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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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Carleton WC, Klassen S, Niles-Weed J, Evans D, Roberts P, Groucutt HS. Bayesian regression versus machine learning for rapid age estimation of archaeological features identified with lidar at Angkor. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17913. [PMID: 37864037 PMCID: PMC10589302 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44875-0] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Lidar (light-detection and ranging) has revolutionized archaeology. We are now able to produce high-resolution maps of archaeological surface features over vast areas, allowing us to see ancient land-use and anthropogenic landscape modification at previously un-imagined scales. In the tropics, this has enabled documentation of previously archaeologically unrecorded cities in various tropical regions, igniting scientific and popular interest in ancient tropical urbanism. An emerging challenge, however, is to add temporal depth to this torrent of new spatial data because traditional archaeological investigations are time consuming and inherently destructive. So far, we are aware of only one attempt to apply statistics and machine learning to remotely-sensed data in order to add time-depth to spatial data. Using temples at the well-known massive urban complex of Angkor in Cambodia as a case study, a predictive model was developed combining standard regression with novel machine learning methods to estimate temple foundation dates for undated Angkorian temples identified with remote sensing, including lidar. The model's predictions were used to produce an historical population curve for Angkor and study urban expansion at this important ancient tropical urban centre. The approach, however, has certain limitations. Importantly, its handling of uncertainties leaves room for improvement, and like many machine learning approaches it is opaque regarding which predictor variables are most relevant. Here we describe a new study in which we investigated an alternative Bayesian regression approach applied to the same case study. We compare the two models in terms of their inner workings, results, and interpretive utility. We also use an updated database of Angkorian temples as the training dataset, allowing us to produce the most current estimate for temple foundations and historic spatiotemporal urban growth patterns at Angkor. Our results demonstrate that, in principle, predictive statistical and machine learning methods could be used to rapidly add chronological information to large lidar datasets and a Bayesian paradigm makes it possible to incorporate important uncertainties-especially chronological-into modelled temporal estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Christopher Carleton
- Extreme Events Research Group, Max Planck Institutes of/for, Geoanthropology, Chemcial Ecology, and Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany.
| | - Sarah Klassen
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jonathan Niles-Weed
- Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Center for Data Science, New York University, New York, USA
| | | | - Patrick Roberts
- isoTROPIC Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | - Huw S Groucutt
- Extreme Events Research Group, Max Planck Institutes of/for, Geoanthropology, Chemcial 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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3
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Stewart M, Carleton WC, Groucutt HS. Reply to: Accurate population proxies do not exist between 11.7 and 15 ka in North America. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4693. [PMID: 35953479 PMCID: PMC9372036 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32356-3] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mathew Stewart
- Extreme Events Research Group, Max Planck Institutes for Geoanthropology, Chemical Ecology, and Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany.
| | - W Christopher Carleton
- Extreme Events Research Group, Max Planck Institutes for Geoanthropology, Chemical Ecology, and Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Huw S Groucutt
- Extreme Events Research Group, Max Planck Institutes for Geoanthropology, Chemical Ecology, and Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany.,Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.,Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany.,Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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4
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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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5
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Blinkhorn J, Zanolli C, Compton T, Groucutt HS, Scerri EM, Crete L, Stringer C, Petraglia MD, Blockley S. Reply to: 'No direct evidence for the presence of Nubian Levallois technology and its association with Neanderthals at Shukbah Cave'. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1208. [PMID: 35075170 PMCID: PMC8786945 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05049-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- James Blinkhorn
- Pan-African Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745, Jena, Germany.
- Department of Geography, Centre for Quaternary Research, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham Hill, Egham, Surrey, UK.
| | - Clément Zanolli
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33600, Pessac, France
| | - Tim Compton
- Department of Earth Sciences, Centre for Human Evolution Research, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Huw S Groucutt
- 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
- Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Eleanor M Scerri
- Pan-African Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lucile Crete
- Department of Earth Sciences, Centre for Human Evolution Research, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Chris Stringer
- Department of Earth Sciences, Centre for Human Evolution Research, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Michael D Petraglia
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
- Human Origins Program, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 20560, USA
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Simon Blockley
- Department of Geography, Centre for Quaternary Research, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham Hill, Egham, Surrey, UK
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6
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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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7
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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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8
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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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9
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Groucutt HS, Breeze PS, Guagnin M, Stewart M, Drake N, Shipton C, Zahrani B, Omarfi AA, Alsharekh AM, Petraglia MD. Monumental landscapes of the Holocene humid period in Northern Arabia: The mustatil phenomenon. Holocene 2020; 30:1767-1779. [PMID: 33132543 PMCID: PMC7575307 DOI: 10.1177/0959683620950449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Between 10 and six thousand years ago the Arabian Peninsula saw the most recent of the 'Green Arabia' periods, when increased rainfall transformed this generally arid region. The transition to the Neolithic in Arabia occurred during this period of climatic amelioration. Various forms of stone structures are abundant in northern Arabia, and it has been speculated that some of these dated to the Neolithic, but there has been little research on their character and chronology. Here we report a study of 104 'mustatil' stone structures from the southern margins of the Nefud Desert in northern Arabia. We provide the first chronometric age estimate for this type of structure - a radiocarbon date of ca. 5000 BC - and describe their landscape positions, architecture and associated material culture and faunal remains. The structure we have dated is the oldest large-scale stone structure known from the Arabian Peninsula. The mustatil phenomenon represents a remarkable development of monumental architecture, as hundreds of these structures were built in northwest Arabia. This 'monumental landscape' represents one of the earliest large-scale forms of monumental stone structure construction anywhere in the world. Further research is needed to understand the function of these structures, but we hypothesise that they were related to rituals in the context of the adoption of pastoralism and resulting territoriality in the challenging environments of northern Arabia.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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
| | - Paul S Breeze
- Department of Geography, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Maria Guagnin
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Mathew Stewart
- 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
| | - Nick Drake
- Department of Geography, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Ceri Shipton
- Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Australia
- Institute of Archaeology, University College London, UK
| | - Badr Zahrani
- Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Abdullah M Alsharekh
- Department of Archaeology, College of Tourism and Archaeology, King Saudi University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Michael D Petraglia
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- Human Origins Program, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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10
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Stewart M, Clark-Wilson R, Breeze PS, Janulis K, Candy I, Armitage SJ, Ryves DB, Louys J, Duval M, Price GJ, Cuthbertson P, Bernal MA, Drake NA, Alsharekh AM, Zahrani B, Al-Omari A, Roberts P, Groucutt HS, Petraglia MD. Human footprints provide snapshot of last interglacial ecology in the Arabian interior. Sci Adv 2020; 6:6/38/eaba8940. [PMID: 32948582 PMCID: PMC7500939 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba8940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The nature of human dispersals out of Africa has remained elusive because of the poor resolution of paleoecological data in direct association with remains of the earliest non-African people. Here, we report hominin and non-hominin mammalian tracks from an ancient lake deposit in the Arabian Peninsula, dated within the last interglacial. The findings, it is argued, likely represent the oldest securely dated evidence for Homo sapiens in Arabia. The paleoecological evidence indicates a well-watered semi-arid grassland setting during human movements into the Nefud Desert of Saudi Arabia. We conclude that visitation to the lake was transient, likely serving as a place to drink and to forage, and that late Pleistocene human and mammalian migrations and landscape use patterns in Arabia were inexorably linked.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathew Stewart
- Extreme Events Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany.
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, D-07743 Jena, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Strasse 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Richard Clark-Wilson
- Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK.
| | - Paul S Breeze
- Department of Geography, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Klint Janulis
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 36 Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2PG, UK
| | - Ian Candy
- Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Simon J Armitage
- Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK
- SFF Centre for Early Sapiens Behaviour (SapiensCE), University of Bergen, Post Box 7805, 5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - David B Ryves
- Geography and Environment, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leics LE11 3TU, UK
| | - Julien Louys
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution (ARCHE), Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
| | - Mathieu Duval
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution (ARCHE), Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos09002, Spain
| | - Gilbert J Price
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Patrick Cuthbertson
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marco A Bernal
- Fundación Instituto de Investigación de Prehistoria y Evolución Humama. PALEOMÁGINA, Centro de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Sierra Mágina Calle Nueva s/n; 23537 Bedmar (Jaén), Spain
| | - Nick A Drake
- Department of Geography, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, D-07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Abdullah M Alsharekh
- Department of Archaeology, College of Tourism and Archaeology, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Badr Zahrani
- Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulaziz Al-Omari
- Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Patrick Roberts
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, D-07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Huw S Groucutt
- Extreme Events Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, D-07743 Jena, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Strasse 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Michael D Petraglia
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, D-07743 Jena, Germany.
- Human Origins Program, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
- School of Social Science, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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11
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Riede F, Araujo AGM, Barton MC, Bergsvik KA, Groucutt HS, Hussain ST, Fernandez-Lopez de Pablo J, Maier A, Marwick B, Pyne L, Ranhorn K, Reynolds N, Riel-Salvatore J, Sauer F, Serwatka K, Zander A. Cultural taxonomies in the Paleolithic-Old questions, novel perspectives. Evol Anthropol 2020; 29:49-52. [PMID: 32043717 PMCID: PMC7187316 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Felix Riede
- Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Astolfo G M Araujo
- Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Michael C Barton
- Center for Social Dynamics & Complexity, School of Human Evolution & Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | | | - Huw S Groucutt
- Extreme Events Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Shumon T Hussain
- Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Andreas Maier
- Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ben Marwick
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Lydia Pyne
- Institute for Historical Studies, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Kathryn Ranhorn
- School of Human Evolution & Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | | | | | - Florian Sauer
- Institut für Ur-und Frühgeschichte, Universität zu Köln, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kamil Serwatka
- Muzeum Archeologiczne i Etnograficzne w Łodzi, Łódź, Poland
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12
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Scerri EM, Thomas MG, Manica A, Gunz P, Stock JT, Stringer C, Grove M, Groucutt HS, Timmermann A, Rightmire GP, d'Errico F, Tryon CA, Drake NA, Brooks AS, Dennell RW, Durbin R, Henn BM, Lee-Thorp J, deMenocal P, Petraglia MD, Thompson JC, Scally A, Chikhi L. Did our species evolve in subdivided populations across Africa, and Why does it matter? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1530/ey.16.14.9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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13
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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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14
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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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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. 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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16
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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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17
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Groucutt HS, Grün R, Zalmout IAS, Drake NA, Armitage SJ, Candy I, Clark-Wilson R, Louys J, Breeze PS, Duval M, Buck LT, Kivell TL, Pomeroy E, Stephens NB, Stock JT, Stewart M, Price GJ, Kinsley L, Sung WW, Alsharekh A, Al-Omari A, Zahir M, Memesh AM, Abdulshakoor AJ, Al-Masari AM, Bahameem AA, Al Murayyi KMS, Zahrani B, Scerri ELM, Petraglia MD. Homo sapiens in Arabia by 85,000 years ago. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 2:800-809. [PMID: 29632352 PMCID: PMC5935238 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0518-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the timing and character of the expansion of Homo sapiens out of Africa is critical for inferring the colonization and admixture processes that underpin global population history. It has been argued that dispersal out of Africa had an early phase, particularly ~130-90 thousand years ago (ka), that reached only the East Mediterranean Levant, and a later phase, ~60-50 ka, that extended across the diverse environments of Eurasia to Sahul. However, recent findings from East Asia and Sahul challenge this model. Here we show that H. sapiens was in the Arabian Peninsula before 85 ka. We describe the Al Wusta-1 (AW-1) intermediate phalanx from the site of Al Wusta in the Nefud desert, Saudi Arabia. AW-1 is the oldest directly dated fossil of our species outside Africa and the Levant. The palaeoenvironmental context of Al Wusta demonstrates that H. sapiens using Middle Palaeolithic stone tools dispersed into Arabia during a phase of increased precipitation driven by orbital forcing, in association with a primarily African fauna. A Bayesian model incorporating independent chronometric age estimates indicates a chronology for Al Wusta of ~95-86 ka, which we correlate with a humid episode in the later part of Marine Isotope Stage 5 known from various regional records. Al Wusta shows that early dispersals were more spatially and temporally extensive than previously thought. Early H. sapiens dispersals out of Africa were not limited to winter rainfall-fed Levantine Mediterranean woodlands immediately adjacent to Africa, but extended deep into the semi-arid grasslands of Arabia, facilitated by periods of enhanced monsoonal rainfall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huw S Groucutt
- School of Archaeology, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.
| | - Rainer Grün
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution (ARCHE), Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
- Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Iyad A S Zalmout
- Saudi Geological Survey, Sedimentary Rocks and Palaeontology Department, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nick A Drake
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- Department of Geography, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Simon J Armitage
- Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, London, UK
- SFF Centre for Early Sapiens Behaviour (SapienCE), University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ian Candy
- Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, London, UK
| | | | - Julien Louys
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution (ARCHE), Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Paul S Breeze
- Department of Geography, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Mathieu Duval
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution (ARCHE), Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
- Geochronology, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
| | - Laura T Buck
- PAVE Research Group, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Earth Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Tracy L Kivell
- Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Emma Pomeroy
- PAVE Research Group, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Nicholas B Stephens
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jay T Stock
- PAVE Research Group, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - 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
| | - Gilbert J Price
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Leslie Kinsley
- Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Wing Wai Sung
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | | | - Abdulaziz Al-Omari
- Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Zahir
- Department of Archaeology, Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan
| | - Abdullah M Memesh
- Saudi Geological Survey, Sedimentary Rocks and Palaeontology Department, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ammar J Abdulshakoor
- Saudi Geological Survey, Sedimentary Rocks and Palaeontology Department, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdu M Al-Masari
- Saudi Geological Survey, Sedimentary Rocks and Palaeontology Department, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed A Bahameem
- Saudi Geological Survey, Sedimentary Rocks and Palaeontology Department, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Badr Zahrani
- Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eleanor L M Scerri
- School of Archaeology, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Michael D 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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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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Crassard R, Petraglia MD, Drake NA, Breeze P, Gratuze B, Alsharekh A, Arbach M, Groucutt HS, Khalidi L, Michelsen N, Robin CJ, Schiettecatte J. Middle palaeolithic and neolithic occupations around Mundafan Palaeolake, Saudi Arabia: implications for climate change and human dispersals. PLoS One 2013; 8:e69665. [PMID: 23894519 PMCID: PMC3722113 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0069665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2013] [Accepted: 06/11/2013] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The Arabian Peninsula is a key region for understanding climate change and human occupation history in a marginal environment. The Mundafan palaeolake is situated in southern Saudi Arabia, in the Rub’ al-Khali (the ‘Empty Quarter’), the world’s largest sand desert. Here we report the first discoveries of Middle Palaeolithic and Neolithic archaeological sites in association with the palaeolake. We associate the human occupations with new geochronological data, and suggest the archaeological sites date to the wet periods of Marine Isotope Stage 5 and the Early Holocene. The archaeological sites indicate that humans repeatedly penetrated the ameliorated environments of the Rub’ al-Khali. The sites probably represent short-term occupations, with the Neolithic sites focused on hunting, as indicated by points and weaponry. Middle Palaeolithic assemblages at Mundafan support a lacustrine adaptive focus in Arabia. Provenancing of obsidian artifacts indicates that Neolithic groups at Mundafan had a wide wandering range, with transport of artifacts from distant sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémy Crassard
- CNRS, UMR 5133 'Archéorient', Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée, Lyon, France.
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Crassard R, Petraglia MD, Parker AG, Parton A, Roberts RG, Jacobs Z, Alsharekh A, Al-Omari A, Breeze P, Drake NA, Groucutt HS, Jennings R, Régagnon E, Shipton C. Beyond the Levant: first evidence of a pre-pottery Neolithic incursion into the Nefud Desert, Saudi Arabia. PLoS One 2013; 8:e68061. [PMID: 23894294 PMCID: PMC3716651 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2013] [Accepted: 05/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pre-Pottery Neolithic assemblages are best known from the fertile areas of the Mediterranean Levant. The archaeological site of Jebel Qattar 101 (JQ-101), at Jubbah in the southern part of the Nefud Desert of northern Saudi Arabia, contains a large collection of stone tools, adjacent to an Early Holocene palaeolake. The stone tool assemblage contains lithic types, including El-Khiam and Helwan projectile points, which are similar to those recorded in Pre-Pottery Neolithic A and Pre-Pottery Neolithic B assemblages in the Fertile Crescent. Jebel Qattar lies ∼500 kilometres outside the previously identified geographic range of Pre-Pottery Neolithic cultures. Technological analysis of the typologically diagnostic Jebel Qattar 101 projectile points indicates a unique strategy to manufacture the final forms, thereby raising the possibility of either direct migration of Levantine groups or the acculturation of mobile communities in Arabia. The discovery of the Early Holocene site of Jebel Qattar suggests that our view of the geographic distribution and character of Pre-Pottery Neolithic cultures may be in need of revision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémy Crassard
- CNRS, Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée, UMR 5133 Archéorient, Lyon, France.
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Petraglia MD, Alsharekh A, Breeze P, Clarkson C, Crassard R, Drake NA, Groucutt HS, Jennings R, Parker AG, Parton A, Roberts RG, Shipton C, Matheson C, Al-Omari A, Veall MA. Hominin dispersal into the Nefud Desert and Middle palaeolithic settlement along the Jubbah Palaeolake, Northern Arabia. PLoS One 2012. [PMID: 23185454 PMCID: PMC3501467 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Arabian Peninsula is a key region for understanding hominin dispersals and the effect of climate change on prehistoric demography, although little information on these topics is presently available owing to the poor preservation of archaeological sites in this desert environment. Here, we describe the discovery of three stratified and buried archaeological sites in the Nefud Desert, which includes the oldest dated occupation for the region. The stone tool assemblages are identified as a Middle Palaeolithic industry that includes Levallois manufacturing methods and the production of tools on flakes. Hominin occupations correspond with humid periods, particularly Marine Isotope Stages 7 and 5 of the Late Pleistocene. The Middle Palaeolithic occupations were situated along the Jubbah palaeolake-shores, in a grassland setting with some trees. Populations procured different raw materials across the lake region to manufacture stone tools, using the implements to process plants and animals. To reach the Jubbah palaeolake, Middle Palaeolithic populations travelled into the ameliorated Nefud Desert interior, possibly gaining access from multiple directions, either using routes from the north and west (the Levant and the Sinai), the north (the Mesopotamian plains and the Euphrates basin), or the east (the Persian Gulf). The Jubbah stone tool assemblages have their own suite of technological characters, but have types reminiscent of both African Middle Stone Age and Levantine Middle Palaeolithic industries. Comparative inter-regional analysis of core technology indicates morphological similarities with the Levantine Tabun C assemblage, associated with human fossils controversially identified as either Neanderthals or Homo sapiens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Petraglia
- School of Archaeology, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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Abstract
As a geographic connection between Africa and the rest of Eurasia, the Arabian Peninsula occupies a central position in elucidating hominin evolution and dispersals. Arabia has been characterized by extreme environmental fluctuation in the Quaternary, with profound evolutionary and demographic consequences. Despite the importance of the region, Arabia remains understudied. Recent years, however, have seen major developments in environmental studies and archeology, revealing that the region contains important records that should play a significant role in future paleoanthropological narratives.(1-3) The emerging picture of Arabia suggests that numerous dispersals of hominin populations into the region occurred. Populations subsequently followed autochthonous trajectories, creating a distinctive regional archeological record. Debates continue on the respective roles of regional hominin extinctions and population continuity, with the latter suggesting adaptation to arid conditions.
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