Anth 112 : Upper Paleolithic - Chpt 6

Upper Paleolithic Changes

Upper Paleolithic

dates 40,000 to 10,000 year ago

coincides with the appearance of anatomically modern humans

this is a period with new technologies and cultural practices

New Tech in Paleolithic in Europe

indirect percussion

• punch-blade technique - punch (hammer hitting a punch object into a stone) making a flake, different size and shape based on this technique

• will get many blades, dozens, from one cobble of stone 

pressure flaking 

• bone, antler tine - reshaping flakes into wanted shape for specific use 

atlatl - spear thrower

• decorative - carve features

• long distance weapons - lengthens the arm, stronger force of throw 

bow and arrow

• more recent invention, around 11,000yrs oldest found, evidence of it older - arrow points preserve

harpoons - spear fishing, fishhooks being carved

nets and snares - don’t preserve well, impressions in clay found

rapid change in tech, wide variety of raw material to make tools - stone, bone, ivory, antler tools

can see that they traveled further distance to find materials to make, high quality, high grained stone that fractures in a predictable way 

broader trade networks

these led to a huge change in efficiency

composite tools - more than two parts, handles

burin - all using tool

Upper Paleolithic Phases - 4

divided into tools based on characteristic tool techniques

Aurignacian - 34,000 to 27,000

• production of blade tools, blades and scrapers, bone points

Gravettian - 27,000 to 21,000

• smaller blade tools, burin, Gravette

Solutrean - 21,000 to 16,000

• laurel leaf point - incredible skilled makers, most finely made spear points; largest ones 12 inches long, inch thick - show no signs of use, ritual use or decorative

Magdalenian - 16,000 to 11,000

• increase in cultural variety, other material use - antler, ivory

• harpoons and borer

Parietal vs Mobiliary Art

two categories of art created by anatomically modern humans

abundant amount, elaborate, symbols, realistic figurative

Parietal - art on the walls of caves

• important to note that these sites were abundant in Western Europe, but this was not the only place where early anatomically modern humans created art

• sites in Australia and southeast Asia

Mobiliary - art that is portable

• includes Venus figurines and animal carvings

Parietal Art - El Castillo, Spain

dates to 40,800 years ago - makes this one of the earliest cave painting sites 

used uranium-thorium dating to determine the age of these paintings 

• difficult to date, ochre pigment - measures the crust development over the pigment age

• handprints are very common, disks (possibility of “calendar”), geometric shapes

Parietal Art - Chauvet Cave, France

this cave contains hundreds of images including stenciled handprints and animals

absolute dating reveals two occupations, these date to :

• 37,000 to 33,500

• 31,000 to 28,000

used AMS radiocarbon dating to date the charcoal pigments that were used to draw some of the images - charcoal is organic, can physically date this

elaborate, realistic animals (cave bears, fighting rhino, cave lions) - usually see herd animals

torch marks - far into cave environments, dark, scape against wall (carbonized material) - seem like they were going in with the purpose of artwork

variety of pigments and techniques, very detailed

“Cave of Forgotten Dreams” - found in 1990 by a group of friends after a rock fall

Parietal Art - Lascaux Cave, France

dates to 17,000 years ago

almost 2000 images have been identified here, these include bulls, horses and deer - most depict grazing animals

oil lamps have been found - light source, deep into cave - some carved into limestone

evidence of scaffolding

“spray paint” chew pigment and spit, use bird bone to splatter

sponging, multitude of colors

kids followed their dog and found site

breathing damages sites - CO2 excess and moisture - shut down to preserve

Parietal Art - Altamira Cave, Spain 

discovered in 1879 - first to ever be found 

first Upper Paleolithic cave art site to be excavated 

contain images of red and black bison that were created using charcoal and ochre several occupations dating between 26,000 to 16,800yrs ago 

uranium thorium dating was used and also revealed a club shaped image that was created as early as 36,000yrs ago - was more “simple”

• people did not believe this discovery, saying the archaeologist was a fraud (he had found it with his daughter); around the same time as Neandertals being found, not wanting to accept these theories 

• closed to the public in the 2000s 

What are Venus figurines

some of the most well-known mobiliary art

sculptures that represent the human female form

been discovered at sites ranging from western Europe to Siberia

produces as early as 35,000yrs ago

hundreds of these found in a huge range of space, variety of materials

The Venus of Hohle Fels, Southwest Germany

date 35,000yrs ago

oldest Venus figurine discovered, oldest depiction of the female form, fertility figure

small, only about 6cm tall, carved from mammoth ivory and has evidence of being suspended on a cord (necklace, displayed as an ornament)

The Venus of Willendorf, Austria 

dates to about 25,000yrs, most well known 

a small, limestone figurine 

large breast, large abdomen and hips, no detail in feet or face - does have elaborate carving - head covering, hair 

trace of pigments, colors faded

could be a type of self-portrait, creators are unknown 

The Venus from Dolni Vestonice, Czech Republic

dates to around 26,000yrs

made from fired clay - demonstrates new tech, ceramics

similar shape of others, tapering feet, no face - 4.5 inch

this site has thousands of pieces of fired clay, new technique, kilns

Venus of Brassempouv, France

dates to 28,000yrs

made from mammoth ivory

one of the earliest depictions of a human face - carving on head may depict a cap of elaborate hairstyle

“the lady with the hood”

• traces of clothing or style, symbolism

1.5 inches, only had part of, head

assume to be a women, not many male symbolisms at this time, look at it like a fertility figure

Venus of Laussel, France

about 20,000yrs

bas relief sculpture 

image of a women holding a bison horn with 13 lines engraved onto it

• could symbolize many things - periodic cycle, months

was originally carved into a limestone rock shelter

not mobile art, but same type of representation 

Explanation for the meaning of Venus figurines

often full-bodied with large breasts and abdomens

some are interpreted as depicting pregnant females, depicted as fertility symbols

Patricia Rice in 1981 examined 188 figurines and concluded that there are a variety of body types representing women in all stages of life

• young women, pregnancy, after pregnancy, elder

other examples of Upper Paleolithic portable art

many carved animal figurines have been recovered from Aurignacian sites in southwest Germany

ivory figurines representing waterfowl, cave bear, cave lion, and horses date between 35,000 to 30,000yrs, all very small

represents the types of animals people were seeing at this time

found in back of cave with a number of other objects classified as religious, ceremonial

Hohlenstein Cave, Germany 

the lion man from Hohlenstein Cave 

30,000yrs old

hundreds of fragments of mammoth ivory were refitted to assemble the lion man

the 30cm sculpture depicts a being that has the head of a lion and the body of a human 

it could represent something of spiritual beliefs

another figurine identical to this one, smaller, was found at another site - sharing beliefs 

Musical Instruments

the earliest flutes come from southwest Germany

bone and ivory flutes, dating to over 35,000yrs ago

• discovered at the sites of Hohle Fels and Vogelherd

• modern humans are credited as the first to produce musical instruments

• naturally hollow, perforated small holes - bone

Most elaborate burial site - Sungir, Russia 

three well preserved burials date to about 34,000yrs 

1. an older male - his body and head were covered in red ochre, and 3,000 ivory beads body adorned with numerous pieced fox teeth and 25 armed bands carved from mammoth ivory 

• male, 50ish - believe he was killed from a wound to the neck, incision on bone

2. double burial contained two children placed head-to-head - red ochre, perforated fox teeth, over 10,000 ivory beads

• children were 9/10 and 14/15 - both male, and not closely related

• another femur was found, shaft filled with ochre and was place purposely in the burial site, also not related

• unknown causes of death - the younger one had congenital deformities, bowed femurs, but still walked and had good muscle formation 

9 graves have been excavated here, above three is most well preserved, what could be considered a modern graveyard 

shallow pits in the permafrost, 3 meters apart 

abundant grave goods - could suggest they held a high status in the community 

• do grave goods indicate what they may need in the afterlife, beliefs

• odd seeing children with so much - could be a ritual, sacrifice 

first time seeing something so different, no other hominin species doing anything like this