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Tejero JM, Cheronet O, Gelabert P, Zagorc B, Álvarez-Fernández E, Arias P, Averbouh A, Bar-Oz G, Barzilai O, Belfer-Cohen A, Bosch MD, Brück F, Cueto M, Dockner M, Fullola JM, Gárate D, Giannakoulis M, González C, Jakeli N, Mangado X, Meshveliani T, Neruda P, Nigst P, Ontañón R, Shemer M, Šimková PG, Tapia J, Sánchez de la Torre M, Schwab C, Weber G, Pinhasi R. Cervidae antlers exploited to manufacture prehistoric tools and hunting implements as a reliable source of ancient DNA. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31858. [PMID: 38845985 PMCID: PMC11154607 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Antler is one of the primary animal raw materials exploited for technical purposes by the hunter-gatherer groups of the Eurasian Upper Palaeolithic (UP) all over the ecological range of deers, and beyond. It was exhaustively employed to produce one of the most critical tools for the survival of the UP societies: hunting weapons. However, antler implements can be made from diverse deer taxa, with different ecological requirements and ethological behaviours. Identifying the antler's origin at a taxonomic level is thus essential in improving our knowledge of humans' functional, practical and symbolic choices, as well as the human-animal interface during Prehistoric times. Nevertheless, palaeogenetics analyses have focused mainly on bone and teeth, with genetic studies of antler generally focused on modern deer conservation. Here we present the results of the first whole mitochondrial genome ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis by means of in-solution hybridisation capture of antlers from pre-Holocene archaeological contexts. We analysed a set of 50 Palaeolithic and Neolithic (c. 34-8ka) antler and osseous objects from South-Western Europe, Central Europe, South-Western Asia and the Caucasus. We successfully obtained aDNA, allowing us to identify the exploited taxa and demonstrate the archaeological relevance of those finds. Moreover, as most of the antlers were sampled using a minimally-invasive method, further analyses (morphometric, technical, genetic, radiometric and more) remain possible on these objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- José-Miguel Tejero
- Seminari D'Estudis I Recerques Prehistòriques (SERP), Dep. Història i Arqueologia, University of Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Austria
- Human Evolution and Archeological Sciences (HEAS), University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Olivia Cheronet
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Austria
- Human Evolution and Archeological Sciences (HEAS), University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Pere Gelabert
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Austria
- Human Evolution and Archeological Sciences (HEAS), University of Vienna, Austria
- Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal I D'Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Brina Zagorc
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Austria
- Human Evolution and Archeological Sciences (HEAS), University of Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Pablo Arias
- Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria (IIIPC), (Universidad de Cantabria-Gobierno de Cantabria-Santander Universidades), Santander, Spain
| | - Aline Averbouh
- CNRS-MNHN UMR 7209 Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques et Environnement. Muséum National D’Histoire Naturelle, Département « Homme et Environnement » & Institut INEE CNRS « Environnement et écologie », Paris, France
| | - Guy Bar-Oz
- Laboratory of Archaeozoology, School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures, University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Omry Barzilai
- The Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies, School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, 3498838 Haifa, Israel
| | - Anna Belfer-Cohen
- Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Marjolein D. Bosch
- Human Evolution and Archeological Sciences (HEAS), University of Vienna, Austria
- Austrian Archaeological Institute – Prehistory Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Brück
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Marián Cueto
- Departament de Prehistòria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Martin Dockner
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Josep Maria Fullola
- Seminari D'Estudis I Recerques Prehistòriques (SERP), Dep. Història i Arqueologia, University of Barcelona, Spain
- Institut D'Arqueologia de La Universitat de Barcelona (IAUB), Spain
| | - Diego Gárate
- Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria (IIIPC), (Universidad de Cantabria-Gobierno de Cantabria-Santander Universidades), Santander, Spain
| | | | - Cynthia González
- Seminari D'Estudis I Recerques Prehistòriques (SERP), Dep. Història i Arqueologia, University of Barcelona, Spain
- Institut D'Arqueologia de La Universitat de Barcelona (IAUB), Spain
| | | | - Xavier Mangado
- Seminari D'Estudis I Recerques Prehistòriques (SERP), Dep. Història i Arqueologia, University of Barcelona, Spain
- Institut D'Arqueologia de La Universitat de Barcelona (IAUB), Spain
| | | | - Petr Neruda
- Moravské Zemské Museum, Historické Muzeum, Ústav Anthropos, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Philip Nigst
- Human Evolution and Archeological Sciences (HEAS), University of Vienna, Austria
- Department of Prehistoric and Historical Archaeology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Roberto Ontañón
- Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria (IIIPC), (Universidad de Cantabria-Gobierno de Cantabria-Santander Universidades), Santander, Spain
- Museo de Prehistoria y Arqueología de Cantabria (MUPAC), Santander, Spain
| | - Maayan Shemer
- The Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies, School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, 3498838 Haifa, Israel
- Department of Bible, Archaeology and the Ancient Near East, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Petra G. Šimková
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Austria
- Human Evolution and Archeological Sciences (HEAS), University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Jesús Tapia
- Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi, Donostia, Spain
| | - Marta Sánchez de la Torre
- Seminari D'Estudis I Recerques Prehistòriques (SERP), Dep. Història i Arqueologia, University of Barcelona, Spain
- Institut D'Arqueologia de La Universitat de Barcelona (IAUB), Spain
| | - Catherine Schwab
- Musée D’Archéologie Nationale et Domaine National de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
| | - Gerhard Weber
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Austria
- Human Evolution and Archeological Sciences (HEAS), University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Ron Pinhasi
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Austria
- Human Evolution and Archeological Sciences (HEAS), University of Vienna, Austria
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2
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Vallini L, Zampieri C, Shoaee MJ, Bortolini E, Marciani G, Aneli S, Pievani T, Benazzi S, Barausse A, Mezzavilla M, Petraglia MD, Pagani L. The Persian plateau served as hub for Homo sapiens after the main out of Africa dispersal. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1882. [PMID: 38528002 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46161-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
A combination of evidence, based on genetic, fossil and archaeological findings, indicates that Homo sapiens spread out of Africa between ~70-60 thousand years ago (kya). However, it appears that once outside of Africa, human populations did not expand across all of Eurasia until ~45 kya. The geographic whereabouts of these early settlers in the timeframe between ~70-60 to 45 kya has been difficult to reconcile. Here we combine genetic evidence and palaeoecological models to infer the geographic location that acted as the Hub for our species during the early phases of colonisation of Eurasia. Leveraging on available genomic evidence we show that populations from the Persian Plateau carry an ancestry component that closely matches the population that settled the Hub outside Africa. With the paleoclimatic data available to date, we built ecological models showing that the Persian Plateau was suitable for human occupation and that it could sustain a larger population compared to other West Asian regions, strengthening this claim.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carlo Zampieri
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Mohamed Javad Shoaee
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | - Eugenio Bortolini
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giulia Marciani
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Research Unit Prehistory and Anthropology, Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Serena Aneli
- Department of Public Health Sciences and Pediatrics, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Telmo Pievani
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Stefano Benazzi
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alberto Barausse
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Michael D Petraglia
- Human Origins Program, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20560, USA
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Luca Pagani
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
- Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
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3
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Hamilton R, Amano N, Bradshaw CJA, Saltré F, Patalano R, Penny D, Stevenson J, Wolfhagen J, Roberts P. Forest mosaics, not savanna corridors, dominated in Southeast Asia during the Last Glacial Maximum. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2311280120. [PMID: 38147645 PMCID: PMC10769823 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311280120] [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: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The dominant paradigm is that large tracts of Southeast Asia's lowland rainforests were replaced with a "savanna corridor" during the cooler, more seasonal climates of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) (23,000 to 19,000 y ago). This interpretation has implications for understanding the resilience of Asia's tropical forests to projected climate change, implying a vulnerability to "savannization". A savanna corridor is also an important foundation for archaeological interpretations of how humans moved through and settled insular Southeast Asia and Australia. Yet an up-to-date, multiproxy, and empirical examination of the palaeoecological evidence for this corridor is lacking. We conducted qualitative and statistical analyses of 59 palaeoecological records across Southeast Asia to test the evidence for LGM savannization and clarify the relationships between methods, biogeography, and ecological change in the region from the start of Late Glacial Period (119,000 y ago) to the present. The pollen records typically show montane forest persistence during the LGM, while δ13C biomarker proxies indicate the expansion of C4-rich grasslands. We reconcile this discrepancy by hypothesizing the expansion of montane forest in the uplands and replacement of rainforest with seasonally dry tropical forest in the lowlands. We also find that smooth forest transitions between 34,000 and 2,000 y ago point to the capacity of Southeast Asia's ecosystems both to resist and recover from climate stressors, suggesting resilience to savannization. Finally, the timing of ecological change observed in our combined datasets indicates an 'early' onset of the LGM in Southeast Asia from ~30,000 y ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Hamilton
- isoTROPIC Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena07745, Germany
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena07745, Germany
- School of Geosciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW2050, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, NSW2522, Australia
| | - Noel Amano
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena07745, Germany
| | - Corey J. A. Bradshaw
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, NSW2522, Australia
- Global Ecology | Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA5001, Australia
| | - Frédérik Saltré
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, NSW2522, Australia
- Global Ecology | Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA5001, Australia
| | - Robert Patalano
- isoTROPIC Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena07745, Germany
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Bryant University, Smithfield, RI02917
| | - Dan Penny
- School of Geosciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW2050, Australia
| | - Janelle Stevenson
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, NSW2522, Australia
- School of Culture, History and Language, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT2601, Australia
| | - Jesse Wolfhagen
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena07745, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, College of Liberal Arts, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN47907
| | - Patrick Roberts
- isoTROPIC Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena07745, Germany
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena07745, Germany
- School of Archaeology, University of the Philippines, Quezon City1101, The Philippines
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4
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Bacon AM, Bourgon N, Dufour E, Demeter F, Zanolli C, Westaway KE, Joannes-Boyau R, Duringer P, Ponche JL, Morley MW, Suzzoni E, Frangeul S, Boesch Q, Antoine PO, Boualaphane S, Sichanthongtip P, Sihanam D, Huong NTM, Tuan NA, Fiorillo D, Tombret O, Patole-Edoumba E, Zachwieja A, Luangkhoth T, Souksavatdy V, Dunn TE, Shackelford L, Hublin JJ. Palaeoenvironments and hominin evolutionary dynamics in southeast Asia. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16165. [PMID: 37758744 PMCID: PMC10533506 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43011-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Secure environmental contexts are crucial for hominin interpretation and comparison. The discovery of a Denisovan individual and associated fauna at Tam Ngu Hao 2 (Cobra) Cave, Laos, dating back to 164-131 ka, allows for environmental comparisons between this (sub)tropical site and the Palearctic Denisovan sites of Denisova Cave (Russia) and Baishiya Karst Cave (China). Denisovans from northern latitudes foraged in a mix of forested and open landscapes, including tundra and steppe. Using stable isotope values from the Cobra Cave assemblage, we demonstrate that, despite the presence of nearby canopy forests, the Denisovan individual from Cobra Cave primarily consumed plants and/or animals from open forests and savannah. Using faunal evidence and proxy indicators of climates, results herein highlight a local expansion of rainforest at ~ 130 ka, raising questions about how Denisovans responded to this local climate change. Comparing the diet and habitat of the archaic hominin from Cobra Cave with those of early Homo sapiens from Tam Pà Ling Cave (46-43 ka), Laos, it appears that only our species was able to exploit rainforest resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Marie Bacon
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, BABEL UMR 8045, 75012, Paris, France.
| | - Nicolas Bourgon
- IsoTROPIC Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, 07745, Jena, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Human Evolution, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elise Dufour
- UMR 7209 Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique, Sociétés, Pratiques, Environnements, MNHN, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Fabrice Demeter
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Eco-anthropologie (EA), MNHN, CNRS, Université Paris Cité, Musée de l'Homme, 75016, Paris, France
| | - Clément Zanolli
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33600, Pessac, France
| | - Kira E Westaway
- 'Traps' Luminescence Dating Facility, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Renaud Joannes-Boyau
- Geoarchaeology and Archaeometry Research Group (GARG), Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia
| | - Philippe Duringer
- Ecole et Observatoire des Sciences de la Terre, Institut de Physique du Globe de Strasbourg, UMR 7516 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Luc Ponche
- Laboratoire Image, Ville Environnement, UMR 7362 UdS CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Mike W Morley
- Flinders Microarchaeology Laboratory, Archaeology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Flinders University, Sturt Road, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Eric Suzzoni
- Spitteurs Pan, Technical Cave Supervision and Exploration, La Chapelle en Vercors, France
| | - Sébastien Frangeul
- Spitteurs Pan, Technical Cave Supervision and Exploration, La Chapelle en Vercors, France
| | - Quentin Boesch
- Ecole et Observatoire des Sciences de la Terre, Institut de Physique du Globe de Strasbourg, UMR 7516 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Pierre-Olivier Antoine
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution de Montpellier, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | - Daovee Sihanam
- Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Vientiane, Lao PDR
| | | | | | - Denis Fiorillo
- UMR 7209 Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique, Sociétés, Pratiques, Environnements, MNHN, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Tombret
- UMR 7209 Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique, Sociétés, Pratiques, Environnements, MNHN, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Elise Patole-Edoumba
- Muséum d'histoire naturelle de La Rochelle, UMRU 24140 Dynamiques, interactions, interculturalité asiatiques (UBM, LRUniv), La Rochelle, France
| | - Alexandra Zachwieja
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth, Duluth, USA
| | | | | | - Tyler E Dunn
- Anatomical Sciences Education Center, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Laura Shackelford
- Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Human Evolution, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Chaire de Paléoanthropologie, CIRB (UMR 7241-U1050), Collège de France, Paris, France
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5
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Fernando AS, Wanninayaka A, Dewage D, Karunanayake EH, Rai N, Somadeva R, Tennekoon KH, Ranasinghe R. The mitochondrial genomes of two Pre-historic Hunter Gatherers in Sri Lanka. J Hum Genet 2023; 68:103-105. [PMID: 36450887 DOI: 10.1038/s10038-022-01099-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean connected by the sea routes of the Western and Eastern worlds. Although settlements of anatomically modern humans date back to 48,000 years, to date there is no genetic information on pre-historic individuals in Sri Lanka. We report here the first complete mitochondrial sequences for Mesolithic hunter-gatherers from two cave sites. The mitochondrial haplogroups of pre-historic individuals were M18a and M35a. Pre-historic mitochondrial lineage M18a was found at a low prevalence among Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils, and Sri Lankan Indian Tamil in the Sri Lankan population, whereas M35a lineage was observed across all Sri Lankan populations with a comparatively higher frequency among the Sinhalese. Both haplogroups are Indian derived and observed in the South Asian region and rarely outside the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Fernando
- Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - A Wanninayaka
- Postgraduate Institute of Archeology, University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
| | - D Dewage
- Postgraduate Institute of Archeology, University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
| | - E H Karunanayake
- Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - N Rai
- Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, India
| | - R Somadeva
- Postgraduate Institute of Archeology, University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
| | - K H Tennekoon
- Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - R Ranasinghe
- Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
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6
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Picin A, Wedage O, Blinkhorn J, Amano N, Deraniyagala S, Boivin N, Roberts P, Petraglia M. Homo sapiens lithic technology and microlithization in the South Asian rainforest at Kitulgala Beli-lena (c. 45 - 8,000 years ago). PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273450. [PMID: 36227910 PMCID: PMC9560501 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273450] [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: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent archaeological investigations in Sri Lanka have reported evidence for the exploitation and settlement of tropical rainforests by Homo sapiens since c. 48,000 BP. Information on technological approaches used by human populations in rainforest habitats is restricted to two cave sites, Batadomba-lena and Fa-Hien Lena. Here, we provide detailed study of the lithic assemblages of Kitulgala Beli-lena, a recently excavated rockshelter preserving a sedimentary sequence from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene. Our analysis indicates in situ lithic production and the recurrent use of the bipolar method for the production of microliths. Stone tool analyses demonstrate long-term technological stability from c. 45,000 to 8,000 years BP, a pattern documented in other rainforest locations. Foraging behaviour is characterised by the use of lithic bipolar by-products together with osseous projectile points for the consistent targeting of semi-arboreal/arboreal species, allowing for the widespread and recurrent settlement of the wet zone of Sri Lanka.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Picin
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- Bereich für Ur- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie, Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Jena, Germany
- * E-mail: (AP); (OW); (PR); (MP)
| | - Oshan Wedage
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- Department of History and Archaeology, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Gangodawila, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
- * E-mail: (AP); (OW); (PR); (MP)
| | - James Blinkhorn
- Pan-African Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Noel Amano
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Nicole Boivin
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., United States of America
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Patrick Roberts
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- * E-mail: (AP); (OW); (PR); (MP)
| | - Michael Petraglia
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., United States of America
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
- * E-mail: (AP); (OW); (PR); (MP)
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7
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Scerri EML, Roberts P, Yoshi Maezumi S, Malhi Y. Tropical forests in the deep human past. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200500. [PMID: 35249383 PMCID: PMC8899628 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Since Darwin, studies of human evolution have tended to give primacy to open 'savannah' environments as the ecological cradle of our lineage, with dense tropical forests cast as hostile, unfavourable frontiers. These perceptions continue to shape both the geographical context of fieldwork as well as dominant narratives concerning hominin evolution. This paradigm persists despite new, ground-breaking research highlighting the role of tropical forests in the human story. For example, novel research in Africa's rainforests has uncovered archaeological sites dating back into the Pleistocene; genetic studies have revealed very deep human roots in Central and West Africa and in the tropics of Asia and the Pacific; an unprecedented number of coexistent hominin species have now been documented, including Homo erectus, the 'Hobbit' (Homo floresiensis), Homo luzonensis, Denisovans, and Homo sapiens. Some of the earliest members of our own species to reach South Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania and the tropical Americas have shown an unexpected rapidity in their adaptation to even some of the more 'extreme' tropical settings. This includes the early human manipulation of species and even habitats. This volume builds on these currently disparate threads and, for the first time, draws together a group of interdisciplinary, agenda-setting papers that firmly places a broader spectrum of tropical environments at the heart of the deep human past. This article is part of the theme issue 'Tropical forests in the deep human past'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor M L Scerri
- Pan-African Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745, Jena, Germany.,Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.,Department of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Patrick Roberts
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745, Jena, Germany.,School of Social Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - S Yoshi Maezumi
- Department of Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
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Taylor N. Riddles wrapped inside an enigma. Lupemban MSA technology as a rainforest adaptation: revisiting the lanceolate point. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200484. [PMID: 35249391 PMCID: PMC8899621 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The Central African Stone Age is very poorly known when compared to the higher-resolution records of East and Southern Africa. Early Stone Age (ESA) archaeology is effectively absent from the rainforest zone, with the early Middle Stone Age (MSA) Lupemban industry representing the earliest sustained archaeological signature. Uranium-series dates of approximately 265 ka BP for the Lupemban at Twin Rivers (Zambia), although queried, suggest a precocious late Middle Pleistocene dispersal of early Homo sapiens into the equatorial rainforest belt. Lupemban palaeohabitat interactions and attendant behavioural and technological repertoires are key to its evolutionary significance, but investigation is hampered by the widespread vertical disturbance of stratigraphic profiles and the formation of 'stone-lines'. The Lupemban takes in a range of implement types and technologies, including core-axes, prepared core technology (PCT) points, blades and backed blades. But it is the elongated bifacial lanceolate point-some exquisitely made and many exceeding 30 cm in length-that defines the industry. Remarkably, unequivocal examples of these iconic artefacts have never been the focus of detailed techno-typological scrutiny. In this paper, I advance understanding of the Lupemban by initiating a re-consideration of lanceolate points at Kalambo Falls, Zambia, and discuss their implications for the Lupemban's evolutionary significance. This article is part of the theme issue 'Tropical forests in the deep human past'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Taylor
- Department of Anthropology, Turkana Basin Institute, New York, NY, USA
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d'Errico F, Pitarch Martí A, Wei Y, Gao X, Vanhaeren M, Doyon L. Zhoukoudian Upper Cave personal ornaments and ochre: Rediscovery and reevaluation. J Hum Evol 2021; 161:103088. [PMID: 34837740 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Personal ornaments have become a key cultural proxy to investigate cognitive evolution, modern human dispersal, and population dynamics. Here, we reassess personal ornaments found at Zhoukoudian Upper Cave and compare them with those from other Late Paleolithic Northern Chinese sites. We reappraise the information provided by Pei Wen Chung on Upper Cave personal ornaments lost during World War II and analyze casts of 17 of them, along with two unpublished objects displayed at the Zhoukoudian Site Museum and three original perforated teeth rediscovered at the Zhoukoudian Site Museum. We apply archeozoological, technological and use-wear analyses to document variation in ornamental practices and their change throughout the site stratigraphy. Badger, fox, red deer, sika deer, marten, and tiger teeth as well as carp bone, bird bone, Anadara shell, limestone beads, and perforated pebble appear to have been the preferred objects used as ornaments by Upper Cave visitors. Multivariate analysis of technological data highlights a correspondence between cultural layers and perforation techniques, with radial incising being typical of layer L2 and bidirectional incising of L4. The three rediscovered badger canines display features suggesting they were sewed on clothing rather than suspended from necklaces or bracelets. Elemental scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectromety and mineralogical (μ-Raman) analyses of red residues adhering to the rediscovered teeth indicate these objects were originally coated with ochre and identify variations that match differences in technology. The two ornaments exhibited at the Zhoukoudian Site Museum are ancient teeth that were recently perforated and should be excluded from the Upper Cave assemblage. A seriation of Late Paleolithic ornaments found at Northern Chinese sites identifies a clear-cut difference in preferred ornament types between western and eastern sites, interpreted as reflecting two long-lasting traditions in garment symbolic codes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco d'Errico
- CNRS UMR5199 PACEA, Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, CEDEX, France; SFF Centre for Early Sapiens Behaviour (SapienCE), University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Africa Pitarch Martí
- CNRS UMR5199 PACEA, Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, CEDEX, France; Departament d'Arts I Conservació-Restauració, Facultat de Belles Arts, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yi Wei
- Centre for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment (CAS), Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Scientific Research, Beijing Museum of Natural History, Beijing, China
| | - Xing Gao
- Centre for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment (CAS), Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Marian Vanhaeren
- CNRS UMR5199 PACEA, Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, CEDEX, France
| | - Luc Doyon
- CNRS UMR5199 PACEA, Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, CEDEX, France; Institute of Cultural Heritage, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
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10
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Tejero JM, Bar-Oz G, Bar-Yosef O, Meshveliani T, Jakeli N, Matskevich Z, Pinhasi R, Belfer-Cohen A. New insights into the Upper Palaeolithic of the Caucasus through the study of personal ornaments. Teeth and bones pendants from Satsurblia and Dzudzuana caves (Imereti, Georgia). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258974. [PMID: 34748581 PMCID: PMC8575301 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The region of western Georgia (Imereti) in the Southern Caucasus has been a major geographic corridor for human migrations during the Middle and Upper Paleolithic. Data of recent research and excavations in this region display its importance as a possible route for the dispersal of anatomically modern humans (AMH) into northern Eurasia. Nevertheless, within the local research context, bone-working and personal ornaments have yet contributed but little to the Upper Palaeolithic (UP) regional sequence's characterization. Here we present an archaeozoological, technological and use-wear study of pendants from two local UP assemblages, originating in the Dzudzuana Cave and Satsurblia Cave. The ornaments were made mostly of perforated teeth, though some specimens were made on bone. Both the manufacturing marks made during preparation and use-wear traces indicate that they were personal ornaments, used as pendants or attached to garments. Detailed comparison between ornament assemblages from northern and southern Caucasus reveal that they are quite similar, supporting the observation of cultural bonds between the two regions, demonstrated previously through lithic techno-typological affinities. Furthermore, our study highlights the importance attributed to red deer (Cervus elaphus) by the UP societies of the Caucasus in sharing aesthetic values and/or a symbolic sphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- José-Miguel Tejero
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Seminari d’Estudis I Recerques Prehistòriques, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Guy Bar-Oz
- Zinman Institute of Archaeology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ofer Bar-Yosef
- Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | | | | | | | - Ron Pinhasi
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Belfer-Cohen
- Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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Urbani B. Archaeoprimatology: The Longue Durée Interface Between Humans and Nonhuman Primates. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANTHROPOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anthro-101819-110130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Archaeoprimatology explores how humans and nonhuman primates coexisted in the past. This discipline has profound roots in texts of early scholars. Archaeoprimatological research examines the liminality between humans, apes, monkeys, and prosimians deep in time before the rise of the Anthropocene. By exploring the beginning of the relationship between modern Homo sapiens and primates, which possibly dates to approximately 100,000 BCE, I survey the evidence, ranging from portable objects and 2D surfaces with primatomorphic depictions to primate remains at archaeological sites worldwide. For example, an overview of ancient frescoes and mosaics with primate representations reveals that the vast majority of them were rendered in locations where primates were not part of the local fauna. An extensive review of primates in the zooarchaeological record shows as a global pattern that traded primates were usually young individuals and frugivorous/omnivorous species. Local primates yielded at sites of regions they naturally inhabited were mostly hunted. Thus, examining past patterns of the human–nonhuman primate interface provides insight into major questions about human niche construction and primate conservation today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo Urbani
- Center for Anthropology, Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research, Caracas 1020, Venezuela
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12
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Bourgon N, Jaouen K, Bacon AM, Dufour E, McCormack J, Tran NH, Trost M, Fiorillo D, Dunn TE, Zanolli C, Zachwieja A, Duringer P, Ponche JL, Boesch Q, Antoine PO, Westaway KE, Joannes-Boyau R, Suzzoni E, Frangeul S, Crozier F, Aubaile F, Patole-Edoumba E, Luangkhoth T, Souksavatdy V, Boualaphane S, Sayavonkhamdy T, Sichanthongtip P, Sihanam D, Demeter F, Shackelford LL, Hublin JJ, Tütken T. Trophic ecology of a Late Pleistocene early modern human from tropical Southeast Asia inferred from zinc isotopes. J Hum Evol 2021; 161:103075. [PMID: 34655947 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Tam Pà Ling, a cave site in northeastern Laos, has yielded the earliest skeletal evidence of Homo sapiens in mainland Southeast Asia. The reliance of Pleistocene humans in rainforest settings on plant or animal resources is still largely unstudied, mainly due to poor collagen preservation in fossils from tropical environments precluding stable nitrogen isotope analysis, the classical trophic level proxy. However, isotopic ratios of zinc (Zn) in bioapatite constitute a promising proxy to infer trophic and dietary information from fossil vertebrates, even under adverse tropical taphonomic conditions. Here, we analyzed the zinc isotope composition (66Zn/64Zn expressed as δ66Zn value) in the enamel of two teeth of the Late Pleistocene (63-46 ka) H. sapiens individual (TPL1) from Tam Pà Ling, as well as 76 mammal teeth from the same site and the nearby Nam Lot cave. The human individual exhibits relatively low enamel δ66Zn values (+0.24‰) consistent with an omnivorous diet, suggesting a dietary reliance on both plant and animal matter. These findings offer direct evidence of the broad utilization of resources from tropical rainforests by one of the earliest known anatomically modern humans in Southeast Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Bourgon
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Applied and Analytical Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55099 Mainz, Germany; Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques, Environnements (AASPE), UMR 7209, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Klervia Jaouen
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, Observatoire Midi Pyrénées, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Anne-Marie Bacon
- UMR 8045 BABEL, CNRS, Université de Paris, Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, 92120 Montrouge, France
| | - Elise Dufour
- Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques, Environnements (AASPE), UMR 7209, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jeremy McCormack
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - N-Han Tran
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Manuel Trost
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Denis Fiorillo
- Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques, Environnements (AASPE), UMR 7209, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Tyler E Dunn
- Department of Medical Education, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA
| | - Clément Zanolli
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33615 Pessac, France
| | - Alexandra Zachwieja
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN 55812-3031, USA
| | - Philippe Duringer
- Ecole et Observatoire des Sciences de la Terre (EOST), Institut de Physique du Globe de Strasbourg (IPGS), UMR 7516 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Luc Ponche
- Image Ville et Environnement, UMR 7362, Institut de Géographie, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Quentin Boesch
- Ecole et Observatoire des Sciences de la Terre (EOST), Institut de Physique du Globe de Strasbourg (IPGS), UMR 7516 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Pierre-Olivier Antoine
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Institut de Recherche et de Développement (IRD), Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE), 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Kira E Westaway
- Traps-MQ Luminescence Dating Facility, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Renaud Joannes-Boyau
- Geoarchaeology and Archaeometry Research Group (GARG), Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia; Centre for Anthropological Research, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa
| | - Eric Suzzoni
- Spitteurs Pan, Technical Cave Supervision and Exploration, 26420 La Chapelle en Vercors, France
| | - Sébastien Frangeul
- Spitteurs Pan, Technical Cave Supervision and Exploration, 26420 La Chapelle en Vercors, France
| | | | - Françoise Aubaile
- Laboratoire d'Eco-Anthropologie UMR 7206, CNRS, MNHN, Université de Paris, 75016 Paris, France
| | | | - Thonglith Luangkhoth
- Department of Heritage, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Vientiane, Lao Democratic People's Republic
| | - Viengkeo Souksavatdy
- Department of Heritage, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Vientiane, Lao Democratic People's Republic
| | - Souliphane Boualaphane
- Department of Heritage, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Vientiane, Lao Democratic People's Republic
| | - Thongsa Sayavonkhamdy
- Department of Heritage, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Vientiane, Lao Democratic People's Republic
| | - Phonephanh Sichanthongtip
- Department of Heritage, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Vientiane, Lao Democratic People's Republic
| | - Daovee Sihanam
- Department of Heritage, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Vientiane, Lao Democratic People's Republic
| | - Fabrice Demeter
- Laboratoire d'Eco-Anthropologie UMR 7206, CNRS, MNHN, Université de Paris, 75016 Paris, France; Lundbeck Foundation, GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Laura L Shackelford
- Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Paléoanthropologie, Collège de France, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Thomas Tütken
- Applied and Analytical Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55099 Mainz, Germany
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A worked bone assemblage from 120,000-90,000 year old deposits at Contrebandiers Cave, Atlantic Coast, Morocco. iScience 2021; 24:102988. [PMID: 34622180 PMCID: PMC8478944 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of Homo sapiens in Pleistocene Africa is associated with a profound reconfiguration of technology. Symbolic expression and personal ornamentation, new tool forms, and regional technological traditions are widely recognized as the earliest indicators of complex culture and cognition in humans. Here we describe a bone tool tradition from Contrebandiers Cave on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, dated between 120,000-90,000 years ago. The bone tools were produced for different activities, including likely leather and fur working, and were found in association with carnivore remains that were possibly skinned for fur. A cetacean tooth tip bears what is likely a combination of anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic modification and shows the use of a marine mammal tooth by early humans. The evidence from Contrebandiers Cave demonstrates that the pan-African emergence of complex culture included the use of multiple and diverse materials for specialized tool manufacture.
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14
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‘Moving South’: Late Pleistocene Plant Exploitation and the Importance of Palm in the Colombian Amazon. QUATERNARY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/quat4030026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The role of plants in early human migrations across the globe has received little attention compared to big game hunting. Tropical forests in particular have been seen as a barrier for Late Pleistocene human dispersals due to perceived difficulties in obtaining sufficient subsistence resources. Archaeobotanical data from the Cerro Azul rock outcrop in the Colombian Amazon details Late Pleistocene plant exploitation providing insight into early human subsistence in the tropical forest. The dominance of palm taxa in the assemblage, dating from 12.5 ka BP, allows us to speculate on processes of ecological knowledge transfer and the identification of edible resources in a novel environment. Following the hypothesis of Martin Jones from his 2009 work, “Moving North: archaeobotanical evidence for plant diet in Middle and Upper Paleolithic Europe”, we contend that the instantly recognizable and economically useful palm family (Arecaceae) provided a “gateway” to the unknown resources of the Amazon forest.
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Lombard M, Shea JJ. Did Pleistocene Africans use the spearthrower-and-dart? Evol Anthropol 2021; 30:307-315. [PMID: 34343369 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Archeologists commonly suppose that among complex projectile weapons humans use as subsistence aids, the spearthrower-and-dart preceded bow-and-arrow use. And yet, neither ethnographic nor archeological records furnish any robust evidence for spearthrower-and-dart use in Africa. Instead, evidence grows apace for ever-more ancient bow-and-arrow use. Here we explore these findings and their implications for models of early Homo sapiens behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlize Lombard
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa
| | - John J Shea
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
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