On Lithic Artefacts Recycling in the Paleolithic: Using Materials from Denisova Cave
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This article provides preliminary results of a study of stone artefacts recycling by the Middle Paleolithic inhabitants of Denisova Cave in Altai. Recycling of stone artefacts during the Paleolithic is an aspect of the formation of archaeological complexes that still remains understudied. Some factors, including the significant time lag between their recycling and reuse, determines the origin of this type of artefacts. Over time, a patina develops on the surface of the artefacts. Common practice has shown that patinated items are more common in cave mouth zones; less commonly, such artefacts are found in small rock shelters with illuminated outer parts. It is the patina, intersected by fresher flakes, that serves as a reliable indicator of reuse. The analysis of materials from Denisova Cave involved 2019–2025 collections from the South Chamber, which are associated with the Pleistocene strata formed during MIS 7–4. We discovered 32 stone artefacts with clear signs of re-use. The items exhibited varying degrees of patination, from light to heavy. Blanks were most often large flakes, which were reshaped primarily into side-scrapers, spur-like, denticulate, and notched tools, often in combination. Ventral-thinned flakes, blanks with occasional retouching, or blanks with their approbation removed were also present. Recycling older flakes, likely collected outside the cave, could have been a quick and efficient way to obtain raw material for the ad hoc manufacture and subsequent use of a currently needed tool.
Authors: A.M. Chekha, M.B. Kozlikin
Subfield: Anthropology
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7126264403
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