New evidences about human activities during the first part of the Upper Pleniglacial in Ukraine from zooarchaeological studies

Abstract

The Upper Pleniglacial, between 23 000–20 000 BP, is characterized by the intensification of cold climate and is followed by the maximum extent of ice sheets. There is a little bit information about the human activities during this period. New archaeological excavations in Ukraine permit to evidence data about behavioural human adaptations. These open air sites are on the one hand Pushkari 1 (excavation VII), Pogon (excavation VII) and Obollonia in the Desna valley and on the other hand Dorochivtsy III in the Dniester valley. These sites are characterised by atypical lithic industries made on local flint relied to the Gravettian but containing Epigravettian or Aurignacoid elements. In order to better understand the subsistence strategy we carried out zooarchaeological and taphonomical studies, which allow us to reveal the strategy of fauna exploitation by the human groups. We highlighted that all these sites are characterized by a restricted faunal spectrum with the presence of mammoth, reindeer, horse and carnivores (mainly fox [Vulpes vulpes and Alopex lagopus] and wolf). In the Dniester valley the reindeer was the most exploited, whereas the mammoth is the most exploited in the Desna valley. Indeed, it was probably hunt in Pushkari 1, maybe in Pogon and Obollonia. It was exploited as combustible, food resources and bones as raw material. In Dorochivtsy III/6 ivory was used to make tools and as artistic support. Indeed this site and Obollonia present grooved ivory points, this is the oldest occurrence of this kind of artefacts in the both regions. Moreover two engraved tusks presenting more or less figurative pictures were found in Dorochivtsy III/l.6 and Obollonia. The other large herbivores were also consumed and carnivores were exploited for their pelts in all these sites. The settlements are recurrent camps with little development occupied during varied seasons oriented to hunting and butchering activities linked with exploitation of local flint. These sites demonstrate the continuity of human occupations within the Eastern European plain, with the persistence of hunting methods and the relative diversity of animal exploitation, during the Upper Pleniglacial. These sites are really important for the understanding of cultural processes in the Eastern European Upper Palaeolithic, and particularly for the understanding of Epigravettian origin.