The Engraved Stone Pendant from Poiana Ciresului-Piatra Neamt, Romania. New Contributions to the Understanding of Symbolic Behavior in Gravettian

The Engraved Stone Pendant
from Poiana Ciresului-Piatra Neamt, Romania.
New Contributions to the Understanding
of Symbolic Behavior in Gravettian

DOI: 10.17746/1563-0110.2016.44.4.035-045

M. Carciumaru¹, E.-C. Nitu^{2, 3}, O. Cirstina², and N. Goutas^4
1Valahia University of Targoviste, Doctoral School, 32–34 Lt. Stancu Ion Street, Targoviste 130105, Dambovita County, Romania
²“Princely Court” National Museum Targoviste, 7 Justitiei Street, Targoviste 130017, Dambovita County, Romania
³Museum of Human Evolution and Technology in Palaeolithic, 4 Stelea Street, Targoviste 130018, Dambovita County, Romania
⁴CNRS, MR 7041, Ethnologie prehistorique, ArScAn, Maison de l’Archeologie et de l’Ethnologie, 21 allee de l’Universite 92023 Nanterre Cedex, France

The 2013 archaeological excavation campaign carried out at Poiana Ciresului-Piatra Neamt Paleolithic site (Neamt County, North-Eastern Romania) led to the discovery, in the Gravettian I layer, of the fi rst engraved stone pendant found in this settlement, in an area where such discoveries are very rare. The pendant was engraved on its both sides and notched along its outline. The same layer provided the largest number of art objects and tools made of hard animal materials from the Romanian Upper Paleolithic. The article describes the archaeological context of the fi nd. Data on the sequence of Gravettian deposits, absolute dates of the Gravettian I layer, and information about faunal materials, collections of tools and art objects are given. The stone pendant having an oval shape and notches on both sides is subject to comprehensive study. Notably, incisions on both the upper face and the reverse show traces of ochre; the best preserved pigment is observed along the outline of the pendant. A peculiar decorative element of the pendant is represented by the two incisions near the orifi ce. Stylistic features of each surface of the object and technical execution of engravings are described, as well as tools that were probably used for making incisions. Differences of the find under study from other suspended personal ornaments of the East European Gravettian, as well as certain similarities, are indentifi ed. It has been established that the Poiana Ciresului pendant is close to Eastern Europe and Northeast Asia Upper Paleolithic adornments.

Keywords: Gravettian, art objects, personal ornaments, engraved stone pendant