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Stewart M, Andrieux E, Blinkhorn J, Guagnin M, Fernandes R, Vanwezer N, Hatton A, Alqahtani M, Zalmout I, Clark-Wilson R, Al-Mufarreh YSA, Al-Shanti M, Zahrani B, Al Omari A, Al-Jibreen F, Alsharekh AM, Scerri EML, Boivin N, Petraglia MD, Groucutt HS. First evidence for human occupation of a lava tube in Arabia: The archaeology of Umm Jirsan Cave and its surroundings, northern Saudi Arabia. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299292. [PMID: 38630666 PMCID: PMC11023468 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in interdisciplinary archaeological research in Arabia have focused on the evolution and historical development of regional human populations as well as the diverse patterns of cultural change, migration, and adaptations to environmental fluctuations. Obtaining a comprehensive understanding of cultural developments such as the emergence and lifeways of Neolithic groups has been hindered by the limited preservation of stratified archaeological assemblages and organic remains, a common challenge in arid environments. Underground settings like caves and lava tubes, which are prevalent in Arabia but which have seen limited scientific exploration, offer promising opportunities for addressing these issues. Here, we report on an archaeological excavation and a related survey at and around Umm Jirsan lava tube in the Harrat Khaybar, north-western Saudi Arabia. Our results reveal repeated phases of human occupation of the site ranging from at least the Neolithic through to the Chalcolithic/Bronze Age. Pastoralist use of the lava tube and surrounding landscape is attested in rock art and faunal records, suggesting that Umm Jirsan was situated along a pastoral route linking key oases. Isotopic data indicates that herbivores primarily grazed on wild grasses and shrubs rather than being provided with fodder, while humans had a diet consistently high in protein but with increasing consumption of C3 plants through-time, perhaps related to the emergence of oasis agriculture. While underground and naturally sheltered localities are globally prominent in archaeology and Quaternary science, our work represents the first such combined records for Saudi Arabia and highlight the potential for interdisciplinary studies in caves and lava tubes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathew Stewart
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
- Extreme Events Research Group, the Max Planck Institutes of Geoanthropology, Chemical Ecology, and Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Eric Andrieux
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - James Blinkhorn
- Human Palaeosystems Group, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | - Maria Guagnin
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | - Ricardo Fernandes
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Department of Bioarchaeology, Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw, Warszaw, Poland
- Arne Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
- Climate Change and History Research Initiative, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Nils Vanwezer
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | - Amy Hatton
- Extreme Events Research Group, the Max Planck Institutes of Geoanthropology, Chemical Ecology, and Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Mesfer Alqahtani
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Iyad Zalmout
- Palaeontology Division, Directorate of Geological Survey, Survey and Exploration Centre, Saudi Geological Survey, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Museum of Palaeontology, Research Museum Centre, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Richard Clark-Wilson
- Centre for Quaternary Research, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | | | - Mahmoud Al-Shanti
- Geotourism Department, Saudi Geological Survey, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Badr Zahrani
- Heritage Commission, Ministry of Culture, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | | | | - Abdullah M. Alsharekh
- Department of Archaeology, College of Tourism and Archaeology, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eleanor M. L. Scerri
- Human Palaeosystems Group, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
- Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nicole Boivin
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- School of Social Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
- Griffith Sciences, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Michael D. Petraglia
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
- School of Social Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
- Human Origins Program, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Huw S. Groucutt
- Extreme Events Research Group, the Max Planck Institutes of Geoanthropology, Chemical Ecology, and Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
- Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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2
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Scerri EML. One species, many roots? Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:975-976. [PMID: 37198291 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02080-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor M L Scerri
- Pan-African Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany.
- Department of Prehistory, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.
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3
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Scerri EML, Will M. The revolution that still isn't: The origins of behavioral complexity in Homo sapiens. J Hum Evol 2023; 179:103358. [PMID: 37058868 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
The behavioral origins of Homo sapiens can be traced back to the first material culture produced by our species in Africa, the Middle Stone Age (MSA). Beyond this broad consensus, the origins, patterns, and causes of behavioral complexity in modern humans remain debated. Here, we consider whether recent findings continue to support popular scenarios of: (1) a modern human 'package,' (2) a gradual and 'pan-African' emergence of behavioral complexity, and (3) a direct connection to changes in the human brain. Our geographically structured review shows that decades of scientific research have continuously failed to find a discrete threshold for a complete 'modernity package' and that the concept is theoretically obsolete. Instead of a continent-wide, gradual accumulation of complex material culture, the record exhibits a predominantly asynchronous presence and duration of many innovations across different regions of Africa. The emerging pattern of behavioral complexity from the MSA conforms to an intricate mosaic characterized by spatially discrete, temporally variable, and historically contingent trajectories. This archaeological record bears no direct relation to a simplistic shift in the human brain but rather reflects similar cognitive capacities that are variably manifested. The interaction of multiple causal factors constitutes the most parsimonious explanation driving the variable expression of complex behaviors, with demographic processes such as population structure, size, and connectivity playing a key role. While much emphasis has been given to innovation and variability in the MSA record, long periods of stasis and a lack of cumulative developments argue further against a strictly gradualistic nature in the record. Instead, we are confronted with humanity's deep, variegated roots in Africa, and a dynamic metapopulation that took many millennia to reach the critical mass capable of producing the ratchet effect commonly used to define contemporary human culture. Finally, we note a weakening link between 'modern' human biology and behavior from around 300 ka ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor M L Scerri
- Pan-African Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Kahlaische Str. 10, 07749, Jena, Germany; Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta, Msida, MSD 2080, Malta; Department of Prehistory, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Manuel Will
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Schloss Hohentübingen, Burgsteige 11, 72070, Tübingen, Germany
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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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5
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Abstract
The most profound shift in the African hydroclimate of the last 1 million years occurred around 300 thousand years (ka) ago. This change in African hydroclimate is manifest as an east-west change in moisture balance that cannot be fully explained through linkages to high latitude climate systems. The east-west shift is, instead, probably driven by a shift in the tropical Walker Circulation related to sea surface temperature change driven by orbital forcing. Comparing records of past vegetation change, and hominin evolution and development, with this breakpoint in the climate system is challenging owing to the paucity of study sites available and uncertainties regarding the dating of records. Notwithstanding these uncertainties we find that, broadly speaking, both vegetation and hominins change around 300 ka. The vegetative backdrop suggests that relative abundance of vegetative resources shifted from western to eastern Africa, although resources would have persisted across the continent. The climatic and vegetation changes probably provided challenges for hominins and are broadly coincident with the appearance of Homo sapiens (ca 315 ka) and the emergence of Middle Stone Age technology. The concomitant changes in climate, vegetation and hominin evolution suggest that these factors are closely intertwined. This article is part of the theme issue 'Tropical forests in the deep human past'.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D Gosling
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eleanor M L Scerri
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.,Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.,Department of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
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6
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Blinkhorn J, Timbrell L, Grove M, Scerri EML. Evaluating refugia in recent human evolution in Africa. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200485. [PMID: 35249393 PMCID: PMC8899617 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Homo sapiens have adapted to an incredible diversity of habitats around the globe. This capacity to adapt to different landscapes is clearly expressed within Africa, with Late Pleistocene Homo sapiens populations occupying savannahs, woodlands, coastlines and mountainous terrain. As the only area of the world where Homo sapiens have clearly persisted through multiple glacial-interglacial cycles, Africa is the only continent where classic refugia models can be formulated and tested to examine and describe changing patterns of past distributions and human phylogeographies. The potential role of refugia has frequently been acknowledged in the Late Pleistocene palaeoanthropological literature, yet explicit identification of potential refugia has been limited by the patchy nature of palaeoenvironmental and archaeological records, and the low temporal resolution of climate or ecological models. Here, we apply potential climatic thresholds on human habitation, rooted in ethnographic studies, in combination with high-resolution model datasets for precipitation and biome distributions to identify persistent refugia spanning the Late Pleistocene (130-10 ka). We present two alternate models suggesting that between 27% and 66% of Africa may have provided refugia to Late Pleistocene human populations, and examine variability in precipitation, biome and ecotone distributions within these refugial zones. This article is part of the theme issue 'Tropical forests in the deep human past'.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Blinkhorn
- Pan-African Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- Centre for Quaternary Research, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Lucy Timbrell
- Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Matt Grove
- Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Eleanor M. L. Scerri
- Pan-African Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
- Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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7
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Groucutt HS, White TS, Scerri EML, Andrieux E, Clark-Wilson R, Breeze PS, Armitage SJ, Stewart M, Drake N, Louys J, Price GJ, Duval M, Parton A, Candy I, Carleton WC, Shipton C, Jennings RP, Zahir M, Blinkhorn J, Blockley S, Al-Omari A, Alsharekh AM, Petraglia MD. Author Correction: Multiple hominin dispersals into Southwest Asia over the past 400,000 years. Nature 2022; 602:E15. [PMID: 35013622 PMCID: PMC8810378 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04289-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Huw S Groucutt
- Extreme Events Research Group, Max Planck Institutes for Chemical Ecology, the Science of Human History, and Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany. .,Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany. .,Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Tom S White
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Eleanor M L Scerri
- Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Pan-African Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.,Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Eric Andrieux
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, UK.,Centre for Quaternary Research, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Richard Clark-Wilson
- Centre for Quaternary Research, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK.,Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Paul S Breeze
- Department of Geography, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Simon J Armitage
- Centre for Quaternary Research, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK.,SFF Centre for Early Sapiens Behaviour (SapienCE), University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Mathew Stewart
- Extreme Events Research Group, Max Planck Institutes for Chemical Ecology, the Science of Human History, and Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Nick Drake
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.,Department of Geography, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Julien Louys
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Gilbert J Price
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Mathieu Duval
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Geochronology and Geology, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre le Evolución Humana, Paseo de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain
| | - Ash Parton
- Human Origins and Palaeoenvironments Research Group, School of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK.,Mansfield College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ian Candy
- Centre for Quaternary Research, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - W Christopher Carleton
- Extreme Events Research Group, Max Planck Institutes for Chemical Ecology, the Science of Human History, and Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Ceri Shipton
- Institute of Archaeology, University College London, London, UK.,Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Richard P Jennings
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Muhammad Zahir
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.,Department of Archaeology, Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan
| | - James Blinkhorn
- Pan-African Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.,Centre for Quaternary Research, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Simon Blockley
- Centre for Quaternary Research, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | | | - Abdullah M Alsharekh
- Department of Archaeology, College of Tourism and Archaeology, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Michael D Petraglia
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany. .,Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. .,Human Origins Program, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, USA. .,School of Social Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
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8
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Scerri EML, Frouin M, Breeze PS, Armitage SJ, Candy I, Groucutt HS, Drake N, Parton A, White TS, Alsharekh AM, Petraglia MD. The expansion of Acheulean hominins into the Nefud Desert of Arabia. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10111. [PMID: 33980918 PMCID: PMC8115331 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89489-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The Arabian Peninsula is a critical geographic landmass situated between Africa and the rest of Eurasia. Climatic shifts across the Pleistocene periodically produced wetter conditions in Arabia, dramatically altering the spatial distribution of hominins both within and between continents. This is particularly true of Acheulean hominins, who appear to have been more tethered to water sources than Middle Palaeolithic hominins. However, until recently, chrono-cultural knowledge of the Acheulean of Arabia has been limited to one dated site, which indicated a hominin presence in Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 7-6. Here, we report the first dated Acheulean site from the Nefud Desert of northern Saudi Arabia, together with palaeoecological evidence for an associated deep, probably fresh-water, lake. The site of An Nasim features varied and often finely flaked façonnage handaxes. Luminescence ages together with geomorphological and palaeoecological evidence indicates that the associated artefacts date to MIS 9. At present, An Nasim represents the oldest yet documented Acheulean sites in Arabia, and adds to a growing picture of regionally diverse stone tool assemblages used by Middle Pleistocene hominins, and likely indicative of repeated population re-entry into the peninsula in wet 'Green Arabia' phases.
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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.
- Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Marine Frouin
- Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-2100, USA
- Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-4364, USA
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology & the History of Art, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK
| | - Paul S Breeze
- Department of Geography, King's College London, 40 Bush House (North East Wing), Aldwych, London, WC2B 4BG, UK
| | - Simon J Armitage
- Centre for Quaternary Research, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, Surrey, UK
- SFF Centre for Early Sapiens Behaviour (SapienCE), University of Bergen, Post Box 7805, 5020, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ian Candy
- Centre for Quaternary Research, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, Surrey, UK
| | - Huw S Groucutt
- Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Extreme Events Research Group, Max Planck Institutes for Chemical Ecology, The Science of Human History, and Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Strasse 8, 07745, Jena, Germany
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Nick Drake
- Department of Geography, King's College London, 40 Bush House (North East Wing), Aldwych, London, WC2B 4BG, UK
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Ash Parton
- Human Origins and PalaeoEnvironments Research Group, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
- Mansfield College, University of Oxford, Mansfield Rd, Oxford, OX1 3TF, UK
| | - Tom S White
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Abdullah M Alsharekh
- Department of Archaeology, College of Tourism and Archaeology, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Michael D Petraglia
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany.
- School of Social Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
- Human Origins Program, National Musuem of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20560, USA.
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution (ARCHE), Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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9
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Blinkhorn J, Zanolli C, Compton T, Groucutt HS, Scerri EML, Crété L, Stringer C, Petraglia MD, Blockley S. Nubian Levallois technology associated with southernmost Neanderthals. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2869. [PMID: 33589653 PMCID: PMC7884387 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82257-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Neanderthals occurred widely across north Eurasian landscapes, but between ~ 70 and 50 thousand years ago (ka) they expanded southwards into the Levant, which had previously been inhabited by Homo sapiens. Palaeoanthropological research in the first half of the twentieth century demonstrated alternate occupations of the Levant by Neanderthal and Homo sapiens populations, yet key early findings have largely been overlooked in later studies. Here, we present the results of new examinations of both the fossil and archaeological collections from Shukbah Cave, located in the Palestinian West Bank, presenting new quantitative analyses of a hominin lower first molar and associated stone tool assemblage. The hominin tooth shows clear Neanderthal affinities, making it the southernmost known fossil specimen of this population/species. The associated Middle Palaeolithic stone tool assemblage is dominated by Levallois reduction methods, including the presence of Nubian Levallois points and cores. This is the first direct association between Neanderthals and Nubian Levallois technology, demonstrating that this stone tool technology should not be considered an exclusive marker of Homo sapiens.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Blinkhorn
- grid.469873.70000 0004 4914 1197Pan-African Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745 Jena, Germany ,grid.4970.a0000 0001 2188 881XCentre for Quaternary Research, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham Hill, Egham, Surrey UK
| | - Clément Zanolli
- grid.503132.60000 0004 0383 1969Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Tim Compton
- grid.35937.3b0000 0001 2270 9879Centre for Human Evolution Research, Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD UK
| | - Huw S. Groucutt
- grid.4372.20000 0001 2105 1091Extreme Events Research Group, Max Planck Institutes for Chemical Ecology, The Science of Human History, and Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany ,grid.469873.70000 0004 4914 1197Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745 Jena, Germany ,grid.6190.e0000 0000 8580 3777Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Eleanor M. L. Scerri
- grid.469873.70000 0004 4914 1197Pan-African Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745 Jena, Germany ,grid.4462.40000 0001 2176 9482Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta, Msida, 2080 MSD Malta ,grid.6190.e0000 0000 8580 3777Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Lucile Crété
- grid.35937.3b0000 0001 2270 9879Centre for Human Evolution Research, Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD UK
| | - Chris Stringer
- grid.35937.3b0000 0001 2270 9879Centre for Human Evolution Research, Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD UK
| | - Michael D. Petraglia
- grid.469873.70000 0004 4914 1197Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745 Jena, Germany ,grid.1214.60000 0000 8716 3312Human Origins Program, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560 USA ,grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Simon Blockley
- grid.4970.a0000 0001 2188 881XCentre for Quaternary Research, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham Hill, Egham, Surrey UK
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10
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Abstract
New finds in the palaeoanthropological and genomic records have changed our view of the origins of modern human ancestry. Here we review our current understanding of how the ancestry of modern humans around the globe can be traced into the deep past, and which ancestors it passes through during our journey back in time. We identify three key phases that are surrounded by major questions, and which will be at the frontiers of future research. The most recent phase comprises the worldwide expansion of modern humans between 40 and 60 thousand years ago (ka) and their last known contacts with archaic groups such as Neanderthals and Denisovans. The second phase is associated with a broadly construed African origin of modern human diversity between 60 and 300 ka. The oldest phase comprises the complex separation of modern human ancestors from archaic human groups from 0.3 to 1 million years ago. We argue that no specific point in time can currently be identified at which modern human ancestry was confined to a limited birthplace, and that patterns of the first appearance of anatomical or behavioural traits that are used to define Homo sapiens are consistent with a range of evolutionary histories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Bergström
- Ancient Genomics Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Chris Stringer
- Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK.
| | - Mateja Hajdinjak
- Ancient Genomics Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Eleanor M L Scerri
- Pan-African Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.,Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.,Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Pontus Skoglund
- Ancient Genomics Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
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11
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Scerri EML, Kühnert D, Blinkhorn J, Groucutt HS, Roberts P, Nicoll K, Zerboni A, Orijemie EA, Barton H, Candy I, Goldstein ST, Hawks J, Niang K, N'Dah D, Petraglia MD, Vella NC. Field-based sciences must transform in response to COVID-19. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:1571-1574. [PMID: 32929241 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01317-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor M L Scerri
- Pan-African Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.
| | - Denise Kühnert
- Transmission, Infection, Diversification & Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.
| | - James Blinkhorn
- Pan-African Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.,Centre for Quaternary Research, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Huw S Groucutt
- Extreme Events Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.,Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Patrick Roberts
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Kathleen Nicoll
- Department of Geography, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Andrea Zerboni
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra "A.Desio", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Huw Barton
- School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Ian Candy
- Centre for Quaternary Research, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Steven T Goldstein
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - John Hawks
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Khady Niang
- Département d'Histoire, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Dakar-Fann, Senegal
| | - Didier N'Dah
- Department of History and Archaeology, University of Abomey-Calavi, Abomey-Calavi, Republic of Benin
| | - Michael D Petraglia
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.,School of Social Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.,Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA
| | - Nicholas C Vella
- Department of Classics and Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
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12
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Will M, Tryon C, Shaw M, Scerri EML, Ranhorn K, Pargeter J, McNeil J, Mackay A, Leplongeon A, Groucutt HS, Douze K, Brooks AS. Comparative analysis of Middle Stone Age artifacts in Africa (CoMSAfrica). Evol Anthropol 2019; 28:57-59. [DOI: 10.1002/evan.21772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Will
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary EcologyUniversity of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
| | - Christian Tryon
- Department of AnthropologyPeabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts
| | - Matthew Shaw
- Centre for Archaeological ScienceUniversity of Wollongong Wollongong New South Wales, Australia
| | - Eleanor M. L. Scerri
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History Jena Germany
- School of ArchaeologyUniversity of Oxford Oxford United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn Ranhorn
- Department of AnthropologyPeabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts
| | - Justin Pargeter
- Department of AnthropologyEmory University Atlanta Georgia
- Centre for Anthropological Research & Department of Anthropology and Development StudiesUniversity of Johannesburg Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Jessica McNeil
- Department of AnthropologyPeabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts
| | - Alex Mackay
- Centre for Archaeological ScienceUniversity of Wollongong Wollongong New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alice Leplongeon
- Institute of Advanced Studies and Department of Cultural HeritageUniversity of Bologna Bologna Italy
- UMR CNRS 7194, Département Homme et EnvironnementMuséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Alliance Sorbonne Université Paris France
| | - Huw S. Groucutt
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History Jena Germany
- School of ArchaeologyUniversity of Oxford Oxford United Kingdom
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology Jena Germany
| | - Katja Douze
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Anthropology Unit, Archaeology and Population in AfricaUniversity of Geneva Geneva Switzerland
| | - Alison S. Brooks
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of AnthropologyGeorge Washington University Washington District of Columbia
- Human Origins Program, National Museum of Natural HistorySmithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia
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13
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Roberts P, Stewart M, Alagaili AN, Breeze P, Candy I, Drake N, Groucutt HS, Scerri EML, Lee-Thorp J, Louys J, Zalmout IS, Al-Mufarreh YSA, Zech J, Alsharekh AM, Al Omari A, Boivin N, Petraglia M. Fossil herbivore stable isotopes reveal middle Pleistocene hominin palaeoenvironment in 'Green Arabia'. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 2:1871-1878. [PMID: 30374171 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0698-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Despite its largely hyper-arid and inhospitable climate today, the Arabian Peninsula is emerging as an important area for investigating Pleistocene hominin dispersals. Recently, a member of our own species was found in northern Arabia dating to ca. 90 ka, while stone tools and fossil finds have hinted at an earlier, middle Pleistocene, hominin presence. However, there remain few direct insights into Pleistocene environments, and associated hominin adaptations, that accompanied the movement of populations into this region. Here, we apply stable carbon and oxygen isotope analysis to fossil mammal tooth enamel (n = 21) from the middle Pleistocene locality of Ti's al Ghadah in Saudi Arabia associated with newly discovered stone tools and probable cutmarks. The results demonstrate productive grasslands in the interior of the Arabian Peninsula ca. 300-500 ka, as well as aridity levels similar to those found in open savannah settings in eastern Africa today. The association between this palaeoenvironmental information and the earliest traces for hominin activity in this part of the world lead us to argue that middle Pleistocene hominin dispersals into the interior of the Arabian Peninsula required no major novel adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Roberts
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.
| | - Mathew Stewart
- Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Abdulaziz N Alagaili
- KSU Mammals Research Chair, Zoology Department, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Paul Breeze
- Department of Geography, King's College, London, UK
| | - Ian Candy
- Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, London, UK
| | - Nick Drake
- Department of Geography, King's College, London, UK
| | - Huw S Groucutt
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.,Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Eleanor M L Scerri
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.,Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Julia Lee-Thorp
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Julien Louys
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith Sciences - Centres and Institutes, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Iyad S Zalmout
- Department of Paleontology, Saudi Geological Survey, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Jana Zech
- 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
| | - Michael Petraglia
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany. .,Human Origins Program, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA.
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14
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Shipton C, Blinkhorn J, Breeze PS, Cuthbertson P, Drake N, Groucutt HS, Jennings RP, Parton A, Scerri EML, Alsharekh A, Petraglia MD. Correction: Acheulean technology and landscape use at Dawadmi, central Arabia. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0203488. [PMID: 30192826 PMCID: PMC6128555 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200497.].
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15
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Shipton C, Blinkhorn J, Breeze PS, Cuthbertson P, Drake N, Groucutt HS, Jennings RP, Parton A, Scerri EML, Alsharekh A, Petraglia MD. Acheulean technology and landscape use at Dawadmi, central Arabia. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0200497. [PMID: 30052630 PMCID: PMC6063418 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite occupying a central geographic position, investigations of hominin populations in the Arabian Peninsula during the Lower Palaeolithic period are rare. The colonization of Eurasia below 55 degrees latitude indicates the success of the genus Homo in the Early and Middle Pleistocene, but the extent to which these hominins were capable of innovative and novel behavioural adaptations to engage with mid-latitude environments is unclear. Here we describe new field investigations at the Saffaqah locality (206–76) near Dawadmi, in central Arabia that aim to establish how hominins adapted to this region. The site is located in the interior of Arabia over 500 km from both the Red Sea and the Gulf, and at the headwaters of two major extinct river systems that were likely used by Acheulean hominins to cross the Peninsula. Saffaqah is one of the largest Acheulean sites in Arabia with nearly a million artefacts estimated to occur on the surface, and it is also the first to yield stratified deposits containing abundant artefacts. It is situated in the unusual setting of a dense and well-preserved landscape of Acheulean localities, with sites and isolated artefacts occurring regularly for tens of kilometres in every direction. We describe both previous and recent excavations at Saffaqah and its large lithic assemblage. We analyse thousands of artefacts from excavated and surface contexts, including giant andesite cores and flakes, smaller cores and retouched artefacts, as well as handaxes and cleavers. Technological assessment of stratified lithics and those from systematic survey, enable the reconstruction of stone tool life histories. The Acheulean hominins at Dawadmi were strong and skilful, with their adaptation evidently successful for some time. However, these biface-makers were also technologically conservative, and used least-effort strategies of resource procurement and tool transport. Ultimately, central Arabia was depopulated, likely in the face of environmental deterioration in the form of increasing aridity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ceri Shipton
- Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
- McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - James Blinkhorn
- Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Paul S. Breeze
- Department of Geography, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Nick Drake
- Department of Geography, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Huw S. Groucutt
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Richard P. Jennings
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Ash Parton
- Department of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Mansfield College, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor M. L. Scerri
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Michael D. Petraglia
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
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16
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor M. L. Scerri
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, School of Archaeology; University of Oxford; Oxford U.K
- Department of Archaeology; Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History; Jena Germany
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17
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Groucutt HS, Petraglia MD, Bailey G, Scerri EML, Parton A, Clark-Balzan L, Jennings RP, Lewis L, Blinkhorn J, Drake NA, Breeze PS, Inglis RH, Devès MH, Meredith-Williams M, Boivin N, Thomas MG, Scally A. Rethinking the dispersal of Homo sapiens out of Africa. Evol Anthropol 2016; 24:149-64. [PMID: 26267436 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Current fossil, genetic, and archeological data indicate that Homo sapiens originated in Africa in the late Middle Pleistocene. By the end of the Late Pleistocene, our species was distributed across every continent except Antarctica, setting the foundations for the subsequent demographic and cultural changes of the Holocene. The intervening processes remain intensely debated and a key theme in hominin evolutionary studies. We review archeological, fossil, environmental, and genetic data to evaluate the current state of knowledge on the dispersal of Homo sapiens out of Africa. The emerging picture of the dispersal process suggests dynamic behavioral variability, complex interactions between populations, and an intricate genetic and cultural legacy. This evolutionary and historical complexity challenges simple narratives and suggests that hybrid models and the testing of explicit hypotheses are required to understand the expansion of Homo sapiens into Eurasia.
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