Abstract
In light of changing views regarding the identity and evolutionary positions of Europe's Lower Palaeolithic hominins, a re-consideration of the hominin occupation of north-west Europe from c. 1 million years ago (mya) to c. 400 thousand years ago (kya) is timely. A change in the scale and character of the overall European Palaeolithic record around c. 800–600 kya has been well documented and argued over since the mid-1990s. Hominin expansion into the European north-west, potentially from southern Europe, Africa or south-western Asia, has been linked to the introduction of a new lithic technology in the form of the biface. We evaluate three potential drivers for this northern range expansion: changing palaeo-climatic conditions, the emergence of an essentially modern human life history, and greater hominin behavioural plasticity. Our evaluation suggests no major changes in these three factors during the c. 800–600 kya period other than enhanced behavioural plasticity suggested by the appearance of the biface. We offer here a model of hominin occupation for north-west Europe termed the ‘punctuated long chronology’ and suggest that the major changes in the European Lower Palaeolithic record that occur at a species-wide level may post-date, rather than precede, the Anglian Glaciation (marine isotope stage (MIS) 12).
Highlights
We agree with aspects of the above and emphasise again that it is not the biface per se that allowed hominins to have a more sustained presence in north-west Europe, but perhaps the full behavioural package that accompanied biface manufacture. 474 Why did it take so long for biface makers to enter north-west Europe when there is clearly evidence for these artefacts stretching back to 1.7 million years ago in Africa (Diez-Martin et al, 2015) and first appearing in south-western Asia soon after (Pappu et al, 2011)? We suggest here that do you need the biface package
Since Moncel et al (2015) and Table 8 demonstrate that 481 bifaces are present in Europe from at least c. 700 kya, we suggest that this plasticity package must have been present across the early/late Middle Pleistocene boundary (MIS 13/12). 484 4
The status of this possible behavioural boundary is newly noteworthy in light of the recent palaeo-genetic studies that have pushed back the date of the last common ancestor between modern humans and Neanderthals to c. 700 kya (Meyer et al, 2016a). This makes 492 the apparent step-change in the European archaeological record ever more intriguing. Perhaps such changes may relate to the appearance of a new species (H. heidelbergensis?) able to cope with the rigours of the north-west, it remains uncertain as to whether such a species is an in situ development or a dispersal into Europe from elsewhere. 497 there may be a subtler and more nuanced pattern to the archaeological record, reflecting a multi-phased hominin occupation of north-west Europe, which we dub here the ‘punctuated long chronology’ (Table 9), which builds on the modified short chronology (Dennell and Roebroeks, 1996)
Summary
Europe occupied in the Early “No undisputable proof for human occupation of “Hominids might have occasionally moved into. Pleistocene, and in some Europe prior to about 500,000 years ago” 1.5 mya and van Kolfshoten, 1994: 500). Before 780,000 years ago Before 500,000 years ago After 500,000 years ago Before 780,000 years ago (Southern Europe). 10s and 100s of artefacts) pieces selected from a excavated knapping floors artefacts) natural pebble background with conjoinable material. Primary context sites (fine- Cave(?) and open-air sites (Iberia) contexts grained matrix). Uncontested Acheulean Flake and pebble tools character assemblages and non-Acheulean industries
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