New Data on Bone Processing Methods in the Late Mesolithic of the Russian Federationn Plain (based on materials from the wetland Site Zamostje 2): methodological aspects of experimental traceological analysis

Abstract

This study is aimed to discover evolution peculiarities of bone processing techniques in the Late Mesolithic period (2nd half of VII mill. BC – beginning of VI mill. BC) based on the wetland multilayer site Zamostje 2, a reference settlement for Eastern Europe. The wellpreserved surface of organic artefacts enables authors to run an experimental traceological analysis with focus on traces of processing and use at various observation levels, which made it possible to reconstruct technical methods, general production features and specific types of work performed with ancient tools. The advantage of this study is that the results of the analysis and theoretical conclusions can be validated and verified using the same site’s materials. As a foundation for the interpretation of traces observed on the surface of bone artefacts and stone tools used in bone processing, the authors used reference traces obtained during specially conducted experiments. In the methodological context, the authors attempted to distinguish diagnostic features at the micro- and macroscopic levels of traces of bone processing in its various states (freshly frozen, freshly boiled, dry) confirmed by the description and visual data. Following the analysis, the authors succeeded in identifying parallels in the archaeological material as well as reconstructing some characteristic types of work and the context of their execution.