Epigravettian Site Research Articles

Core Reduction Methods of Mizyn Industry of Epigravettian Techno-Complex

Mizyn is one of the main sites of the Epigravettian techno-complex of the Middle Dnipro Basin. One of the modern approaches to the study of the material culture of Upper Palaeolithic societies is the study of technological features of flintknapping. The purpose of this study is to determine the core reduction strategy of the Mizyn site in particular and the Mizyn industry in general. To achieve this goal, an attributional analysis of the artefacts from the lithic assemblage of excavation area no. 1 of the Mizyn site was carried out. Fragments of raw material, core-like pieces, and lamellar pieces have been analysed. This paper focuses on the study of the assemblage of core-like pieces, taking into account the imperfections of the 70-year-old field research methodology. The main outcome of this study was the elucidation of discrete core reduction strategies of the Mizyn site. Rounded raw material played a greater role in the production of blades from narrow flaking surface cores and sub-cylindrical cores (fig. 4). Narrow flaking surface cores (fig. 6) made from plate-like raw materials were used to produce blades and micro-blades. Blades were necessary blanks for making a “home” set of tools. Bladelets and micro-blades were used for hunting equipment. Both strategies are characterised by unidirectional splitting and the use of the hard hammer-stone. Crested and débordante lamellar pieces were required to maintain the convexity of the core’s flaking surface. The overhang trimming method was also used, most commonly for bladelets and micro-blade cores. The main reason for core discard was the occurrence of hinge fractures on the flaking surface, which were repaired by using an opposite striking platform. The same features of the lithic assemblage are found at the Barmaky site. As a result, discrete strategies of the core reduction are a typical feature for the Mizyn industry. As Barmaky and Mizyn are the oldest Epigravettian sites in the Middle Dnipro basin, this feature can be explained by a chronological factor. However, the choice of a strategy can also be explained by the regional characteristics of the landscape and the adaptation of the primary inhabitants to them.

Regional insights into Upper Palaeolithic territorial strategies and the factors of habitat choice in the territory of the Hungarian Central Mountains

The investigation into regional occurrence patterns contributes to a deeper understanding of Palaeolithic habitat exploitation. To explore this, geological, spatial, and environmental factors influencing the distribution of Upper Palaeolithic archaeological sites are studied in the Hungarian Central Mountains, focusing on Szeletian, Aurignacian, Gravettian, and Epigravettian cultures. The study employs a combination of spatial, statistical, classification analyses, and decision tests, including Kernel Density Estimation, Voronoi tessellation, the Dunn-Bonferroni test, Principal Component and Coordinate Analyses, Linear Discriminant Analysis, Random Forest Analysis, to examine the reasons behind the spatial distributions of archaeological sites by cultures. It was found that Szeletians inhabited higher elevation regions in the North Hungarian Mountains than Aurignacians. Voronoi tessellation shows that Gravettian and Epigravettian cultures exhibit a broader spread, with concentrations around the Danube Bend and southern foothills of the Mátra Mountains. Raw material distributions revealed that Szeletian sites are the closest to siliceous raw materials, while Aurignacian sites are the farthest. Principal component analysis reveals moderate separation in habitat selection and indicates that Aurignacians inhabited relatively warmer, less precipitous regions than Szeletians. Linear Discriminant Analysis indicates somewhat overlapping paleoenvironmental conditions in the case of Szeletian and Aurignacian sites; however, it shows the complete separation between Aurignacian and Gravettian sites. Random Forest Analysis results indicate that key separator factors between Szeletian and Aurignacian sites included topographical roughness, while daily energy expenditure and the mean temperature of the coldest quarter played the most crucial roles in separating Aurignacian and Gravettian, as well as Gravettian and Epigravettian sites.

Techno-economy of lithic raw materials in Piedmont (north-western Italy): A first life-like scenario

Data about Palaeolithic peopling, settlement dynamics and techno-economy of the south-western margin of the Alpine region are sketchy. In this area, the lack of systematic research and the scarcity of lithic raw materials, spread the idea that Piedmont was not inhabited during Palaeolithic. In 2009, the re-starting of the excavations at the Ciota Ciara cave, gave rise to new questions and to the development of research projects at a regional scale.
 The Ciota Ciara cave is the only Middle Palaeolithic site object of multidisciplinary and systematic investigations. Its lithic assemblage, analysed through a techno-economic approach, allows to understand in detail the technological choices and the land mobility of the Neanderthal groups on a local and sub-regional scale. Other Middle Palaeolithic assemblages are known in the region and are all issued from surface collections. They come from the northern part of the region, from Vaude Canavesane, Trino, Baragge biellesi and Colline Novaresi. The technological study of these assemblages led to the identification of strong similarities in the technological choices of the Middle Palaeolithic human groups: they based their technology on the exploitation of vein quartz, a rock diffused all over the regional territory, from time to time accompanied by other local (spongolite, rhyolite, metamorphic rocks, jasper) and allochthonous (radiolarite and flint) lithic resources, with technological adaptation to their quality and mechanical properties both when it comes to predetermined methods (Levallois and discoid) and when expedient reduction sequences are used. Concerning Upper Palaeolithic, the only lithic assemblage issued from an archaeological excavation (and therefore with a clear stratigraphic context) is that from the Epigravettian site of Castelletto Ticino. Other lithic artefacts referable on a techno-typological basis to Upper Palaeolithic are from Trino and Colline Novaresi. As for Middle Palaeolithic, the techno-economic approach used in the analysis of these lithic assemblages, allow to have, for the first time, reliable data at a regional scale.
 In this work we present the data obtained after about ten years of research in Piedmont: they outline a scenario where, even in the limits of analysis mostly based on materials issued from surface collections, we can see both clear differences between the Middle and the Upper Palaeolithic technological behaviours and hypothesise the land mobility of the hunter-gatherers’ groups that inhabited the region.

The Epigravettian Site of Yudinovo, Russia: Mammoth Bone Structures as Ritualised Middens

ABSTRACT We present here the results of a study of woolly mammoth remains from Yudinovo (Bryansk oblast, Russia) and argue for a revised interpretation of Late Upper Palaeolithic mammoth bone structures in Eastern Europe. Five distinct mammoth bone accumulations have been identified in the main (lower) archaeological layer of Yudinovo, dated to ca. 14.9–14.5 14C kya BP (ca. 18.2–17.6 kya cal BP). Taphonomic and zooarchaeological analyses have shown that the mammoth remains found at Yudinovo derive from the butchery of animal carcasses, supporting the hypothesis of mammoth hunting during the Upper Palaeolithic. Our analyses indicate that hunting of both adult and young mammoths took place. Yudinovo was occupied at intervals during both the cold and warm periods of the year, and evidence for various activities is found at the site. The most recently excavated mammoth bone structure was built from a large number of bones, and had a circular or oval form, 4–9.5 m in diameter. The mammoth bone structures have traditionally been interpreted as the remains of dwellings, but we interpret them instead as ritualised middens. Such middens were probably an important part of the socio-symbolic systems of the Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers who built them.

The Epigravettian chronology and the human population of eastern Central Europe during MIS2

The goal of this paper is to refine the relative and absolute chronology of Epigravettian culture (26.5–15.0 ka) in eastern Central Europe (ECE) and clarify its relation to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and subsequent climatic changes. Epigravettian sites were sorted into three chronological clusters: initial LGM (ILGM) (26.5–24.0 ka), local LGM (LLGM) (24.0–20.0 ka), and post-LGM (PLGM) (20.0–14.7 ka). We obtained new radiocarbon dates from previously dated and undated sites, then analysed the lithic tool typology and faunal data to seek correlations between age and archaeological features.The lithic typology study did not find differences between ILGM and LLGM sites, but the tool type variance between LLGM and PLGM was significant, applicable for relative chronology. ILGM and LLGM lithic assemblages were characterized by domestic tool dominance and the frequent use of flake tools. PLGM assemblages were correlated with armature dominance and blade/let tools. Among the armatures, backed point variants characterized the PLGM sites compared to the ILGM and LLGM. The sole ILGM lithic armature was the retouched blade/let point. The LLGM also possessed this type and often included backed blade/lets.ILGM faunal data, although few, implied the hunting of mammoth and reindeer. The LLGM data represented recurring hunting of reindeer and horse, and PLGM data indicated the hunting of horse, reindeer, and mammoth.Our results suggested that the territory of Poland was deserted by humans in the LLGM. Moravia and Lower Austria was inhabited until the first half of the LLGM, while the Carpathian Basin was all along the ILGM. The preference for the Carpathian Basin could have been the milder climate, the abundance of fauna, and permanent access to tree vegetation. After the LGM the glacial flora and fauna gradually disappeared, leading to a reduced human presence in southern ECE. Thus, the disappearance of the Epigravettian culture and Pleistocene hunter-gatherer occupations are linked to the amelioration of climate that resulted in the disappearance of the Pleistocene environment.

Remains of large mammals from the Epigravettian site of Yudinovo

The Epigravettian site of Yudinovo (Bryansk oblast, Russia) was discovered in 1930 by K.M. Polikarpovich. It is located in the Sudost’ river valley and has a unique stratigraphy. This article presents the results of the study of the remains of large mammals from Yudinovo and also discusses their significance in revising the former interpretation of the existence of the site during the very end of the final part of the Late Pleistocene. In total, 38 268 mammalian bones were identified from cultural layers excavated between 1947–2019. The faunal assemblage is relatively small with a dominance of woolly mammoth and arctic fox, typical of a cold and dry tundra-steppe environment. We undertook stable isotopic tracking from samples of bones. Our analyses confirm the hunting of both adult and juvenile larger mammals by ancient humans. Based on the eruption sequence and wear of the milk teeth from young animals, we were able to clarify the season of their death. It seems that these individuals were hunted during the late spring or early autumn. Traces of gnawing by dogs were recorded on a few bones. We also present in this article the results of the study of so-called “dwellings”, constructed by stacking up body parts and bones that were extracted from carcasses of freshly killed mammoths. We interpret these structures as middens representing the remains of ritually deposited hunted game. It can be assumed that these “dwellings” were probably an important part of the socio-symbolic system of the peoples, who created them.

Chert exploitation and circulation in eastern Lombardy (Northern Italy): a diachronic overview through prehistory

This work focuses on the Eastern Lombardy Prealps (central Southern Alps), including the Brescia and Bergamo provinces. Knappable lithic raw materials are represented by cherts and radiolarites which are quite common in the Jurassic-Cretaceous sedimentary series. Tectonics played an important role for the preservation of good chert outcrops. Several prehistoric sites are located not far away from the primary lithic sources; in particular we have identified three main areas with good outcrops. South-north mobility along the main valleys is highlighted by the raw materials displacements from the outcrops, situated at the mouth of the valleys, to the north. The Palaeolithic record of the area is very poor. Mousterian sites are generally located near the outcrops. An Epigravettian site is situated far away from the primary sources in the mid-mountain easily accessible by valley routes. A greater mobility is documented in the Mesolithic when also extra-regional cherts (western Trentino) were introduced in the sites. In the Brescia district, starting from the Neolithic and during the Copper age, we observe an increase in the import of very good chert types from the Baldo/Lessini area for specific purposes together with the exploitation of the local resources for domestic use.

Кременеобробний комплекс четвертого житла Межиріцького верхньопалеолітичного поселення

In order to determine the degree of relatedness of archaeological sites, it is important to study lithic assemblages originated from relatively closed archaeological objects and which can serve as a reference for a comparative analysis of several industries. This article analyses a separate archaeological object - a flint Workshop 1 - against the background of the overall structure of the lithic assemblage of the fourth household unit. The Workshop 1 was discovered during the excavations of the fourth dwelling of the Mezhyrich epigravettian site in 2018-2020. The history of the study of this dwelling and lithic assemblage of the fourth unit, the conditions of detection and the context of the Workshop 1 location, the typological-statistical and technological features of the flint artifacts, obtained as a result of the latest excavations of the fourth dwelling filling, are given. Analysis of the distribution of finds together with stratigraphic observations allow us to assert at least two living surfaces into the dwelling. Planigraphic features of the trench studied in dwelling demonstrate the functional specialization of different parts of the interior space. The study revealed two different areas on both sides of the central part with the remains of the hearth. Cultural remains in the south-western part testify to fur and leather processing operations here, while in the north-eastern part of the trench there is clear evidence of flint knapping operations and the manufacture of tools, which in turn related to leather processing. Data on the spatial distribution of flint products in other dwellings of the Mezhyrich settlement reveal common features in the organization of living space. Such peculiarities of the behaviour of the prehistoric inhabitants require the search for more distant analogies on the mezhyrichian industry sites and among the Upper Palaeolithic population of Eastern Europe in general. Keywords: Upper Palaeolithic, Epigravettian, household unit, workshop, lithic technology.

TOOLS WITH SECONDARY TREATMENT OF THE LATE PALEOLITHIC SITE NEAR THE KAMYANKA VILLAGE

The tools with secondary treatment from collection of the Late Paleolithic site near the Kamyanka village of Izum district in Kharkiv region are published in the paper. The collection of 8356 flint artifacts comes from the excavated area of 225 m2. The group of the tools with secondary treatment is not large — it consists of 88 items (1.05 %), typical for sites located near flint raw material outputs, where primary treatment took place directly in the dwelling area. From 27 burins 16 are straight burins, 5 are angle burins, 5 are truncation burins, a flat-faceted burin, a many-faceted burin and a double burin. As a preform, the flakes, blades, massive flakes and residual cores were used. There are 12 end-scrapers and scrapers; end-scrapers on flakes and blades prevail. The tools with notches are represented by 9 exemplars. Working elements of the piercing tools (4 exemplars) are formed by several splits on the flakes; in one case the tool is combined with middle burin. 11 flakes and blades have retouched areas. Microblades with truncated edge are represented by 16 exemplars. Notched backed points (whole one and 2 fragments) have no analogs in collections of the sites of allied territories. A high trapeze on a wrong-shape blade, a massive blade with an angle unit pointed out by retouch, a chisel-like item, a disk-shaped tool with retouched area are represented in one exemplar for now.
 Generally the tools set is typical for Epigravettian sites, though the presence of notched backed points in it raises a range of questions which can be answered on during the further research.

The Epigravettian of Central Russian Plain

The article is devoted to the problems of definition, classification and genesis of the Epigravettian in the Central regions of the East European plain. It is concluded that Epigravettian sites could be characterized as industrially variable and multicultural. Epigravettian should be considered as a polygenetic phenomenon characterized by a cultural mosaic peculiar to specific geographical regions. In relation to the territory of the Desna and the Middle Dnieper Basin, we can assume a direct continuity between the local Gravettian and Epigravettian traditions, despite changes in technology and typology of stone and bone tools, as well as the style in the design of portable art objects.

First evidence of Pleistocene ochre production from bacteriogenic iron oxides. A case study of the Upper Palaeolithic site at the San Teodoro Cave (Sicily, Italy)

The use of iron pigments is well documented in the archaeological horizons of the different parts of the world since the Middle Pleistocene. The mineralogical and chemical composition of the pigments allowed defining, in most cases, their inorganic origin, which were then used after a limited transformation and manipulation. The use of a biogenic ochraceous pigment and its manipulation has recently been described in a late Holocene archaeological horizon of the American continent.Here we describe the earliest case of archaeological use of ferrous pigment produced by iron-oxidising bacteria (FeOB), the first identified in a European Epigravettian (late Upper Palaeolithic) layer, at the San Teodoro site in Sicily, Italy. Samples of the ochraceous archaeological deposit, overlying a large burial site, were analysed according to current methods of physical analysis and SEM highlighting a matrix of bacterial structures and a chemical composition coherent with biogenic productions. The physical-chemical analysis of the archaeological material from the Palaeolithic site, and of the modern bacteriogenic iron sediments from two close springs gave consistent results even after heat treatment. In absence of Terra Rossa or other easily available inorganic ferrous materials in the hinterland of their site, the hunter-gatherers identified several possible water sources rich of pigment used for covering a multiple burial.The implications of these results influence interpretations of the ecology of the late-glacial and Epigravettian sites in Europe, especially in relation to problems such as the increasing complexity of behaviours, the need to establish rituals and the search for materials.

Zöld Cave and the Late Epigravettian in Eastern Central Europe

Zöld Cave is a recently discovered Late Epigravettian site in Hungary. It yielded a small archaeological collection dated to 17.0–14.9 ka cal BP. The findings consists of faunal remains of horse and reindeer bearing extensive marks of human activity, and lithic artifacts of hunting armature types, including curved backed points, backed truncated bladelets, and backed bladelet, typical for a Late Epigravettian tool inventory. The archeozoological results indicate the cave was used as a hunting–butchering site. The Late Epigravettian archaeological record of eastern Central Europe suggests that this human population of hunter-gatherers practiced a residentially mobile subsistence strategy. Our results indicate that the Late Epigravettian population of eastern Central Europe did not disappear without descendants but likely contributed to the formation of the Federmesser culture.

On the edge of eastern and western culture zones in the early Late Pleistocene. Święte 9 – A new epigravettian site in the south-east of Poland

The paper presents the results of the newly discovered Epigravettian site situated in the San river valley in the Carpathian foreland close to the Przemyśl Gate – sub- and cross-mountain route. The site lies at the edge of that culture's post-LGM re-settlement of that area. It is a unique remnant documenting the presence of an Epigravettian Culture community in areas at the very same time occupied by Magdalenian Culture people. The geological multiproxy record allows for the reconstruction of a loess plateau with an open landscape, with marked presence of trees, plus a short episode of more favourable climatic conditions following shortly after Heinrich event 1. At that time, a group of Epigravettian hunters established a short term camp close to the edge of the loess terrace on the left San River bank.

Epigravettian in Eastern Bohemia

Until recently the Epigravettian occupation of Bohemia has remained relatively unknown. After re-evaluating an old assemblage from Ostroměř (first published by S. Vencl like the Ostroměř group of Late Palaeolithic) we can assign it to the Epigravettian cultural complex. A newly excavated site in Slatinky near Jičín probably dates to the Late Epigravettian, but only the specialised part of the site related to the production of microblades was excavated. Eastern Bohemian sites fit into the general form and framework of the Epigravettian stone industries with a dominance of short scrapers (often on flake) and a lower incidence of burins. Geographically, sites can be placed mainly in lower altitudes (256–400 m asl), while their number decreases with increasing altitude. There is no link to large watercourses, and on the contrary, the main ones seem to be rather smaller watercourses (sites are located 100–300 m from them) while at the same time it is clear that there was an effort made to search for places protected against adverse climatic phenomena. At the moment we can first provide a deeper insight into the Epigravettian site structure in Eastern Bohemia.

South of Eastern Europe and Upper Paleolithic diversity around the Last Glacial Maximum

In contrast to the still standing paradigm of local evolution in Upper Paleolithic (UP) research in Eastern European Paleolithic archaeology, this article proposes a view that sees the Late UP record as a punctuated presence of different UP industries in the southern part of Eastern Europe, i.e. the Great North Black Sea region. This punctuated presence seems to be predominantly connected to the influence of palaeoenvironmental conditions around the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Basic UP features can be summarized as follows: the exclusive occurrence of Epi-Aurignacian sites during Heinrich Event 2; the permanent presence of a regional variant of Epigravettian sites in the Great North Black Sea region since the LGM sensu stricto despite lacking evidence of the preceding Gravettian; the absence of any “generic industrial links” between the Gravettian and Epigravettian in the central part of Eastern Europe; an Early Epigravettian “hiatus” in the central part of Eastern Europe that might explain the presence of some assemblages of “Magdalenian character” before the appearance of Late Epigravettian sites.

Krajina posledního glaciálního maxima a strategie lovu koní ve střední Evropě: příklad lokality Stránská skála IV

With the end of MIS3, the unity of larger Gravettian settlements based predominantly on mammoth exploitation split into a mosaic of smaller Epigravettian sites with specific behaviors and economies. Based on C14 chronology, the site of Stránská skála IV (together with Grubgraben, Ságvár and Kašov), correlates with a brief warm period after the Last Glacial Maximum around 22 ka calBP. We detected two main accumulations of predominantly horse bones under a rock cliff suggesting that the site was not a regular settlement but rather a specialised hunting site. No features or hearths were recovered. Lithic raw materials were imported from long distances, and the horse hunting strategy profitted from the specific geographic qualitites of the site. Preferential location of Epigravettian sites in secluded valleys is a pattern generally recognized in Moravia and usually explained as a response to the harsh MIS2 climates.

Upper Palaeolithic grinding stones from Eastern European sites: An overview

Technological development in Europe around the end of the Middle and beginning of the Upper Palaeolithic was expressed not only in the new methods for working flint, bone, antler, etc., but also by appearance of processing food and raw materials by grinding, crushing and abrasion. Ground plant resources can be dried and stored for longer periods and are more digestible when cooked and eaten, while crushed mineral substances can be used to create mixtures with new physical qualities. These are obvious observations to make, and findings of Palaeolithic grinding stones are known, but at the same time, we have a poor idea of the distribution of artefacts used for grinding. There is still no general understanding of where, from which periods, and in which forms they are found. This article reviews the corpus of Upper Palaeolithic grinding stones from the East European Plain, including 76 directly studied finds from 15 sites. Macroscopic and, where possible, microscopic traceological analysis has been used for their analysis. From this review we observe that grinding stone tools in the region under study include the following types: grinding slabs or lower grindstones (most often found as fragments from the late Middle Palaeolithic and later; in the Upper Palaeolithic they were used for grinding pigments, plant resources and for polishing stone); two types of grinders or upper grindstones (active tools) – elongated for repetitive, continuous movements and short for circular or irregular movements (used for grinding pigments and the working of plant resources; in the Late Upper Palaeolithic at Eastern Epigravettian sites trapezoidal grinders, similar to those from later periods, appear); pestles-grinders (found on sites related to the Eastern Gravettian); and finally, pestles (which appeared as specialised artefacts in the Late Upper Palaeolithic). Most sources refer to the sites of Gravettian circle and Epigravettian. One-third of them are securely associated with pigment and the remaining two-thirds have indications of use for grinding soft fibrous material. Based on these data, the study of paleo-economics and other aspects of the prehistory can be developed.

Quantifying how much raw material is needed: A case study based on the weight of the lithic artefacts from the Brno‐Štýřice III Epigravettian site (Moravia, Czech Republic)

This paper compares the quantification of different raw materials in a chipped stone assemblage by weight and by number at the site of Brno‐Štýřice III in Moravia, Czech Republic. The use of the same reduction technology for all raw materials means that the Brno‐Štýřice III assemblage is a good case study. The result demonstrates that semi‐local raw material tends to dominate numerically, but in terms of weight, there is a significant change in the predominant raw material. The paper contextualizes the results in relation to other assemblages and discusses the possible reasons for this phenomenon.

BETWEEN MAGDALENIAN AND EPIGRAVETTIAN. A CONTRIBUTION TO THE STUDY OF THE PALAEOLITHIC ON THE POLISH-UKRAINIAN BORDER

The terrains of Poland, located north of the Carpathians and the Sudetes, have been almost completely abandoned during the period of the LGM sensustricte. The reoccupation of Polish territories took place not until the end of LGM. These areas were then settled by the societies of the Magdalenian complex – a tradition that included upland areas of Western and Central Europe. On the basis of today's state of knowledge, it can be concluded that the eastern borders of Poland are at the same time the eastern boundary of the Magdalenien settlement. Five Magdalenian sites from the areas of today's Podkarpackie Voivodship are known (fig. 1). In the 1940s, a single-row harpoon linked to Magdalenian was found in Przemyśl. Further discoveries of sites fall into the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. Four of the mhave been discovered up to this day: in Hłomcza, Grodzisko Dolne, Wierzawice and Łąka. This sites are only short-lived campsprovided small inventories. So far, no traces of large, longer settled base camp types have been found. If this situation is not only the result of the current state of research, then it may suggest that the areas of south-eastern Poland were part of a larger territory exploited by some Magdalenian community. On the basis of the analysis, it may be assumed that this territory may have covered the areas of eastern Poland. Magdalenian settlement in eastern Poland continues throughout the presence of Late Magdalenian societies in Central Europe, from Dryas I to Alleröd. It means that the population, or traditions of this culture, reached the eastern periphery relatively quickly and for a long time. The question arises if the Magdalenian population, functioning in the eastern borderlands, occupied areas not covered by any previous settlement, and whether were there contacts between them and representatives of other traditions – Epigravettian, whose settlement extends east of today's Polish borders on the territory of Ukraine. Finally, the last question is whether the line of the San is the final eastern limit of Magdalenian. This last question should be answered in the affirmatively, though not categorically. So far, we do not know of any Magdalenian sites from the areas east of Poland. The answer to the remaining questions is difficult. A certain light is being shed on them by the discovery of the site in Święte. The part of the site studied so far provided a small concentration of lithic artefacts – flakes and blades as well as several tools. These materials were described as Epigravettian. The TL dates obtained from the profile indicate that it is contemporary to the Magdalenian settlement. Perhaps, therefore the Magdalenian population who came to this area inhabited the areas that were occupied by the “Epigravettian” population? Perhaps we are also dealing with a zone penetrated by both these communities? So far, we know only one Epigravettian site from this area, which is contemporary to the Magdalenian settlement, but its significance in the discussion of Magdalenien-Epigravettian relations is very important. To what extent this borderland was the area of contacts and what the consequences could have been is unexplained yet. Apart from the few possible imports of Volhynian flint in Magdalenian inventories (Wierzawice, Grodzisko Dolne?), there are no other elements that could be a material confirmation of such contacts. An in-depth analysis of possible contacts on the west-east axis is also hindered by the poor level of recognition of the Polish-Ukrainian borderland on the Ukrainian side. Research conducted in the south-east of Poland shows that the Polish-Ukrainian borderland is an important area through which the border between two cultural traditions passes at the beginning of the Late Pleistocene. This is an extremely important area in discussion on the relationship between Magdalenian and Epigravettian. Today's knowledge and questions set the prospects for further work. Key words: Epigravettian, Magdalenian, Upper Paleolithic, South-Eastern Poland, Polish-Ukrainian borderland, cultural contacts, imports.

ʻ...Finding a smoother pebble or prettier shell than ordinary’ – Non-utilitarian artefacts in the upper palaeolithic – A case study from Mogyorósbánya (Transdanubia, Hungary)

During the excavations of the Upper Palaeolithic site at Mogyorósbánya several non-utilitarian artefacts were found. Beside the earlier published piece of fossil resin (amber) and lumps of red ochre, more than one hundred Palaeogene and Neogene fossil molluscs, large foraminifers, corals and trace fossils from at least three different geological formations, as well as numerous fragments of phyllite were documented. Pebbles of this soft shale were most probably collected from the alluvium of the Danube river. The majority of the pieces show clear traces of scraping and along the periphery of the largest artefact rhythmic incisions are visible. Even if this piece is not a ready-made object, it can be compared to the limestone and sandstone pebbles found on the Epigravettian site of Pilismarót-Pálrét. Another interesting artefact of unknown function is a carefully shaped but strongly fragmented piece with sharp edge. Fossils of the Eocene Epoch were easily accessible in the region of Mogyorósbánya, while the nearest fossiliferous outcrops of the Oligocene and Pannonian sediments are found 15–17 km in south-eastern direction from the site. Few gastropod shells show unambiguous traces of human modification. Typically, among the 16 Melanopsis fossils found in a single square meter only three pieces were manufactured. On the other hand, the majority of the Dentalium and worm tube fragments were cut and their surfaces show intense rounding and shine. The not modified Nummulites, corals and large internal casts of gastropods were most probably collected by Prehistoric humans because of their unusual form. This interesting group of the Mogyorósbánya artefacts and are compared to the fossils published from the Pilisszántó I rockshelter and to the not modified fossils from Moravia and Romania.