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Muller A, Barsky D, Sala-Ramos R, Sharon G, Titton S, Vergès JM, Grosman L. The limestone spheroids of 'Ubeidiya: intentional imposition of symmetric geometry by early hominins? ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230671. [PMID: 37680494 PMCID: PMC10480702 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Spheroids are one of the least understood lithic items yet are one of the most enduring, spanning from the Oldowan to the Middle Palaeolithic. Why and how they were made remains highly debated. We seek to address whether spheroids represent unintentional by-products of percussive tasks or if they were intentionally knapped tools with specific manufacturing goals. We apply novel three-dimensional analysis methods, including spherical harmonics and surface curvature, to 150 limestone spheroids from 'Ubeidiya (ca 1.4 Ma), presently the earliest Acheulean occurrence outside of Africa, to bring a new perspective to these enigmatic artefacts. We reconstruct the spheroid reduction sequence based on trends in their scar facets and geometry, finding that the spheroid makers at 'Ubeidiya followed a premeditated reduction strategy. During their manufacture, the spheroids do not become smoother, but they become markedly more spherical. They approach an ideal sphere, a feat that likely required skilful knapping and a preconceived goal. Acheulean bifaces are currently thought to represent the earliest evidence of hominins imposing a premeditated, symmetrical shape on stone. The intentional production of sphere-like objects at 'Ubeidiya similarly shows evidence of Acheulean hominins desiring and achieving intentional geometry and symmetry in stone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Muller
- Computational Archaeology Laboratory, Institute of Archaeology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Deborah Barsky
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), 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
| | - Robert Sala-Ramos
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), 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
| | - Gonen Sharon
- MA Program in Galilee Studies, East Campus, Tel-Hai College, Upper Galilee, Israel
| | - Stefania Titton
- Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Josep-Maria Vergès
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), 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
| | - Leore Grosman
- Computational Archaeology Laboratory, Institute of Archaeology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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Cabanès J, Borel A, Baena Preysler J, Lourdeau A, Moncel MH. Palaeolithic polyhedrons, spheroids and bolas over time and space. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272135. [PMID: 35901051 PMCID: PMC9333226 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyhedrons, spheroids and bolas (PSBs) are present in lithic series from the Lower Palaeolithic onwards and are found in several regions of the world. Nevertheless, very little is known about them. We propose here to summarise, illustrate and discuss the current state of our knowledge about these artefacts. Based on the available data in the literature and on our observations of several collections, we set up a database comprising 169 Palaeolithic assemblages with PSBs. Thanks to the statistical analysis of these data, we aim to highlight potential relationships between PSB characteristics (e.g., quantity, raw material) and assemblage composition and context, according to regions and chrono-cultural attributions. We also aim to discuss the question of artefacts from possible independent local histories, especially in Northwest Europe, where these objects are scarce. Our study concludes that hard stones (stones with high resistance to a physical constraint) available locally were generally selected to produce PSBs. Soft sedimentary rocks are suitable for their manufacture, and were selected too, whereas siliceous materials were left aside. We hypothesise that the scarcity of PSBs in Northwest Europe could result from a combination of cultural and environmental factors: it could be part of a regional tradition, influenced by the abundance of siliceous materials in the environment. In this region where the lithic production is widely made of flint, even though other materials were available, objects made from hard stones are scarce, resulting in a toolkit with only rare PSBs and cleavers. Was flint too brittle for the functions of PSBs? Raw materials of PSBs are often similar to those of heavy-duty tools in assemblages, which could provide other clues about their functions (e.g., tasks requiring a resistance to shocks). It is possible that their raw materials partly conditioned their final shape. PSBs can comprise a wide variety of artefacts, that for some could have change of status (e.g., from cores to percussive tools), diffused, adapted but also reinvented over two million years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Cabanès
- Département Homme et Environnement, Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique, HNHP‑UMR 7194 (MNHN, CNRS, UPVD), Alliance Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Antony Borel
- Département Homme et Environnement, Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique, HNHP‑UMR 7194 (MNHN, CNRS, UPVD), Alliance Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France
- Institute of Archaeological Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Javier Baena Preysler
- Department of Prehistory and Archaeology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antoine Lourdeau
- Département Homme et Environnement, Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique, HNHP‑UMR 7194 (MNHN, CNRS, UPVD), Alliance Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Hélène Moncel
- Département Homme et Environnement, Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique, HNHP‑UMR 7194 (MNHN, CNRS, UPVD), Alliance Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France
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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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Walking among Mammoths. Remote Sensing and Virtual Reality Supporting the Study and Dissemination of Pleistocene Archaeological Sites: The Case of Fuente Nueva 3 in Orce, Spain. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12114785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Remote sensing is a useful tool for the documentation of archaeological sites. The products derived from a photogrammetric project applied to archaeology such as orthophotos and three-dimensional virtual reconstruction (3DVR), allow for detailed study of the Fuente Nueva 3 site in Orce. In our study of the Fuente Nueva 3 site in Orce, we used 3DVR intensively to map out the morphometric features of mammoth tusks exposed on the surface and a geological fault affecting the site’s deposits. To do so, we used imagery captured since 2017 in order to follow the evolution of ongoing excavations during each subsequent field season. We also integrated the 3DVR model in a videogame environment, to create a virtual reality (VR) that allows a VR navigation experience around the scenario using a head mounted display like Oculus Rift. The main features of this VR experience are: (1) It is ideal for the diffusion of archaeological contents since it permits an attractive presentation mode thanks to stereo visualization and realistic immersion sensations; (2) it provides a high level of detail all along the navigation experience, without incurring any damage to the archaeological remains; (3) it allows users to observe more details than they would in an in situ visit to the site; (4) it makes it possible to convert an archaeological site into portable heritage, opening up the possibility to extend visits to vulnerable groups: specifically those with reduced mobility. Our results show that using VR should permit enhancements to a visitor’s experience and contribute to the socio-economic development of the town of Orce, one of the Spanish municipalities with the lowest income.
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Assaf E, Caricola I, Gopher A, Rosell J, Blasco R, Bar O, Zilberman E, Lemorini C, Baena J, Barkai R, Cristiani E. Shaped stone balls were used for bone marrow extraction at Lower Paleolithic Qesem Cave, Israel. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230972. [PMID: 32271815 PMCID: PMC7145020 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of shaped stone balls at early Paleolithic sites has attracted scholarly attention since the pioneering work of the Leakeys in Olduvai, Tanzania. Despite the persistent presence of these items in the archaeological record over a period of two million years, their function is still debated. We present new results from Middle Pleistocene Qesem Cave on the use of these implements as percussion tools. Use-wear and abundant bone and fat residues found on ten shaped stone balls indicate crushing of fresh bones by thrusting percussion and provide direct evidence for the use of these items to access bone marrow of animal prey at this site. Two experiments conducted to investigate and verify functional aspects proved Qesem Cave shaped stone balls are efficient for bone processing and provide a comfortable grip and useful active areas for repeated use. Notably, the patina observed on the analyzed items precedes their use at the cave, indicating that they were collected by Qesem inhabitants, most probably from older Lower Paleolithic Acheulian sites. Thus, our results refer only to the final phases of the life of the items, and we cannot attest to their original function. As bone marrow played a central role in human nutrition in the Lower Paleolithic, and our experimental results show that the morphology and characteristics of shaped stone ball replicas are well-suited for the extraction of bone marrow, we suggest that these features might have been the reason for their collection and use at Qesem Cave. These results shed light on the function of shaped stone balls and are consistent with the significance of animal fat in the caloric intake of Middle Pleistocene humans as shown by the archeozoological evidence at Qesem Cave and possibly beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella Assaf
- Institute of Archaeology, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- * E-mail: (EA); (EC)
| | - Isabella Caricola
- DANTE—Diet and Ancient Technology Laboratory, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome (IT), Rome, Italy
- Newcastle University, School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom
| | - Avi Gopher
- Institute of Archaeology, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Jordi Rosell
- IPHES Institut Català de Palaeoecologia Humana i Evolució Social,Tarragona, Spain
- Àrea de Prehistòria Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV),Tarragona, Spain
| | - Ruth Blasco
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
| | - Oded Bar
- Geological Survey of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Cristina Lemorini
- Department of Classics, LTFAPA Lab., Sapienza University of Rome (IT), Rome, Italy
| | - Javier Baena
- Department of Prehistory and Archaeology, Universidad Autónoma, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ran Barkai
- Institute of Archaeology, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Emanuela Cristiani
- DANTE—Diet and Ancient Technology Laboratory, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome (IT), Rome, Italy
- * E-mail: (EA); (EC)
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Correction: Subspheroids in the lithic assemblage of Barranco León (Spain): Recognizing the late Oldowan in Europe. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231036. [PMID: 32203561 PMCID: PMC7089551 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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