Gontsy (Ukraine), a settlement with mammoth bone dwellings of the late Upper Palaeolithic in Eastern Europe
The upper Palaeolithic settlement of Gontsy (near Lubny, Poltava region, Ukraine) is owned to the Mezinian culture, which occupied the middle and upper Dnieper basin in Eastern Europe during a short period around 15 000-14 000 BP. The Mezinian is characterized by semi-sedentary settlements organized...
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Union Internationale des Sciences Préhistoriques et Protohistoriques
2018-12-01
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| author | François Djindjian Anne-Marie Moigne Evgeny Mashenko Stéphane Konik Jeanne Matviichina Sophie Gregoire Galina Sapojnikova |
| author_facet | François Djindjian Anne-Marie Moigne Evgeny Mashenko Stéphane Konik Jeanne Matviichina Sophie Gregoire Galina Sapojnikova |
| author_sort | François Djindjian |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The upper Palaeolithic settlement of Gontsy (near Lubny, Poltava region, Ukraine) is owned to the Mezinian culture, which occupied the middle and upper Dnieper basin in Eastern Europe during a short period around 15 000-14 000 BP. The Mezinian is characterized by semi-sedentary settlements organized around mammoth bone dwellings (6 huts in Gontsy), according to a circular or oval plan, numerous pits around the huts, outdoor fireplaces, areas of activity (flint knapping, making tools and ornaments in ivory and bone, preparation of fur and skin cloths, burning of ochre, wood working, etc.), butchering areas and dumps. The settlement of Gontsy is located on a promontory of terrace on the slope of the valley of Udaï, cut by gullies down the large plain. It is directly related to an accumulation of carcasses of mammoths located nearby in the bottom of gullies, carcasses resulting from the natural death in the winter of a herd of mammoths. This herd was discovered when the snow melts, by hunters who have decided to install the site to this place to exploit the carcasses (materials of construction of the huts, fresh bones as fuel, ivory and bones for making tools and likely meat frozen as food supply). The settlement was occupied from the end of winter at the end of the following winter. The study of bones reveals hunting activities of reindeer, bison, horse, musk ox, mammoth, rhinoceros, fox, wolf, wolverine, hare and marmot. A second occupation, with the same radiocarbon dates but a little later, is marked only by fireplaces and areas of activities without dwelling structures and corresponds to seasonal travels of short time of occupation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ddb5ffbe97ca4117986b8b4bc8ae5c15 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2612-2782 |
| language | deu |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | Union Internationale des Sciences Préhistoriques et Protohistoriques |
| record_format | Article |
| series | UISPP Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-ddb5ffbe97ca4117986b8b4bc8ae5c152025-08-20T02:39:38ZdeuUnion Internationale des Sciences Préhistoriques et ProtohistoriquesUISPP Journal2612-27822018-12-011426110.62526/G6YD4IGontsy (Ukraine), a settlement with mammoth bone dwellings of the late Upper Palaeolithic in Eastern EuropeFrançois Djindjian0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4766-0167Anne-Marie Moigne1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1756-7391Evgeny Mashenko2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6198-0749Stéphane Konik3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2578-0774Jeanne Matviichina4Sophie Gregoire5Galina Sapojnikova6Université de Paris 1 Panthéon SorbonneMusée National d'Histoire NaturelleNational Academy of Sciences Russia, Institute of PalaeontologyCentre National de PréhistoireNational Academy of Sciences Ukraine, Institute of Geological SciencesCentre Européen de Recherches PréhistoriquesNational Academy of Sciences Ukraine, Institute of ArchaeologyThe upper Palaeolithic settlement of Gontsy (near Lubny, Poltava region, Ukraine) is owned to the Mezinian culture, which occupied the middle and upper Dnieper basin in Eastern Europe during a short period around 15 000-14 000 BP. The Mezinian is characterized by semi-sedentary settlements organized around mammoth bone dwellings (6 huts in Gontsy), according to a circular or oval plan, numerous pits around the huts, outdoor fireplaces, areas of activity (flint knapping, making tools and ornaments in ivory and bone, preparation of fur and skin cloths, burning of ochre, wood working, etc.), butchering areas and dumps. The settlement of Gontsy is located on a promontory of terrace on the slope of the valley of Udaï, cut by gullies down the large plain. It is directly related to an accumulation of carcasses of mammoths located nearby in the bottom of gullies, carcasses resulting from the natural death in the winter of a herd of mammoths. This herd was discovered when the snow melts, by hunters who have decided to install the site to this place to exploit the carcasses (materials of construction of the huts, fresh bones as fuel, ivory and bones for making tools and likely meat frozen as food supply). The settlement was occupied from the end of winter at the end of the following winter. The study of bones reveals hunting activities of reindeer, bison, horse, musk ox, mammoth, rhinoceros, fox, wolf, wolverine, hare and marmot. A second occupation, with the same radiocarbon dates but a little later, is marked only by fireplaces and areas of activities without dwelling structures and corresponds to seasonal travels of short time of occupation.mammothupper palaeolithiceastern europemammoth bone dwellings |
| spellingShingle | François Djindjian Anne-Marie Moigne Evgeny Mashenko Stéphane Konik Jeanne Matviichina Sophie Gregoire Galina Sapojnikova Gontsy (Ukraine), a settlement with mammoth bone dwellings of the late Upper Palaeolithic in Eastern Europe UISPP Journal mammoth upper palaeolithic eastern europe mammoth bone dwellings |
| title | Gontsy (Ukraine), a settlement with mammoth bone dwellings of the late Upper Palaeolithic in Eastern Europe |
| title_full | Gontsy (Ukraine), a settlement with mammoth bone dwellings of the late Upper Palaeolithic in Eastern Europe |
| title_fullStr | Gontsy (Ukraine), a settlement with mammoth bone dwellings of the late Upper Palaeolithic in Eastern Europe |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gontsy (Ukraine), a settlement with mammoth bone dwellings of the late Upper Palaeolithic in Eastern Europe |
| title_short | Gontsy (Ukraine), a settlement with mammoth bone dwellings of the late Upper Palaeolithic in Eastern Europe |
| title_sort | gontsy ukraine a settlement with mammoth bone dwellings of the late upper palaeolithic in eastern europe |
| topic | mammoth upper palaeolithic eastern europe mammoth bone dwellings |
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