1,720,986 research outputs found
Surface modifications of flint tools and their functional meaning
No full textThe possibility to interpret prehistoric tools function, that in many cases constitutes the only preserved evidence of a certain human group activities, allows to acquire information on the poor knowledge of prehistoric daily way of life such as subsistence strategies and environmental exploitation adopted during prehistory. Starting with the English translation, in 1964, of the reference work of the sovietic archaeologist S. A. Semenov Prehistoric Technology, the discipline of functional analysis on prehistoric stone tools became more and more diffused since becoming nowadays a very significant issue for the studies on stone tools operative chains. The method is based on the recognition of the microscopic alterations that endures the surface of stone tools (among which flint is one of the most used) when the rock surface enters in contact with the worked material. The information that can be obtained from this type of study regard the activity carried out by the implement (its cinematic e.g. to abrade, to cut) and the worked material (skin, bone, wood). The heuristic devices suitable for the observation of use-wear traces are currently optical and electronic microscopes (metallographic microscope, SEM and AFM). In this paper we propose an overview on such methodological application in the field of prehistoric studies with reference to the on going research
Uluzzian bone technology and its implications for the origin of behavioural modernity
No full textAnalysis was conducted of the fourteen bone tools found in the Uluzzian layers of Grotta della Cala,
Grotta del Cavallo, and Grotta di Castelcivita, Italy. Technological and functional study of these objects
identifies recurrent morphologies, manufacturing techniques, use-wear features and intensity demonstrating
previously undocumented patterns in the production and use of bone tools assigned to the
Uluzzian. Comparisons with bone tools from other Early Upper Palaeolithic technocomplexes highlight
similarities suggesting that the production of formal bone tools was clearly in the realm of Uluzzian and
Châtelperronian cognition. Implications of these results for the debate on the origin of behavioural
modernity are discussed
Bone and antler working at Grotta Paglicci (Rignano Garganico, Foggia, southern Italy)
No full textIn this article we present evidence of the hard animal tissue exploitation at Paglicci Cave (Rignano
Garganico, Foggia, southern Italy).
The analysis of the 104 bone and antler tools found in the Upper Palaeolithic sequence of the cave, as
well as recent studies on faunal remains, have allowed us to reconstruct the choices made by the prehistoric
hunters both in terms of hunting and exploitation of hard animal materials for tool fabrication.
Most of the archeozoological sequence is characterized by the abundance of remains of species related to
open or steppe environments, such as caprines (especially ibex), horses and aurochs.
Starting from Final Epigravettian (about 17.000 BP cal.) these taxa decrease in favor of deer, wild boar
and hidruntinus, reflecting an important climatic change leading to more humid and temperate conditions.
Only some hunted animals bones were chosen for making the tools: deer, horse, aurochs and wild
boar. A noteworthy observation concerns the lack of an interconnection between the kinds of species
represented in the faunal assemblages and those used for the production of bone (and antler) tools.
Even though the small number of pieces in each individual layer did not allow for statistical inferences,
we could draw some interesting conclusions on the morpho-technological features of the artifacts,
finding that some tool types appear to be linked to particular periods
Manifestazioni d’arte inedite e analisi tecnologica dell’arte mobiliare di Grotta Paglicci (Rignano Garganico - Foggia)
No full textUnpublished artistic evidences and technological analysis of the portable art of Paglicci cave (Rignano Garganico - Fog- gia) - Paglicci cave (Rignano Garganico), more than representing the only evidence of the italian Paleolithic wall painting, shows moreover an artistic production of exceptional importance, that offers a rich and articulated documentation about portable art. Excavations have brought to light numerous artistic objects, some of them coming from a precise stratigraphic position which ranges between Evolved Gravettian and Final Epigravettian. This study faces the technological analysis of the bone objects with naturalistic engravings, with an approach that allows to deepen what previously put in light, over the years, from Mezzena and Palma di Cesnola under the stylistic and chronological aspect. Particular attention has been placed in the reconstruction of the gestures (operative chain), in the search of eventual diversities in diachronic sense and in the ochre use modalities. © Museo delle Scienze, Trento 2012
Manifestazioni (Parte inedite e analisi tecnologica dell'arte mobiliare di Grotta Paglicci (Rignano Garganico - Foggia)
No full textUnpublished artistic evidences and technological analysis of the portable art of Paglicci cave (Rignano Garganico - Fog- gia) - Paglicci cave (Rignano Garganico), more than representing the only evidence of the italian Paleolithic wall painting, shows moreover an artistic production of exceptional importance, that offers a rich and articulated documentation about portable art. Excavations have brought to light numerous artistic objects, some of them coming from a precise stratigraphic position which ranges between Evolved Gravettian and Final Epigravettian. This study faces the technological analysis of the bone objects with naturalistic engravings, with an approach that allows to deepen what previously put in light, over the years, from Mezzena and Palma di Cesnola under the stylistic and chronological aspect. Particular attention has been placed in the reconstruction of the gestures (operative chain), in the search of eventual diversities in diachronic sense and in the ochre use modalities. © Museo delle Scienze, Trento 2012
Grotta Paglicci, (Rignano Garganico, Foggia, southern Italy), an overview on the bone and antler production
No full textThe evidence of the bone and antler exploitation at Paglicci Cave (Rignano Garganico, Foggia, Southern
Italy) are presented in the article. The analysis of the 104 osseous artefacts found in the Upper Palaeolithic
sequence of the cave has allowed the authors to reconstruct the choices made by the prehistoric hunters both
in terms of hunting and exploitation of hard animal materials for tool fabrication. Only some hunted animals
bones were chosen for making the tools: deer, horse, aurochs and wild boar. A noteworthy observation concerns the lack of an interconnection between the kinds of species represented in the faunal assemblages and
those used for the production of bone (and antler) tools. Even though the small number of pieces in each individual layer did not allow for statistical inferences, the authors could draw some interesting conclusions on
the morpho-technological features of the artifacts, fi nding that some tool types appear to be linked to particular
periods
Burins des Vachons en Italie: typologie, morphotecnique et tracéologie
No full textThe research was prompted by the discovery of two open air sites characterized by a high frequency of
artifacts noted in literature as “Burins of the Vachons” (Perpère 1972): the sites mentioned are S. Cassiano
(Arezzo) e Caruso (Foggia) [figure 1].
Both are unfortunately on the surface, although the collection comes from a limited area and the Aurignacian context is easily identifiable; besides this, the sites assume special importance because of the presence of numerous Vachons Burins, whereas they are found sporadically in other Aurignacian locations
(stratified and non-stratified) on our peninsula. The study concentrates on the series of S. Cassiano, which we studied directly, and which is richer than the Caruso one studied by Palma di Cesnola (Palma di Cesnola 1989, 1999, 2001), whom we wish to thank for access to the materials. The lithic industry of S. Cassiano (139 pieces) (Moroni Lanfredini and Ronchitelli 2000, 2001), studied according to the Laplace 1964 analytic typology, is characterized by [figures 2-3]:
• large index of Burins (42 %), characterized by the component traceable back to the Burins des Vachons;
• average index (10 %) of Endscrapers, among which nosed, carinated and core-like tools;
• small index (5,5 %) of differentiated Abrupts tools, constituted by truncations overall; we highlight the presence of only one non-Dufour bladelet with marginal retouch; 22 bladelets unretouched are present however, 17 of which with the characteristic of cintrage and twisting to the right (Lucas 1999);
• large index (41 %) of the Substrata, where scrapers, denticulated and abrupts tools are equivalent; deep
notches are present on the blade (but not étranglées blades) and even large blades, with profound nonstepped
retouch. Presence (1,5 %) of scar Tools. Caruso presents analogous characters; among unretouched pieces are several bladelets, 7 of which are curved and twisted. We emphasize again the presence, at both sites, of artifacts traceable back to the Burins du Raysse (Basseler).The association between the Burins des Vachons and the Burins du Raysse has already been highlighted at Abri 1 of the Vachons (str. 2) (Perpère 1977) and in other surface lithic industries in Moravia (Urcice, Slatinice,
Kohoutovice) (Oliva 1996). The Burins des Vachons at S. Cassiano and at Caruso present notably homogeneous characters [figure 5]. We have deliberately chosen to maintain in the description the terminology traditionally linked to the
typological classification of these artifacts, such as “burins”, while still taking into consideration, as we will see as we go along, their probable first use as cores: moreover, the traceological study has shed light on the complexity of the problem, highlighting the multi-functional character of these artifacts. A prime common characteristic resides in the quantitative factor that in both the sites is represented by a remarkable prevalence of this variety inside the group of burins [figure 6a].From a techno-typo-metric point of view, the burins of S. Cassiano are normally made on carinated flakes, of dimensions between 30 and 40 mm, often corticated and with a flat butt. This fact agrees with the sparse elaboration of the supports observed by Perpère at the Abri of the Vachons (Perpère 1972). One of the most surprising characteristics is that these instruments are all oriented to the left, if we hold them with the burin bit on the top and flat removals in view. This uniformity seems to indicate that the
maker worked with the right hand, proceeding in a clockwise execution of the removals (cf. right twisting morphology of the bladelets.
What Differences in Production and Use of Aurignacian and Early Gravettian Lithic Assemblages? The Case of Grotta Paglicci (Rignano Garganico, Foggia, Southern Italy)
No full textThe aim of the present research is a techno-functional comparison of two lithic assemblages from Grotta Paglicci located at Rignano Garganico (Apulia). Level 24A1 is attributed to the Aurignacian and dated to 29,300± 600 BP and layer 23 is referable to the early Gravettian and dated to 28,100 ± 400 BP. They are in stratigraphical continuity. Through the analysis of the production schemes and the use of the lithic material, the elements of continuity and change between both assemblages have been identified in order to contribute to a better definition of the distinctive
features of the early Gravettian. The research shows no evidence of an eventual transition between the Aurignacian and the Gravettian technocomplex at this site
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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