Pages: 227-237 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.55086/sp261227237
Mammoth ivory beads, a key element of Upper Palaeolithic ornaments (40–12 ka BP), are widely distributed across Central and Eastern Europe. They are most often found as isolated artifacts, while reconstructions of composite ornaments are possible only from rare burial contexts. Among these, the burials at the Sungir site (30–26 ka BP) are of particular importance, having yielded thousands of beads, many preserved in situ. The large quantity of finds and their fragile preservation complicate both the analysis of bead morphology and dimensions and the study of their arrangement within ornaments. To address this, a dataset of 3D models representing several strands from the male and adolescent burials was created, and a procedure for automated morphometric analysis was developed. This approach enables the identification of manufacturing and compositional patterns in ivory ornaments, providing new insights into Upper Palaeolithic cultural traditions.
Keywords: mammoth ivory beads, Upper Palaeolithic, Sungir site, 3D modeling, morphometric analysis
Information about authors:
Yuri Svoyski (Moscow, Russian Federation). RSSDA Lab. Rusanov Ave., 9, Moscow, 129323, Russian Federation; HSE Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies. Staraya Basmannaya St., 21/4, building 3, Moscow, 105066, Russian Federation
E-ail: [email protected]
ORCID: 0000-0001-6256-4299
Ekaterina Romanenko (Moscow, Russian Federation). RSSDA Lab. Rusanov Ave., 9, Moscow, 129323, Russian Federation
E-ail: [email protected]
ORCID: 0000-0001-5138-9202
Gennady Khlopachev (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Peter The Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) of Russian Academy of Sciences. Universitetskaya Emb., 3, Saint Petersburg, 199034, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]
ORCID: 0000-0001-6649-7038
Anna Girich (Moscow, Russian Federation). RSSDA Lab. Rusanov Ave., 9, Moscow, 129323, Russian Federation; The Center for Underwater Archaeological Heritage of the Institute of Archaeology, Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS). Dm. Ulyanova St., 6, Moscow 117292, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]
ORCID: 0000-0003-3916-0733