Hominin dispersals from the Jaramillo subchron in central and south-western Europe: Untermassfeld (Germany) and Vallparadís (Spain)

Abstract

This article reinforces the hypothesis that humans were well established in Europe by the time of the Jaramillo subchron (1.07–0.98 Ma). The lithic industry found in the Untermassfeld site demonstrates human occupation at 50° N in Europe. This evidence extends human occupation beyond the Mediterranean, as do other sites such as Kozarnika Cave (1.6–1.4 Ma), Pont de Lavaud (1.1 Ma), and Happisburgh 3 and Pakefield at the Matuyama–Bruhnes limit. Demonstrating the presence of humans at Untermassfeld has important implications regarding the human settlement of northern latitudes. Its stone tool assemblage shares the same open-air alluvial situation, chronological proximity, Epivillafranchian faunal association and Mode 1 technology as that of Vallparadís, which allows us to hypothesise that human groups with the same technology and acting as predators spread throughout the continent from the Jaramillo subchron onwards. These groups moved from already inhabited areas in the Mediterranean such as the Iberian Peninsula (the Trinchera Elefante-TE9 and Orce sites), and/or from the Near East along coastal routes around the Black Sea, along the Danube and/or along the Rhône-Saône-Rhine route (“Belfort Gap”) to the north-western coastline of Europe. The finds from Untermassfeld as well as the probably slightly more recent archaeological sites of Happisburgh 3 (England) and Dorn-Dürkheim 3 (Germany) suggest that landscapes in latitudes around 50° N were already part of the initial colonisation period of Europe in the late Early Pleistocene using Mode 1 technologies. The latter sites bridge the time period between Untermassfeld and the early Middle Pleistocene of mid-latitude Europe, as is indicated by Pakefield in Britain, and may indicate that north-western and central parts were at least intermittently recolonised from southern Europe after periods of full glaciation. This model is supported by the absence of early Mode 2 lithic industry in Europe in the second half of the Early Pleistocene which would have accompanied recolonising populations if the primary population source of Europe came from south-west Asia. Thus, the fact that Mode 1 lithic industry remains present during this period argues against the depopulation of Europe at this time.