Abstract
Most of the Paleolithic art and ornaments discovered in Romania come from the site of Poiana Cireșului. Four Paleolithic layers have been studied at this site—the oldest one belongs to the Early Gravettian period between 30 ka and 31 ka BP. The ornaments discovered in this layer include perforated shells from three species of mollusks: freshwater Lithoglyphus naticoide and Lithoglyphus apertus as well as Homalopoma sanguineum (an exclusively Mediterranean species). Poiana Cireșului is one of the very few Gravettian sites where perforated Homalopoma sanguineum shells were found, and the importance of this discovery is stressed even more by the very long distance between the site and the nearest source located over 900 km away. This find suggests the connection of communities here with the Mediterranean area as well as a possible movement of populations from the south of the continent to the east of the Carpathians with significant implications in understanding human group mobility and the origin of the Early Gravettian in this area. Furthermore, Poiana Cireșului is the only Gravettian settlement where Lithoglyphus naticoides shells were used. The unique association of perforated shells—not found in any other Gravettian settlement—contributes to the identity of the Paleolithic community of Poiana Cireșului through their ornaments.
Highlights
Gravettian settlements are concentrated in two areas in Eastern Europe: The Russian Plain, the Kostenki-Borchevo region, and east of the Carpathians along the valleys of the Bistriţa, Prut and Dniester rivers
The shells found at Poiana Cireşului have the following malacological features: Lithoglyphus naticoides is a gastropod with an oval shell and an irregularly striated fine surface
Unlike some species of marine gastropods, like Tritia sp., Homalopoma sanguineum has never been mentioned in the Black Sea
Summary
Gravettian settlements are concentrated in two areas in Eastern Europe: The Russian Plain, the Kostenki-Borchevo region, and east of the Carpathians along the valleys of the Bistriţa, Prut and Dniester rivers. The origin and diffusion of the Gravettian remain under debate [1, 2] alongside the issues of unity or diversity within this culture [3, 4, 5]. Whether characterized by reference to the evolutionary stages of the Central and Eastern European Gravettian [6, 7, 8] or included in a local culture called the Molodovian [9], the analysis of settlements to the east of the Carpathians has not yet provided a coherent picture of the cultural dynamics of the Gravettian in this area. Lithoglyphus collection and LXIX 49279-49286 for the Homalopoma sanguineum collection
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