Bifacial scraper-knives in the Micoquian sites in the North-Western Caucasus: Typology, technology, and reduction

Golovanova, Liubov V.; Doronicheva, Ekaterina V.; Doronichev, Vladimir B.; Широбоков, Иван

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2015.12.069

Cited by 14 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…From the archaeological perspective, no technological breaks are documented in Micoquian 13,21 . However, Stajnia S5000 and Mezmaiskaya1, two oldest Neanderthal specimens associated with Micoquian, also have the smallest number of differences between their mtDNA genomes, and fall outside of the mtDNA variation observed in late Neanderthals found in Micoquian contexts (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…After MIS 4, a second population turnover occurred in the Caucasus where the Neanderthal fossil of Mezmaiskaya 2 (MIS 3) shares significantly more derived alleles with other late western Neanderthals than with the local group of Mezmaiskaya 1 (MIS 4) 19 . However, this replacement was not followed by a technological break because the Micoquian techno-complex persisted in the region from late MIS 5 to the final Middle Palaeolithic 20 , 21 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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New perspectives on Neanderthal dispersal and turnover from Stajnia Cave (Poland)

Picin

Hajdinjak

Nowaczewska

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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The Micoquian is the broadest and longest enduring cultural facies of the Late Middle Palaeolithic that spread across the periglacial and boreal environments of Europe between Eastern France, Poland, and Northern Caucasus. Here, we present new data from the archaeological record of Stajnia Cave (Poland) and the paleogenetic analysis of a Neanderthal molar S5000, found in a Micoquian context. Our results demonstrate that the mtDNA genome of Stajnia S5000 dates to MIS 5a making the tooth the oldest Neanderthal specimen from Central-Eastern Europe. Furthermore, S5000 mtDNA has the fewest number of differences to mtDNA of Mezmaiskaya 1 Neanderthal from Northern Caucasus, and is more distant from almost contemporaneous Neanderthals of Scladina and Hohlenstein-Stadel. This observation and the technological affinity between Poland and the Northern Caucasus could be the result of increased mobility of Neanderthals that changed their subsistence strategy for coping with the new low biomass environments and the increased foraging radius of gregarious animals. The Prut and Dniester rivers were probably used as the main corridors of dispersal. The persistence of the Micoquian techno-complex in South-Eastern Europe infers that this axis of mobility was also used at the beginning of MIS 3 when a Neanderthal population turnover occurred in the Northern Caucasus.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New perspectives on Neanderthal dispersal and turnover from Stajnia Cave (Poland)

Picin

Hajdinjak

Nowaczewska

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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“…A principal component analysis was performed on five attributes of each artifact, using the R package "vegan" (Oksanen et al 2016): (1) the length-width-index (LWI) or elongation, calculated from the maximum length divided by the maximum width, (2) the width of each tool relative to its thickness, expressing the flatness of the artifact (Bordes 1961; Debénath and Dibble 1994), (3 and 4) the minimum and maximum edge angle of the cutting edge measured with a goniometer up to a distance of 5 mm from the edge, and (5) the ratio of the retouched to non-retouched edge length to get a measure for the intensity and quantity of edge modifications for each piece. For the application of PCA on stone artifacts, see e.g., Weiss et al (2017), among others (e.g., Golovanova et al 2016;Scerri et al 2016).…”

Section: Attribute Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

The Variability of the Keilmesser-Concept: a Case Study from Central Germany

et al. 2018

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The bifacial Keilmesser is the type fossil of the late Middle Paleolithic Keilmessergruppen or Micoquian of central and eastern Europe. The tool is variable in shape but standardized regarding shaping sequences and morphological components. In this study we examine whether these components, a base and back opposite a sharp edge, are related only to bifacial tools or if they form a functional tool concept that was applied as well to simple edge retouched and to unifacially shaped flake tools. This study is based on a dataset of 29 3D-scanned artifacts from central Germany, for which the geographic origin, paleoenvironment, and chronological context are known in order to reduce variability introduced by these factors. With new luminescence dates, we can provide a chronological time frame for the collected and excavated artifacts to between 55 and 40 ka. We analyze variability caused by function, blank type, shaping, intensity of retouch, and typology, using 3D geometric morphometrics, Thickness Mapping, edge angle analysis, and multivariate principal component analysis based on conventional technological attributes and indices. We show that the unifacially shaped scrapers with a Keilmesser-like morphology can be classified as a unifacial variant of the bifacial Keilmesser. We interpret simple scrapers with a Keilmesser-like morphology as a special, simplistic variant of Keilmesser where the blank already fulfills the functional requirements of prehensile and active parts. With some caution related to sample size, an additional sample of Micoquian handaxes appears to be a related, but more symmetric tool concept in our data set.

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“…In the Greater Caucasus, at Mezmaiskaya Cave, Middle Palaeolithic (MP) industry is known by foliate and Micoquian artefacts [14][15][16]. This industry resembles the one recorded from Chagyrskaya Cave.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling Neanderthals’ dispersal routes from Caucasus towards east

et al. 2023

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The study of the cultural materials associated with the Neanderthal physical remains from the sites in the Caucasus, Central Asia and Siberian Altai and adjacent areas documents two distinct techno-complexes of Micoquian and Mousterian. These findings potentially outline two dispersal routes for the Neanderthals out of Europe. Using data on topography and Palaeoclimate, we generated computer-based least-cost-path modelling for the Neanderthal dispersal routes from Caucasus towards the east. In this regard, two dispersal routes have been identified: A northern route from Greater Caucasus associated with Micoquian techno-complex towards Siberian Altai and a southern route from Lesser Caucasus associated with Mousterian towards Siberian Altai via the Southern Caspian Corridor. Based on archaeological, bio- and physio-geographical data, our model hypothesises that during climatic deterioration phases (e.g. MIS 4) the connection between Greater and Lesser Caucasus was limited. This issue perhaps resulted in the separate development and spread of two cultural groups of Micoquian and Mousterian with an input from two different population sources of Neanderthal influxes: eastern and southern Europe refugia for these two northern and southern dispersal routes respectively. Of these two, we focus on the southern dispersal route, for it comprises a ‘rapid dispersal route’ towards east. The significant location of the Southern Caspian corridor between high mountains of Alborz and the Caspian Sea, provided a special biogeographical zone and a refugium. This exceptional physio-geographic condition brings forward the Southern Caspian corridor as a potential place of admixture of different hominin species including Neanderthals and homo sapiens.

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Bifacial scraper-knives in the Micoquian sites in the North-Western Caucasus: Typology, technology, and reduction

Cited by 14 publications

References 22 publications

New perspectives on Neanderthal dispersal and turnover from Stajnia Cave (Poland)

New perspectives on Neanderthal dispersal and turnover from Stajnia Cave (Poland)

The Variability of the Keilmesser-Concept: a Case Study from Central Germany

Modelling Neanderthals’ dispersal routes from Caucasus towards east

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