Mammoth ivory paleoart objects from the upper Paleolithic assemblage of Ust-Kova (eastern Siberia): A technological approach

Because of their inherent symbolic significance, personal ornaments gained a key role in the scientific debate regarding the emergence and evolution of symbolic behaviour; the presumed Acheulean beads discovered in the nineteenth century in northern Europe’s sites are considered crucial evidence of this. The fossils of the sponge Porosphaera globularis, because of their morphological characteristics, have been interpreted by some archaeologists as the starting point of this evolutionary path. In this work, the largest collection of Porosphaera globularis specimens is analysed, after remaining unpublished to this day. This was originally found in the French site of Saint-Acheul and preserved at the Civic Museums of Modena. An integrated analysis was carried out to understand whether these fossils were indeed used as beads; results revealed that they were actually not used as ornaments. This suggests the importance of finding strong arguments and evidence to support theories about the development of cognitive abilities in the genus Homo.

show abstract

A myth debunked. The Porosphaera globularis beads and their relation to the onset of symbolic thinking in prehistory

Berruti

Sigari

Zanasi³

et al. 2022

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Beyond 55° North latitude: Expanding the northern boundary of initial upper Paleolithic dispersal

Rybin,

Mescherin,

Klementiev

et al. 2023

Archaeological Research in Asia

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The first identification of composite paints with proteinaceous binder in Upper Palaeolithic (31–23 ka) organic decorations

Golovanova,

Kostina,

Doronichev

2024

Journal of Archaeological Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.

Contact Info

hi@scite.ai

10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614

Henderson, NV 89052, USA

Blog Terms and Conditions API Terms Privacy Policy Contact Cookie Preferences Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Made with 💙 for researchers

Part of the Research Solutions Family.

Mammoth ivory paleoart objects from the upper Paleolithic assemblage of Ust-Kova (eastern Siberia): A technological approach

Cited by 5 publications

References 10 publications

A myth debunked. The Porosphaera globularis beads and their relation to the onset of symbolic thinking in prehistory

A myth debunked. The Porosphaera globularis beads and their relation to the onset of symbolic thinking in prehistory

Beyond 55° North latitude: Expanding the northern boundary of initial upper Paleolithic dispersal

The first identification of composite paints with proteinaceous binder in Upper Palaeolithic (31–23 ka) organic decorations

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About