Technofunctional Analysis Reveals the Role of Carinated Artifacts and End-Scrapers in the Aurignacian of Vogelherd Cave

A technofunctional analysis of Aurignacian lithic assemblages from Vogelherd Cave, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Swabian Jura, reveals that carinated artifacts functioned primarily as cores for bladelet production, while non-carinated end-scrapers served specific tool-related tasks. By combining functional analysis, refitting sequences, and morphological studies of 970 artifacts from two Aurignacian horizons, researchers demonstrated that traceological methods can overcome the ambiguities of typological classifications. This approach provides new insights into Paleolithic technological behaviors, suggesting potential differences in how early modern humans employed technology compared to Neanderthals during the Upper Paleolithic transition.

Schürch, B., Rots, V., & Conard, N. J. (2025). Technofunctional Analysis Reveals the Role of Carinated Artifacts and End-Scrapers in the Aurignacian of Vogelherd Cave. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, 32(4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-025-09728-2