Strike-a-Light Flints in the Assemblages of the Aurignacian Sites at Kostenki (Kostenki 1, Layer III, and Kostenki 14, Layer in Volcanic Ash)

Bibliographic Data

ID24217459
AuthorsKseniya Stepanova (0000-0002-2814-2639, Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences), Andrei Sinitsyn (0000-0002-4654-325X, Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences), Evgeny Girya (0000-0002-2037-9826, Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences), Yaroslav Ivanov (0000-0002-5582-693X, Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences)
Year2026
Volume25
Issue7
Pages36-53
Publication date2026-09-25
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueVestnik NSU Series History and Philology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1818-7919
PublisherNovosibirsk State University (NSU) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.25205/1818-7919-2026-25-7-36-53
OpenAlexW7214532404
References cited12

Purpose. To determine whether the newly identified strike-a-light flints from two key Aurignacian assemblages at Kostenki – Kostenki 1, Layer III, and Kostenki 14, Layer in Volcanic Ash – can contribute to the debate on cultural affinity between these sites, which share a similar lithic industry but differ in their osseous tools and ornaments. Material and methods. We studied the lithic collections from the 1980s excavations of Kostenki 1, Layer III (520 pieces, ca. 30 tools) and from the 2000–2019 excavations of Kostenki 14, Layer in Volcanic Ash (ca. 3600 pieces, 199 tools). Experimental use-wear analysis and metallographic microscopy served as our primary tools. Reference standards were obtained through experiments with chalk flint replicas struck against pyrite, marcasite, and ferruginous concretions; a separate series of flint-on-flint percussion experiments, in which flakes were used as retouchers, provided control samples for distinguishing fire-making traces from retouching wear. Results. Four strike-a-light flints were identified in Kostenki 1, Layer III – a large strangulated blade, two blade fragments, and a core-like splinter – and two in Kostenki 14, Layer in Volcanic Ash – a burin and a retouched blade fragment. The used areas display heavy battering, stepped fractures, and a bright, rough micropolish intersected by dense parallel striations, characteristic of repeated percussion against pyrite or marcasite. Iron residues on one specimen further support its function. The microwear patterns indicate prolonged, careful use rather than expedient, singleevent tasks. In both assemblages, the implements are predominantly blades or blade-based tools used in an active mode, striking the fire-lighting mineral with their ends. Conclusion. The consistent selection and treatment of strike-a-light tools in the two Aurignacian layers, despite the differences in ornaments and bone technology, suggest a shared behavioral practice related to fire-making, possibly reflecting a common cultural tradition. However, the limited sample number requires caution, and more comparative data from contemporaneous sites are needed. The results highlight the importance of artificial fire production as a key adaptation of early modern humans to the cold periglacial steppes of Eastern Europe circa 40,000 years ago.

Aurignacian · blade tools · cultural affinity · early modern humans · fire making · Lithic technology · Marcasite · Middle Palaeolithic · Pyrite · retouching · Archaeological and Geological Studies · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology

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