Boila Rockshelter is located on the south bank of the Voidomatis River in Epirus, northwestern Gr... more Boila Rockshelter is located on the south bank of the Voidomatis River in Epirus, northwestern Greece. It is one of a series of three shelters that were occupied soon after the Last Glacial Maximum, all of which suggest the use of novel areas and diversification in subsistence. Dominated by backed tools, the chipped stone assemblage points to a continuum from the Gravettian to the Epigravettian, and in the case of Boila, into the early part of the Mesolithic. During the final phase of its use, the internal organisation of the shelter also appears to have changed, with a single large hearth beyond the dripline, in contrast to multiple smaller patches of burning along the back wall during its earlier use. This would have freed up space beneath the roof, while the deposits within the ash-rich feature suggest that it was also used for discarding knapping waste. The use of Boila appears to cease during the Early Holocene, suggesting that niche upland environments such as the Vikos Gorge became less important as conditions improved after the Younger Dryas. Our study included 35,901 pieces of chipped stone, estimated to represent around two-thirds of the complete assemblage. We focus on raw materials and the chaîne opératoire, with the results pointing to both continuity and change in lithic technology during the Final Upper Palaeolithic and into the Early Mesolithic in this part of the Balkans.
The Prehistoric Stones of Greece set out to quantify and collate in as much detail as possible, i... more The Prehistoric Stones of Greece set out to quantify and collate in as much detail as possible, information about Palaeolithic and Mesolithic sites in Greece, and to describe the field survey projects which resulted in the discovery of the majority of these. Neolithic sites discovered during field survey were also recorded. Material culture including tools and other objects, structures and features, along with fauna and flora were documented, including those from later periods when from palimpsests or multi period sites. The aim was to create an overview of the results of many years of intensive field survey and to create a searchable archive with which to investigate regional settlement patterns and to identify likely areas for future research. The dataset includes information about sites and findspots including location, elevation, chronology, and the types of artefacts and ecofacts recovered. These have been standardised as far as possible to allow region wide comparisons and analysis of variability. The dataset is predominantly based on published accounts and occasionally grey literature from unpublished reports. In a small number of cases it has benefited from the results of our own research in Greece. New field survey projects continue to be set up and sites and findspots discovered, investigated and published. We endeavour to make the dataset as up to date as possible and continue to refine the records and to add new information as it becomes available
Cur rent mod els of in ter ac tion be tween Neandertals and mod ern hu mans, and the na ture and ... more Cur rent mod els of in ter ac tion be tween Neandertals and mod ern hu mans, and the na ture and tim ing of the Mid dle to Up per Paleolithic tran si tion in west ern Eur asia sug gest a com plex, re gion ally-dif fer en ti ated pro cess. The lack of di ag nos tic fos sil re mains and as so ci ated lithic in dus tries limit the ex tent to which the tran si tion can be mod eled, whether a re sult of over lap, ac cul tur a tion or in de pend ent in ven tion, or quite pos si bly a com bi na tion of all three. Fos sil re mains in south east ern Eu rope tend to be frag men tary, iso lated, and poorly dated.
La reproduction ou représentation de cet article, notamment par photocopie, n'est autorisée q... more La reproduction ou représentation de cet article, notamment par photocopie, n'est autorisée que dans les limites des conditions générales d'utilisation du site ou, le cas échéant, des conditions générales de la licence souscrite par votre établissement. Toute autre reproduction ou représentation, en tout ou partie, sous quelque forme et de quelque manière que ce soit, est interdite sauf accord préalable et écrit de l'éditeur, en dehors des cas prévus par la législation en vigueur en France. Il est précisé que son stockage dans une base de données est également interdit.
Abstract Mobility represents one of the most important behavioural strategies of the Palaeolithic... more Abstract Mobility represents one of the most important behavioural strategies of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic, allowing groups to organise their use of landscapes by positioning themselves close to resources, as well as to regulate group size and social networks. One way of measuring the scale of this mobility is through the transport of lithic raw materials in the form of cores and finished artefacts. This paper aims to investigate settlement and mobility in Greece during the Late Upper Palaeolithic to Early Mesolithic transition, by using chipped stone technology and raw material transport as an index for wider subsistence and settlement changes associated with the Early Holocene. We take as a case study the Boila Rockshelter, located in the Voidomatis Basin in the rugged uplands of the Tymphi Massif, part of the Pindus Mountains in northwestern Greece. Typological analysis of almost two-thirds of the Boila chipped stone assemblage was carried out, along with geochemical trace element analysis on chert samples from the site, as well as limestone exposures in the local area and further afield. The geochemical analysis was focused on rare earth and other elements, with the results from Boila and the geological samples then compared. These confirmed that the majority of the chert used at Boila was originally derived from outcrops within the Vikos Gorge and Voidomatis River Valley, with the best pieces from approximately 10 km to the southeast of the site. Abrasion on the surfaces of these indicates that the majority of pieces used at Boila were collected from secondary fluvial deposits, such as those immediately below the site. In contrast, the geochemical results suggested that the reddish-brown varieties which were recovered at low frequency at Boila were probably collected from deposits located further towards the south. Synthesis of the results from the chipped stone and geochemical analyses suggested that during the Early Holocene at Boila, there was a change in the composition of the retouched tool assemblage. Backed bladelets continued to be made, but they were added to by increasing numbers of backed points and geometrics, along with a significant increase in the frequency of microburins. In parallel, the use of local black chert increased, albeit from a high level to begin with, while the poorer quality local greyish-white varieties declined, along with reddish-brown. The decline in greyish-white chert probably points to deliberate choice, favouring the better quality local black variety. The decline in reddish-brown chert, likely to have been collected further towards the south, suggests increasingly localised use of the landscape, possibly in response to improving conditions leading to increasing abundance, thus reducing the scale of mobility systems or the need for as frequent site relocation.
In addressing the question of whether economically specialised sites had specialised lithic techn... more In addressing the question of whether economically specialised sites had specialised lithic technologies, Elefanti draws on evidence from three broadly contemporary sites in north-west and southern Greece. Defining Klithi as a seasonally-occupied and possibly specialised site and Kastrista and Franchthi as sites with access to a diverse range of resources and more favourable conditions for longterm occupation, lithic evidence from the three is reassessed and compared. The theoretical and methodological premises of the research are clearly laid out and Elefanti concludes by stating that either Klithi is not truly representative of a specialised site, or there are no discernible differences in lithic technology between the two site types.
HUNTER-GATHERERS IN TRANSITION: THE CASE OF BOILA
ROCKSHELTER IN VOIDOMATIS BASIN, WESTERN PINDO... more HUNTER-GATHERERS IN TRANSITION: THE CASE OF BOILA ROCKSHELTER IN VOIDOMATIS BASIN, WESTERN PINDOS PARASKEVI ELEFANTI - GILBERT DAVID MARSHALL - ELENI KOTJABOPOULOU - EUGENIA ADAM - CHRISTOS STERGIOU Excavations during the 1990s at Boila rockshelter at the western mouth of the Vikos Gorge, where the Voidomatis river flows into the plain of Konitsa, revealed an occupation site complimentary to the previously established network of Upper Palaeolithic settlement in the area. Other sites further within the gorge include Klithi and Megalakkos rockshelters. In contrast to these, Boila was also in use during the early Holocene and therefore provides evidence for adaptation by final Upper Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers to the changing environmental conditions in the region. Our paper presents new information on stone tool technology at Boila from the final Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic, which expands on the already rich evidence from the region, as well as offering comparisons with sites from other areas in Greece and elsewhere
The mobile hunting and gathering way of life has persisted for over 95% of human history. As ethn... more The mobile hunting and gathering way of life has persisted for over 95% of human history. As ethnographic studies of recent societies have highlighted, mobility was key to the exploitation of the natural environment, while at the same time enabling groups to regulate their populations through fission and fusion. Combinations of mobility, technology and social networks enabled the near complete global spread of hunter-gatherers prior to the more settled farming way of life. Despite difficulties in extrapolating back in time from modern societies, their study can provide useful baseline indicators as to how settlement and subsistence was likely to have been organised during the Palaeolithic. The archaeological record as well as the seasonal variation in the natural environment, suggest that the fundamental challenges faced by groups during the Palaeolithic would have been broadly similar to those of today. Our study is based on three major cave sites in the Peloponnesian Argolid and a...
The way in which the Stone Age was presented in regional museums in Greece was strongly condition... more The way in which the Stone Age was presented in regional museums in Greece was strongly conditioned by the example set by the National Museum in Athens, with its emphasis on the Classical period after independence from Ottoman rule in 1830. Archaeology and museums provided the ideal tools with which to articulate the links between the emerging nation and perceived past glories. Evidence from earlier periods, being less striking and abundant and more difficult to interpret was side-lined, a pattern which persists today in the relatively small number of museums that devote space to the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic. But this is changing and from the early 2000s onwards in both newly built museums and those that were redeveloped, displays focusing on early prehistory have increased in number. This paper looks at ten such museums and how they present the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic. Despite the increase, the numbers are still too few and the quality of the displays is quite variable, to t...
... financial support. Thanks are also due to E. Alphas, M. Gouma, E. Prevedorou and M. Spataro w... more ... financial support. Thanks are also due to E. Alphas, M. Gouma, E. Prevedorou and M. Spataro who took part in the 2002-5 research. Nikos Efstratiou, Department of Archaeology, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki Paolo Biagi ...
... financial support. Thanks are also due to E. Alphas, M. Gouma, E. Prevedorou and M. Spataro w... more ... financial support. Thanks are also due to E. Alphas, M. Gouma, E. Prevedorou and M. Spataro who took part in the 2002-5 research. Nikos Efstratiou, Department of Archaeology, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki Paolo Biagi ...
Mobility represents one of the most important behavioural strategies of the Palaeolithic and Meso... more Mobility represents one of the most important behavioural strategies of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic, allowing groups to organise their use of landscapes by positioning themselves close to resources, as well as to regulate group size and social networks. One way of measuring the scale of this mobility is through the transport of lithic raw materials in the form of cores and finished artefacts. This paper aims to investigate settlement and mobility in Greece during the Late Upper Palaeolithic to Early Mesolithic transition, by using chipped stone technology and raw material transport as an index for wider subsistence and settlement changes associated with the Early Holocene. We take as a case study the Boila Rockshelter, located in the Voidomatis Basin in the rugged uplands of the Tymphi Massif, part of the Pindus Mountains in northwestern Greece. Typological analysis of almost two-thirds of the Boila chipped stone assemblage was carried out, along with geochemical trace element analysis on chert samples from the site, as well as limestone exposures in the local area and further afield. The geochemical analysis was focused on rare earth and other elements, with the results from Boila and the geological samples then compared. These confirmed that the majority of the chert used at Boila was originally derived from outcrops within the Vikos Gorge and Voidomatis River Valley, with the best pieces from approximately 10 km to the southeast of the site. Abrasion on the surfaces of these indicates that the majority of pieces used at Boila were collected from secondary fluvial deposits, such as those immediately below the site. In contrast, the geochemical results suggested that the reddish-brown varieties which were recovered at low frequency at Boila were probably collected from deposits located further towards the south. Synthesis of the results from the chipped stone and geochemical analyses suggested that during the Early Holocene at Boila, there was a change in the composition of the retouched tool assemblage. Backed bladelets continued to be made, but they were added to by increasing numbers of backed points and geometrics, along with a significant increase in the frequency of microburins. In parallel, the use of local black chert increased, albeit from a high level to begin with, while the poorer quality local greyish-white varieties declined, along with reddish-brown. The decline in greyish-white chert probably points to deliberate choice, favouring the better quality local black variety. The decline in reddish-brown chert, likely to have been collected further towards the south, suggests increasingly localised use of the landscape, possibly in response to improving conditions leading to increasing abundance, thus reducing the scale of mobility systems or the need for as frequent site relocation.
Boila Rockshelter is located on the south bank of the Voidomatis River in Epirus, northwestern Gr... more Boila Rockshelter is located on the south bank of the Voidomatis River in Epirus, northwestern Greece. It is one of a series of three shelters that were occupied soon after the Last Glacial Maximum, all of which suggest the use of novel areas and diversification in subsistence. Dominated by backed tools, the chipped stone assemblage points to a continuum from the Gravettian to the Epigravettian, and in the case of Boila, into the early part of the Mesolithic. During the final phase of its use, the internal organisation of the shelter also appears to have changed, with a single large hearth beyond the dripline, in contrast to multiple smaller patches of burning along the back wall during its earlier use. This would have freed up space beneath the roof, while the deposits within the ash-rich feature suggest that it was also used for discarding knapping waste. The use of Boila appears to cease during the Early Holocene, suggesting that niche upland environments such as the Vikos Gorge became less important as conditions improved after the Younger Dryas. Our study included 35,901 pieces of chipped stone, estimated to represent around two-thirds of the complete assemblage. We focus on raw materials and the chaîne opératoire, with the results pointing to both continuity and change in lithic technology during the Final Upper Palaeolithic and into the Early Mesolithic in this part of the Balkans.
The Prehistoric Stones of Greece set out to quantify and collate in as much detail as possible, i... more The Prehistoric Stones of Greece set out to quantify and collate in as much detail as possible, information about Palaeolithic and Mesolithic sites in Greece, and to describe the field survey projects which resulted in the discovery of the majority of these. Neolithic sites discovered during field survey were also recorded. Material culture including tools and other objects, structures and features, along with fauna and flora were documented, including those from later periods when from palimpsests or multi period sites. The aim was to create an overview of the results of many years of intensive field survey and to create a searchable archive with which to investigate regional settlement patterns and to identify likely areas for future research. The dataset includes information about sites and findspots including location, elevation, chronology, and the types of artefacts and ecofacts recovered. These have been standardised as far as possible to allow region wide comparisons and analysis of variability. The dataset is predominantly based on published accounts and occasionally grey literature from unpublished reports. In a small number of cases it has benefited from the results of our own research in Greece. New field survey projects continue to be set up and sites and findspots discovered, investigated and published. We endeavour to make the dataset as up to date as possible and continue to refine the records and to add new information as it becomes available
Cur rent mod els of in ter ac tion be tween Neandertals and mod ern hu mans, and the na ture and ... more Cur rent mod els of in ter ac tion be tween Neandertals and mod ern hu mans, and the na ture and tim ing of the Mid dle to Up per Paleolithic tran si tion in west ern Eur asia sug gest a com plex, re gion ally-dif fer en ti ated pro cess. The lack of di ag nos tic fos sil re mains and as so ci ated lithic in dus tries limit the ex tent to which the tran si tion can be mod eled, whether a re sult of over lap, ac cul tur a tion or in de pend ent in ven tion, or quite pos si bly a com bi na tion of all three. Fos sil re mains in south east ern Eu rope tend to be frag men tary, iso lated, and poorly dated.
La reproduction ou représentation de cet article, notamment par photocopie, n'est autorisée q... more La reproduction ou représentation de cet article, notamment par photocopie, n'est autorisée que dans les limites des conditions générales d'utilisation du site ou, le cas échéant, des conditions générales de la licence souscrite par votre établissement. Toute autre reproduction ou représentation, en tout ou partie, sous quelque forme et de quelque manière que ce soit, est interdite sauf accord préalable et écrit de l'éditeur, en dehors des cas prévus par la législation en vigueur en France. Il est précisé que son stockage dans une base de données est également interdit.
Abstract Mobility represents one of the most important behavioural strategies of the Palaeolithic... more Abstract Mobility represents one of the most important behavioural strategies of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic, allowing groups to organise their use of landscapes by positioning themselves close to resources, as well as to regulate group size and social networks. One way of measuring the scale of this mobility is through the transport of lithic raw materials in the form of cores and finished artefacts. This paper aims to investigate settlement and mobility in Greece during the Late Upper Palaeolithic to Early Mesolithic transition, by using chipped stone technology and raw material transport as an index for wider subsistence and settlement changes associated with the Early Holocene. We take as a case study the Boila Rockshelter, located in the Voidomatis Basin in the rugged uplands of the Tymphi Massif, part of the Pindus Mountains in northwestern Greece. Typological analysis of almost two-thirds of the Boila chipped stone assemblage was carried out, along with geochemical trace element analysis on chert samples from the site, as well as limestone exposures in the local area and further afield. The geochemical analysis was focused on rare earth and other elements, with the results from Boila and the geological samples then compared. These confirmed that the majority of the chert used at Boila was originally derived from outcrops within the Vikos Gorge and Voidomatis River Valley, with the best pieces from approximately 10 km to the southeast of the site. Abrasion on the surfaces of these indicates that the majority of pieces used at Boila were collected from secondary fluvial deposits, such as those immediately below the site. In contrast, the geochemical results suggested that the reddish-brown varieties which were recovered at low frequency at Boila were probably collected from deposits located further towards the south. Synthesis of the results from the chipped stone and geochemical analyses suggested that during the Early Holocene at Boila, there was a change in the composition of the retouched tool assemblage. Backed bladelets continued to be made, but they were added to by increasing numbers of backed points and geometrics, along with a significant increase in the frequency of microburins. In parallel, the use of local black chert increased, albeit from a high level to begin with, while the poorer quality local greyish-white varieties declined, along with reddish-brown. The decline in greyish-white chert probably points to deliberate choice, favouring the better quality local black variety. The decline in reddish-brown chert, likely to have been collected further towards the south, suggests increasingly localised use of the landscape, possibly in response to improving conditions leading to increasing abundance, thus reducing the scale of mobility systems or the need for as frequent site relocation.
In addressing the question of whether economically specialised sites had specialised lithic techn... more In addressing the question of whether economically specialised sites had specialised lithic technologies, Elefanti draws on evidence from three broadly contemporary sites in north-west and southern Greece. Defining Klithi as a seasonally-occupied and possibly specialised site and Kastrista and Franchthi as sites with access to a diverse range of resources and more favourable conditions for longterm occupation, lithic evidence from the three is reassessed and compared. The theoretical and methodological premises of the research are clearly laid out and Elefanti concludes by stating that either Klithi is not truly representative of a specialised site, or there are no discernible differences in lithic technology between the two site types.
HUNTER-GATHERERS IN TRANSITION: THE CASE OF BOILA
ROCKSHELTER IN VOIDOMATIS BASIN, WESTERN PINDO... more HUNTER-GATHERERS IN TRANSITION: THE CASE OF BOILA ROCKSHELTER IN VOIDOMATIS BASIN, WESTERN PINDOS PARASKEVI ELEFANTI - GILBERT DAVID MARSHALL - ELENI KOTJABOPOULOU - EUGENIA ADAM - CHRISTOS STERGIOU Excavations during the 1990s at Boila rockshelter at the western mouth of the Vikos Gorge, where the Voidomatis river flows into the plain of Konitsa, revealed an occupation site complimentary to the previously established network of Upper Palaeolithic settlement in the area. Other sites further within the gorge include Klithi and Megalakkos rockshelters. In contrast to these, Boila was also in use during the early Holocene and therefore provides evidence for adaptation by final Upper Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers to the changing environmental conditions in the region. Our paper presents new information on stone tool technology at Boila from the final Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic, which expands on the already rich evidence from the region, as well as offering comparisons with sites from other areas in Greece and elsewhere
The mobile hunting and gathering way of life has persisted for over 95% of human history. As ethn... more The mobile hunting and gathering way of life has persisted for over 95% of human history. As ethnographic studies of recent societies have highlighted, mobility was key to the exploitation of the natural environment, while at the same time enabling groups to regulate their populations through fission and fusion. Combinations of mobility, technology and social networks enabled the near complete global spread of hunter-gatherers prior to the more settled farming way of life. Despite difficulties in extrapolating back in time from modern societies, their study can provide useful baseline indicators as to how settlement and subsistence was likely to have been organised during the Palaeolithic. The archaeological record as well as the seasonal variation in the natural environment, suggest that the fundamental challenges faced by groups during the Palaeolithic would have been broadly similar to those of today. Our study is based on three major cave sites in the Peloponnesian Argolid and a...
The way in which the Stone Age was presented in regional museums in Greece was strongly condition... more The way in which the Stone Age was presented in regional museums in Greece was strongly conditioned by the example set by the National Museum in Athens, with its emphasis on the Classical period after independence from Ottoman rule in 1830. Archaeology and museums provided the ideal tools with which to articulate the links between the emerging nation and perceived past glories. Evidence from earlier periods, being less striking and abundant and more difficult to interpret was side-lined, a pattern which persists today in the relatively small number of museums that devote space to the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic. But this is changing and from the early 2000s onwards in both newly built museums and those that were redeveloped, displays focusing on early prehistory have increased in number. This paper looks at ten such museums and how they present the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic. Despite the increase, the numbers are still too few and the quality of the displays is quite variable, to t...
... financial support. Thanks are also due to E. Alphas, M. Gouma, E. Prevedorou and M. Spataro w... more ... financial support. Thanks are also due to E. Alphas, M. Gouma, E. Prevedorou and M. Spataro who took part in the 2002-5 research. Nikos Efstratiou, Department of Archaeology, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki Paolo Biagi ...
... financial support. Thanks are also due to E. Alphas, M. Gouma, E. Prevedorou and M. Spataro w... more ... financial support. Thanks are also due to E. Alphas, M. Gouma, E. Prevedorou and M. Spataro who took part in the 2002-5 research. Nikos Efstratiou, Department of Archaeology, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki Paolo Biagi ...
Mobility represents one of the most important behavioural strategies of the Palaeolithic and Meso... more Mobility represents one of the most important behavioural strategies of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic, allowing groups to organise their use of landscapes by positioning themselves close to resources, as well as to regulate group size and social networks. One way of measuring the scale of this mobility is through the transport of lithic raw materials in the form of cores and finished artefacts. This paper aims to investigate settlement and mobility in Greece during the Late Upper Palaeolithic to Early Mesolithic transition, by using chipped stone technology and raw material transport as an index for wider subsistence and settlement changes associated with the Early Holocene. We take as a case study the Boila Rockshelter, located in the Voidomatis Basin in the rugged uplands of the Tymphi Massif, part of the Pindus Mountains in northwestern Greece. Typological analysis of almost two-thirds of the Boila chipped stone assemblage was carried out, along with geochemical trace element analysis on chert samples from the site, as well as limestone exposures in the local area and further afield. The geochemical analysis was focused on rare earth and other elements, with the results from Boila and the geological samples then compared. These confirmed that the majority of the chert used at Boila was originally derived from outcrops within the Vikos Gorge and Voidomatis River Valley, with the best pieces from approximately 10 km to the southeast of the site. Abrasion on the surfaces of these indicates that the majority of pieces used at Boila were collected from secondary fluvial deposits, such as those immediately below the site. In contrast, the geochemical results suggested that the reddish-brown varieties which were recovered at low frequency at Boila were probably collected from deposits located further towards the south. Synthesis of the results from the chipped stone and geochemical analyses suggested that during the Early Holocene at Boila, there was a change in the composition of the retouched tool assemblage. Backed bladelets continued to be made, but they were added to by increasing numbers of backed points and geometrics, along with a significant increase in the frequency of microburins. In parallel, the use of local black chert increased, albeit from a high level to begin with, while the poorer quality local greyish-white varieties declined, along with reddish-brown. The decline in greyish-white chert probably points to deliberate choice, favouring the better quality local black variety. The decline in reddish-brown chert, likely to have been collected further towards the south, suggests increasingly localised use of the landscape, possibly in response to improving conditions leading to increasing abundance, thus reducing the scale of mobility systems or the need for as frequent site relocation.
Mobility represents one of the most important behavioural strategies of the Palaeolithic and Meso... more Mobility represents one of the most important behavioural strategies of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic, allowing hunter-gatherers to organise their use of landscape by positioning themselves close to critical and seasonal resources, as well as allowing them to regulate group sizes and social networks. One way of measuring the scale and nature of mobility systems is through the transport of objects and in particular stone tools. The distances over which these were carried provide an index for the scale and direction of human movement. The aim of this paper is to discuss original research into the organisation of hunter-gatherer mobility in Greece during the transition from the Late Upper Palaeolithic to the Mesolithic. We take as a case study the Boila Rockshelter, located in the Voidomatis basin in the rugged uplands of the Tymphi Mountains in northwestern Greece. The study sets out to assess whether there is any evidence for a shift towards a more extensive system of hunting and gathering during the transition, as expressed in the movement of lithic raw materials over longer distances. To do this, an interdisciplinary analysis of the chipped stone assemblage from the site is being carried out, combining typo-technological observations with field survey, mineralogical observations and preliminary results from geochemical trace element analysis. The aim is twofold, to present the complicated geological history of the area and the role this played in the presence of the local Voidomatis flint which was widely used at the Palaeolithic sites within the Voidomatis gorge. Secondly, to assess the provenance of potential non-local raw materials such as the red and brown cherts which are present at low density at Boila. Research on the Boila Rockshelter is part of a larger interdisciplinary project entitled ‘From hunter-gatherers to early farmers in Greece’, which sets out to investigate settlement, subsistence and material culture during the final phases of the hunter-gatherer way of life in Greece.
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Papers by Paraskevi Elefanti
ROCKSHELTER IN VOIDOMATIS BASIN, WESTERN PINDOS
PARASKEVI ELEFANTI - GILBERT DAVID MARSHALL - ELENI KOTJABOPOULOU -
EUGENIA ADAM - CHRISTOS STERGIOU
Excavations during the 1990s at Boila rockshelter at the western mouth of the Vikos Gorge,
where the Voidomatis river flows into the plain of Konitsa, revealed an occupation site
complimentary to the previously established network of Upper Palaeolithic settlement in
the area. Other sites further within the gorge include Klithi and Megalakkos rockshelters.
In contrast to these, Boila was also in use during the early Holocene and therefore provides
evidence for adaptation by final Upper Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers to the changing
environmental conditions in the region. Our paper presents new information on stone tool
technology at Boila from the final Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic, which expands on the
already rich evidence from the region, as well as offering comparisons with sites from other
areas in Greece and elsewhere
ROCKSHELTER IN VOIDOMATIS BASIN, WESTERN PINDOS
PARASKEVI ELEFANTI - GILBERT DAVID MARSHALL - ELENI KOTJABOPOULOU -
EUGENIA ADAM - CHRISTOS STERGIOU
Excavations during the 1990s at Boila rockshelter at the western mouth of the Vikos Gorge,
where the Voidomatis river flows into the plain of Konitsa, revealed an occupation site
complimentary to the previously established network of Upper Palaeolithic settlement in
the area. Other sites further within the gorge include Klithi and Megalakkos rockshelters.
In contrast to these, Boila was also in use during the early Holocene and therefore provides
evidence for adaptation by final Upper Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers to the changing
environmental conditions in the region. Our paper presents new information on stone tool
technology at Boila from the final Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic, which expands on the
already rich evidence from the region, as well as offering comparisons with sites from other
areas in Greece and elsewhere