Hearths and hearth structures of the Pushkari I Upper Paleolithic settlement

Abstract

At the Pushkari I Upper Paleolithic settlement three settlement complexes with dwellings, activity areas, and hearths have been excavated. All eight hearth of the Pushkari I site located in different parts of the cultural horizon are however territorially close to each other and identical as to their geological and cultural attribution. A comparative analysis of the hearths was aimed on reconstruction of ways of their construction and using. The study was based on a simple indication of the location of hearths found on three part of the settlement (Excavations II, V and VII) —outside and inside dwellings. As a result of the study, three groups of hearth structures, which were used in different ways, were identified. The most important feature of the “outdoor” hearths is numerous pits and depressions at their base. Investigating their shape, carbonaceous bone remains, and ethnogra- phic examples, we concluded that the large outdoor hearths were used as cooking areas. Meat could be fried on bones inserted vertically into the hearths. In some cases the hearths could be the centers of working activity areas (Excavation V). The hearths inside the dwellings were small in size and were surrounded by a number of specially working activity areas. These hearths were primarily used for dwelling heating (Excavations II and V). They could also carry some economic functions. The hearth inside the dwelling (Excavation VII) has all the characteristics of an external “kitchen” hearth, but also it had a secondary carbonaceous filling brought from outside. Such a hearth structure could be a heating and kitchen object in a special-purpose dwelling.