Chronostratigraphy of Jerzmanowician. New data from Koziarnia Cave, Poland

Abstract

Lincombian-Ranisian-Jerzmanowician (LRJ) sites are sparse, and Koziarnia Cave in Poland is one of only few such sites situated at the eastern fringe of LRJ. The aim of the recent study was to obtain new chronostratigraphic data for the LRJ industries due to their extreme scarcity in Central Europe. Although the new fieldworks did not bring new fossil directeur such as bifacial leafpoints, a detail debitage analysis enabled identifying a presence of the ventral thinning chips in layer D, which could be identified as the LRJ assemblage-containing stratum. Besides the LRJ assemblage, strata with traces of Late Middle Palaeolithic and Early Gravettian occupation were found at the site. The radiocarbon dates of Koziarnia samples show that the archaeological settlement represent one of the oldest Gravettian stays north to Carpathians. What is more, these dates demonstrate that the cave had been alternately occupied by humans and cave bears. Additionally the radiocarbon dates indicate rather young chronology of the Jerzmanowician occupation in Koziarnia Cave (c.a. 39-36 ky cal. BP). The results confirm the possibility of long chronology of the LRJ technocomplex, exceeding the Campanian Ignimbrite event.

Lincombian-Ranisian-Jerzmanowician Industry and South Moravian Sites: a Homo sapiens Late Initial Upper Paleolithic with Bohunician Industrial Generic Roots in Europe

“…83–85, 88–90; Krajcarz et al, 2018 , pp. 396–398; Kot et al, 2021 ). For the purposes of this article, it is most important to understand the initial appearance LRJ and its correlation with GI-11–GI-9 (c. 43–40 ka cal BP) and possibly even with GS-12.…”

“…Unfortunately, cave bear “ bones with signs of human activity ( cut marks ) were not accessible for this study ” (Krajcarz et al, 2018 , p. 396). Another study for Koziarnia Cave (Kot et al, 2021 : Tables 1 –3) underlined some more problems. They conclude that “ U-series dating is probably unreliable at this site ” (Kot et al, 2021 , p. 6) due to the presence of two U-series dates on ursid teeth around 25–24 ka BP, one of which, sample B 200 (a cave bear tooth) from the late MP layer I/17, was also AMS radiocarbon dated to 40,600 ± 1200 uncal BP (Poz-116687).…”

“…Another study for Koziarnia Cave (Kot et al, 2021 : Tables 1 –3) underlined some more problems. They conclude that “ U-series dating is probably unreliable at this site ” (Kot et al, 2021 , p. 6) due to the presence of two U-series dates on ursid teeth around 25–24 ka BP, one of which, sample B 200 (a cave bear tooth) from the late MP layer I/17, was also AMS radiocarbon dated to 40,600 ± 1200 uncal BP (Poz-116687). They state that “ Koziarnia Cave indeed was alternately occupied by humans and bears ” (Kot et al, 2021 , p. 1), concluding that a considerable amount of material admixture could have occurred within the sediments.…”

“…299, 305; Flas, 2011 , p. 608). Moreover, the recently established chronology for the Koziarnia Cave late MP—mid UP sedimentary sequence shows Gravettian occupations dated to around c. 35–31 ka cal BP (Kot et al, 2021 ). It is indeed reasonable not to believe that the LRJ was produced after c. 36 ka cal BP (after GS-8/GI-8) and that it is not associated with the Gravettian techno-complex in any respect.…”

Tracing ephemeral human occupation through archaeological, palaeoenvironmental and molecular proxies at Łabajowa Cave

“…The Jerzmanowician comprises the easternmost part of the Lincombian-Ranisian-Jerzmanowician (LRJ) complex, one of the Middle/Upper Palaeolithic transitional industries, represented by only a few cave sites in Poland (Kot et al 2021). Several of them (i.e.…”