Diversity and evolution of osseous hunting equipment during the Magdalenian (21,000–14,000 cal BP)

Michelle Claire Langley (1) , Jean-Marc Pétillon (2) , Marianne Christensen (3)

1 ANU - Australian National University
2 TRACES - Travaux et recherches archéologiques sur les cultures, les espaces et les sociétés
3 ArScAn - Archéologies et Sciences de l'Antiquité

The Magdalenian is largely defined by its diverse array of sophisticated osseous projectile weaponry. Found throughout Western Europe, Magdalenian assemblages include antler points hafted using a variety of technological designs, unilaterally and bilaterally barbed points, self-barbed points, bivalve points made of two half round rods (baguettes demi-rondes), and composite antler/lithic projectile points, not to mention foreshafts and spearthrower elements. As perhaps the richest assemblage of osseous projectile weaponry manufactured during the Pleistocene worldwide, a thorough understanding of this technology is essential for building a cohesive understanding of not only the technological choices made by hunter-gatherers in Western Europe during this period, but the wider economic and social role that osseous projectile technology can play in a Pleistocene age culture. This chapter aims to outline the diversity of Magdalenian osseous projectile weaponry as well as its evolution throughout the period 21,000 – 14,000 cal BP. How these implements were designed, manufactured, used, and maintained is described.

Mots clés: Magdalenian; Western Europe; Antler artifacts; Spearthrower; Hunting technology

Domaines: Archéologie et Préhistoire

Michelle Claire Langley, Jean-Marc Pétillon, Marianne Christensen. Diversity and evolution of osseous hunting equipment during the Magdalenian (21,000–14,000 cal BP). Michelle C. Langley. Osseous Projectile Weaponry: Towards an Understanding of Pleistocene Cultural Variability, Springer, pp.143-159, 2016, 978-94-024-0899-7. ⟨10.1007/978-94-024-0899-7_10⟩. ⟨halshs-01916953⟩