Chemical fingerprinting of European radiolarites and raw material economies from the Moravian Aurignacian

Abstract

Chemical fingerprinting and spectrophotometry were combined to conduct a provenance analysis of radiolarite artefacts from three Moravian (Czech Republic) Aurignacian sites of Tvarožná I, Nová Dědina I and Milovice I. Of the different methods used, laser ablation with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was the best suited to distinguish the different areas containing radiolarite outcrops. Based on their chemical fingerprint, Moravian Aurignacian radiolarite artefacts were most likely imported from the western Slovak part of the Pieniny Klippen Belt. The abundant radiolarite outcrops in the Vienna region were apparently ignored, with the possible exception of two radiolarite artefacts from the Milovice I site. However, these could also have been manufactured from gravel radiolarites found around the site. Upon assigning other lithologies from Aurignacian sites in Moravia to their areas of provenience, it transpired those imports derived primarily from non-south-western regions. A similar situation was previously observed in the Moravian Szeletian, possibly indicating information exchange between the two Upper Palaeolithic cultures. Although the subsequent Gravettian culture relied more on long-distance imports, north-eastern − south-western movements and transfers were predominant up until the end of the Moravian Upper Palaeolithic, largely due to the communication corridor of the Moravian Gate. Upper Palaeolithic Moravia was an important source of raw materials and a hub for gathering other materials and information from concrete supply zones, while others were neglected.