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Clark J, Shipton C, Moncel MH, Nigst PR, Foley RA. When is a handaxe a planned-axe? exploring morphological variability in the Acheulean. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0307081. [PMID: 39012913 PMCID: PMC11251633 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The handaxe is an iconic stone tool form used to define and symbolise both the Acheulean and the wider Palaeolithic. There has long been debate around the extent of its morphological variability between sites, and the role that extrinsic factors (especially raw material, blank type, and the extent of resharpening) have played in driving this variability, but there has been a lack of high-resolution examinations of these factors in the same study. In this paper, we present a 2D geometric morphometric analysis of 1097 handaxes from across Africa, the Levant, and western Europe to examine the patterning of this variability and what it can tell us about hominin behaviour. We replicate the findings of previous studies, that handaxe shape varies significantly between sites and entire continental regions, but we find no evidence for raw material, blank type, or resharpening in determining this pattern. What we do find, however, is that markers of reduction trajectory vary substantially between sites, suggesting that handaxes were deployed differently according to hominin need at a given site. We argue this is reflective of a continuum of reduction strategies, from those focused on the maintenance of a sharp cutting edge (i.e. direct use in cutting activities), to those focused on maintaining tip shapes, and perhaps a corresponding production of flakes. Implications for hominin behavioural flexibility are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Clark
- Department of Archaeology, Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ceri Shipton
- Institute of Archaeology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Archaeology, McDonald Institure for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Marie-Hélène Moncel
- Département Homme et Environnement, UMR 7194 HNHP (MNHN-CNRS-UPVD), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Philip Ronald Nigst
- Department of Prehistoric and Historical Archaeology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Human Evolution and Archaeological Sciences (HEAS), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert Andrew Foley
- Department of Archaeology, Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Roditi E, Bocherens H, Konidaris GE, Athanassiou A, Tourloukis V, Karkanas P, Panagopoulou E, Harvati K. Life-history of Palaeoloxodon antiquus reveals Middle Pleistocene glacial refugium in the Megalopolis basin, Greece. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1390. [PMID: 38228659 PMCID: PMC10791645 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51592-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The Balkans are considered a major glacial refugium where flora and fauna survived glacial periods and repopulated the rest of Europe during interglacials. While it is also thought to have harboured Pleistocene human populations, evidence linking human activity, paleoenvironmental indicators and a secure temporal placement to glacial periods is scant. Here, we present the first intra-tooth multi-isotope analysis for the European straight-tusked elephant Palaeoloxodon antiquus, on an adult male individual excavated in association with lithic artefacts at the MIS 12 site Marathousa 1 (Megalopolis basin, Greece). The studied find also exhibits anthropogenic modifications, providing direct evidence of hominin presence. We employed strontium, carbon and oxygen isotope analysis on enamel bioapatite to investigate its foraging and mobility behaviour, using a sequential sampling strategy along the tooth growth axis of the third upper molar, to assess ecological changes during the last decade of life. We found a geographically restricted range, in a C3-dominated open woodland environment, and relatively stable conditions over the examined timeframe. Our results show that, despite the severity of the MIS 12 glacial, the Megalopolis basin sustained a mesic habitat, sufficient plant cover and limited seasonal fluctuations in resource availability, pointing to its role as a glacial refugium for both fauna and hominins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Effrosyni Roditi
- Paleoanthropology, Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Department of Geosciences, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hervé Bocherens
- Biogeology, Department of Geosciences, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - George E Konidaris
- Paleoanthropology, Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Department of Geosciences, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Vangelis Tourloukis
- Paleoanthropology, Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Department of Geosciences, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of History and Archaeology, School of Philosophy, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Karkanas
- M.H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Science, American School of Classical Studies, Athens, Greece
| | - Eleni Panagopoulou
- Hellenic Ministry of Culture, Ephorate of Paleoanthropology-Speleology, Athens, Greece
| | - Katerina Harvati
- Paleoanthropology, Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Department of Geosciences, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- DFG Centre for Advanced Studies 'Words, Bones, Genes, Tools', Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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Carpentieri M, Moncel MH, Eramo G, Arzarello M. With Impressions Chosen from Another Time: Core Technologies and Debitage Production at the Lower Palaeolithic Site of Notarchirico (670-695 ka; layers F to I2). JOURNAL OF PALEOLITHIC ARCHAEOLOGY 2023; 6:27. [PMID: 37675140 PMCID: PMC10477117 DOI: 10.1007/s41982-023-00154-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
The earliest evidence of bifaces in western Europe is dated to the initial phase of the Middle Pleistocene (la Noira, Notarchirico, Moulin Quignon, 700-670 ka), with the findings of Barranc de la Boella (1.0-0.9 Ma) considered to be an earlier local evolution. No transition assemblages are recorded during this time frame, and the "abrupt" appearance of bifaces during this time frame is associated with significant cognitive shifts in human technological behaviours (Acheulean techno-complex). The new investigations conducted at the site of Notarchirico unearthed 30 ka of repeated human occupation (695-670 ka, layers F-I2) during MIS 17, with evidence of bifacial tools in layer G (680 ka) and F along with other heavy-duty implements (LCTs, pebble tools, etc.). Massive production of debitage products realised on local raw materials collected in situ through simple and efficient core technologies characterises a large part of the lithic assemblage with a high ratio of diversified light-duty tools, including modified chert nodules. Despite core and flake assemblages being a recurrent trait of Lower Pleistocene contexts, the increase in retouched implements recorded at the onset of the Middle Pleistocene has been considered a significant technological shift. The technological analysis of the debitage products presented in this work highlights recurrent and systematic technological behaviours of the hominins of Notarchirico-who proved to efficiently overcome the raw materials dimensional constraints-even in the layers without bifaces. This may shed light on the meaning of cultural and behavioural innovation that the Acheulean techno-complex is thought to bring over Europe. It is plausible that given the substantial homogeneity of the lithic strategies within the sequence of Notarchirico, which only the "introduction" of the bifaces in the upper layers seems to interrupt, a supposed behavioural or cultural change in the site might have already occurred in the lowermost portion of the sequence. In this work, we evaluate the degree of change-if any-from a technological perspective by analysing the debitage reduction sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Carpentieri
- Dipartimento Studi Umanistici, Università Degli Studi Di Ferrara, C.So Ercole I d’Este 32, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Marie-Hélène Moncel
- UMR 7194 HNHP (MNHN-CNRS-UPVD), Département Homme Et Environnement, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, 1 Rue René Panhard, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Giacomo Eramo
- Dipartimento Di Scienze Della Terra E Geoambientali, Università Degli Studi Di Bari Aldo Moro, 70125 Bari, Italy
| | - Marta Arzarello
- Dipartimento Studi Umanistici, Università Degli Studi Di Ferrara, C.So Ercole I d’Este 32, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
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García-Medrano P, Martinón-Torres M, Ashton N. Introduction to special issue "Humans in transition: The occupation of Western Europe, 600-400 Ka". J Hum Evol 2023; 180:103388. [PMID: 37224624 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Paula García-Medrano
- Dept. Britain, Europe and Prehistory, British Museum, Frank House, 56 Orsman Road, N1 5QJ, London, UK; UMR 7194 HNHP, MNHN-CNRS-UPVD, Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, IPH 1 Rue René Panhard, 75013, Paris, France; Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007, Tarragona, Spain; Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002, Tarragona, Spain.
| | - María Martinón-Torres
- Centro Nacional de Investigacion sobre la Evolucion Humana (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain; Anthropology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nick Ashton
- Dept. Britain, Europe and Prehistory, British Museum, Frank House, 56 Orsman Road, N1 5QJ, London, UK
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García-Medrano P, Moncel MH, Maldonado-Garrido E, Ollé A, Ashton N. The Western European Acheulean: Reading variability at a regional scale. J Hum Evol 2023; 179:103357. [PMID: 37060623 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
In the context of the Western European Acheulean Project, this study aims to characterize Acheulean technology in Western Europe through the analysis of handaxes and cleavers from 10 key sites (Britain 4, France 4, and Spain 2) to acquire a regional view of the occupation. The historically different systems used to categorize and analyze the data have made it difficult to compare results. Here we apply a unified and simple method (Western European Acheulean Project) that combines the traditional technological and metrical analysis of assemblages containing handaxes and cleavers with an in-depth geometric morphometric approach using three-dimensional models. This approach allows us to achieve a regional interpretation that identifies innovations through time and shaping strategies across the area. Our findings indicate the existence of two main technological groups in the sampled record: 1) northwestern and central France and Britain, from MIS 17/16 to MIS 11, and 2) Atlantic edge (Atapuerca in Spain and Menez-Dregan in France), from MIS 12/11 to MIS 8. Based on our technological analysis, the shaping of handaxes and cleavers was developed through time as a continuum of accumulative actions, with longer and more complex shaping strategies over time. Shaping technology shows traditions of manufacture over both time and geographical areas, which suggest cultural diffusion. Our geometric morphometric analysis further helped to identify not only general trends but also local adaptations in handaxe forms. Based on our findings, there were no apparent sudden innovations, but rather the application and development of specific techniques to refine size and shape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula García-Medrano
- Dept. Britain, Europe and Prehistory, British Museum, Frank House, 56 Orsman Road N1 5QJ, London, UK; UMR 7194 HNHP, MNHN-CNRS-UPVD, Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, IPH 1 Rue René Panhard, 75013, Paris, France; Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007 Tarragona, Spain; Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Marie-Hélène Moncel
- UMR 7194 HNHP, MNHN-CNRS-UPVD, Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, IPH 1 Rue René Panhard, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Elías Maldonado-Garrido
- Dept. Britain, Europe and Prehistory, British Museum, Frank House, 56 Orsman Road N1 5QJ, London, UK
| | - Andreu Ollé
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007 Tarragona, Spain; Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Nick Ashton
- Dept. Britain, Europe and Prehistory, British Museum, Frank House, 56 Orsman Road N1 5QJ, London, UK
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Cabanès J, Borel A, Baena Preysler J, Lourdeau A, Moncel MH. Palaeolithic polyhedrons, spheroids and bolas over time and space. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272135. [PMID: 35901051 PMCID: PMC9333226 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyhedrons, spheroids and bolas (PSBs) are present in lithic series from the Lower Palaeolithic onwards and are found in several regions of the world. Nevertheless, very little is known about them. We propose here to summarise, illustrate and discuss the current state of our knowledge about these artefacts. Based on the available data in the literature and on our observations of several collections, we set up a database comprising 169 Palaeolithic assemblages with PSBs. Thanks to the statistical analysis of these data, we aim to highlight potential relationships between PSB characteristics (e.g., quantity, raw material) and assemblage composition and context, according to regions and chrono-cultural attributions. We also aim to discuss the question of artefacts from possible independent local histories, especially in Northwest Europe, where these objects are scarce. Our study concludes that hard stones (stones with high resistance to a physical constraint) available locally were generally selected to produce PSBs. Soft sedimentary rocks are suitable for their manufacture, and were selected too, whereas siliceous materials were left aside. We hypothesise that the scarcity of PSBs in Northwest Europe could result from a combination of cultural and environmental factors: it could be part of a regional tradition, influenced by the abundance of siliceous materials in the environment. In this region where the lithic production is widely made of flint, even though other materials were available, objects made from hard stones are scarce, resulting in a toolkit with only rare PSBs and cleavers. Was flint too brittle for the functions of PSBs? Raw materials of PSBs are often similar to those of heavy-duty tools in assemblages, which could provide other clues about their functions (e.g., tasks requiring a resistance to shocks). It is possible that their raw materials partly conditioned their final shape. PSBs can comprise a wide variety of artefacts, that for some could have change of status (e.g., from cores to percussive tools), diffused, adapted but also reinvented over two million years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Cabanès
- Département Homme et Environnement, Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique, HNHP‑UMR 7194 (MNHN, CNRS, UPVD), Alliance Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Antony Borel
- Département Homme et Environnement, Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique, HNHP‑UMR 7194 (MNHN, CNRS, UPVD), Alliance Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France
- Institute of Archaeological Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Javier Baena Preysler
- Department of Prehistory and Archaeology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antoine Lourdeau
- Département Homme et Environnement, Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique, HNHP‑UMR 7194 (MNHN, CNRS, UPVD), Alliance Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Hélène Moncel
- Département Homme et Environnement, Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique, HNHP‑UMR 7194 (MNHN, CNRS, UPVD), Alliance Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France
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Acheulean variability in Western Europe: The case of Menez-Dregan I (Plouhinec, Finistère, France). J Hum Evol 2021; 162:103103. [PMID: 34883259 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The establishment of the Acheulean in Europe occurred after MIS 17, but it was after the harsh glaciation of MIS 12 and during the long interglacial of MIS 11 that human occupation of Western Europe became more sustained, with an increased number of sites. Menez-Dregan I (Brittany, France) is one of the key sites in Western Europe that dates from this threshold, with an alternating sequence of 16 occupation levels and four marine deposits, from MIS 12 to 8. The large lithic assemblages of more than 154,000 artifacts from knapping (cores, flakes) and shaping (macrotools and shaping flakes) show the varying use of raw materials and activities at the site through the sequence. This work focuses on the study of the handaxes and cleavers using technological and metrical methods with multivariate analysis, in combination with geometric morphometrics, and places these analyses within the context of other technological changes at the site. Collectively, results show the persistent use through the sequence of the same lithic raw materials and technologies, including fire use and the import of glossy sandstone from 20 km away, but with variation in activities at the site. These findings suggest that Menez-Dregan I shows the development of a specific material culture that reflects the local resources and environment. Results further indicate that the site shows the sustained hominin occupation of the area, despite varying climate and environment, with strong traditions of social learning that were maintained through flexibility of site use, deep understanding of the local territory, and the innovation of new technologies, such as the use of fire. Evidence from the site is placed within the wider context of Europe, and contrasted with areas to the north, such as Britain, where hominin occupation was more sporadic and driven by cyclical climate change.
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Bahain JJ, Mercier N, Valladas H, Falguères C, Masaoudi H, Joron JL, Froget L, Moigne AM, Combier J, Moncel MH. Reappraisal of the chronology of Orgnac 3 Lower-to Lower to Middle Paleolithic site (Ardèche, France), a regional key sequence for the Middle Pleistocene of southern France. J Hum Evol 2021; 162:103092. [PMID: 34839228 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have suggested that the Lower-to-Middle Paleolithic transition was associated with the earliest Neanderthals, but recent research has established that the oldest Neanderthal fossils and the first signs of their technologies and behavior appear from MIS 11 or possibly earlier. To understand these changes, re-evaluation of the evidence is necessary to determine if this transition corresponds to a progressive evolution rather than abrupt change. Orgnac 3 is a key and appropriate site to study this research context. Located in southern France, it yields a long stratigraphic sequence testifying the evolution of technical and subsistence behaviors of pre-Neanderthal human groups during a Middle Pleistocene interglacial-glacial cycle. In this article, a new chronological framework is provided for the sequence based on results of dating methods applied to various types of geological materials. Speleothems and volcanic minerals, dated in previous studies by U-series and 40Ar/39Ar, respectively, show periods of calcitic crystallization and regional volcanic activity. Other materials, such as heated flints and herbivore teeth, are directly related to evidence of anthropogenic activities and are analyzed in the present work by trapped-charge dating methods such as thermoluminescence and electron spin resonance combined with uranium series (ESR/U-series). The new thermoluminescence and ESR/U-series dates confirm the attribution of the Orgnac 3 stratigraphic sequence to the MIS 10-MIS 8 period and are discussed in relation to paleoenvironmental data derived from bioarchaeological studies. The paleoanthropological levels, including the emergence of Levallois technology, are dated to ca. 275 ka (early MIS 8) and appear coeval to a wet and temperate period recorded locally, the Amargiers interstadial, defined in the regional palynological records. The implications of this reassessed chronology for the archaeological assemblages are discussed in the wider context of behavioral innovations from MIS 11 onward and their establishment in subsequent periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Jacques Bahain
- UMR 7194 HNHP MNHN-CNRS-UPVD, Département Homme et Environnement du Muséum national d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, 1 rue René Panhard, 75013 Paris, France.
| | - Norbert Mercier
- UMR 5060 IRAMAT CNRS-Université de Bordeaux, Centre de Recherche en Physique Appliquée à l'Archéologie, Maison de l'archéologie, 33607 Pessac cedex, France
| | - Hélène Valladas
- UMR 8212 LSCE/IPSL CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Bât. 12, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Christophe Falguères
- UMR 7194 HNHP MNHN-CNRS-UPVD, Département Homme et Environnement du Muséum national d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, 1 rue René Panhard, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Hassan Masaoudi
- UMR 7194 HNHP MNHN-CNRS-UPVD, Département Homme et Environnement du Muséum national d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, 1 rue René Panhard, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Louis Joron
- Groupe des Sciences de la Terre, Laboratoire Pierre Süe, CEN, Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Laurence Froget
- UMR 8212 LSCE/IPSL CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Bât. 12, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Anne-Marie Moigne
- UMR 7194 HNHP MNHN-CNRS-UPVD, Département Homme et Environnement du Muséum national d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, 1 rue René Panhard, 75013 Paris, France
| | | | - Marie-Hélène Moncel
- UMR 7194 HNHP MNHN-CNRS-UPVD, Département Homme et Environnement du Muséum national d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, 1 rue René Panhard, 75013 Paris, France
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