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Despriée J, Moncel MH, Courcimault G, Voinchet P, Jouanneau JC, Bahain JJ. Earliest evidence of human occupations and technological complexity above the 45th North parallel in Western Europe. The site of Lunery-Rosieres la-Terre-des-Sablons (France, 1.1 Ma). Sci Rep 2024; 14:16894. [PMID: 39043764 PMCID: PMC11266561 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66980-4] [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: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The site of LuneryRosieres la-Terre-des-Sablons (Lunery, Cher, France) comprises early evidence of human occupation in mid-latitudes in Western Europe. It demonstrates hominin presence in the Loire River Basin during the Early Pleistocene at the transition between an interglacial stage and the beginning of the following glacial stage. Three archaeological levels sandwiched and associated with two diamicton levels deposited on the downcutting river floor indicate repeated temporary occupations. Lithic material yields evidence of simple and more complex core technologies on local Jurassic siliceous rocks and Oligocene millstone. Hominins availed of natural stone morphologies to produce flakes with limited preparation. Some cores show centripetal management and a partially prepared striking platform. The mean ESR age of 1175 ka ± 98 ka obtained on fluvial sediments overlying the archaeological levels could correspond to the transition between marine isotopic stages (MIS) 37 and 36, during the normal Cobb Mountain subchron, and in particular at the beginning of MIS 36. The Lunery site shows that hominins were capable of adapting to early glacial environmental conditions and adopting appropriate strategies for settling in mid-latitude zones. These areas cannot be considered as inhospitable at that time as Lunery lies at some distance from the forming ice cap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackie Despriée
- HNHP UMR 7194 CNRS-MNHN-UPVD, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Paleontologie Humaine, 1 Rue René Panhard, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Hélène Moncel
- HNHP UMR 7194 CNRS-MNHN-UPVD, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Paleontologie Humaine, 1 Rue René Panhard, 75013, Paris, France.
| | - Gilles Courcimault
- Laboratoire Régional Des Ponts Et Chaussées, Centre d'Etudes Techniques de L'Equipement (CETE) Normandie-Centre, 1, Rue Laplace, 41000, Blois, France
| | - Pierre Voinchet
- HNHP UMR 7194 CNRS-MNHN-UPVD, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Paleontologie Humaine, 1 Rue René Panhard, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Claude Jouanneau
- Laboratoire Régional Des Ponts Et Chaussées, Centre d'Etudes Techniques de L'Equipement (CETE) Normandie-Centre, 1, Rue Laplace, 41000, Blois, France
| | - Jean-Jacques Bahain
- HNHP UMR 7194 CNRS-MNHN-UPVD, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Paleontologie Humaine, 1 Rue René Panhard, 75013, Paris, France
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Guglielmi G. Oldest stone tools in Europe hint at ancient humans' route there. Nature 2024:10.1038/d41586-024-00627-2. [PMID: 38448532 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-024-00627-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
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Garba R, Usyk V, Ylä-Mella L, Kameník J, Stübner K, Lachner J, Rugel G, Veselovský F, Gerasimenko N, Herries AIR, Kučera J, Knudsen MF, Jansen JD. East-to-west human dispersal into Europe 1.4 million years ago. Nature 2024; 627:805-810. [PMID: 38448591 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07151-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Stone tools stratified in alluvium and loess at Korolevo, western Ukraine, have been studied by several research groups1-3 since the discovery of the site in the 1970s. Although Korolevo's importance to the European Palaeolithic is widely acknowledged, age constraints on the lowermost lithic artefacts have yet to be determined conclusively. Here, using two methods of burial dating with cosmogenic nuclides4,5, we report ages of 1.42 ± 0.10 million years and 1.42 ± 0.28 million years for the sedimentary unit that contains Mode-1-type lithic artefacts. Korolevo represents, to our knowledge, the earliest securely dated hominin presence in Europe, and bridges the spatial and temporal gap between the Caucasus (around 1.85-1.78 million years ago)6 and southwestern Europe (around 1.2-1.1 million years ago)7,8. Our findings advance the hypothesis that Europe was colonized from the east, and our analysis of habitat suitability9 suggests that early hominins exploited warm interglacial periods to disperse into higher latitudes and relatively continental sites-such as Korolevo-well before the Middle Pleistocene Transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Garba
- Nuclear Physics Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Řež, Czechia.
- Institute of Archaeology Prague, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia.
| | - V Usyk
- Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
- Institute of Archaeology Brno, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czechia
| | - L Ylä-Mella
- GFÚ Institute of Geophysics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
- Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - J Kameník
- Nuclear Physics Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Řež, Czechia
| | - K Stübner
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
| | - J Lachner
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
| | - G Rugel
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - N Gerasimenko
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - A I R Herries
- Department of Archaeology and History, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - J Kučera
- Nuclear Physics Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Řež, Czechia
| | - M F Knudsen
- Department of Geoscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - J D Jansen
- GFÚ Institute of Geophysics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia.
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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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Palmqvist P, Rodríguez-Gómez G, Bermúdez de Castro JM, García-Aguilar JM, Espigares MP, Figueirido B, Ros-Montoya S, Granados A, Serrano FJ, Martínez-Navarro B, Guerra-Merchán A. Insights on the Early Pleistocene Hominin Population of the Guadix-Baza Depression (SE Spain) and a Review on the Ecology of the First Peopling of Europe. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.881651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The chronology and environmental context of the first hominin dispersal in Europe have been subject to debate and controversy. The oldest settlements in Eurasia (e.g., Dmanisi, ∼1.8 Ma) suggest a scenario in which the Caucasus and southern Asia were occupied ∼0.4 Ma before the first peopling of Europe. Barranco León (BL) and Fuente Nueva 3 (FN3), two Early Pleistocene archeological localities dated to ∼1.4 Ma in Orce (Guadix-Baza Depression, SE Spain), provide the oldest evidence of hominin presence in Western Europe. At these sites, huge assemblages of large mammals with evidence of butchery and marrow processing have been unearthed associated to abundant Oldowan tools and a deciduous tooth of Homo sp. in the case of BL. Here, we: (i) review the Early Pleistocene archeological sites of Europe; (ii) discuss on the subsistence strategies of these hominins, including new estimates of resource abundance for the populations of Atapuerca and Orce; (iii) use cartographic data of the sedimentary deposits for reconstructing the landscape habitable in Guadix-Baza; and (iv) calculate the size of the hominin population using an estimate of population density based on resource abundance. Our results indicate that Guadix-Baza could be home for a small hominin population of 350–280 individuals. This basin is surrounded by the highest mountainous reliefs of the Alpine-Betic orogen and shows a limited number of connecting corridors with the surrounding areas, which could have limited gene flow with other hominin populations. Isolation would eventually lead to bottlenecks, genetic drift and inbreeding depression, conditions documented in the wild dog population of the basin, which probably compromised the viability of the hominin population in the medium to long term. This explains the discontinuous nature of the archeological record in Guadix-Baza, a situation that can also be extrapolated to the scarcity of hominin settlements for these ancient chronologies in Europe.
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Blain HA, Fagoaga A, Ruiz-Sánchez FJ, García-Medrano P, Ollé A, Jiménez-Arenas JM. Coping with arid environments: A critical threshold for human expansion in Europe at the Marine Isotope Stage 12/11 transition? The case of the Iberian Peninsula. J Hum Evol 2021; 153:102950. [PMID: 33676058 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.102950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Archaeological remains have highlighted the fact that the interglacial Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 11 was a threshold from the perspective of hominin evolution in Europe. After the MIS 12 glaciation, considered one of the major climate-driven crises experienced by hominins, the archaeological records show an increasing number of occupations, evidence of new subsistence behaviors, and significant technical innovations. Here, we used statistical and geographic techniques to analyze the amphibian- and reptile-based paleoclimate and habitat reconstructions generated from a large data set of the Iberian Peninsula to (1) investigate if temperature, precipitation, and/or forest cover may have impacted the hominin occupation of the territory during the Early and Middle Pleistocene, (2) propose an 'Iberian' ecological model before and after the MIS 12/11 transition, and (3) evaluate, based on this model, the potential hominin occupation at a European scale. The results indicate the existence of climatic constraints on human settlement related to rainfall and environmental humidity. The Early Pleistocene and the first half of the Middle Pleistocene are dominated by the occupation of relatively humid wooded areas, whereas during the second part of the Middle Pleistocene, a broadening of the earlier ecological niche is clearly observed toward the occupation of more open arid areas. Based on the estimated occupational niche for hominins, a maximum potential distribution for early hominins is proposed in Europe before and after 426 ka. Results also indicate that parts of the Iberian Peninsula may not have been suitable for early hominin occupation. Our ecological model is consistent with the pattern of hominin occupation observed in northern and central Europe, where the earliest evidence reflects only pioneering populations merely extending their ranges in response to the expansion of their preferred habitats, as compared with a more sustained occupation by 400 ka.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugues-Alexandre Blain
- IPHES-CERCA, Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007, Tarragona, Spain; Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002, Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Ana Fagoaga
- IPHES-CERCA, Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007, Tarragona, Spain; Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002, Tarragona, Spain; PVC-GIUV (Palaeontology of Cenozoic Vertebrates Research Group), Àrea de Palaeontologia, Universitat de València, Dr. Moliner 50, E-46100, Valencia, Spain; Museu Valencià d'Història Natural, L'Hort de Feliu, P.O. Box 8460, E-46018, Alginet, Valencia, Spain
| | - Francisco Javier Ruiz-Sánchez
- PVC-GIUV (Palaeontology of Cenozoic Vertebrates Research Group), Àrea de Palaeontologia, Universitat de València, Dr. Moliner 50, E-46100, Valencia, Spain; Museu Valencià d'Història Natural, L'Hort de Feliu, P.O. Box 8460, E-46018, Alginet, Valencia, Spain
| | - Paula García-Medrano
- Département de l'Homme et Environnement - CNRS-UMR 7194, Muséum national d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, 1 rue René Panhard, Paris, 75013, France; Department of Britain, Europe and Prehistory, British Museum, Frank House, 56 Orsman Road, N1 5QJ, London, UK
| | - Andreu Ollé
- IPHES-CERCA, Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007, Tarragona, Spain; Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Juan Manuel Jiménez-Arenas
- Departamento de Prehistoria y Arqueología, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Granada, Campus Universitario de Cartuja C.P, 18011, Granada, Spain; Instituto Universitario de la Paz y los Conflictos, Universidad de Granada, c/Rector López Argüeta s/n, 18011, Granada, Spain
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Dating of the Lower Pleistocene Vertebrate Site of Tsiotra Vryssi (Mygdonia Basin, Greece): Biochronology, Magnetostratigraphy, and Cosmogenic Radionuclides. QUATERNARY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/quat4010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Background and scope: The late Villafranchian large mammal age (~2.0–1.2 Ma) of the Early Pleistocene is a crucial interval of time for mammal/hominin migrations and faunal turnovers in western Eurasia. However, an accurate chronological framework for the Balkans and adjacent territories is still missing, preventing pan-European biogeographic correlations and schemes. In this article, we report the first detailed chronological scheme for the late Villafranchian of southeastern Europe through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary dating approach (biochronology, magnetostratigraphy, and cosmogenic radionuclides) of the recently discovered Lower Pleistocene vertebrate site Tsiotra Vryssi (TSR) in the Mygdonia Basin, Greece. Results: The minimum burial ages (1.88 ± 0.16 Ma, 2.10 ± 0.18 Ma, and 1.98 ± 0.18 Ma) provided by the method of cosmogenic radionuclides indicate that the normal magnetic polarity identified below the fossiliferous layer correlates to the Olduvai subchron (1.95–1.78 Ma; C2n). Therefore, an age younger than 1.78 Ma is indicated for the fossiliferous layer, which was deposited during reverse polarity chron C1r. These results are in agreement with the biochronological data, which further point to an upper age limit at ~1.5 Ma. Overall, an age between 1.78 and ~1.5 Ma (i.e., within the first part of the late Villafranchian) is proposed for the TSR fauna. Conclusions: Our results not only provide age constraints for the local mammal faunal succession, thus allowing for a better understanding of faunal changes within the same sedimentary basin, but also contribute to improving correlations on a broader scale, leading to more accurate biogeographic, palaeoecological, and taphonomic interpretations.
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First continuous pre-Jaramillo to Jaramillo terrestrial vertebrate succession from Europe. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1901. [PMID: 32024903 PMCID: PMC7002404 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58404-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, the early Pleistocene small vertebrate sequence of Quibas-Sima (Quibas karstic complex, Murcia, SE Spain) is presented. The available magnetostratigraphic information together with the small vertebrate association, allow to reliably constrain the age of the different units. The basal unit of the section has recorded a reversed polarity assigned to the pre-Jaramillo Matuyama (C1r.2r, i.e., between 1.2 and 1.07 Ma). The intermediate units have recorded a normal polarity correlated directly with the Jaramillo subchron (C1r.1n, between 1.07 and 0.99 Ma), while the upper units record the post-Jaramillo reverse polarity (C1r.1r, i.e., between 0.99 and 0.78). Jaramillo subchron is especially significant regarding the earliest hominin dispersal in Western Europe. However, vertebrate faunas unambiguously correlatable with Jaramillo subchron are extremely rare in Europe. Thereby, the study of the Quibas-Sima sequence allows to characterize the vertebrate association synchronous to this paleomagnetic episode in southern Iberian Peninsula, and contributes to increase knowledge of the biotic and climatic events that took place in southern Europe at the beginning of the Early-Middle Pleistocene transition, prior to the Matuyama-Brunhes boundary. A continuous small vertebrate succession has been reported, including representatives of the families Bufonidae, Pelodytidae, Testudinidae, Gekkonidae, Blanidae, Lacertidae, Colubridae, Viperidae, Soricidae, Erinaceidae, Rhinolophidae, Vespertilionidae, Muridae, Gliridae, Sciuridae, Leporidae and Ochotonidae The ecological affinities of the faunal association suggest a progressive reduction in forest cover in the onset of the Jaramillo subchron.
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Titton S, Barsky D, Bargalló A, Serrano-Ramos A, Vergès JM, Toro-Moyano I, Sala-Ramos R, Solano JG, Jimenez Arenas JM. Subspheroids in the lithic assemblage of Barranco León (Spain): Recognizing the late Oldowan in Europe. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228290. [PMID: 31999766 PMCID: PMC6992009 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The lithic assemblage of Barranco León (BL), attributed to the Oldowan techno-complex, contributes valuable information to reconstruct behavioral patterning of the first hominins to disperse into Western Europe. This archaic stone tool assemblage comprises two, very different groups of tools, made from distinct raw materials. On the one hand, a small-sized toolkit knapped from Jurassic flint, comprising intensively exploited cores and small-sized flakes and fragments and, on the other hand, a large-sized limestone toolkit that is mainly linked to percussive activities. In recent years, the limestone macro-tools have been the center of particular attention, leading to a re-evaluation of their role in the assemblage. Main results bring to light strict hominin selective processes, mainly concerning the quality of the limestone and the morphology of the cobbles, in relation to their use-patterning. In addition to the variety of traces of percussion identified on the limestone tools, recurrences have recently been documented in their positioning and in the morphology of the active surfaces. Coupled with experimental work, this data has contributed to formulating hypothesis about the range of uses for these tools, beyond stone knapping and butchery, for activities such as: wood-working or tendon and meat tenderizing. The abundance of hammerstones, as well as the presence of heavy-duty scrapers, are special features recognized for the limestone component of the Barranco León assemblage. This paper presents, for the first time, another characteristic of the assemblage: the presence of polyhedral and, especially, subspheroid morphologies, virtually unknown in the European context for this timeframe. We present an analysis of these tools, combining qualitative evaluation of the raw materials, diacritical study, 3D geometric morphometric analysis of facet angles and an evaluation of the type and position of percussive traces; opening up the discussion of the late Oldowan beyond the African context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Titton
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), Tarragona, Spain
- Area de Prehistoria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Tarragona, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Deborah Barsky
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), Tarragona, Spain
- Area de Prehistoria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Tarragona, Spain
| | - Amèlia Bargalló
- Institute of Archaeology, University College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alexia Serrano-Ramos
- Department of Prehistory and Archaeology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Laboratorio 3D de Modelización Arqueológica, Department of Prehistory and Archaeology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Josep Maria Vergès
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), Tarragona, Spain
- Area de Prehistoria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Tarragona, Spain
| | | | - Robert Sala-Ramos
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), Tarragona, Spain
- Area de Prehistoria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Tarragona, Spain
| | - José García Solano
- Department of Prehistory and Archaeology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Juan Manuel Jimenez Arenas
- Department of Prehistory and Archaeology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de la Paz y los Conflictos, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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Iannucci A, Gasparik M, Sardella R. First report of Sus strozzii (Suidae, Mammalia) from the Early Pleistocene of Hungary (Dunaalmás) and species distinction based on deciduous teeth. Naturwissenschaften 2019; 107:5. [PMID: 31858266 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-019-1661-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Herein we describe a fragment of a mandible with a deciduous fourth premolar (dp4) from the Early Pleistocene locality of Dunaalmás, representing the first confirmed report of Sus strozzii from Hungary. The comparison of dp4 measurements supports a statistically significant distinction between S. strozzii and Sus scrofa. The two species overlap in time during the late Early Pleistocene of Europe (Epivillafranchian), but suid remains of this time-span are seldom classified at a species level. The correct taxonomic identification of the Epivillafranchian suids, which are often associated with evidences of hominin presence, is of great palaeoenvironmental value because S. scrofa and S. strozzii possess different ecological requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Iannucci
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, PaleoFactory, Sapienza Università di Roma, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, I-00185, Italy.
| | - Mihály Gasparik
- Department of Palaeontology and Geology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Ludovika tér 2-6, Budapest, H-1083, Hungary
| | - Raffaele Sardella
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, PaleoFactory, Sapienza Università di Roma, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, I-00185, Italy
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Espigares MP, Palmqvist P, Guerra-Merchán A, Ros-Montoya S, García-Aguilar JM, Rodríguez-Gómez G, Serrano FJ, Martínez-Navarro B. The earliest cut marks of Europe: a discussion on hominin subsistence patterns in the Orce sites (Baza basin, SE Spain). Sci Rep 2019; 9:15408. [PMID: 31659231 PMCID: PMC6817892 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51957-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Ancient evidence of human presence in Europe is recorded in several Early Pleistocene archaeopalaeontological sites from Spain, France and Italy. This is the case of Barranco León (BL) and Fuente Nueva-3 (FN-3), two localities placed near the town of Orce (depression of Baza and Guadix, SE Spain) and dated to ~1.4 Ma. At these sites, huge assemblages of Oldowan tools and evidence of defleshing, butchering and marrow processing of large mammal bones have been recovered together with a deciduous tooth of Homo sp. in the case of level BL-D. In this study, we: (i) describe in detail the anthropic marks found in the bone assemblages from these sites; (ii) analyse patterns of defleshment, butchery and marrow processing, based on the modifications identified in the cortical surface of the fossils; and (iii) discuss on the subsistence strategies of the first hominins that inhabited the European subcontinent during Early Pleistocene times.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Patrocinio Espigares
- Departamento de Ecología y Geología, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos, 29071, Malaga, Spain.
| | - Paul Palmqvist
- Departamento de Ecología y Geología, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos, 29071, Malaga, Spain
| | - Antonio Guerra-Merchán
- Departamento de Ecología y Geología, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos, 29071, Malaga, Spain
| | - Sergio Ros-Montoya
- Departamento de Ecología y Geología, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos, 29071, Malaga, Spain
| | | | - Guillermo Rodríguez-Gómez
- Departamento de Ecología y Geología, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos, 29071, Malaga, Spain
| | - Francisco J Serrano
- Departamento de Ecología y Geología, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos, 29071, Malaga, Spain
| | - Bienvenido Martínez-Navarro
- IPHES, Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, C/Marcel.lí Domingo s/n, Campus Sescelades, Edifici W3, 43007, Tarragona, Spain
- Area de Prehistoria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avda. Catalunya 35, 43002, Tarragona, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain
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Mosquera M, Ollé A, Rodríguez-Álvarez XP, Carbonell E. Shedding light on the Early Pleistocene of TD6 (Gran Dolina, Atapuerca, Spain): The technological sequence and occupational inferences. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0190889. [PMID: 29370188 PMCID: PMC5784927 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper aims to update the information available on the lithic assemblage from the entire sequence of TD6 now that the most recent excavations have been completed, and to explore possible changes in both occupational patterns and technological strategies evidenced in the unit. This is the first study to analyse the entire TD6 sequence, including subunits TD6.3 and TD6.1, which have never been studied, along with the better-known TD6.2 Homo antecessor-bearing subunit. We also present an analysis of several lithic refits found in TD6, as well as certain technical features that may help characterise the hominin occupations. The archaeo-palaeontological record from TD6 consists of 9,452 faunal remains, 443 coprolites, 1,046 lithic pieces, 170 hominin remains and 91 Celtis seeds. The characteristics of this record seem to indicate two main stages of occupation. In the oldest subunit, TD6.3, the lithic assemblage points to the light and limited hominin occupation of the cave, which does, however, grow over the course of the level. In contrast, the lithic assemblages from TD6.2 and TD6.1 are rich and varied, which may reflect Gran Dolina cave’s establishment as a landmark in the region. Despite the occupational differences between the lowermost subunit and the rest of the deposit, technologically the TD6 lithic assemblage is extremely homogeneous throughout. In addition, the composition and spatial distribution of the 12 groups of lithic refits found in unit TD6, as well as the in situ nature of the assemblage demonstrate the high degree of preservation at the site. This may help clarify the nature of the Early Pleistocene hominin occupations of TD6, and raise reasonable doubt about the latest interpretations that support the ex situ character of the assemblage as a whole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Mosquera
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avinguda de Catalunya 35, Tarragona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), Tarragona, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Andreu Ollé
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avinguda de Catalunya 35, Tarragona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), Tarragona, Spain
| | - Xose Pedro Rodríguez-Álvarez
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avinguda de Catalunya 35, Tarragona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), Tarragona, Spain
| | - Eudald Carbonell
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avinguda de Catalunya 35, Tarragona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), Tarragona, Spain
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