Nauji plunksnų naudojimo vėlyvojo mezolito ritualiniame kontekste įrodymai. Donkalnio 2 kapo (Lietuva) mikroarcheologija (apie 6000 m. p r. Kr. (BC)

LTRaudonos ochros spalvos dirvožemio ėminio iš Donkalnio 2 kapo mikroarcheologinių tyrimų tikslas - nustatyti makromorfologiškai nematomus plaukelių, plunksnų ir kitų pluoštų (iš drabužių, papuošalų, įkapių ar įvynioklių) fragmentus. Pristatome pirmuosius analizės rezultatus ir aptarsime tokių tyrimų potencialą archeologijos, ypač akmens amžiaus laidojimo archeologijos, srityje. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Donkalnio kapinynas; Archeologiniai radiniai; Papuošalai.

ENMicroarchaeological analyses of a red ochre soil sample from grave 2 in Donkalnis will be conducted with the purpose of identifying macromorphologically invisible fragments of hairs, feathers, and other fibres from clothes, ornaments, grave furnishings, or wrappings. Here we present the first results of the analysis and discuss the potential of such analyses in archaeology, with focus on Stone Age mortuary archaeology. Materials such as skin tissue, sinews, feathers and hairs decompose easily in archaeological depositions. They belong thus to the "missing majority", which is absent in archaeological record but which we can assume to have once been of importance. In general, animal skins and hairs can be found in favorable conditions in anaerobic, wet, salty, arid, or cold environments where bacterial and fungal activity is at a minimum. The soil sample from Donkalnis grave 2 consists of c. 5 litres of heavily coloured sand from the burial's red ochre concentration. A sample of one litre of sand was first studied by a stereomicroscope and the finds - fibers, plant seed macrofossils, a shell, bone fragments - were recorded and selectively collected by tweezers. The fibers were prepared for light microscopic examination by mounting them.The studied sand was rich in all kinds of small fragments, mostly bone. Also, macrofossils of plant seeds and a tiny shell were detected. These finds will be analysed in detail and published later. This far only one fiber fragment was found, a 2-millimetre-long feather part, a barbule. This find indicates the use of feathers or bird parts in the burial. Unfortunately, this tiny fragment could not be identified by species. Our results bring new information about this particular burial but it also makes Donkalnis one of the very rare archaeological sites with direct evidence of the use of feathers. The use of feathers in paraphernalia and ritual costumes and also everyday clothing is well described in various ethnographic and anthropological sources. Evidence of the prehistoric use of feathers, however, is still extremely scarce. We hope that our microarchaeological project can, in the future, significantly improve our understanding about this very topic of the use of feathers in prehistory. [From the publication]

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