Kostenki 17 core
Flint core, 41,000 years old
Kostënki 17 is among the most important archaeological sites for understanding the very first modern humans in Eastern Europe. Primarily excavated by P.I. Boriskovskii in 1953 and 1955, the site’s lower layer contained a rich archaeological assemblage of worked flint and bone, pendants and animal bones.
Flint-working at the site was geared towards producing blades (from cores such as this one) and smaller bladelets. The exact source of the flint found at Kostënki 17 is not known, but today it is not found local to the site. This good quality flint is therefore thought to have been brought to Kostënki from tens (or even perhaps hundreds) of kilometres away.
(Artefact housed at the Institute for the History of Material Culture [Palaeolithic Division], Saint Petersburg.)