The first discovery of the Upper Paleolithic ornamented bones fragments from the Kapova cave

Purpose : The continuation of archaeological work in Kapova Cave resulted in a discovery of new distribution points of the Upper Paleolithic cultural layers. In one of these points - at the Western niche of the Dome Chamber - eight cultural horizons were detected (the research in this area is still going on). Results : The horizon № 5 appeared to be one of the richest in terms of cultural remains. This cultural horizon represents a carbon-ocherous layer with a considerable quantity of fine charcoal, specks and chips of ocher, bone fragments and other findings, related to human activities of the Upper Paleolithic time. Two ashy spots were recorded. A large number of fragments of intentionally cleaved calcitic sinters and limestone were found. A fragment of retouched trans-Ural jasper was discovered. The objects made of the same material were discovered in the Hall of Signs by the expedition of V. E. Shchelinsky. The paleozoological materials are generally represented by fragments of bones of hare and marmot (including those calcinated), which is in direct analogy to the osteological collection from the Hall of Signs. Apparently, the site of dissemination of cultural residues in question was used for taking short meals. Many Upper Paleolithic sites provide evidence of consumption of rodent meat (including marmots). The significance of the facts of consuming marmots in Kapova cave, together with the malacological materials, is related to the possibility to identify the season of visits to the cave of the Upper Paleolithic people - which, apparently, was during a warm season. Among the findings related to the symbolic human activity, in addition to the jewelry made of ocher and the Volga-region fossil shells, two fragments of ornamented bone were found, for the first time in the history of studies of the cave. The ornament on the first fragment (a marmot’s ulnar bone (ulna)) consists of four diagonal crosses, separated from each other by vertical dividing cuts, which, in turn, are arranged irregularly. The ornament on the second fragment (indeterminate limb bone, apparently, also marmot’s) consists of one intact rhomb shape and fragments of two similar shapes. To date, no ornamented objects were found in the cultural layers of the Kapova cave. The one and only, however controversial example of some semblance of an ornament can be a number of notches on the edge of the bottom of the cup made of baked clay, which was found in the cultural layer of the Hall of Signs. The ornamental motifs on the objects from the cultural layers have no analogues neither in the rock paintings of the Kapova cave, nor in the collections of the Upper Paleolithic sites of the Southern Urals. In fact, no ornamented objects of that period are known in the region. The ornamented items from the collections of the Upper Paleolithic sites of the rest of the Urals are also rare. As for adjacent territories (the Volga region, the Western Siberia), where the known Upper Paleolithic sites are relatively few, the ornamented objects are also scarce. Conclusion : The following aspects can be considered as the main characteristic trait of an ornament from the Ural region: 1) a straight geometric pattern; 2) main elements are a dash, a diagonal cross, and an angle; 3) quadrilaterals and triangles as geometric shapes (including diagonal and straight checkers, V-type cuts) are rare; 4) curved motifs are not known. It should be acknowledged that in the collections of a very few Upper Paleolithic sites of the Urals which contain a treated bone, the ornamented objects are extremely rare. It is particularly important to note that the ornamented objects are detected much less frequently than the jewelry of the same period.