Personal ornaments as markers of social behavior, technological development and cultural phenomena in the Siberian early upper Paleolithic

Lbova, Lyudmila

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2020.05.035

Cited by 20 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The data we present herein adds a significant aspect to the symbolic sphere of the Caucasus Palaeolithic societies, furthering our knowledge of late Pleistocene humans in the region. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of ornaments, be they perforated shells, or bone and teeth beads/pendants [ 48 , 144 – 147 ]. It is now a given that understanding technological behaviors reflected in bone-implements and ornaments manufacture can greatly contribute to the study of the emergence and diffusion of Eurasian UP techno-cultural entities as well as their intra-actions and interactions, locally and globally [ 51 , 52 , 72 , 148 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New insights into the Upper Palaeolithic of the Caucasus through the study of personal ornaments. Teeth and bones pendants from Satsurblia and Dzudzuana caves (Imereti, Georgia)

et al. 2021

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The region of western Georgia (Imereti) in the Southern Caucasus has been a major geographic corridor for human migrations during the Middle and Upper Paleolithic. Data of recent research and excavations in this region display its importance as a possible route for the dispersal of anatomically modern humans (AMH) into northern Eurasia. Nevertheless, within the local research context, bone-working and personal ornaments have yet contributed but little to the Upper Palaeolithic (UP) regional sequence’s characterization. Here we present an archaeozoological, technological and use-wear study of pendants from two local UP assemblages, originating in the Dzudzuana Cave and Satsurblia Cave. The ornaments were made mostly of perforated teeth, though some specimens were made on bone. Both the manufacturing marks made during preparation and use-wear traces indicate that they were personal ornaments, used as pendants or attached to garments. Detailed comparison between ornament assemblages from northern and southern Caucasus reveal that they are quite similar, supporting the observation of cultural bonds between the two regions, demonstrated previously through lithic techno-typological affinities. Furthermore, our study highlights the importance attributed to red deer (Cervus elaphus) by the UP societies of the Caucasus in sharing aesthetic values and/or a symbolic sphere.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New insights into the Upper Palaeolithic of the Caucasus through the study of personal ornaments. Teeth and bones pendants from Satsurblia and Dzudzuana caves (Imereti, Georgia)

et al. 2021

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“…These first appear in Transbaikalia ca. 42-45 ka (Buvit et al 2015;Graf and Buvit 2017;Lbova 2019), and ca. 40-42 ka in the Tolbor Valley of northern Mongolia (Gladyshev et al 2010(Gladyshev et al , 2012Zwyns et al 2014aZwyns et al , 2014b.…”

Section: The Palaeolithic Recordmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…40-42 ka in the Tolbor Valley of northern Mongolia (Gladyshev et al 2010(Gladyshev et al , 2012Zwyns et al 2014aZwyns et al , 2014b. The ornaments from Upper Cave are most like those from Denisova, and both assemblages include perforated canine teeth of various types of deer and small carnivores, round beads, bone pendants, and perforated shells, none of which are found in south China but are widespread across Mongolia and southern Siberia (see Rybin, 2014;Lbova, 2019).…”

Section: The Palaeolithic Recordmentioning

confidence: 99%

A demographic history of Late Pleistocene China

Dennell

Martinón‐Torres

Castro

et al. 2020

Quaternary International

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This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

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“…Therefore, the most parsimonious interpretation for the presence of the single occurrence of a perforated red deer in the Ordos Plateau relates to social contacts and exchanges over long-distances. The origin of the tooth is perhaps to be found in Caucasus, Southern Siberia or Northeast Asia where similar items are found in the symbolic systems of hunter-gatherers living in these areas since the onset of the Upper Paleolithic (Derevianko and Rybin, 2003;Pitulko et al, 2012;Shunkov et al, 2020;Lbova, 2021;. Such contacts may have also favored the diffusion of microblade technology in Northern China (Keates, 2007;Kuzmin, 2007;Bae, 2010;Elston and Brantingham, 2002;Yi et al, 2016;Wang, 2018;Yue et al, 2021;Zhao et al, 2021) and participated in the intensification of the gene flow between Asian and Siberian populations during this critical period (Yang and Fu, 2018;Sikora et al, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Upper Paleolithic Perforated Red Deer Canine With Geometric Engravings From QG10, Ningxia, Northwest China

et al. 2022

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Personal ornaments are key archaeological remains to investigate prehistoric symbolic systems, and, whenever hard animal remains were used for their manufacture, explore topics on the status attributed to faunal resources by past human groups. Since the onset of the Upper Paleolithic, animal tooth pendants have been widely used in Eurasia as personal adornments or grave goods. However, only two Late Paleolithic Chinese sites have yielded such adornment types until today, i.e., Zhoukoudian Upper Cave, near Beijing, and Xiaogushan, in the Liaoning Province. Here, we present results from the multidisciplinary analysis of a perforated animal tooth from QG10, a multi-stratified archaeological site located on the Ordos Plateau between the arid and sub-arid belts of Northwest China. Although only partially preserved, zooarchaeological analysis indicates the tooth is a right upper canine of a female red deer (Cervus elaphus). Scraping marks on the labial aspect suggest the tooth was extracted from the animal maxillary shortly after its death. Technological analysis of the perforation confirms it was made by rotation with the help of a lithic point hafted onto a drill. The root and occlusal aspect of the tooth were further modified with five sets of notches and incisions, including four incisions making a hashtag pattern on the occlusal aspect. Technological and morphometric analyses indicate these sets were made by two, perhaps three, individual, i.e., one left-handed and one, perhaps two right-handed, with different tools and techniques. Use wear analysis suggests that the adornment was affixed to the body with the tooth crown facing upward. Finally, chemical characterization of red and black residues still adhering to the root indicates that hematite and charcoal may have been used in the production of an adhesive that would have helped stabilize the personal ornament on the body. Collectively, our results and interpretations shed a new light on the complexity of Late Glacial symbolic system carried by populations living in Northern China. We argue this perforated red deer tooth was introduced in the site following a number of social exchanges over long distance and a long period of time rather than produced in situ.

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Personal ornaments as markers of social behavior, technological development and cultural phenomena in the Siberian early upper Paleolithic

Cited by 20 publications

References 26 publications

New insights into the Upper Palaeolithic of the Caucasus through the study of personal ornaments. Teeth and bones pendants from Satsurblia and Dzudzuana caves (Imereti, Georgia)

New insights into the Upper Palaeolithic of the Caucasus through the study of personal ornaments. Teeth and bones pendants from Satsurblia and Dzudzuana caves (Imereti, Georgia)

A demographic history of Late Pleistocene China

An Upper Paleolithic Perforated Red Deer Canine With Geometric Engravings From QG10, Ningxia, Northwest China

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