Mysterious Ice Age structure discovered

[flying squid]

Mysterious Ice Age structure made from hundreds of mammoth bones discovered in Russia

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/16/world/ice-age-mammoth-house-russia-scn/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2mwXP_l3yT5WVAT2qMmFmgVjri9qR9svCy6BHdfDyPgOwDu2Jgb7Eqfc4

Around 25,000 years ago, hunter-gatherers used the bones from 60 mammoths to build a large circular structure in Russia. And no one knows why.

Researchers have excavated the site in an attempt to understand it, but they don't know why the structure was built, according to a new study.

[Piney]

5 minutes ago, flying squid said:

Around 25,000 years ago, hunter-gatherers used the bones from 60 mammoths to build a large circular structure in Russia. And no one knows why.

Mammoth bone houses were common in Europe and Asia. It was either a ceremonial building or winter quarters for a extended family.

....boy, I do love when journalists write about archaeology......

[Essan]

47 minutes ago, Piney said:

....boy, I do love when journalists write about archaeology......

Journalist:  Wow!  I've never heard of this before!  Must be very rare!  I don't understand what it can be!  I bet even the experts have no idea what they are!

Expert: it's nothing special, we see them all the time

Journalist:  But can you tell me exactly what this specific example was used for, by whom and when?

Expert:  Well, not exactly ....

Journalist:  Yippee!  I've got a scoop!   "Mysterious Rare Discovery Baffles Experts!!!"


(and that applies to almost all branches of science)

[Hanslune]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezhyrich

 

Yes and not even unique

[Piney]

12 minutes ago, Hanslune said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezhyrich

Quote

• remains of a "drum", made of a mammoth skull painted with a pattern of red ochre dots and lines

I got to see that up close and personal.

On the bottom it said.... 

*War Vole Summoner. For herding and feeding only. Keep out of reach of Redmen- made in Mu R.O.A.* 

[flying squid]

16 minutes ago, Hanslune said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezhyrich

 

Yes and not even unique

”These dwellings, dating back some 15,000 years ” ---> Ukraine

and........Around 25,000 years ago -----> this structure.

It's a quite different. Hans.

 

[Hanslune]

30 minutes ago, flying squid said:

”These dwellings, dating back some 15,000 years ” ---> Ukraine

and........Around 25,000 years ago -----> this structure.

It's a quite different. Hans.

 

Same use of mammoth bones for a structure

[jaylemurph]

Silly journo. “Why?” is a history question, not an archaeological one!

—Jaylemurph 

[flying squid]

If a prehistoric people used to kill so many mammoths to make structures like this, then it's no wonder the mammoths are disappeared.

[Piney]

10 minutes ago, flying squid said:

If a prehistoric people used to kill so many mammoths to make structures like this, then it's no wonder the mammoths are disappeared.

They gathered many of the sun bleached ones, which was easier. You see a lack of "butcher cuts" on some of the bones.

Loss of habitat and a very wet, warm weather pattern from melting ice creating diseases were probably a bigger contribution to the mammoth's extinction. 

Edited March 17, 2020 by Piney
**** Atlantis

[Swede]

On 3/17/2020 at 11:07 AM, jaylemurph said:

Silly journo. “Why?” is a history question, not an archaeological one!

—Jaylemurph 

While the commentary on modern journalism is well taken, the latter aspect is debatable. Archaeologists are continually asking “why” questions. An example would be the recently discussed presence of latter Woodland-period North American Indigenous palisaded villages.

It should first be understood that the remnants of such palisades are rarely, if ever, represented by actual wooden remains. They are instead represented by often subtle soils discolorations, inconsistencies in soils composition, and associated artifact-bearing backfill.

Upon the observation, documentation, and mapping of such features, researchers are then prompted to ask what was the motivation behind the effort and manpower expenditure involved, be it single post or trench-wall design. The obvious answers are, of course, either domestic livestock containment or defensive purposes. As there were no North American livestock domesticates, one is left with defensive purposes. This then leads to the “why” of defensive needs. Which then leads to the ramifications of increased population density, competition for available resources, and the cultural responses to such pressures. Which then results in quite a number of further cultural “whys”.

The above is just one condensed example.

A personal anecdote: All those years ago, due to the nature of my graduate work, a historian was deliberately sought out to sit on my committee. The individual approached, rather newly minted, was a bit confused as to why he was being requested to sit on the committee. He was genially informed that we archaeologists are the ones who provide historians with the hard data upon which to build their interpretations. He found the following months to be quite informative and the education was incorporated into his class structure.

Edit: Punctuation.

Edited March 19, 2020 by Swede