Janusz K. Kozłowski

Étude des ensembles lithiques atériens de la grotte d'El Aliya à Tanger (Maroc)

Resume Le reexamen des series d’El Aliya illustre leur homogeneite typologique et leur grand raffinement technique, souvent meconnus en Europe. Des datations recentes de l’Aterien au Maroc septentrional necessitent une revision des idees couramment acceptees quant a ses influences sur le continent europeen, par exemple dans la gestation du Solutreen moyen.

The Epi-Palaeolithic of Öküzini cave (SW Anatolia) and its mobiliary art

Late and Epi-Palaeolithic sequences are well known from field work and publications in southeast Europe and the Levant. Current research in Anatolia promises to shed new light on the vast region that connects these two areas. At Okuzini cave a detailed sequence of Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene assemblages contributes greatly to our understanding.

The Anatolian Middle Paleolithic: New Research at Karain Cave

The aims of this report are threefold: (1) to provide new information concerning the Lower and Middle Paleolithic of southern Turkey, (2) to present the shifts in lithic techniques evident in the sequence of Karain Cave during these periods, and (3) to demonstrate the significance of the new information for interpreting long-distance relations between Western Asia and Europe. In fact, in spite of the crucial geographic situation of Anatolia between the Near East and Europe, it has rarely been the subject of intensive excavations and publications concerning the Paleolithic periods. Recently obtained data are therefore of significant interest.

Luminescence dates for the palaeolithic site of Piekary IIa (Poland) comparison between TL of burnt flints and OSL of a loess-like deposit

We report the thermoluminescence age-estimates for burnt flints excavated at the palaeolithic site of Piekary IIa and discuss attempts to date quartz grains extracted from the embedding deposit using the OSL technique with the SAR protocol. The results indicate that this loess-like deposit contains a mixture of grains, well bleached at different periods in the past, and that the study of small aliquots seems to be the only way to discriminate between the different fractions.

Correlation between Loess profiles on the basis of mineralogical, malacological, and anthropogenic indicators: A case study from Moravany‐Lopata, western Slovakia

Moravany-Lopata, located in the complex of sites in the middle Vah basin, dates to the periodimmediately preceding the LGM. The authors use this site to demonstrate the usefulness ofmineralogical, sedimentological, palaeomalacological, and anthropogenic criteria for the cor-relation of loess profiles. This analysis is especially concerned with sites in loess territorieswhere the loess layers covering archaeological levels are not thick. Suchsitesoccurfrequentlyon the plateaus of the northern part of Central Europe, though they appear most notably inthe areas in which the last loess cover, corresponding to the period after the last Pleniglacialand/or Late Glacial postloess sediments, is absent. The archaeological levels dated to beforeor directly after the LGM occur in the upper portion of the loess, overlain by the Holocenesoil. The investigations at the Moravany-Lopata site have confirmed the usefulness of theanthropogenic indicators in the fraction for the identification of occupationlevels0.1–1.0 mmextending even beyond the area of occurrence of macrofinds and evident type structures. Onthis basis, a relationship could be established between two occupational levels and two ice-wedge generations in the period from 21.4 to Gravettian settlement in western Slovakia20 ky.seems to have persisted up to the maximum of the LGM. Population groups representing theend of the shouldered points horizon (

Who ate the birds: the taphonomy of Sarakenos Cave, Greece

The taphonomic analysis of avian remains from Sarakenos Cave reveals that, contrary to previous suggestions, many bird bones excavated there represent food remains of the Eagle Owls rather than humans. The conclusion is based on the presence of traces of digestion, beak and claw punctures, and indirect evidence that includes relative preservation of particular elements, species composition, the lack of cut marks, and the absence of numerous traces of burning. Specimens with medullary bone and traces of digestion indicate that the owls killed breeding females in spring. Since it is unlikely that owls shared the cave with humans at the same time, it supports the notion based on archeological evidence that human groups did not inhabit it permanently.

The evolution of chipped stone industries in the “Polgár Island” from the Middle Neolithic to the Early Copper Age

“Polgar Island” is a natural elevation delimited by river banks; its flat area covers 70 sq.km The “Polgar Island” is of particular importance for the study of interregional contacts as raw materials deposits are absent in this territory. The settlement in the “Polgar Island” can be seen from the Middle Neolithic to the Early Copper Age (ALP I-IV, Late Neolithic and Tiszpolgar Culture). In this time-span changes in raw material supply, technology and organization of lithic production took place. In the Early Phase obsidian played the most important role, and contacts developed along the north-south axis. In the Late Neolithic horizon (Polgar-Csoszhalom-dűlő) the flow of obsidian was smaller, replaced by limnoquartzites. A major change in the systems of raw material supply occured at the beginning of the Copper Age, Simultaneously with changes in the direction of raw material supply, diachronic changes took place in the organization of lithic production.

Chipped and ground stone implements from the Middle Neolithic site of Polgár 31 (North-East Hungary)

The site of Polgar 31 (Ferenci-hat) is situated on the left bank of the Upper Tisza, within the so-called “Polgar Island”. The site consists of single features dated at the Alfold Linear Pottery Culture (ALP) I-III, while the majority of features belong to the youngest phase (ALP IV) attached to the Bukk Culture. Our analysis focuses on both the chipped stone and the ground stone implements. The most important raw material used for the chipped stone industry of ALP IV phase was obsidian, followed by limno-hydroquartzites. Extra local raw materials played a minor role. Both in the case of obsidian as well as limnohydroquartzites on-site production was limited, while most artefacts were produced off-site. The structure of retouched tools shows that end-scrapers dominate slightly over marginally retouched blades. The most commonly exploited raw material in the ground stone industry were various types of rhyolites deriving from the areas 40 to 50 km north of the site. Among tools predominate implements related to food preparation such as a variety of grinding stones, pestles, grinders etc. As part of rituals these tools were destroyed. Sometimes the fragments were used for crushing mineral dyes. Both: fragments of ground stone as well as chipped stone tools occur also in the graves.

Excavation along the easternmost frontier of the LBK in NE-Hungary at Apc-Berekalja I (2008–2009)

The topographical position and size of the site, the number of detected houses, the presence of the early phase make the Apc-Berekalja I settlement one of the most significant sites of the LBK in Hungary. The ongoing processing of the excavation data provided already some very important observations. The geoarchaeological results demonstrated the presence of the in situ soil of the Neolithic period and effects of floods on the settlement. The study of the chipped and ground stone material coming from the Neolithic features revealed no conspicuous changes in the lithic industry of the settlement from the pre-Notenkopf to Želiezovce phases of the LBK. Lithic raw materials came exclusively from territories to the east of the site, which is an evidence of the isolation of the LBK groups that inhabited Apc.

Linear Band Pottery Culture (LBK) lithic industry from Apc

The general inventory of the chipped stone artefacts coming from the LBK features at Apc indicates that a specific, small scale, local lithic production was conducted on-site. Majority of used raw ...