Red deer antler technology and early modern humans in Southeast Europe: an experimental study

Assessing bone and antler exploitation at Riparo Mochi (Balzi Rossi, Italy): implications for the characterization of the Aurignacian in South-western Europe

“…4). The plane of the notching is abrupt providing evidence for rough, expeditious work that matches with data coming from other European Aurignacian sites (Tejero, 2013;Tejero et al, 2012) such as El Castillo level Delta of Obermaier excavations.…”

“…One entire blank was recovered along with four blank fragments. This artefact is a "baguette" type blank, its features obtained by longitudinal splitting of antler beams, that is the only debitage procedure currently known for the Aurignacian (Tejero, 2010(Tejero, , 2013Tejero et al, 2012). These features are characterized by: a sub-rectangular morphology, straight lateral fracture planes, and a proximal tongue fracture plane (fracture en langüette which is a result of the final extraction by flexion).…”

“…Few wastes are generated by longitudinal splitting debitage of an antler because this is a procedure that maximizes antler exploitation (Tejero et al, 2012). Waste often consist of tines and points removed when preparing the antler segments, assuming they have not been transformed into intermediate pieces or handles.…”

Informative Potential of Multiscale Observations in Archaeological Biominerals Down to Nanoscale

“…The hard animal materials, above all osseous materials, were used to produce different kinds of equipment for "artistic" purposes such as statuettes and body ornaments as well for hunting such as projectile points. The different kinds of objects, their production techniques, functions and use are directly dependent on the specific morphological and mechanical properties of the different hard biological materials (Christensen 2004;Tejero et al 2012;Christensen and Tejero 2015). The understanding and interpretation of these osseous objects therefore necessarily passes through the analyses of macro-, micro-and nanoscopic features of the used raw material in relation to the investigation of their mechanical properties to check the adequacy of the relationship between structure, function and use.…”

“…The use of biominerals to produce ornaments is a distinctive human behavior that emerges in Europe in the early Upper Palaeolithic (Mellars 1989a, b;White 1995White , 2006Taborin 2004;Vanhaeren et al 2006;Stiner et al 2013;Christensen 2004;Christensen and Tejero 2015;Tejero et al 2012). The exact identification of the raw material used for the manufacture of ancient objects, especially for prehistoric periods, is the basis to get insights into archaeological key questions as availability and circulation of materials, technological capabilities of man in ancient societies, as well as symbolic meanings of the objects.…”