The utilisation of large mammals bones in Bilzingsleben – a special variant of Middle Pleistocene Man’s relationship to his environment

The selection of raw material used for the production and utilisation of tools constitutes an important relationship of early man to his environment. His knowledge of the nature of the raw materials, of their physical reactions plays a big part at the preparation or the usage of implements.

The Lower Palaeolithic man of Bilzingsleben demonstrates this relationship in various ways. There is, e.g. a deliberate selection of raw material which was conducted for artefact-specific reasons. Dependent on their corresponding future function, different raw materials had been selected according to their specific qualities :

1. Tough, solid large pebbles (quartzite, limestone, travertine, kristalline) appropriate for the execution of rough work.

2. Hard, brittle silex stones (flint, more rarely quartz, chert), appropriate for the production of small special tools, such as cutting, scratching, scraping, boring implements.

3. Antlers used as percussion instruments.

4. Bones (more rarely ivory) used for the production of big special tools.

5. With the tools produced from these materials wood and other organic matters were worked.

Because of the special aspect of the bones in the Bilzingsleben inventory I am going to treat bones here.

The thick compacta of the elephant extremity bones served as raw material for the production of special tools: the working features and use wear indicate that and how the Bilzingsleben man used bones as raw material. He did not only smash the bones in order to obtain handy compacta pieces, but also cut them up deliberately: the joints were cut off, the bones split with a wedge and a hammerstone. Then the bone piece was trimmed in the way stone tools were prepared, i.e. with the help of a hammerstone. Even retouched edges were produced. The result was a differentiated usage of the bones as scrapers, back-knives, wedges, chopper-like tools, dagger-like tools, bodkins, working support. It is evident that the raw material was especially selected. The thick compacta of the extremity bones of adult animals was prefered : tibia, femur and humerus. The other extremity bones are rare. Pelvis and scapula are more frequent among the remaining skeleton. They were used as working support.

It seems that they are bones from death sites and they were macerated because it was more convenient and practical for usage when they were in a state without fat and without periosteum, sinew and other connective tissue.