Knapping… Sleeping and Consuming? Spatial Variability in the High-Resolution Neanderthal Context of Abric del Pastor (Alcoi, Eastern Iberia)

The need for a taphonomic perspective in spatial analysis: Formation processes at the Early Pleistocene site of Pirro Nord (P13), Apricena, Italy

One of the challenges commonly faced by Paleolithic archaeologists is disentangling archaeological layers in caves and rockshelters that often reflect complex palimpests. Layers defined in the field are primarly used to distinguish occupations, yet their actual nature and integrity are rarely tested or justified after excavation. Distinct occupations may become mixed together in a single field layer either following depositional and post-depositional processes (taphonomic admixture) or difficulties in reliably separating assemblages in the field (analytical lumping). Here we explore how three-dimensional spatial analyses combined with geoarchaeological and taphonomical data can be used to interpret Pleistocene palimpsests using the example of the Châtelperronian and carnivore occupations of Cassenade, a recently excavated site in Dordogne (France). We combine field observations with extensive post-excavation analysis (using spatial, geoarchaeological, lithic and faunal data, lithic particle-size distributions, fabrics, refits, and Bayesian modelling of radiocarbon dates) in order to (re)define assemblage boundaries and test their integrity. This approach resulted in a more comprehensive understanding of Cassenade sequence, including 1) increased stratigraphic resolution compared to initial field layer attributions; 2) evidence of how carnivore and human activity could be mixed by natural processes; 3) more reliable interpretations weighed against data from site formation processes; and, 4) a clearer understanding of the nature of the Châtelperronian occupations at Cassenade (short stopovers with a distinct site function?) and related mobility systems. Cassenade provides yet another example of the necessity of critically revising field layers after excavation through three-dimensional spatial and taphonomic analyses.

Site formation processes and Late Natufian domestic spaces at Baaz Rockshelter, Syria: A micromorphological perspective

Hunter-gatherer societies have distinct social perceptions and practices which are expressed in unique use of space and material deposition patterns. However, the identification of archaeological evidence associated with hunter-gatherer activity is often challenging, especially in tropical environments such as rainforests. We present an integrated study combining ethnoarchaeology and geoarchaeology in order to study archaeological site formation processes related to hunter-gatherers’ ways of living in tropical forests. Ethnographic data was collected from an habitation site of contemporary hunter-gatherers in the forests of South India, aimed at studying how everyday activities and way of living dictate patterns of material deposition. Ethnoarchaeological excavations of abandoned open-air sites and a rock-shelter of the same group located deep in the forests, involved field observations and sampling of sediments from the abandoned sites and the contemporary site. Laboratory analyses included geochemical analysis (i.e., FTIR, ICP-AES), phytolith concentration analysis and soil micromorphology. The results present a dynamic spatial deposition pattern of macroscopic, microscopic and chemical materials, which stem from the distinctive ways of living and use of space by hunter-gatherers. This study shows that post-depositional processes in tropical forests result in poor preservation of archaeological materials due to acidic conditions and intensive biological activity within the sediments. Yet, the multiple laboratory-based analyses were able to trace evidence for activity surfaces and their maintenance practices as well as localized concentrations of activity remains such as the use of plants, metals, hearths and construction materials.

ObjectiveLow birth weight (LBW) is an important indicator of newborn health and can have long-term implications for a child’s development. Spatial exploratory analysis provides a toolkit to gain insight into...

Site formation dynamics and human occupations at Bolomor Cave (Valencia, Spain): An archaeostratigraphic analysis of levels I to XII (100–200 ka)

<p>Rock shelter and cave sites can be suitable archives for archaeological remains and environmental records if the right conditions are complied with. There are a few sediment stratigraphies in the Horn of Africa that preserved information about human occupation during the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene. Unfortunately, little is known about human settlement in Ethiopia during the period corresponding to MIS 2 due to discontinuous archaeological records. The project A1, within the framework of the Collaborative Research Centre 806 (CRC 806 – “Our Way to Europe”), focuses on Late Pleistocene stratigraphies and paleoenvironments of northeast African sites. In this context, during excavations at the Sodicho Rockshelter in the southwestern Ethiopian Highlands, a complex stratigraphy with evidence of several human occupation phases was exposed.</p><p>This poster presents the latest research results of the Sodicho Rockshelter. It displays first radiocarbon ages and the site formation processes according to a selection of sedimentological and geochemical methods to understand human settlement history in this tropical environment. A multi-proxy approach has been chosen to detect possible rapid or gradual changes in depositional conditions in the rock shelter. The sedimentological records suggest that the depositional and post-depositional processes varied significantly over time in response to external environmental changes and the use of the shelter by humans. For instance, lithic assemblages in anthropogenic influenced layers alternate with thick volcanic ash layers. In addition, a sterile, clayish horizon refers to a period of increased precipitation and could thus provide evidence for an African Humid Period. The Sodicho Rockshelter could validate the current state of research and possibly close the chronostratigraphic gap.</p>

Firewood and hearths: Middle Palaeolithic woody taxa distribution from El Salt, stratigraphic unit Xb (Eastern Iberia)

The low lands in southeastern Uruguay have witnessed the beginning of the traditions of mound builders on this side of the world. However, evidence of the first settlers in the area is scarce. In this paper, a site record is presented which dates to the early Holocene in the region, which could significantly change our perspective on the settlement process and further cultural developments. Based on the granulometric, color, carbonate, and organic matter values for the sediments in the soil stratigraphy, it is observed that the formation processes occurred toward the end of the loess sedimentation, which is typical of the late Pleistocene in the Pampas region. The unit corresponding to the early Holocene is in the contact layer between the Pampas silts and the overlying sands, creating a pale gray, sandy-silt lens with a high density of archaeological materials. It is concluded that, until the late Pleistocene, the landscape consisted mainly of silty soils of aeolian origin, followed by a sudden, net, nonerosive change which can be observed if compared to the later units, characterized by a sequence of upward-fining sand layers. The deposit process occurred along with the sedimentation of a granulometric fraction which coexists with the main sandy fraction throughout the profile, together with an abundant cultural record. The contrast of hydraulic transmissivity between the loess and bimodal sands has contributed to the development of an eluvial horizon and consequently, of a typical planosol. The underlying unit contains abundant lithic archaeological materials, which represent the first settlements in the current Atlantic plains of Uruguay during the late Pleistocene sedimentation process and prior to the paleo-environmental change, which resulted from an increase in humidity and temperature in the early Holocene.

A multiproxy record of palaeoenvironmental conditions at the Middle Palaeolithic site of Abric del Pastor (Eastern Iberia)

Making time: ‘Living floors’, ‘palimpsests’ and site formation processes – A perspective from the open-air Lower Paleolithic site of Revadim Quarry, Israel

Boxgrove is a key locale for our understanding of Middle Pleistocene human behaviour in Northwestern Europe. It provides high-resolution evidence for behaviour at scale in fine-grained sediments, dating from the end of the MIS13 interglacial at around 480,000 years ago. Excavations at this site in the last quarter of the twentieth century have provided a large body of interdisciplinary data, comprising stone artefact assemblages, well-preserved faunal remains and paleoenvironmental archives, from over 100 test pits and larger excavation areas. The excavation area designated Q1/B was excavated between 1995 and 1996 and provided a particularly deep and complex record of early human activity centred upon a pond or waterhole within the wider landscape. In this work, we present a new analysis of spatial data from a single sedimentary unit (Unit 4u) at the Boxgrove Q1/B site. We consider the spatial disposition of lithic and faunal materials, fabric analysis and the role of the palaeotopography in their distribution. The results indicate that, although the dynamic fluvial depositional environment had an undeniable role in the distribution of materials, the scale and nature of post-depositional movement are consistent with the artefacts being preserved within an autochthonous depositional context, not reworked from an earlier sedimentary unit or subject to long-distance transportation. These results are consistent with previous analysis which suggests that the overall lithic assemblage can be directly compared with others from the wider landscape in compositional terms to interpret the behavioural controls over site formation behind the Q1/B archaeology.

Within the framework of archaeological palimpsest dissection, stratigraphic association of lithic remains with hearths and other archaeological materials in undisturbed Neanderthal contexts allows us to seek patterns in lithic and faunal assemblage composition, assess the degree of time averaging within assemblages and investigate the spatial distribution of archaeological remains. So far, the European Neanderthal record shows variability in such spatial parameters, not only among different geographic regions but also across time. This approach has been employed to draw conclusions about the main features of Neanderthal occupations from in situ archaeological contexts within individual site sequences. As contribution to this topic, we present new results from our ongoing archaeostratigraphic investigation of stratigraphic unit xa from El Salt (Alcoi, Alacant, eastern Iberia). Our previous study, based on stratigraphic analysis of the lithic record consisting of raw material units, yielded several micropalimpsests within unit xa. Here, we carry out further technological and spatial analysis of the micropalimpsest units. The results obtained from it suggest that we may be able, in specific cases, to recognise indicators of diachrony within the context of these archaeostratigraphic units. This confirms the existence of a micropalimpsest, and suggests that we have the chance to find analytical frames that are even closer to the human temporal scale than the AU. This should be the target of future interdisciplinary behavioural study of El Salt unit xa. This work illustrates the potential of a spatial and archaeostratigraphic approach to stone tool technology and brings to light the importance of archaeological palimpsest dissection as a first step for behavioural analysis in Palaeolithic research.

The archaeological record of the northern steppe in Tierra del Fuego (Argentina) is characterized by the occurrence of concentrations of archaeological material at the ground surface, coming from gullies and deflation hollows related to shallow lake coastal environments. This particular distribution becomes a challenge concerning the study of site formation processes, particularly in relation to the burial and exhumation of archaeological materials. Bone assemblages coming from three archaeological contexts (Tres Marias, Amalia 4 and Arturo 1) are analysed here, pointing to the features, damage and stability or movements that reveal their taphonomic histories. Geomorphological landscapes vary from each site, being represented by deflation hollows close to shallow lakes as well as gullies originating from the coast itself. The faunal assemblages are mostly dominated by Lama guanicoe bones. Variability in taxonomic composition, weathering profiles, mobility and stability of materials, as well as evidence of anthropic modifications, among other records, demonstrate the existence of different depositional events. The high variability observed suggests that several pre- and post-depositional processes were involved; thus, it results in complex taphonomic histories and low integrity that make their interpretation difficult in terms of human activities.

Reconstructing climate and soil formation processes in the Atxoste rock-shelter (Upper Ebro Valley, Northern Spain): A preliminary geoarchaeological view of human communities during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition in the Ebro Valley and Cantabrian Spain