The Meaning of a Sample of Teeth Pendants from the Paleolithic Bacho Kiro Cave in Bulgaria (Exc. 1971–1975)

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Variability: A Reassessment of Its Meaning, Afforded Range, and the Relation to Process" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Bone artifacts from the past are indicators of increased diversity in human behavior and culture. Determining the bone tool type can provide information about past technology, cultural provenience, symbolic expressions, and the type of exploited fauna that inhabited different geographical regions. This presentation will focus on a sample of unpublished teeth pendants found in Bacho Kiro Cave in Bulgaria in the 1970s excavations. They were found at the base of the Upper Paleolithic sequence in layer I (ex layer 11) attributed to the regional Initial Upper Paleolithic. In the light of the new discoveries (2016–2021) published recently, an attempt to reassess the 1970s pendants within the technological and cultural variability will be done. Upon the use-wear analysis, characteristic marks, inferred functionality, and preference for animal species some conclusions concerning the production methods will be done. Additionally, some concepts about the meaning behind this variability would require finding greater quantity of such record from across the western Eurasia, but our data allows a preliminary discussion about the relation of this variability with the raw material (animal species), style, and function.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Variability: A Reassessment of Its Meaning, Afforded Range, and the Relation to Process   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36549.0