Stone Age Habitats

[Beagle]

http://www.aerobiologicalengineering.co ... /Habitats/

Pleistocene people are generally considered to have been cave dwellers.
They had more than just caves. This site is a bit of a primer on habitats, and might provide insight to the many skills that our ancestors had.

[Minimalist]

The hut included a hearth, or fireplace and was made by bracing branches with a circle of large and small stones.

Thanks, Beags. Very interesting.

I've often thought that the scads of "stone circles" scattered over the landscape were there to serve some purpose aside from "ritual" or "calendars."

HOw many calendars does a society need, after all?

[/quote]

[dannan14]

So Beagle, do you know how they came to the conclusions presented in your link? It seems that other than the stones, very little would remain of the building materials. Were the structural elements of these dwellings divined through the reconstructions?

[Beagle]

Hi Dannan,

That's a good point, and I think some deduction is involved, but a habitat is pretty easy to figure out. A hearth is a dead giveaway. There is the usual human garbage of animal bones that people ate, and stone tools or flakes laying around. The rocks and mammoth bones still exist as part of the structure.

Stones have been used to hold down tent sides into modern times. The rest of the puzzle I'm not too sure about.

[dannan14]

The subject is interesting to me because i am such a big fan of Jean Auel's books. Many of the longhouse types from your link, especially the ones made from mammoth bones, were similar to her portrayals of the shelters of the Mamutoi. i think that it one area where she used quite a bit of poetic license since those structures seemed capable of standing for a very long time.

If such shelters were actually constructed as she described then i would not be surprised if some day one was found intact but covered with sediment.

[Beagle]

I'm only familiar with "Clan of the Cave Bear", which she wrote many years ago. I may have to pick up some of her later books.

Arch/Anthro has changed since she first began writing.

[dannan14]

Yes, it has changed alot. But even for the era of the research she did for the book she took many liberties to make her story work, yet like the Golden Age sci-fi writers, i think it is a safe bet that some of her guesses will wind up being supported by facts.

As for the books themselves, check them out, they're worth it. After Clan of the Cave Bear Neanderthals seldom appear in the story, but the various cultures of HSS are very interesting.

[Leona Conner]

I too, have read all her books. Even when she comes up with something that sounds extremely far-fetched, when you start thinking about it you say "ummm, it could have come about something like that, makes sense." I mean, how much of what we now take for granted is the result of chance or accident.

[Digit]

Also a fan Dannan. There was supposed to be another book to come, know anything about it?

Roy.

[tedstruk]

At every cave site they found soot on the ceiling, that was very thick. It was the soot that really made fire use obvious. At my site in Washington State I found a little agate pot and a nodule of metal. I think they were a fire tinder set.

I have not been able to find another set like it, for comparison anywhere.

Does anyone know of a discovery like this one anywhere?

[Cognito]

I have not been able to find another set like it, for comparison anywhere. Does anyone know of a discovery like this one anywhere?

Would you be able to post a picture?

Min can walk you through how to do so if you don't know. (No need to thank me for volunteering you, Min)

[Minimalist]

Comes with the territory, man.....comes with the territory.

[tedstruk]

I will see if I can post a picture of the fire tinder kit on Photobucket,
then send the URL. be right back.

[dannan14]

Also a fan Dannan. There was supposed to be another book to come, know anything about it?

Roy.

i haven't checked lately. It has been several years since 'Shelters of Stone' so i guess there is at least a chance she is getting close to finishing book 6

[Digit]

Is she still alive Dan?

Roy.