Małgorzata Kaczanowska

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 ...

The origin and spread of the western linear pottery culture: Between forager and food producing lifeways in Central Europe@@@A nyugati vonaldíszes kerámia kultúrájának eredete és terjeszkedése: Zsákmányoló és élelemtermelő életmódok között Közép-Európában

The findings of the project addressing Early Neolithic lifeways in Central Europe were published in 2013 (P. Bickle, A. Whittle). As part of this research project, samples from human and animal skeletons from various Linearbandkeramik (LBK) sites of the immense area extending from Transdanubia to Alsace were submitted to stable isotope analyses in order to reconstruct the mobility, diet and social structure of Early Neolithic groups. However, owing to the nature of the submitted samples, the conclusions drawn from the analyses cannot be applied to the early LBK phase because very few human remains are known from this period, especially from East Central Europe. Interaction between households and groups — as well as the crucial issue of LBK origins — can principally be reconstructed from the study of the material culture, especially from the analysis of lithic tools and pottery (and their raw materials).The study focuses on the early LBK phase, on the comparison of the material culture of Mesolithic forage...