UNDERSTANDING GRAVETTIAN SETTLEMENT DYNAMICS THROUGH LITHIC EVIDENCE. CASE OF PAVLOV I – SOUTHWEST, AREA A

• Authors: Dermeková Alexandra , Němcová Veronika , Novák Martin
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The Upper Palaeolithic Gravettian tradition, which dates from 34 to 24 kyr BP is distinguished by advanced lithic technology and extensive cultural adaptations across Europe. The Pavlov I site (Klíma 1954), situated in the Moravian region of the southern Czech Republic, represents one of the most significant Gravettian settlements, characterised by a complicated spatial structure and an abundance of archaeological finds. This study analyses the lithic assemblages retrieved from Area A during the 2013 – 2015 excavations. The area, which has been identified as a settlement activity zone, yielded a total of 2,615 lithic artefacts, accompanied by a number of faunal remains, including mammoth bones and an almost complete wolf skeleton. The research employs technological, typological, and spatial analyses to shed light on the lithic production processes and raw material economies of the area. The documentation of a complete lithic operational chain, encompassing core preparation, tool production, and waste management, serves to reinforce the area’s significance as a centre for daily activities. The spatial analyses identified four distinct concentrations of artefacts, which were interpreted as zones for habitation, tool production, disposal, and specialised activity. These findings align with those of previous studies of Pavlov I, thereby reaffirming its importance in understanding Gravettian settlement dynamics, raw material utilisation, and technological sophistication. The results contribute to a comprehensive view of human adaptation and cultural organisation in Upper Paleolithic Central Europe

Keywords

EN

CENTRAL EUROPE; MORAVIA; UPPER PALEOLITHIC; GRAVETTIAN; LITHIC INDUSTRY

• Publisher: Slovak Academy of Sciences, Archaeological Institute
• Journal: Študijné zvesti
• Year: 2025
• Volume: 72
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 19 – 36

Contributors

author

Dermeková Alexandra

• Ústav archeologie a muzeologie, Filozofická fakulta, Masarykova univerzita, Joštova 220/13, 602 00 Brno-město, Czech Republic

• https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2458-8856

author

Němcová Veronika

• https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4844-907X

author

Novák Martin

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2077-0753

Identifiers

DOI

https://doi.org/10.31577/szausav.2025.72.2