Papers by Tamara Dogandzic
Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology, 2020
The ongoing refinement of archaeological excavation and recording methods over the last decades h... more The ongoing refinement of archaeological excavation and recording methods over the last decades has led to a significant increase in quantitative Middle Palaeolithic datasets that provide a record of past Neanderthal behaviour. Stone tools and butchered animal remains are the two main categories of Middle Palaeolithic archaeological remains and both provide distinctive insights into site formation and Neanderthal behaviour. However, the integration of these quantitative lithic and zooarchaeological datasets is key for achieving a full understanding of both site-specific and broader-scale patterns of Middle Palaeolithic subsistence. To explore novel ways to enhance the incorporation of these datasets, we organised a session at the 82nd annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology in Vancouver. An underlying theme was the problem of linking lithic and faunal variability. Are variations in subsistence strategies reflected by changes in toolmaking decisions? This paper will br...
Scientific Reports, 2020
Five nearly identical fragments of specialized bone tools, interpreted as lissoirs (French for “s... more Five nearly identical fragments of specialized bone tools, interpreted as lissoirs (French for “smoothers”), have been found at two Middle Paleolithic sites in southwest France. The finds span three separate archaeological deposits, suggesting continuity in the behavior of late Neandertals. Using standard morphological assessments, we determined that the lissoirs were produced on ribs of medium-sized ungulates. However, since these bones are highly fragmented and anthropogenically modified, species determinations were challenging. Also, conservative curation policy recommends minimizing destructive sampling of rare, fragile, or small artifacts for molecular identification methods. To better understand raw material selection for these five lissoirs, we reassess their taxonomy using a non-destructive ZooMS methodology based on triboelectric capture of collagen. We sampled four storage containers and obtained identifiable MALDI-TOF MS collagen fingerprints, all indicative of the same t...
Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology, 2020
The ongoing refinement of archaeological excavation and recording methods over the last decades h... more The ongoing refinement of archaeological excavation and recording methods over the last decades has led to a significant increase in quantitative Middle Palaeolithic datasets that provide a record of past Neanderthal behaviour. Stone tools and butchered animal remains are the two main categories of Middle Palaeolithic archaeological remains and both provide distinctive insights into site formation and Neanderthal behaviour. However, the integration of these quantitative lithic and zooarchaeological datasets is key for achieving a full understanding of both site-specific and broader-scale patterns of Middle Palaeolithic subsistence. To explore novel ways to enhance the incorporation of these datasets, we organised a session at the 82nd annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology in Vancouver. An underlying theme was the problem of linking lithic and faunal variability. Are variations in subsistence strategies reflected by changes in tool-making decisions? This paper will briefly introduce the possible ways these Middle Palaeolithic datasets can be integrated, illustrated with the papers included in this special volume, and discuss its potential for understanding the variability and interconnectedness of Neanderthal technologies and subsistence strategies.
Scientific Reports, 2019
The fossil record suggests that at least two major human dispersals occurred across the Eurasian ... more The fossil record suggests that at least two major human dispersals occurred across the Eurasian steppe during the Late Pleistocene. Neanderthals and Modern Humans moved eastward into Central Asia, a region intermittently occupied by the enigmatic Denisovans. Genetic data indicates that the Denisovans interbred with Neanderthals near the Altai Mountains (South Siberia) but where and when they met H. sapiens is yet to be determined. Here we present archaeological evidence that document the timing and environmental context of a third long-distance population movement in Central Asia, during a temperate climatic event around 45,000 years ago. The early occurrence of the Initial Upper Palaeolithic, a techno-complex whose sudden appearance coincides with the first occurrence of H. sapiens in the Eurasian steppes, establishes an essential archaeological link between the Siberian Altai and Northwestern China . Such connection between regions provides empirical ground to discuss contacts between local and exogenous populations in Central and Northeast Asia during the Late Pleistocene.
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2014
Conference Presentations by Tamara Dogandzic
Beginning in 2009, the late Middle Paleolithic site of Abri Peyrony
(also Haut de Combe-Capelle, ... more Beginning in 2009, the late Middle Paleolithic site of Abri Peyrony
(also Haut de Combe-Capelle, as part of the Combe-Capelle sites,
Dordogne, France) was reopened. Three seasons of eldwork
yielded rich lithic and faunal assemblages, as well as pieces of
manganese dioxide, bone tools, and much needed information
about the site’s formation and antiquity. The site yielded only
Mousterian levels. Level L-3A is attributed to the Mousterian of
Acheulian Tradition (MTA). The remaining levels, including the
underlying level L-3B, demonstrate similarities in blank production
but are not MTA. Thus, the Abri Peyrony faunal assemblage
provides an opportunity to study the relationship between
changes in lithic technology and subsistence through a
detailed zooarchaeological analysis of a highly-resolved faunal
assemblage.
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Papers by Tamara Dogandzic
Conference Presentations by Tamara Dogandzic
(also Haut de Combe-Capelle, as part of the Combe-Capelle sites,
Dordogne, France) was reopened. Three seasons of eldwork
yielded rich lithic and faunal assemblages, as well as pieces of
manganese dioxide, bone tools, and much needed information
about the site’s formation and antiquity. The site yielded only
Mousterian levels. Level L-3A is attributed to the Mousterian of
Acheulian Tradition (MTA). The remaining levels, including the
underlying level L-3B, demonstrate similarities in blank production
but are not MTA. Thus, the Abri Peyrony faunal assemblage
provides an opportunity to study the relationship between
changes in lithic technology and subsistence through a
detailed zooarchaeological analysis of a highly-resolved faunal
assemblage.
(also Haut de Combe-Capelle, as part of the Combe-Capelle sites,
Dordogne, France) was reopened. Three seasons of eldwork
yielded rich lithic and faunal assemblages, as well as pieces of
manganese dioxide, bone tools, and much needed information
about the site’s formation and antiquity. The site yielded only
Mousterian levels. Level L-3A is attributed to the Mousterian of
Acheulian Tradition (MTA). The remaining levels, including the
underlying level L-3B, demonstrate similarities in blank production
but are not MTA. Thus, the Abri Peyrony faunal assemblage
provides an opportunity to study the relationship between
changes in lithic technology and subsistence through a
detailed zooarchaeological analysis of a highly-resolved faunal
assemblage.