Man and woolly mammoth at the Kraków Spadzista Street (B) – taphonomy of the site

Wojtal, Piotr; Sobczyk, Krzysztof

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2004.08.005

Cited by 65 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…The isotopic similarity, observed across a relatively large number of samples at Spadzista, may therefore indicate that the assemblage contains animals that occupied a similar territorial range, that died and accumulated over a relatively short period of time. It is thus possible to speculate that the mammoth individuals belonged to broadly the same population, a supposition that is supported by the tight clustering of the radiocarbon dates at the site (Wojtal and Sobczyk, 2005).…”

Section: Intra-population Range and Site Taphonomymentioning

confidence: 83%

“…The largest of the sites is Kraków Spadzista Street (B), where a big accumulation of lithics and mammoth bones was recovered (Wojtal and Sobczyk, 2005), and the site is crucial for understanding how AMH groups were using the northern zone at this time. Given the D-O climatic variability, however, it remains unclear whether the site represents a cold-period occupation, or whether the site was occupied during an unusually warm period related to a warm D-O event.…”

Section: Amh Occupation Sites Across the North European Plains And Armentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The following description is based on recent reanalyses at the site (Wojtal and Sobczyk, 2005;Wojtal, 2007), which was originally excavated in the 1970s (Kozłowski et al, 1974). The Kraków Spadzista Street site complex is situated in the western suburbs of the modern city of Kraków, on a rocky prominence bounded by a steep downward slope to the north, and large depressions to the east and west ( Figure 1).…”

Section: Background To Kraków Spadzista Street (B)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The faunal assemblage contained all parts of the mammoth skeleton, including smaller elements such as hyoid and sesamoid bones, suggesting that the animals died at the location. This, together with large numbers of stone tools probably used as knives and spear points, has led to the interpretation of the site as a mammoth butchery location and possible kill site, although the cause of death for the mammoth individuals remains ambiguous (Wojtal and Sobczyk, 2005;Wojtal, 2007). Seven radiocarbon dates are available for the site clustering around 23-24ka 14 C yr BP, equating to 27-29.4ka cal yr BP (Table 1).…”

Section: Background To Kraków Spadzista Street (B)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As the faunal remains at Kraków Spadzista are related to human butchery and possibly hunting activities (Wojtal and Sobczyk, 2005), this implies that the isotopic signal AMH may have occupied Kraków Spadzista and southern Poland throughout the year, or exploited resources and hunting territories across the northern zone seasonally and returned south for the winter period. Both these strategies would still have required sophisticated clothing, and other technological and behavioural adaptations to make this area habitable for humans at this time (e.g.…”

Section: Humans and Climate At Kraków Spadzista Street (B)mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Investigating climate at the Upper Palaeolithic site of Kraków Spadzista Street (B), Poland, using oxygen isotopes

Pryor¹,

O’Connell²,

Wojtal³

et al. 2013

Quaternary International

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Between 50,000 and 20,000 years ago, Europe experienced a series of rapid climate change events known as the Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles, which may have made areas of northern Europe more attractive for occupation by early modern humans at certain times than at others. This paper investigates when humans were occupying northern Europe in relation to these climatic changes at the archaeological site of Kraków Spadzista Street (B), by applying oxygen isotope analysis of mammoth tooth enamel carbonates (δ18O and δ13C) found at the site. The new isotopic data suggest that mean annual temperatures at Kraków Spadzista were 4-9oC colder than present and, based on comparisons with previously published isotopic data for mammoth in Europe, we argue that the Kraków assemblage most likely formed during a cold Dansgaard-Oeschger event. This suggests modern humans were able to occupy and survive in this area of northern Europe during the harsh cold phases that affected Europe at this time. ABSTRACTBetween 50,000 and 20,000 years ago, Europe experienced a series of rapid climate change events known as the Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles, which may have made areas of northern Europe more attractive for occupation by early modern humans at certain times than at others. This paper investigates when humans were occupying northern Europe in relation to these climatic changes at the archaeological site of Kraków Spadzista Street (B), by applying oxygen isotope analysis of mammoth tooth enamel carbonates (δ 18 O and δ 13 C) found at the site. The new isotopic data suggest that mean annual temperatures at Kraków Spadzista were 4-9 o C colder than present and, based on comparisons with previously published isotopic data for mammoth in Europe, we argue that the Kraków assemblage most likely formed during a cold DansgaardOeschger event. This suggests modern humans were able to occupy and survive in this area of northern Europe during the harsh cold phases that affected Europe at this time.

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Section: Intra-population Range and Site Taphonomymentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Amh Occupation Sites Across the North European Plains And Armentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Background To Kraków Spadzista Street (B)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Background To Kraków Spadzista Street (B)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Humans and Climate At Kraków Spadzista Street (B)mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Investigating climate at the Upper Palaeolithic site of Kraków Spadzista Street (B), Poland, using oxygen isotopes

Pryor¹,

O’Connell²,

Wojtal³

et al. 2013

Quaternary International

Self Cite

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Pleistocene landslides and mammoth bone deposits: The case of Dolní Věstonice II, Czech Republic

Svoboda

Krejčí

et al. 2019

Geoarchaeology

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The formation of extensive mammoth bone deposits is a characteristic feature of the large Upper Paleolithic settlements of the Moravian Gravettian (approximately 30 ky cal BP). Some of these were preferentially deposited in moist locations, possibly for reasons of hygiene and conservation. Here, we present a case of a mammoth bone deposit located in a side gully below the Dolní Věstonice II settlement, where an earlier a Pleistocene landslide temporarily created a shallow water basin. The environmental record is provided by analyses of pollen and mollusks. The structure of the osteological and archaeological assemblages suggests the use of this location as a place for storage, garbage disposal, and related activities. We suggest that the mammoth remains were transported to such places by humans either directly from nearby kill sites, or, after first selection, from the nearby settlement. We also discuss possible facilities for such transport. K E Y W O R D SCzech Republic, Dolní Věstonice, Gravettian, landslide, mammoth bone deposit

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State‐of‐the‐art overview of the Loess Palaeolithic of Poland

Valde‐Nowak

Łanczont

2021

J Quaternary Science

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In Poland, loess mainly occurs in the southern part of the country, in the Polish Uplands, and on the northern foreland of the Sudetes and the Carpathians. Most of these sediments come from the time of the last glaciation-the Vistulian (Weichselian) glaciation. Thin covers of loess from the penultimate glaciation have been preserved in Upper Silesia. Only a few sites from the Middle Palaeolithic remain in the loess. In the eastern part of Poland loess creates profiles several metres high. Discoveries in this zone represent the cultural sequence from the transition from the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic. We know more traces of various cultures from the Upper Palaeolithic exist. The study attempts to synchronise profiles from selected archaeological open-air sites, outlines of the history of research on loess sites, and attempts to explain terminological and conceptual issues. The issue of loess in the cave site profiles will not be discussed in the article.

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Man and woolly mammoth at the Kraków Spadzista Street (B) – taphonomy of the site

Cited by 65 publications

References 12 publications

Investigating climate at the Upper Palaeolithic site of Kraków Spadzista Street (B), Poland, using oxygen isotopes

Investigating climate at the Upper Palaeolithic site of Kraków Spadzista Street (B), Poland, using oxygen isotopes

Pleistocene landslides and mammoth bone deposits: The case of Dolní Věstonice II, Czech Republic

State‐of‐the‐art overview of the Loess Palaeolithic of Poland

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