New data on bone industry from Staroselye site (Formozov's excavations)

Prehistoric man retouched and contoured lithic tools by using bone retouchers. These tools are common for many Middle Paleolithic assemblages throughout Europe and Near East, in particular, for the eastern Micoquian industries. This article discusses the study of 65 bone retouchers from the Middle Paleolithic layers of the Staroselye site in the Crimea. M.D. Gvozdover and A.A. Formozov carried out the first study of Staroselye retouchers in 1960. This work presents more detailed morphometric characteristics, basic taphonomic analysis, as well as taxonomic and anatomical definitions of retouchers. As a result, the correlation between metric indicators of bone retouchers and the number of active zones on the tools was revealed. Retouchers with increased number of active zones are, on average, longer than retouchers with less number of active zones. The length turned out to be the most variable parameter of retouchers, and their thickness and width are homogeneous. We have also identified the shape modification traces across the width of retouchers, which are negatives of successive removals by knapping on the edge of the bone tool. The Staroselye Neanderthals probably selected bone fragments that were most convenient for gripping in the hand (by fingers) and did not have any spurs or spikes. And if their shape was not suitable, they were intentionally processed. Moreover, two types of traces on retouchers were measured, such as linear grooves and ovoid pits. The grooves are considered to appear as a result of the retoucher contact with the straight sharp edge of the lithic tool, while the pits are a result of the contact with the notched edge. A high-resolution video microscope Hirox RH-2000 was used to carry out such measurements. It occurred that they differ from each other both in shape and in size. The data provided in the article can be used to identify cultural/functional similarities and differences between Staroselye and other Middle Paleolithic sites.