Later Acheulian Marking Motifs I - Bilzingsleben, Germany / d)blzmf3

Bilzingsleben, OIS11 c. 400,000 BP. Object #1=208.33, a percussion tool manufactured from a spall of elephant tibia, has one group of 7 stroke marks, a second group of 14 stroke marks, and a missing third section. (Mania and Mania 1988:fig.3; Bednarik 1995:fig. 1a; Steguweit 1999). Mania and Mania would reconstruct the object with a symmetrical third section of 7 stroke marks or 28 in all [which, if it were true might be interpreted as a lunar count]. Others reject postulation of a third section as speculation without evidence.

Illustration © Mania, D. and Mania, U. (1988). Deliberate engravings on bone artefacts of Homo erectus. Rock Art Research 5,2:91-95. Figure 3.