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Learning from Experiment: Unio Freshwater Mussel Shells in Fifth-millennium bc Romania

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2020

Monica Mărgărit Open the ORCID record for Monica Mărgărit [Opens in a new window] ,
Valentin Radu Open the ORCID record for Valentin Radu [Opens in a new window]  and
Valentina Voinea Open the ORCID record for Valentina Voinea [Opens in a new window]
Monica Mărgărit
Affiliation:
Valahia University of Târgoviște and Vasile Pârvan Institute of Archaeology, Bucharest, Romania
Valentin Radu
Affiliation:
National Museum of Romanian History, Bucharest, Romania
Valentina Voinea
Affiliation:
Museum of National History and Archaeology, Constanța, Romania
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Abstract

Raw materials from aquatic environments were systematically used for domestic activities even before the appearance of modern humans. Here, the authors analyse the possible use of freshwater mussel valves of the Unio species, whose surfaces preserve marks resulting from their use. They consider the ways in which wear develops on these valves, starting from the comparison between archaeological exemplars and experimental pieces. An experimental programme was developed to record variables such as the procurement of the raw material, the processing of various materials, and the time needed for each operation. Experimental pieces were assessed to document how use-wear develops. The archaeological assemblage from the site of Cheia in Romania (Hamangia culture, fifth millennium cal bc) served as a case study to illustrate the relevance of the results.

L'utilisation systématique de matières premières provenant de milieux aquatiques à des fins domestiques remonte à même avant l’émergence des hommes modernes. Les auteurs de cet article présentent une analyse des usages possibles de coquilles de bivalves d'eau douce du genre Unio dont les surfaces exhibent des marques dues à leur utilisation. Ils considèrent les différentes traces d'usure sur ces valves en comparant des exemplaires provenant de contextes archéologiques avec des pièces obtenues par expérimentation. Un projet d'archéologie expérimentale fut mis sur pied afin d’étudier une série de variables, telles l'obtention de la matière première, les résultats obtenus sur différents matériaux ou la duration des opérations. Les pièces expérimentales furent évaluées afin de documenter l’évolution des traces d'usure. Le mobilier provenant du site d'habitat de Cheia en Roumanie (culture Humangia, Ve millénaire av. J.-C.) a servi à valider les résultats. Translation by Madeleine Hummler

Menschen haben seit sehr langem, schon bevor dem Auftreten von Homo sapiens, Rohstoffe aus der aquatischen Umwelt für Haushaltsbedürfnisse systematisch gebraucht. Die Autoren dieses Artikel untersuchen hier die verschiedenen Verwendungsmöglichkeiten von Unio Süßwassermuschelschalen, deren Oberflächen Gebrauchsspuren aufweisen. Sie analysieren, auf der Basis eines Vergleiches zwischen archäologischen und experimentellen Stücken, auf welcher Weise solche Abnutzungsspuren entstanden sind. Ein experimentelles Programm wurde entwickelt, um verschiedene Variablen zu prüfen; zu diesen gehören die Beschaffung des Rohstoffs, die Bearbeitung von verschiedenen Materialien und die Dauer jeder Operation. Die experimentellen Stücke wurden bewertet, um die Entwicklung der Abnutzungsspuren zu dokumentieren. Ein Befund aus der Siedlung von Cheia in Rumänien (Hamangia Kultur, fünftes Jahrtausend v. Chr.) diente als Fallstudie, um die Relevanz der Ergebnisse zu prüfen. Translation by Madeleine Hummler

Keywords

prehistoryHamangia culturefreshwater musselexperimental replicationuse-wear tracespréhistoireculture Humangiamoules d'eau doucearchéologie expérimentaletraces d'usureUrgeschichteHamangia KulturSüßwassermuschelnexperimentelle Archäologie Nutzugsspuren
Type
Article
Information
European Journal of Archaeology , Volume 24 , Issue 2 , May 2021 , pp. 180 - 203
Copyright
Copyright © European Association of Archaeologists 2020

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