[en] The Ayios Tychonas–Klimonas osseous industry, attributed to the PPNA, is not particularly abundant (43 remains in total), but is nonetheless rich in information on the domestic production of PPNA groups on the island of Cyprus. Bone is the only selected and processed osseous raw material. The assemblage here consists mainly of long bones – mostly tibias and ulnas – from the most consumed species (wild boar and birds). Four transformation schemes have been identified. Two of the main ones are extraction transformation schemes, involving two variants of debitage, and the direct shaping transformation scheme. The fracturing scheme is attested by several remains, while a single element was produced by sectioning. Apart from the latter, associated with the production of a tube, all of the schemes generally focused on the production of elongated blanks for making pointed tools. These tools constitute almost all of the bone equipment. The predominance of the extraction scheme for the debitage of these long bones is rather original in comparison to the preferential use, on the continent, of bipartitioning and direct shaping transformation schemes for the same objectives – the production of pointed tools. This production clearly shows varying degrees of investment and differs markedly from direct shaping or bipartitioning, in terms of planning (choice of location and delimitation of the future blank) and practice (preparation for extraction by bilateral longitudinal grooving). It will be interesting, in the future, to verify whether this choice was a constant in the hard animal material productions of the Cypriot PPNA. The in situ presence of all the categories of artefacts produced during the different transformation phases (debitage and shaping waste, material abandoned during debitage, finished objects) attests to the indigenous character of bone tool production. Their distribution shows that these operations took place in the structures of Sector St 10 (Communal building) and Sector B. A lot of the remains were found in a primary position, in the abandoned layers of the structures; others were found in a secondary context, reused in walls, post holes or foundation trenches, for example. The latter correspond to certain types of products (bones abandoned in the course of debitage, extraction matrices and some finished objects) which, unlike most other worked bone remains, are complete or almost complete. However, other types of remains (faunal – such as Suidae tibias, commonly used in the working of hard animal materials – tools made of bone or lithic materials, ornamental objects) were also buried in this type of deposit. Equivalent practices have been recorded on the Near Eastern continent, where deposits consisting of selected anatomical animal parts played an important role in the economic system. In spite of a necessary adaptation to Cypriot insular contingencies, especially in terms of the exploited species, we observe the existence of technological affinities with the production of bone materials on the Near Eastern continent (similar types of objects produced and methods employed). This is in line with observations in other spheres of activity concerning relations between groups on the continent and those on the island of Cyprus. Finally, the bone production of early and middle PPNB Cypriot groups, documented at the Shillourokambos site, marks a rupture with the Klimonas PPNA. PPNB production shows an evolution in supply and transformation systems, and becomes more similar to continental production. Subsequently, during the recent Khirokitia PPNB, Cypriot productions seem to have evolved locally, without any new exterior input. These data could be indicative of a non-linear process of contacts between Cypriot island societies and those of the Levantine mainland.

[fr] La série en matières osseuses d'Ayios Tychonas - Klimonas ne compte que 43 vestiges au total (dont 34 objets finis) mais elle est riche de renseignements sur les productions domestiques des villageois PPNA de Klimonas. La présence in situ de toutes les catégories d'artefacts (déchets de débitage et de façonnage, blocs abandonnés en cours de débitage, objets) atteste du caractère autochtone de la production des outils en matières osseuses. Seul l'os a été travaillé (essentiellement os longs d'oiseaux et de suidés, seuls grands vertébrés présents à Chypre à cette époque). Quatre schémas de transformation ont été identifiés avec une nette prédominance du façonnage direct et de l'extraction qui se décline en deux variantes. Tous ont conduit à la production d'outils appointés – majoritaires dans l'équipement – à partir de supports allongés, à l'exception du schéma de transformation par tronçonnage (production de tube). L'emploi dominant du schéma de transformation par extraction est plutôt original et signerait une spécificité de l'île. En effet, sur le continent, ce sont surtout les schémas de transformation par bipartition et par façonnage direct qui sont suivis pour les mêmes objectifs (produire des outils appointés) sur les mêmes blocs osseux. Or, ces façons de concevoir l'exploitation du bloc sont bien différentes de celle mise en œuvre à Chypre où les artisans ont aussi conduit de façon peu commune l'extraction par rainurage longitudinal bilatéral. La question se pose de savoir ce qui a motivé ces choix qui sortent de la tradition technique continentale. Mais nous avons aussi observé l'existence d'affinités avec les productions osseuses du continent proche-oriental ce qui rejoint ce qui a été vu dans d'autres domaines sur les relations entre les groupes du continent et ceux de Chypre. Néanmoins, les systèmes d'exploitation de l'os du PPNB ancien et moyen de Shillourokambos puis du Néolithique acéramique de Khirokitia pourraient refléter d'importantes fluctuations dans les convergences techno-culturelles entre Chypre et le Levant continental.