The Middle Palaeolithic Site of Buzdujeni in Moldova: Establishing the Archaeological and Environmental Record

Abstract

The work carried out at the site of Buzdujeni in 1993, and the subsequent study of the material, is described. The archaeological inventory, classified as a Denticulate Mousterian, is published in detail for the first time. Sedimentological, palynological and micro-morphological studies have permitted an evaluative reconstruction of the development of the environment through time. The human occupation of the site took place in periglacial conditions, which likely correspond to the last (Valdai) glacial period, though more exact dating of the site remains to be achieved.

L.B. Vishnyatsky and V.A. Burlacu. (2021). Buzdujeni 1: A multi-layered Middle Palaeolithic cave site in the basin of the river Pruth (in Russian, 256 pp, 120 figs, 19 tables, 3 appendices. St Petersburg: Nestor-Istoriya)

“…The inclusion of small numbers of arctic shrew (Sorex arcticus) and collared lemming (Dicrostonyx guilielmi) in layer 5 is taken as an indication that that layer was very cold. Layer 5 was apparently not sub-divided but these conditions correspond to layer 5b as published by Allsworth-Jones et al (2018b). Also identified in layer 5 (presumably 5a) were numbers of amphibians and reptiles, including 17 toads, six green lizards, and four vipers (Redkozubov 2006).…”

The past in dust: current trends and future directions in Pleistocene geoarcheology of European loess

“…However, in regions where loess‐mantles are no longer present, eolian sediments are also preserved in isolated areas such as fissures or caves (Kovács et al ., 2020). These features can often be important repositories of Paleolithic artifacts (Peresani et al ., 2008; Pope et al ., 2013; Allsworth‐Jones et al ., 2018a) and can assist in age and landscape correlations when absolute dating is not feasible (Krajcarz et al ., 2016a; Allsworth‐Jones et al ., 2018b). Where caves and rockshelters are abundant, they also inform interpretations of how hominins modulated their responses to open‐air sites (Madeyska, 2002; Delpiano et al ., 2019).…”