A 41,500 year-old decorated ivory pendant from Stajnia Cave (Poland)

Talamo, S., Nowaczewska, W., Picin, A., Vazzana, A., Binkowski, M., Bosch, M. D., Cercatillo, S., Diakowski, M., Fewlass, H., Marciszak, A., Paleček, D., Richards, M. P., Ryder, C. M., Sinet-Mathiot, V., Smith, G. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7155-5140, Socha, P., Spoonheimer, M., Krzysztof, S., Welker, F., Winter, H., Wiśniewski, A., Żarski, M., Benazzi, S., Nadachowski, A. and Hubline, J.-J. (2021) A 41,500 year-old decorated ivory pendant from Stajnia Cave (Poland). Scientific Reports, 11. 22078. ISSN 2045-2322 doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-01221-6

Abstract/Summary

Evidence of mobiliary art and body augmentation are associated with the cultural innovations introduced by Homo sapiens at the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic. Here, we report the discovery of the oldest known human-modified punctate ornament, a decorated ivory pendant from the Paleolithic layers at Stajnia Cave in Poland. We describe the features of this unique piece, as well as the stratigraphic context and the details of its chronometric dating. The Stajnia Cave plate is a personal 'jewellery' object that was created 41,500 calendar years ago (directly radiocarbon dated). It is the oldest known of its kind in Eurasia and it establishes a new starting date for a tradition directly connected to the spread of modern Homo sapiens in Europe.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/117103
Identification Number/DOI	10.1038/s41598-021-01221-6
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science > Scientific Archaeology Science > School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science > Department of Archaeology
Publisher	Nature Publishing Group
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