From stone flaking to grinding: Three original Pavlovian antler tools from Moravia (Pavlov I, Czech Republic)

Abstract

This paper is devoted to the detailed study of three unusual objects discovered in a Pavlovian context (27,500–25,000 BP) at the eponymous site (Pavlov I) which is a large open-air occupation in southern Moravia, and where a large number of spectacular bone tools were recovered. Although stone flaking is a well-known and common activity for the Palaeolithic human groups, antler billets related to this activity are still very rare. Any new discoveries in this domain thus deserve precise documentation. The soft hammer presented here is especially interesting because it is a rare case of a complete billet, well preserved, and it is also the first example which can be related to a left-handed person. The two other antler tools analyzed here appear to have been associated with activities that are poorly known in association with bone tools, such as the grinding/crushing of vegetal and mineral materials (fibers, colorants, etc.). Although such massive tools made from mammoth tusks are already known during the Upper Palaeolithic (but still poorly documented), the existence of such tools made of antler is exceptionally mentioned. This paper presents a description of their manufacturing chaîne opératoire and their specific functional usewear. The objective of this study is primarily methodological, to contribute to a better technical and functional characterization of these special antler tools. These data will also be compared with the remainder of the material culture in order to discuss the interaction between the exploitation of stone and organic resources, and the activities that took place at Pavlov I.