Knapping tools in Magdalenian contexts: New evidence from Gough's Cave (Somerset, UK).
Authors: Bello Silvia M, Crété Lucile, Galway-Witham Julia, Parfitt Simon A
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Knapping Tools in Magdalenian Contexts Gough's Cave in Somerset has yielded exceptional evidence of Magdalenian occupation around 12,600 years before present, with radiocarbon analysis pinpointing habitation to perhaps two or three human generations within a 200-year window. Researchers conducting a systematic examination of the cave's faunal collection at the Natural History Museum identified previously overlooked stone-knapping tools fashioned from bone and teeth, including several bones utilised as hammers and animal teeth modified for use as pressure-flakers in flint-tool manufacture. The assemblage comprised predominantly ad hoc implements, though a horse molar exhibited extensive wear patterns consistent with curation and repeated use across numerous knapping episodes, suggesting deliberate tool selection and maintenance. These findings carry substantial methodological weight: the researchers' detailed wear-pattern analysis establishes diagnostic criteria for identifying minimally-used organic knapping tools, a framework that should clarify whether such implements are genuinely scarce in the Magdalenian record or simply overlooked in collections. For equine professionals, whilst the direct applications remain limited, this work exemplifies how detailed biomechanical analysis of animal remains—including dental wear and bone fracture patterns—can reveal sophisticated prehistoric resource management and selective utilisation of specific animal materials for distinct purposes.
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Key Findings
- •Previously unrecognized flint-knapping tools were identified in the Gough's Cave faunal collection, including bones used as hammers and animal teeth manipulated as pressure-flakers
- •A horse molar was identified as a curated object used repeatedly over an extended period to manufacture multiple stone tools, contrasting with most ad hoc single-use tools
- •The findings provide a standardized framework for identifying minimally-used knapping tools in Magdalenian archaeological contexts