Search

Sea-level rise was a key factor changing environments during the Early Holocene in Northwest Europe. It affected Mesolithic hunter-gatherer communities by inundating large areas in the current North Sea, commonly referred to as Doggerland. In this paper we present novel inundation models for the southern North Sea providing visualisations of lateral inundation driven by sea-level rise and relate it to frequency analysis of radiocarbon dates from archaeological sites. These improve on previous studies that relied on bathymetric data, which includes post-inundation overprints of Holocene sedimentation and erosion, and thus significantly underestimates the timing of inundation in some areas. We constructed a paleoDEM (a composite elevation grid of the top of the Pleistocene) for the eastern part of the southern North Sea; and sea level surfaces that combine relative sea-level curves from glacio-isostatic adjustment models optimised for Britain and southern Scandinavia respectively. We corrected our paleoDEMs for tectonic background basin subsidence, and in the inundation modelling account for pre-compaction elevation of peat in coastal areas. We evaluated the impact of these model components on our results and describe the possible inundation history of Doggerland. We suggest earlier inundation than predicted by previous models, showing significant area loss around 10.5–10 ka cal BP. Palaeogeographic changes are compared with archaeological radiocarbon data using a dates-as-data approach. Composite Kernel Density Estimate and permutation tested Summed Probability Distributions are used as a proxy for the visibility, nature and intensity of human activity. Results indicate key periods of growth and decline recorded in the dataset, as well as regional differences in growth rate, some correlating with inundation phases. Chiefly, we find elevated growth rates around 10.5–10 ka in northwest Germany and the Netherlands, contemporaneous with the abovementioned phase of extensive area loss, and moreover, with changes in culture and practices on Early Mesolithic sites. However, the spatiotemporal distribution of archaeological data is significantly influenced by accessibility and preservation of sediments of a certain age. We discuss the importance of inundation modelling and sediment data in understanding how landscape taphonomy affects archaeological patterning, especially in dates-as-data approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although multiple Mesolithic cave sites have been recognised in Europe, the use of such sites by Early Holocene hunter gatherers was extremely scarce north of the Carpathians. Single Mesolithic artefacts have been found thus far only in six cave sites in Poland. The rich Early Mesolithic assemblage found in Bramka Rockshelter in southern Poland seems to be quite extraordinary in such a context. The site was excavated over 50 years ago, but the results have never been published or analysed beyond a short mention of child burial found in the Mesolithic context. The paper presents new radiocarbon dates obtained for the Mesolithic occupation and the child burial, showing the Early Holocene chronology of the Komornician assemblage and the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age chronology of the burial. The assemblage's techno-typological analysis allowed us to identify six human occupation phases at the site, with the most intensive phase connected to the Mesolithic. Comparative analyses of other Mesolithic assemblages from the region, together with an extremely high percentage of debitage found in the Bramka Rockshelter assemblage, allow us to discuss the possibility of identifying the site as a knapping workshop located in the vicinity of Jurassic flint outcrops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [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]

Noailles burins are one of the main lithic types of the European Upper Palaeolithic which characterizes the "Noaillian" Gravettian. Their typological definition is well accepted today by the scientific community despite a long debate lasted several decades between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. On the contrary, the functional role of Noailles burins remains a matter of debate. In order to provide new evidence about the interpretation of the Noailles burins, this paper combines techno-typological and functional data. At this regard, the entire collection of Noailles burins found in the east sector of the well-known site of Riparo Mochi (Balzi Rossi, Italy) has been studied. Our data, also compared with the European scenario, allow to reconsider the significance of the Noailles burins within the economy of the Noaillian hunter-gatherers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Badegoulian technocomplex holds a special place among the West European Upper Paleolithic (UP) cultural traditions. Often understated or even bypassed by the main prehistorical overviews, caught between the fascinating Solutrean and the "classic" Magdalenian technocomplexes, it nonetheless probably marks a turning point in the evolving trajectory of hunter-gatherers in present-day France. The deep typo-technological changes, traditionally noted through lithic equipment, have recently been examined in the framework of interdisciplinary programs centered on several key-stratigraphic sequences located in south-west France. The combined analyses of flint, bone and antler assemblages, ornaments and faunal remains, together with the implementation of systematic archaeostratigraphic reassessment and radiometric dating, serve to confirm the speed and the strength of these changes ca. 23 cal ka BP. Without going into detail into the Solutrean-Badegoulian transition issue, the present paper provides a synthetic overview of the main Badegoulian characteristics—and their known variability—on the basis of the lithic and osseous equipment that guided the original identification. Following a three-step structure successively exploring the "when", the "what" and the "where" questions, we will look at the current challenges in LGM chronocultural research, between (false) consensus and (true) sticking points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The archaeological site of Checua is located at the north end of the Sabana de Bogotá, Northern South America. New archaeological research at the site has revealed significant evidence of well-preserved hunters and gatherers' funerary contexts which date back to 7580-5052 BP (cal 2σ). Former studies reported 33 human interments, and a recent excavation at the site revealed 24 additional individuals distributed in 18 ritual burials. In this occasion, a taphonomy-focused archaeothanatological protocol was implemented to determine the nature of the burials and to inquire into post-mortem manipulations of the bodies. This analysis revealed unknown funerary practices among hunters and gatherers in the region, such as occasional wrappings of the corpses before their disposal, unconventional rearrangements of the bodies in secondary burials, as well as intentional and well-planned post-depositional manipulations in primary inhumations. In this paper we select a sample of 10 individuals to illustrate the results of this analysis, and we highlight the relevance of archaeothanatology to obtain high-resolution data of mortuary practices. Here we focus on the process of ritualization by exploring the ways in which the living dealt with the dead by means of diverse treatments of human bodies and posthumous arrangements of graves. We argue that the study of these funerary practices opens up a wider range of possibilities to discuss how the living faced the experience of remembrance as they commemorated death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper explores the characteristics of human occupation in the area near the Argentine-Chilean international boundary, in the Andes cordillera (northwest of San Juan province). Characteristics of human occupation of these high altitude environments and changes in subsistence strategies that occurred during the Middle Holocene are evaluated. The study is based on the analysis of the materials at the site located in a seasonally environment rich in resources. The paper contributes to knowledge of the function and the variability of socio-cultural systems of the past in Andean environments in the southern part of the Northwest Argentina region (NOA). The problem is approached from studies of the organization of lithic technology, and osteometric analysis recovered at the ARQ-18 site. These studies indicate changes in subsistence and technological strategies of human groups that occupied ARQ-18, incorporating herding activities in a chronological range between 5100 and 4300BP. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract In this paper, I intend to show that the notion of an exchange network is much more useful than that of territory in the study of Paleolithic societies. The heuristic benefit of the notion of exchange network is demonstrated by its adaptability to different spatial scales, from local to regional and supra-regional, the last one being difficult to integrate in the traditional concept of territory. Models issued from the study of contemporary hunter-gatherers are easily applied to the European Upper Paleolithic. Interactions between groups should satisfy two contradictory requirements: each group needs to maintain its identity through specific markers, but on the other hand, it needs to communicate with neighbors and share with them material resources and cultural features such as beliefs and symbols. Hence the complex patterns that can be found in rock art and portable art, consisting in a mixture of strictly localized traits and other widely shared features. Exchange networks may be analyzed at different scales and their fluctuations over the course of time give us some access to the dynamics of Paleolithic human geography. In particular, I will evaluate this hypothesis using examples from the graphic images and forms of the Upper Paleolithic "arts". [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: This paper reviews recent progress of Japanese shell midden archaeology and discusses how the information from shell middens can help answer some of the key questions in anthropological archaeology today. Over the past several decades, shell midden archaeology in Japan has made significant advances both in terms of theory and method. Active interaction with Japanese and Anglo-American archaeology has resulted in the development of new theoretical approaches, including environmental archaeology, zooarchaeology, and hunter-gatherer archaeology. Methodologically, the adoption of the flotation and water-screening methods has enabled archaeologists to collect quantitative data of faunal assemblages, and sometimes of floral assemblages as well. The dense distribution of shell middens in northeastern Japan and its changes through time are closely related to the regional and temporal variability of the prehistoric Jomon culture (ca. 14,000–500 BC). In this article, shell middens from four regions of Japan are examined: 1) Tohoku, 2) Kanto, 3) Chubu, and 4) Western Japan. The final section of this paper discusses the implications of regional and temporal variability observed among these shell middens. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The accumulated archaeological records have shown that hunter-gatherer societies turned from mobile to sedentary ways of life through the transition from the terminal Pleistocene to the initial Holocene (ca. 15–8 ka) in Japanese Archipelago. This paper discusses the historical processes seen among prehistoric human cultures, societies, subsistence and environmental changes in this transitional period, namely the shift to the ‘Jomon’ culture. After the AT eruption, which is a huge volcanic eruption in Southern Kyushu in ca. 25000 14C BP, population contraction of large mammals as well as a rapid shift to cold/dry condition and expansion of coniferous forest pushed hunter-gatherers to change their hunting target from large mammals by broad foraging to middle to small mammals in small areas, and formed ‘matured’ regional societies. The ‘Jomon’ culture is thought to have stemmed from these societies, but is more varied, regional, and sophisticated than the Palaeolithic one resulting from the complex environmental change of the Pleistocene–Holocene transition. The emergence of oceanic climate and fine-grained ecological settings shaped the unique culture. For example, the spread of broadleaf forests supplied plentiful nuts, and continental shelves formed through coastal transgression furnished ample marine resources. Because these new ecological settings were formed, the ‘Jomon’ population could have become dependent on gathering and fishing, and shifted to a sedentary subsistence strategy. Furthermore, increase of precipitation and diverse rainfall patterns encouraged diverse ecological settings, leading to the formation of various regional Jomon cultures. This paper presents such complex trajectories for the ‘Jomon’ culture. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The transition to farming is often written in the language of progress. The search has been for the oldest sedentary farming settlements, the processes of plant and animals domestication and the profound societal alterations that accompanied the choice to change lifeway. Perhaps because most of us come from long-standing farmer ancestry, we tend to assume that farming is a superior and more secure way of life. Is there any data to support this? Evidence from southern Africa since the 1970s has shown that the Kalahari hunter-gatherers living in what is a comparatively harsh environment have/had a relatively easier life, with considerably more leisure time and a longer life expectancy than those living in early farmer groups (Lee and DeVore, 1976). Many hunter-gatherers in East Asia will have had even more comfortable and leisure filled lives than those of the Kalahari Bushmen. It is therefore important to ask the question as to why East Asian hunter-gatherers took up farming and whether all hunter-gatherer groups made this choice swiftly and willingly. I use evidence from studies into hunter-gatherer interactions with farmers in sub-saharan Africa to consider this question. It was originally hoped that groups such as the Bushmen of southern Africa, the Pygmies of central Africa and the Hadza/Sandawe of East Africa could give us glimpses into a universal hunter-gatherer past. Revisionist studies since the 1970s have sought to undermine this hope and have emphasised that early research recorded the end product of at least two millennia of interaction, influence and change from being amongst pastoralists and farmers. Archaeology has made significant contributions to this debate, providing evidence for the nature and extent of interaction, continuity and change. Today we are therefore well-positioned to consider the specifics of how hunter-gatherer groups responded to the coming of livestock keepers and farmers in different parts of Africa. This paper will review African interaction models so as to consider their implications for East Asia. I do not provide a general model for interaction, indeed I would be ideologically opposed to any attempt at this kind of universalism, but I seek to provide a convincing glimpse of the kinds of real-world complexity and contextuality in the choices made by East Asian hunter-gatherers in their responses to the presence and influence of farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ‘Neolithic problem’ refers to forager/farmer interaction in northern Australia, where despite a shared environmental inheritance with their New Guinea neighbours, Indigenous Australians seemingly rejected both the domesticates and the practices of the Melanesian horticultural economy (White, 1971). This ethnographic example is often used to suggest that hunter-gatherers elsewhere may have chosen not to adopt agriculture. However, the premise of the ‘Neolithic problem’ has been criticised for its over-reliance on the ethnographic record and on an anachronistic notion of cultural evolution, which exaggerates the dichotomy between New Guinean agriculturalists and Australian hunter-gatherers. In this paper we review the historical and theoretical treatment of the ‘Neolithic problem’ and the archaeological evidence for subsistence practices in northern Sahul spanning the past 50–60,000 years. Using niche construction theory (Rowley-Conwy and Layton, 2011) to re-examine the archaeological and ethnohistoric record, it is possible to observe the development and expansion of a variety of subsistence systems. Contrary to the premise of the ‘Neolithic problem’, the past 50–60,000 years of occupation in Sahul has seen the development of a varied array of food-producing subsistence practices in both New Guinea and Australia. However, the archaeological evidence for the expansion of horticultural practices and cultivars outside of highland New Guinea suggests a spatially and temporally narrow window for the adoption of agriculture by Indigenous populations in Cape York. Instead, the interaction between different subsistence systems in northern Sahul may have centred on the New Guinea lowlands and the Bismarck Archipelago, where, in the late Holocene, local communities interacted with other Melanesian and Austronesian populations. Whilst further archaeological investigation is required, it is clear that the image of culturally-static Indigenous Australian populations often implied in the consideration of forager/farmer interactions belongs to another era of archaeological thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent excavations and radiocarbon work conducted at Cocina Cave (Valencia region, Eastern Iberia) provide new insights into the transition from foraging to farming in the eastern Iberian Peninsula between 8000 and 7300 cal yrs. BP. Cocina cave was discovered in 1940 and excavated by L. Pericot from 1941 to 1945. J. Fortea continued excavations in the 70s. Despite early international recognition and great promise of significance, the materials recovered from these excavations have only been partially analyzed and published. A new project started in 2012 is focused on these cave deposits with the main goal of understanding the occupation sequence during the neolithization process in the Western Mediterranean. The project includes a complete analysis of cultural material and biological remains of the previous excavations and integrates a 3D reconstruction of the stratigraphy and spatial analysis of the recorded artifact distributions. The results presented in this paper highlight the chronological position of materials deposited by the last hunter-gatherers and first farmers in Cocina cave based on data from the 1941 and 1945 trenches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers lithic raw material procurement of Epigravettian hunter-gatherers from Kopačina Cave on the island of Brač (Dalmatia, Croatia). The most significant group among the determined petrographic categories are different cherts, and a significantly smaller group of radiolarites. Cherts are both locally and regionally available, while radiolarites originate from more distant areas. Use of raw material that could have been procured within 20 km radius (local) and in the range of 20–50 km (regional) is predominant and very similar in all phases. Raw material that could have been procured from distances ranging from 20 to 50 km shows a gradual trend of increase in frequency from the earliest to the latest phase, while the raw material procured from distances greater than 50 km (extra-regional) has an obvious drop in frequency from the eldest to the youngest phase. Temporal trends in lithic raw material use suggest certain continuity during the whole Epigravettian sequence as well as change which shows itself in larger exploitation areas or more intensive long-distance contacts in earlier Epigravettian phases in Kopačina than in the later ones, and possibly a higher degree of hunter-gatherers’ mobility. Presence of radiolarites in Kopačina's Late Upper Paleolithic layers, as well as their potential outcrops suggest movements of hunter-gatherers deeper in east Adriatic continental hinterland where for now only a few traces of human settlements from Late Glacial have been found. Raw material of several found artifacts indicates possible contacts with the west Adriatic coast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the latest results of archaeological research in Epigravettian deposits of Blazi Cave in north-central Albania. This Epigravettian site is the first of its kind in Albania with a large sample of stone artifacts, faunal remains and dating material. The study material stems from the last remaining Late Pleistocene deposits in this cave and therefore characterizes the site in its totality. AMS 14 C dates place the cultural layers between 18 and 17 ka cal. BP. This age model coupled with the density of anthropogenic remains attests an intensive use of the shelter by hunter-gatherers in the final phase of the Last Glacial Maximum. The radiocarbon results place the Blazi data into the early phase of the Late Adriatic Epigravettian complex. This chronology is corroborated by certain technological and typological traits identified within the stone tool sample. Analysis of the faunal remains suggests a repeated use of the shelter in the warmer summer period. Blazi Cave functioned as a specialized ibex hunting site and therefore fits into a larger complex of task localities in the wider region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of an application of geophysical surveying methods to Mesolithic sites in Portugal. Magnetic gradiometry maps have been produced at the sites of Vale de Romeiras and Poças de São Bento. At the latter, three excavation seasons have provided information to test the results of the survey. It is concluded that these techniques can be considered efficient tools for the delimitation of the sites and for the identification of Mesolithic and Neolithic structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we focus on the regional/local scale of the archaeological record of the Central-West area of Chubut (Argentinean Patagonia) through the characterization of its regional taphonomy, considered from an archaeological perspective. We focus our research in the comparison of three different landscape situations: 1) a slope leading to highlands, 2) an azonal vegetal community (wetland or mallín ), and 3) a salt lake. Our main goal is to compare those situations, in order to determine the main taphonomic factors that regulate the archaeological material distribution in those locales. The ultimate goal is to address how past hunter–gatherers inhabited these landscapes. We depart from the assumption that distributions of artifacts are mainly explained by the action of post-depositional processes. To evaluate this assumption first we postulate a series of hypothesis and expectations for each locale, considering the main post-depositional agents present in them, and we evaluated if the patterns of material distributions can be explained by one or many of those processes. Only if explanation cannot be achieved by them, we recurred to human depositional activities. As a result we managed to explain most of the archaeological distributions in terms of post-depositional processes. Only in two cases we propose that human deposition occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have carried out long-term comparative in a wide latitudinal range of the Andes (29°–37° south), encompassing selected areas that differ in ecology and biogeography. This latitudinal span shows diversity in subsistence modes across time and space, ranging from Andean agro-pastoralists in the north to Patagonian hunter-gatherers in the south. As part of this research, a program of geochemical and archaeological characterization of obsidian sources and distributions is being developed, attempting to assess connections between different biogeographical contexts. This work has allowed recognizing five Andean sources with different geological and topographical properties. Stemming from this macro-regional endeavor, in this paper we present a comparative analysis of the human use of two sources that, based on the intensity of human use on a macro-regional scale, can be interpreted as ‘minor’ sources. This study is framed on GIS least-cost models for human circulation across rugged landscapes allowing access to the sources. We assess temporal and spatial patterns of human occupation of high-altitude Andean deserts and neighboring areas comparing two of obsidian sources: Laguna del Diamante (34° S) and Cerro Huenul (36° S). The results indicate the existence of asymmetric distributions, particularly in the case of Laguna del Diamante. This evidence is used to assess the existence of dominant geographic vectors of human access and use of the Andean highlands. On this basis, we explore the analytical potential of minor sources for the study of human biogeography and organization of technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to discuss hunter–gatherers' logistical mobility strategies in Central-Western Santa Cruz province during the last 2500 years BP, in a context of human adaptations to semi-desert conditions. The approach to the archaeological record is focused on integrating three independent lines of evidence: technology, zooarchaeological and anthracological analysis. Logistical mobility will be addressed focusing on two main aspects: resources transportation and variability of archaeological contexts. The observed variability has allowed shedding light on the use of the category “logistical” used to describe plateaus. Additionally, these areas show a well-planned and scheduled use during a regional process of desiccation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hunter-gatherer groups' organizational strategies were influenced by how key resources were structured on landscapes, including lithic toolstones with fixed outcrop locations. Lithic artifacts, which were created via reductive sequences, can inform landscape-level behavioral reconstructions because toolstone decreased in quantity through use as it was transported further from its source and its reduction stages can be determined using diagnostic lithic debris (e.g. primary cortical pieces, renewal flakes, and cores). By comparing lithic raw materials and their reduction stages at four Lower Cantabrian Magdalenian sites—Altamira, El Juyo, El Mirón, and El Rascaño—this paper reconstructs lithic provisioning and hunter-gatherer mobility in the center of the Vasco-Cantabrian region during the Last Glacial period. This study proposes that the Lower Magdalenian groups who occupied these sites shared a regional economic territory that extended from Cantabria into western Navarra and conveyed toolstones between sites as part of mobile toolkits. Local raw material conveyance demonstrates that shifting environmental zones was an important factor in these hunter-gatherers' mobility strategies in Cantabria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Central Portugal (westernmost Eurasia) the transition from the traditional Pleistocene hunter–gatherer societies to the complex Mesolithic societies of the Holocene has been debated for decades. While some argue that these differences were a progressive phenomenon that started with the shift from the Pleistocene to the Holocene, others defend that the Late Pleistocene patterns were fairly similar to those of the Epipaleolithic and that the major shift was rapid, dramatic and triggered by the necessary adaptation to the 8.2 ka cal BP (8.09–8.25 ka cal BP) climatic event. The study of lithic raw material provenance might be useful for this discussion, since it has been suggested that the Magdalenian and Epipaleolithic populations from this region were collecting this resources within a close range territory, whereas the Mesolithic populations were acquiring them at longer distances. In this paper, we present the results from p-XRF, VP-SEM-EDS and μ-XRD analysis done on the Epipaleolithic lithic assemblage from Pena d'Água Rockshelter, and in some geological samples from secondary sources located ∼14 km from this site. This layer is of major relevance for this debate since it is dated from 8.19 ka cal BP. If the transition was gradual, it would be expected that this assemblage would show some traits of higher-complexity seen in the Mesolithic, namely of longer distance acquisition. However, our results indicate correspondence between the archaeological chert types and some of the geological sources. The differences seen between the archaeological specimens and geological samples are mostly present in traits that can be related with manufacture, handling and post-depositional phenomena. The results suggest that, in what concerns to the economy of abiotic resources, the Epipaleolithic populations living at the time of the dramatic 8.2 ka cal BP cold event, were performing a short range acquisition of lithic raw materials which reinforces the idea of continuity from the Late Pleistocene to the 8.2 ka cal BP event and an abrupt and dramatic shift soon after this phenomena. [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]

The cave of Coímbre contains an important archaeological deposit divided into two different zones, of which most of the excavations carried out to date have taken place in Zone B. Coímbre B displays a full and very interesting Magdalenian sequence (with Lower, Middle and Upper Magdalenian levels), in addition to a Gravettian layer. The excavations were performed from 2008 to 2012. The hunter–gatherers who lived in Coímbre in the Upper Palaeolithic made use of several adaptation strategies allowing them to exploit all the abiotic and animal resources the environment afforded them. In this way, the faunal assemblage includes remains of ibex and chamois, associated with the mountains and crags in the immediate surroundings of the site, and also red deer, roe deer, aurochs and horses, indicating the exploitation of the animal resources living in the Besnes valley, at the foot of Sierra del Cuera. When the faunal remains in the Magdalenian levels, and those in the Gravettian layer, are analysed in greater detail, significant differences indicate a differential use of the terrain. Thus, in the Gravettian, the preferential hunting of aurochs and red deer suggests the valleys in the vicinity were exploited while steeper and more mountainous areas were visited less. In contrast, in the Magdalenian, the most common faunal remains belong to ibex, which was the most hunted species. Together with ibex, chamois is also very common, whereas bovids are found in very small numbers in the Magdalenian levels. These patterns reflect a change in the hunting behaviour of the occupants of the cave, in which the hunting of valley resources was transformed into a more intensive use of animals in more rugged areas, such as ibex and chamois. This paper presents the preliminary results of the study of Magdalenian occupations in Coímbre, following the excavations in Zone B, one of the most important places of Magdalenian human activities in Western Cantabria (northern Iberia). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to present a detailed zooarchaeological study conducted on the bone assemblage from the Laguna Cabeza de Buey 2 site, located on the margins of a small shallow lake in the center of the Pampa grasslands (province of Buenos Aires, Argentina). Taxonomic structure, taphonomic information, site formation processes, and subsistence strategies for different occupation events are described and discussed. At least three events of pre-Hispanic occupation (two in the Middle Holocene [6800 and 4150 14C years BP] and one in the Late Holocene) and one in Historical moments were identified. Human occupations are developed in relation to a shallow lake under a climate more arid during the Middle Holocene, which decreased up to the current environmental conditions; humid temperate. The camelid Lama guanicoe (guanaco) was always the most important economic resource during the three events of human occupation in the Holocene, followed by Ozotoceros bezoarticus (pampean deer) and, to a lesser extent, by three species of small armadillos ( Chaetophractus sp., Zaedyus pichiy , and Tolypeutes matacus ). In Historical times, modern domestic faunal remains ( Equus caballus and Bos taurus ) were exploited. A subsistence strategy focused on artiodactyls, mainly guanaco, allows suggesting certain specialization through time in the exploitation of animal resources by hunter-gatherer groups in the center of the Pampa grasslands, strategy that contrasts with what is recorded in other areas of the Pampean region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the results of the study of the silicifications from Meseta del Fresco (Fresco Formation), a vast source of chert in La Pampa province (Argentina), that was widely used by hunter–gatherer groups from the Pampas as a source of raw material. Petrographic analysis of different thin sections, both from geological samples from different parts of the unit, as well as from cultural material associated with the outcrops, was performed. The objective that guided these studies was to develop a detailed description of the type of siliceous replacement upon the prior rock (limestone) and from the filling of its cavities. The results obtained let us inquire about the nature and origin of silicification, about the diversity depending on the location in the profile of the carbonate rock replaced during the diagenetic process, and about the extent to which this process affected the Fresco Formation at various points sampled. From an archaeological perspective, the analysis constitutes an advance in the study of lithic resources procurement behaviors developed by hunter–gatherer societies in the past because: 1) a database about the characteristics and variations of the silicification present in the outcrop was generated, as a tool to compare the archaeological samples from different sites, 2) different degrees of rock silicification that could favor its aptitude for knapping, were tested. This could have motivated preferential selection for making lithic artifacts. The archaeological information recorded in different sites on the eastern and western slopes of Meseta del Fresco is quantified in order to show the differential use of both areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to generate new data on raw material sourcing of multiple activities sites at La Primavera locality to describe some provisioning strategies adopted by mobile hunter–gatherer societies, and contribute to the study of the local settlement in the wider regional context. The local structure of lithic resources is characterized; the natural distribution of useful rocks is modeled and the raw materials of artifacts from multiple activities sites are sourced. The classification and sourcing technique applied is not a determinant method, but a preliminary approach adequate to deal with a very large lithic artifact sample. The rock distribution across the landscape was analyzed using a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for compiling the available data and estimating the distances from the sites to the sources for each raw material found in them. Based on the circulation distances and different considerations regarding the characteristic of the lithic sources, three different provisioning strategies are delineated. They suggest that settlement at the locality involved a certain permanence time that surpasses a logistic use, while keeping trade and social networks with other localities in the regional context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to identify technological decisions involved in the production of retouched lithic artifacts recovered from three Late Holocene archaeological sites located in the northeast of the Isla Grande of Tierra del Fuego (Argentina). More specifically, the main goal is to assess whether there is any relationship among raw material selection, retouching intensity, and the morphology of retouched artifacts. Through the analysis of several correlations between the knapping quality of the different raw materials employed and the index of invasiveness and curvature, it is inferred that raw materials were selected according to their homogeneous texture and convex shape in order to produce long retouched edges. As most of the retouched artifacts have been produced on unifacial blanks, using unipolar debitage techniques which does not require specific knapping skills, it is proposed that similarities found in the three archaeological sites can be explained as a result of oral transmission of basic technological knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses provisioning strategies of lithic raw materials at Maripe Cave site (province of Santa Cruz, Argentina). The archaeological sequence represents different moments of human occupation at the cave and in the study area, which show different lithic technologies. The morpho-typological analysis of the lithic cores recovered contributes to our knowledge about the strategies related to procurement and provisioning of the lithic raw materials used for artifacts production. We identified different raw materials from the analyses of lithic cores and other artifacts from the site. This allowed analyzing trends in selection and provisioning processes and interpreting the mobility strategies of the groups that inhabited the Deseado Massif since the Pleistocene–Holocene transition. Trends suggest that, during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition and early Holocene, abandoned cores from Maripe Cave mainly indicate people provisioning strategies. During middle Holocene, the cores shows blades extractions and raw material use from long distance, discarded with remaining potential utility. Finally, at late Holocene the cores were mainly prepared for blade extractions. Our results do not fully agree with Kuhn's proposal, probably due to both the theoretical polarization between the provisioning strategies and the palimpsest effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of technological organization associated with hunter-gatherers groups has been one of the topics of greatest interest in the archaeological research of the Pampean region. In this sense, the aims of this paper were to interpret the role of the Cerro Largo Formation chert in the technological practices of human groups and to discuss how this rock was used and transported in the center of the Humid Pampa sub-region during the Late Holocene. We will present the techno-morphological analysis on chert artifacts recovered from Boca de la Sierra workshop in order to identify how this stone was used at the beginning of its exploitation. Then, we will compare and discuss diverse chaînes opérotoires on chert found in archaeological sites located at different distances from the sources. In Boca de la Sierra workshop, we recorded three initial forms of exploitation of the nodules. The Cerro Largo Formation chert had been transported from this workshop to other sites in the form of different kinds of partially and/or totally decorticated cores, nodules, large flakes, and possibly tools. In those sites located at a short distance from the quarry workshops (Empalme Querandíes 1 and Laguna La Barrancosa 2) we observed complete chaînes opérotoires organized through débitage , with low production of standardized blank and a high frequency of external flakes used as blank for the manufacture of different kinds of tools. In those sites located at a long distance from the quarry workshops (Laguna La Larga and Laguna Seca 2), we recorded chaînes opérotoires developed almost entirely. Even though some expedient tools are recorded, the greatest maximization in the use of Cerro Largo Formation chert is remarkable. The high proportion of standardized, small and shaped tools, the identification of exhausted cores, the use of a bipolar technique, and the presence of resharpening flake edges show a curated technological strategy. Finally, the presence of complete chaînes opérotoires close to the hills allow us to infer direct access to the outcrops and an easy acquisition of chert; whereas the features observed in the other sites indicate that the chert acquisition was done by specific trips or by social exchange and interaction networks with other groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithic resources at the Central Plateau of Santa Cruz (Argentina) are abundant, ubiquitous and of very good quality for knapping. They have been exploited by hunter–gatherer societies since the latest Pleistocene until the Late Holocene. The study of their distribution, availability, and ways of exploitation at the quarries, together with the information stemming from the archaeological sites, enable the understanding of the first stages of tool production and consumption. In this paper, two quarries from La María Archaeological Locality (Cantera de Sílex de CDM and Cantera Bosque Petrificado) are studied and compared. Their geomorphologic location is described. The lithological characteristics of the outcrops, the size of the stones, and the variability of raw materials available at them are also addressed. The accessibility and visibility of the quarries are analyzed. The way raw materials were exploited at the sources is evaluated taking into consideration their relationship with the local and regional structure of lithic resources. The information generated for the quarries is complemented and compared with the local trends identified for the habitation sites. This enabled the formulation of a general model about the first stages of production. Although the quarries have different types of raw materials (flint and silicified wood), results show that similar technological strategies were implemented in them. These are in agreement with the general trend at the local and regional levels. Both sources are easily accessible from the surrounding landscape. They are visible from nearby areas. Probably, they were exploited mainly from nearby sites. At the quarries, the first stages of tool production were performed: core decortication and preparation and the production of blanks. The acquisition of raw material involved the selection of good quality nodules and boulders and the production of polyhedral cores knapped in multiple directions. These cores could be transported to the habitation sites or could be discarded in situ while still presenting active platforms. On the other hand, differences in some procurement practices might be related to decisions and variations linked to the particular characteristics of the resources in both outcrops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological investigations carried out in the area of San Blas Bay revealed a great number of surface concentrations of shells, lithic artifacts and in lesser amount, ceramic remains. These places have been occupied by hunter–gatherers from the middle Holocene to recent times. In some cases, cultural materials and combustion structures have been reported in stratigraphic position. In this paper, we present the analysis of a hearth in a cup shape structure located in a sand aeolian deposit, in the La Serranita archaeological site, dated from 5300 BP, compared with another hearth from Las Olas 5 site, dated from 500 BP. The aim is to infer the activities that could be carried out in relation to the combustion structures, by physical–chemical analysis of sediments, and by identifying and quantifying the microremains. An attempt is made to determine the intensity of use of the fire structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The initial human occupation and colonization of island areas are linked to a set of ideas and assumptions about when and how these processes occur. This paper discusses these ideas in light of archaeological evidence from the Araucanian islands (in Southern Chile) with regard to the different trajectories experienced there mostly by hunter–gatherer groups. The evidence indicates that rather than presenting a homogeneous and shared regional pattern, each island represents a particular trajectory of human history. This is represented by differing dates for the earliest human presence on each island, as well as distinct processes of abandonment and re-occupation. In addition, despite a long history of prior hunter–gatherer occupations, these islands were ultimately colonized solely by food-producer groups. This highlights the importance of considering factors such as the cultural construction of space and the constraints it places on inhabitants and their technology, as well as a population's dynamic history in terms of its relationship with the mainland and the island(s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on Late Holocene coastal occupations of hunter–gatherers that inhabited the northern steppes of Grande Island of Tierra del Fuego. Available archaeological data produced by our previous research in the Argentine portion of the island located north of San Sebastian Cape is discussed from a regional taphonomy perspective. Our approach is based on the characterization of the main taphonomic modes recognized in the region. Preservational and other patterns for bones and lithics are presented and discussed. Based on the comparative study of isotaphonomic assemblages, general trends in human coastal occupations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to review the current state of research for the Early Neolithic (c.5000–c.4300 cal BC) in Cantabrian Spain. Bayesian chronological models have been constructed to examine the neolithisation process and assess the role radiocarbon dates may play in understanding this period. The models suggest that the disappearance of hunter-gatherer societies took place after the first Neolithic groups were active in the region. These results agree with the archaeological record for the Early Neolithic and are compatible with a “mosaic” neolithisation process in which local Mesolithic groups clearly participated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes and discusses the main results achieved over three decades of research on paleodemographic aspects of Late Holocene hunter-gatherers in Northwestern Santa Cruz (Argentina). Research has been guided by a model of regional settlement that proposes that, as a result of the progressive aridization process recorded in Patagonia during the Late Holocene, human groups would have reduced their residential mobility and concentrated their settlements in low altitude basins with water availability, such as Lake Cardiel and Lake Salitroso. Paleodemographic questions derived from the model relate to population regional continuity and dynamics and were tested using several lines of research at regional and local scales. The assessment of the chronological information and temporal trends of the archaeological record at the regional level allowed for a coarse grain paleodemographic approach, and acted as a mean to support hypotheses related to changes in mobility and land use strategies. Building on this, several lines of bioarchaeological evidence were used to address paleodemographic aspects of the model, including temporal, distributional, and compositional studies of the mortuary record, isotopic, morphometric and DNA analyses and the sex and age structure of the skeletal samples recovered in Lake Salitroso basin. Results point to a biological and cultural population continuity in the region during the Late Holocene. Also, a reduction in residential mobility would have favored a slight population growth of Lake Salitroso populations during the last millennium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents the results of recent archaeological research carried out in Quebrada de Los Corrales, a high altitude ravine in the west-central region of Tucumán province, in northwest of Argentina. Most of the information for this area is given for the period ca. 1750–1560 BP, within the frame of agro-pastoralist societies that produced their own food. Nevertheless, recent radiocarbon dating from Taller Puesto Viejo 1 site has confirmed the presence of human settlements from at least the middle Holocene in this ravine, extending the antiquity of the hunter–gatherers groups. This area is located over 3000 m asl in the Aconquija mountain system. This evidence opens an interesting view that will broaden knowledge about the early hunter–gatherers societies for valleys in northwest Argentina. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Due to its diverse geographic and climatic conditions, the Iberian Peninsula is well suited for studies into the relationship between climate, environment and hunter-gatherer adaptation. With focus on the archaeological record, this paper examines to what extent diachronic variations in site density on the Iberian Peninsula are related to climate variability and cultural change. Studies are based on a comprehensive record of technocomplexes that date from the late Middle Palaeolithic, early Upper Palaeolithic, Gravettian and Solutrean. The record comprises altogether 152 archaeological cave sites and rock shelters. Analysis reveals strong regional differences between Northern and Southern Iberia, both in isochronic and in diachronic perspective. This is expressed by the strongly different patterns of human presence in these regions. In particular, within both regions major cultural changes coincide with the environmental impact of North Atlantic Heinrich Events (HE). From previous studies, it is known that the human population on the Iberian Peninsula (IP) must have suffered strongly under the extremely variable climate conditions during the Late Pleistocene. Based on extensive site-mapping, the hypothesis is that during HE a major disintegration of habitats must have occurred, with various but strongly isolated patchy refugia remaining. Further, during HE, Southern Iberia could not uphold its previous function in providing a reliable refuge for humans. Not only does climatic deterioration during the different HE repeatedly lead to a near-complete breakdown of settlement patterns, but following each HE there is a major reorganization in settlement patterns on the IP. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper reports on a Magdalenian open-air site at Eyserheide in the hilly landscape of the southern Netherlands. The site, located on the southern margin of an elevated and loess-covered plateau, comprises stone artefacts made from different types of local Cretaceous flint. Using data of refitting, a comparison has proofed meaningful between technological characteristics of the flint material of Eyserheide and those of ‘classic’ Magdalenian sites in the Paris Basin. Moreover, despite disturbances of the archaeological layer by bioturbation and ploughing, intra-spatial analysis has provided valuable information on the organization and use of the camp site. Judging from the results of the ring and sector method, the knapping of flint and the manufacturing and use of tools in the main activity area took place in the open air, presumably in the vicinity of a small hearth. In this find-rich area, several nodules were worked according to le débitage magdalénien classique, which indicates the presence of at least one experienced flint knapper in the camp site of Eyserheide. For Eyserheide and some other excavated open-air sites (Sweikhuizen-GP, Alsdorf) in the same loess area, an interpretation as temporary base camps of small social units is considered likely. Taking into account the occurrence of Dutch Cretaceous flints in Andernach and Gönnersdorf, the sites can be related to the Magdalenian occupation of the Central Rhineland. Radiocarbon dates of both German sites date in an indirect way these northern loess sites at the end of the Pleniglacial and prior to the prominent and sudden warming that marks the beginning of the Late Glacial interstadial. For Orp-le-Grand on the Hesbaye Plateau in Belgium a connection with cave sites south of Namur is indicated by the use of similar flint in these sites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to discuss hunter-gatherer settlements on coastal sand dunes in the Southwest of Buenos Aires Province (Argentina). Technological, archaeofaunal and radiocarbon information from Barrio Las Dunas site is presented, and compared with the context of other Pampean coastal sites. Barrio Las Dunas site is located on a sand dune and shows a hunter-gatherers settlement from 6900 14C BP. The archaeofaunal context demonstrates the exploitation of marine taxa: mammals (Otariidae) and fish (Pogonias cromis). Lithic tools such as end scrapers, side scrapers, denticulates, notches and many retouched flake tools were identified. Also, some carefully worked unifacial and bifacial tools were recovered. Artifacts were mainly manufactured from basalt, followed by quartzite and subarkose. The data presented supports some palaeoenvironmental considerations: first that the southwest Atlantic coast sand dunes of Buenos Aires province date from the Early-Middle Holocene and second, that Barrio Las Dunas site was next to a coastal lagoon or estuarine palaeoenvironment with a crab community. This context was appropriate for black drum feeding. Early-Middle Holocene sites from the area illustrate the variability of coastal environments when different landforms, which included lagoons, marsh, sand dunes and beaches, were present in the landscape. The sand dunes were used by hunter-gatherers in their periodic activities; e.g., lithic artifacts were manufactured and sea lions and black drums were butchered and eaten. This data in addition to the areal information show a complex use of the coast during this period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper focuses on the question of the existence of collective hunting in Neanderthal populations. While many Mousterian sites from Western Europe exhibit faunal assemblages clearly dominated by a particular taxon, faunal spectrum alone is not enough to discuss the hunting strategies developed for their acquisition and the relative importance of the prey in Neanderthal diet. Therefore, Neanderthal hunting strategies are examined using different proxies such as prey selection and carcass exploitation in two Late Pleistocene sites: Mauran and Les Pradelles. These sites share all the characteristics (high quantity of faunal material, specialized faunal spectrum, large number of prey, catastrophic mortality profile, seasonal slaughter, possible selective transport of the richest elements) usually recognized in communal hunting assemblages. The conclusions underline that the subsistence economy of the hunter-gatherers in question involves the planned procurement of animal resources with the intention of storing surplus in anticipation of future food needs. It demonstrates that Neanderthal populations in Southwestern Europe already possessed the necessary technical and cognitive capacities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Whether or not abrupt Younger Dryas climate change affected regional paleoenvironments and late Pleistocene hunter-gatherer populations is an important topic in the archaeology of the American Southwest. This paper reviews multiple, age-resolved proxy evidence to gauge the magnitude and direction of Younger Dryas Chronozone (YDC) environmental changes in different settings and systems. There is no record of YDC pluvial lake highstands in Arizona or New Mexico, but there are impressive records of vegetation, faunal, stable isotope, and geomorphological change coincident with the YDC. These correlate with important adaptive changes in human hunting and land use, as revealed in the analysis of the spatiotemporal distribution of late Pleistocene hunting technologies. Clovis and Folsom projectile point distributions do not support extant models of paleoenvironmental conditions in these interpretations. Significant cultural changes that coincide with the YDC include the Clovis-to-Folsom transition, the demise of mammoth hunting and the development of a highly successful emphasis on bison, increased regionalization, and the abandonment of the northwestern Chihuahuan and the Sonoran deserts by mobile, big-game hunters. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

South America appears as a paradox for building the images of the New World''s human colonization. It is a paradox, because according to the models of the Peopling of America, it was the last part of the continent to be occupied by humans, but in spite of that sites as old as or older than the “Clovis” sites from North America, started to be discovered since the last century. It is a laboratory, because the amount of the Pleistocene archaeological sites is as great as their variability. In this way, since the last two decades, the hemi-continent is placed in a privileged situation for questioning and reconstructing theories concerning the first Americans, and also for answering questions as when did they arrive, how did they arrive, what strategies (social, ecological and economic) did they develop for the colonization of such different environments, which were their ideas for achieving this colonization, and how does their use of space and resources reflect in the archaeological record. The model “Clovis the first”, brings an image of unidirectional migration of the first people, from the great North American plains to southern Patagonia. For a decade, this model showed itself insufficient for explaining the great archaeological variability of America and especially for referring those South American contexts directly to a Clovis migration. The new findings in South America are creating more anomalies for this model, which predicts that the arrival of Pleistocene hunter–gatherers should be around 10,000 years in Patagonia. The object of this paper is to discuss these models in view of South American archaeological evidence, and thus propose answers for removing the paradox. The axes which are considered are: the geographical and chronological distribution of the main localities of Patagonia and South America; the function of the sites within regional mobility systems; the use of subsistence resources; the differences in the circulation of lithic raw materials; and the different taphonomical histories. These characteristics will be compared with models of social network among mobile peoples and American paleolandscapes at the Pleistocene/Holocene transition and a new alternative route of peopling in South America will be presented. In this sense, the data of Patagonia are highly relevant. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In Uruguay, evidence of early human occupation comes from different archaeological regions, including the Basin of Uruguay and Cuareim Rivers, Basin of Negro mid River, and the Atlantic littoral. This paper presents a synthesis and overview of the poorly known archaeology of the Pleistocene/Holocene transition of Uruguay, including archaeological, sedimentological and palaeontological information related to the early human occupation. In this region, the ancient human settlements occurred in various environmental settings including riverbanks, hilltops, and maritime landscapes. New Fell type or “fishtail” projectile points and preliminary results of the current research in Pay Paso locality are presented. Evidence from Pay Paso site 1 indicates that during Early Holocene, the shore of the Cuareim River was a paleosurface that was occupied by early human groups. A new and previously unpublished type of projectile point from early hunter-gatherers (ca. 9300–9100 yr BP) was recovered from excavation of Pay Paso site 1. Finally, some comments and observations about culture material and lithic technology for early people of Uruguay are explored. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ecological reductionism has been the dominant position in the archaeology of neotropical hunter-gatherers. Traditional conceptions of the early colonists of the Americas stress their role as exploiters of the environment, highly limited by the temporal and spatial structure of resources. Yet, new ideas (and their associated “evidence”) suggest that early hunter-gatherers were already impacting the environment in the neotropics through forest clearing, burning, and cultural selection of key vegetal resources; further, territoriality seems to have developed by Late Pleistocene times, well before it has been admitted. This paper discusses and supports these ideas using recent paleobotanical and archaeological data from tropical forests of northern South America. These arguments are brought to bear in the issue of the early peopling of tropical America. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]