Aurignacian (Other Keyword)
1-9 (9 Records)
Area E of Manot Cave, Western Galilee, is found at the top of the western talus, close to the apparent natural opening of the cave, which was blocked approximately 30 kya. The area appears to be the natural end of the living surfaces, with the main living area possibly being closer to the natural entrance. Area E is composed of two sedementological Units; Unit 1, which is composed of topsoil and Unit 2, which contains the archaeological layers. Unit 2 in area E is divided into nine...
The Aurignacian open-air campsite of Régismont-le-Haut (Hérault, France) (2015)
Régismont-le-Haut (Hérault, France) counts among the rare open-air Aurignacian campsites in southwestern France having both spatially conserved activity areas and explicit traces of a constructed living space. This minimally disturbed single habitation occupies two perpendicular paleochannels, whose geometry separates the site into two main zones. Throughout its excavation numerous combustion structures (27), all being surrounded by differentially diffuse archaeological material, have been...
Aurignacian(s) in the Mas d'Azil Cave (Ariège, Pyrénées, France) (2015)
Mas d’Azil cave is one of the most important karstic landmarks in southwestern France. This prehistoric research hotspot is mainly famous for evidence of Magdalenian and Epipaleolithic cultures, but recent researches were confirmed the existence of traces of the oldest occupations of the Upper Palaeolithic, poorly documented so far. In this case, the discovery of an in situ cultural sequence containing older and recent Aurignacian opens up largely new possibilities. First, because the cave...
Early Upper Palaeolithic Shell beads and shellfish from Manot Cave, Israel (2017)
The Early Upper Palaeolithic (EUP) cave site of Manot, western Galilee, Israel yielded remains of the Ahmarian and Levantine Aurignacian technocomplexes. The malacofauna assemblages from the two technocomplexes were analyzed (NISP=1180). Dozens of ornamental shells, mostly deriving from the Aurignacian assemblages, include perforated Nassarius gibbosulus, Columbella rustica and Antalis spp. as well as two cowrie beads found in association with human bones. The comparison of the Manot assemblage...
Morphometric Analysis of Aurignacian Bone, Antler and Ivory Projectile Points (2016)
This study examines the morphometric variation of Aurignacian bone, antler and ivory projectile points, the first continental-wide occurrence of hunting armatures made from animal material during the Early Upper Paleolithic. Morphometric analysis is a powerful instrument that separates and quantifies variation of both shape and size thereby allowing exploration of both functional and stylistic variation of an object. Applied to armatures from the Western Mediterranean region (Grotte de...
Paleoethnographic and chronostratigraphic perspectives on the Aurignacian of the Vézère Valley : Abri Castanet, Abri Blanchard, Abri Cellier (2015)
New excavations at three historically important Vézère Valley sites provide insight into the spatial organization of Early Aurignacian campsites and the nature of the late Pleistocene landscapes surrounding them. These excavations provide new and robust data on fire-use, activity areas and the context of the production and use of symbolic materials (graphic imagery and personal ornaments) among early modern humans in SW Europe. Molecular filtration dates raise new questions about the chronology...
Red and Yellow Tracks in the Aurignacian: The Spatial Distribution of Colorants at Abri Castanet (Dordogne, France) (2015)
Abri Castanet is one of the most important Early Aurignacian sites in the Dordogne (France). First excavated in the mid-20th century by early pioneers of modern excavation techniques, the site yielded invaluable insights into Paleolithic art and personal ornamentation. More recent excavations continued this trend, using total stations to precisely provenience artifacts and sieved sediment. Such rigorous methods and others have elucidated production and use patterns of stone tools, personal...
The Stratigraphy of Area E, Manot Cave (2017)
Area E is located close to the upper end of the main talus, at the NW side of the cave. It is built of sediments which originated outside the cave, mainly the local Terra-Rossa soil that was washed into the cave with rainwater, mixed with limestone rocks, some of them originating in the cave itself from decaying and falling roof and wall parts. Two main sedimentary units were observed so far: Unit 1 – Colluvium made of soil with limestone rocks in varying sizes. This colluvium contains very...
Towards a synchronic view of Aurignacian lithic economy (2015)
The Aurignacian is considered a product of the first modern human groups in Western Europe. Nevertheless, we have approached this important moment in Prehistory with a diachronic vision, ultimately inhibiting us from investigating the synchronic organization of this archaeological culture. By enlarging our field of vision to several sites in southwestern France we hope to characterize the variability of Aurignacian lithic industries on two scales: the inter- and the intra-site. At the intra-site...