Late Upper Palaeolithic ornaments from Vlakno cave, Croatia

Authors

  • Barbara Cvitkušić Institute for Anthropological Research, Centre for Applied Bioanthropology, Zagreb, Croatia
  • Emanuela Cristiani Sapienza University of Rome, DANTE – Diet and Ancient Technology Laboratory, Italy
  • Dario Vujević University of Zadar, Department of Archaeology, Croatia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4312/dp.51.21

Keywords:

ornaments, use-wear analysis, Late Upper Palaeolithic, Eastern Adriatic, Vlakno cave

Abstract

This paper presents the richest prehistoric assemblage of ornaments in the Eastern Adriatic discovered to date, found in the Late Upper Palaeolithic layers of Vlakno cave, Croatia. The abundance and multiform of bead types indicate that the site was likely used as a workshop for ornaments, i.e. that production was performed on site. Technological and use-wear analysis of each taxon used for beads allowed us to elaborate on its mode of production, use, and overall position of the Vlakno cave site and its role in the regional context during the Late Pleistocene.

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Cvitkušić, B., Cristiani, E., & Vujević, D. (2024). Late Upper Palaeolithic ornaments from Vlakno cave, Croatia. Documenta Praehistorica, 51, 2-19. https://doi.org/10.4312/dp.51.21