Here, we apply geometric-morphometric shape analysis to Middle Paleolithic bone retouchers from Chagyrskaya Cave in the Altai Mountains of southern Siberia. The cave contains evidence of the easternmost manifestation of the Micoquian industry, associated with Neanderthals at end of MIS4 and the beginning of MIS3. Taphonomic and scar pattern analyses were performed first on random samples exhibiting appropriate characteristics. Several retouchers produced on intentionally modified blanks were identified in our sample, suggesting that some of the Chagyrskaya Cave bone retouchers can be described as formal tools. All retouchers from Chagyrskaya Cave exhibit a similar general morphology. The most variable group is comprised of complete retouchers without blank modifications. Retouchers exhibiting minor damage affect the general pattern of variability and it is not possible to identify them only by means of geometric-morphometric shape analysis. Complete retouchers with blank modifications fall within the range of variability of complete retouchers without blank modification, suggesting intentional shaping of blanks to conform to a standard template. The range of variability of the bone retouchers does not differ significantly from that of the most highly modified lithic artifacts at Chagyrskayaplano-convex bifaceswhich may indicate intentional shape control for such artifacts. Geometric-morphometric analysis indicates that the anatomical origin of bone blanks does not significantly influence the retouchers' shape, which may point to strict blank selection and, at the same time, intentional modification. Our results raise questions regarding the integration of retouchers into a complex, multidimensional "chaine-op´eratoire" as well as the nature of Neanderthal cognitive abilities. Geometric-morphometric shape analysis represents a major step forward in the study of prehistoric retouchers.
Bone retouchers are the most common tools for processing lithic raw material in the Middle Paleolithic of Eurasia. Typically, they are perceived by Paleolithic researchers as informal, unmodifi ed tools made from bone blanks accidentally obtained during the extraction of marrow. In this article, we introduce new data on a large collection of bone retouchers from Chagyrskaya Cave (in the Altai Mountains). Their dimensions demonstrate a high standardization of blanks, indicating the intentional selectivity of Neanderthals. Selection also concerned animal species and the anatomical positions of bones. We found that morphological characteristics such as the number of active areas and the degree of their modifi cation did not affect the size of the retouchers and attest only to the reorientation of tools during lithic processing. In the course of retouching, cross-sections of diagnostic traces in the active areas underwent signifi cant changes: whereas at the early stages they reveal "furrows" with V-shaped cross-sections, multiple blows against the processed lithic resulted in the deformation of the original form, which eventually resembled an upturned trapeze. The comparison of bone retouchers from several multicultural Middle Paleolithic complexes in Eurasia (Chagyrskaya and Denisova caves in the Altai, Kabazi V site in the Crimea, and Barakayevskaya Cave in the Caucasus) evidences similar proportions but considerable variation in size. Proportions, then, are an inherent functional characteristic of bone retouchers, which does not depend on either the cultural context or the raw material base.
When studying bone retouchers, researchers pay close attention to the morphological characteristics of the tool's active zone, and the lithic raw material processed. In our research, we found that the orientation of the bone retoucher in the hand and the grip employed to retain and manipulate it are crucial factors that affect the morphological characteristics of the retoucher's active zone. By examining two alternative grips for manipulating bone retouchers ((1) Using all the fingers of one hand in a power grip; (2) Using only the first three digits of one hand in a pinch grip), we found that when the retoucher is held in the first manner, the active area is larger, as is the amount of bone removed by the retoucher. When the retoucher was pinched with only three fingers in a precision grip, retouch damage was more densely concentrated and less bone was removed. The orientation of the retoucher in the hand and the grip employed have a greater influence on the active area than the extent of retoucher use, which we assessed by measuring the number of stone tool edges processed. By gripping the retoucher with all the fingers of one hand, the knapper automatically applies greater force, which results in the removal of more bone. Comparison of experimental bone retouchers with those recovered from Middle Paleolithic archaeological contexts in Cha-gyrskaya Cave (Altai, Russia) revealed that Altai Neanderthals practiced two methods of grasping bone retouchers, with a three-finger pinch grip being dominant.
Результаты исследования пещеры Страшной (Северо-Западный Алтай) в 2019 году: новые данные о стратиграфии стоянки В статье обсуждаются результаты полевых работ, проведенных в 2019 г. в пещере Страшной -одном из наиболее информативных объектов в изучении палеолита Алтая. Памятник расположен на юге Алтайского края, в долине р. Иня. Стоянка изучалась с 1969 г. несколькими группами исследователей; современный этап изучения был возобновлен в 2013 г. Памятник представляет собой многослойную стратифицированную стоянку, содержащую культурные отложения от среднего палеолита до Средневековья. В стратиграфическом разрезе пещеры выделяется 13 литологических подразделений. Слои 1, 2 относятся к периоду голоцена, остальные -к плейстоценовому времени; слои 11-13 стерильны в археологическом отношении. В последнем полевом сезоне исследовался стратиграфический контекст залегания среднепалеолитических комплексов пещеры в слоях 4-10. Для этого был зачищен и изучен стратиграфический разрез по линии «Е» в центральной части карстовой полости. Было составлено геологическое описание стратиграфических подразделений, а также отобраны образцы для основных литологических анализов. В составе разреза было выделено восемь слоев, содержащих археологический материал среднего палеолита, а также три стерильных в археологическом отношении слоя. Детальное изучение стратиграфии сопровождалось отбором образцов для датирования методом OSL. Проведенные исследования позволили составить единую схему осадконакопления в пещере, а также определить генезис основных стратиграфических подразделений. Литологические наблюдения, дополненные лабораторными исследованиями, позволят определить наименее потревоженные слои в пещере. OSL-датированием отобранных образцов возможно установить абсолютный возраст их формирования.
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