Fragmentarizácia osteologického materiálu v mladom paleolite: Experiment a archeológia

Mgr. Soňa Boriová

Doctoral thesis

Fragmentation of Osteological Material in the Upper Paleolithic: Experiment and Archaeology

Abstract:

The presented thesis deals with bone fragmentation as one example of numerous evidence of intentional human activity related to the processing and exploitation of hunted prey at archaeological sites. The research focuses on microscopic traces on and beneath the fracture surface and the correlation of these traces with macroscopic fracture characteristics. Using two chosen microscopic methods, I was able to observe fracture surface morphology on bone fragments and the microcracking present under this surface in detail. For testing the chosen methods and the primary description of the observed traces, samples from two fragmentation experiments using dynamic impact by natural processes and intentional human activity with recent osteological material were used. The tested microscopy methods were then applied to archaeological material from the Pavlov I Gravettian site. The results of the microscopic analysis in all the observed assemblages were put into context with a macroscopic evaluation of the fragmentation. In the case of the archaeological samples, the results are also discussed in the wider context of the basic data collected in the primary analysis of the chosen areas. It has been proven that even at the microscopic level, fragmentation leaves characteristic recognisable traces. These are typical for both the type of force applied and the state of preservation of the bone which was fractured. In the presented range, the results demonstrate the interpretive potential of the observed microscopic features and thus provide a solid starting point for further research.

Keywords

bone fragmentation experiment, fracture freshness index (FFI), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), histology, Pavlov I site

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 7. 11. 2022

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 6. 6. 2023
• Reader: doc. PhDr. Mgr. Petr Šída, Ph.D., DSc., Martina Roblíčková

University of Hradec Králové

Faculty of Arts

Doctoral programme / field:
Archeologie / Archeologie