Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia 41 (2) 2013

Annotation:  The Kulbulak Bladelet Tradition in the Upper Paleolithic of Central Asia New Findings on Lithic Industries of the Middle to Upper Paleolithic Boundary in Dagestan Exploitation of Lithic Raw Material in the Northwestern Caucasus Upper Paleolithic Analyzing Fertility and Attraction in the Paleolithic: The Venus Figurines On Neolithic Origins in Western Georgia Environmental Conditions of the Late Paleolithic and Early Neolithic Sites in Southern Sakhalin Paleochannel Studies in Archaeology: The Case of the Vychegda River, Northeastern European Russia Technological Analysis of the Earliest Ceramics from the Amur Region (13–10 Thousand Years BP) Fortifi cations at Idnakar Settlement: The Findings of Interdisciplinary Research The Plamya Sibiri Sanctuary A Hoard Found on the Uibat River, Minusinsk Basin Early Iron Age Burial Practices of the Ancient Khmer People: The Phum Snay Necropolis, Northwestern Distal Phalanx of the Hand of Homo from Denisova Cave Stratum 12: A Tentative Description   

Distal Phalanx of the Hand of Homo from Denisova Cave Stratum 12: A Tentative Description

M.B. Mednikova.

The article describes a distal phalanx of the left (?) hand of Homo, found in Denisova Cave in 2011. In terms of length, width of apical tuft, and relative fl attening, it resembles Neanderthal phalanges, differing in a somewhat greater transversal hypertrophy of the shaft. This trait may be regarded as archaic. A computed tomography-based comparison with the respective phalanx of the Sungir Upper Paleolithic male has demonstrated that their lengths and transverse section areas at midshaft are similar, whereas the structure of the Denisova specimen is quite different: its cortical layer is thick and its medullary cavity is narrow. A microfocus radiographic examination has revealed a large sclerotization zone in the upper part, a robust trabecular net, and traces of intense inner restructuring. This pattern distinguishes the Denisova specimen from phalanges of modern humans. The overall pattern is archaic, and certain characters are unique.

Keywords: Denisova Cave, hand, distal phalanges, archaic morphology, computed tomography, microfocus radiography.