Human or Animal? Biomolecular Analysis of Upper Palaeolithic Bone Artefacts to Explore Raw Material Selection.

Bone and antler became important raw materials for Upper Palaeolithic people. Osseous materials were used to make tools such as harpoons, projectile points, needles, and portable art. It is generally assumed that archaeological osseous artefacts were made from animal skeletal remains. However, the manipulation of skeletal remains by Palaeolithic people was not limited to animals. Magdalenian human groups (with Goyet Q2 genetic ancestry) practiced funerary cannibalism and ritualistic manipulation of human remains, including the shaping of skull cups and engravings. By contrast, Epigravettian human groups (with Villa Bruna genetic ancestry), who replaced Magdalenian people, practiced primary burial behaviour rather than cannibalism. This raises the question of whether Magdalenian people only manipulated human skeletal remains as part of their funerary practices or whether human remains are a hidden part of Upper Palaeolithic osseous industries. This project will use palaeoproteomic techniques (ZooMS) to determine the species used to make Upper Palaeolithic osseous artefacts.  It will examine whether certain species were selected as raw material for specific artefact and how the ZooMS identified species reflect the zooarchaeological record at archaeological sites. Where artefact raw material is identified to be human bone, ancient DNA will be used to explore their genetic ancestry and stable isotopes to explore their diet and geographic origin.