Non-destructive ZooMS identification reveals strategic bone tool raw material selection by Neandertals.

ABSTRACT: Five nearly identical fragments of specialized bone tools, interpreted as lissoirs (French for "smoothers"), have been found at two Middle Paleolithic sites in southwest France. The finds span three separate archaeological deposits, suggesting continuity in the behavior of late Neandertals. Using standard morphological assessments, we determined that the lissoirs were produced on ribs of medium-sized ungulates. However, since these bones are highly fragmented and anthropogenically modified, species determinations were challenging. Also, conservative curation policy recommends minimizing destructive sampling of rare, fragile, or small artifacts for molecular identification methods. To better understand raw material selection for these five lissoirs, we reassess their taxonomy using a non-de

SUBMITTER: Martisius NL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7210944 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature