engleski

Surface analysis of Krapina white-tailed eagle talons

Eight white-tailed eagle talons, together with a foot phalanx, were found at the Krapina Neanderthal site between 1899 and 1905, dating to around 130.000 BP. They represent an early example of Neanderthal ornaments, with evidence of cut marks, polished areas and two densely compacted areas. These seem to indicate that the talons were worn as an item of jewelry. Further inspection of the talon surfaces revealed concentrated traces of black coating, occasional spots of red pigment and a fiber adhering to the surface within a wide cut mark on the talon 386.1. For this talon, we investigated small portions of pigmented areas and the fiber by non-invasive infra-red beam SISSI at the Elettra Sincrotrone facility (Trieste, Italy). Spectrometric analysis confirmed that the red pigments in two isolated areas appear to be ochre. The area around the fiber is characterized by aluminum and calcium phosphate composition. Four different areas (we acquired 4 single point spectra each from an area of 50x50 microns and two IR images with a 64x64 pixels detector, each over an area of 150x150 microns) along the fiber were targeted, revealing the protein nature of the fiber, that can be tentatively identified as a collagen-based fiber. Targeted areas within the fiber give the signal of the β-sheet aggregation, evidencing collagen losing its α-helix conformation as a consequence of diagenetic aging and thus confirming the antiquity of the fiber. Due to the antiquity and particular location of the fiber within the cut mark, it is possible that the fiber is a remnant of the leather or sinew string binding the talons together. Further general surface elemental mapping can answer whether the pigments reveal intentional application or presence due to diagenetic processes. Location of the fiber within the cut mark and its visible twisting along with other physical changes on the talons fits the hypothesis that these talons were strung together as an ornament.

eagle talons ; Krapina ; Neandertal

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