Dataset Information

Barbed bone point chronology reveals an unexpected hiatus in the archaeology of Southern Scandinavia around 10,300 years BP

ABSTRACT: The extensive peat bogs of Southern Scandinavia have yielded rich Mesolithic archaeological assemblages, which has informed prehistoric studies for more than a century. Central to this has been the first recognizably Mesolithic culture, the Maglemose (c. 11,000 - 8,000 BP), first described in 1903 which has become a yardstick against which all other Early Mesolithic cultures have been compared. Despite the excellent preservation of organic material, we have for the first time conducted a combined investigation of the typology, species composition and absolute chronology of Maglemose bone points. A demonstrable and significant change in barb morphology can be directly linked to a significant paucity of finds in Southern Scandinavia around 10,300 cal BP, potentially linked to climate change. Peptide mass fingerprinting (ZooMS) reveals that the majority of bone points are made from cervids and bovines. The ribs of bovines; for instance, are more frequently utilized following the hiatus. Furthermore, the marked change in barbed bone point morphology coincides with a change in lithic technology. This change in material culture has been shown to arrive archaeologically with eastern pioneers and colonisations through Fennoscandinavia. We, therefore, propose that the Maglemose culture in Southern Scandinavia is fundamentally divided into an Early Complex (c. 11,600 - 10,300 cal BP) and a Late Complex (c. 10,300 - 8,600 cal BP): the former characterized by percussion blade production and “fine-barbed bone points” and the latter characterized by the innovations of pressure-blade production and “larger barbed bone points”. Finally, through these integrated analyses we are able to show that a single artifact type can be used as a proxy for human populations as well as inferences on potential climate changes.

INSTRUMENT(S): Bruker Daltonics flex series, Q Exactive HF-X, Q Exactive HF

ORGANISM(S): Cervus Elaphus (red Deer) Alces Alces (eurasian Elk)

TISSUE(S): Bone Matrix

SUBMITTER: Meaghan Mackie

LAB HEAD: Matthew Collins

PROVIDER: PXD018050 | Pride | 2020-10-13

REPOSITORIES: Pride

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Publications

An integrated analysis of Maglemose bone points reframes the Early Mesolithic of Southern Scandinavia.

Jensen Theis Zetner Trolle TZT Sjöström Arne A Fischer Anders A Rosengren Erika E Lanigan Liam Thomas LT Bennike Ole O Richter Kristine Korzow KK Gron Kurt Joseph KJ Mackie Meaghan M Mortensen Morten Fischer MF Sørensen Lasse L Chivall David D Iversen Katrine Højholt KH Taurozzi Alberto John AJ Olsen Jesper J Schroeder Hannes H Milner Nicky N Sørensen Mikkel M Collins Matthew James MJ

Scientific reports 20201014 1

The extensive peat bogs of Southern Scandinavia have yielded rich Mesolithic archaeological assemblages, with one of the most iconic artefacts being the bone point. Although great in number they remain understudied. Here we present a combined investigation of the typology, protein-based species composition, and absolute chronology of Maglemosian bone points. The majority of the bone points are made from cervids and bovines. However, changes both in species composition and barb morphology can be ...[more]

PMID: 33057088

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Project description:Paleoproteomics and the study of ancient proteins has become an important consideration in bioarchaeological research as we seek to understand the relationship between the physical skeleton and its underlying biochemistry. Osteocalcin (OC) is an abundant, non-collagenous protein that is accessible archaeologically due to its affinity for hydroxyapatite in bone. Manufactured by the osteoblast cells during normal bone metabolism, osteocalcin is inherently linked to the process of bone remodelling. Clinical studies have consistently shown the impact of biological (i.e., sex and age) and pathological (i.e., disease) factors on osteocalcin concentrations within the body; however, this connection has yet to be fully explored bioarchaeologically. For this study, 46 individuals from the Danish Sct. Albert’s cemetery (AD 1250-1536) were analyzed with cortical bone samples harvested from the femur. Each sample was demineralized and quantified using established paleoproteomic methods (ELISA) and tested for diagenesis using FTIR-ATR. 4 samples were validated by LC-MS. No significant differences were found in the osteocalcin concentrations between adult males and females. However, males had a wider range of osteocalcin variability perhaps explained in part by their increased prevalence of pathological conditions characterized by bone remodelling. Similarly, non-adults had a wide range of osteocalcin variability but there were no significant differences when compared to the adult mean. No correlations were found between osteocalcin concentrations and diagenesis suggesting that the protein can survive across a range of temporal periods and variable burial environments. While no clear pattern emerged between osteocalcin concentrations and biological and/or pathological factors, this study is significant in that it further explores the use of paleoproteomics in bioarchaeological contexts and how we may unite our macroscopic and biochemical assessments of human skeletal remains.

Dataset Information

Barbed bone point chronology reveals an unexpected hiatus in the archaeology of Southern Scandinavia around 10,300 years BP

Publications

An integrated analysis of Maglemose bone points reframes the Early Mesolithic of Southern Scandinavia.

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