All you wanted to know about the Danubian Gravettian.

[Jacques Cinq-Mars]

All,

The Institute of Archeology AS CR Brno is kindly offering an electronic "preprint", as it were, of the Proceedings of the Mikulov Conference  that was held (in Mikulov), in November 2002.  The package contains eighteen papers written by a number of researchers deeply involved in various aspects of Gravettian studies.  All papers are available/downloadable as PDF files. This, by the way, should be done more frequently by more people.

Here is the TOC:

The Dolní Vestonice Studies, Vol. 11.

The Gravettian Along the Danube.

Proceedings of the Mikulov Conference, 20.-21. November 2002

Edited by Jirí A. Svoboda & Lenka Sedlácková

Table of Content:

    * Introduction (J. A. Svoboda and L. Sedlácková) M. Otte et P. Noiret - Évolution du gravettien au moyen Danube PDF version.

    * P. Haesaerts, I. Borziak, V. Chirica, F. Damblon, and L. Koulakovska - Cadre stratigraphique et chronologique du gravettien en Europe Centrale PDF version.

    * O. Jöris and B. Weninger - Coping with the cold: On the climatic context of the Moravian Mid Upper Palaeolithic PDF version.

    * S. C. Münzel - Subsistence patterns in the Gravettian of the Ach valley, a former tributary of the Danube in the Swabian Jura PDF version.

    * Th. Einwögerer - First raw material analysis at the Upper Paleolithic site Krems/Hundsteig (2000-2002) compared to the material of the excavation of Josef Bayer at Krems/Wachtberg (1930) PDF version.

    * F. Fladerer and T. Salcher - Faunal remains from the Krems-Hundssteig/Wachtberg Gravettian site complex - A difference in research techniques and/or site function? PDF version.

    * W. Antl and F. Fladerer - Outlook to the East: The 25 ky BP Gravettian Grub/Kranawetberg campsite (Lower Austria) PDF version.

    * P.R. Nigst - Some preliminary observations on intrasite spatial patterning of Grub/Kranawetberg (1995 and 1996 area) PDF version.

    * M. Derndarsky - Microwear analysis and curated tools: Grubgraben AL I, a case study PDF version.

    * P. Skrdla - The Gravettian occupation of the Uherské Hradiste area PDF version.

    * T. Plonka and A. Wisniewski - New Gravettian site in Lower Silesia (SW Poland) PDF version.

    * P. Wojtal - New excavations at Kraków Spadzista street (B) PDF version.

    * L´. Kaminská and S. Tomášková - Time space systematics of Gravettian finds from Cejkov I PDF version.

    * M. Novák - Gravettian occupation in the lower layer of Kašov I PDF version.

    * Ts. Tsonev - Adaptation strategies and raw material supply networks of the Evolved Gravettian in Central and South-Eastern Europe on the example of Temnata Cave (Bulgaria), Willendorf II (Austria) and La Cala (Italy) PDF version.

    * M. Mussi - East and South of the Alps: The MUP funerary and artistic record of Italy and Moravia compared PDF version.

    * O. Soffer and J.M. Adovasio - Textiles and Upper Paleolithic lives. A focus on the perishable and the invisible PDF version.

    * J.A. Svoboda - Afterwords: The Pavlovian as a part of the Gravettian mosaic PDF version.

A word of caution: I have been told that this "preprint" may be in need of further copy editing work before the actual book goes into print

This material can be accessed by clicking HERE.

Enjoy,

Jacques Cinq-Mars

[Daryl Habel]

All,

The Institute of Archeology AS CR Brno is kindly offering an electronic "preprint", as it were, of the Proceedings of the Mikulov Conference  that was held (in Mikulov), in November 2002.  The package contains eighteen papers written by a number of researchers deeply involved in various aspects of Gravettian studies.  All papers are available/downloadable as PDF files. This, by the way, should be done more frequently by more people.

Here is the TOC:A word of caution: I have been told that this "preprint" may be in need of further copy editing work before the actual book goes into print

This material can be accessed by clicking HERE.

Enjoy,

Jacques Cinq-Mars

Jacques,

Thanks very much and I agree this should occur more frequently.  Not quite all I ever wanted to  know about the Danubian Gravettian but nevertheless this conference report is a very welcome update of news for quite a good number of recent or current excavations helping to elucidate the so-called Willendorf-Pavlov-Avdievo-Kostenki "cultural entity" that came into existence along the Middle and Upper Danube about 30,000 BP (14C), an entity in which the majority of the populations which adopted this culture seemingly drifted eastward with declining temperatures after the Denekamp through Moravia, Hungary and Slovakia, over the low mountain passes of the Carpathians into southern Poland and Molodova onto the East European Plain after about 25,000 BP (14C), at  Avdievo, Kostenki and other localities.  A nice addition to the books already on my shelf, "Hunters between East and West" (Svoboda et al. 1996) and "From Kostenki to Clovis" (Soffer & Praslov, eds. 1993), which are excellent sources for an introduction to the proposed so-called Willendorf-Pavlov-Avdievo-Kostenki Cultural Entity, known more popularly as the Central or Eastern Gravettian.

My book order from Oxbow arrived today, and I received "Early Man in the Soviet Union" (McBurney 1975), "Mousterian Lithic Technology" (Kuhn 1995), and "Neanderthals and Modern Humans - Discussing the Transition: Central and Eastern Europe From 50,000-30,000 BP" the Neanderthal Museum conference book (Orschiedt & Weniger, eds. 2000), so I'll be busy reading for a while.

Dar      

[aggsbach]

Dear all

Unfortunately these wonderful papers have been removed from the webpage some time ago.
New excavations are currently conducted at the famous multilayer site of Willendorf. First excavations were performed during 1908 / 1909 by Bayer and Obermaier and revealed 7 Sites (Willendorf I-VII). Site I had been entirely destructed at this time by quarrying operations and revealed material from the Kostenki-Stage of the eastern Gravettien. Site II was excavated in 1908/1909. Site III- VII are completely untouched! ( there was no person like Otto Hauser in Austria) The dimensions of the whole area together with nearby Gravettien sites in Aggsbach, Spitz, krems and Grubgraben can be reasonably compared with the Kostenki area
.
At Willendorf II, Felgenhauer clarified the stratigraphy in the 50ies and last field work about the dating was conducted by Paul Haesaerts and his colleagues during cleaning campaings, to collect 14C and sedimentological samples in 1981 and 1993.

Layer 2: revealed undiagnostic lithic material and was dated to 41000 BP
Layer 3 seems to contain early Aurignacien (sensu Breuil and Mellars) with an astonishing old date of 38000 PB
Layer 4: Typical Aurignacien 31000 BP
Laver 5-8: Gravettien (30000- 26000 BP)
Layer 9. Gravettien Kostenki stage (30000- 26000 BP)

A revision of Layer 3 is under way, because lost material was recently found in the Vienna Museum of Natural History. A discussion about this material can be found HERE:
http://www.eva.mpg.de/evolution/staff/nigst/pdf/Nigst2006.pdf

The new excavations will hopefully give an answer to the following questions:

-Is an early upper paleolithic present in Layer 2 ?
-Is layer 3 fully Aurignacien? And are the old C-14 dates correct?. This would be confirming the early implementation of a typical Aurignacien in the Danube area (as claimed by Conard et al.; many free pdfs about this topic are available at: http://www.urgeschichte.uni-tuebingen.de/index.php?id=43)
-Are the data of 30000 BP correct for the early Gravettien, this also would have major implications for our understanding of this paleolithic complex

The blog of the excavation team can be found HERE:

http://www.willendorf-project.org/site.html

Johannes

[Robert Henvell]

Johannes,
Mega thanks for the link to the Conrad PDFs.They are much appreciated.
Bob

[Jacques Cinq-Mars]

Dear all

Unfortunately these wonderful papers have been removed from the webpage some time ago.
New excavations are currently conducted at the famous multilayer site of Willendorf. First excavations were performed during 1908 / 1909 by Bayer and Obermaier and revealed 7 Sites (Willendorf I-VII). Site I had been entirely destructed at this time by quarrying operations and revealed material from the Kostenki-Stage of the eastern Gravettien. Site II was excavated in 1908/1909. Site III- VII are completely untouched! ( there was no person like Otto Hauser in Austria) The dimensions of the whole area together with nearby Gravettien sites in Aggsbach, Spitz, krems and Grubgraben can be reasonably compared with the Kostenki area
.
At Willendorf II, Felgenhauer clarified the stratigraphy in the 50ies and last field work about the dating was conducted by Paul Haesaerts and his colleagues during cleaning campaings, to collect 14C and sedimentological samples in 1981 and 1993.

Layer 2: revealed undiagnostic lithic material and was dated to 41000 BP
Layer 3 seems to contain early Aurignacien (sensu Breuil and Mellars) with an astonishing old date of 38000 PB
Layer 4: Typical Aurignacien 31000 BP
Laver 5-8: Gravettien (30000- 26000 BP)
Layer 9. Gravettien Kostenki stage (30000- 26000 BP)

A revision of Layer 3 is under way, because lost material was recently found in the Vienna Museum of Natural History. A discussion about this material can be found HERE:
http://www.eva.mpg.de/evolution/staff/nigst/pdf/Nigst2006.pdf

The new excavations will hopefully give an answer to the following questions:

-Is an early upper paleolithic present in Layer 2 ?
-Is layer 3 fully Aurignacien? And are the old C-14 dates correct?. This would be confirming the early implementation of a typical Aurignacien in the Danube area (as claimed by Conard et al.; many free pdfs about this topic are available at: http://www.urgeschichte.uni-tuebingen.de/index.php?id=43)
-Are the data of 30000 BP correct for the early Gravettien, this also would have major implications for our understanding of this paleolithic complex

The blog of the excavation team can be found HERE:

http://www.willendorf-project.org/site.html

Johannes

Dear Johannes,

Many thanks for this up-to-date information which, I am sure, will be of interest to many people. Too bad Dar is not with us anymore to read this and, like me and others, hope for more. Thanks also for the new link and, you are right, it is unfortunate that the earlier ones have become inactive. In find these frequent  web  "disconformities" rather annoying if not -- at times -- depressing.

And, for the sake of reciprocity, in the present context, I cannot help presenting you and others -- for a while anyway! --with a photo-montage of the best known prehistoric personnage from Willendorf. Note that the original images were taken from a relatively good quality cast. In order to enjoy, just click HERE

Best regards