Stone Tool Industry Research Articles

Stone Tools in Shifting Sands: Past, Present, and Future Perspectives on the Châtelperronian Stone Tool Industry

The Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in France and northern Spain reflects the transition from Neandertals to Homo sapiens and the emergence of novel cultural entities and standardised blade and bladelet technologies between ~ 55 and 40 thousand years ago. The Châtelperronian stone tool industry represents the first unambiguous appearance of Upper Palaeolithic technologies in this region, and is traditionally considered as representing a geographically isolated archaeological entity produced by late Neandertals. However, debate as to the makers and origin of this industry has been ever-present. In recent years, fuel has been thrown onto this discussion through (a) the demonstration that the association between Neandertal remains and Châtelperronian artefacts at the key site of Saint-Césaire could not be reliable, (b) the identification of an immature Homo sapiens pelvic fragment in association with Neandertal remains and Châtelperronian artefacts at the Grotte du Renne (Arcy-sur-Cure), and (c) the formulation of a disruptive hypothesis in which the Châtelperronian directly originates from the Early Upper Palaeolithic of the Levant. In conjunction with the increasing evidence for a protracted presence of Homo sapiens across Europe, these observations have led to the arrival of an inflection point for the competing interpretations concerning the origin and implications of this industry. In this paper, we provide a critical review of the Châtelperronian in light of the emerging data—taking into account technological, chronological, geographic, stratigraphic, and genetic perspectives. First we provide a detailed, three-part historiography of this industry and a modern, synthetic review of Châtelperronian lithic technology. Our review reinforces the fact that the Châtelperronian is a fully Upper Palaeolithic industry with no ‘transitional’ nor Initial Upper Palaeolithic-type technological features. Subsequently, we highlight a series of prospects, problems, and uncertainties which remain to be addressed in discussions concerning the origins, maker(s), and implications of the Châtelperronian and the onset of the Upper Palaeolithic in western Europe. Finally, we propose a few potential paths forward and call for an open and critical approach towards the re-conceptualisation of the Châtelperronian in the years to come.

Beyond reasonable doubt: reconsidering Neanderthal aesthetic capacity

AbstractAn aesthetic sense—a taste for the creation and/or appreciation of that which strikes one as, e.g., attractive or awesome—is often assumed to be a distinctively H. sapiens phenomenon. However, recent paleoanthropological research is revealing its archaeologically visible, deeper roots. The sensorimotor/perceptual and cognitive capacities underpinning aesthetic activities are a major focus of evolutionary aesthetics. Here we take a diachronic, evolutionary perspective and assess ongoing scepticism regarding whether, and to what extent, aesthetic capacity extends to our evolutionary cousins, the Neanderthals. The goal of this article is twofold. First, it serves as a defence of the attribution of Neanderthal aesthetic capacity by marshalling archaeological data best explained by positing a Neanderthal aesthetic sense. Second, it offers an opportunity to make progress on understanding some epistemically relevant features of the wider debate in evolutionary aesthetics. First, we outline and analyse a range of distinct ‘sceptical arguments’ derived from attitudes and claims found in the literature and broader debate that aim to dial down the case for Neanderthal aesthetic capacity. We show that these arguments not only miss their target, they divert the debate away from more compelling questions. We then consider the case for protoaesthetic capacities and sensitivities in the Acheulean stone tool industry and argue that Neanderthals likely inherited the protoaesthetic package from ancient ancestors that they shared with H. sapiens. Finally, we sketch and defend a research agenda for framing Neanderthal aesthetic niche(s) beyond H. sapiens-derived standards, which we see as a priority for future archaeological, cognitive, and philosophical research. While we resist sceptical arguments and the often-implied inferiority of Neanderthals to humans, we also deny that Neanderthals and ancient humans were indistinguishable. Understanding the differences is an important goal of interpretation, and we apply this line of reasoning to the case of aesthetics.

Новые данные о стоянке Комбак-тэ в Северном Прикаспии

Introduction. The article examines stone artifacts from a Northern Caspian Eneolithic site of the Khvalynsk culture. Stone tool industries also serve to characterize Early Metal Age cultures. Goals. The work seeks to determine the cultural affiliation of stone implements from the site of Kombak-te. To facilitate this, the paper shall analyze a variety of such stone implements and their groups. Materials and methods. The publication focuses on finds from the third major Khvalynsk site of Kombak-te. The latter was investigated in 1989 but only some pottery data were published. The article is the first to introduce into scientific circulation and analyze stone artifacts excavated on the site. The study employs the typological and radiocarbon dating methods. Results. Our preliminary typological analysis of pottery yielded a number of cultural/chronological groups, which made it possible to classify the stone artifacts in greater detail. The technical and typological features serve a basis for distinguishing between items representing the Caspian and Khvalynsk cultures. The identified differences are manifested in the involved source materials (quartzite and flint), blank manufacturing techniques, categories and types of the implements. Conclusions. The comprehensive insights attest to the stone artifacts of Kombak-te come from different cultures and eras. So, Khvalynsk-type items are paralleled by some of the Caspian culture. The paper identifies some characteristic and specific properties of source materials, primary splitting and subsequent processing techniques, describes various tools. The available radiocarbon determinations confirm those of the Caspian culture are more ancient.

Exploring Wilton microlithic technologies: New analyses from Rose Cottage Cave, South Africa

The Later Stone Age of southern Africa sees the succession of varied lithic traditions. The Wilton (8ka BP – second millennium AD) corresponds to the last techno-complex of the LSA in South Africa. It has been typologically recognised over vast geographical areas and seems to last until the progressive disappearance of stone tool industries, while experiencing chronological and geographical variations. While Wilton formal tools, mainly small scrapers and microliths, have received much attention, the ways in which the stone tools themselves were produced are still unknown. This paper provides keys to describe mid-Holocene Wilton microlithic productions at the reference site of Rose Cottage Cave (Free-State). The lithic technological analysis highlights the integrated production of ‘ready-made’ blanks from one volume, including bladelets. The scraper and backed piece typologies are analysed and reveal an interesting diversity. These results provide a foundation for the building of the technological understanding of the Wilton in southern Africa. This paper ultimately aims to facilitate the exploration of regional and chronological variations at Wilton sites, and, by contrast, to differentiate other lithic traditions in southern Africa.

Intentionality, pointing, and early symbolic cognition

Concepts such as “symbolism” and “symbolic cognition” often remain unspecified in discussions the symbolic capacities of earlier hominins. In this paper, I use conceptual tools from phenomenology to reflect on the origins of early symbolic cognition. In particular, I discuss the possible early use of pointing gestures around the time of the earliest known stone tool industries. I argue that unlike more basic social acts such as expression, gaze following, and attention-getters, which are used by extant non-human great apes, communicative pointing involves key elements that are characteristic of symbolic cognition. In particular, it involves “third order intentionality” as well as “shared practice horizons”: shared frameworks of understanding which are required for the interpretation of communicative acts whose meaning is not codified indexically or iconically in the signaling behavior. In the final part, I briefly review some indications for the use of pointing gestures around the time of the Lomekwian and Oldowan industries, as a way to sustain cooperation and possibly learning by instruction. It is suggested that pointing is more complex than is standardly acknowledged, and that it may have been an important communicative act for Early Stone Age hominins in transitioning to more fully symbolic speech capacities.

The stone-to-metal transition reflected in the Iron Age copper production sites of Timna Valley, Israel.

Metalwork was a major technological innovation that displaced stone-tool technologies and transformed human society and the environment. However, our understanding of these processes remains partial. In this paper, we approach the stone-to-metal transition from a novel angle-the presence of flint knapping at metal production sites. Drawing on excavations at the Late Bronze and Iron Age copper smelting sites in Timna Valley, Israel, we demonstrate that systematic production of expedient stone tools was integral to these sites' industrial operations, placing it at the heart of the very same metal circulation networks that were presumably responsible for its displacement. The observations from Timna, coupled with evidence for the use of chipped stone technology in other early Iron Age metallurgical contexts, support the hypothesis that it was probably both the high accessibility of iron and its qualities that put an end to the stone tool industry. Copper and bronze could not easily fulfill the function of the ad hoc stone tools and were not used to replace stone tools even if they were available and accessible.

The Middle Paleolithic of the Balkans: Industrial Variability, Human Biogeography, and Neanderthal Demise

Europe is characterized by an uneven record of Middle Paleolithic occupations. Specifically, large parts of southeastern Europe display markedly lower site densities and less intensive evidence of human presence than is found elsewhere; this has often resulted in the exclusion of the Balkans from debates related to Pleistocene human adaptation. The discrepancy stems either from the lower population densities of southeastern Europe or an imbalance in research across Europe. Additionally, our understanding of Balkan Middle Paleolithic stone tool industries suffers from the use of Mousterian labels defined when Bordian typology was the chief method of lithic analysis. Industrial facies then defined and still in use include Balkan Charentian, Levallois Mousterian, Micromousterian, Denticulate Mousterian; their relation with the rest of the Eurasian record was and remains unclear. This paper sets aside the issue of scarcity of Pleistocene occupations and tries to address Neanderthal biogeography, and variations in Neanderthal technological behavior and subsistence, based on the available record. It reviews the current Middle Paleolithic record in the Balkans, presents the apparent temporal and spatial trends, and presents the provisional biogeography of hominins, including scenarios for the demise of Neanderthals at or soon after the arrival of modern humans in Europe. The paper ends with a discussion of perspectives for future research arising from this analysis of the available record and proposes some hypotheses regarding the role of the Balkans in the overall context of the occupational history of western Eurasia in the Middle/Late Pleistocene.

Ecological drivers of hunter-gatherer lithic technology from the Middle and Later Stone Age in Central Africa

Central Africa is a key region for examining patterns of hunter-gatherer inhabitation and engagement with ecological diversity and environmental change. In contrast to adjacent regions, however, the archaeological record of prehistoric hunter-gatherer populations in Central Africa is underrepresented in studies of recent human evolution. This limited engagement with Central African archaeological records in part stems from the complexities of identifying, excavating, and dating hunter-gatherer sites in what are today often heavily forested environments, a focus on named stone tool industries from undated sites to structure the record, and highly limited means to associate dated hunter-gatherer occupations with proxy records of environmental conditions. Here, we present a novel synthesis of prehistoric hunter-gatherer stone tool assemblages from dated Central African sites and use climate model datasets to illuminate the environmental and ecological landscapes in which they were deployed. Our results suggest a significant ecological shift occurred from 14,000 years ago onwards, associated with a greater engagement with broadleaf forests. We examine the extent to which a range of geographic and paleoclimatic drivers can explain patterns of gross assemblage composition and the appearance of individual lithic technologies highlighting the significant role of changes in altitude, precipitation, seasonality, and ecology. Notably, considerable continuity can be observed between the habitat ranges of contemporary hunter-gatherer populations in Central Africa and prehistoric occupations that significantly precede the appearance of farming lifeways in the region.

The Clacton-on-Sea (Essex, UK) GCR site and SSSI: New data and continuing importance

The complex Geological Conservation Review (GCR) site at Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, was notified in 1986 as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is an internationally important geosite and Britain's only Lower Palaeolithic type locality, giving its name to the Clactonian stone-tool industry. Fossil- and artefact-bearing channel-fill deposits laid down by the River Thames ~420,000 years ago, during the Hoxnian Interglacial (Marine Isotope Stage 11c), have been observed in foreshore and cliff exposures, and beneath developed and open ground in an inland arcuate footprint. These sediments provide a record of the lower reaches and estuary of the Thames during this lengthy and warm interglacial, an important partial analogue for the Holocene. Palaeoclimatic and palaeoecological evidence has been obtained from assemblages of fossil molluscs, ostracods and vertebrates, together with pollen and plant macrofossils; Clacton is also the type locality for several of the represented animal taxa, including the biostratigraphically significant ostracod Scottia browniana and a large subspecies of fallow deer, Dama dama clactoniana. This paper provides an overview of the continuing importance of the Clacton GCR site and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), summarizing recently acquired data that have enhanced understanding of the Hoxnian and the palaeoenvironments that prevailed at the time of deposition. The wider geosite has benefitted from sustained Palaeolithic archaeological interest, with the local planning authority mandating investigation of the sediments as a condition for development projects. SSSI status ensures that the significant collections of palaeontological and archaeological material amassed from the Clacton deposits over almost two centuries can be related to their context, and studies of both these archived collections and new material from the protected in situ sediments continue to provide new data and contribute to the development of cutting-edge techniques.

Statistical assessment of the temporal and cultural relationship between the Lomekwian and Oldowan

The temporal relationship between the Lomekwi 3 archaeological site and the Oldowan stone tool industry is not well explored. Lomekwi 3 dates to 3.3 million years ago (Ma), meaning the ‘Lomekwian’ as we currently understand it is 719 thousand years (Ka) older than the current oldest known Oldowan site, Ledi-Gararu. Here, we investigate the temporal relationship between Lomekwi 3 and early Oldowan occurrences using the ‘surprise test’, a statistical technique able to assess the temporal cohesion of cultural occurrences. It evaluates the null hypothesis that Lomekwi 3 was produced by the same cultural process responsible for the Oldowan, and does so by determining the temporal exceptionality of an outlying occurrence (i.e., Lomekwi 3) relative to a larger sample of earlier or later occurrences (in this case early Oldowan sites). Results indicate the null hypothesis cannot be rejected, suggesting Lomekwi 3 to potentially be from the same cultural process responsible for the Oldowan. This lack of temporal distinction means the former cannot reliably be inferred to be outside of the temporal range of the latter, increasing the feasibility of a cultural evolutionary relationship between Lomekwi 3 and the Oldowan and emphasising the need for a more widely evidenced technological distinction between the two. Additionally, we examine the impact of a less porous Oldowan record on these results by simulating the discovery of additional early Oldowan sites. The addition of five or more sites was required to guarantee a significant result. Thus, temporal evidence suggests Lomekwi 3 and the Oldowan should currently be considered part of the same cultural process (i.e., not to result from technological convergence), but this scenario could change through additional site discoveries.

Techno-Typological Analysis of the Late Epipaleolithic/ Proto-Neolithic Chipped Stone Tools at Çemka Höyük

The Late Epipaleolithic period, also referred to as the Proto-Neolithic and dated back to the eleventh millennium BCE and early tenth millennium BCE, is closely linked with the communities located east of the Fertile Crescent that began to be settled during the Younger Dryas. This period, which started in the first half of the twentieth century and is defined by settlements in the northwestern Zagros region, has long been under the radar, but has been catching on again, especially since the 2000s, for the identification of a Younger Dryas layer found in settlements in the Upper Tigris Valley. The period in question has few architectural data for support and is represented by the chipped stone tool industry, which is thought to be observed in Zagros. It also appears that this period, which was primarily defined through its chipped stone tool industry, is no longer limited to the northwestern Zagros region, but also now includes the Upper Tigris Valley and the Eastern Jazeera (Eastern Fertile Crescent) region. The Younger Dryas layers, also found in the Çemka Höyük settlement during the 2019 excavations, shed new light on the chipped stone tool industry in the Upper Tigris Valley between the eleventh and tenth millennium BCE. The layers also contribute to redeliberating and redefining local and interregional relations.

Between the use, copying and innovation. A contribution to the studies on the stone tool industry in Neolithic societies of the Globular Amphora Culture in the Polish Lowland (Kuyavia)

This article focuses on a section of studies on the Globular Amphorae Culture (GAC) stone production in Kuyavia. The source materials from this area provide evidence of heretofore unknown activity of stone workers of this culture engaged in production of adzes that copied the forms typical of Late Band Pottery Culture. The resulting observations challenge the view that GAC communities did not produce stone adzes of their own, but allegedly restricted themselves only to using ready-made adzes of other Neolithic cultures. The sources under discussion also provide documented information on an innovative contribution of Kuyavian GAC stone workers in the assortment of tool products. This assortment includes polishing plates with the shapes and dimensions that essentially differentiated them from the corresponding tools used in the area in the Neolithic. Nevertheless, the claim that the local GAC communities did not produce type of the stone adze that would be characteristic of their own still remains as valid as ever.

Episodic habitation and abandonment of Neolithic civilization sites in the Vaigai River Basin, Southern India

Recent studies have unearthed and recovered multiple sites with evidences of past human habitations in terms of ceramic, metal, precious stone, jewel, and stone tool industries and places of varied methods of burial and worship are being unearthed at different stratigraphic levels from floodplains of the Vaigai River Basin, Southern India. In this contribution, we present high-resolution 14C chronology of the archaeological artefacts, cultural evidence and the textural characteristics of sediments collected from the excavated pits. These data along with the information on regional geology, geomorphology, sedimentary facies, texture, petrography, and mineralogy constrain the older phase of the Vaigai River Basin Civilization to be microlithic in age, followed by affirmative evidence of ca. 5511-5147 BCE (7455-7091 cal yr BP). This was followed by few more colonization/cultural/habitation sites/surfaces at ca. 2976-2961 BCE (4938-4908 cal yr BP), 1860-1489 BCE (3543-3503 cal yr BP),530-390 BCE (2435-2314 cal yr BP), 596-629 CE (1353-1321 cal yr BP) and post 1225-1312 CE (729-619 cal yr BP). These are designated as habitation sites/surfaces namely HS-1, HS-2, HS-3, HS-4, HS-5 and HS-6, respectively. Evidences of urbanism, industrial and leisure activities besides cohabitation of at least three groups that practiced mutually exclusive burial customs are documented. Microlithic tools and buried habitation stages, together with the prevalence of modern habitations, make this basin unique with human occupation at least since the mid-Holocene. Major shifts of the trunk channel of the Vaigai River, perhaps associated with flood events, marooned/buried/destroyed the ancient habitation sites that forced the inhabitants to abandon old sites and led to the reestablishment of newer ones. Inevitable dependence of the ancient societies on the riverbanks and the flood plains for settlements and livelihood compounded with the lack of knowledge on extreme climatic events possibly caused the decimation of several settlements of this important civilization from south India.

A New Settlement from the Epi-Palaeolithic Period: The Operational Sequence and Techno-Typology of the Knapped Stone Industry at the Kızılin Site (Antalya, Turkey)

ABSTRACT Kızılin is a cave settlement within the provincial borders of Antalya. The settlement is dated to the Epi-palaeolithic period. Some knapped stone findings were identified during the terrace excavation conducted in this site. This study focuses on examining the knapped stone chaîne opératoire of the inhabitants, and on analyzing the knapped stone findings by a techno-typological approach. Our analyses led us to identify all technological phases of knapped stone process practiced at the Kızılin site. Typologically, the knapped stone tool industry was found to consist of microliths and macroliths. It has been observed that the microliths are higher in number compared to the macroliths. In this context, the results obtained were compared with the Epi-palaeolithic layers of Öküzini and Karain settlements where their similarities and differences are revealed.

Is it Time to Retire NASTIES in Southern Africa? Moving Beyond the Culture-Historical Framework for Middle Stone Age Lithic Assemblage Variability

ABSTRACT The Middle Stone Age (MSA) of southern Africa provides crucial insight on early Homo sapiens behavioral evolution. Archaeologists have traditionally presented lithic assemblage variability as a sequence of discrete Named Stone Tool Industries (“NASTIES”, Shea, 2014, Quaternary International) or techno-complexes. Many have highlighted the issues associated with the archaeological systematics of this time period in southern Africa and beyond, yet the original framework continues to persist. This paper presents two case studies from the Late Pleistocene that further problematize the usefulness of NASTIES. First, the Pinnacle Point complex of sites show that significant landscape-scale variability between coeval lithic assemblages defies the traditional classification system. Second, investigating the relationship between technological and environmental change has led to conflicting results that cannot be resolved when NASTIES are the units of analysis. While lithic data are key for understanding early Homo sapiens behavioral evolution, NASTIES are not the best tools for doing so.

Petrographic Characterization of Raw Material Sources at Oldupai Gorge, Tanzania

Oldupai Gorge is located within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern Tanzania along the western margin of the East African Rift System. Oldupai’s sedimentary record contains inter-stratified stone tool industries associated with the Earlier, Middle, and Later Stone Age. While diachronic technological change is perceptible, the totality of locally available rocks remained largely unchanged through time. Here, thin section petrography, Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy, and Electron Probe Micro Analysis were employed to characterize source lithologies in the Oldupai region. One of our goals was to determine if outcrops have rock types with unique mineral assemblages amenable for sourcing lithic artifacts. Petrographic analysis of sixty-two lithologic samples collected in primary and secondary positions reveal discriminatory differences. More precisely, five outcrops have quartzites with unique mineral assemblages, five outcrops have meta-granites with unique mineral assemblages, Engelosin phonolite samples are texturally and mineralogically unique, and magmatic samples recovered in secondary position may be sourced to their volcanic center. Our results demonstrate it is feasible to discriminate source materials using mineralogy, which implies that sourcing lithic artifacts is possible. For proof of concept, we assign the source/s of previously described fuchsitic quartzite artifacts from three archaeological sites at Oldupai to two nearby outcrops. Additional archaeological testing will allow researchers to glean new understandings of hominin behavior and stone procurement in the Oldupai paleobasin.

Human occupation of northern India spans the Toba super-eruption ~74,000 years ago

India is located at a critical geographic crossroads for understanding the dispersal of Homo sapiens out of Africa and into Asia and Oceania. Here we report evidence for long-term human occupation, spanning the last ~80 thousand years, at the site of Dhaba in the Middle Son River Valley of Central India. An unchanging stone tool industry is found at Dhaba spanning the Toba eruption of ~74 ka (i.e., the Youngest Toba Tuff, YTT) bracketed between ages of 79.6 ± 3.2 and 65.2 ± 3.1 ka, with the introduction of microlithic technology ~48 ka. The lithic industry from Dhaba strongly resembles stone tool assemblages from the African Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Arabia, and the earliest artefacts from Australia, suggesting that it is likely the product of Homo sapiens as they dispersed eastward out of Africa.

Dynamics of the Altai Paleolithic industries in the archaeological record of Denisova Cave

This publication presents data resulted from an analysis of the recent Middle and Upper Paleolithic archaeological evidence documented at Denisova Cave in the Russian Altai. A new phase in the study of the site is associated with the works undertaken in the East Chamber during 2004–2016. A long stratigraphic sequence exposed in this part of the cave, like the strata of Pleistocene deposits in the Main Chamber, has become a reference section for the study of prehistory in the region. A large collection of archaeological finds that quantitatively exceeds those recovered in previous years, new biostratigraphic and geochronological data obtained from Pleistocene deposits of the cave, make it possible to reconstruct the dynamics in the development of the Middle and Upper Paleolithic stone tool industries of the Altai on a qualitatively new level. The article presents the major techno-typological characteristics of the stone tool industries from the East Chamber, their stratigraphic, paleoecological and geochronological context. We show a correlation between the Paleolithic stone tool industries from the East Chamber and contemporary assemblages from the Main Chamber, as well as the cave entrance, and identify their place among other Paleolithic cave and open-air sites of the Altai. The continuity of a techno-typological sequence in the development of the stone tool industries from Denisova Cave and other stratified sites in the Altai and the emergence of the Upper Paleolithic from a local Middle Paleolithic tradition suggest that the stone tools and articles of personal adornment appear to have been produced by Denisovans. This conclusion is consistent with a complete lack of any fossil remains from anatomically modern humans in the Altai Paleolithic.

A Comparison of Châtelperronian and Protoaurignacian Core Technology Using Data Derived from 3D Models

This study uses data extracted from 3D models to compare blade cores from the Châtelperronian and Protoaurignacian stone tool industries. These technocomplexes are at the center of the debate surrounding the interactions between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans approximately 45 to 40,000 years ago. We created 3D models of lithic cores from the sites of Roc de Combe and Les Cottes using a standardized photogrammetry protocol. We then used data derived from these 3D models to make quantitative comparisons of artifact attributes that have previously been argued to distinguish the two stone tool industries in question. These attributes include the angle between the platform and flaking surfaces, the shape of core cross sections, and the angle between core axes. The conception of this study was not to privilege the use of new technological and statistical approaches over more traditional or qualitative forms of lithic analysis. Rather, our aim was to experiment with using digital tool to develop nuanced, reproducible ways to describe variability in lithic artifacts. Our results support the hypothesis that there is a difference in the angle between core surfaces between these two industries. Our analysis also indicates a difference in the angle between core axes, although we are more cautious in interpreting these results. An elliptical Fourier analysis of core cross section shape was inconclusive. We discuss what archaeological and methodological factors may have contributed to our results, and the roles of both qualitative and quantitative observations in archaeological research. 3D artifact models generated for this study are included as supplemental data and are available for use by other researchers.

Каменные индустрии среднего палеолита из южной галереи Денисовой Пещеры: материалы раскопок 2003 года

Research work resumed in South Chamber of Denisova cave in Altai requires a complete introduction of previously obtained collections into scientific use and the refinement of the techno-typological characteristics in these stone tool industries. This publication presents the results of a technical and typological analysis of stone industries from layers 22-19 and 14 in the mouth area of the southern chamber. The initial stages of the settlement of the cave characterize materials from the upper part of layer 22 and from layer 21, which were formed during the periods of MIS 8 and MIS 7, respectively. These industries are characterized mainly by radial splitting, various types of toothed, notched, spinous tools and scrapers, an abundance of chips with ventral upholstery of the longitudinal edges and with a remote residual impact platform. Further development of the Middle Paleolithic is reflected in the materials materials from layers 20, 19 and 14, which were most likely formed at the end of MIS 6 and in the first half of MIS 5 after a break in sedimentation. In the industries of this time, planar parallel and radial cores were distributed. A small series presents Levallois cores for flakes and plates. In the tool set against the background of the predominance of different types of the scraper, a well-pronounced gear-notched component is preserved. There are products of the Upper Paleolithic group.