Dimitri Papavasiliou
A Microarchaeological Approach to Paleolithic Fire and Bedding Technology
I study the domestic space of Pleistocene hunter-gatherers, with a focus on fire and bedding practices. Hearth features and bedding material recovered from Paleolithic contexts have the potential to reveal important behavioral adaptations, yet these features are prone to taphonomic and diagenetic processes. These preservation biases have led to two distinct challenges which are the focal point of my research: discerning the function of Paleolithic hearth features and identifying the presence of bedding material in the archaeological record.
The main goal of my research in Kenya was to form an ethnoarchaeological collaboration with the Ogiek to document their traditional fire- and bed-making practices and to collect samples from multiple hearth features. By sampling distinct hearth features made by groups like the Ogiek, important analogs for how fire was used in the past and how it may preserve can be applied to archaeological contexts.