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Archaeologists can use the provenance of lithic raw materials to examine the movements, territories, and settlement dynamics of hunter-gatherers. Several studies have used macroscopic analyses to propose the long-distance transport of raw material during the Gravettian and the Magdalenian of the Swabian Jura in Central Europe. Until now hypotheses about raw material transport in this region were not based on reproducible analyses. This study aims to test some of the hypotheses about the origins of lithic raw materials during the Gravettian and Magdalenian, using infrared spectroscopic measurements. These analyses are based on differences and similarities in the mineralogy and crystallography of rocks. Using this method, we test for long-distance raw-material transport between the sites of the Swabian Jura and the Freiburg basin, 200 km to the south-west, and the region of the Altmühl Valley, 150 km to the north-east. For this, we created a reference database of 114 lithic raw material outcrops from Southern Germany and compared these specimens with artifacts from eleven archeological sites. Our study reconstructs the raw-material procurement and transport during the Gravettian and Magdalenian and reveals settlement patterns and territories that span over more than 300 km in Central Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro-archaeological data from sites located in central and eastern Europe show that, in comparison with other Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers, Gravettian foragers used fire more intensively and for a wider range of purposes. At these sites, this shift in pyrotechnology overlaps with the onset of periglacial conditions. Gravettian occupations of non-periglacial regions have been poorly investigated with micro-archaeological methods, and it remains to be further demonstrated whether these foragers also made a similar intensive and multipurpose use of fire. To further investigate this topic, we studied the sequence preserved at the cave of Fuente del Salín, in Cantabria, where previous excavations unearthed potential fire residues of Gravettian age. Using micromorphology, µ-X-ray fluorescence, and Scanning Electron Microscopy we reconstructed multiple phases of human visits to the site. Our results show that, during the main Gravettian occupation, foragers made intensive use of fire, as indicated by abundant heated bones and seashells, charcoals, amorphous char, fat-derived char, and in situ remains of potential stacked open hearths as well as burnt grass beddings. The intensive burning, systematic reuse of combustion features, and multiple purposes of the fires at Fuente del Salín are comparable with Gravettian sites from central and eastern Europe, indicating that these fire-use behaviors probably do not reflect a regional adaptation to periglacial environments but a cultural trait of the Gravettian tradition across Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arene Candide Cave, a key site for Western Mediterranean prehistory, is famous for the discovery of the richly adorned Mid–Upper Palaeolithic burial of the 'Young Prince' and for its use as a burial site at the end of the Pleistocene (Late Epigravettian). In both contexts, red ochre was a conspicuous element of the burial practices. Unfortunately, few provenance studies and analytical data are available for the pigments recovered in the cave. Likewise, the geographical and geological origins of these colouring materials, which are naturally abundant in the Liguro‐Provençal Arc, have received little to no attention despite their technical and symbolic value. During the 2008–2013 archaeological excavation at Arene Candide Cave, micromorphological samples were collected from the Upper Palaeolithic portion of the 1940s stratigraphic profiles, permitting a first description of site formation processes during the Gravettian. This led to the recognition of a Late Gravettian layer characterized by poorly sorted sediment rich in very small ochre fragments. This study establishes the provenance of these ochre fragments through the combined use of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The results reveal a strong correspondence between the Arene Candide ochres and local ore sites, which were never considered before as potential sources. The mineralogical composition of the samples, characterized by the presence of barium sulphate and iron oxides, indicates that the Finalese area (NW Liguria) in which the site is located was the most likely source of the colouring pigments used by the Upper Palaeolithic hunter‐gatherers of the Arene Candide Cave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we present the results of the research carried out at the Gravettian occupation level of Cueva del Arco (Spain). For this purpose, a multidisciplinary investigation has been carried out in which all the elements recovered in the excavations carried out since 2015 at this site have been studied. The results are contextualised alongside all of the existing Gravettian sites in Mediterranean Iberia. The study of the material culture, the fauna, the landscape, and the dating has allowed us to approach the occupations of the site from many perspectives and has permitted us to conclude that Cueva del Arco was occupied sporadically at the beginning of the Gravettian period by a small human group in what would be the beginning of the consolidation of the anatomically modern humans (AMH) in this territory. Furthermore, these occupations were preceded by others belonging to the Aurignacian, which left hardly any remains in the cave. The data presented in this article lead us to believe that Cueva del Arco is a site of great importance for the knowledge of the beginning of the AMH settlement in the Iberian Mediterranean, both in its expansion towards the south and in its definitive consolidation in this territory.

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Important Palaeolitic sites in Přerov-Předmostí were situated around two conspicuous Devonian limestone hills called Skalka and Hradisko. Skalka was unfortunately quarried for limestone and in the second half of 19th century there was a depression instead hill there. In 1971, a memorial plaque was placed on the limestone wall. When a new housing estate made of prefab blocks of flats was built around the relict of Skalka, the memorial plaque has been lost and the surroundings of rocky outcrop was totally changed. In recent time, the new plaque with partly different text can be seen on the limestone block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated palaeofood web structures using stable isotope analyses on animal bone collagen from four Upper Palaeolithic sites dated to the Early Gravettian (Krems‐Hundssteig and Krems‐Wachtberg: 33–31k cal a bp, Langenlois: 31–29k cal a bp) and to the Early Epigravettian (Kammern‐Grubgraben: 24–20k cal a bp). In both periods, δ13C values show niche partitioning between hare, horse and mammoth on one side, and reindeer and ibex on the other, indicating different diets and habitats between both herbivore groups. The δ15N differences between carnivores and herbivores suggest a difference of one trophic level during the pre‐Last Glacial Maximum (pre‐LGM) period at the Early Gravettian sites and a tendency towards secondary carnivores during the LGM at Kammern‐Grubgraben. δ15N values of pre‐LGM mammoths are elevated in relation to other herbivores but shifted to the level of other herbivores in the LGM. A general δ15N value shift in herbivores of 3.3‰ from the pre‐LGM to the LGM is related to climatic deterioration. This may have led to the disappearance of certain ecological niches and to a shift from broader to overlapping ecological herbivore niches shortly before the LGM, as demonstrated by SIBER analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper addresses the understanding of the complexity in intentional and random manipulation with deceased human bodies in the Mid-Upper Paleolithic in Eurasia. A series of single or multiple anatomic modern human burials at open air-sites, in caves or under rock shelters have been documented. Some of them are decorated and covered by extra-large sized mammal bones for protection. Beside these ritually buried individuals, isolated human cranial and postcranial fragments are scattered through the cultural and other depositional layers, many of them being identified during the post-excavation processing of faunal remains (e.g. Dolní Věstonice I, II and Pavlov I sites in the Czech Republic). These bits and pieces often lack direct evidence of predator or human manipulation (except intentionally perforated human teeth), which raises the question of a differential mortuary practice employed by our ancestors and/or the presence of specific depositional and post-depositional taphonomic conditions in the preservation of human remains. The paper addresses ethnoarcheological observations in different types of treatment of deceased human bodies among recent Arctic and sub-Arctic hunter-gatherers and reindeer herders in Eurasia with a special emphasis on the burial rites among the Nenets from northwestern Siberia. The work aims at the author's own social and economic scope, in which inappropriate or partial manipulation with the deceased human body presents a disputable, unethical and even illegal act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gravettian in Belgium is documented in a limited number of sites, mostly cave or rock shelter sites located in the Meuse basin, and whose excavations often began in the 19th century. Our knowledge of the Belgian Gravettian owes a great deal to the work of M. Otte, who compiled, synthesised, and structured a scattered and often imprecise documentation, enabling him to identify eight proven Gravettian sites, as well as numerous potential sites (Otte 1979; Fig. 1; Table 1). This list was subsequently extended to two additional sites, bringing the number of proven Gravettian sites in Belgium to ten (Otte & Noiret 2007). These are classified into three typological “facies” or “groups”, which together form the Belgian Gravettian sequence and whose “kinship” is attested by the recur - ring presence of certain tool types (tanged points, points with flat retouch/Maisières points). The knowledge accumulated over the last few decades has made it possible to approach certain aspects of this model from a different angle. The aim of this article is therefore to draw up a critical assessment of the Belgian Gravettian sequence, based on data from four major sites: Maisières-Canal, the caves and the Upper shelter of Goyet, and Station de l’Hermitage. Maisières-Canal yielded an occupation layer dated to around 32000 cal. BP (de Heinzelin 1973; Haesaerts & Damblon 2004; Jacobi et al. 2010; Table 2), contemporary with the end of the GI-5.2 (Rasmussen et al. 2014; Fig. 2). The retouched tools include numerous burins and points. The other types represented are quite diverse and include several dozen tanged tools such as burins (Fig. 4D) or scrapers, but the backed pieces are rare and do not include any classic Gravettian type (Gravette points, microgravettes, etc.). Points include three morphological groups – Maisières points (Fig. 4E, F), tanged points (Fig. 4A-C) and shouldered points –, which are produced following a specific method that involves the detachment of flat and direct retouch flakes with an organic hammer, sometimes including an apical tranchet blow (Touzé 2018; Fig. 4A, B, E, F). The tool blanks are mainly derived from bidirectional laminar production on a wide surface, carried out with a stone hammer, the main objective of which is to obtain wide, moderately thick, and sometimes distally tapered products. Bladelet production is also attested, but it occupies a marginal place in the lithic technical system. The originality of this industry in comparison with later Early Gravettian assemblages (e.g. Station de l’Hermitage), as well as the identification of tanged points and Maisières points similar to those of Maisières-Canal in a dozen sites in Belgium (Table 3; Figs 8 - 9), France, the United Kingdom and Luxembourg, allows us to envisage the existence of a pre-Gravettian lithic tradition in Northwestern Europe around 32000 cal. BP (Touzé 2019). This tradition – the “Maisierian”, as proposed by J. B. Campbell (1980) – should be dissociated from the Gravettian itself, because: 1) its lithic in - dustry does not present the usual Gravettian features (e.g. Gravette points, microgravettes); and 2) it predates the oldest Gravettian sites recorded in Belgium and North-western Europe (Touzé 2019) . Of the 14C dates available for Station de l’Hermitage at Huccorgne (Straus 2000), the most reliable result places the Gravettian occupation around 31 100 – 30 000 cal. BP: it could therefore be con - temporary with GI-5.1 (Touzé et al. 2016; Fig. 2). The retouched tools mainly include burins and backed pieces, mostly microgravettes. Some tanged pieces are also recorded, but none of them display the use of the retouch method observed at Maisières-Canal. The tools are made from straight, thin and usually narrow blades obtained by direct percussion with a soft stone hammer, and from blade - lets. Blade production is carried out from two opposite striking platforms on reduction surfaces with limited longitudinal convexity. Bladelets are extracted at the end of blade production, or on the edge of flakes or blades (burin-cores). The industry of Station de l’Hermitage share many features with two sites located in the Paris Basin: Ormesson – Les Bossats, dated between 31 800 and 30000 cal. BP, and Flagy – Belle Fontaine (Touzé 2019). These features include blade and bladelet productions as well as the retouched tools, the latter including microgravettes and tanged points (Fig. 10I-L). Furthermore, a recent study has shown that siliceous raw materials collected in the Paris Basin were imported to Huccorgne (Delvigne et al. 2021). These three sites therefore document the same Early Gravettian lithic tradition, which we can assume is also represented at other Belgian sites, even if this is difficult to demonstrate due to: 1) the ubiquitous character of the main markers of this tradi - tion (microgravettes, tanged pieces that are insufficiently diagnostic); and 2) the mixtures, and the imprecision of the contextual data that affect the sites in question. The only occupation layer identified at the Upper shelter of Goyet is attributed to the Gravettian (Éloy & Otte 1995) and is dated between 29 200 and 27 900 cal. BP, indicating a possible correlation with the GI-4 (Fig. 2). However, the presence of nosed end-scrapers indicates the presence of an Aurignacian layer not detected during the excavations and therefore the existence of mixtures among the archaeological material (Fig. 3). The collections from Goyet caves are known to be affected by significant mixtures (e.g. Otte 1979). Several dates corresponding to the Gravettian are available: these are situated between 31 800 and 26 000 cal. BP (Germonpré & Hämäläinen 2007; Posth et al. 2016; Fig. 2). Due to the mixtures affecting the sites of Goyet, the study focused on the characteristic Gravettian tools. Among these, three tool types – the backed points with truncated basis (Figs 6A-C; 7A-D), the bi-truncated backed pieces (Figs 6D-J; 7E-I), and the “bi-pointed” backed pieces (Figs 6K-M; 7J-M) – probably belong to one (or several) occupation(s) more recent than those recorded at Maisières and Huccorgne: these types are therefore considered to belong to a “post-early phase” Gravettian. They are also known in other sites in Belgium (Table 3; Figs 11A-G; 12A-E; 13A-C), but there is no evidence that they are all contemporaries in the current state of our knowledge. Outside Belgium, backed points with truncated basis are documented in the Recent Gravettian of the Paris Basin and its margins (Nouel 1936; Klaric 2003, 2013; Kildéa & Lang 2011; Pesesse & Flas 2013; Fig. 11H-M), and in more southern sites where their precise dating is difficult to establish (Bouyssonie 1948; Pradel 1965, 1979). Bi-truncated backed pieces are known in Southwestern France, notably in the Middle Gravettian of the Pyrenees (Simonet 2009; Fig. 12F-H, K, L) and in the Recent Gravettian of the Abri Pataud (Bricker & David 1984; Fig. 12I, J), as well as in the Late and Final Gravettian of Central Europe (Polanská et al. 2021; Fig. 12M, N), although their characteristics may be somewhat different. The bi-pointed backed pieces are atypical in Western Europe. Similar pieces exist at Pavlov I (Czech Republic; Klíma 1997; Svoboda 1997), even though not all of them have a backed edge (Fig. 13D-U), but their dating is unclear. Other comparable tools are also known at Grub/Kranawetberg (Austria; Nigst & Antl-Weiser 2012) and Kostënki 8 (layer 2; Russia; Reynolds 2014). It is possible that some of these similarities with the Belgian sites can be explained by morphological convergences. The caves of Goyet also yielded several tanged points (Fig. 8A-E) and Maisières points (Fig. 8G, H), while a tanged piece was found at the Upper shelter (Fig. 6O). Several of these tools have obvious technical affinities with the Maisières-Canal industry, while some of the less diagnostic tanged pieces can be compared with the specimens from Station de l’Hermitage, as well as with some of those from Maisières-Canal. This suggests that the sites of Goyet were probably frequented at different times during the Gravettian, as was the case with Spy Cave (Pesesse & Flas 2013). The Mid-Upper Palaeolithic of Belgium can therefore be subdivided into three entities, as identified by M. Otte. The Maisierian and Early Gravettian correspond to relatively well-documented lithic traditions whose ranges extend over part of North-western Europe. A “post-early phase” Gravettian is also detected, but only within assemblages whose integrity is questionable, or which are quantitatively limited; only the discovery of new sites will allow us to acquire more precise data on this third phase. The suspicions that weigh on the integrity of several assemblages lead us to update the census of these entities with regard to the initial model (Otte 1979; Tables 3; 4), but also to abandon the principle of “kinship” that would link them within a “Gravettian phylum”, since the coexistence of “ancient” and “recent” tool types in some assemblages – all of which come from cave or rock shelter sites – is likely to be the result of the mixing of several Gravettian and/or Maisierian components. Finally, it should be remembered that the supposed evidence of a Middle Gravettian with Noailles burins and Raysse burin-cores presence in Belgium (Otte 1976, 1979) do not seem reliable (Touzé 2011). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early Gravettian site of Maisières‐Canal (Belgium) was discovered in 1966, during the widening of the Canal du Centre. Emergency excavation allowed the discovery of an open‐air human occupation which yielded abundant archaeological material. A re‐examination of the well‐preserved faunal collections has expanded the bird assemblage from the 29 bones initially recognized to 78, which have been studied from an archaeozoological point of view. Six taxa were identified, including species regularly encountered in Upper Paleolithic sites, such as the snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus), the northern raven (Corvus corax), and the willow or rock ptarmigan (Lagopus sp.). Ducks (Anatinae) are by far the best represented taxa. Surprisingly, only radius fragments were recovered for ducks, most bearing breaks and tool marks. We paid special attention to this peculiar set of duck radiuses. We performed experiments on fresh duck wings to evaluate the impact of different actions on the radius. Based on our experiments, two main hypotheses emerged. This accumulation of duck radiuses may represent (1) the waste from the production of dry wings and/or (2) a supply of raw material for craft activities. However, neither of these two hypotheses can be conclusively confirmed. As well as exhibiting some discrepancies, the bird bone assemblage from Maisières‐Canal shares several characteristics with early Gravettian sites from central Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Študijné Zvesti AU SAV is the property of Institute of Archaeology SAS and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In 2022, a stone pendant was recovered from the Upper Palaeolithic (Gravettian I) level of Poiana Cireșului-Piatra Neamț, Romania. Dating to ∼24,096-22992 cal. BP, it is made on an oval-shaped quartz/quartzite pebble of 29 mm maximum dimensions. It bears 11 discrete incisions around its circumference, and a perforation to allow for suspension. Unlike other known Gravettian pendants from the Romanian sites of Mitoc-Malul Galben, the Cioarei-Boroșteni cave and additional items from Poiana Cireșului-Piatra Neamț, this pendant bears no decoration on either face, and the incisions on its circumference are superficial and hardly visible, adding to the picture of variability of Eastern European personal ornamentation. We present it here, discussing its significance as part of a chronologically and regionally constrained visual symbol in Eastern Europe during the 24th millennium BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bistriţa Valley is located in the north-east of Romania, crossing the entire Eastern Carpathian chain. To the Palaeolithic communities in Eastern and Central Europe, the Carpathian arc must have been a difficult obstacle to overcome. In the mountain sector of the Bistriţa Valley, the two areas of concentration of Palaeolithic settlements - the Răpciuni Basin (Ceahlău) and Bicaz-Izvorul Alb - have been variously addressed in terms of the extent of the archaeological investigations. In this study we have tried to take a different view regarding the definition and chrono-cultural sequence of Palaeolithic sites in the mountain sector of the Bistriţa Valley. The idea of the existence of an Aurignacian in this area has been abandoned, as the arguments provided by the absolute chronology definitely exclude such an assumption, whereas the occupations attributed to the Gravettian have been adapted to the sequence of this culture at Poiana Cireţului. Therefore, one may now speak of a Gravettian I and II in the Ceahlău Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first Palaeolithic discoveries in Romania were made in the 19th century in Mitoc (Botoșani department). Five main stations were excavated, yielding Middle and Upper Palaeolithic industries (including Aurignacian, Gravettian and Epipalaeolithic). Some have yielded mixed industries ; others were better preserved and understood, like Malu Galben

Small figurines made from fired clay belonging to the Gravettian (Pavlovian) culture (30–25 ka cal BP) represent one of the main forms of spectacular Palaeolithic art. The most well-known example is the Venus from Dolní Věstonice I in the Czech Republic, which is the biggest and best-preserved human figurine made from clay. Due to its high cultural value, exploration of the internal structures of this figurine has represented a huge challenge, as only non-destructive methods could be applied. Thanks to tremendous technological advancements, we were able to use high-resolution micro-CT imaging. This imaging revealed the structural compositions of the ceramic paste, the technology of the statuette's shaping procedure, and the taphonomy of this piece of art. We reveal that the ceramic paste was prepared from loess sediment containing stones, microfossils, and carbonate aggregates from the basement complex as an natural admixture. The particles are randomly distributed. We did not find any bones or ivory remnants inside the body. Missing joined areas of different parts of the body of the Venus indicate that the figurine was made from a single piece of clay using the non-additive method of shaping. The internal cracks in the body of the Venus statuette represent the main feature of its taphonomy and influence the way it will be manipulated in the future. • The Venus of Dolní Věstonice represents the largest Palaeolithic object from burnt clay. • CT scanning enables the analysis of the inner structure of the Venus of Dolní Věstonice. • The ceramic paste contains small rocks and microfossils, no symbolic object. • Venus was directly shaped using a non-additive technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing radiocarbon (14C) dating framework for Lagar Velho is broadly consistent but provides limited constraint on several geoarchaeological complexes (GCs) and does not favour detailed chronological comparisons across all sectors of the site; including the stratigraphically disconnected child burial complex in the east area and the broader archaeological sequence in the central-west area. In this study, we undertake a complementary chronological assessment of Lagar Velho Rock Shelter using single-grain quartz OSL, single-grain quartz TT-OSL and combined U-series/ESR dating of fossil teeth, with the aim of establishing more comprehensive reconstructions of archaeological events and placing the human occupation sequence in a firmer regional climatic context. Expanding on the original chronological study, we also compare the published 14C datasets against widely used sample quality indicators (i.e., organic preservation and contamination proxies) to ensure reliable comparisons with our new luminescence and combined U-series/ESR ages. Eight 14C samples pass our combined chronological and stratigraphic hygiene criteria and are included in the final dating evaluations. Ten of the twelve optical dating samples produce homogeneous equivalent dose (D e) datasets indicative of suitable daylight exposure. The replicate single-grain TT-OSL D e datasets exhibit more pronounced scatter, consistent with enhanced potential for insufficient bleaching of TT-OSL residual doses in some karst settings. The fossil enamel samples dated using U-series/ESR span relatively low natural dose ranges, necessitating the inclusion of maximum dose (D max)-adjusted dose response curve fitting and additional background noise subtraction to avoid D e biases of up to 13%. Stratigraphically consistent ages (n = 26) spanning the full archaeological infill sequence are obtained using the four different dating methods, providing a robust interpretive framework and underscoring the significant role of single-grain OSL and combined U-series/ESR dating for refining early Upper Palaeolithic histories of Iberia. Bayesian modelling of the combined chronological dataset reveals a site accumulation history spanning 35,750–23,440 cal. BP and provides improved age constraints on all GCs; particularly the al , bs , tc , gs and ls deposits that were previously undated or imprecisely constrained. The age of the child burial complex is refined to 29,410–28,280 cal. BP, potentially occurring within Greenland Interstadial 4. Comparison of the modelled GC ages from the east and west-central areas enables improved temporal correlations of depositional events across stratigraphically disconnected sectors of the site. This analysis suggests that the child burial complex and the Late Gravettian occupation are statistically indistinguishable based on current dating evidence. The new dating assessments reveal three periods of human occupation at Lagar Velho: the Late Gravettian (including the shorter duration child burial event) 31.6–26.0 ka from the end of Heinrich Stadial (HS) 3 until the emergence of HS2; the Terminal Gravettian 26.5–24.5 ka coinciding with HS2; and the Middle Solutrean 25.2–23.4 ka extending from HS2 to the end of Greenland Stadial 3. The timing of these occupations during late Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 and early MIS 2 highlights the significance of central western Portugal for supporting regional human populations during periods when much of Europe was experiencing extreme cold, aridity and expanded glacial coverage. • Consistent OSL, TT-OSL, US-ESR and 14C ages obtained for the archaeological sequence. • Bayesian modelling reveals site accumulation history spans 35,750–23,440 cal. BP. • Child burial age refined to 29,410–28,280 cal. BP, potentially within GI4. • Three human activity phases correspond with short-term climate cycles in MIS2. • Central-west Portugal was a key refugium for human populations during HS2 and LGM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While affinities and interactions between archaic and modern human populations (i.e. 200,000-40,000 BP in Eurasia) at macro-evolutionary and continental scales have received considerable attention, there has been less emphasis on the population history of Europe between 40,000 and 26,000 BP (i.e. prior to the Last glacial Maximum, LGM) when only modern humans were present. Here we examine the immature mandible from Gargas (France, ca. 29,000 cal BP), which displays a modern morphology overall with some archaic features rarely seen, if at all, in European Pleistocene and Holocene modern humans. In particular, the Gargas child has a very broad mandible, large tooth crowns with extreme deciduous and permanent mesiodistal molar diameters and a deciduous first molar with a quantity of enamel never previously reported. Furthermore, this child exhibits a supernumerary permanent tooth in the incisor region, a rare congenital disorder so far described for only five other pre-LGM modern humans. Finally, our results also highlight previously undocumented spatial differences in the tooth crown dimensions of Upper Palaeolithic fossils.

Moravia is the central part of the region between the Danube and Southern Poland, which was settled by the people of the Gravettian Culture in the years 35-24/25 ka cal. BP. The Gravettian was a society of people with a high culture level based on successful animal hunting. This allowed to set aside some of the population from animal hunting and gave time for other activities. There existed a primitive division of labour. The basis for this was undoubtedly a well organized life for the entire society. A certain differentiation of their settlements also came about in Moravia. One can find there not only central settlements with a high living standard and culture but also long-term hunting settlements and short-term hunting stations. The end of the Gravettian Culture was linked with the great climatic change (LGM), which lead to the end of the existing ecosystem and consequently also to the loss of the economic basis. From my point of view, this culture disappeared fairly quickly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is dedicated to the Paleolithic open-air site of Feldberg "Steinacker", located between the Rhine and the Black Forest near Freiburg/Breisgau in South-West Germany. The site was discovered by W. Mähling in 1969 and is primarily known for the presence of tanged points (Font-Robert type), as well as a possible connection via raw material transport to the cave sites of the Swabian Jura. However, stratigraphic context, site formation processes and site function remained unclear. In 2018, the Heritage Management of Baden-Wuerttemberg and the University of Rostock began the first scientific investigations at the site. It was possible to document a knapping area from the Gravettian, presumably in situ. The excavations also revealed a Middle Paleolithic occupation, making "Steinacker" for the moment the only open-air site in South-West Germany where a stratification of Middle to Upper Paleolithic is present. The investigations were accompanied by additional analyses related to site-formation processes and artefact morphology. Geomagnetic and geoelectric prospection as well as sedimentological drilling revealed a complex paleo-relief that was very different from the current topography. Micromorphology and optically stimulated luminescence dating confirmed that the excavated archaeological stratigraphy was largely intact. Moreover, use-wear analysis showed that pieces with strong indications of frost alterations were possibly used on a regular basis at the site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Stratum Plus Journal is the property of P.P. Stratum plus and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article is intended to be a challenge with a view to creating repertories of Palaeolithic pendants, classified in terms of cultures and the raw material used. Recently, a significant number of Gravettian stone pendants have been found in Romania, which has prompted us to start this project with precisely this category. The journal Annales d'Université Valahia Targoviste, Série d'Archéologie et d'Histoire has offered to publish any study meant to complete this attempt at compiling Palaeolithic pendants, regardless of culture and raw material used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of Palaeolithic Venus figurines, which have become famous, are actually devoid of any archaeological context. This aspect is often forgotten and many of them are even considered as representative of such artefacts. Furthermore, including them mainly in the Gravettian culture has not been justified by any stratigraphic arguments or information related to absolute or cultural dating. In the absence of such evidence, a false postulate has been formulated by attributing them, in an exaggerated manner, to the Gravettian culture. The discovery of the Epigravettian figurine from Piatra Neamț 1, with a cultural stratigraphic context and coherent C14 dates, should trigger a re-evaluation of older finds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gravettian site Krems‐Wachtberg in northeast Austria produced a wealth of archaeological and sedimentary data. Precondition for a detailed study of the formation processes is co‐occurrence of find layers with in situ and redeposited material. We use archaeological data and sediment parameters to review and refine a formation model that was based solely on field observations. The archaeological perspective relies upon the rich chipped stone assemblage where each artefact is attributed with 3D position, orientation, stratigraphy, typo‐technological description, and raw material determination. This enabled systematic refitting and 3D analyses of the results. High‐resolution sampling of the sediment sequence which was conducted in six columns at different locations of the excavated area provided comparable results for grain size, colour and carbonate content. The study illustrates the complementary benefits of field observations, archaeological data and sediment parameters. While detailed loess stratigraphy creates the frame for understanding palaeoenvironmental processes, archaeological data enhances visibility of local post‐occupational sedimentary processes. This allows the archaeological sequence to be placed into a cycle of gradual de‐ and restabilisation of the palaeosurface. Burial of the ~31k cal abp occupation layer occurred by solifluction, slope wash and aeolian deposition between two stable phases marked by tundra gley soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to widen the spectrum of sources leading to the knowledge of social aspects and symbolic dimensions of the life of mid-Upper Palaeolithic hunters. The contemporary discussion leaves everything that relates to faunal remains (including their special composition and striking depositions) entirely within the competence of natural sciences, as though the human intervention had ceased with killing and practical usage of the animal. As it is known from ethnohistorical sources, this has not been the case in any society. At the same time, in foraging societies funeral customs are never limited to primary inhumations of complete human bodies, although the contemporary archaeology considers such form as a standard funeral rite of the Upper Palaeolithic. Anything else is viewed as an anomaly requiring a special substantiation. Ethnologically speaking, exactly primary inhumations are exceptional, while both human and animal remains receive a ritualized treatment. A mass deposition from Předmostí (Př. 1–18) is deemed a tomb with complete bodies disturbed by animals; this interpretation still prevails despite its originating from a Christian view of the world in the 19th century. Some of the so-called tombs may not even be secondary inhumations of a body with grave goods, but a hoard of symbolic items with representative animal and human bones and "liturgic" artefacts (Brno 2). Many of the so-called works of art bear witness of an altered state of consciousness, characteristic for individuals aiming to communicate with the "other world", analogically to the later shamans. The crisis of the contemporary Palaeolithic archaeology is found in creating of an entirely artificial picture of people with purely technical motivation and determined by the surrounding nature. It is necessary to restore the discussion into the realm of cultural anthropology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The small terrestrial gastropod Vertigo pseudosubstriata Ložek, 1954 is one of the rarest glacial indicator species in the Pleistocene of Central and Eastern Europe. In all, this species has been found at only about 15 sites in Europe. V. pseudosubstriata was initially described as a fossil in Central Europe and was discovered only later alive in Central Asia. With regard to its modern distribution, 25 habitats with V. pseudosubstriata have been examined in Tien Shan and in the central and southern Altai. These findings seem to capture the contemporary distribution of the species and provide information on the boundaries of its ecological requirements. These data are of great significance for the interpretation of the fossil assemblages. Since the few fossil specimens in Europe date from very different glacial periods in the Elsterian, Saalian Complex and Weichselian, it can be concluded that V. pseudosubstriata apparently immigrated in at least three distinct waves. Most of the Pleistocene specimens in eastern Central Europe and Eastern Europe are reported from archaeological sites of the Upper Middle Weichselian (Gravettian), roughly between 33 and 29 ka cal bp. In this paper, we review all reported modern and fossil occurrences and discuss the species' ecological range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract, geometric, and also ornamental images which could not be directly decrypted are one of plots of iconic portable art of Eastern Europe. This type of pictorial activity emerges already during the early phase of the Upper Paleolithic simultaneously with figurative art. Development of iconic and ornamental art could be traced in the Russian Plain during the whole Upper Paleolithic epoch. It was mostly widespread during the Middle (25–21,000 BP) and Late (20–12,000 BP) phases of the Upper Paleolithic. Geometric art existed side by side with tradition of realistic engravings of humans and animals during the Gravettian time, and it entirely displaces the latter after the Late Glacial maximum. The article systematizes data about ornamental geometric images of the center of the Russian Plain dealing with regional and chronological peculiarities of this type of art. Basing on the data of technical and morphological analyses the author suggests two criteria for differentiation of ornaments in portable art of the Gravettian and Epigravettian time: 1. Presence/absence of organic combination of geometric and realistic elements in one image; 2. Character and technique of zonal ornamentation of the surface of artefacts with complicated shape. Geometric ornamentation was engraved on the whole surface of artefacts with complicated shape with obligatory preliminary mark-up, and also use of one or several base lines for creation of such images at Epigravettian sites. Elements composing one geometric design could be engraved on artefacts with complex volume during different episodes, and consequently without preliminary preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the problem of interpretation of Mammoth Bone Dwellings. The author considers the history of the tradition to interpret bone structures as ruins of dwellings. He concludes that this interpretation was formulated a priori. The published data on the taphonomy of faunal remains, as well as on the stratigraphy of archaeological objects belonging to the Anosovo-Mezin bone construction, are analyzed in this paper. Currently available data allow concluding that this type of archaeological structure could not be interpreted as remnants of dwellings. Anosovo-Mezin bone constructions demonstrate the final stage of the very specific tradition that existed in the Palaeolithic of Central and Eastern Europe. There is every reason to believe that these objects were determined by the religious ideas of their creators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Upper Palaeolithic site from Buda (Bacău County) has been known since 1952 for the large amount of animal bones discovered alongside Gravettian tools. The revision of the osteological material from the old excavations (1958– 1960), as well as the study of newly discovered specimens excavated in the 2012– 2014 field seasons was carried out. The faunal material is dominated by long bone epiphyses and elements of the distal limbs, suggesting that the site functioned, for a short period, as a butchery site where the steppe bison and reindeer carcasses were dismembered, long bones were cracked for marrow extraction and then the skeletal elements that presented no interest were abandoned. Based on the population structure and reindeer antler development, we estimate that the hunting expeditions took place at the beginning of the cold season.

The cave of Fronsac is for its several engraved schematic female figures attributed to Upper Magdalenian (Bosinski 2011). A recent monography has inserted the cave back into scientific news (Delluc and Delluc 2013), at the same time we were launching a collective and interdisciplinary study, as part of a collective research project. As early as 2012 we offered observations on the nature and supposed homogeneity of the parietal device. The iconographic corpus has been enriched by new discoveries. The complexity of the parietal set and its organization have gradually been revealed in a regional context (Font-Bargeix, La Croix and La Mairie caves) marked by thematic differences and stylistic specificities. A program of photographic and graphical records, fine observations of the engraved lines and a study on the walls’ taphonomy and its role in the preservation and distribution of parietal images backed the exhaustive and systematic revision of the necessary parietal device. In addition, the discovery of some lithic pieces and large fauna remains on the surface of thick bioturbated karstic fillings, foreshadowed the presence of ancient occupations. The identification and analysis of archaeological contexts seemed essential in order to characterize and date the possible living areas and to propose a chrono-cultural framework for the parietal engravings. In this goal, systematic surveys throughout the network as well as located outside the decorated areas were conducted. A new geological and geomorphological study of the network, as well as an analysis of the sedimentary fills, was also realized to enrich the question of the age and formation of the cave and to measure the impact of wall taphonomic phenomena on the organization and the conservation of parietal works. Finally, this research involved new topography and 3D photogrammetry coverage, with particular emphasis on the main decorated panels.This article presents a synthesis of some works currently being undertaken in Fronsac and reaffirms, if needed, the interest of a systematic revision of the decorated caves in a radically transdisciplinary and integrated perspective.

The recently discovered (2000) Cussac Cave is one of the major elaborately decorated caves for which the Ministry of Culture immediately invoked protective measures, including climatic controls and land and equipment purchases. A multi- and inter-disciplinary research programme was launched in 2009 as part of a Projet collectif de recherche (PCR) (A Collaborative Research Project) that provides for integrated conservation with study. Aside from its large size (1.6 km) and—due to the efforts of the speleologists who found the cave—its excellent state of preservation, Cussac Cave is distinctive because of the co-occurrence of uniquely engraved decorated panels, often of a monumental size, and contemporaneous human remains found in three locations. As in all other recently discovered decorated caves, the current study project is ambitious and holistic. The current research is, however, very focussed in scope, concentrating principally on ichnology (fossilised animal and human imprints), biological anthropology, and archaeothanatology. After the first few years of the initial stages of this multi-disciplinary project, the last few years have seen the successful integration of the work of geoscientists, anthropologists, ichnologists, experts in parietal art, and prehistorians with the application of new technological innovations, such as topographic mapping, 3D imaging, and geographic information systems. The following text provides an overview of some of these research endeavours.

During the Gravettian, Arbreda Cave was frequently occupied by hunter‐gatherer communities. Within this period, the archeological levels E (Iberian Middle Gravettian) and D (Final Gravettian), dated to ca. 26–20 kyr 14C BP, are of particular interest, since fieldwork carried out during the 1980s revealed dense accumulations of archeological materials with remarkable concentrations of burnt remains. The archeozoological and taphonomic studies conducted with faunal remains recovered from both levels have provided essential information about subsistence activities; however, the concentrations of these remains have not been subjected to spatial distribution analysis. In recent decades, spatial analysis has become a key tool for deciphering the formation dynamics of archeological levels, as well as for offering valuable clues with which to understand the relation of the occupants with the morphology of the site cavities. The aims of this paper are to pinpoint the principal activity areas of both Gravettian levels of Arbreda Cave focusing on the location of main hearth‐related assemblages and to interpret these activity areas in terms of the use of the space by hunter‐gatherer groups. To achieve these goals, our research has been based on the processing of archeozoological and taphonomic data obtained in recent studies applying different spatial statistics methods, including techniques of density analysis and spatial correlation. Furthermore, for each level, the results obtained from the geostatistical approaches are supplemented by a detailed taphonomic analysis of the complete assemblage of remains recovered from the principal hearth‐related square. Finally, in each case, an accurate analysis of the burnt remain assemblage of each square provides further elucidation of the large amount of combusted remains in the area. The study reveals that hunter‐gatherer communities established themselves in particular areas of the cave, close to the north wall and beneath the existing roof of the rock shelter. The dense accumulations of different remains found in these areas has enabled us to hypothesize about its hearth‐related origin, where hearths would have been settled and marrow exploitation activities would have been carried out around them. Furthermore, the high rate of breakage and charred and calcined remains and a relatively high percentage of burnt spongy bones indicate that bones were used as fuel to supplement firewood. On the whole, the low level of space organization complexity of levels E and D main activity areas supports a seasonal pattern of occupation during the Iberian Middle Gravettian and Final Gravettian periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Študijné Zvesti AU SAV is the property of Institute of Archaeology SAS and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the Mâconnais, southern Burgundy, a number of paleolithic sites are concentrated along the river Saône. One of these is the prehistoric open-air site La Sénétrière. This contribution gives an overview of recently conducted research and its results, focusing on stone artifacts from surface finds attributed to the Upper Paleolithic, including a considerable amount of blade cores. This paper summarizes the results of a master's thesis on the site's Upper Paleolithic core technology completed last year. For this purpose, these cores were divided into seven individual categories in order to be able to trace the respective core and blank production. Therefore, working stage analyses were carried out on ten cores. In addition, a comparison was conducted in which further sites with a similar technological component and possible identical core categories were compared with the cores from La Sénétrière. In combination with a classical attribute analysis, information could be obtained about a possible chronological classification and function of the site, to interpret La Sénétrière more precisely. In the past, the Upper Paleolithic component of the lithic artifacts was dated to the Perigordian V. However, our analyses show that Aurignacian artifacts are also present. Thus, the site was inhabited for a longer time than previously assumed. The dating of the confirmed Gravettian artifacts was reduced to an age of 33,000–28,000 calBP by comparing the sites, their diagnostic artifacts and core categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present the evidence for, and to discuss the aspects of the striking similarities that have been identified between backed bladelets recovered in two geographically distant assemblages, one found in Southern Italy (Paglicci, layer 24 horizon A1) and the other in Eastern Europe (Mira, layer II horizon 2). Both assemblages are dated to around 29–28,000 BP and are taxonomically defined as Early Upper Palaeolithic. Detailed comparison of technical and morphological data is impossible because the Eastern European site does not contain an assemblage that lends itself to statistical analysis. The backed bladelets of type PA24A1, found in Paglicci, layer 24 horizon A1-0, and Mira, layer II horizon 2, have no direct analogies in chronologically close Aurignacian and Gravettian sites, in either Southern or Eastern Europe. Taking into account the similar chronological position of the sites, separated by a distance of ca. 2,500 km, it is concluded that the significant similarity of the backed bladelets is most likely explained not by the convergence of development or by trade, but by the direct migration of a group of modern humans who manufactured such specific microliths. The Paglicci (24A 1) and Mira (II/2) industries generally belong to the Early Upper Palaeolithic, being placed chronologically at the transition between the EUP and MUP, being located morphologically and technologically between the Aurignacian and Gravettian. Despite the scarcity of data, the distinctiveness of the backed implements indicates that the sites belong to the same episode of sociocultural development. The issue of the cultural affiliation of the industry with PA24A1 type bladelets remains unanswered, and the search for analogies, either in Eastern or Southern Europe, needs to be continued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents preliminary results of fieldwork conducted at the Upper Palaeolithic open-air site Mitoc-Malu Galben in northeastern Romania. The site has a ~14m deep loess-paleosol sequence with a rather high climatic resolution. The chronostratigraphy is well established and embedded in this long sequence are abundant archaeological remains, mostly attributed to the Aurignacian and Gravettian. Our fieldwork between 2013 and 2016 provided new samples of the main Aurignacian and Gravettian layers. Here we provide an overview of our fieldwork activities, the generated archaeological collections, and present a preliminary analysis of raw material economy and blank production and core exploitation strategies of the Gravettian assemblages. We also discuss the Mitoc-Malu Galben Gravettian in its wider regional context and implications for the Aurignacian-Gravettian transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a comprehensive analysis of the Upper Paleolithic site Radomyshl I. The previously known ideas and views about this site are revised. Information about the cultural layer, the composition of the faunal collection and the spatial distribution of the bones are discussed. The composition of the lithic collection of this site, its technological features and typological statistics are analyzed in detail. The ascertainment of technological similarity to the Gravettian technocomplex, the typological originality, and possible chronological limit offers a new perspective on the site. Taken together our new data makes it possible to offer a new interpretation of the structure of Radomyshl I and its economic specialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kostënki 9 is a small Gravettian site in the Kostënki-Borshchëvo area of Russia, known for a highly homogeneous assemblage of ventrally truncated backed bladelets, as well as the presence of ground stone artefacts. The site was mainly excavated during the twentieth century but in recent years small-scale work has begun again at the site. Until now no radiocarbon dates have been available for the site, although it has been assumed to be broadly contemporary with Borshchëvo 5/I and Kostënki 4 due to similarities in their assemblages. Here we present the first radiocarbon dates for the site, which confirm that the site is roughly the same age as Borshchëvo 5/I and Kostënki 4, and older than the Kostënki-Avdeevo Culture sites in the region. We also present an overview of the lithic assemblage (both knapped and ground stone) based on recent studies. The truncated backed bladelets found at the site are highly comparable to similar artefacts of approximately the same age found at a series of sites in Central Europe, including Jaksice II, Trenčianske Bohuslavice, Petřkovice I and Milovice I. This is a key point of material culture similarity that requires further work but which hints at long-distance social and cultural links across Eastern and Central Europe slightly pre-dating the well-known connections that have been established based on the shared presence of shouldered points. Similarities in material culture across this region are further attested by analogies among personal ornaments – waisted double-headed beads – found at the Kostënki sites and at Grub/Kranawetberg in Austria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the problems of definition, classification and genesis of the Epigravettian in the Central regions of the East European plain. It is concluded that Epigravettian sites could be characterized as industrially variable and multicultural. Epigravettian should be considered as a polygenetic phenomenon characterized by a cultural mosaic peculiar to specific geographical regions. In relation to the territory of the Desna and the Middle Dnieper Basin, we can assume a direct continuity between the local Gravettian and Epigravettian traditions, despite changes in technology and typology of stone and bone tools, as well as the style in the design of portable art objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noailles burins are one of the main lithic types of the European Upper Palaeolithic which characterizes the "Noaillian" Gravettian. Their typological definition is well accepted today by the scientific community despite a long debate lasted several decades between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. On the contrary, the functional role of Noailles burins remains a matter of debate. In order to provide new evidence about the interpretation of the Noailles burins, this paper combines techno-typological and functional data. At this regard, the entire collection of Noailles burins found in the east sector of the well-known site of Riparo Mochi (Balzi Rossi, Italy) has been studied. Our data, also compared with the European scenario, allow to reconsider the significance of the Noailles burins within the economy of the Noaillian hunter-gatherers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]