PalArchGroup team members Marjolein D. Bosch and Philip R. Nigst published a new paper in the Ukrainian open-access journal Archaeology and Ealry History of Ukraine published by the National Ukrainian Academy of Sciences.
The paper presents new data on human-animal interactions at Korman’ 9 in teh Middle Dniester valley. We report on human-animal interaction based on faunal evidence comprising both dietary as well as secondary exploitation of the faunal remains. Analyses include spatial distribution of the bones, the interplay of carnivore and human mediation of the faunal assemblage. In particular we describe human modifications both in terms of dietary exploitation as well as organic tech- nology. Our results indicate that Epigravettian hunter-gatherers were the main accumulator of the faunal assemblage, whereas carnivores had only secondary access. All recovered taxa show traces of human exploitation. Horse, reindeer and hare were exploited for dietary purposes shown by evidence for skinning, dismembering and filleting. There is evidence for on-site working of reindeer antler and a needle fragment attests of bone tool technology. Fox teeth, freshwater and fossil shells were used as beads for personal ornamentation. Thus, in addition to dietary exploitation, animal remains formed a common and diverse part of socio-economic behaviour and were well-incorporated in hunter-gatherer technological and symbolic expression during the Korman’ 9, AL I, Epigravettian.
