Animal Usage in the Gravettian

The Gravettian period occurred in Europe between 30,000 and 22,000 years ago (during the Upper Paleolithic). Gravettian lifestyle was shaped by the climate. Pleniglacial environmental changes forced early humans to adapt. West and Central Europe were extremely cold during this period. Gravettian culture thrived on their ability to hunt animals. They utilized a variety of tools and hunting strategies. Compared to theorized hunting techniques of Neanderthals and earlier human groups, Gravettian hunting culture appears much more mobile and complex.

In order to use animals as a source of food, tools, and decorations, prey first needed to be caught. The Gravettian period saw hunting techniques emerge in both the use of topography and the use of nets.

Clubs, stones, and sticks were the primary hunting tools during the Upper Paleolithic period, including the Gravettian period. Bone, antler, and ivory points have all been found at sites in France; but proper stone arrowheads and throwing spears did not appear until the Solutrean period (~20,000 Before Present). Due to the primitive tools, many animals were hunted at close range.

Settlers in the Gravettian period experienced more efficient hunting by placing settlements in areas that pooled migrating prey, thus taking advantage of the topographical features that surrounded them. Examples found through discoveries in Gr. La Gala, a site in Southern Italy, show a strategic settlement based in a small valley. As the settlers became more aware of the migration patterns of animals like red deer, the prey would ultimately herd through the settlements in the valley thereby allowing the hunters to avoid travelling long distances for food. Specifically in Gr. La Gala, the glacial topography forced the deer to pass through the areas in the valley occupied by humans. Additional evidence of making settlements strategic to animal migrations can be found at sites like Klithi in Greece, where settlements were also strategically placed to intercept migrating species of prey.

Discoveries in the Czech Republic suggest that nets were first used as a hunting device during the Gravettian period. These nets were used to catch large numbers of small game in a short period of time. This offered a consistent food supply, an alternative to experiencing the feast/famine pattern of large game hunters. Evidence for this theory comes in the form of 4 mm thick rope imprints on clay which was then preserved accidentally. Research suggests that although no large net imprints have been discovered, there would be little reason for them not to be made as there is no more knowledge needed to create them. Research on the manner of deployment of the nets came in the form of examination of the aboriginal use and technique. The production of the nets was also a communal task, relying on the work of both women and children to do the weaving.

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