Central Europe; Cooperative works; Early Upper Palaeolithic; Evolution of technology; Fiber technology; Pleistocene; Social organizations; Multidisciplinary; use-wear
Abstract :
[en] Evidence for the manufacture and use of fiber technology such as rope and twine is rare in the Paleolithic, despite the widely held view that such artifacts were in regular use during the Pleistocene. On the basis of the discovery of a more than 35,000-year-old perforated baton made from mammoth ivory at Hohle Fels Cave in Ach Valley of southwestern Germany together with experimental studies, we are now able to demonstrate one way people of the early Upper Paleolithic manufactured rope. This work contributes to our understanding of the evolution of technology, cooperative work, and Paleolithic social organization.
Disciplines :
Archaeology
Author, co-author :
Conard, Nicholas J ; Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, Schloss Hohentübingen, University of Tübingen, 72070 Tübingen, Germany ; Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment, Schloss Hohentübingen, University of Tübingen, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
Rots, Veerle ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Unités de recherche interfacultaires > Art, Archéologie et Patrimoine (AAP) ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences historiques > TraceoLab
Language :
English
Title :
Rope making in the Aurignacian of Central Europe more than 35,000 years ago.
Publication date :
02 February 2024
Journal title :
Science Advances
eISSN :
2375-2548
Publisher :
American Association for the Advancement of Science, United States
This research has been supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (to n.J.C.); University of tübingen (to n.J.C.); Senckenberg Centre for human evolution and Paleoenvironment (to n.J.C.); ROCeeh project of the heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften (to n.J.C.); Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst of Baden-Württemberg (to n.J.C.); Alb-donau-Kreis, heidelbergCement (to n.J.C.); Museumsgesellschaft Schelklingen (to n.J.C.); Gesellschaft für Urgeschichte (to n.J.C.); Fund for Scientific Research (F.R.S.-FNRS), Belgium (to V.R.); European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013, ERC grant agreement no. 312283, and EVO-HAFt, to V.R.); and the University of Liège, Belgium (to V.R.).
scite shows how a scientific paper has been cited by providing the context of the citation, a classification describing whether it supports, mentions, or contrasts the cited claim, and a label indicating in which section the citation was made.
Bibliography
l. Owen, Distorting the Past: Gender and the Division of Labor in the European Upper Palaeolithic (Kerns verlag, 2005).
l. M. hurcombe, Perishable Material Culture in Prehistory: Investigating the Missing Majority (Routledge, 2014).
O. Soffer, J. M. Adovasio, d. C. hyland, the “venus” figurines. Curr. Anthropol. 41, 511–537 (2000).
C. Kilgore, e. Gonthier, Premières découvertes sur les techniques de fabrication de cordages à partir de rouets (Bâtons-percés). Évidences sur le mobilier et l’art pariétal du Paléolithique supérieur (Magdalénien). Anthropologie 118, 347–381 (2014).
B. l. hardy, M.-h. Moncel, C. daujeard, P. Fernandes, P. Béarez, e. desclaux, M. G. Chacon navarro, S. Puaud, R. Gallotti, impossible neanderthals? Making string, throwing projectiles and catching small game during Marine isotope Stage 4 (Abri du Maras, France). Quat. Sci. Rev. 82, 23–40 (2013).
B. l. hardy, M. h. Moncel, C. Kerfant, M. lebon, l. Bellot-Gurlet, n. Mélard, direct evidence of neanderthal fibre technology and its cognitive and behavioral implications. Sci. Rep. 10, 4889 (2020).
n. J. Conard, M. Malina, Außergewöhnliche neue Funde aus den aurignacienzeitlichen Schichten vom hohle Fels bei Schelklingen. Archäol. Ausgrab. Bad.-Württ. 2015, 62–66 (2016).
G. Bataille, n. J. Conard, Blade and bladelet production at hohle Fels Cave, Ah iv in the Swabian Jura and its importance for characterizing the technological variability of the Aurignacian in Central europe. PLOS ONE, e0194097 13, (2018).
C. e. Miller, A Tale of Two Swabian Caves—Geoarchaeological Investigations at Hohle Fels and Geißenklösterle (Kerns verlag tübingen, 2017).
S. C. Münzel, n. J. Conard, Cave bear hunting in hohle Fels Cave in the Ach valley of the Swabian Jura. Rev. Paléobiol. 23, 24–35 (2004).
J. hahn, A. Scheer, Jungpaläolithische Feuerstellen in der höhle Geißenklösterle, Blaubeuren, Alb-donau-Kreis. Archäol. Ausgrab. Bad.-Württ. 1983, 29–32 (1984).
J. hahn, die Geißenklösterle-höhle im Achtal bei Blaubeuren i, in Fundhorizontbildung und Besiedlung im Mittelpaläolithikum und im Aurignacien (theiss verlag, 1988).
A. Glory, nouvelle théorie d'utilisation des bâtons troués préhistoriques, in Bulletin de la Société Historique et Archéologique du Périgord (Perigueux, 1965), pp. 55–62.
t. higham, l. Basell, R. Jacobi, R. Wood, C. B. Ramsey, n. J. Conard, Τesting models for the beginnings of the Aurignacian and the advent of figurative art and music: the radiocarbon chronology of Geißenklösterle. J. Hum. Evol. 62, 664–676 (2012).
G. Riek, Die Eiszeitjägerstation am Vogelherd im Lonetal: Die Kulturen (Akademische verlagsbuchhandlung Franz F. heine, 1934).
n. J. Conard, M. Bolus, Radiocarbon dating the late Middle Paleolithic and the Aurignacian of the Swabian Jura. J. Hum. Evol. 55, 886–897 (2008).
A. Peltier, Bâtons percés, in Fiches Typologiques de l’Industrie Osseuse Préhistorique, Cahier V Bâton Percés, Baguettes. h. Camps-Fabrer, ed. (CedARC, 1992), pp. 7–70.
P. noiret, Bâtons percés paléolithiques: décor figuratif, schématique et géométrique. Bull. Assoc. Sci. Liegeose Rech. Archeol. 20, 89–113 (1992).
C. lucas, J. Galway-Witham, C. B. Stringer, S. M. Bello, investigating the use of Paleolithic perforated batons: new evidence from Gough’s Cave (Somerset, UK). Archaeol. Anthropol. Sci. 11, 5231–5255 (2019).
A. Schuler, die Schussenquelle, in Eine Freilandstation des Magdalénien in Oberschwaben (theiss verlag, 1994).
J. Combier, Solutré, les fouilles de 1907 á 1925, in Solutré. M. thoral, M. Riquet, J. Combier, eds. (imprimerie de trévoux, 1955), pp. 93–220.
l. didon, l’abri Blanchard des Roches. Bull. Soc. Hist. Arch. Périgord 38, 246–261 (1911).
d. Peyrony, les abris lartet et du Poisson a Gorge d’enfer (dordogne). Anthropologie 42, 241–268 (1932).
d. Peyrony, le gisement Castanet, vallon de Castelmerle, commune de Sergeac (dordogne). Aurignacicen i et ii. Bull. Soc. Préhist. Française. 32, 418–443 (1935).
F. delage, l’abri de la Souquette à Sergeac (dordogne). Bull. Soc. Hist. Arch. Périgord 65, 104–126 (1938).
J. leclerc, d. Pradel, Un bâton orné du Magdalénien final de loubressac, commune de Mazerolles (vienne). Bull. Soc. Préhistor. Française 45, 402–404 (1948).
e. lartet, h. Christy, Reliquiae Aquitanicae: The Archaeology and Paleontology of Perigord and the Adjoining Provinces of Southern France (Baillere, 1967).
e. Peters, Die Altsteinzeitliche Kulturstätte Petersfels (Filser, 1930).
J. Riel-Salvatore, C. Gravel-Miguel, Upper Palaeolithic mortuary practices in eurasia, in The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Death and Burial, S. tarlow, l.n. Stutz, eds. (OUP, 2013), pp. 303–346.
P. Pettitt, The Palaeolithic Origins of Human Burial (Routledge, 2010).
A. leroi-Gourhan, Préhistoire de l’Art Occidental (Mazenod, 1965).
K. hardy, Prehistoric string theory. how twisted fibres helped to shape the world. Antiquity 82, 271–280 (2008).
A. Revedin, B. Aranguren, R. Becattini, l. longo, e. Marconi, M. Mariotti lippi, n. Skakun, A. Sinitsyn, e. Spiridonova, J. Svoboda, thirty thousand-year-old evidence of plant food processing. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 107, 18815–18819 (2010).
l. hurcombe, Organics from inorganics: Using experimental archaeology as a research tool for studying perishable material culture. World Archaeol. 40, 83–115 (2008).
S. Riehl, e. Marinova-Wolff, K. deckers, M. Malina, n. J. Conard, Plant use and local vegetation patterns during the second half of the late Pleistocene in southwestern Germany. Archaeol. Anthropol. Sci. 7, 151–167 (2015).
n. J. Conard, M. Bolus, Radiocarbon dating the appearance of modern humans and the timing of cultural innovations in europe: new results and new challenges. J. Hum. 44, 331–371 (2003).
n. J. Conard, Cultural evolution in Africa and eurasia during the Middle and late Pleistocene, in Handbook of Paleoanthropology, W. henke, i. tattersall, eds. (Springer, 2013).
M. l. Kochanski, Northern Bush Craft (lone Pine Publishing, 1987).
e. teeter, techniques and terminology of rope-making in ancient egypt. JEA 73, 71–77 (1987).
d. Wescott, J. McPherson, Plant fiber preparation. Bull. Primitive Technol. 1, 12–24 (1991).
M. duhamel du Monceau, L’art de la Corderie Perfectionné (Connaissance et Mémoires européennes, ed. 2, 1996).
A. l. West, Aboriginal String Bags, Nets and Cordage, Revised Edition (Museum victoria, 2006).
P. Reimer, W. Austin, e. Bard, A. Bayliss, P. Blackwell, C. Bronk Ramsey, M. Butzin, h. Cheng, R. edwards, M. Friedrich, P. Grootes, t. Guilderson, i. hajdas, t. heaton, A. hogg, K. hughen, B. Kromer, S. Manning, R. Muscheler, J. Palmer, C. Pearson, J. van der Plicht, R. Reimer, d. Richards, e. Scott, J. Southon, C. turney, l. Wacker, F. Adolphi, U. Büntgen, M. Capano, S. Fahrni, A. Fogtmann-Schulz, R. Friedrich, P. Köhler, S. Kudsk, F. Miyake, J. Olsen, F. Reinig, M. Sakamoto, A. Sookdeo, S. talamo, the intCal20 northern hemisphere radiocarbon age calibration curve (0–55 cal kBP). Radiocarbon 62, 725–757 (2020).
C. Bronk Ramsey, Oxcal website (2023); https://c14.arch.ox.ac.uk/oxcal/OxCal.html#.
J. hahn, neue Beschleuniger-14C-daten zum Jungpaläolithikumin Südwestdeutschland. Eiszeitalter Gegenwart. 45, 86–92 (1995).
n. J. Conard, A female figurine from the basal Aurignacian of hohle Fels Cave in southwestern Germany. Nature 459, 248–252 (2009).
v. Rots, e. hayes, d. Cnuts, C. lepers, R. Fullagar, Making sense of residues on flaked stone artefacts: learning from blind tests. PLOS ONE 11, e0150437 (2016).
M. legrand, R. lam, M. Jensen-Fontaine, e. d. Salin, h. Man Chanac, direct detection of mercury in single human hair strands by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (lA-iCP-MS). J. Anal. At. Spectrom 19, 1287–1288 (2004).
B. l. hardy, M. Bolus, n. J. Conard, hammer or crescent wrench? Stone-tool form and function in the Aurignacian of southwest Germany. J. Hum. Evol. 54, 648–662 (2008).
A. S. Wilson, h. i. dodson, R. C. Janaway, A. M. Pollard, d. J. tobin, evaluating histological methods for assessing hair fibre degradation. Archaeometry 52, 467–481 (2010).
v. Rots, 2010. Prehension and Hafting Traces on Flint Tools. A Methodology (leuven Univ. Press, 2010).
t. Boucherat, Functional study of an archaeological tool of mammoth ivory with four spiral holes. Mitt. Ges. Urgeschichte 29, 133–144 (2021).
n. J. Conard, v. Rots, Fiber technology, rope-making, textiles and the lochstäbe from the Aurignacian of the Swabian Jura. ESHE 5, 67 (2016).
Similar publications
Sorry the service is unavailable at the moment. Please try again later.
This website uses cookies to improve user experience. Read more
Save & Close
Accept all
Decline all
Show detailsHide details
Cookie declaration
About cookies
Strictly necessary
Performance
Strictly necessary cookies allow core website functionality such as user login and account management. The website cannot be used properly without strictly necessary cookies.
This cookie is used by Cookie-Script.com service to remember visitor cookie consent preferences. It is necessary for Cookie-Script.com cookie banner to work properly.
Performance cookies are used to see how visitors use the website, eg. analytics cookies. Those cookies cannot be used to directly identify a certain visitor.
Used to store the attribution information, the referrer initially used to visit the website
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer by websites that you visit. Websites use cookies to help users navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. Cookies that are required for the website to operate properly are allowed to be set without your permission. All other cookies need to be approved before they can be set in the browser.
You can change your consent to cookie usage at any time on our Privacy Policy page.