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Isotopic analysishas become one of the most popular arenas of archaeological science, in part due to itsversatilityto uncover intriguing insights from a range of organic and inorganic archaeological materials. However, alongside an increase in popularity, the field has seen the rise of dissemination of publications that do not pass quality control, do not apply robust interpretative frameworks, or do not report data in ways that would make them amenable to critical evaluation or inclusion in large meta-analyses. This paper represents an effort to clarify some of the most pressing weaknesses and misconceptions in ‘traditional’ applications of isotopic techniques in archaeology: measurement of stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope values of organic and inorganic materials (bulk bone collagen, bulk tooth dentine, seeds; bulk and incrementaltooth enamel, molluscan shells), and strontiumisotope ratioanalysis oftooth enameland cremated bone. The discussion centers on three key aspects of research: (1) Selecting samples, with advice on building comparative baselines (or more appropriately ‘baseintervals’) and words of caution on interpreting stable carbon isotope values measured duringAMSradiocarbon dating. (2) Handling data, including tips on exploratory data analysis, graphical visualization, and statistical assessment of differences between groups; with particular reference to the Statement onp-values published by the American Statistical Association. (3) Reporting results, with advice on using correct terminology and decimal points, calculating measurement precision and accuracy, and communicating results using effective scientific language. The advice provided in this paper does not cover all aspects of project design and dissemination but will hopefully provide clarification within the above key areas and inspire further discussion of effective and impactful applications of isotopic techniques in archaeology.

A recent paper by Bownes et al. (2017, Radiocarbon 59(5): 1275–1294) used the Bayesian modelling software package FRUITS (Fernandes et al. 2014, PLoS ONE 9(2): e87436) to argue that Neolithic individuals from Carding Mill Bay on the west coast of Scotland obtained up to ca. 21% dietary protein from marine sources. This is in contrast to previous interpretations of the same isotopic (δ13C and δ15N) data, which concluded that these individuals showed little if any use of marine resources (Schulting and Richards 2002, European Journal of Archaeology 5(2): 147–189). Resolving this discrepancy is important for our understanding of the nature of the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition not only on the west coast of Scotland, but along all of Atlantic Europe, since similar isotopic results to those obtained at Carding Mill Bay are widespread throughout the Neolithic and indeed later periods. We suggest that greater caution needs to be excercised in the interpretation of the output of Bayesian palaeodietary modelling, which can be very useful heuristically, but should not always be taken at face value. Given the large number of parameters employed in such models (diet isotopic values and nutrient concentrations, trophic level and tissue fractionations, etc.) and the uncertainty involved in almost all of them, a wide range of outcomes are possible, as we demonstrate in this paper. We reaffirm the overwhelmingly terrestrial nature of diet at Carding Mill Bay both through FRUITS modelling and through the new application of compound-specific δ13C analysis of single amino acids of humans and fauna from the site.

This paper presents a summary of work undertaken by the authors and their teams on a series of Qe'an (plural of Qa’), in the Badia of eastern Jordan. These basins are foci for settlement in the region, with the sites described here (Shubayqa, Wisad and the Qa’ Qattafi) edged by archaeological sites dating from the late Epipalaeolithic (ca. 14,500 - 11,600 cal BP) and the Neolithic (ca. 11,700 - 6100 cal BP), and in areas still used by people today as seasonal wetlands for watering animals and growing cereal. We assess here the potential for the Qe'an sediments to provide what would be rare continuous palaeoenvironmental records for this part of SW Asia.\ud \ud The paper presents the first dates from the Qe'an of this region and the outline sedimentology. Much of the fill is of Holocene age, which leads to discussion of climate and landscape change over the last 15,000 years, particularly due to the close geographical relationship between these basins and archaeology. Our optically stimulated luminescence and radiocarbon dating of the basin fill suggests that there was significantly more space in the landscape for water storage in the early Holocene, which may have therefore provided this resource for people and their livestock or game for a longer duration each year than that seen today. Linked to this are hypotheses of a more vegetated landscape during this time period. Given the environmentally marginal nature of our study area subtle changes in landscape and/or climate, and human exploitation of these resources, could have led to significant, and likely detrimental for its inhabitants, environmental impacts for the region, such as desertification. Our data are suggestive of desertification occurring, and sets up a clear hypothesis for testing by future work in the region.

During the Middle Paleolithic in Eurasia, the production of deliberate, abstract engraving on bone or stone materials is a rare phenomenon. It is now widely accepted that both anatomically modern humans and hominins that predate them have produced deliberate engravings associated with symbolic behavior. Within the Levantine Middle Paleolithic context, only five examples of intentional engravings are known thus far. In this paper, we present an aurochs bone fragment that bears six deep, sub-parallel incisions, recovered at the open-air Middle Paleolithic site of Nesher Ramla in Israel. The item, found in an anthropogenic accumulation of artifacts in Unit III of the site, was dated to early Marine Isotope Stage 5 (ca. 120 ka). Unit III is a stratigraphically well-defined layer that is characterized by intense on-site knapping activities with predominance of the centripetal Levallois reduction method and by intense exploitation of aurochs and tortoises. This paper presents a multidisciplinary study of the bone and the incisions, including zooarchaeological, macro- and microscopic analyses, Scanning Electron Microscope analysis and experimental replications. The macroscopic and microscopic attributes of the incisions, and the comparisons with experimental material exclude a taphonomic or utilitarian origin of the incisions. The study indicates that the engravings were most likely produced by a right-handed individual in a single working session. The morphology and characteristics of the incisions, especially the presence of longitudinal polish and striations in one of the incisions, suggest that they were made by a flint artifact, likely retouched. The engraved bone from Unit III at Nesher Ramla is one of the oldest deliberate abstract manifestations produced by Middle Paleolithic and Middle Stone Age hominins and the oldest known so far in the Levant. As such, it has major implications for our understanding of the emergence and early stages of the development of human symbolic behavior.

The variability and dynamics of the Asian monsoon (AM, hereafter indicates both of the summer and winter monsoons.) at orbital and millennial timescales has attracted wide interest. Chinese loess deposits, covering an area of ~500 × 103 km2 and with a thickness of several tens to more than three hundred meters, is an ideal continental archive to reconstruct AM variations during the Quaternary epoch. Over the past thirty years, since the earliest paper published in an international journal that linked the Asian monsoon and Chinese loess deposits, many studies have been undertaken focusing on this research topic. These results have greatly deepened our understanding of the variations of the AM climate and their driving mechanisms during the past ~2.6 Myr. In this paper, we emphasize recent progress on the AM variability and dynamics revealed by Chinese loess records; in particular, we discuss the reliability and precision of the timescale and the monsoon proxy indicators for the loess-paleosol sequences, which are two fundamental aspects for understanding AM behavior. We analyze what we know and discuss what we do not know about the AM. We refine the timescale for the typical loess-paleosol sequence in the central Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP), which can be used as a new timescale to study palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironmental changes in the monsoonal Asia. We conclude that low-latitude insolation changes induced by precession, and global ice volume, temperature at high-latitudes, as well as sea-level changes forced variations of the AM at orbital time scales. High-latitude cooling events and low-latitude hydroclimate process at millennial time scales, such as climate changes associated with Heinrich events and Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles in Northern Atlantic and Greenland, have also modulated AM variability. We suggest that high-latitude forcing of AM variations occurs through ocean and atmospheric circulation linkages, although the roles of atmospheric CO2, ocean and vegetation feedbacks need further investigation. In future study, high-resolution independent dating, novel proxy indices and transient numerical simulations are still basic tools to understand the loess deposition and AM variations that require considerably more work. Issues such as reliable spatial comparison and regional linkages of records (dependent on precise and accurate numerical chronologies), and quantitative reconstruction of the AM variations, should be given priority in the study the past climate change in Asia, and low-latitude hydroclimate process.

This paper presents recently obtained palebotanical data regarding the evolution of Lake Paleolotos in the Middle Pleistocene. Its evolution was more complicated than the development of the adjacent lakes in the coast of Peter the Great Bay (the Sea of Japan). The Middle Pleistocene lacustrine sediments accumulated in the downstream of the Tumannaya River (the most southwestern area of Primorye, Russia Far East) were studied using diatom and pollen analytical methods. We found that the Lake Paleolotos arose during Marine Isotope Stage 11 (MIS 11) and disappeared during MIS 6. For more than half of its existence (MIS 11–8), it was a freshwater oligotrophic basin with a depth of at least 20 m, with clear waters and poor organic matter content. The lake occupied most of the modern accumulative plain on the left bank of the Tumannaya River, reaching a size of at least 10–12 km across. During MIS 7–6 Lake Paleolotos turned into a shallow-water basin (its depth most likely did not exceed 1–3 m) of a eutrophic type with turbid waters rich in organic matter. Palynological data suggest that during MIS 11, 9 and 7 the area adjacent to the Lake was covered with coniferous/broad-leaved forests with presence of some thermophilic plants of North China and North Korea Flora (Castanea, Celtis, Magnolia, Tsuga and Cupressaceae). This indicates that vegetation zones were displaced by about 500–700 km to the north relative to their present position. During periods of cooling they were replaced by coniferous/small-leaved forests with the participation of shrub species of birch and alder (MIS 10) and coniferous/small-leaved forests consisted of pine, birch, and spruce with the participation of elm and oak (MIS 8 and 6).

This paper discusses the results of siliceous microfossils studies performed in a “staircase” of four isolation basins (33.7 m–2.9 m a.s.l.) on Big Solovetskiy Island (Solovki Archipelago, the White Sea). Diatoms were used as a primary group for paleoinferences, while chrysophyte cysts and sponge spicules also demonstrated high indicative potential. In all study lakes, the siliceous microfossils stratigraphy revealed three main stages of their evolution, i.e. large-basin, transitional and small-lake stages, each characterized by certain composition of the diatom assemblages and floristic diversity, relative abundances of chrysophyte cysts and sponge spicules, and siliceous microfossils concentrations. In the uppermost lake, glaciolacustrine environments unfavorable for aquatic biota existed during the large-basin stage. The proglacial lake stage terminated prior to ca. 10.4 cal ka BP, followed by a (semi)terrestrial episode before the transition to small-lake environments. In the other three lakes, marine environments were inferred at the earlier stage, characterized by the predominance of marine and brackish-marine diatoms, increased proportions of sponge spicules and low “cysts to diatoms” ratio. At the transitional marine-freshwater stage, mass growth of small fragilarioid diatoms and decreased abundances of spicules indicated unstable environments, while increased proportions of cysts pointed to progressive freshening of the basins. The duration of the marine-freshwater transition expectedly prolonged from ca. 200 yr in the upper basin (16.6 m a.s.l) to ca. 500 yr in the lowermost lake (2.9 m a.s.l.). The isolation from the sea took place between ca. 6.3 and 1.4 cal ka BP. At the small-lake stage, siliceous microfossils stratigraphies reflected local specifics of the basins and their catchments. We argue that besides traditionally used diatom data, relative and absolute abundances of siliceous microfossils also possess high indicative value for isolation basin studies. Our study demonstrated that marine waters on Big Solovetskiy Island never reached ca. 34 m a.s.l. during the Holocene, unlike the western coast of the Onega Bay where the Preboreal marine intrusion was recorded even at higher elevated localities. Different rates and amplitudes of shoreline displacement are thus suggested for the inner and outer parts of the Onega Bay. During the mid-Holocene Tapes transgression, before ca. 6.3 cal ka BP, the relative sea level on Big Solovetskiy Island exceeded 17 m a.s.l. The average estimated rates of the shoreline retreat during the second half of the Holocene gradually decreased from 0.28 cm year−1 to 0.2 cm year−1, indicating slowed isostatic uplift.

International audience; The aim of this paper is to highlight new occurrences of tephra and cryptotephra layers from three peatbogs located southeastern from the French Massif Central in France. These tephras were evidenced using magnetic susceptibility logging, scanner imagery and chemical analyses by X-Ray Fluorescence, and characterized by their glass chemistry. Originated from the Chaîne des Puys volcanic field, these six new tephras allow for the definition of a more detailed regional tephrostratigraphic framework. Most of these tephras were deposited between ca. 13,500 and 9500 yrs cal. BP, and the last one was deposited between 6400 and 5920 yrs cal. BP. Some tephras of this framework were previously described in the Jura Mountains, the Northern Alps and the Western Swiss Plateau, and allow its correlation to the Northern European context established by previous studies.

The paper presents new data on the subfossil insects and molluscs, as well a new radiocarbon date for the Gornovo site in the Southern Fore-Urals. As a result, the stratigraphic interpretation of the sediments of the lower part of the first above floodplain terrace of the Belaya River is corrected and they are assigned to the Tabulda Horizon (MIS 3) of the Upper Pleistocene in the regional scheme of the Fore-Urals Quaternary. The malacofauna of the locality is represented by 27 species of terrestrial and freshwater molluscs. The composition of molluscs in the deposits of MIS 3 indicates the succession of deposit accumulation in the river valley from the stage of reservoirs that periodically connecting with the river to the stage of the overgrown oxbow lake. Single occurrence of mollusc shells in the loams of MIS 2 is a result of sharp climate change. New insect material includes 136 species of Coleoptera from 17 families, as well as Heteroptera and Hymenoptera representatives. 29 species of beetles (Carabidae, Histeridae, Scarabaeidae, Elateridae, Tenebrionidae, Chrysomelidae, Brentidae and Curculionidae) are recorded for the Pleistocene for the first time. The insect assemblages from Gornovo site are assigned to periglacial and humid boreal faunal types. The entomofauna of the periglacial type has no analogues in the recent fauna; it corresponds to the deposits assigned to the middle of MIS 3. This entomofauna is characteristic to the MIS 2 and MIS 3 insect assemblages from the south of West Siberian Plain. Based on entomological data, the climate of the middle of MIS 3 of the Southern Fore-Urals is reconstructed as dry and cold, extracontinental, with mean July temperature not exceeding +15 °C. Steppe landscapes likely prevailed in open areas and coniferous forests were restricted to river valleys. Beetles from deposits dated to end of MIS 3 are assigned to the fauna of the boreal humid type. These insect assemblages are significantly poorer in diversity than periglacial type assemblages and are represented mainly by near water and forest Coleoptera. Based on these species, meadow and forest landscapes were reconstructed. The reconstructed mean air temperature of July ranged from +16 to +19 °C. This suggests a trend towards more mild conditions in the region connected to the climate warming at the end of MIS 3. It is likely that humidification during this period was regional, determined by the proximity of the site to the Southern Urals Mountains.

Sites identified as the Early Upper Palaeolithic (EUP or transitional industries) in Central Europe (CE) have become subject to extensive discussion on the possible interactions between anatomically modern humans and indigenous human species which inhabited the area in the Marine Isotopic Stage 3 (MIS 3, 50–35 ka BP). An open-air site Dzierzyslaw 1 (SW Poland), known for nearly a hundred years, played a crucial role in envisaging scenarios associated with the development and adaptation of the EUP society. In the late 20th c., due to the excavations in the southern part of the site, it was given status of a multicultural site, with artefacts assigned to the Micoquian, Bohunician and Szeletian culture. This paper presents the findings of the multi-faceted revision of this site. We present the results of field work and chronometric analyses based on a new set of samples and archaeological study of archive records. The use of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) showed that all the sediments of the site should be assigned to the Plenivistulian (MIS 4/3 and MIS 2). The new chronometric assessment indicates the absence of deposits corresponding to the transitional industries' time window. The sedimentological data integrating with spatial distribution of finds and raw material variation as well as state of preservation and typo-technological features of lithic artefacts indicate that the inventory represents a compilation of the late Middle Palaeolithic (MP, Micoquian) and classical Upper Palaeolithic industries (Aurignacian or Gravettian) with very few pieces corresponding with indeterminate EUP industry. The revision throws a light on the situation in the Moravian Gate and areas north of the Carpathians and Sudetes. The results suggest that sites from the late MP are more numerous than those from the EUP. It seems that the over-representation may result from a long time of accumulation during the MP period. It cannot be excluded that the small number of EUP sites reflects a marginal role of the area north of the Sudetes and Carpathians in the human occupation system of that time.

Intensification in the procurement of small game, including different taxa of birds, has been proposed as one of the indicators of dietary shifts occurring in western Mediterranean regions during the Upper Palaeolithic as a consequence of both increased human hunting pressures and environmental change. In this paper, avian remains recovered from the Upper Palaeolithic levels of Arbreda Cave (Serinya, northeast Iberia) are analysed. Our results evidence a high diversity of bird taxa in most levels, with the presence of a minimum of 50 species, including birds that inhabit a variety of biotopes such as cliffs, rivers and wetlands, and open grassland, along with coniferous and mixed forests. Taphonomic analysis of the bird bones from all levels indicates a mixed origin for the material, humans being one of the agents responsible for the accumulations. The results show that birds were caught for consumption. However, wing feathers and phalanges were also extracted, probably for ornamental or ceremonial purposes. A significant number of tooth/beak-marked bones and digested remains also evidence the participation of different species of raptors and, to a lesser degree, of small terrestrial carnivores in creating these assemblages. Finally, some birds died naturally and were then incorporated into the archaeological record. This study contributes to the discussion of the importance of the exploitation of birds by hunter-gatherers during the Upper Palaeolithic in the region.

There is an inherent contradiction in the position of birds within the Ghassulian culture of the Late Chalcolithic Southern Levant. Whilst they are almost completely absent from the zooarchaeological record, they appear as the second most common animal representation within Ghassulian iconography, with only caprids appearing more often. This has led some scholars to posit that birds played a significant role within the spiritual life of the Chalcolithic. This paper will re-examine this avian iconography, through a collation, exploration, and re-evaluation of each object, emphasising their specific context and integrating their interpretation with both biological/ecological and/or zooarchaeological evidence where possible. Through this type of examination, we can not only shed light on the meaning of these avian images, but hopefully on the role of birds within the societies of the Late Chalcolithic. The study collates and examines each piece of avian material culture uncovered from the Late Chalcolithic: the bird fresco from Building 78 and a painted pottery sherd, both found at Teleilat Ghassul; the avian standard, ‘crown’ no. 7, and the decorated horn-like vessels from Nahal Mishmar; the ritual ostrich egg deposits from Gilat; a possible bird sculpture on an ossuary; bird-shaped ivory pins from Abu Matar and Shiqmim; the bird-shaped vessels from Palmahim; and two unstratified objects: a vessel with sculpted birds on the rim and two avian sculptures. Due to the ritual function and/or context of this avian material culture, it is clear that avian imagery had meaning within Ghassulian spiritual thought. Previous scholars have linked this to an Inanna-like fertility deity, but the objects do not provide enough evidence for this connection. Instead, through historical and ethnographic parallels, I propose a more abstract interpretation of these avian images as symbols of spiritual liminality, i.e. crossing the boundary between the mortal and the spiritual.

This paper examines an artefact type of unknown function, found in several places across medieval England. These artefacts are mostly made from goose radii, but other species, such as chicken and hare, are also known. The worked radii have often been interpreted as being related to writing, but a closer examination suggests that they are more likely to be awls.

Bird bones are rare finds in Bronze Age excavations in Greece, though, the presence of bird representations in art of the same period is remarkable. This paper examines this paradox from a zooarchaeological perspective. It records and presents the osteological evidence for bird exploitation by Bronze Age communities in Greece and examines the characteristics of the bird bone assemblages, emphasizing the need for nuance and methodological rigor in interpreting these data. This evidence is then viewed against the contemporary birds’ representations record from the same area. From such a comparative approach, a number of similarities and differences emerge regarding the intensity of human-bird interactions, the preferred bird types or the significance of particular types of birds across the study area. Further study of these discrepancies may offer a better understanding of the role of birds in Bronze Age Aegean.

This paper examines archaeological bird bones from Viljandi – one of the strongest centres in prehistoric and medieval Estonia – and covers material from the Late Iron Age to Early Modern Period, c. 950–1700. Over 5000 bird bones were analysed in this study. Our main aim was to explore the role of birds in people's diet and its relevance to social status, but also to explore the birds' habitats and environmental background, including commensalism and seasonal occurrence. This study highlighted differences between the four areas of Viljandi – the prehistoric rural settlement, historic castle, town, and suburb. We discuss diachronic trends in the utilisation of birds in these areas, largely determined by the 13th century Baltic Crusades and the transition from the Prehistoric to the Middle Ages, but also by population expansion and the social divergence that followed. In Prehistory, we witnessed more chicken exploitation, while wild birds seem to have played a smaller role. In the Historic Period, on the contrary, the utilised species are more diverse – probably to manifest social status. The main use of birds was for meat, eggs, and other products. Some species might have been used for hawking.

Red junglefowl are regarded as the primary wild ancestor of domestic fowl and are thought to have been domesticated in multiple regions. The osteological microevolution of red junglefowl and domestic fowl during domestication, especially at the earliest stage, has still not been thoroughly investigated, despite the fact that a proper understanding of this process is required to chart the progress of domestication. In this paper, the major long bones of the modern wild red junglefowl, captive red junglefowl in cages, and domestic fowl from various breeds were measured and the data were compared using t-tests and analysis of covariance. The results showed that captive red junglefowl were generally smaller than wild red junglefowl but the distal part of tibiotarsus was relatively thicker in the former. In addition, parts of the wing bone were thinner in captive red junglefowl than in wild red junglefowl. Assuming the morphological difference between extant wild and captive red junglefowl is analogous to that between ancient wild and captive red junglefowl, these differences suggest that body size reduction and other morphological changes occurred in the earliest stage of the domestication process. These results will be useful for estimating the progress of domestication in red junglefowl archaeological remains and making comparisons with domestic fowl bones.

This paper communicates the results of a detailed use-wear analysis of flint tools from Unit III of Nesher Ramla, central Israel, an open-air Middle Paleolithic site, dated to Marine Isotope Stage 5. The analyzed sample consists of 966 artifacts that represent major techno-typological categories; scrapers, tools with a lateral tranchet blow, naturally backed knives and other Middle Paleolithic artifact types. Most tools were associated with bone working activities, mainly scraping and cutting, suggesting both consumption and non-consumption-related practices. Results also suggest extensive butchering activities, but other applications are less common, especially the underrepresentation of armature, and plant and hide working is noteworthy. All in all, these patterns suggest a narrow range of activities. Most tools were used by their sharp edge, while the retouched edges bore weak use-related patterns. It is assumed that in some cases, the retouch served to facilitate the grip. The most widely used tools in Nesher Ramla were the naturally backed knives that according to technological studies were one of the goals of knapping at Nesher Ramla. Tools with a lateral tranchet blow, representing a cultural marker of the Nesher Ramla inhabitants, show evidence of multiple use of both retouched and non-retouched edges shaped by the lateral blow. Hafting traces are relatively rare in the analyzed sample.

This paper focuses on new findings from Middle Paleolithic Geula Cave, Israel, located in the northern part of Mt. Carmel. The cave, consists of several small chambers that are remnants of a larger cave system, initially excavated between 1958 and 1964. The occupation at the cave was ascribed to Middle Paleolithic modern humans. In 2016, a salvage excavation was conducted in areas of the cave that were not previously explored. Analyses of the new excavation revealed a consistency in lithic technology throughout the new excavation areas, with an emphasis on Levallois production using mainly bidirectional and centripetal core preparation modes. The faunal study identified intensive hyena and porcupine activities in small chambers, probably at the back part of the cave, while fractured bones in association with flint artifacts were found at what appears as the living area in the cave. Luminescence ages indicated that Geula Cave was occupied as early as 175 ka, but that the major occupation was from 120 to 100 ka. The major occupation at Geula chronologically overlaps with the Skhul and Qafzeh Caves thus reinforcing the notion that Homo sapiens dominated the southern Levant during early MIS 5. This study demonstrates the importance of reinvestigating and reevaluating past excavated prehistoric sites and their contents to enhance our understanding of the regional, cultural and biological history.

This paper presents a quantitative chronology for the spread of rice, based on the global Rice Chronology Database that builds upon direct datings of archaeological rice remains. Bayesian and spatio-temporal modelling suggest eastern China (lower Yangzi, middle Yangzi, southern Huai River, and Shandong) and northeastern South Asia as two key origins of rice cultivation, dating to ca. 7430 and 6460 BCE, respectively. At least two episodes of spread of rice are identified. The first, dating to the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE, accounts for the appearance of rice in the middle Yellow River and Wei River regions, southeastern China, southwestern China, and Southeast Asia. An examination of population dynamics in China shows that this episode of spread might be associated with farmers whose subsistence was based largely on millets. During a second episode of spread, dating between the 1st millennium BCE and 1st millennium CE, rice spread to the Liao River region, Central Asia, and Africa.

This paper presents the results of the wood charcoal analyses from the Middle Paleolithic open-air site at Nesher Ramla, on the central coastal plain of Israel. The study focuses on the interpretation of the charcoals left by fires used by Middle Paleolithic hominins during early Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5. Moreover, this study sheds light on the arboreal taxa present in the vegetation and environmental conditions in the southern Levant during the Middle Paleolithic. A small quantity of identifiable charcoals was retrieved from the 8-m-thick archaeological sequence of the site (Units II to VI). The largest charcoal assemblage was recovered from part of the sequence dated to MIS 5e. The results show the presence of deciduous Quercus sp. and Prunus. The presence of these taxa, together with other proxies from the multidisciplinary studies at Nesher Ramla, indicate an arboreal setting with relatively humid and mild climatic conditions in MIS 5e. Our results further suggest that wood was used as fuel at Nesher Ramla. Given the scarcity of Middle Paleolithic sites in the Levant that have yielded charcoal, this new data from Nesher Ramla constitutes an important contribution to the study of past environments and the exploitation of plant resources by human groups.

Global warming enhances atmospheric moisture loading and will likely affect the East-Asian monsoon system across Vietnam. The absence of a long written climate history from Vietnam creates a reliance on geological archives of past monsoon history and regional paleoenvironmental changes to provide a framework for evaluating current climatic trends. Biển Hồ lake (14°03′ N, 108°00′ E) is a volcanic crater (i.e. maar) in Vietnam's Central Highlands that has been accumulating sediment since the Pleistocene. Field campaigns between 2016 and 2018 recovered an abundance of gravity and piston sediment cores extending to a depth of ~15 m, covering approximately the last 30 ka BP. The paleoenvironmental interpretation of Pleistocene and Holocene sediment requires knowledge of modern lacustrine and sedimentary conditions, as well as the origin and transport pathways of the catchment material. Here, we focus on a high-resolution sedimentological and geochemical reconstruction of the recent environmental history - from 1950 AD to the present - based on sediment cores from Biển Hồ maar, in direct comparison with local and regional weather and historic records. The uppermost sedimentary record reflects a substantial anthropogenic influence such as deforestation, military use, crater breaching, dam and sill construction, and reforestation that strongly modified the maar's morphology and hydrology. A strong increase in sedimentation rate during the 1960–70s in Biển Hồ cores coincided with U.S. military activities and water withdrawal. A breach in the maar's rim and the connection to a new external reservoir in 1983-1984 AD increased Biển Hồ water level. Reforestation around most of Biển Hồ’s rim in the 1990s curbed erosion and sedimentation rate. Nutrient availability in Biển Hồ declined in the past ~10 years after the installation of a concrete sill between Biển Hồ and the reservoir to limit water exchange with the more nutrient-rich reservoir. This paper is a calibration study on modern sediment to provide an empirical basis for the interpretation of Biển Hồ’s deeper Holocene and pre-Holocene sedimentary record.

This paper presents an overview of the results obtained by collaborative use of integrative multidisciplinary investigation of a highly unique geological section discovered in the south-eastern part of the Gulf of Finland. The main aim of this study is to identify the Late Pleistocene palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic changes in the study area during one of the most controversial periods in the Late Pleistocene history, which is the MIS 5. Our approach to achieving the goal is based on the investigation of feldspar-based infrared optically stimulated luminescence (IR-OSL) dated records of pollen-induced palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironmental proxies. Palynological analysis and IR-OSL dates of 29 samples for the first time produced a detailed, characterised and dated sequence of palynological zones M6 to M8 ranging from ca. 94 ka to ca. 70 ka and made it possible to determine the chronological sequence of climate changes in this interval. Representative pollen spectra from 69 samples provided convincing evidence of a warm interval of interglacial rank at least during the latter half of MIS 5. The data obtained in the present study from well-preserved deposits of the second half of MIS 5 provided a novel insight into the palaenvironmental conditions during this period. These results seem to contradict the widely held view according to which the last interglacial stage with the climate conditions similar or warmer than today corresponds to only a small part of marine isotope stage (MIS) 5 of the deep-sea stratigraphy, i.e. MISs 5e lasting ca. 11 ka, and the period from 100 ka to 80 ka is attributed to an Early Weichselian glaciation, which in Northern Eurasia reached its maximum at about 90 ka. However, the findings obtained during the present study are also convincingly confirmed by those of our previous long-term investigations of warm climate-related shell-bearing deposits of various origins from Northern Eurasia including climatically highly sensitive Eurasian Arctic palaeo-shelf area. These results indicated that the overwhelming majority of the warm climate-related dates (ca. 82%) is also concentrated in the latter half of MIS 5 in the time range between 110 ka and 70 ka.

Genesis of crevasse-fill forms was clearly explained and ascribed to surging ice based on research made particularly in contemporary-glaciated areas of high latitudes. Nonetheless, the understanding and explanation of their formation is still not conclusive for Pleistocene glacigenic forms developing in crevasses what makes differences in their interpretation visible in glacial geomorphology of the East and West. Those forms in the East are still linked to stagnant Pleistocene ice-sheet dynamics and still named crevasse-fill forms what makes a huge misunderstanding in comparison of these modern and ancient equivalents. This paper makes an attempt to investigate this topic through comparison of features of “stagnant” and “surging” crevasse-fill forms, i.e. their morphology, lithology, location against direction of ice advance and – for the first time – sedimentary environment of crevasse-fill deposits. Recognition of deposits with using lithofacies analysis became a crucial method for classification of Pleistocene glacigenic forms, especially in the East. Thus, research on presented tree examples of so-called “crevasse-fill forms” based on facies analysis of sedimentary environments and their other characteristic features allowed to explain the characteristics of landforms developed from stagnant ice and to exclude them from the group of their “surging” equivalents. This misinterpretation results from different schools of thought in glacial geomorphology of the East and West. Based on presented research, no prerequisites were documented to compare these landforms, because the palaeogeographical conditions of their development are completely different.

Site formation processes at ancient tells in the southern Levant have been the focus of several micromorphological studies, contributing to the differentiation of anthropogenic remains from long-term natural sedimentation, occurring post-abandonment. This paper discusses how the study of sedimentary processes and chemical compositions of sediments can be used within the context of an ongoing archaeological project, and how they can contribute to archaeological, historical and geomorphological interpretations. Sedimentary processes were studied implementing POSL, granulometry and PXRF as part of the archaeological research at Tel Burna, Israel. Focusing on the area along the northwestern fortification walls (Area B2), data was collected from multiple strata inside and outside the casemate fortifications dating from the Late Bronze Age to the Late Iron Age. The gradual increase of OSL values obtained inside the casemate wall, indicate accumulation of sediment during a long period of time. Whereas similar values along the entire profile outside the casemate wall indicate sediment accumulation in one-time event. This might be related to defensive preparations, allegedly in response to advances made by Sennacherib's army in 701 BCE. In addition, results from the PXRF studies demonstrated correlation between human activities and the Cu, P, K, Zn, Mn values. Specifically, it was found that as K content increased from younger to older periods, it can be used as a pseudo-dating element. Ca content decreased as sampling descended from the tell's surface, suggesting its origin in long-term aeolian processes. The results show that the use of POSL and PXRF on archaeological contexts are useful for determining sedimentary processes. Furthermore, chemical content enabled pseudo-dating of strata and facilitated the distinction between natural and anthropogenic processes in archaeological sites and landscape.

This paper presents the first insight into the interpretation of the wood charcoal from the Holocene layers of Wonderwerk Cave. Situated in the Northern Cape Province in the arid interior of South Africa, the site provides a unique and valuable chronological record of past environmental fluctuations and responding human behavioural adaptations spanning the last two million years. The Holocene strata have been dated to cover the last 12.5 ka cal BP years, but exclude the last 100 years because of contamination. A sizeable amount of charcoal was recovered from these strata and remnants have been identified, described and the species composition amongst the strata compared. Most identified species are those that tolerate hot, dry conditions, signalling an arid trend during the Holocene. Comparison with present day species distributions suggests an eastwards shift in modern vegetation. The charcoal data also indicate that during the mid Holocene there was a wetter period from 6.2 to 4.5 ka cal BP, coinciding with stratum 4a.

Evaporites were deposited in every saline lake in the western Qaidam Basin (QB) during the late Quaternary, but the role of the Quaternary glacial environment in the formation of evaporite deposits remains to be clarified. In this paper, five upper Quaternary evaporite-bearing profiles in the western QB are studied. Uranium-thorium (U–Th) dating was applied to obtain the depositional ages of these profiles, and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis was applied to identify the evaporite minerals. The U–Th dating results indicate that halite (NaCl)-dominated profile D08 and mirabilite (Na2SO4·10H2O)-dominated profile MXK were deposited between 146.1 ± 53.4 ka and 171.3 ± 27.2 ka, mainly corresponding to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6; the bloedite (Na2Mg(SO4)2·4H2O)-dominated profiles WMX1 and WMX2 were deposited between 182.1 ± 2.5 ka and 206.7 ± 7.0 ka, mainly corresponding to the late period of MIS7; and the mirabilite and halite-dominated salt layers in profile D30 were deposited between 9.0 ± 0.7 ka and 14.3 ± 1.6 ka, with mirabilite deposit ages corresponding to MIS2 and early MIS1. The minerals in the profiles identified by XRD analyses are mirabilite, thenardite (Na2SO4), bloedite, gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O), starkeyite (MgSO4·4H2O), hexahydrite (MgSO4·6H2O) and halite. This study, combined with those of previously reported evaporite deposits in the western QB, indicates that MIS7, MIS6 and MIS2 were important evaporite deposition periods in the late Quaternary. Evaporite depositions in the QB during MIS6 and MIS2 were attributed to a decrease in temperature and shrinkage of the saline lake hydrosphere. The cold glacial climate during MIS6 and MIS2 was conducive to mirabilite deposition in the western QB, while the relatively warm climate of the late period MIS7 was conducive to bloedite deposition.

North China is known as a region where cultural traditions do not change throughout the Pleistocene, while it is a region of interest for its association with several demographic events in Paleolithic age. In order to clarify the reason why the lithic industry mainly composed of quartz continued over a long period of time, it is necessary to accumulate information on lithic assemblage and human behavior. This paper adds an example of culture and behavior around 40 ka and discusses the adaptability of quartz small flake-tool industry. As reported here, three lithic assemblages of the Shuilian Cave Site in Hebei Province were dated to 43 ka cal BP, 34 ka cal BP, and the intermediate age based on the result of our radiocarbon dating. Except for small number of artifacts made of siliceous rock, the majority in all three assemblages are corresponds to the traditional small flake-tool industry in northern China. In the upper assemblage of the site, it was restored that vein quartz procured around the site was consumed systematically using bipolar percussion in combination with direct percussion. The technology employed at the site is adapted to the vein quartz as resources in the vicinity, giving a hint as to why less variable lithic industry continued throughout some demographic epoch in northern China.

The uKhahlamba-Drakensberg mountains in the west of KwaZulu-Natal have been home to people for over 25ka years. The primary occupation has, however, been within the last 3ka. Settled primarily by hunter-gatherers, there appears to have been a possible ephemeral pastoralist presence around 2ka and an increasing agriculturist presence during the last 1ka. This paper outlines these occupations, focusing primarily on the northern uKhahlamba-Drakensberg, where most archaeological research has taken place. The emphasis is on the rock shelter excavations at Diamond 1, Driel Shelter, Clarke's Shelter, Collingham Shelter, Good Hope Shelter 1 and Mhlwazini Cave, complemented by reference to open-air and rock shelter surface scatters and rock paintings. Data about the subsistence and material cultural of all these occupants is synthesised to show that the people of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg, but primarily the hunters-gatherers, had a varied diet complemented by rich material cultural assemblages. The Discussion considers, (i), the notion of hunter-gatherer seasonality concluding that the mountains could have been occupied on an all-year basis and, (ii), the possible presence of pastoralists in and adjacent the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg around 2ka years ago, which might have involved the practice of feasting.

Multidisciplinary research suggests that Marine Isotope Stage 5 (~130–74 ka) was an important evolutionary stage in African deep history. Population expansion and growth spurred changes in material culture as well as the exploration of previously unoccupied regions and ecosystems. The archaeological sequence at Melikane Rockshelter (1860 masl) in the Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains of highland Lesotho, southern Africa, stretches from the late Holocene back to sub-stage 5a, ~80 ka. The site's earliest strata represent one of the earliest known examples of a sustained human presence in high mountain systems worldwide. This paper deals with the lithic assemblages from those levels, which are currently the oldest radiometrically dated archaeology in Lesotho and one of the few stratified assemblages of Last Interglacial age in the southern African interior. The results of a typo-technological analysis of the assemblages are presented. They suggest that the afromontane foragers who resided at Melikane employed both blade-focussed and bipolar flaking systems, curated a maintainable toolkit suited to frequent residential moves, and used a hybrid provisioning system adapted to their immediate environment. Comparisons with other late Last Interglacial assemblages across the subcontinent suggest that highland populations at this time were largely disconnected from their lowland counterparts. This implies that as Last Interglacial populations in southern Africa expanded into new environments, they also fragmented, adapting to local conditions rather than adhering to a universal technological system.

Recent research on Later Stone Age (LSA) San rock art in southern Africa has unveiled some of the paint recipes the artists employed. However, these discoveries still need to be linked to human activities in or near the rock shelters where the paintings were made. In this paper, we report characterization and dating results from the catchment of the Metolong Dam, Phuthiatsana Valley, Lesotho. A total of 92 rock painting samples, six grindstones with traces of colouring materials from an excavated context, and 17 potential raw colouring materials were studied. We identified three previously unreported ingredients used by the artists: manganese oxides, calcined bones, and soot. Grindstones are stained with the same raw materials that the painters used. We propose that one of them may have served to prepare the red pigment used to make a human figure and a bichrome eland at Ha Makotoko, but direct links remain difficult to establish with certainty. The potential colouring materials in the valley are red clays, white clays (kaolinite and illite-or-montmorillonite), and gypsum, three compounds used as paints by the artists. Tests conducted to verify their suitability for paintings show these materials may have been ground, but settling (after pre-grinding) offers a quicker and easier way to obtain a fine powder as observed in the paints. Finally, 12 AMS dates provide an initial framework for studying the changing use of paint recipes in the Phuthiatsana Valley over time. Charcoal appears to have been employed over a period of at least 3000 years and carbon black for at least 2000 years, with soot seemingly used only before 2000 cal. BP. This study is currently the largest characterization and dating study of LSA rock art in southern Africa and shows the potential that such combined investigations offer for linking excavated and parietal components of the region's hunter-gatherer archaeological record.

Subaerial physical, chemical and biological weathering processes are significant contributors to mountain landscape development worldwide, and over long time scales. This paper reports on pseudokarst features formed by different subaerial weathering processes on a high-elevation basalt plateau surface in the Maloti–Drakensberg mountains of eastern Lesotho, southern Africa. Different mesoscale landforms identified on this plateau surface include enclosed depressions (containing seasonal pools) that are morphologically similar to karstic solutional features. Such basalt pseudokarst landforms have not been previously described. This study uses field data on depression morphometry, sediments, water chemistry and rock surface hardness to explore the varied subaerial weathering and erosion processes contributing to pseudokarst depression development. Results show that physical, chemical and biological weathering and erosion processes in combination can impact on the basalt land surface in widening and deepening these depressions. An evolutionary model for pseudokarst depression development proposes that different weathering processes in combination within the ‘critical zone’ cause changes in depression morphology, and that there are significant feedbacks between bedrock, weathering, and the development of distinctive micromorphological forms. It is likely that similar pseudokarst landforms from other locations with non-carbonate substrates have been under-reported in the literature.

The discovery of pottery dated to around 20ka cal BP, within terminal Pleistocene cave sites in South China has been heatedly debated over the past decades. While the dates and pottery itself gained great attention, the archaeological context in which these findings were made have received less attention due to language biases, making it difficult to address questions of how and why pottery emerged in this region. This paper summarized the major findings from South China pottery-bearing sites dated between 25 and 10ka cal BP, and critically evaluates the environmental, cultural and behavioral changes during and after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The most up to date discoveries demonstrate that pottery appeared in South China right after the LGM, together with changes in lithic assemblages, the appearance of various bone and antler artefacts, as well as a transition to more sedentary lifeways with a heavier reliance on aquatic resources and small-sized animals, long before the appearance of early agriculture. These findings also reflect a more complex history and cultural diversity of different human groups in this area.

Three soft stone technologies that characterize the Upper Paleolithic period are fired ceramic figurines, pigments prepared from colored minerals that often consist of or include clay, and, lastly, pottery vessels. The earliest synthetic material of which we have a permanent artifactual record was made at 26,000 cal BP (Klima 1959b, 1963), marking the beginnings of chemical technology and pyrotechnology and is the concern of the first part of this paper. A review is presented of Upper Paleolithic ceramic figurines at the group of habitation sites in Moravia that includes Dolni Věstonice, Pavlov, Předmosti and Petřkovice. Dolni Věstonice, the only proven production site with the largest collection of ceramics, was the focus of the study because of the possibility of analyzing figurine fragments, kiln remains and raw materials that enabled reverse engineering of the technology. The size of the ceramic inventory and the presence of kilns argue for intentional production of ceramic objects and demonstrates that the relevant cultural practices over time involved repetition and both transmission and learning of a specific, patterned performance behavior of ceramic technology. The high fracture rate encountered and the resistance of the raw material to thermal shock, however, strongly suggest that what was important was not the final, durable product, but rather the process of making and firing and/or refiring of the objects, probably for ritual, ceremonial and political purposes. Similar additive fabrication methods and firing of local pluvial clay deposits was practiced at the site of Maina in Siberia at ca. 15,000 cal BP to make a singular ceramic figurine. At the southern end of the Urals is Kapovaya, a cave with images and a date similar to those at Lascaux and where a single small bowl that may be a fired ceramic was excavated. The second part discusses examples of ceramic processing technology without firing, if we understand ceramics as we define them today to include non-clay products made by processing of fine sub-10 μm, equiaxed or platy particles. Fine clay and pigment particles behave similarly when processed. Clays and pigments were processed at the cave site of Lascaux where excavation of the floor produced evidence of selected, collected and imported naturally occurring mineral and sediment blocks as well as fabricated chalk-like sticks referred to as “crayons.” These ground and fabricated blocks were used as manufacturing elements to apply red, yellow and black pigment to the cave walls at Lascaux. Stone ‘palettes’ were excavated from the floor with in-situ powders that indicate grinding and mixing of clays and pigments. This mixing also occurred on the tips of crayons. The third part is focused on a third ceramic performance technology that preserved physical health of community members: the making and using of pottery vessels for cooking and storage, and a description of some problems involved in reconstructing the processing technology.

“Nderit Ware,” a type of pottery famous in eastern Africa for its remarkably intricate basket-like bowls, is associated with evidence for the region's earliest pastoralism during a time period known as the Pastoral Neolithic (PN, c. 5000-1200 cal BP). This paper reviews the changing ways archaeologists have conceptualized “Nderit” pottery over the past eighty years. The “Nderit” ware type was defined in relation to initial finds in central Kenya, decades before archaeologists discovered Nderit had greater antiquity as a technology/artistic tradition in northwest Kenya's Turkana Basin. Ceramic assemblages from pillar sites surrounding Lake Turkana – including Lothagam North (GeJi9) and Jarigole (GbJj1) – reveal a more variable and complex history of ceramic production and use than previously recognized. Nderit's first known production and use is associated with the region's earliest food producers, mobile pastoralists establishing themselves around a dramatically shrinking Lake Turkana. These findings carry important implications for reconstructing the cultural history and material lives of early herding groups moving within and beyond the Turkana Basin, and expand our frame of reference for understanding the origins of pottery production by mobile, small-scale groups worldwide.

In Southwest Asia, early ceramics are generally associated with sedentary farming communities. This is unlike many other parts of Asia, where ceramics were first manufactured by hunter-gatherers. Radiocarbon evidence indicates that sustained production of ceramic containers (pottery) began at several sites in Anatolia, Upper Mesopotamia and the northern Levant around 7000 BC or slightly later, although there are indications that very small-scale production of pottery sometimes occurred at even earlier dates. In other regions (e.g. the southern Levant, Cyprus) pottery does not become common until centuries later. This paper examines Southwest Asian ceramic production in terms of its timing, technology and use, as well as its social and economic contexts. It also considers the legacy of early archaeological studies of Southwest Asian pottery for our general understanding of the emergence of ceramics. For example, Gordon Childe's concept of a ‘Neolithic package’ promoted a close association between the emergence of farming and pottery, which cannot be supported for many parts of Asia.

A number of AMS radiocarbon dates, accumulated since the 1990's, reveal that ceramic technology first developed among non-agricultural, hunter-gatherer societies in the late Pleistocene of East Asia. Specifically, on the Japanese Archipelago the radiocarbon chronology indicates a diverse trajectory of pottery adoption. The earliest adoption of pottery here was by mobile hunter-gatherers, regardless of region and climatic event. On the other hand, pottery culture suddenly started to flourish later along the warmer Pacific coastline region of southwestern Japan just after the onset of climatic warming of the Late Glacial, and spread throughout the archipelago by the onset of the Holocene. Climatic amelioration, therefore, did not induce the ‘beginning’ of pottery use, but prompted the ‘development’ of sedentary lifestyles accompanying intensified use of pottery. This complicated situation clearly means that motivation and context of pottery adoption do not follow a simple explanation. However, recent studies of chemical and isotope analyses of charred residues on pottery indicate similar use of early pottery throughout the archipelago in the late Pleistocene and the early Holocene. This paper critically re-evaluates these issues through examining synchronic and diachronic archaeological contexts. Existing data indicate that there is great inter-regional variability in technology, subsistence, paleoenvironment, and adaptation associated with pottery, therefore the motivation for the adoption of pottery is distinct within various geographical, environmental, and temporal contexts in the archipelago.

New investigations of the Krasnaya Gorka site suggest the emergence of pottery in the Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene in the Transbaikal region. Several new AMS dates obtained for the early ceramic cultural layer 2 indicate an age between 13900-10500 cal BP. The results of palynological studies of the Krasnaya Gorka deposits are given in the paper for the first time, and the Late Pleistocene-Holocene environmental changes were reconstructed. Pollen data obtained from the Krasnaya Gorka profile showed cold and dry Late Pleistocene environmental conditions. The regional climate became milder and more humid around 13900–12700 cal BP, which corresponds to the Allerod interstadial thus corroborating the radiocarbon age results. The warmest interval of the Late Pleistocene occurred around 13500 cal BP. Between 12700 and 11800 cal BP, cooling probably corresponds to the cold and dry event of the Younger Dryas. There is some stratigraphical in deposits of the Krasnaya Gorka archeological site. The deposits forming in the early Holocene and beginning of the middle Holocene most likely were removed by erosion. Warming and increased humidity occurred in middle of the late Holocene (2700-1800 cal BP). During the late Holocene, the climate was unstable. Beginning 400 cal BP, the vegetation of the region acquired its modern appearance. Some published materials concerning reconstructions of paleoclimate in the region of Ust’-Karenga XII, Studenoe I, and Ust’-Menza I are considered in the context of general characteristics of the region. Therefore, both palynological reconstructions and radiocarbon dates place the earliest ceramics from Krasnaya Gorka within the final stage of the Late Pleistocene – Early Holocene between 13900-10500 cal BP.

This paper compares quantitative and qualitative results from selected pottery assemblages in sites in the northern Philippines with those from sites in the Mariana Islands. Pottery appears in this region sometime between 4000 and 3000 years ago, with the pottery of the Marianas Islands being towards the younger end of this age range. Arguments concerning the origins of the first pottery in the Marianas have been dominated to date by the correlation of selected decorative and stylistic attributes of the Marianas pottery with that of pottery found in sites in Island Southeast Asia (ISEA). The similarities and differences in the pottery at the assemblage levels, however, have never been fully articulated. Recent arguments regarding the pottery have been specifically focused on perceived parallels between the early Marianas Red pottery and the early pottery of the Cagayan Valley in the northern Philippines. Although it has not been explicitly suggested that the northern Philippines was the immediate departure point for migrant boats, it has nevertheless been argued that there are more parallels between the pottery assemblages of these two regions than any others. This has even been a contributing factor in recent revisions to the Out of Taiwan model, which concerns the migration and dispersal of Austronesian language speakers. The results presented herein, however, show that there are distinct differences in the pottery technologies of the two regions that would not be expected if the sites are directly related. Consequently, there is no clear evidence that the pottery assemblages of the northern Philippines are ancestral to those of the Marianas. While both the early Marianas Red pottery and the northern Philippines pottery assemblages originate in a red-type pottery horizon that exists in both ISEA and the Marianas, the data to date suggests only a loose affinity between the assemblages, there being a high degree of variation in the constituent pottery characteristics between regions.

An analysis of voluminous data on the European fossil small mammals datable to the Dnieper (Saale) Glaciation (MIS 6) allowed establishing the main characteristics of the species composition in the faunas, their distribution and diversity. As is shown by the analysis, the faunas of small mammal underwent cardinal changes within the subcontinent boundaries at that time, with the exception of the faunas of the southern peninsulas. Some subarctic species are proved to penetrate southwards as far as 48° N in Western Europe and up to southern France and the British Isles in Western Europe. The steppe species enlarged their ranges to the north and to the west (up to the British Isles). This fact suggests the disappearance of the continuous forest zone. Occasional forest mammal species persisted in Eastern Europe; in most localities of Western Europe, however, forest mammal remains are present along with those of steppe and subarctic mammals. A structural stability of mammal faunas was preserved on the southern peninsulas that had not been heavily influenced by the glaciation. The transition to the Mikulino (Eem) Interglacial (MIS 5e) was marked by changes in the structure of mammal assemblages on the subcontinent. The ranges of subarctic mammal species shifted northwards, the forest zone was restored gradually, which was served to the restoration of forest species populations. Steppe species ranges shifted to the east of Europe. Unlike the faunas of the Dnieper (Saale) Glaciation, noted for “mixed” composition of mammals belonging to ecologically different groups, the faunas of Mikulino (Eem) Interglacial acquired the zonal structure approximately. The paper was primarily aimed at estimating general regularities in the small mammal fauna distribution beginning from the level of individual species to regional faunal complexes. We concluded that the small mammal fauna of the late Dnieper (Saale) ice age responded to the Mikulian/Eemian warming in a way not unlike the Late Pleistocene “Mammuthus–Coelodonta Faunal Complex” response to the Holocene warming, though with a lesser loss of the species richness.

This paper presents new field and laboratory data combined with previously published materials on interglacial sediments underlying two upper tills of northern European Russia and West Siberia. The emphasis is on the structure and chronometric data of marine strata with shells of boreal molluscs of Cyrtodaria genus indicative of the Atlantic marine invasion into these sedimentary basins during the late Middle Pleistocene. Another line of evidence for this time span is inferred from inter-till terrestrial sequences in the European Northeast with forest pollen spectra suggesting a climate much warmer than today. The decisive correlation signal is provided by optically stimulated luminescence and electron-spin resonance dates, indicating MIS 7 time, and by the geological position of two interglacial formations between the first, second and third from the surface glacial complexes. The collected evidence disagrees with the model of the unique boreal transgression and confirms that saline Atlantic water at least twice invaded northern Russia during the last 250 kyears. The sedimentary formations of the penultimate interglaciation can serve as a new intra-regional stratigraphic marker for the northern Pleistocene.

The paper presents new data on brackish-water Upper Pliocene and Lower Pleistocene deposits that were studied in the Demirkent (Kars) and Pekecik (Erzurum) sections, NE Turkey. The Demirkent section is situated in the southwestern slope of the Shirak Late Cenozoic intermontane basin near the Turkish-Armenian border. The Pekecik section is situated to the SW of the Demirkent in the southwestern slope of the Horasan intermontane basin. Both sections are composed of clays, silts, and poorly cemented fine-grained sandstones and contain the brackish-water dinocysts of the Akchagylian type. The age of the deposits is determined by combined analysis of associations of molluscs and small mammals, palynological spectra, including dinocysts and algae, and magnetostratigraphic data. The Demirkent and Pekecik sections are dated to the Late Pliocene (Piacenzian). The maximum spread of the Akchagylian transgression influenced the inland areas of NE Turkey prior to the early Gelasian. The pollen spectra demonstrate progressive aridisation during sedimentation of the lower part of the Demirkent section and the wetter and cooler climate during sedimentation of the lower part of the Pekecik section. The analysis of brackish-water dinocysts and fresh-water algae in different beds of the Demirkent section indicates gradual freshening of the basin probably due to the sea level fall. In the Pekecik section, the brackish-water dinocysts are found in the lower part that is covered by the lignite-bearing layers without signs of marine influence. Recent altitudes of the Akchagylian brackish-water deposits give a possibility to estimate magnitudes and average rates of the Quaternary uplift of the western Lesser Caucasus. The elevation of the Upper Pliocene deposits of Demirkent and Pekecik sections shows the uplift rate of ca. 0.6–0.7 mm per year during 2.6 Ma.

An overview of the Late Pleistocene and Holocene stratigraphy of the southeastern White Sea region is presented in the paper, based upon the analysis of published data, new results, and correlation between marine and terrestrial archives. The Pleistocene stratigraphic record in the southeastern White Sea region begins with Mikulino Horizon, which comprises the whole MIS 5 and is composed of marine sediments – sands, sandy clays and clays – with Boreal, Arctic–Boreal and Lusitanean–Boreal microfauna and mollusc fauna, dated back at 161–77 ka. The Podporozhie Horizon in the southeastern White Sea region comprises the MIS 4 (71–57 ka) complex of marine mostly near-shore sediments. The glaciation during MIS 4 was localized, on one hand, within the Kola Peninsula. On the other hand, the glacier probably overlapped the Kanin Peninsula and the Mezen Bay, however the Gorlo Strait was not blocked and the northward river outflow was preserved. The Leningrad Horizon had been formed also in the marine sedimentation pattern during the MIS 3 (57–29 ka). However, the lack of data in the region allows us to make only the comparative analysis. The Ostashkov Horizon (MIS 2, 29–11.7 ka) is composed of the deposits of glacial paragenetic series: tills, glaciofluvial, glaciomarine, and glaciolacustrine deposits, but also comprises the deglaciation (Late Glacial) sedimentary complex including marginal tills. The Holocene stratigraphic record is subdivided into three stages – 11.7–9.5, 9.5–3.5 and 3.5–0 ka BP, and do not match with new formal stratigraphic subdivision of the Holocene series.

Log Size Indexes (LSI) allow the increase of the number of data and have been used in a number of zooarchaeological studies since 1950. However, some standards to calculate the log ratios remain unpublished, the calculation of the indexes can be tedious, and it is further hindered by the diversity of data recording practices. The R package ‘zoolog’ enables calculation of thousands of log-ratios in seconds, with the advantage that the users can choose between different public references, which increases the repeatability and comparability of the results, allowing the smooth integration of references and databases with heterogeneous nomenclatures. Alternatively, the users may use their own references. This paper presents the main functionalities and procedures enabled by the package ‘zoolog’, together with some examples of use. A real dataset and several examples with R code are provided with the aim of facilitating osteometrical analyses in zooarchaeology. This work was developed as part of the ERC-Starting Grant ZooMWest (Grant agreement 716298).

Tham Wiman Nakin or “Snake Cave” has so far been recognized as being the only late Middle Pleistocene Homo-bearing fauna, dated to older than 169 ka, in mainland Southeast Asia. Since the last two decades, the highly diversified mammal fauna found from this cave has been widely used as standard references for several studies, though the majority of fossil primates, carnivores, and ungulates have never been described in detail. This paper presents taxonomic descriptions of unpublished fossil specimens from the long-known collection of Tham Wiman Nakin. As a result, the fauna of Tham Wiman Nakin consisted of at least 28 large mammal taxa. Although several previously described specimens are re-assigned to different tooth elements and/or mammal taxa, our taxonomic study confirms the existence of most of the species identified from the previous work and describes three additional taxa for the locality: an Asian badger, a tiger, and a Himalayan goral. The Tham Wiman Nakin fauna is one of the most diverse Pleistocene mammals, including a hominin, in mainland Southeast Asia and documents long-term survivors of living species since the late Middle Pleistocene. Based on several recent dates of fossil sites in mainland Southeast Asia, biochronological data imply a possible faunal age up to the maximum of 300 ka for the Tham Wiman Nakin fauna, but younger than that of Pha Bong where Gigantopithecus was present. Fossil records in the region also suggest a relatively stable fauna through Pleistocene glacial-interglacial cycles, at least from the late Middle to latest Pleistocene. The extinction occurring in the mainland varied across taxa and likely resulted in less impacted biodiversity loss prior to the Holocene, compared to other continents, as indicated by the small proportion of species becoming extinct during each interval. The importance of stable mosaic habitats through time may provide clues to the long-term survival of several large mammal taxa in the region.

The present paper deals with the historical evolution of the northern Bay of Cadiz (SW Spain) between the last eustatic maximum (6.5 ka BP) and the present day, by means of a series of independent proxies. The zone is constituted by the tidal estuary of the Guadalete River, filled with saltmarsh sediments during the late Holocene, due to the sheltering of the zone by a confining outer sandy barrier. The northern border of the Bay records an urban settlement of Phoenician Age (first millennium BC), Dona Blanca. A detailed survey was made in the contact between the Phoenician city and the saltmarshes in order to detect other possible urban structures related to the morphological and sedimentary evolution of this environment during historical times. Two campaigns with GPR Stream-X array were carried out as well as aerial imaging and topographic survey with UAV. In parallel, a total of 8 boreholes were made in different parts of the saltmarshes, including radiocarbon dating of selected samples for estimating sedimentation rates in the saltmarshes. Results obtained by georadar prospection and UAV survey revealed the presence of a second urban settlement on the marginal sedimentary plain, very probably installed upon a sandy fluvial island of the Guadelete River. The urban remains, of Punic Age, are partly covered by clay sediments due to the subsequent evolution of these saltmarshes, where sedimentation rates of up to nearly 2.4 mm/yr have been estimated for environments close to fluvial and/or tidal channels and hence more affected by sediment aggradation during flooding episodes. In recent times, river regulation by dams and the artificial desiccation and cropping of the saltmarshes have interrupted the natural trend of the area towards sedimentary silting up.