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Sala N, Alcaraz-Castaño M, Arriolabengoa M, Martínez-Pillado V, Pantoja-Pérez A, Rodríguez-Hidalgo A, Téllez E, Cubas M, Castillo S, Arnold LJ, Demuro M, Duval M, Arteaga-Brieba A, Llamazares J, Ochando J, Cuenca-Bescós G, Marín-Arroyo AB, Seijo MM, Luque L, Alonso-Llamazares C, Arlegi M, Rodríguez-Almagro M, Calvo-Simal C, Izquierdo B, Cuartero F, Torres-Iglesias L, Agudo-Pérez L, Arribas A, Carrión JS, Magri D, Zhao JX, Pablos A. Nobody's land? The oldest evidence of early Upper Paleolithic settlements in inland Iberia. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eado3807. [PMID: 38924409 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ado3807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
The Iberian Peninsula is a key region for unraveling human settlement histories of Eurasia during the period spanning the decline of Neandertals and the emergence of anatomically modern humans (AMH). There is no evidence of human occupation in central Iberia after the disappearance of Neandertals ~42,000 years ago until approximately 26,000 years ago, rendering the region "nobody's land" during the Aurignacian period. The Abrigo de la Malia provides irrefutable evidence of human settlements dating back to 36,200 to 31,760 calibrated years before the present (cal B.P.) This site also records additional levels of occupation around 32,420 to 26,260 cal B.P., suggesting repeated settlement of this territory. Our multiproxy examination identifies a change in climate trending toward colder and more arid conditions. However, this climatic deterioration does not appear to have affected AMH subsistence strategies or their capacity to inhabit this region. These findings reveal the ability of AMH groups to colonize regions hitherto considered uninhabitable, reopening the debate on early Upper Paleolithic population dynamics of southwestern Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nohemi Sala
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Alcaraz-Castaño
- Área de Prehistoria, Departamento de Historia y Filosofía, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Martin Arriolabengoa
- Departamento de Geología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco-Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Virginia Martínez-Pillado
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Pantoja-Pérez
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Rodríguez-Hidalgo
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Instituto de Arqueología-Mérida (CSIC-Junta de Extremadura), Mérida, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Tarragona, Spain
| | - Edgar Téllez
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
| | - Miriam Cubas
- Área de Prehistoria, Departamento de Historia y Filosofía, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Samuel Castillo
- Área de Prehistoria, Departamento de Historia y Filosofía, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Lee J Arnold
- School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, Environment Institute, and Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Martina Demuro
- School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, Environment Institute, and Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Mathieu Duval
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Palaeoscience Laboratories, Department of Archaeology and History, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Andion Arteaga-Brieba
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Tarragona, Spain
| | - Javier Llamazares
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
| | - Juan Ochando
- Department of Plant Biology (Botany Area), Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Gloria Cuenca-Bescós
- Aragosaurus-IUCA-Departamento Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Ana B Marín-Arroyo
- Grupo de I+D+i EVOADAPTA (Evolución Humana y Adaptaciones Durante la Prehistoria), Departamento de Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - María Martín Seijo
- Instituto de Ciencias del Patrimonio (INCIPIT), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Luis Luque
- Área de Prehistoria, Departamento de Historia y Filosofía, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Carmen Alonso-Llamazares
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Ecología, Parasitología, Edafología y Química Agrícola, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Mikel Arlegi
- McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3ER, UK
| | | | - Cecilia Calvo-Simal
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
| | | | - Felipe Cuartero
- Área de Prehistoria, Departamento de Historia y Filosofía, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Leire Torres-Iglesias
- Grupo de I+D+i EVOADAPTA (Evolución Humana y Adaptaciones Durante la Prehistoria), Departamento de Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Lucía Agudo-Pérez
- Grupo de I+D+i EVOADAPTA (Evolución Humana y Adaptaciones Durante la Prehistoria), Departamento de Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Alfonso Arribas
- Estación Paleontológica Valle del río Fardes, Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (IGME), Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain
| | - José S Carrión
- Department of Plant Biology (Botany Area), Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Donatella Magri
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - J-X Zhao
- Radiogenic Isotope Facility, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Adrián Pablos
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Prehistoria y Arqueología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
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2
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Britton K, Jimenez EL, Le Corre M, Renou S, Rendu W, Richards MP, Hublin JJ, Soressi M. Multi-isotope analysis of bone collagen of Late Pleistocene ungulates reveals niche partitioning and behavioural plasticity of reindeer during MIS 3. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15722. [PMID: 37735582 PMCID: PMC10514192 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42199-7] [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: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Here we present stable carbon, nitrogen and sulfur isotope ratios of collagen extracted from Rangifer, Equus and Bison bone (n = 128) from different stratigraphic levels at the chronologically well-constrained Middle and Upper Palaeolithic site of Les Cottés, France. Samples were taken from five phases of site use (US08, US06, US04 [upper and lower], and US02; ~ 45.8-35.3 ka cal BP) to explore the dietary and spatial palaeoecology of these ungulate species during MIS 3, and the contemporary climate. Temporal trends in δ15N values of all species broadly align with other climatic indicators at the site and the lowest values in US04 correspond to the Heinrich 4 cooling event, reflecting changes in the composition of soil/plant nitrogen at this time. Rangifer collagen is 13C-enriched compared to the other species throughout, consistent with lichen consumption. However, this isotopic niche partitioning between Rangifer and Equus/Bison is most extensive during US04, indicating plasticity in reindeer feeding behaviour, and potentially overall increased lichen biomass during this cooler/more arid phase. Rangifer δ34S values are consistently lower than Equus and Bison, which could be indicative of their more extensive spatial ranges incorporating greater inland areas. Equus and Bison demonstrate a significant decrease in δ34S values through time, which may be linked to contemporary climatic decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Britton
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UF, UK.
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Elodie-Laure Jimenez
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UF, UK
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, 29 Vautier Street, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mael Le Corre
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UF, UK
| | - Sylvain Renou
- Hadès Archéologie, Agence Atlantique, 33100, Bordeaux, France
- PACEA, UMR 5199, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC), 33400, Pessac, France
| | - William Rendu
- ZooSCAn (IRL 2013) CNRS - IAET SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Institut Français des études sur l'Asie Centrale (IFEAC) - UAR 3140 (CNRS-MEAE), Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
| | - Michael P Richards
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Collège de France, 11, Place Marcelin Berthelot, 74005, Paris, France
| | - Marie Soressi
- Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, 2333CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Britton K, Jimenez EL, Le Corre M, Pederzani S, Daujeard C, Jaouen K, Vettese D, Tütken T, Hublin JJ, Moncel MH. Multi-isotope zooarchaeological investigations at Abri du Maras: The paleoecological and paleoenvironmental context of Neanderthal subsistence strategies in the Rhône Valley during MIS 3. J Hum Evol 2023; 174:103292. [PMID: 36455403 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The exploitation of mid- and large-sized herbivores (ungulates) was central to hominin subsistence across Late Pleistocene Europe. Reconstructing the paleoecology of prey-taxa is key to better understanding procurement strategies, decisions and behaviors, and the isotope analysis of faunal bones and teeth found at archaeological sites represent a powerful means of accessing information about past faunal behaviors. These isotope zooarchaeological approaches also have a near-unique ability to reveal environmental conditions contemporary to the human activities that produced these remains. Here, we present the results of a multi-isotope, multitissue study of ungulate remains from the Middle Paleolithic site of Abri du Maras, southern France, providing new insights into the living landscapes of the Rhône Valley during MIS 3 (level 4.2 = 55 ± 2 to 42 ± 3 ka; level 4.1 = 46 ± 3 to 40 ± 3 ka). Isotope data (carbon, nitrogen) reveal the dietary niches of different ungulate taxa, including the now-extinct giant deer (Megaloceros). Oxygen isotope data are consistent with a mild seasonal climate during level 4.2, where horse (Equus), bison (Bison), and red deer (Cervus elaphus) were exploited year-round. Strontium and sulfur isotope analyses provide new evidence for behavioral plasticity in Late Pleistocene European reindeer (Rangifer) between level 4.2 and level 4.1, indicating a change from the migratory to the sedentary ecotype. In level 4.1, the strong seasonal nature of reindeer exploitation, combined with their nonmigratory behavior, is consistent with a seasonally restricted use of the site by Neanderthals at that time or the preferential hunting of reindeer when in peak physical condition during the autumn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Britton
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, United Kingdom; Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Elodie-Laure Jimenez
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, United Kingdom; Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, 29 Vautier Street, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mael Le Corre
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Pederzani
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 2, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Camille Daujeard
- UMR 7194, Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique (HNHP), CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Département Homme et Environnement, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, 1 Rue René Panhard, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Klervia Jaouen
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, Observatoire Midi Pyrénées, UMR 5563, CNRS, 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Delphine Vettese
- UMR 7194, Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique (HNHP), CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Département Homme et Environnement, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, 1 Rue René Panhard, 75013 Paris, France; Universita degli Studi di Ferrara, Dipartimento degli Studi Umanistici, Sezione di Scienze Preistoriche e Antropologiche, Corso Ercole I d'Este 32, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Grupo de I+D+i EVOADAPTA (Evolución Humana y Adaptaciones Económicas y Ecológicas durante La Prehistoria), Dpto. Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Cantabria, Av/Los Castros 44, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - Thomas Tütken
- Arbeitsgruppe für Angewandte und Analytische Paläontologie, Institut für Geowissenschaften, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, J.-J. Becherweg 21, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Collège de France, 11, Place Marcelin Berthelot, 74005 Paris, France
| | - Marie-Hélène Moncel
- UMR 7194, Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique (HNHP), CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Département Homme et Environnement, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, 1 Rue René Panhard, 75013 Paris, France
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Vidal-Cordasco M, Ocio D, Hickler T, Marín-Arroyo AB. Ecosystem productivity affected the spatiotemporal disappearance of Neanderthals in Iberia. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1644-1657. [PMID: 36175541 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01861-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
What role did fluctuations play in biomass availability for secondary consumers in the disappearance of Neanderthals and the survival of modern humans? To answer this, we quantify the effects of stadial and interstadial conditions on ecosystem productivity and human spatiotemporal distribution patterns during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition (50,000-30,000 calibrated years before the present) in Iberia. First, we used summed probability distribution, optimal linear estimation and Bayesian age modelling to reconstruct an updated timescale for the transition. Next, we executed a generalized dynamic vegetation model to estimate the net primary productivity. Finally, we developed a macroecological model validated with present-day observations to calculate herbivore abundance. The results indicate that, in the Eurosiberian region, the disappearance of Neanderthal groups was contemporaneous with a significant decrease in the available biomass for secondary consumers, and the arrival of the first Homo sapiens populations coincided with an increase in herbivore carrying capacity. During stadials, the Mediterranean region had the most stable conditions and the highest biomass of medium and medium-large herbivores. These outcomes support an ecological cause for the hiatus between the Mousterian and Aurignacian technocomplexes in Northern Iberia and the longer persistence of Neanderthals in southern latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Vidal-Cordasco
- Grupo I+D+i EvoAdapta (Evolución Humana y Adaptaciones Económicas y Ecológicas durante la Prehistoria), Departamento Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
| | - D Ocio
- Mott MacDonald, Cambridge, UK
| | - T Hickler
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department of Physical Geography, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - A B Marín-Arroyo
- Grupo I+D+i EvoAdapta (Evolución Humana y Adaptaciones Económicas y Ecológicas durante la Prehistoria), Departamento Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
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The intrusive nature of the Châtelperronian in the Iberian Peninsula. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265219. [PMID: 35353845 PMCID: PMC8967055 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple factors have been proposed to explain the disappearance of Neandertals between ca. 50 and 40 kyr BP. Central to these discussions has been the identification of new techno-cultural complexes that overlap with the period of Neandertal demise in Europe. One such complex is the Châtelperronian, which extends from the Paris Basin to the Northern Iberian Peninsula between 43,760–39,220 BP. In this study we present the first open-air Châtelperronian site in the Northern Iberian Peninsula, Aranbaltza II. The technological features of its stone tool assemblage show no links with previous Middle Paleolithic technology in the region, and chronological modeling reveals a gap between the latest Middle Paleolithic and the Châtelperronian in this area. We interpret this as evidence of local Neandertal extinction and replacement by other Neandertal groups coming from southern France, illustrating how local extinction episodes could have played a role in the process of disappearance of Neandertals.
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6
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Borić D, Cristiani E, Hopkins R, Schwenninger J, Gerometta K, French CAI, Mutri G, Ćalić J, Dimitrijević V, Marín‐Arroyo AB, Jones JR, Stevens R, Masciana A, Uno K, Richter KK, Antonović D, Wehr K, Lane C, White D. Neanderthals on the Lower Danube: Middle Palaeolithic evidence in the Danube Gorges of the Balkans. JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE 2022; 37:142-180. [PMID: 35874300 PMCID: PMC9291232 DOI: 10.1002/jqs.3354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The article presents evidence about the Middle Palaeolithic and Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition interval in the karst area of the Danube Gorges in the Lower Danube Basin. We review the extant data and present new evidence from two recently investigated sites found on the Serbian side of the Danube River - Tabula Traiana and Dubočka-Kozja caves. The two sites have yielded layers dating to both the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic and have been investigated by the application of modern standards of excavation and recovery along with a suite of state-of-the-art analytical procedures. The presentation focuses on micromorphological analyses of the caves' sediments, characterisation of cryptotephra, a suite of new radiometric dates (accelerator mass spectrometry and optically stimulated luminescence) as well as proteomics (zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry) and stable isotope data in discerning patterns of human occupation of these locales over the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dušan Borić
- The Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in AmericaColumbia UniversityNew YorkNYUSA
- Department of Environmental BiologySapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Emanuela Cristiani
- DANTE ‐ Diet and Ancient Technology Laboratory, Department of Oral and Maxillo‐facial SciencesSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Rachel Hopkins
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, School of ArchaeologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Jean‐Luc Schwenninger
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, School of ArchaeologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Katarina Gerometta
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of PhilosophyJuraj Dobrila University of PulaPulaCroatia
| | | | | | - Jelena Ćalić
- Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić”Serbian Academy of Sciences and ArtsBelgradeSerbia
| | | | - Ana B. Marín‐Arroyo
- Department of ArchaeologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- EvoAdapta GroupUniversidad de CantabriaSantanderSpain
| | - Jennifer R. Jones
- School of Natural SciencesUniversity of Central LancashirePrestonLancashireUK
| | | | - Alana Masciana
- Lamont‐Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, PalisadesNYUSA
| | - Kevin Uno
- Lamont‐Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, PalisadesNYUSA
| | | | | | | | - Christine Lane
- Department of GeographyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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7
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Sánchez-Romero L, Benito-Calvo A, Marín-Arroyo AB, Agudo-Pérez L, Karampaglidis T, Rios-Garaizar J. New insights for understanding spatial patterning and formation processes of the Neanderthal occupation in theAmalda I cave (Gipuzkoa, Spain). Sci Rep 2020; 10:8733. [PMID: 32457436 PMCID: PMC7250919 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65364-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The Level VII of Amalda I cave (Gipuzkoa, Spain) represents one of the latest Middle Palaeolithic occupations in the Cantabrian Region. It is characterized by the presence of Middle Palaeolithic lithic industry and animal remains, with clear evidences of anthropic and carnivore manipulation. At this site, the Neanderthal presence has been questioned in relation to the role of carnivores in the accumulation of large, medium-sized and small mammals. It has also been proposed that the Neanderthal occupation could have consisted of short-term occupations, where different activities took place in a structured space within the cave. However, all hypotheses lacked any integrative analysis of the site formation processes. With the aim of understanding these processes, a combination of spatial techniques, based on GIS and inferential statistics (density analysis, hotspots tools and palaeotopographic reconstruction), along with the taphonomic study of identifiable and non-identifiable macromammals remains, were employed. This study has revealed distinct use of the cave space by Neanderthals and carnivores. The major concentrations of lithics and medium-size mammal remains were clearly accumulated by humans at the cave entrance, while the small-size mammals were gathered by carnivores in an inner zone. The activities of the Neanderthals seem to be distinctly structured, suggesting a parallel exploitation of resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Sánchez-Romero
- Human Evolution Research Center, 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| | - Alfonso Benito-Calvo
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, P° Sierra de Atapuerca, 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain
| | - Ana B Marín-Arroyo
- EVOADAPTA Group, Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria, Universidad de Cantabria (UC), Av. Los Castros, 52, Santander, Spain
| | - Lucía Agudo-Pérez
- EVOADAPTA Group, Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria, Universidad de Cantabria (UC), Av. Los Castros, 52, Santander, Spain
| | - Theodoros Karampaglidis
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, P° Sierra de Atapuerca, 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain
| | - Joseba Rios-Garaizar
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, P° Sierra de Atapuerca, 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain
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