A Palaeolithic `Pompeii' at Kostenki, Russia. (Research).

A Palaeolithic `Pompeii' at Kostenki, Russia. (Research). The occurrence of volcanic tephra teph��ra?n.Solid matter that is ejected into the air by an erupting volcano.[Greek tephr in Upper Pleistocene deposits inthe central part of the Russian Plain is a remarkable phenomenon, notleast because the plain lies at a great distance from known areas ofvolcanic activity. Volcanic ash was first recognised in Central Russiain the 1930s and defined at Kostenki in the 1950s. For some time the ashhas been considered as resulting from the eruptions of volcanoes in theCaucasus, these being the nearest to the scene. Yet the special analyseswhich were performed at the Institute of Volcanology volcanologyor vulcanologyScientific discipline concerned with all aspects of volcanic phenomena. Volcanology deals with the formation, distribution, and classification of volcanoes, as well as their structure and the kinds of materials ejected during an at the Academy ofSciences of the USSR USSR:see Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. in the 1980s, make it possible to link the Kostenkitephra with the volcanic system at Campi Flegrei in Southern Italy whereeruptions have been dated from c. 38 000 BP (38 ka) (Melekestsev et al.1984). Deposits in several stratified stratified/strat��i��fied/ (strat��i-fid) formed or arranged in layers. strat��i��fiedadj.Arranged in the form of layers or strata. sites in the Kostenki area (Kostenki1, 6, 11, 12, 14, 17, and Borshchevo 5 from 2002) (Figure 1) haveincluded layers of volcanic ash in a distinct stratigraphic positionbetween the upper and lower humus-rich beds, thus forming achronological marker separating the first (ancient) and second (middle)chronological groups of the Kostenkian sequence. In excavations in2000/2001, palaeolithic cultural remains were found in conjunction withthe ash at Markina Gora (Kostenki 14) on a surface less than 10 sq. m inarea (Figure 2). The cultural material occurred in lenses about 1m indiameter, separated by practically pure volcanic glass (Figure 3). Thethickness of the cultural layers averaged 5-10 cm, reaching 15 cm innatural hollows. The consistent size and content of the lenses suggestthat these were primary contexts, with only minor displacement ofarchaeological materials from their initial position, and relativelyrapid burial. The cultural remains included lithic lith��ic?1?adj.Consisting of or relating to stone or rock.Adj. 1. lithic - of or containing lithium2. lithic - relating to or composed of stone; "lithic sandstone" and bone assemblages,fauna, small pieces of red and yellow ochre, charcoal, and pieces ofburned bone. No features, such as a hearth, pits, or habitation HABITATION, civil law. It was the right of a person to live in the house of another without prejudice to the property. 2. It differed from a usufruct in this, that the usufructuary might have applied the house to any purpose, as, a store or manufactory; whereas structures, were identified. [FIGURES 1-3 OMITTED] Lithics comprise 340 items of chipped flint, 1% being tools withsecondary modifications, mostly represented by their fragments. Coreswere absent. Unipolar unipolar/uni��po��lar/ (u?ni-po��ler)1. having a single pole or process, as a nerve cell.2. pertaining to mood disorders in which only depressive episodes occur. knapping was identified on the blanks withunilateral parallel dorsal surfaces. The occurrence of a series ofmicroblades is of crucial significance for the cultural attribution ofthe assemblage. There were nearly 30 pieces, 19 of which revealed amicro-retouch (Figure 4). Taking into consideration particularattributes such as an asymmetric shape and twisted profile, as well as(in three cases) an alternative lateral retouch, they may be identifiedas lamelles Dufour, and, more precisely, as Roc-de-Comb variety.Although high scrapers were not found, one may reasonably suggest thatthey were used as a cores for manufacturing this variety of microblade(Lucas 1997; 1999; Ciotti 2000). [FIGURE 4 OMITTED] The faunal assemblage featured mammals, such as hare, and nearly adozen mandibles of the Polar Fox. Significantly, the bones of smallmammals were almost complete, whereas those of larger ones were usuallyfragmented. An abundance of bone tools is yet another feature of thisarchaeological assemblage, but all the tools were found in smallfragments, which makes their typological identification virtuallyimpossible. Ornamental objects featured prominently in the artefactual adj. 1. of or pertaining to an artefact.2. made by human actions.Adj. 1. artefactual - of or relating to artifactsartifactual assemblage. Four elongated beads made out of bone and three pendants cutfrom shells came from a limited part of the excavated area, whichcorresponded to the periphery of the site. According to Dr. I. Kuzmina(Institute of Zoology The Institute of Zoology (IoZ) is the research division of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). It is a government-funded research institute specialising in scientific issues relevant to the conservation of animal species and their habitats. , Russian Academy of Sciences) the beads weremanufactured from the diaphyses of the Polar Fox's long bone, and,in one case possibly from a bird bone. The beads are criss-crossed bydeeply cut lines, mainly circular, in one case forming a spiral pattern(Figure 5). All these decorated objects had a strongly polished surfaceand smooth edges--suggestive of a long period of use. Elongated beadsmade out of the long bones of small animals are commonly found at UpperPalaeolithic sites in Europe. Similar ornaments are known from severalAurignacian sites of Western Europe (White 1989) while their style andtechnology are differ from those of Gravettian sites. One of thedistinctions of the Kostenki beads is in their lobes: cut in one caseand incised in another. [FIGURE 5 OMITTED] A group of perforated pendants were made from the shells ofmolluscs, identified by Professor B.I.Syrenko (Institute of Zoology,Russian Academy of Sciences) as Theodoxus fluviatilis Neritidae, amollusc molluscmembers of the phylum Mollusca, which comprises about 50,000 species. Includes snails, slugs and the aquatic molluscs��oysters, mussels, clams, cockles, arkshells, scallop, abalone, cuttlefish, squid. adapted to both fresh and salt water, and fairly common in thepresent-day eco system of the River Don. Three out of four shells havesmall punctured holes (Figure 5). The edges of the holes were smoothed,which, as in the case of elongated beads, indicates long use. The shellpendants are widely known from Palaeolithic contexts, exploiting thecommon occurrence of Neritidae. From the excavation of 2002 came examples of pendants made from thefangs of the Polar Fox (Figure 6). Together with the beads and the shellpendants, these would form an appropriate third component for anornamental necklace. In contrast to similar East Gravettian (Kostenkian)things with holes made by incisions, and the same pendants ofMagdalenian and Spitsynian attribution with drilled holes, the holes inthe fox-teeth were punched clumsily from two sides into previouslyprepared planed flat surfaces, most likely by means of a punch. [FIGURE 6 OMITTED] Seen as a whole, and based on its main components (technology,typology, decorations), the collection of archaeological materials fromthe new cultural layer found at Kostenki 14 can be identified as typicalAurignacian and the closest analogy may be found in the assemblage ofcultural layer III of Kostenki 1, a site with an indisputableAurignacian affiliation (Sinitsyn 1993). Taking into account the closeagreement of radiocarbon dates for the two sites: 32 600 [+ or -] 400(GrN-17117) and 32 600 [+ or -] 1100 (OXA-7073) for cultural layer IIIof Kostenki 1 (Sinitsyn 1999) and 32 420 [+ or -] 440/420 (GrA-18053)for the `ash horizon' of Kostenki 14--they can be treated ascontemporary. The decorated objects in this latter assemblage areequally the oldest to be found in Eastern Europe so far, and thepersonal adornments the oldest manifestation of decorative art. Untilnow the oldest adornments have been related to the assemblage ofcultural layer II at Markina Gora dated by a consistent series ofradiocarbon measurements to 28 000 BP (Sinitsyn et al. 1997). The basicsignificance of the new Kostenki 14 assemblage resides in its being thethird site in Eastern Europe with typically Aurignacian affiliations (inaddition to Kostenki 1,layer III, and Suren 1, layers Fb2,Ga2), althoughthe Aurignacian layers of the latter have more recent dates (Otte et al.1996; Demidenko et al. 1998; Pettitt 1998; Demidenko and Otte 2000-2001;Demidenko 2000, 2001). It is necessary to add that the assemblages ofthe two Kostenki sites appear to be not only the oldest Aurignacianmanifestation in eastern Europe, but also mark the most easterly pointof its dispersion. The character of the archaeological deposit at Kostenki 14 suggestsa short-lived settlement, brought to an end by a catastrophic volcanicevent. The thickness of the tephra layer in the Kostenki area, reaching10-15 cm (in the filling of an ancient ravine at Kostenki 6 itsthickness is up to 40 cm) implies that its concentration in theatmosphere was immense. Minute volatile particles of volcanic glass canform a stable deposit on a slope falling at an angle of 6[degrees] onlyif a single condition is met: it would have to be covered rapidly by thesediments--otherwise, wind and water would rapidly destroy it. Even theshort-lived presence of a vast volume of pyroclastic py��ro��clas��tic?adj.Composed chiefly of rock fragments of volcanic origin.pyroclastic?Composed chiefly of rock fragments of explosive origin, especially those associated with explosive volcanic materials wouldscreen the earth from solar radiation, giving an effect akin to a`nuclear winter'. Further studies aim to locate the volcanic sourcemore securely, estimate the mechanism of the fall-out and the timeperiod involved, and the short and long-term effects on the Aurignacianpopulations of the Russian Plain. Acknowledgements I am grateful to P.M. Dolukhanov (Department of Archaeology,University of Newcastle University of Newcastle can refer to: Newcastle University, a university in the United Kingdom. The University of Newcastle, a university in New South Wales, Australia , Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne,city (1991 pop. 199,064) and metropolitan district, NE England, on the Tyne River. The city is an important shipping and trade center. The famous coal-shipping industry began in the 13th cent. , UK) for improvements to myEnglish text, and to the Russian Humanitarian Scientific Fund forsupport of the 2000-2 excavations and the preparation of this paper(projects 00-01-18039, 01-01-18053, 02-01-18084,02-01-0034). References CIOTTI, L. 2000. Lamelles Dufour et grattoirs aurignaciens (careneset a museau) de la couche 8 de l'abri Pataud, Les Eyzies-de-Tayac,Dordogne. L'Anthropologie, 104.2:239-263. DEMIDENKO YU.E. 2000-2001. The European Early Aurignacian ofKrems-Dufour type industries: a view from Eastern Europe. PrehistoireEuropeenne 16-17: 147-162. DEMIDENKO, YU.E., V. P. CHABAI, M. OTTE, A. I. YEVTUSHENKO, S. V.TATARTSEV. 1998. Siuren-I, an Aurignacian site in the Crimea (theinvestigations of the 1994-1996 field seasons)in M.Otte (ed) Prehistoired'Anatolie. Genese de deux mondes. (Actes du colloqueinternational. Liege liegeIn European feudal society, an unconditional bond between a man and his overlord. Thus, if a tenant held estates from various overlords, his obligations to his liege lord, to whom he had paid “liege homage,” were greater than his obligations to the other , 1997, ERAUL), 85/1: 367-413. DEMIDENKO, YU.E., M. OTTE. 2000-2001. Suren-I (Crimea) in thecontext of a European Aurignacian. Prehistoire Europeenne 16-17:133-146. LUCAS, G. 1997. Les lamelles Dufour du Flageolet flageolet(flăjəlĕt`), small straight flute of conical bore, with a whistle mouthpiece. The number of finger holes varies, as does the length, which may be from 4 to 12 in (10.2–30.5 cm). I (Bezenac,Dordogne) dans le contexte aurignacien. Paleo 9: 191-219. LUCAS, G. 1999. Production experimentale de lamelles torses:approche preliminaire. Bulletin SPF (1) (Stateful Packet Firewall) See stateful inspection.(2) (Sender Policy Framework) An e-mail authentication system that verifies that the message came from an authorized mail server. , 96/2: 145-151. MELEKESTSEV, I.V., V. Yu KIRIANOV, N.D. PRASLOV. 1984. Catastrophiceruption in the Campi Flegrei area (Italy)--possible source of volcanicashes in the Upper Pleistocene sediments of the European part of theUSSR. Volcanology and seismology seismology(sīzmŏl`əjē, sīs–), scientific study of earthquakes and related phenomena, including the propagation of waves and shocks on or within the earth by natural or artificially generated seismic signals. , 3: 35-44 (in Russian). OTTE, M., P. NOIRET, S. TATARTSEV, I. LOPEZ BAYON. 1996.L'Aurignacien de Suren I (Crimee): fouilles 1994 et 1995.in A.Palma di Cesnola, A. Montet-White, K. Valoch (eds) The Late Aurignacian.(Colloquium col��lo��qui��um?n. pl. col��lo��qui��ums or col��lo��qui��a1. An informal meeting for the exchange of views.2. An academic seminar on a broad field of study, usually led by a different lecturer at each meeting. XI of Section 6: The Upper Palaeolithic) XIII CongresInternational d'U.I.S.P.P.--Italia, 1996. (Forli): 123-137. PETTITT, P.B. 1998. Middle and Upper Palaeoithic Crimea: theradiocarbon chronology. Prehistoire d'Anatolie. Genese de deuxmondes. Actes du colloque international. Liege, 1997 (ed. M.Otte).ERAUL, 85/1: 329-338. SINITSYN, A.A. 1993. Les niveaux aurignaciens de Kostienki 1. Actesdu XII Congres de l'UISPP. Bratislava, 1991. (Bratislava): 242-259. SINITSYN, A.A. 1996. Kostenki 14 (Markina gora): data, problems,and perspectives. Prehistoire Europeenne 9. (Liege): 273-313. SINITSYN, A.A. 1999. Chronological problems of the Palaeolithic ofKostenki-Borschevo area: geological, palynological and [sup.14]Cperspectives.in J.Evin, Ch.Oberlin, J.-P.Daugas, J.-F.Salles (eds)[sup.14]C et Archeologie. [3.sup.eme] Congres International (Lyon, 1998)Memoires SPF, t.XXVI et Supplement 1999 de la Revue d'Archeometrie.(Lyon): 143-150. SINITSYN, A.A., N. D. PRASLOV, YU S. VEZHENTSEV, L. D.SULEZHITSKIY. 1997. Radiocarbon chronology of the Upper Palaeolithic ofEastern Europe.in A.A.Sinitsyn, N.D.Praslov (eds) Radiocarbon chronologyof the Palaeolithic of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Problems andperspectives (Saint Petersburg): 21-66 (in Russian). WHITE, R. 1989. Production Complexity and Standardisation in EarlyAurignacian Bead and Pendant Manufacture: Evolutionary Implications inP.Mellars, C.Stringer (eds) The Human Revolution. Behavioural andBiological Perspectives on the Origins of Modern Humans (Edinburgh):366-390. Andrei A. Sinitsyn * * Andrei Sinitsyn, Institute of the History of Material Culture,Russian Academy of Sciences, 18, Dvortsovaia nab., Saint-Petersburg,191186 Russia. (sinitsyn@as6238.spb.edu) Received 30 January 2002; Revised 25 January 2003.