In eastern Europe at Mezhirich, Ukraine, scientists excavated ancient built of mammoth bones, dating between 19,300 and 11,000 years ago. Camps were usually formed of one to five ; the largest camps may have sheltered up to 50 people. To build , Paleolithic people first selected mammoth bones according to their shape. Skulls, jaws, and other bones formed the foundation. Leg bones formed the walls, and tusks were used at entrances or supported the hide-covered roof. 1. Based on these three artifacts, what sorts of activities were Paleolithic humans involved in? Were they more likely to be hunters or farmers? Explain your evidence.
2. What challenges do archeologists and anthropologists have when trying to interpret these artifacts?
3. Try to give a name to what all three artifacts are? What would they have been used for?
4. Which of these artifacts do you think would have been most important to Paleolithic men and women? Explain.
5. If you were going to describe one thing that would be the most important to men and women today what do you think it would be? How does it differ from things that were important to early man?