Sebastian J. Pfeifer’s research while affiliated with Friedrich Schiller University Jena and other places

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Publications (11)


Eastern Central Europe and the western part of the East European Plain during the LGM, with maximal extension of the Scandinavian and Alpine Ice Sheets (ca. 26–19 ka cal. bp) and sites attributed to the Late Gravettian, Early Epigravettian, and Magdalenian that have yielded osseous industries. 1, Cosăuţi (MD); 2 and 3, Raşcov 7 and 8 (MD); 4, Molodova V (UA); 5 and 6, Korman’ IV and 9 (UA); 7, Doroshivtsi III (UA); 8, Climăuţi II (MD); 9, Anetivka 2 (UA); 10, Kirillovska (UA); 11, Obollonia (UA); 12, Cotu Miculinţi (RO); 13, Crasnaleuca (RO); 14, Bistricioara-Lutărie III (RO); 15, Piatra Neamţ-Poiana Cireşului (RO); 16, Lespezi-Lutărie (RO); 17, Moravany-Lopata II (SK); 18, Kammern-Grubgraben (AT); 19, Maszycka Cave (PL). Compiled by the ZBSA https://zbsa.eu/last-glacial-maximum/ (references therein).
Lithological interpretation of Cosăuţi correlated with Archaeological Horizons 1a–10 and associated uncalibrated.¹⁴C dates, local interstadials Cos VII–I, major glacial extents in Eastern Europe, and the NGRIP GICC05 event stratigraphy.
Shed left reindeer (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) antler with the nomenclature of technologically relevant parts. Note the unusual double bez tine. Kangerlussuaq, West Greenland, 2009. Photo: S. J. Pfeifer
Axe-like tools of reindeer (1–4) and possibly giant deer (5) antler. Note the substantial compacta thickness in the detail of 5. Scale bars of the details are 2 cm. The National Museum of History of Moldova. Photos: S. J. Pfeifer. Inventory numbers are provided in Supplementary Material S6
Width and thickness of beam section A. Triangle, secondary blocks and axe-like tools; diamond, antler rods; dot, waste products; 46 measurable pieces

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The Working of Hard Animal Tissues in Eastern and Central Europe During the Last Glacial Maximum—Current Knowledge and Perspectives
  • Article
  • Full-text available

December 2024

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150 Reads

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1 Citation

Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology

Sebastian J. Pfeifer

The climatically unfavourable period of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; ca. 26–19 ka cal bp) is held responsible for a severe demographic crisis of hunter–gatherer populations, their retreat to a few refugial areas, the disruption of wide-ranging networks, and a considerable loss of cultural complexity in Eastern and Central Europe. The latitudes above 50°N appear to have been completely depopulated. Recent research has demonstrated a continuous occupation of the Carpathian Basin and the East Carpathian region during the LGM on one hand, and an ephemeral human presence in the Middle Danube, the Middle Rhine, and the Swiss Plateau on the other. The western part of the East European Plain, in particular the East Carpathians, is known for several large, Early Epigravettian open-air sites with well-preserved artefacts of antler, bone, and mammoth ivory. For Central Europe, the assemblage from Kammern-Grubgraben in Lower Austria is of pivotal importance. As osseous industries have shown to be an essential component of Upper Palaeolithic material culture, it is the aim of this contribution to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge on the processing of hard animal tissues in Eastern and Central Europe during the LGM. Starting out with a reevaluation of one of the largest and most diverse assemblages from the site of Cosăuţi in the Republic of Moldova (ca. 23–19 ka cal bp), contemporary assemblages from the area between the Bug River in the east and the Rhine in the west are presented, discussed and compared with the situation in Western Europe. Based on that, it can be asked what information osseous industries can provide about the development of technological traditions and dissemination of concepts during the LGM from a local and supraregional perspective.

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The osseous industry of the LGM site Kammern-Grubgraben (Lower Austria), excavations 1985–1994, and its position within the European Late Upper Palaeolithic

November 2024

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45 Reads

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4 Citations

Quartar

Sebastian J. Pfeifer

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The well-known Upper Palaeolithic open-air site of Kammern-Grubgraben (Lower Austria) is so far the only Central European Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) site with preserved bone industry. This contribution presents the antler, ivory, and bone artefacts recovered during the 1985–1994 excavations. Among several thousand marrow-fractured osseous fragments, only 65 pieces, most of which are attributable to the 23.5–22 ka calBP main occupation, were identified as artefacts related to tool production. Shed antler, predominantly from reindeer, mammoth ivory, and longbones of large mammals served as raw materials. Transversal sectioning and production of pre-forms were carried out exclusively by direct percussion, and pre-forms were modified into tools by invasive longitudinal scraping. Eyed needles, predominantly produced on bone, are the most frequent tool type, followed by projectile points. Noticeable are two perforated batons. The osseous industry of Grubgraben mirrors its intermediate geographic location in the cultural landscape of the LGM: whereas massive-based projectile points and perforated rods connect it to the Eastern European early Epigravettian sphere, a projectile point with a single-bevelled base finds parallels in the Western European Badegoulian. Debitage by fracturing and eyed needles appear to be common traits of many LGM traditions and hence attest to a quick dissemination of certain typo-technological features throughout Europe. Similar observations can be made regarding the lithic industry. Of note is a decorated perforated baton from the uppermost archaeological horizon AL1. Although we consider the single, conspicuously young radiocarbon date of 20.5 ka calBP from AL1 as unreliable, the perforated baton and peculiarities in both the lithic industry and the faunal record nevertheless suggest another later, early post-LGM occupation at Grubgraben. This might relate to the 19–18 ka calBP, early Middle Magdalenian that is attested 300 km to the north at Maszycka cave in Poland. Like other Central European sites north of 47°, Grubgraben does not provide any conclusive evidence for human presence during the second half of the LGM (22–19 ka calBP), and thus the precise conduct of the post-LGM recolonisation of Central Europe remains an open question.


Figure 7
Ice Age apparel – changing prey patterns towards the Last Glacial Maximum and the role of reindeer fur for clothing at Kammern-Grubgraben

March 2024

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160 Reads

Isotope analyses on bone collagen from hunted animals at the Upper Palaeolithic sites Krems-Hundssteig, Krems-Wachtberg and Langenlois A (33 − 29 ka), and Kammern-Grubgraben (23 ka) indicate a strong reduction of ecological herbivore niches towards the Last Glacial Maximum. This change is accompanied by a clear shift in human prey pattern from a more diverse and balanced spectrum of hunted species in the earlier period to a clear focus on reindeer at Kammern-Grubgraben, particularly on young individuals. Moreover, new analyses of the osteological material show that the site with its massive stone constructions and high amount of lithic and faunal material was occupied exclusively in winter. In this paper, we present new results on the age and sex distribution of reindeer at Kammern-Grubgraben. We argue that winter-hunting of young reindeer, in addition to its role in providing energy-rich nutrition and raw material for organic tools, is also indicative of a focus on obtaining high-quality raw material for clothing. The fur of young reindeer in winter is particularly valuable and convenient for the production of clothing for cold environments. Together with the recovered large number of eyed needles, a tool for tight and regular seams, our findings suggest that the production of clothing and other goods made of fur and skin was an important activity at Kammern-Grubgraben.


EXPECTED AND UNEXPECTED RESULTS FROM 14C DATING AND ZOOMS ON A LATE UPPER PALAEOLITHIC OSSEOUS PROJECTILE POINT FROM THE NOVÁDRÁTENICKÁ CAVE IN THE MORAVIAN KARST (CZECH REPUBLIC)

December 2023

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72 Reads

Światowit

This contribution presents new information on a long-known Late Upper Palaeolithic site in the Moravian Karst in the Czech Republic: the Nová Drátenická Cave. Previous interpretations of the peculiar archaeological assemblage oscillated between attribution to the Epigravettian on the one hand and to the Magdalenian on the other, as both industries were present in Moravia after the end of the Last Glacial Maximum. In either case, a rather early dating has been supposed. We reassessed the stratigraphy, lithic and osseous industry, and subjected an antler projectile point to 14C dating and palaeoproteomic analysis. We did not find any evidence for stratigraphic mixing and, thus, propose that the assemblage of Nová Drátenická reflects a single or several successive occupations. On typo-technological grounds, we come to the conclusion that the finds are rather consistent with the Magdalenian. The radiocarbon date of the point is 16–15.7 ka cal BP, which places it in the first half of GS-2a. This is congruent with the identification of the raw material as reindeer through ZooMS. Hence, the Nová Drátenická Cave currently provides the earliest solid evidence for the Magdalenian in the Moravian Karst. Together with the contemporaneous assemblages of Kniegrotte in eastern Germany, Dzierżysław 35 in southern Poland, and potentially also Vilshofen-Kuffing in south-eastern Germany and Hranice in Moravia, it probably attests to the first major expansion of the Magdalenian into eastern Central Europe at around 16 ka cal BP.


Old design – New material

December 2022

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72 Reads

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1 Citation

Journal of Archaeological Science Reports

The transition from the late Pleniglacial to the Lateglacial in Central Europe brought about fundamental transformations of hunter-gatherer ways of life. Linked to profound climatic and environmental changes, the Late Upper Palaeolithic represented by the Magdalenian comes to an end, and the Final Palaeolithic represented by the Federmesser-Gruppen starts. This cultural shift between 13 and 12 ka cal. BC is particularly evident in lithic hunting armature, with frontally-hafted points gaining in importance to the detriment of laterally hafted backed bladelets. The changes in osseous projectile weaponry are still poorly understood. A double-bevelled projectile point made of red deer or elk bone from Bärenkeller cave site in Central Germany was radiocarbon-dated to the second half of GI-1e and is thus contemporary with the early Final Palaeolithic attested in the region. Together with already known, condiderably younger specimens from Northern Germany and Central Poland, this finding shows that the concept of double-bevelled osseous points survived the end of the Magdalenian and coexisted with lithic points and osseous barbed points during the Lateglacial. The rapid faunal exchange in the Central European low mountain range, however, required a much earlier shift from reindeer antler as the primary resource to other large cervids than in the lowlands to the north.


The Antler, Ivory, and Bone Artefacts from Maszycka Cave (Southern Poland). New Signals from a Late Upper Palaeolithic Key Site

November 2022

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571 Reads

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6 Citations

Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology

The well-known Late Upper Palaeolithic cave site of Maszycka (southern Poland), excavated in the end of the nineteenth century as well as in the 1960s, furnished a collection of 89 osseous artefacts manufactured from cervid antler, mammoth ivory, and mammal long bone. The great majority are finished tools, mostly projectile points, while raw material blocks, pre-forms, and production waste are represented by only a few pieces. Based on the presence of the characteristic double-split antler tools, distinct projectile morphologies, and recurring ornaments, the assemblage from Maszycka can be assigned to the early Middle Magdalenian facies à navettes which dates to around 19 - 17.5 ka cal. BP. Compared to the western European sites, which also belong to this facies, Maszycka is characterised by a high proportion of ivory tools, reflecting the abundance of this favourable raw material in eastern central Europe, as well as an unusually high proportion of decorated tools, which may relate to an increased need for symbolic communication within the small and geographically isolated Magdalenian group. Both the remarkable typo-technological similarities of the bone industry from Maszycka to contemporary assemblages in France and the gap in the central European archaeological record between 22 and 19 ka cal. BP speak in favour of a direct immigration of Magdalenian hunter-gatherers from western Europe immediately after the end of the Last Glacial Maximum. Their relations to the bearers of the Epigravettian adjacent to the east and south remain to date poorly understood.


Cultural evolution and environmental change in Central Europe between 40 and 15 ka

October 2020

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674 Reads

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30 Citations

Quaternary International

The role of environmental change in the evolution of cultural traits is a topic of long-standing scientific debate with strongly contrasting views. Major obstacles for assessing environmental impacts on the evolution of material culture are the fragmentary nature of archaeological and – to a somewhat lesser extent – geoscientific archives and the insufficient chronological resolution of these archives and related proxy data. Together these aspects are causing difficulties in data synchronization. By no means does this paper attempt to solve these issues, but rather aims at shifting the focus from demonstrating strict chains of causes and events to describing roughly contemporaneous developments by compiling and comparing existing evidence from archaeology and geosciences for the period between 40 and 15 ka in Central Europe. Analysis of the archaeological record identifies five instances at around 33, 29, 23.5, 19, and 16 ka, for which evidence suggests an increased speed of cultural evolution. By comparing data from different geoscientific archives, we discuss whether or not these instances have common characteristics. We stress that common characteristics per se are no proof of causality; repeated co-occurrences of certain features over long periods of time, however, suggest that certain explanations may be more plausible than others. While all five cases roughly coincide with pronounced and rapid environmental changes, it is also observed that such conditions do not necessarily trigger major changes in the material culture. Increases and decreases in the diversity of cultural traits seem to be rather correlated with the overall demographic development. In compiling and comparing our data, we also identify periods with high need and potential for future research regarding the relation between environmental change and cultural evolution.


Beyond the Alps and Tatra Mountains—the 20–14 ka Repopulation of the Northern Mid-latitudes as Inferred from Palimpsests Deciphered with Keys from Western and Central Europe

September 2020

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1,076 Reads

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27 Citations

Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology

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


Fig. 1 -Osseous artefacts from north-western Central Europe. Group B tools: a (SH1950-32.1) Ahrensburgian biserial barbed point with shield-like base from Bistoft (Kr. Schleswig-Flensburg/D), b-c (K516-7) Mesolithic barbed points of the Pritzerbe type from Friesack 4-II, group C1 tools: d (C7s20) Mesolithic notched point from Friesack 27, e-f (K314, K148) Mesolithic notched points from Friesack 4-1, group A tools: g (SH1935-5.244) Ahrensburgian reindeer antler cube from Stellmoor, h (K233) Mesolithic axe blade from Friesack 4-II, i (K714) Mesolithic elk antler mattock from Friesack 4-I, group C2 tools: j (SH1935-5.253) Ahrensburgian awl on hare bone from Stellmoor, k (SH1935-5.251) Ahrensburgian awl on bird bone from Stellmoor, l-n (K232, K502, 863/88) Mesolithic awls from Friesack 4-II. References: a Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen Schloss Gottorf C. Janke ; b-c David, 2005, p. 529 plate 55, nos. 7 and 8 ; d Groß, 2017, p. 218 plate 21, no. 3 ; e-f Gramsch, 1990, p. 10 fig. 3, no. 9 ; p. 14 fig. 6, no. 11 ; g Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen Schloss Gottorf C. Janke ; h Pratsch, 2011 fig. 3, no. 4 ; i Pratsch, 2011, fig. 2 ; j Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen Schloss Gottorf C. Janke ; k Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen Schloss Gottorf C. Janke ; l-n David, 2005, p. 529 plate 55, nos. 9-11. Fig. 1 -Productions en matières osseuses en Europe centrale du Nord-Ouest. Outils du groupe B : a (SH1950-32.1) Pointe barbelée ahrensbourgienne de Bistoft (Kr. Schleswig-Flensburg/D), b-c (K516-7) Pointes barbelées mésolithiques de type Pritzerbe de Friesack 4-II, outils du groupe C1 : d (C7s20) Pointe à cran mésolithique de Friesack, e-f (K314, K148) Pointes à cran mésolithiques de Friesack 4-1, outils du groupe A : g (SH1935-5.244) Bois de renne ahrensbourgien de Stellmoor, h (K233) Lame de hache mésolithique de Friesack 4-II, i (K714) Herminette en bois d'élan mésolithique de Friesack 4-I, outils du groupe C2 : j (SH1935-5.253) Poinçon sur os de lièvre ahrensbourgien de Stellmoor, k (SH1935-5.251) Poinçon sur os d'oiseau ahrensbourgien de Stellmoor, l-n (K232, K502, 863/88) Poinçons mésolithiques de Friesack 4-II. Références : a Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen Schloss Gottorf C. Janke, b-c David, 2005, p. 529 pl. 55, n os 7 et 8, d Groß, 2017, p. 218 pl. 21, n o 3, e-f Gramsch, 1990, p. 10 fig. 3, n o 9 ; p. 14 fig. 6, n o 11, g Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen Schloss Gottorf C. Janke, h Pratsch, 2011 fig. 3, n o 4, i Pratsch, 2011, fig. 2, outils du groupe C2 : j Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen Schloss Gottorf C. Janke, k Stiftung. Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen Schloss Gottorf C. Janke, l-n : David, 2005, p. 529 pl. 55, n os 9-11.
Fig. 3 -Raw materials used in north-western Central Europe for group A (striking tools). Fig. 3 -Matières premières utilisées dans l'Europe centrale du Nord-Ouest pour les outils du groupe A (objets percutants).
Fig. 4 -Raw materials used in north-western Central Europe for group B (barbed tools). Fig. 4 -Matières premières utilisées dans l'Europe centrale du Nord-Ouest pour les outils du groupe B (objets barbelés).
Fig. 7 -Bending strength and modulus of elasticity of different osseous raw materials. Blue: antler; red: mammal bone; green: bird bone. 1: A. alces; 2: Aptenodytes patagonicus; 3: Bos sp.; 4: C. capreolus; 5: C. elaphus; 6: Dama dama; 7: Equus caballus; 8: Grus Antigone; 9: Homo sapiens; 10: Phoenicopterus sp.; 11: R. tarandus; 12: Cervus canadensis?: MPa not published. Fig. 7 -1 : Résistance à la flexion et indice d'élasticité des différentes matières premières osseuses. Bleu : bois de cervidé ; rouge : os de mammifère ; vert : os d'oiseau. 1 : A. alces ; 2 : Aptenodytes patagonicus ; 3 : Bos sp. ; 4 : C. capreolus ; 5 : C. elaphus ; 6 : Dama dama ; 7 : Equus caballus ; 8 : Grus Antigone ; 9 : Homo sapiens ; 10 : Phoenicopterus sp ; 11 : R. tarandus ; 12 : Cervus canadensis ; ? : MPa non publiée.
Choice of osseous raw materials for tool production at the Pleistocene/Holocene transition in north-western Central Europe: an approach addressing zooarchaeology and material properties

December 2019

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354 Reads

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7 Citations

This paper focuses on the effects of environmental change, particularly of faunal replacement, on acquisition strategies and use of osseous raw materials for the production of tools around the Pleistocene/Holocene transition in north-western Central Europe. It is therefore a contribution to the overall question “10,000 BP (11,600 cal. BP) – what changes?”, which is discussed along three lines of argumentation: 1) Pleistocene/Holocene archaeology, 2) material properties of osseous raw materials and 3) the relationship between tool type and selected raw material. For typological classification and comparability, the osseous tools are partitioned into three functional classes: A – striking objects, B – hooking objects and C – perforating objects, which are further subdivided into hafted perforating tools (C1), and hand-held perforating tools (C2). The advantage of this very basic classification scheme is that it can be applied to compare assemblages from different cultural entities. From north-western Central Europe, only well preserved osseous assemblages securely dated to the Younger Dryas or the Preboreal that have been zooarchaeologically analysed were included (n = 5). The analysis led to the following results: Striking tools are exclusively produced from antler. Barbed tools are predominantly made of antler. The preferred raw material for perforating tools is bone. We explain this clear picture by the different mechanical properties of osseous raw materials. Though heterogeneous and incomplete, the currently available experimental data suggest that antler is flexible and tough whereas bone is rather stiff. Taking these archaeological and experimental observations into account, we postulate that no change in the general raw material choices took place at the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. However, what changed were the raw material sources: Instead of migrating reindeer herds, more sedentary taxa provided antler and bone. Résumé: Cet article discute des effets des changements environnementaux, plus particulièrement du remplacement de la faune, sur les stratégies d'acquisition et l'utilisation des matières premières osseuses pour la production d'outils, autour de la transition Pléistocène/Holocène en Europe centrale du Nord-Ouest. Il s’agit donc d’une contribution à la question plus large des changements intervenant autour de 10 000 BP (11 600 cal. BP), en les déclinant selon trois domaines : 1) l’archéologie de la transition Pléistocène/Holocène ; 2) les propriétés des matières premières osseuses et 3) la relation entre type d’outil et matière première sélectionnée. Pour la classification typologique et les comparaisons, les outils osseux ont été répartis en trois classes fonctionnelles: A – objets percutants, B – objets accrochants et C – objets perforants. Cette dernière classe a été subdivisée en outils emmanchés (C1), et en outils tenus à la main (C2). Cette classification simple présente l’avantage de pouvoir être appliquée à des assemblages appartenant à des entités culturelles différentes. Pour l'Europe centrale du Nord-Ouest, seuls des assemblages osseux bien préservés, datés du Dryas récent ou du Préboréal et qui ont fait l’objet d’une analyse archéozoologique, ont été inclus dans l’étude (n = 5). Les résultats de cette analyse sont les suivants : les objets percutants sont exclusivement en bois de cervidé ; les objets accrochants sont principalement en bois de cervidé ; et la matière première prédominante pour les objets perforants est l'os. Nous expliquons ces distinctions nettes par les propriétés mécaniques respectives des différentes matières premières osseuses. Bien qu’hétérogènes et incomplètes, les données expérimentales actuellement disponibles suggèrent que le bois de cervidé présente une relative flexibilité et une certaine dureté, alors que l’os est plus rigide Prenant en compte ces observations archéologiques et expérimentales, nous postulons qu’aucun changement vis-à-vis des choix globaux en matières premières n’est survenu lors de la transition Pléistocène/Holocène. Cependant, les sources de matières premières ont bel et bien changé : les espèces sédentaires ont remplacé les troupeaux de rennes mobiles pour fournir des bois et des os.


Mammoth ivory was the most suitable osseous raw material for the production of Late Pleistocene big game projectile points

February 2019

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1,448 Reads

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29 Citations

Late Pleistocene societies throughout the northern hemisphere used mammoth and mastodon ivory not only for art and adornment, but also for tools, in particular projectile points. A comparative analysis of the mechanical properties of tusk dentine from woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) and African elephant (Loxodonta africana) reveals similar longitudinal stiffness values that are comparable to those of cervid antler compacta. The longitudinal bending strength and work of fracture of proboscidean ivory are very high owing to its substantial collagen content and specific microstructure. In permafrost, these properties can be fully retained for thousands of years. Owing to the unique combination of stiffness, toughness and size, ivory was obviously the most suitable osseous raw material for massive projectile points used in big game hunting.


Citations (5)


... 29-25 ka calBP). The following LGM was in fact rather a phase of reconsolidation in Western Europe, while populations in Central Europe remained at a low level (Bocquet-Appel & Demars 2000;Bocquet-Appel et al. 2005;French 2021;Klein et al. 2021;Maier 2017;Maier & Zimmermann 2017;Maier et al. 2021a, b;2022). After four millennia of abandonment, mid-and western Central Europe witnessed sporadic excursions by hunter-gatherer populations (Küßner & Terberger 2006;Leesch & Müller 2012;Sedlmeier 2010;Terberger & Street 2002), probably related to the favourable warming phase of Greenland Interstadial 2 around 23.3-22.8 ...

Reference:

The osseous industry of the LGM site Kammern-Grubgraben (Lower Austria), excavations 1985–1994, and its position within the European Late Upper Palaeolithic
The Antler, Ivory, and Bone Artefacts from Maszycka Cave (Southern Poland). New Signals from a Late Upper Palaeolithic Key Site

Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology

... Despite very low population densities, there is evidence of huntergatherer presence south of 47°N in Lower Austria, Moravia, Southern Poland and the Carpathian Basin in the Late Gravettian and into the first half of the LGM (Lengyel et al. 2021;Maier & Zimmermann 2017;Montet-White 1994;Nerudová & Neruda 2015;Nerudová et al. 2021;Škrdla et al. 2021;Terberger 2013;Terberger & Street 2002;Verpoorte 2004). Like western and mid-Central Europe, however, sites from these regions have to date not produced reliable radiocarbon measurements for the second half of the LGM between 22 and 19 ka calBP (Maier et al. 2020(Maier et al. , 2021bNerudová & Neruda 2015 It is debated whether this gap in the archaeological record indicates actual absence of humans owing to unfavourable climatic conditions (cf. Lengyel et al. 2021;Verpoorte 2004) or rather relates to the current state of research (cf. ...

Cultural evolution and environmental change in Central Europe between 40 and 15 ka
  • Citing Article
  • October 2020

Quaternary International

... Furthermore, the results of the ZooMS analysis on the Doggerland points does not support functional selection either. The current literature on the biomechanical qualities of mammalian osseous remains suggests that antler would be more suited for withstanding high velocity impacts (Currey 2004;Currey et al. 2009;Margaris 2006;Wild and Pfeifer 2019), yet the majority of barbed points is made of bone. Additionally, the differences in biomechanical qualities between bone and antler are much larger than between bones of different species, so a functional selection would not explain why mostly red deer and human were chosen. ...

Choice of osseous raw materials for tool production at the Pleistocene/Holocene transition in north-western Central Europe: an approach addressing zooarchaeology and material properties

... This expansion was characterized by advances and retreats of varying speeds and magnitudes 49 . Maier and colleagues 49 argue that exploration expeditions may have been used to investigate regions far beyond familiar, regularly exploited areas, though there was no need to establish a permanent presence in these zones. This could have led to episodic encounters with unfamiliar groups. ...

Beyond the Alps and Tatra Mountains—the 20–14 ka Repopulation of the Northern Mid-latitudes as Inferred from Palimpsests Deciphered with Keys from Western and Central Europe

Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology

... The woolly mammoth and its tusks can be the object of research as a scientific and cultural value [Grigoriev, Fisher, Obada et al., 2017;Plotnikov, Protopopov et al., 2016]. Fossil mammoth bones can be considered from the point of view of bone carving as bone raw material for the production of hunting tools in ancient times [Pfeifer et al., 2019]. In cultural and religious studies, the image of the mammoth appears in two different hypostases: as a part of nature, the mammoth participates in the creation of the world or symbolises the seasons; in turn, the mammoth beast is an unknown, frightening beginning in the cosmogonic concept [Fedorova, Sleptsova, 2019]. ...

Mammoth ivory was the most suitable osseous raw material for the production of Late Pleistocene big game projectile points