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Thierry Aubry - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic site formation processes at the Bordes-Fitte rockshelter (Central France)
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2014Co-Authors: Thierry Aubry, Luca Antonio Dimuccio, Jan-pieter Buylaert, Morgane Liard, Andrew S. Murray, Kristina Jørkov Thomsen, Bertrand WalterAbstract:Transformation in technological patterns associated with the Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic transition between 50 and 40 ka in Western Europe and their relationship with the Neanderthal and Anatomically Modern Human populations and behaviors are issues that continue to stimulate heated debate. In this article we use the Middle and Early Upper Palaeolithic archaeo-stratigraphic record from the Bordes-Fitte rockshelter (les Roches d'Abilly site, Central France), a Bayesian analysis of the ages obtained by accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon on ultrafiltered collagen and by luminescence on quartz and feldspar grains, to establish a timeline for material culture and sedimentary dynamic changes during the Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic transition. Technology, refitting studies and taphonomy of lithic artifacts recovered in the geoarchaeological field units D1 and D2 permit to characterize 3 reduction strategies (Levallois, Discoidal and Châtelperronian blade) that took place between the cold Heinrich events 5 and 4. We discuss the implications of the results to characterize the end of the Middle Palaeolithic, and for distinguishing anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic factors in Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic assemblage's variability.
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Palaeoenvironmental forcing during the Middle–Upper Palaeolithic transition in central-western Portugal
Quaternary Research, 2011Co-Authors: Thierry Aubry, Luca Antonio Dimuccio, Miguel Almeida, Maria João Neves, Diego E. Angelucci, Lúcio CunhaAbstract:article i nfo Geoarchaeological analysis of the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic record preserved in cave, rock-shelter and open-air sites in the northern sector of the Meso-Cenozoic of the Western Iberian Peninsula margin (Portugal) reveals several disconformities (erosive unconformities), hiatuses and surface stabilization phases. A recurrent disconformity, dated to ca. 29,500-32,000 cal yr BP, in the time range of Heinrich event 3, must correspond to a main erosive event related to the impacts of climate change on the landscape, including a reduction in vegetation cover and altered precipitation patterns, with the consequent accelerated down- cutting by stream systems, slope reactivation and endokarstic reorganisation, causing the erosion of sediments and soils accumulated in cave, rock-shelter and open-air sites. These processes create a preservation bias that may explain why Early Upper Palaeolithic finds in primary deposition context remains exceptional in the carbonate areas of central-western Portugal, and possibly elsewhere in the other places of Iberia. The impact of such site formation processes must therefore be duly considered in interpretations of the current patchy and scarce archaeological record of the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition in south-western
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palaeoenvironmental forcing during the middle Upper Palaeolithic transition in central western portugal
Quaternary Research, 2011Co-Authors: Thierry Aubry, Luca Antonio Dimuccio, Miguel Almeida, Maria João Neves, Diego E. Angelucci, Lúcio CunhaAbstract:article i nfo Geoarchaeological analysis of the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic record preserved in cave, rock-shelter and open-air sites in the northern sector of the Meso-Cenozoic of the Western Iberian Peninsula margin (Portugal) reveals several disconformities (erosive unconformities), hiatuses and surface stabilization phases. A recurrent disconformity, dated to ca. 29,500-32,000 cal yr BP, in the time range of Heinrich event 3, must correspond to a main erosive event related to the impacts of climate change on the landscape, including a reduction in vegetation cover and altered precipitation patterns, with the consequent accelerated down- cutting by stream systems, slope reactivation and endokarstic reorganisation, causing the erosion of sediments and soils accumulated in cave, rock-shelter and open-air sites. These processes create a preservation bias that may explain why Early Upper Palaeolithic finds in primary deposition context remains exceptional in the carbonate areas of central-western Portugal, and possibly elsewhere in the other places of Iberia. The impact of such site formation processes must therefore be duly considered in interpretations of the current patchy and scarce archaeological record of the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition in south-western
Lúcio Cunha - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Palaeoenvironmental forcing during the Middle–Upper Palaeolithic transition in central-western Portugal
Quaternary Research, 2011Co-Authors: Thierry Aubry, Luca Antonio Dimuccio, Miguel Almeida, Maria João Neves, Diego E. Angelucci, Lúcio CunhaAbstract:article i nfo Geoarchaeological analysis of the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic record preserved in cave, rock-shelter and open-air sites in the northern sector of the Meso-Cenozoic of the Western Iberian Peninsula margin (Portugal) reveals several disconformities (erosive unconformities), hiatuses and surface stabilization phases. A recurrent disconformity, dated to ca. 29,500-32,000 cal yr BP, in the time range of Heinrich event 3, must correspond to a main erosive event related to the impacts of climate change on the landscape, including a reduction in vegetation cover and altered precipitation patterns, with the consequent accelerated down- cutting by stream systems, slope reactivation and endokarstic reorganisation, causing the erosion of sediments and soils accumulated in cave, rock-shelter and open-air sites. These processes create a preservation bias that may explain why Early Upper Palaeolithic finds in primary deposition context remains exceptional in the carbonate areas of central-western Portugal, and possibly elsewhere in the other places of Iberia. The impact of such site formation processes must therefore be duly considered in interpretations of the current patchy and scarce archaeological record of the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition in south-western
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palaeoenvironmental forcing during the middle Upper Palaeolithic transition in central western portugal
Quaternary Research, 2011Co-Authors: Thierry Aubry, Luca Antonio Dimuccio, Miguel Almeida, Maria João Neves, Diego E. Angelucci, Lúcio CunhaAbstract:article i nfo Geoarchaeological analysis of the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic record preserved in cave, rock-shelter and open-air sites in the northern sector of the Meso-Cenozoic of the Western Iberian Peninsula margin (Portugal) reveals several disconformities (erosive unconformities), hiatuses and surface stabilization phases. A recurrent disconformity, dated to ca. 29,500-32,000 cal yr BP, in the time range of Heinrich event 3, must correspond to a main erosive event related to the impacts of climate change on the landscape, including a reduction in vegetation cover and altered precipitation patterns, with the consequent accelerated down- cutting by stream systems, slope reactivation and endokarstic reorganisation, causing the erosion of sediments and soils accumulated in cave, rock-shelter and open-air sites. These processes create a preservation bias that may explain why Early Upper Palaeolithic finds in primary deposition context remains exceptional in the carbonate areas of central-western Portugal, and possibly elsewhere in the other places of Iberia. The impact of such site formation processes must therefore be duly considered in interpretations of the current patchy and scarce archaeological record of the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition in south-western
Paul Mellars - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Reindeer specialization in the early Upper Palaeolithic: the evidence from south west France
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2004Co-Authors: Paul MellarsAbstract:Abstract In a recent article (J. Archaeol. Sci. 29 (2002) 1439) Donald Grayson and Francoise Delpech have questioned the hypothesis of increasing ‘specialization’ in the exploitation of reindeer resources over the period of the Middle–Upper Palaeolithic transition in southwestern France. The present response shows that there is a clear and statistically significant increase in the degree of quantitative specialization in the exploitation of reindeer, extending back to the earliest stages of the Aurignacian (ca. 33,000–35,000 BP) and marked by the appearance of faunal assemblages with up to 99% reindeer. The major issue lies in assessing the relative impact of climatic versus human behavioural factors in the composition of these virtually monospecific reindeer faunas from the southwest French Upper Palaeolithic sites. The potential social and demographic implications of this heavy reliance on reindeer resources are also discussed.
Ofer Bar-yosef - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Taphonomy and zooarchaeology of the Upper Palaeolithic cave of Dzudzuana, Republic of Georgia
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2007Co-Authors: Guy Bar-oz, Anna Belfer-cohen, Tengiz Meshveliani, N. Djakeli, Ofer Bar-yosefAbstract:We present the results of a detailed taphonomic and zooarchaeological study of the faunal remains from the Upper Palaeolithic layers of Dzudzuana Cave, Republic of Georgia. This study presents the first carefully analysed Upper Palaeolithic faunal assemblage from the southern Caucasus and thus serves as a significant point of reference for inter-regional studies of Upper Palaeolithic subsistence in Eurasia. A series of intra-site taphonomic comparisons are employed to reconstruct the depositional history of the bone assemblages within the different occupational phases at the site and to investigate subsistence, meat procurement and bone-processing strategies. Caucasian tur (Capra caucasica), aurochs (Bos primigenius) and steppe bison (Bison priscus) were the major prey species throughout the Upper Palaeolithic. Their frequencies do not change significantly over time, and nor does bone preservation vary by layer. The assemblage is characterised by significant density-mediated biases, caused by both human bone-processing behaviours and in situ post-burial bone attrition. Bone marrow extraction produced large numbers of unidentified bone fragments, many exhibiting green bone fractures. The density and size of bone assemblages and the extent of fragmentation indicate that Dzudzuana Cave was repeatedly occupied by Upper Palaeolithic foragers over many years. Skeletal part representation and butchery marks from all stages of carcass processing suggest that prey occasionally underwent field butchery. Intra-site taphonomic comparisons highlight uniform patterns of cultural and economic behaviours related to food procurement and processing strategies. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Ahead of the Game: Middle and Upper Palaeolithic Hunting Behaviors in the Southern Caucasus
Current Anthropology, 2006Co-Authors: Daniel S. Adler, Anna Belfer-cohen, Guy Bar-oz, Ofer Bar-yosefAbstract:Over the past several decades a variety of models have been proposed to explain perceived behavioral and cognitive differences between Neanderthals and modern humans. A key element in many of these models and one often used as a proxy for behavioral “modernity” is the frequency and nature of hunting among Palaeolithic populations. Here new archaeological data from Ortvale Klde, a late Middle–early Upper Palaeolithic rockshelter in the Georgian Republic, are considered, and zooarchaeological methods are applied to the study of faunal acquisition patterns to test whether they changed significantly from the Middle to the Upper Palaeolithic. The analyses demonstrate that Neanderthals and modern humans practiced largely identical hunting tactics and that the two populations were equally and independently capable of acquiring and exploiting critical biogeographical information pertaining to resource availability and animal behavior. Like lithic techno-typological traditions, hunting behaviors are poor proxies for major behavioral differences between Neanderthals and modern humans, a conclusion that has important implications for debates surrounding the Middle–Upper Palaeolithic transition and what features constitute “modern” behavior. The proposition is advanced that developments in the social realm of Upper Palaeolithic societies allowed the replacement of Neanderthals in the Caucasus with little temporal or spatial overlap and that this process was widespread beyond traditional topographic and biogeographical barriers to Neanderthal mobility.
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The Early Upper Palaeolithic in Greece : The excavations in Klisoura Cave
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2001Co-Authors: Margarita Koumouzelis, Bolesław Ginter, Janusz K. Kozłowski, Maciej Pawlikowski, Ofer Bar-yosef, Rosa M. Albert, Maria Litynska-zajac, Ewa Stworzewicz, Piotr Wojtal, Grzegorz LipeckiAbstract:A new Greek sequence of early Upper Palaeolithic, Aurignacian, Epigravettian, and Mesolithic assemblages, which differs from the sequences of Franchthi and Kephalari caves, was uncovered during the excavations in Cave 1 in Klisoura Gorge (Western Peloponnese). This is the first case of Middle Palaeolithic deposits immediately covered by an early Upper Palaeolithic assemblage. The long Middle Palaeolithic in this site underlies a long sequence of Upper Palaeolithic layers. Most interesting is the Early Upper Palaeolithic industry which contains numerous arched backed blades and other lithics demonstrating morphological affinities to the Italian Uluzzian, a resemblance that raises questions concerning the potential makers of this industry. Above it, several Aurignacian levels dated from 24 to 34 ka bp were exposed. This is the first well-dated sequence of Aurignacian occupations in Greece in which a number of basin-like hearth structures were exposed, lined with a clay that had been brought in and specially prepared. The Aurignacian sequence is covered by Epigravettian layers. The unconformity between the Epigravettian and the underlying Aurignacian corresponds to the Last Glacial Maximum. A Mesolithic layer caps the prehistoric sequence.
David Pleurdeau - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Bondi Cave and the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition in western Georgia (south Caucasus)
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2016Co-Authors: David Pleurdeau, Marie-hélène Moncel, Ron Pinhasi, Reuven Yeshurun, Thomas Higham, Tamar Agapishvili, Maka Bokeria, Alexander Muskhelishvili, François-xavier Le Bourdonnec, Sébastien NomadeAbstract:Abstract The late Pleistocene expansion of anatomically modern humans (AMHs) into Eurasia and the concurrent demise of the Neanderthals appears to be a complex and regionally variable process. The southern Caucasus region, with its rich cave-sites, has recently provided important results regarding this process. In this paper we report on the results of fieldwork in Bondi Cave, Western Georgia, providing a new radiocarbon chronology, stratigraphic observations, analyses of lithic technology and provenance, faunal and floral remains as well as paleoenvironmental data. The cave includes Middle Palaeolithic (ca, 45,000 ka cal. BP) cultural horizons and a long Upper Palaeolithic sequence (ca. 40,000–27,000 cal. BP from layer V to IV). A modern human tooth was found in layer Vb. We estimate its age at 39,000–35,800 Cal BP (95.4%), based on the Bayesian age model we built. If the context of the tooth is reliable, as we think it is, this would make it the oldest morphologically modern human in the Caucasus. Upper Palaeolithic hunting of tur and bison, as well as the collection of various plants including flax is attested. Mobile Upper Palaeolithic foragers inhabited the cave in generally cold and dry periods, but a mosaic of environments, including forests and meadows, was nonetheless available to them. The archaeological sequence of Bondi and adjacent sites indicates a substantial time gap between the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic occupations, thus disproving Neanderthal-AMH interaction in this area and lending support to a replacement scenario in the southern Caucasus, assuming of course that the Early Upper Palaeolithic (EUP) is related to the arrival of AMHs.
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The Upper Palaeolithic Lithic Industry of Nazlet Khater 4 (Egypt): Implications for the Stone Age/Palaeolithic of Northeastern Africa
African Archaeological Review, 2011Co-Authors: Alice Leplongeon, David PleurdeauAbstract:Between Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 4 and 2, Northeast Africa witnessed migrations of Homo sapiens into Eurasia. Within the context of the aridification of the Sahara, the Nile Valley probably offered a very attractive corridor into Eurasia. This region and this period are therefore central for the (pre)history of the out-of-Africa peopling of modern humans. However, there are very few sites from the beginning of the Upper Palaeolithic that document these migration events. In Egypt, the site of Nazlet Khater 4 (NK4), which is related to ancient H. sapiens quarrying activities, is one of them. Its lithic assemblage shows an important laminar component, and this, associated with its chronological position (ca. 33 ka), means that the site is the most ancient Upper Palaeolithic sites of this region. The detailed study of the Nazlet Khater 4 lithic material shows that blade production (volumetric reduction) is also associated with flake production (surface reduction). This technological duality addresses the issue of direct attribution of NK4 to the Upper Palaeolithic.
