Institute for the History of Material Culture RAS, 18 Dvortsovaya emb., St. Petersburg, 191186, Russia [ksstepan@gmail.com; kupriuanova.masha@gmail.com; a.otcherednoy@gmail.com]

Abstract. The paper presents preliminary information about the discovery of an engraved bone fragment dating from the Middle Paleolithic. This bone fragment is identified as a big herbivorous mammal. It was found in the field season of 2023 in the course of excavations at the multilayered open-air site of Khotylevo I on the Desna river (Bryansk oblast, Russia). The non-figurative drawing consists of a combination of zigzags and arcs with short cuts extending from them, representing thus a sophisticated composition formed by lines of different thickness and, in all likelihood, different generations. This engraving was performed on the fresh bone, and the bone was deliberately fragmented thereafter, displaying rather complex non-utilitarian behavior. According to the general stratigraphic context and correlations with OSL-dated deposits, the find appears to be among the earliest instances of such activity, dating back to approximately 60 000–90 000 years ago.

Keywords: Middle Paleolithic, Russian Plain, engraved bone, taphonomy, traceology.

Received 19.11.2023, accepted 22.11.2023.

DOI: 10.31600/2658-3925-2023-2-5-15

For citation: Stepanova K. N., Kupriyanova M. D., Otcherednoy A. K. Engraved bone from the Middle Paleolithic site of Khotylevo I. Prehistoric Archaeology. Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies. 2023 (2), 5–15, DOI: 10.31600/2658-3925-2023-2-5-15

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