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5. First evidence for possible bone tools of hominins in the mid-Early Pleistocene on the Balkans

First evidence for possible bone tools of hominins in the mid-Early Pleistocene on the Balkans

Vislobokova I.A., Agadzhanyan A.K., Lopatin A.V.

Borissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsoyuznaya st., 123, 117647, Moscow, Russia

Vislobokova Innessa A., D.Sc., ivisl@paleo.ru; Agadzhanyan Alexander K., D.Sc., Professor, aagadj@paleo.ru; Lopatin Alexey V., D.Sc., Academician, alopat@paleo.ru.

Abstract

Introduction. The study of the Early Pleistocene of the Balkan Peninsula is of particular interest with regard to the problem of dispersal of ancient Homo in Eurasia and their first arrival into Europe. Materials and methods. The article presents first description of the large artifacts from the multilayered cave site Trlica near Pljevlja in Montenegro. They were found in the lower layers 11 and 10 and are associated with abundant remains of Late Villafranchian mammal fauna of the time interval 1.8–1.5 Ma. Results and conclusion. Based on morphological, taphonomic and tracological analyses, we presumably identified these artifacts as bone tools of early hominins, a “percussor” and a “retoucher”. This find provides additional information about material culture, adaptive behaviour and relationships of early hominins. The Trlica bone tools, probably the oldest in Europe, are also the earliest evidence of possible use of such tools during butchering and processing of carcasses and skins in the region. They are in some ways similar to bone tools known from the Lower Palaeolithic of Africa (Olduvai and Swartkrans) and assume the relationship of the Balkan and African hominins. The composition of TRL11-10 fauna and the presence of migrants indicate that occupation of the Balkans by hominins occurred in the middle of the Early Pleistocene, probably soon after the Olduvai paleomagnetic episode.

Keywords

Montenegro; Early Pleistocene; mammals; bone tools; hominin dispersal

DOI: 10.32521/2074-8132.2018.2.130-142

Цит.: Vislobokova I.A., Agadzhanyan A.K., Lopatin A.V. First evidence for possible bone tools of hominins in the mid-Early Pleistocene on the Balkans // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2018; 2/2018; с. 130-142