Human-Material Interactions during the Aurignacian of Europe, 35,000–27,000 BP: An Analysis of Marine Shell Ornament Distribution

Summary

This research explores dynamic relationships between people and materials during the Aurignacian period of Europe, 35,000-27,000 BP. More specifically, a network analysis is used to determine whether there are discernible patterns in the geographic distribution of marine shells used for the creation of beads and pendants. As early inhabitants of Europe moved across the landscape they came into contact with others and left behind material traces of these interactions. Whether these artifacts came to be deposited through processes of migration or exchange, marine shells are particularly useful for exploring these processes, as their presence far from the sea can be indicative of dynamic interactions between materials, individuals, and groups.

Through the use of social network analysis software called Gephi, this research visually maps the interactions between sites and regions based on the genera of marine shells present. By creating network visualizations that are analyzed mathematically, in addition to geographic maps of site locations, patterns in the interactions within which materials and people were embedded and entangled are explored. Engaging with theories of materiality, this research sheds light on the active role of marine shell ornaments in the complex interactions between individuals and groups.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21513