteristics and its apparent late chronology. Part of the problem related to the fact that, until recently, this Aurignacian V was only known at one site. Recent research in France and Portugal has yielded assemblages the chronology and typological characteristics of which parallel the ones from the Laugerie’ Aurignacian V. In Portugal, they are characterized by a dominance of carinated lithic elements, and absolute dates that place them in the temporal transition from the Gravettian to the Solutrean, that is, c. 21,500 BP. However, the presence of carinated elements in the Portuguese Paleolithic now has no chronological meaning, since this types of implement are found in almost all Upper Paleolithic complexes. This dissertation provides a definition of the technological variability of Portuguese Estremadura assemblages dating to the period - the Terminal Gravettian. Such a definition is essential to clearly differentiate them from other assemblages with similar typological characteristics, but different chronologies. A technological study was conducted of three Terminal Gravettian assemblages. For comparative purposes, four other assemblages were studied: Laugerie-Haute East Aurignacian V and Proto Magdalenian, Quartel dos Bombeiros (Epipaleolithic), and Quinta do Sanguinhal (Gravettian). The methodology implied a combined use of attribute analysis and refitting, within the theoretical framework of the Châine Opératoire. The results suggest that in Portuguese Estremadura, the “Aurignacian V” or Terminal Gravettian assemblages are characterized by a varied set of reduction strategies, dominated by carinated reduction, possibly for barb production. Also, quartz exploitation is almost as important as flint, and parallels its reduction strategies. The technological variability of these assemblages, when compared with that of the earlier Final Gravettian, does not parallel the apparent typological differences. Thus the “Aurignacian V-like” Terminal Gravettian seems to be a clear continuity from the Final Gravettian of Portugal. The technological disparities between the two periods seem to be of degree and not of kind. A re-analysis of the Laugerie-Haute sequence suggests a similar pattern. The attribution of these assemblages to the Aurignacian Complex, thus, should be discarded. They probably represent a late chronological facies of the Gravettian.

Siuren I Rockshelter: From the Late Middle Paleolithic and Early Upper Paleolithic to the Epipaleolithic in Crimea

Chapter