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Numerous small mammal localities assigned to the beginning of the Late Middle Pleistocene (Holstein, Likhvin, Hoxne Interglacial) were discovered in Europe during the last years. The stratigraphical position of a number of these faunas and the regional differences are discussed in the paper. The new Likhvin small mammal locality Rybnaya Sloboda (Lower Kama basin, Volga basin, Russia) is the easternmost site of this age in Europe. The rich fauna was discovered in fluvial deposits of the 3rd terrace (III) of the Kama River; sediments that are covered by loess deposits with a series of paleosols. The Rybnaya Sloboda fauna includes 16 species of insectivores, lagomorphs and rodents. Remains of the archaic water vole Arvicola cantianus and the Middle Pleistocene steppe lemming Lagurus transiens dominate the fossils assemblage. The evolutional level of the Arvicolinae remains permits the assignment to the Gun'kovian small mammal assemblage and a correlation with the Likhvin Interglacial (MIS 11) (∼424–374 ka BP). The ecological features of the small mammal assemblage indicate a forest-steppe landscape in the lower Kama basin during MIS 11. The comparison with, and the analysis of numerous European Likhvin (= Holsteinian, = Hoxnian) small mammal faunas indicate a geographical biozonation that shows similarities with the biozonation reconstructed for the Eemian (= Mikulino, MIS 5e) Interglacial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that personal and group migration (as a subset of mobility) was a central feature of Linearbandkeramik (c. 5500-4900 cal BC) life, and not confined to short-term events along the agricultural frontier. The first part summarises the data currently available on individual migration (mostly interpreted as female exogamy) and the migration of households or groups of households. It is noted that in current models, migratory behaviour is often seen as pertaining to lower-status groups or that it constitutes a crisis response. In the second part of the paper, I outline the evidence, both isotopic and archaeological, for migration as a constant behaviour and show where this has opened up avenues for new research, notably concerning the use of non-loess areas. In turn, narratives suggesting an increase in hierarchical differences throughout the LBK as a whole are challenged. It is argued that migration was an accepted social strategy that could be used to gain status, and counteracted the creation of hereditary and durable social stratification in established settlement sites. Seeing migration as a constant in LBK life can thus lead to a reinterpretation of other aspects of this early farming society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A summary of published and unpublished data on the stratigraphy of the late Early Pleistocene (Eopleistocene) of the Southern Urals region is presented in this paper. The summary follows previous reviews about the characteristics of the Pleistocene deposits of the easternmost part of Europe. The improvement and unification of the regional Quaternary stratigraphic scheme is the main aim of these investigations. In this paper we describe deposits of different origin, which constitute the regional stratigraphic units (Tyulyan, Raevka, Udryak, Khlebodarovka, Dombarovka, Blagovar and Oktyabrsky Horizons), are characterized. During the late Early Pleistocene (Eopleistocene), the Southern Fore-Urals region was characterized by continental climate conditions and by four phases of incisions of the hydrographic network that were related to regional uplift, as well as to the lowering of the base level and the subsequent regression of the Late Akchagylian Sea. Fossil molluscs, ostracods, mammals and pollen are used for the reconstruction of the palaeoenvironmental conditions and the biostratigraphical positions of the main localities. During Raevka, Khlebodarovka and Blagovar times, the climate was cool, and forest-steppe landscapes with prevalent open spaces existed. The climate during the Tyulyan, Udryak, and Dombarovka and Oktyabrsky times was warm, and during these periods, the areas of deciduous and coniferous forests expanded in the forest-steppes. The molluscan fauna of the Early Eopleistocene was a transitional fauna from the Pliocene to the Quaternary because the wet and warm climate, which was favourable to the Pliocene mollusc species, continued in the Southern Fore-Urals during the Early Eopleistocene. The mammalian assemblages are the basis for the biostratigraphical subdivision. The deposits are biostratigraphically correlated to the Lower Eopleistocene on the basis of the appearance of the first unrooted voles Allophaiomys and Prolagurus together with late species of the Mimomys genus. At the end of the Eopleistocene, the unrooted voles Terricola and Lagurina were numerous , the first Microtus appeared , late species of Mimomys were not numerous, and Archidiskodon trogontherii appeared in the mammal faunas of the region. The small mammals of the Tyulyan and Udryak times represent the Odessa faunal assemblage. The mammal fauna of the Oktyabrsky time corresponds to the Tiraspol faunal assemblage. The units are correlated with the Upper Villafranchian – Galerian stages interval in the Western European stratigraphical timescale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A substantially updated version of the correlation table showing chronostratigraphical subdivisions of late Cenozoic geological time, spanning the last 2.7 million years is presented. It provides scientists, students, professionals and the general public with a ready reference to stratigraphical terms and schemes in use in different areas for similar periods. The updates comprised the status of Quaternary chronostratigraphic subdivision, the combined age-modelled geomagnetic and isotope records from ocean drilling records, and revised regional correlation schemes, notably for eastern Europe. The paper describes the chart in its 2019 QI-500 form and contains sections on its types of usage and formal subdivision status, besides reference and description of the contents of the various columns. The paper also describes and discusses the resolution of correlations in younger and older parts of the last 2.7 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The environmental context of cultural transformation' - frames the central issue of this paper – how were Neolithic and Chalcolithic landscapes in the Aegean, Balkan and Carpathian (ABC) zones shaped and transformed by climatic and anthropogenic impacts? The difficulties in interpreting proxy records for the middle, transitional stage of the Holocene aridification sequence, falling between the early wet stage and the late arid stage, have been created by the conjoint influence of two kinds of impact – climatic and anthropogenic. An unhelpful influence in this debate stems from Willis and Bennett's (1994) hypothesis of minimal human impact on the pre-Bronze Age landscapes of South East Europe. In this paper, two questions are posed: (1) what were the effects of the claimed global changes in Holocene climate at the regional and local scale in the ABC zones?; and (2) can we recognise human impact in these proxy records prior to the Bronze Age of our study regions? Following a discussion of general long-term climatic trends and RCCs (episodes of rapid climatic change), I base a discussion of the so-called 8200BP 'event' and pre-Bronze Age human impacts on a suite of 24 well-dated proxy records – mostly pollen sequences. The principal findings are that there is little evidence for impact from the 8200BP 'event' in these records, while there is substantial evidence for pre-Bronze Age human impacts on the landscapes of the Aegean, Balkan and Carpathian regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper builds on recent research on the abrupt cooling event known as GS1 (Younger Dryas) from ca. 12.9 to 11.7 ka cal. BP. These studies have indicated the diversity of local responses to this period between different regions across Europe. Research has indicated both responses and lack of responses of humans to this event in different regions. In accordance with this research, this paper argues that it is necessary to move away from global models of human responses to the analysis of regional scales. We argue that it is necessary to consider the evolutionary dynamics that predated the GS1 cooling event before identifying its potential impact. This paper focuses on this aspect of the problem by considering evidence from three mountainous areas: the Pyrenees, the northern French Alps and Jura, and lastly southern and Apuan Alps. Recently studied sites are considered with specific attention to lithic industries. Our analysis focuses on (1) the identifiable changes in each industry and (2) the relationship with pre-existing cultural and technological dynamics. The analysis has produced two main results. First, there was a tendency towards a decrease in the standardization of blanks, especially in blades, which was common to the different areas. This change, however, predated GS1 and can therefore not be associated with cooling at the start of GS1. Second, the Northern Alps and Jura, in contrast to the two other areas, seems to reveal a break from the lithic technological traditions that occurred around 12.9 ka cal BP or the early stages of GS1. These results enable a discussion of the different mechanisms that can explain differential regional responses to GS1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on palaeoenvironmental conditions and climate variability during the Upper Late Pleistocene (c. 28,000–11,700 cal BP) in SW Europe (Iberian Peninsula) and their influence on human settlement patterns. All the palaeoenvironmental and archaeological sequences available for this period are analysed, together with a new palaeoenvironmental study related to a key deposit: Verdeospesoa mire (northern Iberian Peninsula). The multiproxy analysis (pollen, spores, non-pollen palynomorphs, magnetic susceptibility, organic content and macrocharcoal) of this sequence, with the support of six Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates, shows the climatic variability of that period, with some dry/cold and humid/temperate episodes. While in vast regions of central and northern Europe very few archaeological sites of this age are known, in the Iberian Peninsula no occupation gaps have been detected in all this period, supporting the idea of SW Europe as a glacial refugium for human groups during the worst periods of the Upper Late Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of excavations conducted at the Late Gravettian site of Lubná VI in 2012 and 2018. This site is an exceptional example of a short-term Late Gravettian campsite, occupied between 27.5 and 27.1 ka cal BP. Due to the specific location of this site, in an area situated far from lithic raw material sources, the archaeological remains offer a rare possibility to understand the subsistence strategy of highly mobile hunter-gatherers in the Late Pleistocene. The knapped lithic assemblage is composed of erratic Cretaceous flint imported over long distances, and the tool inventory is typical of Late Gravettian assemblages from Central Europe, with a dominance of burins and backed implements. However, the lack of chert and flint raw material in the vicinity of the site inspired the occupants to use bladelet blanks to make hunting weaponry from burin spalls. This specific behaviour is unique among Gravettian inventories known from the western Carpathians. Reindeer dominate the faunal assemblage over other species. The season of occupation at Lubná VI was probably early autumn, and may be associated with the maximum use of environmental resources by the hunter-gatherers. The small campsite was located at a convenient spot for processing reindeer carcasses, where some hearth stone constructions were arranged. Because there was no woody vegetation in the closest vicinity of the site, reindeer bones and fat were used as fuel in hearths. Given the lack of nearby flint raw materials, the accessibility of large numbers of reindeer near Lubná, probably present on a seasonal basis, explains the occurrence of Late Gravettian occupation in this micro-region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of environmental change in the evolution of cultural traits is a topic of long-standing scientific debate with strongly contrasting views. Major obstacles for assessing environmental impacts on the evolution of material culture are the fragmentary nature of archaeological and – to a somewhat lesser extent – geoscientific archives and the insufficient chronological resolution of these archives and related proxy data. Together these aspects are causing difficulties in data synchronization. By no means does this paper attempt to solve these issues, but rather aims at shifting the focus from demonstrating strict chains of causes and events to describing roughly contemporaneous developments by compiling and comparing existing evidence from archaeology and geosciences for the period between 40 and 15 ka in Central Europe. Analysis of the archaeological record identifies five instances at around 33, 29, 23.5, 19, and 16 ka, for which evidence suggests an increased speed of cultural evolution. By comparing data from different geoscientific archives, we discuss whether or not these instances have common characteristics. We stress that common characteristics per se are no proof of causality; repeated co-occurrences of certain features over long periods of time, however, suggest that certain explanations may be more plausible than others. While all five cases roughly coincide with pronounced and rapid environmental changes, it is also observed that such conditions do not necessarily trigger major changes in the material culture. Increases and decreases in the diversity of cultural traits seem to be rather correlated with the overall demographic development. In compiling and comparing our data, we also identify periods with high need and potential for future research regarding the relation between environmental change and cultural evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stone hunting points have generated substantial interest and it is often used as a fossil guide to enable the identification and characterization of complex technologies or "cultures". However, the armatures remain poorly understood in Central Europe, despite various original types. This paper explains the key points from Unit K11 of Dolní Věstonice II (South Moravia, Czech Republic). The collection is not directly dated; however, through the typology, it is included in the Gravettian sensu lato. Despite the limited sample of 33 fragments of armatures, it is possible to identify recurrent features. These stone artifacts differ slightly from the other microliths of the Pavlovian sensu stricto , which are dated 27,500–25,500 uncal BP. The main objectives of this article are to report the presence of and describe the microlithic points and to discuss possible analogies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores to what extent orientations of houses can contribute to chronological questions and to the cultural and social contextualisation in the Neolithic of Europe in general and societies with pottery styles labeled as Vinča and LBK in particular. First of all, the question is investigated to what extent systematic errors in the orientation of houses can contribute to the clarification of intra-site chronologies in tells and flat settlements of Southeastern Europe, as just recently proved for Linear Pottery Culture settlements. These systematic, counterclockwise deviations represent a cognitive phenomenon known as 'Pseudoneglect', which can be used to reconstruct e.g. relative-chronological sequences of houses in archaeo-magnetic plans. Beyond such fine-scaled variability, at a regional level, basic orientations of houses prove to be surprisingly durable and stable indicating their normative character and high ideological significance. Within Southeast Europe, regional standardisations can be distinguished for example with the 'basic Balkan orientation' and the 'Upper Tisza orientation'. With regard to the relations between the Vinča and 'the LBK′ we would like to highlight two points: Remarkable is, on the one hand, the high diversity of house orientations in the presumed area of formation of 'the LBK'. Accordingly, human groups of different origins might have been involved in this formation process. On the other hand, it seems that not only human groups from the Balkan but also those from the upper Tisza region played a significant role in the formation and spread of the LBK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is devoted to the Middle and Upper Pleistocene stratigraphy of the Vychegda River basin, located in the far northeast of Europe, in the Timan–Pechora–Vychegda subzone of the Middle–Late Pleistocene glaciations. The available litho-/chrono-/biostratigraphy data were have been obtained from more than 20 natural outcrops along the valley of Vychegda and its tributaries, which were studied lithostratigraphically. Also radiocarbon, OSL, IR-OSL and 230Th/U dating was performed, together with pollen and palaeocarpological analyses. The oldest glacial deposits are related to the Pechora horizon (MIS 8), and the oldest numerically dated relate to the Rodionovo horizon (Schöningen, MIS 7), embracing the chronostratigraphic archive of the last ~250 ka. The Vychegda horizon (Drenthe + Warthe, MIS 6) includes surficial tills, glaciofluvial and glaciolacustrine sediments dated back to 186–111 ka. This ice sheet produced the ice-dammed lake which overflowed into the Kama-Volga and Caspian basin. The Last Interglacial–Glacial cycle is associated with the Sula horizon (Eemian + Lower Weichselian, MIS 5), and the Nenetsky superhorizon with the Laya (Middle Weichselian, MIS 4), Byzovaya (Middle Weichselian, MIS 3) and Polar (Upper Weichselian, MIS 2) horizons, reflecting alluvial and aeolian sedimentary environments. The chronostratigraphic record of the Byzovaya (67–27 ka) and Polar (27–1 1.7 ka) horizons is well supported with 14C, OSL, IR-OSL and 230Th/U-dates and biostratigraphic data. Unlike the predecessors' descriptions no glaciolacustrine deposits had been identified for these horizons. The Holocene floodplain, aeolian and peat bog deposits dated from 11.7 ka are widespread over the Vychegda catchment area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is a critical verification of the late Middle Pleistocene stratigraphy in Poland in connection with stratigraphical schemes in the neighbouring countries. Although a terrestrial record of the Middle Pleistocene is almost complete in western and southern Europe, it is full of gaps in central and eastern Europe. Eight key sites in Poland and one in Belarus were selected to compile environmental and palaeoclimate data for a revised stratigraphy from the termination of MIS 12 to MIS 6, and the chronology was based on correlation with oxygen isotope stratigraphy and OSL ages. The late Middle Pleistocene record starts with the Holsteinian lake sequences, some of which have been initiated already at the end of MIS 12, persisted through MIS 11 and terminated in mid-MIS 10. In the examined sites, MIS 11 is represented also by deposits of meandering rivers in a temperate climate. In contrast, there is no evidence for deposition in most of MIS 10 and in MIS 9. A warmer and presumably wet episode at the beginning of MIS 8 lead to local erosion, followed by development of small lakes. Modest ice sheet advance into central Europe occurred in the second part of MIS 8, as reflected by a till, glaciofluvial and glaciolacustrine deposits and presumably, also by permafrost and ice wedges in western Belarus. MIS 7 seems to have been generally warm and wet when small lakes and meandering rivers could develop. Such mild conditions were interrupted with cool and probably drier episodes when braided rivers and limited pedogenesis occurred. Saalian ice sheet cover of central Europe in MIS 6 was widespread, but even more importantly, in this stage periglacial environments were dominant, as shown by continuous permafrost, intensive aeolian activity and development of ice wedges and involutions. Braided rivers developed during short wetter intervals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Early and Early–Middle Pleistocene archeological sites provide data about human dispersals into Europe from at least 1.2 Ma. Up to now, the fragmentary archeological record indicated only sporadic hominin presence, with punctated migration “waves” not necessarily leading to colonization. We consider an alternative demographical picture in which hominin presence in Europe could have been sustained from this time. This paper explores the possibility that early hominin groups confronted different landscapes by adapting their technology to changing ecosystems. Innovative technological achievements were developed into new forms out of potential existing within the variability of early stone industries, leading to the production of a more diversified toolkit. Among these innovations, the increased secondary knapping of flakes points to conceptually more complex production sequences. This paper proposes a comparative view of secondary knapped flakes from some key Early–Middle Pleistocene sites in order to explore the hypothesis of demographical stability in Western Europe from this time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper is a synthesis of the previously published and unpublished materials dealing with the stratigraphy of the Upper Pleistocene (Upper Neopleistocene according to the Russian stratigraphic scheme) of the Southern Urals. It is the second review about the characteristics of the Pleistocene deposits of the easternmost part of Europe. It follows a previous paper concerning the biostratigraphy of the Late Middle Pleistocene of this region. The deposits which constitue the regional stratigraphic units are characterized. The results of the mammalian, malacological and palynological investigations as well as the radiocarbon data provide the basis for the stratigraphical subdivision and the reconstruction of the palaeoenvironments. The main geological and biotical events of the Southern Urals region which took place during Late Pleistocene are characterized in the paper. Erosional processes became active at the beginning of Kushnarenkovo time when uplift took place in the Urals and when the Late Chosarian regression began on the Caspian Sea basin territory. Fluvial deposits can be observed at the base of the second terrace which developed above the floodplain. A soil was formed on the subhorizontal surfaces. Forest-steppe and steppe landscapes characterized this interval. The climate was warm and humid. The Saigatka horizon formed under cold conditions. Slope processes and solifluction were the main relief-forming processes and fluvial erosion processes became weaker. Floodplain sediments accumulated in the river valleys and formed the upper parts of the second terraces above the floodpain which were intensively eroded. The plains were covered by steppe and the mountainous areas were occupied by tundra and forest–tundra landscapes. The next erosional cycle began during the following Tabulda period, because of the lowering of base level of the erosion and increased uplift of the territory. The fluvial sediments now form the lower parts of the first terraces above the floodplain. A soil was formed on the watersheds. Sites contain Late Palaeolithic artifacts. The floral association was close to Southern Uralian flora of the present-day. The climate was moderately warm in the plains and drier and cooler in the mountains. The subsequent Kudashevo event can be correlated with the Late Glacial when the climate became colder. Loess-like sediments and floodplain deposits form the upper parts of the first terrace above the floodplain and cover the watersheds, where they contain cryogenic structures. The climate was moderately cold. Late Palaeolithic sites attributed to the Kudashevo time are known in the Southern Urals region. The stratigraphical positions of the main Upper Neopleistocene localities of the Southern Urals are discussed. The Southern Urals subdivisions are correlated with the Western European stratigraphical scheme (Eemian–Weichselian interval). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract Ground squirrels were an important member of the Pleistocene steppe-tundra mammal community. They evolved ecological specialisations and exhibit behaviours that make them particularly informative subjects to study palaeoenvironmental constraints affecting species distribution and speciation. Interspecific competition and isolating geographical barriers are considered as the principal factors that define species range boundaries. The present paper provides a first comprehensive compilation of the living and extinct Spermophilus species in Europe. These data suggest 'patchwork quilt' model for the expansion and spatial distribution of ground squirrel species. Here we consider mainly small-sized Spermophilus species because large-sized (e.g., S. superciliosus) ground squirrels consist another 'patchwork quilt', which overlap the first one. This overlapping of the species ranges is possible because of the size difference that lowers interspecific competition (Hutchinson's rule). We consider two main types of range boundaries. One type includes roughly 'sub-parallel' boundaries that oscillate in concert with climatic and vegetational changes (a case of climatically controlled competitive exclusion). The other type consists of roughly 'sub-meridional' boundaries corresponding to geographical barriers (e.g., water barriers, mountain ridges); these boundaries are rather stable. Examples of 'sub-parallel range modifications include: oscillations of boundaries between S. pygmaeus and S. suslicus ; the immigration of S. citellus into the Pre-Carpathian area; the branching of S. suslicus from S. pygmaeus ; the regional appearance of the Late Pleistocene species S. severskensis and S. citelloides. Examples of 'sub-meridional events' are: the crossing of the Danube by S. citellus ; the appearance of an isolated population of S. pygmaeus on right bank of the Dnieper during the Late Pleistocene to Middle Holocene; a crossing of the Dnieper river by S. pygmaeus , which resulted in the appearance of S. odessanus ; the intrusion of eastern populations of S. pygmaeus into the Trans-Volga areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithic artifacts were still in use in Bronze Age Europe, in spite of the emergence of a new technology, namely metallurgy, during this period. In fact, stone technology continued to be used everywhere until at least the end of the Early Bronze Age, and even until the end of the Late Bronze Age in specific areas. This is especially true for Greece where lithic raw material and/or tool networks were still operating during the whole Bronze Age. During the Middle Bronze Age in mainland Greece, obsidian and high-quality chert were still widely used, especially in settlements. This raises the question of the necessity of the use of obsidian instead of a stronger or more versatile material (chert or metal). Why was volcanic glass, which required considerable investment in terms of know-how and long-distance transportation, still used in spite of the technological context (where metallurgy was already developed)? The purpose of this paper is to contribute to this debate through the use-wear analysis of obsidian tools. Artifacts from settlement levels of the Middle Helladic site of Kirrha (Phocis, Greece) have been examined. In this domestic-use context, bronze and chert were also found. The main results of this study show an exclusive form and use of obsidian: bladelets were used for cutting soft and siliceous plant matter, with the exception of Graminae harvesting activity. These results point to the specialization of the lithic industry in terms of raw materials, where sharp obsidian artefacts were employed for cutting of soft and flexible materials, depending on the relative brittleness of the rock, at least at Kirrha. Thus, among the numerous propositions concerning continued obsidian circulation during the entire Bronze Age, a functional use (at least) could be proven, if this observation is also made elsewhere in Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The legacy of specialists in Upper Paleolithic art shows a common point: a more or less clear separation between Magdalenian art and earlier symbolic manifestations. One of principal difficulty is due to little data firmly dated in the chronology for the "ancient" periods, even if recent studies precise chronological framework. There is a variability of the symbolic traditions from the advent of monumental art in Europe, and there are graphic elements crossing regional limits and asking the question of real symbolic territories existence. The different thematic choices also allows to raise territorial kinships between various caves and various regions. The object of this paper is to define where these rich and varied symbolic records appear, and how graphic traditions are distributed in the Western European Paleolithic area, throughout these 15 000 years. To provide some elements of response to this question, we will draw on the one hand, on the formal approaches in the figures, and on the other - on the thematic range used by Paleolithics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The formation of shell middens by hunter-gatherers and research into them has been a common field of study in different parts of Atlantic Europe. Although evidence of marine resource exploitation has been identified since the Middle Palaeolithic, and an increase can be seen during the Upper Palaeolithic, it is during the Mesolithic when true shell middens have been identified, apparently showing an increase in the exploitation of coastal areas. This paper summarizes the available information about the formation of shell middens and the exploitation of the coast in several regions of Atlantic Europe, and discusses the main research problems, as the differences in availability of information, the definition and characteristics of shell middens, the relation between shell middens and molluscan exploitation and the problems regarding the chronology of the sites. Finally, the paper proposes the main approaches that should be pursued by future research into this topic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract The technological systems and subsistence strategies of Middle Pleistocene hominins in South-East Europe are insufficiently understood due to the scarcity of well-preserved, excavated assemblages. In this paper, we present first results from the study of the lithic and bone artifacts unearthed at the Lower Palaeolithic site Marathousa 1 (MAR-1), Megalopolis, Greece. The context of the site represents a depositional environment close to a lakeshore, where rapid burial in a very fine-grained matrix ensured extraordinary conditions for preservation. Lithic artifacts occur in spatial and stratigraphic association with remains of the elephant Palaeoloxodon antiquus as well as other mammals. Bones, including those of elephants, show clear anthropogenic flaking scars, cut-marks and fracture patterns indicating deliberate breakage and modification by early humans. The MAR-1 lithic assemblage is composed of small-sized debitage, retouched tools, a few small and exhausted cores, as well as a large number of debris and retouch products, such as chips and resharpening flakes. Currently, there are no indications of Acheulean bifacial debitage, large cutting tools are missing, and a key aspect of the material refers to its 'microlithic' character. The scarcity of cores and primary flakes indicates a fragmented reduction sequence and complex discard patterns that require further investigation. On the basis of the on-going analysis of lithic material from three field seasons, we discuss aspects of assemblage composition and the role of raw material types, the main technological and typological traits of the industry, as well as the potential contribution of the MAR-1 assemblage in broader discussions about Middle Pleistocene lithic techno-complexes and subsistence strategies in Eurasia. Finally, we briefly present a small sample of bone artifacts, which suggest that hominin exploitation of the animal carcasses was not restricted to marrow extraction and bone processing for nutritional needs, but included also the knapping of bones, potentially with the aim of using the knapped products as tools. The MAR-1 archaeological record compares well with other important Eurasian sites yielding 'small tool assemblages', such as Ficoncella, La Polledrara, Bilzingsleben, Schöningen and Vértesszőlős, some of which, like MAR-1, have provided evidence of elephant or other mega-fauna exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The PaGE Project survey of the Megalopolis Basin (Arcadia, Greece), conducted in 2012–2013 over a period of two field seasons, was an intensive, target-oriented surface survey of Pleistocene sediments. Implementing a modified version of field methods applied in our survey of cave systems and Pleistocene cave sediments, the main goal of this systematic research focused on the identification of intact stratified remains from either stratigraphic sections or on remnants of exposed ancient surfaces. The project area consisted of the active open-cast lignite mine of Megalopolis, where access to recently exposed sections were abundant, and of the alluvial fans in the surrounding uplands, where hominins exploited the commanding views of the ancient lake. This paper presents the survey results and applied field methods for conducting archaeological research within the remnants of an Early to Middle Pleistocene ancient lake system. The project succeeded in identifying at least five surface and stratified sites, the latter including the Lower Paleolithic remains of Marathousa-1. This site is currently under investigation, but has already yielded the oldest chronometrically dated archaeological remains in Greece. Therefore, PaGE has not only managed to place mainland Greece on the Lower Paleolithic map of Europe, but has also successfully tested a methodological corpus for survey research targeting the earliest phases of the Paleolithic period in a Mediterranean landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The emergence of agriculture in Greece denotes the start of the Neolithic in Europe, however, little is known about dietary practices in the region. Archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological remains indicate reliance on cereals and pulses, together with meat-based subsistence practices, including sheep/goat and pig husbandry. Preliminary investigations of dietary practices obtained through lipid residue analysis of pottery of a small number of sites in the region have confirmed primarily carcass products were processed. The weak evidence for dairy products contrasts with finding of dairy-based subsistence strategies in NW Anatolia, which is surprising given its close proximity. This paper aims to build on this earlier work to provide a more detailed model for the dietary changes throughout the region, both chronologically and spatially. To achieve this >900 potsherds from 11 sites spanning the Early (EN) to Late Neolithic (LN) periods from the north of Greece have been investigated using the lipid biomarker approach involving high temperature-gas chromatography (HT-GC), GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC-combustion-isotope ratio MS (GC-C-IRMS) to determine the nature and origins of organic residues preserved in the fabric of pottery vessels. Lipid residue analysis of pottery vessels revealed ruminant and non-ruminant carcass fats comprise the majority of animal fat types identified, reflecting the high abundance of sheep/goat and pig in faunal assemblages. The emergence of dairying in northern Greece can now be dated to the site of EN/Middle Neolithic (MN) Ritini (5900/5700 - 5500 cal. B.C.E.), however, the frequency of dairy fat residues was low, overall, indicating that dairying was not intensively practised. The δ13C values of the fatty acids extracted from potsherds reflect a predominately C 3 diet, however, in the EN and MN there is greater variation with some lipids exhibiting enriched δ13C values indicating a significant abundance of C 4 plants in the ecosystem(s) covered by the study. Significantly, plant-derived n- alkanes (C 22 to C 34) detected in pottery vessels provide the first evidence for plant processing identified in lipid residues from ceramic vessels in Neolithic northern Greece, supporting the abundant archaeobotanical evidence for the processing of cereals and pulses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Vindija cave is one of the most important Paleolithic sites in Europe, containing a large sample of Neandertal skeletal remains associated with both a distinctive lithic industry and a rich faunal assemblage. Results of detailed faunal analyses from layers G3 and G1 are presented in this paper together with a taphonomic analysis of the hominin remains from these layers. Various agents of modification on the hominin and faunal samples were identified based on the presence of different marks on the bones. The data obtained from these analyses are used, together with assessment of the associated lithic industry, for a reconstruction of Neandertal behaviour in layers G3 and G1. The results of these analyses are critical for understanding the subsistence strategies of the Vindija Neandertals and for a comparison of their behaviour between different occupational levels. The picture of Neandertals as highly effective predators who occasionally defleshed human bones, possibly with the purpose of cannibalism, is reinforced by the results of this study. The Vindija Neandertals practiced broad exploitation of local lithic resources and modified their raw material acquisition strategy at the end of the Middle Paleolithic. Taken together, these results provide further support for the diversity of Neandertal behaviour in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decades multi-element analyses have become increasingly important for archaeological and geoarchaeological research. In particular the recent expansion in availability of portable ed-XRF (p-ed-XRF) devices has allowed for the fast acquisition of large data sets. In the presented paper, we evaluate the quantitative measurement capability of a p-ed-XRF device through comparison with wd-XRF. Sampling, drying, and homogenization (sieving < 2 and pulverizing) ensured comparable measurement conditions. The application of He-flotation in the measurement chamber and measurement times of a sufficient duration at low voltage/high amperage conditions increased measurement sensitivity for lighter elements (here at least 90 s at 6 kV, 100 μA), resulting in measurements of a satisfactory quality. In a case study, we measured the elemental contents of the archaeo-sediment-sequence fill of a trench of a ca. 7300 year old Linear Pottery house at the site of Vráble-Ve'lke Lehemby, in southeastern -Slovakia. Based on a model applied at the nearby Bronze Age settlement mound of Fidvár, the P content of the archaeo-sediment was considered as a proxy of palaeo-demography. However, the measured P contents were much too small to reflect the metabolism of a reasonable number of inhabitants. Therefore, in addition to the possibilities of shorter than expected duration of house occupation and incomplete garbage deposition within the ditches, the post-depositional settlement history is considered in detail. Furthermore, bio-cycling by plants during different subsequent phases of Holocene landscape development (forested, agricultural field use) has not been considered extensively in interpretations of the archaeological record so far, but might have had a considerable influence on the shallow buried archaeological record. A reconsideration of the interpretation of the geochemical record from a nearby Bronze Age site (Fidvár) is thus suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the interest for the technological options that were taken by the prehistoric groups to subsist, there is a field of research left empty in terms of archaeological records dated to the 8th and 7th millennia cal BC. It concerns the tool kit made from bone and antler used in Europe by stone knappers to work the lithic raw material by pressure and indirect percussion. Based on morpho-technological aspects, this paper presents a first list of recognized archaeological osseous artefacts employed in indirect and pressure lithic reduction. These are punches, pectoral and shoulder sticks, as well as bone elements involved in the lever systems. This investigation is made in the frame of a larger research project aiming at discussing both origin and agent responsible for the introduction of the “inset technology”—conical core pressure blade concept together with the slotted bone tools—appearing in the southern Scandinavia at ca. 7300 cal BC. Results are promising and experiments enabling characterization of the bone and antler tools used in the debitage by pressure and indirect percussion will be soon undertaken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problems of mammal evolution in the Early and Middle Pleistocene are widely discussed in the literature. The stages of mammal evolution considered in their relation to other paleontological data, geological units and the paleomagnetic scale provide a solid basis for correlation of natural events within this time interval. The analysis of the data on the European mammal fauna makes it possible to compare the evolutionary stages of large and small mammal faunas and the evolutionary changes in indicator phyletic lineages between different regions and to find regional features of similarity or distinction. In this paper the authors made an attempt to analyze data on large and small mammal faunas in Eastern Europe within the interval from the Jaramillo paleomagnetic event to the beginning of the early Middle Pleistocene (1.07–∼0.7 Ma BP) and to compare them with analogous data from Western Europe. Main trends in evolution and distribution of large and small mammals (primarily Arvicolidae) during the studied time interval are revealed. The characteristics of the established principal stages in small mammal faunal sequences are given. The position of these stages with reference to the paleomagnetic and climatic-chronological scales are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Acheulean record of northern France and southern Britain has long been acknowledged as internationally important, having played an important historical role in the development of the discipline. Abundant artefacts have been recovered, primarily from fluvial gravel archives, allowing the responses of Middle Pleistocene human populations on the edge of their geographical distribution to be interrogated. The richness of the record from such deposits can most simply be read as reflecting absolute population numbers – and changes in this over time. However, factors such as regional super-abundance of high quality flint (related to solid geology) and intensity of aggregate exploitation also played their part in generating the apparently regionally dense record of finds. This paper investigates the inter-related patterns of human behaviour, preservation, artefact release and research tradition which underpin these basic distribution maps. We here present a framework for understanding the processes which have created the current distribution map – in terms of where we find material, and which periods are best represented within it. We term this the Unified Palaeolithic Landscape Approach and outline ways in which the spatial and temporal range of the Acheulean record can be addressed through the archaeological record of its heartland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After nearly 150 years of research, many aspects of the emergence of the Acheulian techno-complex in Europe are still under debate. They include: the chronology of the appearance of the Acheulian, its geographical origin, the technology and typology of its assemblages, the actual stages (if any) of its development and the tempo and intensity of its spread into Europe. In this paper, we offer an eastern perspective for exploring these issues. We examine the European evidence in light of the current knowledge of the Lower Paleolithic sequence in the Levant. The primary contribution of this viewpoint is the identification of a ‘Large Flake’ stage within the European Acheulian which, we suggest, should be seen as the earliest stage of the Acheulian presence in this part of the world. While well-defined elsewhere, the Large Flake Acheulian sites of Europe are found primarily in the Iberian Peninsula. We suggest that all other, later, Acheulian sites in the continent can be attributed to the stage defined in the Levant as ‘Late Acheulian’. The resulting chronological and cultural implications are discussed below. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lower Palaeolithic site of Menez-Dregan I (Plouhinec, Finistère), located in Brittany at the very tip of western Europe, has been under excavation since 1991. It is an ancient marine cave where the roof has gradually collapsed, and hence partly protected the archaeological living floors from erosion. The fauna has not been preserved due to the acidic environment at the site, leaving only the lithic industry to show the living style of the human groups who settled there and, notably, mastered the very early lighting/control of fire in late MIS 13 or early MIS 12. Recent digging of layer 7 has provided a lithic assemblage comparable to that of the upper layers at the site and is representative of the Colombanian techno-typological facies. This Lower Palaeolithic industry is contemporary with the Acheulean but differs from it as the heavy-duty tools are mostly cobble tools (choppers). The raw materials used were directly collected from the site itself or from the surrounding pebble beaches; from this stage of collection the use of two chaînes opératoires is clearly evident. The flint pebbles/cobbles are preferentially used for flake production. In most of the cases the “SSDA-Clactonian” (système par surface de débitage alternée) method is applied providing flakes with wide striking platforms seldom facetted, prominent bulbs and open angled ventral faces; sometimes flakes are produced by percussion on anvil; they are never Levallois. The small tool kit mainly includes denticulates and notches with a few scrapers. The heavy-duty tools mostly comprised of various types of choppers are shaped on larger cobbles selected for their rather flat, often elongated shape and for their homogenous nature (sandstone or microgranite). This paper presents some specimens yielded by layer 7; although few, they are typical and definitely akin to the Acheulean techno-typological facies, especially two cleavers made on flakes (quartzite and microgranite), and two bifacial tools roughly shaped on cobbles (sandstone and quartzite), with a third one from the top of the underlying layer 8. These findings revive the question of the relationship between the Acheulean and the Colombanian. Moreover the position of the site in a setting where the natural rocks are available in the form of pebbles/cobbles, flint only as small pebbles, questions the influence of raw material on technical traditions. This provides arguments for understanding the Lower Palaeolithic variability and contributes to the debate on the definition of Acheulean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of the Lower–Middle Palaeolithic transition has been one of the most debated questions in early Prehistory since the mid-20th century. The root of these debates lies primarily in how early prehistorians constructed chronological models, relying heavily upon index fossils. Such models have “artificial boundaries designed to provide structure to a complex record and, rather than being conceived of as permanent or real, should be frequently examined and revised (Corbey and Roebroeks, 2001)” (Monnier, 2006). In this paper, we will not focus our efforts on issues relating to nomenclature and systems of classification. Instead, we will focus on a time frame within which rapid behavioural and technological changes have been documented: the period between MIS 9 to 6. Working on a large scale, and taking account of all of north-western Europe and its southern fringes, a group of researchers working on the main sites from this period propose an assessment of current research on the emergence of the “Middle Palaeolithic”. Using a rich corpus of archaeological sites, we discuss how humans occupied north-western Europe and its southern margins between MIS 9 to 6, focusing particularly on questions of taphonomy, conservation, chronology and environment, as well as reviewing the pattern of technological change within lithic assemblages. This overview of current research into the emergence of the Middle Palaeolithic will help to define future research paths and advance our understanding of this key period of human evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examine Lower Paleolithic archaeological assemblages that contain bifaces (handaxes) made of elephant bones from Africa, Europe, and the Levant. The aims of this paper are to summarize the available evidence of elephant bone tools manufacturing in the Acheulian, and to analyze patterns of elephant bone tool industry compared to stone tool industries and other taxa bone industries. We will focus on the association between stone and elephant bone bifaces at several Acheulian sites, and will present a new perspective on the connections between bifaces made of the two materials at these sites. Based on the long-term interaction between humans and elephants in Paleolithic times, the human dependence on elephant meat and fat for survival, and many lines of resemblance between elephants and humans, we propose that Lower Paleolithic elephant bone bifaces were not manufactured solely for functional purposes, and suggest that there were some cosmological, cultural and symbolic properties reflected in the production of Acheulian bifaces from elephant bones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regular and systematic production of long blades (>120 mm) that maintain a thickness (<10 mm) of regular blades (<120 mm) is a particular phenomenon of the Upper Palaeolithic (40–10 ka BP) archaeological record of Eastern Central Europe. However, the mechanical underpinnings of manufacturing these long blades are still not fully understood. This paper presents experimental research that used heavy (∼800 g) and light (∼570 g) antler percussors to test the effect of percussor weight on the manufacture of Upper Palaeolithic type blades. Statistical analyses showed that a heavier percussor effectively increased the ability to achieve a fine thickness for long blades. The results are then compared to other experimental and archaeological assemblages to suggest that the use of heavy percussors may have played a role in lithic economy of Upper Palaeolithic mobile hunter-gatherers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decade, evidence of artifacts typically associated with the European Upper Palaeolithic has gradually accumulated in the archaeological record of early modern human and late Neanderthal populations. These artifacts, in particular instances of “symbolic” body ornaments, have been considered proof of “behavioral modernity” and used to draw inferences about the cognitive equivalence between primitive and modern human populations. Very recently, however, proponents of holistic mapping and material engagement theory have provided two separate lines of argument criticizing the notion of behavioral modernity and its use in cognitive archaeology. Major problems with this concept have been identified at both the epistemological and metaphysical levels. In this paper I will articulate a critique of behavioral modernity by integrating the preliminary tenets of the aforementioned approaches within a unitary perspective. This integrative process will provide close examination of behavioral modernity under the lights of scientific eliminativism. I will argue that behavioral modernity fails to instantiate a natural kind and thus it cannot be the object of reliable scientific analysis. Furthermore, behavioral modernity does also not represent a useful functional kind, for it offers no explanatory role in the mapping of artifacts and mental architectures. The current use of behavioral modernity in cognitive archaeology is grounded in a series of arbitrary categories and unwarranted inferences. In consequence, this notion can, and in fact, does harm this domain, because it fosters incommensurable theories. For these reasons, I conclude that behavioral modernity ought to be eliminated from the cognitive archaeology vocabulary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the objectives of the CNRS European Research Group GDRE PREHISTOS is to look for cases of “debitage by extraction” on the European continent from the Paleolithic to the First Iron Age. We will thus be able to fill the gaps in our knowledge by first describing each case in technical and economic terms and by identifying new variants of this method. The rod production by extraction is a major invention in the working of osseous materials and it is conceptually similar to the laminar debitage procedure in stone working in that it allows blanks of a similar shape, artificial and standardized, to be produced. The “baguette”, whose shape is close to that of blades, is the best known of these types of blanks. This capacity to produce series of blanks with a sometimes exactly similar morphology and then finished objects led to the standardized mass productions that characterize the evolution of some categories of objects, such as projectile points. This debitage by extraction appears globally during the first half of the Upper Paleolithic (being present in the Early Gravettian of Western Europe). The aim of this paper is to give an overview of different cases identified in the last years for the Upper Paleolithic to the Mesolithic, especially in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to point out some common techniques and methods used in the debitage of horse metapodials, from Western to Central Europe during the Upper Magdalenian. Observations suggest that these skeletal elements follow regular operational sequences in spite of the existing distance between regional groups. This survey allows us to draw many lessons from the study of these skeletal elements that are presumed to be of low significance. It identifies two operational sequences of debitage, extraction and bipartition. Descriptions of techniques, procedures, and methods used by Magdalenians are provided in a synthetic way. The variability of productions is also discussed here. Moreover, the technical and subsistence operational sequences have been interlinked for animal exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until the last twenty years, high mountain areas have been excluded from the attention of archaeological research. This is primarily because it was taken for granted that in Europe over 2000 m a.s.l., climatic and environmental settings precluded a stable human settlement. Secondly, the steep and sharp slopes of the mountain areas are really hard to systematically survey. Nevertheless, this last point is only partially true. Although it is difficult to implement successfully in high mountain zones the same sampling strategies adopted for plain or hilly regions, recent research projects in Alpine and Pyrenean areas demonstrated that alternative sampling strategies can be applied with promising outcomes. This paper discusses the methodological organization of the surveying of mountainous areas located between 1700 and 2900 m a.s.l. in the Central Pyrenees and, more precisely, in the National Park of Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici. Not only the fieldwork organization and the sampling strategies adopted, but other issues, referred to survey-data recovering and recording, are discussed as well, e.g., how to record dispersed but continuous evidence over space. As a result of this methodological reflection, surveys in high mountain environments are revealing humanized past landscapes, hard to imagine even a few years ago; new scenarios that challenges the traditional (pre)conceptions deduced from archaeology and ethnography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prehistoric site of la Noira, located in the Cher Valley, a tributary of the Loire River in the center of France, has yielded a lithic assemblage composed of large bifacial tools, cores and flakes. The archaeological level, lying on the Tertiary lacustrine limestone bedrock, was covered and fossilized by a 6 m-thick fluvial sandy formation. The mean age value of ESR dates obtained on bleached fluvial quartz grains sampled in the sandy levels covering the archeological level is 665 ± 55 ka, confirming the antiquity of the archaeological assemblage. ESR dates and the technical characteristics of the assemblage suggest that it is among the oldest sites with bifacial technology in Western Europe. Since 2011, following geological and geochronological studies, the archaeological level has been excavated over a surface of about 100 m 2. The aim of this paper is to provide new data on the lithic assemblage and to place the lithic patterns of the site in the European technological framework. La Noira is a workshop site, belonging to a key-period of time with the earliest evidence of the bifacial technology in Europe (as for instance levels P–Q of Arago in France or Notarchirico in Italy) contemporaneous with 800–500 ka sites without bifacial technology, such as Happisburgh, Pakefield in England or Isernia in Italy. This phase predates the wide-scale dissemination of the bifacial technology all over Western Europe from the MIS 12. Technological comparisons between these assemblages and a discussion of the diversity of assemblages and technological features point to early episodic arrivals of new traditions in Europe against a background of earlier traditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the Quaternary, episodes of glaciation and associated low sea level have resulted in the connection of the terrestrial landmasses of Britain and mainland Europe. The river systems that established themselves across these newly emergent land surfaces of the coastal plain would have created important migration corridors for both animals and humans, a point corroborated by the affinity of Palaeolithic remains across Britain and Europe. Technological developments within the last decade have allowed these now submerged valley floors and adjacent terrestrial landscapes associated with the last cold stage and early and middle parts of the current (Holocene) interglacial to be explored and their archaeological legacies unravelled, providing geoarchaeologists with an opportunity to contribute to major cultural debates. However, in order to maximize knowledge, it is essential that geoarchaeologists working within river valleys across both Britain and the European continent are addressing similar research questions by collecting data using comparable methodologies. This paper reviews the approach taken in different regions and provides a baseline assessment to allow the development of a coherent European-wide framework for alluvial geoarchaeology and geoprospection, particularly with respect to the Holocene record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a rich archaeological record, northwest Europe (Belgium, the Netherlands, western, northern and eastern France) is often not included in detailed debates on Middle Palaeolithic lithic variability. This is, in part, related to a lack of contextual information for some assemblages, but also to a scarcity of widely accessible publications, especially in relation to early 20th century excavations. However, it is clear that across Europe, including in this northwest region, the late Middle Palaeolithic (here MIS 5d–3, ∼115–35 ka) is characterised by an increase in the use of bifacial technologies, and this paper provides a wider, integrative perspective on late Middle Palaeolithic bifacial tool variability in northwest Europe. Primary data from seven key assemblages (Oosthoven, Grotte du Docteur, Sint-Geertruid, Saint-Just en Chaussée, Saint-Julien de la Liègue, Bois-du-Rocher and Champlost) is integrated with published data from an additional 45 assemblages, allowing for an extensive assessment of the characteristics of these biface-rich assemblages. Results suggest a large amount of typo-technological variability, as expressed through the varying nature of several technological attributes (raw material, blank type, cortex remnant, cross section and edge angles), as well as through the presence of different bifacial tool concepts and bifacial tool types. The limited chronostratigraphic information available suggests the presence of bifacial tools in northwest Europe throughout the warm phases of both MIS 5 and MIS 3. Furthermore, a detailed regional overview identifies common ground within many of these northwest European late Middle Palaeolithic assemblages. Rather than a series of region-specific entities, this research proposes that a larger-scale distinction can be made between assemblages dominated by classic handaxes, and assemblages characterised by the generalised application of bifacial retouch. The latter contain a wider variety of bifacial tools and it is, therefore, suggested to group these assemblages under the overarching label of ‘Mousterian with Bifacial Tools’ (MBT). Detailed studies of new, well-contextualised assemblages are needed to fully unravel the causal factors and behavioural intricacies underlying this bifacial tool variability and the MBT entity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Late Middle Paleolithic of Europe contains a multitude of assemblages that can be characterized by the presence of bifacially-shaped tools. The cultural meaning of these tools, especially with respect to their geographic and chronological patterning has been debated for a long time, with unifacial and bifacial tools treated as fundamentally different technical systems. This paper builds upon previous work that showed that unifacial and bifacial blanks often follow similar reduction trajectories, and compares the management of edge angles in both of these tool classes using a large sample representing the Mousterian of Acheulian Tradition (MTA), the Quina Mousterian, the Keilmessergruppen, and the Crimean Micoquian technocomplexes. The results show that a) unifacial reduction results in the unequivocal increase in edge angles and b) that plano-convex bifacial reduction in the Central and Eastern European Micoquian, as well as similar techniques in the Quina Mousterian serve the same purpose of reducing and maintaining edge angles within certain limits; finally, c) MTA biconvex reduction results in a slow increase in edge angles. The process of edge angle reduction can be used to explain morphology and technology of the different pieces. Given that all these reduction techniques were part of the Neandertal technical repertoire for long periods of time, disappearing and reappearing at various points in history, the implication is that any geographical patterning may be due not to culture-historical developments, but rather to medium-to long-term adaptations to local environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Both the Middle–Upper Palaeolithic transition and the disappearance of the Neanderthals in Europe are frequent issues in the archaeological and paleoanthropological literature. The northern area of the Iberian Peninsula has become a place of remarkable importance for these studies, particularly the Cantabrian cave of Esquilleu, which provides valuable information as well as new dates for understanding the situation at the end of the European Mousterian. The areas used by the last Neanderthals in Esquilleu demonstrate the exploitation of local resources as well as short and sporadic occupations. In this paper we consider these issues from a zooarchaeological and taphonomical perspective and propose an alternative explanation for the unexpected dating for a final Mousterian occupation in the cave: the significance of carnivores in the upper levels may explain this anomalous chronology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Sierra de Atapuerca sites (Spain) have yielded excellent data and they represent the longest chronological sequence discovered in Europe to date, covering the late Early Pleistocene to the late Middle Pleistocene. In view of these exceptional characteristics, this work aims to meet three objectives: to characterise the technological features of various key European sites in relation to the significant factors observed through the Atapuerca sequence; to evaluate whether technological evolution in Europe during the Early and the Middle Pleistocene is consistent with that of Atapuerca; and finally, to consider the possibility of extrapolating population inferences from Atapuerca to the rest of the continent. The conclusions suggest that the earliest peopling of western Europe occurred not long before 1 Ma and was accompanied by a relatively homogeneous Mode 1 technology. Between 800 and 600 ka, the European framework is limited to a few assemblages, most of them derived from European Mode 1, and even probably belonging to the earliest European Acheulean. Interestingly, at Atapuerca there is a gap between c. 900 ka and c. 500 ka with no hominin presence; in other words, approximately 400,000 years passed between the late Mode 1 of Homo antecessor and the first Mode 2 represented there with Homo heidelbergensis. Significantly, this hominin gap has been observed in three consecutive levels of the Gran Dolina site (about 4 m thickness), all of them extremely rich in faunal remains. This paper poses the hypothesis that this gap at Atapuerca represents a non-local, continental phenomenon, leading to consideration of several different points. Firstly, H. antecessor and its possible ascendants, who had formerly peopled Europe, might have been in the process of extinction around 800 ka. Secondly, before 650 ka new but light waves of hominins may have arrived in Europe carrying the new Acheulean technology. These waves did not reach most of the continent, and surely they were not successful in demographic terms until (thirdly) the arrival of the full Acheulean groups at 500 ka. Between 500 ka and 300 ka this full Acheulean appeared at several European sites, and H. heidelbergensis, whatever its origin, is strongly associated with this technology on this subcontinent. Fourthly, if the Mode 1 populations eventually disappeared before 650 ka then the later Clactonian/Tayacian sites of northern Europe cannot be derived from this legacy, but must come from the Acheulean line, and are therefore a variant. Finally, the data suggest that the Acheulean may have technically developed into the European Middle Palaeolithic, as H. heidelbergensis evolved into Neanderthals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Homo and Pachycrocuta were the two major agents responsible for modifying and accumulating bones during early Pleistocene times in Europe. However, although an intense competition between hominins and hyenas in the access to scavengeable resources has long been proposed, currently there is no conclusive evidence for corroborating or ruling out this hypothesis. This paper presents indirect evidence of competitive behavior between both species, recovered from the Upper Archaeological Level of Fuente Nueva-3 (Orce, Guadix-Baza Basin, southeastern Spain). It consists of a number of coprolites and tools that surround an incomplete elephant carcass, which suggests that humans and hyenas may have competed for the consumption of this megaherbivore. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper proposes a new theoretical model to explain the evolution of the genus Homo in Europe during the Early and the Middle Pleistocene in the light of the latest human discoveries in Europe. This model is contextualized within a biogeographical framework in order to assess its environmental feasibility. After the first Out of Africa hominin dispersal, the colonization of Europe may be the result of several hominin migrations originated from a central area of dispersals of Eurasia (CADE), located in the Levantine Corridor and continuously inhabited by a “source population”. Evolutionary changes occur in the source population and are reflected in the demes that migrate to the east and the west of the vast Eurasian continent, but can also occur in their “descendants” and not always at a species level. Populations in the central (CADE) and peripheral areas are intermittently connected, due to the existence of geographic and climatic barriers, possibly with climate being the driving force of the populations expansions, contractions and local extinctions. Populations with a recent common origin and that occupied the same territory might have interbred. During most of the Pleistocene, the human occupation of Europe depended upon the non-linear recruitment of populations from the CADE. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a variational analysis study based on the recently developed method by Gebhardt et al. to reconstruct paleo temperature fields on the typical scale of climate model output, providing the necessary basis for quantitative comparison of reconstructions and model results. Additionally, an extension of the approach takes into account the full statistics of the analysis error of the variational analysis to study the inherent uncertainties of the proxy data representing the imperfect paleo climate information and their impact on the field reconstruction. The method is applied to reconstruct realizations of monthly mean temperature anomaly fields in Europe for January and July in Europe as averages for several time slices in the Late Glacial and Holocene. Single realizations can differ substantially from the field of expectation values in terms of spatial patterns due to the inherent correlation of the spatial uncertainties of the paleo proxy data. Additionally, the fields of expectation values generally are much smoother than the realizations. This indicates that it is misleading to only consider expectation values. Further, the ensembles of realization are used to calculate robust error measures for area mean values, which is valuable for the quantitative comparison of the results of different time slices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In contrast to the widely acknowledged anthropological finds in Oase Cave and to the key geographical position of Romanian territory for the assumed dispersion of Anatomically Modern Humans in Europe, the archaeological information regarding the emergence of the Upper Paleolithic in Romania remains poorly known to a broader scientific community. The prolonged theoretical and methodological isolation of the Romanian Paleolithic research has particularly contributed to keeping the regional archaeology out of the mainstream debates regarding the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in Europe. It has also encouraged the widely held belief of most Romanian archaeologists in the gradual emergence of the Upper Paleolithic, initiated from the local Mousterian. The present paper puts forward a brief examination of the Romanian archaeological record allegedly belonging to the main cultural actors involved in the transition to the Upper Paleolithic across Europe: the Late Mousterian, the so-called “transitional” industries, and the Aurignacian technocomplex. Doubtful stratigraphical data and radiocarbon sampling feed skepticism regarding the supposed Late Mousterian occurrences in the Southern Carpathian caves. The “transitional” industries ask for a similar criticism, as they either display stratigraphical mixing (e.g. the Mitoc-Valea Izvorului), or simply do not belong to the Early Upper Paleolithic chronological framework (e.g. the Ripiceni-Izvor “Aurignacian”). The local origin, the wide dispersal, and the surprisingly young chronology of the Aurignacian technocomplex in Romania are equally challenged. With the exception of the yet undated occurrences in Banat (Southwestern Romania), all the convincingly documented Aurignacian contexts belong to the generally accepted European chronological framework and show no particular connection to the local Mousterian. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recent discoveries of evidence for hominin activity in Britain before MIS 13 challenge previous understanding of the nature of the earliest colonization of NW Europe. Insights into the nature of colonization in this region may be obtained by examining the much richer fossil and archaeological record from Iberia. It has generally been assumed that southern Europe was permanently occupied after the first appearance of hominins in the region, and that it provided a reliable source for populations re-colonizing areas further north. However, continuity of occupation in these southern areas is still to be demonstrated. This paper provides an outline of the palaeoenvironmental, archaeological and fossil evidence from Iberia during the Early Pleistocene and early Middle Pleistocene. This evidence is used to argue that hominin occupation in this region and time period was discontinuous. This may help to address a number of questions about the earliest occupation history of NW Europe: who were the colonists and where did they come from? Were they strongly limited by climatic conditions? Were source populations always available in nearby areas, and did this influence the permanency of occupation in this region? [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: There are now a growing number of sites with a range of proxies that enable a reconstruction of the human habitats of Early and Middle Pleistocene sites in northern Europe. This paper reviews the British record from these periods and concludes that humans were able to survive in a range of climatic and vegetational zones from the earliest occupation in the Early and early Middle Pleistocene. The likely source areas for colonising populations in southern Europe and the probable habitats to which they were adapted in these source areas is discussed. It is argued that colonising populations would need new strategies to cope successfully with northern latitudes, with technological innovations, such as clothing, shelter and possibly fire, being more likely than seasonal migration or physical adaptation. Finally, it is suggested that the earliest evidence prior to 500 ka reflects pioneering populations, perhaps of Homo antecessor, with only sporadic occupation of northern Europe. However, by 500 ka new technologies and other adaptive strategies enabled Homo heidelbergensis to have a more sustained occupation in northern latitudes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recent discoveries from Pakefield and Happisburgh (Britain) have provided clear evidence for an unexpectedly early hominin occupation of north-west Europe. The sites, found in the deposits of interglacial rivers and estuaries on the southern rim of the ancient North Sea coast, span the older and younger parts of the ‘Cromerian Complex’ Stage. The older of these sites pre-date ∼0.5 Ma based on the presence of a Mimomys micromammal fauna, and may be as old as 0.78–1.0 Ma. On the European continent, stone artefacts unambiguously as old derive from the Mediterranean. The earliest archaeological evidence that has been discovered inland in Europe north of the Alps is associated with an Arvicola fauna (younger than ∼0.5 Ma), and was deposited in temperate conditions near rivers that flowed into the North Sea. Only after the ‘Cromerian Complex’ is there evidence for hominin activity in cooler conditions, and also in locations east of the Rhine valley. This spatial and temporal pattern in site distribution occurs despite the long history of research in north-west Europe and the presence of deposits of the same age from both the coast and rivers. This paper explores the idea that the changes in site distribution before and after the ‘Cromerian Complex’ signal that early hominin occupation in northern Europe during the earlier period was an ‘Atlantic’ phenomenon, i.e. restricted to the milder temperate climates in the coastal continental regions. Dispersal to more inland habitats originated in the coastal regions. The conditions explaining preservation of the oldest sites from a geological perspective are investigated, providing a geographical, climatological and habitat context for the wider surroundings of the sites. Because of differences in the potential for preserving archaeology in fluvial and coastal contexts, poor long-term preservation of coastal depositional contexts and low numbers of sites, it is difficult to disentangle the influence of hominin habitat preference (or even: tolerance) from habitat preservation. However, the hypothesis that the earliest hominins in Europe were restricted to the temperate Atlantic parts of Europe provides a testable framework for evaluating future archaeological discoveries, and makes it possible to formulate research strategies for locating new hominin occupation sites in Europe, especially its Atlantic regions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Palaeogeographic changes of the North Black Sea area during Early to Middle Holocene (i.e. 12–4 ka BP) is of crucial interest in the understanding of the spread of the Neolithic to central and western Europe. It is also a good method to develop a framework for Pre- and Proto-historic societal adaptation to environmental changes. This paper describes Black Sea coastal geomorphological changes associated with sea level rise, delta progradation and delta lobe shifts modifying the living conditions and habitability in the Danube delta during Neolithic to Chalcolithic time. An archaeological and palaeoenvironmental chronological framework allows comparison between environmental and social data. The rhythms of these changes are discussed in the light of spatial changes in settlements. The Neolithic to Chalcolithic transition (i.e. Hamangia, Boian and Gumelniţa) shows rapid adaptation to geographical conditions. The Early Neolithic gap in the Dobroudja is potentially the result of a taphonomic bias related to coastal position change in a context of a rapid flooding event. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]