Propylaeum

The Magdalenian site Petersfels (Lkr. Konstanz) with its extensive lithic and organic inventory is one of the most important Palaeolithic sites in Central Europe. The study at hand deals with the Late Upper Palaeolithic antler industry from the Petersfels, with special focus on archeology and taphonomy. In the course of investigations on recent reindeer antlers in western Greenland inland, Sebastian J. Pfeifer describes and classifies a variety of natural changes. On the basis of these observations, it is possible to identify and distinguish the effects of taphonomic processes and anthropogenic modifications on the palaeolithic find material. The analysis shows that both shed antlers and specimens still adhering to the skull were brought into and stored as well as processed at the Petersfels site. Highly rationalised production is in contrast with extensive consumption of raw material and the fact that damaged tools have almost never been repaired.