Le Middle Stone Age de la grotte du Porc-Épic (Dire Dawa, Éthiopie) : gestion des matières premières et comportements techniques

With the emergence of Modern Humans in Africa a new post-Acheulean culture seems to take form: the Middle Stone Age. Although the geo-chronological limits of this period remain unclear, it may however be characterised by behavioural modifications, in particular an important change in the relationship between humans and their environment. Theses changes may partially result from the diversification of stone-tool production techniques, as well as socio-economical conditions. Sites dating of this period show that flake types are more abundant and result from exploitation methods that become gradually more sophisticated from about 300ka.In this context, study of the lithic assemblage from Porc-Epic Cave in Ethiopia contributes to the knowledge about operative methods used during the Middle Stone Age. The combined production of flakes, blades, bladelets and points using various methods, a differential economy towards raw materials and the diversity of tool types produced, underline the large extent of technological variability that the Porc-Epic tool-makers were capable of. We may conclude that, in spite of certain differences concerning raw material acquisition, a chronological homogeneity exists in the production modes and their variability. This apparent homogeneity throughout the stratigraphical sequence underlines the difficulty of attributing a cultural characteristic to stone assemblages of this period.     

内蒙古金斯太洞穴遗址发掘简报

2000—2001年间,金斯太洞穴遗址先后经历了两次发掘,面积约80m2, 发掘出土石制品4000余件和大量动物化石。洞穴地层堆积厚达6m以上, 可划分为8层。第3层以下为旧石器时代文化堆积,可分为上、中、下三个文化层。遗址经过14C测年, 旧石器层位年代为距今3.6万年至1.8万左右, 处于旧石器时代中晚期过渡至晚期之末。通过对石、骨制品和部分动物化石的分析可知, 这是一处以旧石器遗存为主,兼有全新世遗存的洞穴遗址。遗址石器工业整体上属于小石器工业, 中文化层阶段出现了勒瓦娄哇技术, 上文化层阶段出现了细石叶工业,并占主体地位, 与小石器工业并行发展。该遗址的发掘为探索北方主工业的分布范围和文化内涵提供了新的材料, 对于探讨旧石器时代的文化交流以及细石叶工业的产生具有重要的意义。     

Additional evidence for bone technology in the southern African Middle Stone Age

Few Middle Stone Age sites have yielded convincing evidence for a complex bone technology, a behavior often associated with the emergence of modern cultures. Here, we review the published evidence for Middle Stone Age bone tools from southern Africa, analyze an additional nine bone artifacts recently recovered from Middle Stone Age levels at Blombos Cave, describe an unpublished bone tool from probable Middle Stone Age levels at Peers Cave, examine a single bone awl found at Blombosch Sands (an open site near Blombos Cave), and reappraise marked bone artifacts and a bone point recovered from Klasies River. To determine the chronological and cultural attribution of these artifacts, document bone-manufacturing techniques associated with the southern African MSA, and discuss the symbolic significance of the markings present on some of these objects we use (1) available contextual information; (2) morphometric comparison of Later Stone Age, Modern San, and purported Middle Stone Age projectile points; (3) analysis of the carbon/nitrogen content of bone tools and faunal remains from Peers and Blombos caves; and (4) microscopic analysis of traces of manufacture and use. Previously undescribed bone artifacts from Blombos Cave include a massive point manufactured on weathered bone, two complete awls and two awl tips manufactured on small-sized mammal and bird bone, a probable projectile point with a tang manufactured by knapping and scraping, a shaft fragment modified by percussion, used as retoucher and bearing a set of incised lines on the middle of the periosteal surface, and two fragments with possible engravings. The point from Peers Cave can be assigned to the Middle Stone Age and bears tiny markings reminiscent of those recorded on projectile points from Blombos and used as marks of ownership on San arrow points. The awl from Blombosch Sands and the bone point from Klasies River can be attributed to the Later Stone Age. Two notched objects from Klasies are attributed to the Middle Stone Age and interpreted as tools used on soft material; a third object bears possible deliberate symbolic engravings. Although low in number, the instances of bone artifacts attributable to the Middle Stone Age is increasing and demonstrates that the bone tools from Blombos Cave are not isolated instances. New discoveries of bone tools dating to this time period can be expected.     

Les retouchoirs en matières dures animales : une comparaison entre Moustérien final et Uluzzien

Retouching tools made of bone and other hard animal material have very broad chronological and geographical distribution throughout the Paleolithic period in Europe that also involves the Latest Mousterian and the Uluzzian in Italy. We investigated possible behavioural differences between these two cultural complexes in the use of these implements, based on the evidence from Fumane Cave, with its MP-EUP transitional sequence that has so far yielded more than 150 such artifacts. Although they are mostly made from bone shafts, a few remarkable examples of two fragments of cervid antler are also present. At a general level, these tools form an homogenous group: taxonomically, the bones fit with the faunal composition dominated by red deer and cervids, which were the most commonly hunted animals. The identified stigmata are punctiform impressions, linear impressions, striae and wells, usually grouped in small zones. Each retouching tool has up to three of these zones. Significant similarities in species, the skeletal part, and weight between the tools from the two cultural complexes have been detected, but also a difference due to the use of brown bear bones in the Uluzzian.     

湖北郧西白龙洞古人类遗址初步研究

湖北省郧西县白龙洞遗址经过两次正式发掘,出土了古人类牙齿化石、石制品、骨制品等文化遗物和大量动物化石,是一处重要的古人类遗址.2007年4-5月,作者在该遗址周围进行了地质、地貌调查,并对以往发掘出土的部分动物化石和文化遗物进行了整理.同年9月,作者在白龙洞进行探察和小规模试掘,出土大量动物化石和少量石制品、骨制品等文化遗物.同时还发现可疑燃烧痕迹、动物骨骼表面痕迹以及特殊的动物化石埋藏现象等古人类活动证据.白龙洞发育于上新世沙坪组砾岩、泥晶灰岩和泥灰岩地层中,近水平状节理和裂隙为洞穴发育提供前提条件,垂直渗流为溶蚀的主要方式.白龙洞遗址属原地埋藏,动物群的组合显示中更新世早期的面貌,石英岩岩脉原料可能是导致石器工业组合显示北方石器工业面貌的原因.对遗址分布及埋藏现象的初步分析显示,白龙洞为一处多功能的古人类活动遗址.     

湖北郧西黄龙洞古人类遗址2006年发掘报告

2004—2005年,在湖北省郧西县境内的黄龙洞的两次发掘中,发现了5枚人类牙齿化石、20余件石制品及大量的动物化石。初步分析显示这是一处重要的更新世晚期的人类遗址。我们在2006年对该遗址进行了第三次发掘,又发现了2枚人类牙齿化石、11件古人类打制的石制品与6件骨制工具、1500余件动物化石以及其它古人类活动证据。野外工作期间我们还对黄龙洞洞穴堆积及山体地貌的考察,在此基础上对该洞穴发育及古人类在洞穴内的生活状况进行了初步推测。本文介绍了2006年的野外工作情况。     

王府井东方广场遗址骨制品研究

王府井东方广场遗址不仅出土了丰富的石制品,而且也含有较为丰富的骨制品。骨制品可分为骨核、人工骨块、骨片、骨屑和骨器五大类;骨片约占骨制品总数一半;骨器包括刮削器、尖头器、雕刻器和骨铲四类。观察发现：79件骨制品和骨骼可以拼合成33组,45件上有古人类砍砸、切割或刻划的痕迹。丰富的骨制品进一步反映了王府井古人类文化的进步性;同华北地区类似制品比较,它们之间存在着密切的渊源关系。遗物分布特征表明,东方广场遗址是一处古人类的临时居住地。出土的石器、骨器遗物以及大量的动物骨骼化石表明,王府井古人类不仅能够制作石器与骨器用来宰杀与支解猎物,而且具有用火、控火进行烹饪的能力。     

华南晚更新世晚期人类行为复杂化的个案——江西万年吊桶环遗址的发现

吊桶环遗址位于江西万年县境内的大源盆地,是一处坐落在盆地西南边缘的孤立小山顶山的岩厦遗址。岩厦内发现晚更新世晚期以来文化堆积厚达4 m以上。1993-1999年期间曾经过三次发掘,出土了数以千计的石制品,包括石片石器、砾石石器及局部经过磨制加工的石制品,数量众多的动物骨骼遗存。尤为重要的是时代早,数量较多,类型复杂的骨、角及蚌制品的发现,如鹿角斧、骨鱼镖及穿孔蚌壳刀等。与此同时,还有多处用火与居住活动遗迹的发现。这些新发现清楚地记录了晚更新世人类在岩厦内活动的历史,为认识华南地区晚更新世晚期人类的"行为现代性"或"复杂化"进程提供了重要的新证据。     

Use-Wear Patterns on Wild Macaque Stone Tools Reveal Their Behavioural History

Burmese long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis aurea) are one of a limited number of wild animal species to use stone tools, with their tool use focused on pounding shelled marine invertebrates foraged from intertidal habitats. These monkeys exhibit two main styles of tool use: axe hammering of oysters, and pound hammering of unattached encased foods. In this study, we examined macroscopic use-wear patterns on a sample of 60 wild macaque stone tools from Piak Nam Yai Island, Thailand, that had been collected following behavioural observation, in order to (i) quantify the wear patterns in terms of the types and distribution of use-damage on the stones, and (ii) develop a Use-Action Index (UAI) to differentiate axe hammers from pound hammers by wear patterns alone. We used the intensity of crushing damage on differing surface zones of the stones, as well as stone weight, to produce a UAI that had 92% concordance when compared to how the stones had been used by macaques, as observed independently prior to collection. Our study is the first to demonstrate that quantitative archaeological use-wear techniques can accurately reconstruct the behavioural histories of non-human primate stone tools.     

内蒙古大窑遗址27号洞石制品研究

大窑遗址27号洞于1986年被发掘,共有3个层位包含文化遗物,出土石制品总计520件。本文着重对石制品进行研究,发现27号洞的石制品主体为石片石器组合,存在少量细石核预制产品。石核以单台面为主,尤以将石片腹面作为台面进行剥片的石核最具特色;石器类型有边刮器、锯齿刃器、砍砸器、石球/石锤等。结合石制品类型与堆积性质初步推断,27号洞石制品的年代不早于旧石器时代晚期晚段。     

Signification des technologies bifaciales au Paléolithique moyen des montagnes de l’Altaï

Previously the single bifacial tools found in different industrial variants of the Altai Middle Paleolithic (Sibiryachikha and Kara-bom) were not considered to be cultural markers that could be used to differentiate the technological/cultural variants, but rather a bright, but situational manifestation of the typological variability, especially in the case of the Sibiryachika assemblages. As a result of recent studies of Chagyrskaya Cave, the key-site of Sibiryachikha, it was found that all the bifaces are made using plano-convex technology. In the Chagyrskaya Cave assemblage all stages of bifacial production have been found: pre-forms, bifacial tools and tools made on the bifacial thinning flakes, accompanied by numerous bifacial thinning flakes and bifacial thinning chips. A preliminary study of the bifaces from the second Sibiryachikha site, Okladnikov Cave evidenced the use of the same plano-convex technology. On the other hand, in the Kara-bom complexes (Kara-Bom, Ust-Karakol-1, Anuy-3), all bifacial tools are made using bi-convex bifacial technology. Thus, the criteria for the technological distinction of bifacial production assume special importance as a cultural marker that allows the differentiation the Altai Middle Paleolithic technological variants. Taking into account the fact that Chagyrskaya Cave and Okladnikov Cave are associated only with Neanderthal remains, it can be assumed that bifacial plano-convexe technology in the Middle Paleolithic of Altai is linked to the appearance and existence of their population in the region.     

万寿岩旧石器时代遗址埋藏学研究

本文对福建三明万寿岩遗址文化层形成、遗物与动物骨骼埋藏、风化、破坏等现象进行观察,认为灵峰洞旧石器早期文化遗物和化石,由于暴露于洞内表面时间较长而经受强烈风化、侵蚀与钙质胶结;船帆洞旧石器晚期遗址因洞口坍塌和外部水流侵漫进洞而被废弃,在潮湿环境下,遗物和化石遭受腐蚀、铁锰质浸染严重。3个文化层的遗物及伴生哺乳动物化石均属原地埋藏类型;而船帆洞内3号支洞化石的集聚是高层洞穴作为排泄通道时由流水携带堆积而成的异地埋藏。     

Middle Stone Age Ochre Processing and Behavioural Complexity in the Horn of Africa: Evidence from Porc-Epic Cave,Dire Dawa,Ethiopia

Ochre is a common feature at Middle Stone Age (MSA) sites and has often been interpreted as a proxy for the origin of modern behaviour. However, few ochre processing tools, ochre containers, and ochre-stained artefacts from MSA contexts have been studied in detail within a theoretical framework aimed at inferring the technical steps involved in the acquisition, production and use of these artefacts. Here we analyse 21 ochre processing tools, i.e. upper and lower grindstones, and two ochre-stained artefacts from the MSA layers of Porc-Epic Cave, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, dated to ca. 40 cal kyr BP. These tools, and a large proportion of the 4213 ochre fragments found at the site, were concentrated in an area devoted to ochre processing. Lower grindstones are made of a variety of raw materials, some of which are not locally available. Traces of use indicate that different techniques were employed to process ochre. Optical microscopy, XRD, μ-Raman spectroscopy, and SEM-EDS analyses of residues preserved on worn areas of artefacts show that different types of ferruginous rocks were processed in order to produce ochre powder of different coarseness and shades. A round stone bearing no traces of having been used to process ochre is half covered with residues as if it had been dipped in a liquid ochered medium to paint the object or to use it as a stamp to apply pigment to a soft material. We argue that the ochre reduction sequences identified at Porc-Epic Cave reflect a high degree of behavioural complexity, and represent ochre use, which was probably devoted to a variety of functions.     

宜良九乡张口洞发现的旧石器

本文记述了从张口洞出土的人牙４０枚、哺乳动物化石１９２３件、旧石器材料１８２６件及少量骨器．石工具中修背和修理把手有显著表现．张口洞石器工业属元谋－宜良（路南）区域性文化,兼有猫猫洞类型文化的影响,时代为晚更新世至早全新世．     

甘肃石峡口旧石器遗址第1地点发掘报告

石峡口遗址第1地点位于甘肃省张家川回族自治县川王乡石峡口村,遗址埋藏在清水河右岸一级阶地中。遗址地层分为7层,其中第5、6层中包含丰富的文化遗物,分别命名为第1、2文化层。2015年对该遗址的试掘共发现用火遗迹2处、石制品406件、动物化石201件、古人类牙齿化石1件、串珠装饰品2件以及烧骨、大量的石质碎屑和碎骨等。遗址两个文化层的文化特征基本一致,是一处包含较多细石叶技术产品的遗址。石制品总体以微型、小型居多;原料主要为石英、燧石;细石核类型丰富,除楔形、柱形、锥形外,古人类还直接选用形态不规则的块状毛坯剥离细石叶,显示了熟练的细石叶工艺;普通石片的生产方法主要为硬锤锤击法,偶见砸击法;石器类型包括边刮器、端刮器和两面尖状器等。动物化石比较破碎,经初步鉴定有普氏羚羊、马科、鸵鸟等种类。遗址的年代为17.2~18.5ka cal BP,处于末次盛冰期(LGM),文化时代属于旧石器时代晚期晚段。     

老龙洞史前遗址初步研究

本文记述了老龙洞史前遗址研究初步成果．在对石、骨、角制品的一般性质论述基础上,指出这一组合具有自身的一些特点,并有着文化上的广泛联系;依遗物和哺乳动物化石对其年代也作了初步讨论。初步研究结果表明,它是中国西南地区,特别是云南近年来发现的一处重要的包括旧石器时代晚期文化层在内的史前洞穴遗址,为研究中国南方旧石器时代晚期文化类型的多样性提供了一个重要的地点和一批有意义的文化遗物。     

Further evidence of a lower pleistocene arrival of early humans in northern Europe--the Untermassfeld site (Germany)

The discovery of 24 stone artifacts and two bone tools at the German fluvial site of Untermassfeld associated with a rich vertebrate fauna of the Epivillafranchian provide further evidence of a Lower Pleistocene arrival of early Homo in northern Europe, since results of geological, paleomagnetic and biostratigraphic investigations point to an absolute age of approximately 1.07 million years (ma). The typological study of the lithic artifacts is accompanied by the analysis of the mineralogical structure of the raw materials and use wear traces of simple flakes and retouched lithic fragments. Signs of thermal alteration on the surface of a stone tool may denote former exposure to fire. Hominin processing of animal resources is indicated by at least one knapped bone tool and bone surface modifications considered to be of cultural origin. Finally, lithic material from further archeological find sites of the Werra Valley associated with assumed Lower Pleistocene river sediments are discussed.     

山西兴县碧村遗址石器研究

我国新石器考古研究者往往将更多的注意力集中在磨制石器上,如近年兴起的对磨制石器的制作过程实验性研究及功能探讨,但对旧石器时代的打制石器很少给予足够地重视。本文通过对地处晋西黄土高原龙山时期的碧村遗址2015年来发现的打制石器和部分磨制石器的观察与初步研究发现,打制石器虽是碧村遗址众多手工业中的一个小项,但其存在表明了石器文化传统有着强劲的生命力——从旧石器时代一直延续至新石器时代的龙山时期,狩猎采集也是龙山时期晋西黄土高原人类的辅助性生计方式。     

吉林榆树大桥屯发现的旧石器

在大桥屯地点发现17件石制品、两件骨制品和15种哺乳动物化石。石器以刮削器为主。打片技术都是采用锤击直接打法。修理工具的方式以向背面加工为主,反映了我国北方打击石器的传统修理方式。骨制品中一件系用猛犸象门齿残片制作的刮削器,属首次发现。