Early Pleistocene Site Research Articles

Early Pleistocene forerunners of Mammuthus-Coelodonta Faunal Complex in Nihewan Basin, North China

The typical Mammuthus-Coelodonta Faunal Complex dominated the mid- and high latitudes of continental Eurasia during the Mid-Late Pleistocene; the dominant taxa include woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), woolly rhino (Coelodonta antiquitatis), steppe bison (Bison priscus) and diverse horses (Equus spp.), etc. Recent excavations at the Early Pleistocene site Shanshenmiaozui in Nihewan Basin of North China resulted in the discoveries of rich mammalian fossils which include steppe mammoth (Mammuthus trogontherii), Nihowan woolly rhino (Coelodonta nihowanensis), archaic Chinese bison (Bison (Eobison) palaeosinensis) and rich collections of early horse fossil. In Nihewan Basin, a couple of sites (Xiashagou, Shanshenmiaozui and Yeniupo) yielded the Mammuthus-Coelodonta-Bison assemblage, which can be regarded as the closest ancestors of the Mammuthus - Coelodonta Faunal Complex or the forerunners of the later Mammuthus - Coelodonta Faunal Complex. Nihewan Basin bears the richest and most complete fossils of Early Pleistocene Coelodonta and Bison to date, and the juvenile specimens of M. trogontherii also represent the richest collection for its kind and its geologic age.

Dental remains of Plio–Pleistocene Cercopithecidae (Mammalia: Primates) from Romania

The superfamily Cercopithecoidea had a broad spatial distribution and occupied a wide variety of habitats across Europe from the Late Miocene until the Middle Pleistocene. Cercopithecines, such as macaques, showed more flexibility in habitat preferences, whereas colobines tended to be more sensitive to environmental differences. In Romania, only a few Pliocene and Pleistocene fossil sites have yielded primate remains. In this paper, we revise selected specimens previously listed in site reviews, and we describe several unpublished specimens from the Plio–Pleistocene fossil localities of Berești (Mammal Neogene [MN], MN14–MN15), Mălușteni (MN14), Ciuperceni-2 (MN15b), and Betfia (MN18). For each, we provide detailed descriptions, comparisons to other relevant material, and updated taxonomic assignments. We also present an updated biochronology and provide a paleoenvironmental reconstruction based on the taxonomic composition of the faunal assemblages described from these primate localities. The colobine monkey Dolichopithecus ruscinensis, from Berești, Mălușteni, and Ciuperceni-2, was present during the Early Pliocene in Romania. Mesopithecus monspessulanus is also known from Mălușteni, as is Paradolichopithecus sp. The Early Pleistocene site Betfia yielded a molar germ (in crypt; Betfia-XIII) and a deciduous premolar (Betfia-IX), both belonging to a Macaca sylvanus subspecies. Macaca sylvanus ssp. occurrences from Betfia-XIII and Betfia-IX offer an important perspective for understanding the chronostratigraphic range and geographic distribution of this species during the Early Pleistocene. The paleoenvironmental descriptions from Ciuperceni-2 show that primates were distributed in a mosaic habitat, with open and forested areas and a warm Mediterranean climate. This differs from Mălușteni, Berești, and Betfia, where a dry continental phase with an open landscape is inferred. Our review of paleoenvironmental conditions of Romanian primate localities provides a paleoecological framework for understanding the habitat preferences of extinct primates.

The late Early Pleistocene site of Fuente Nueva-3 (Guadix-Baza Depression, SE Spain): a hyena latrine developed on a quicksand trap for megaherbivores?

AbstractThe late Early Pleistocene archaeological site of Fuente Nueva-3 (FN3), which lies in the Guadix-Baza Depression (SE Spain) and is dated to ~ 1.4 Ma, contributes some of the oldest evidence of hominin presence in Western Europe, including a huge tool assemblage of Oldowan tradition, manuports (i.e., unmodified stones used as percussion tools) and abundant fossils of large mammals, some of which preserve anthropogenic marks related to defleshing, butchering and marrow processing. In addition, there are bones with tooth marks produced by scavenging carnivores. The fertile layers of the FN3 section have been grouped in a lower archaeological level (LAL) and an upper archaeological level (UAL). Both levels preserve abundant skeletal remains and lithic tools. However, the LAL shows a high density of manuports, which suggests that hominin activity was more intense at this level, while the UAL preserves many remains of megaherbivores, particularly proboscideans (Mammuthus meridionalis), and almost all coprolites unearthed from the site, which points to a greater involvement of the giant hyenas (Pachycrocuta brevirostris). In this paper, we (i) test for statistical differences in the composition of the faunal assemblages preserved in the UAL and LAL; and (ii) analyze particle size in the fertile layers of both archaeological levels. Our results show that megaherbivores are comparatively overrepresented in the UAL, specially by young elephants, while other medium-to-large and large-sized ungulates, particularly equids, are more abundant in the LAL, showing a predominance of adult individuals. Concerning the sedimentology, layers 2–3 of the LAL show a predominance of silts and clays, with sands representing a minor fraction. In contrast, layer 5 of the UAL is composed of two-thirds of fine and very fine sands, with the remaining third consisting of silts and clays. These data and the paleoenvironmental reconstruction of layer 5 suggest that it may be interpreted as a paleo-quicksand in which megaherbivores were trapped due to the elevated weight per unit area supported by their feet, and their half-sunken carcasses attracted the scavengers, particularly the hyenas, which fed on these carcasses and defecated in their surroundings.

The postcranial variability of Quaternary European rhinoceroses: the case study of Stephanorhinus hundsheimensis from the Middle Pleistocene site of Contrada Monticelli (Apulia, southern Italy)

ABSTRACT Five rhinoceros species, mainly distinguishable through cranial, mandibular and dental morphology, were recognized during the Quaternary across Europe. The postcranial morphology of these taxa is quite variable, with strong superposition among species, especially between Stephanorhinus etruscus and Stephanorhinus hundsheimensis. Here, the complete sample including 25 postcranial bones from the early Middle Pleistocene site of Contrada Monticelli (Apulia, southern Italy) is described and compared through morphological and biometric analyses. A few bones, in addition to cranial and mandibular remains from this site, have been previously referred to Stephanorhinus hundsheimensis. We explored the morphological variability of Stephanorhinus hundsheimensis from Contrada Monticelli against the diagnostic characters described in the literature. The size variation of the Contrada Monticelli sample is also investigated, through a comparison with other Quaternary European rhinoceros samples. Our results indicate a wide morphological variability with several distinct characters and a strong morphological affinity between Stephanorhinus etruscus and S. hundsheimensis. Our results suggest that Stephanorhinus hundsheimensis from Contrada Monticelli is a species with a high degree of intraspecific variability, possibly a hybrid population or a population including two morphotypes of the same species.

Re-investigation of fossil Lemmini specimens from the early and Middle Pleistocene of Western and Central Europe: Evolutionary and paleoenvironmental implications

The current study focuses on the emblematic Myopus/Lemmus species complex (tribe Lemmini) in the European Pleistocene fossil record. The members of the two genera occupy distinct ecological niches and have different external appearances, but they are remarkably similar in their dental morphology, so that they were commonly thought of as undistinguishable in the fossil record. Thus, more or less all European Lemmini fossils have been assigned to the genus Lemmus. In the Early Pleistocene site of Schernfeld (Germany), the species Lemmus kowalskii had been described. It was thought by some authors that all Lemmini from Early to late Middle Pleistocene belong to this species.In the current study, we investigated Lemmini molar morphology from Western and Central European sites including Schernfeld (Early Pleistocene), Sackdillinger Höhle (Sackdilling Cave), and Koněprusy C718 (both early Middle Pleistocene), as well as other fossil localities with fewer specimens, formerly assigned to Lemmus kowalskii. Using an extensive modern referential material of Lemmus and Myopus, this study proposes to re-evaluate taxonomic status of the Middle and Early Pleistocene Lemmini. This modern referential also allows a better understanding of the morphology of Lemmus kowalskii specimens and its variability.Our results highlight the very high variation within fossil populations, as well as significant statistical differences between populations of the Early and Middle Pleistocene localities. A large part of these fossil specimens is firmly identified as Myopus sp., including the L. kowalskii holotype. Our identifications demonstrate that in most Early and Middle Pleistocene sites considered in this study, both genera (Lemmus and Myopus) are present. Possible interpretations and consequences for current view of lemming history are discussed, as well as some of the paleoecological and paleoenvironmental implications.

One or two species? Revision of fossil martens from the late Early Pleistocene sites Deutsch Altenburg 2 and 4 (Austria)

One or two species? Revision of fossil martens from the late Early Pleistocene sites Deutsch Altenburg 2 and 4 (Austria)

The Fox from Bajiazui (Qingyang, Central China) and an Update on Early Pleistocene Foxes from China

(1) Background: despite the fact that nowadays the genus Vulpes Frisch, 1775, is the most diverse among extant Canidae, its fossil record is utterly scarce, especially in the Asian Pliocene. The sparse nature of this record further complicates the reconstruction of the evolutionary scenario to fit these taxa with extant species. The situation seems to change slightly in the Early Pleistocene when two species are recorded: Vulpes alopecoides (Del Campana, 1913) in Europe and Vulpes chikushanensis, Young, 1930, in Asian localities. Unlike the former, which has an extensive record, the remains of the Chinese V. chikushanensis are sporadic and the validity of the taxon has also been questioned. (2) Methods: the study of the specimens from the Early Pleistocene site of Bajiazui (1.8–1.2 Ma, Qingyang, Gansu) in comparison to an extensive sample of Vulpes spp. The Pliocene–Early Pleistocene is relevant for the delimitation of fossil foxes variability; (3) Results: morphologically and morphometrically, the specimens of Bajiazui fit with the specimens of V. chikushanensis from other Chinese localities of the Early Pleistocene, e.g., Longdan (Gansu) and Huiyu (Fangshang), highlighting some difference with the latest Early Pleistocene forms of Jigushan fox; (4) Conclusions: the revision of the Asian fossil record of Vulpes is crucial in our attempt to understand and reconstruct the evolution of carnivoran guild during the late Early Pleistocene (1.8–0.8 Ma). The fox remains from Bajiazui, although fragmentary, add a valuable piece to our knowledge of V. chikushanensis, a species possibly strongly related to the extant Vulpes corsac (Linnaeus, 1768).

Investigating the dietary niches of fossil Plio-Pleistocene European macaques: The case of Macaca majori Azzaroli, 1946 from Sardinia

The genus Macaca includes medium- to large-bodied monkeys and represents one of the most diverse primate genera, also having a very large geographic range. Nowadays, wild macaque populations are found in Asia and Africa, inhabiting a wide array of habitats. Fossil macaques were also present in Europe from the Late Miocene until the Late Pleistocene. Macaques are considered ecologically flexible monkeys that exhibit highly opportunistic dietary strategies, which may have been critical to their evolutionary success. Nevertheless, available ecological information regarding fossil European species is very sparse, limiting our knowledge of their evolutionary history in this geographic area. To further our understanding of fossil European macaque ecology, we investigated the dietary ecology of Macaca majori, an insular endemic species from Sardinia. In particular, we characterized the dental capabilities and potential dietary adaptations of M. majori through dental topographic and enamel thickness analyses of two M2s from the Early Pleistocene site of Capo Figari (1.8 Ma). We also assessed its diet through dental microwear texture analysis, while the microwear texture of M. majori was also compared with microwear textures from other European fossil macaques from mainland Europe. The dental topographic and enamel thickness analyses suggest that M. majori frequently consumes hard/mechanically challenging and/or abrasive foods. The results of the dental microwear analysis are consistent with this interpretation and further suggest that M. majori probably exhibited more durophagous dietary habits than mainland Plio-Pleistocene macaques. Overall, our results indicate that M. majori probably occupied a different dietary niche compared to its mainland fossil relatives, which suggests that they may have inhabited different paleoenvironments.

Homo heterogenus: Variability in early Pleistocene Homo environments.

To understand the ecological dominance of Homo sapiens, we need to investigate the origins of the plasticity that has enabled our colonization of the planet. We can approach this by exploring the variability of habitats to which different hominin populations have adapted over time. In this article, we draw upon and synthesize the current research on habitats of genus Homo during the early Pleistocene. We examined 121 published environmental reconstructions from 74 early Pleistocene sites or site phases to assess the balance of arguments in the research community. We found that, while grasslands and savannahs were prominent features of Homo habitats in the early Pleistocene, current research does not place early Pleistocene Homo, in any single environmental type, but in a wide variety of environments, ranging from open grasslands to forests. Our analysis also suggests that the first known dispersal of Homo out of Africa was accompanied by niche expansion.

Palaeoenvironmental features of the early Middle Pleistocene site of Wadi Sarrat in NW Tunisia (Northern Africa)

This paper focuses on pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) analysis in a sequence from the archaeo-palaeontological site of Wadi Sarrat (Tunisia). The series comprises a lapse time of Early-Middle Pleistocene vegetation succession and the evolution of the past lacustrine system of Wadi Sarrat. Some changes in the pollinic taxa are observed throughout the sequence in the region: fluctuations between Mediterranean (evergreen Quercus-type, Olea/Phillyrea, Pistacia, CISTACEAE, LAMIACEAE, CUPRESSACEAE, Pinus), mesic trees (deciduous Quercus-type, Myrica/Corylus, Alnus, Ulmus, Betula, Salix,Acer), hygro-hydrophytes (CYPERACEAE,Typha/Sparganium,Myriophyllum, PTERIDOPHYTA), and desert taxa (AMARANTHACEAE, APIACEAE, LACTUCEAE - ASTERACEAE, Ephedra, Asphodelus, CISTACEAE, Cerealia-type, BORAGINACEAE). The assemblages contained many desert elements (mostly herbaceous taxa) that occupy the high plateau and some trees that must come from the regional mountains or the banks of the lake. The NPPs and pollen analysis have allowed us to determine a cyclicity of nine events or pluvial phases, with tendencies to increase or decrease step by step. Taxa such as algae, Pseudoschizaea and Arcella have been of great help in the determination of the pluvial cycles.

Early Pleistocene Bovidae from Palan-Tyukan (Azerbaijan)

The Early Pleistocene site of Palan-Tyukan (MNQ18, ca 1.85 Mya) is located in Transcaucasia, northwestern Azerbaijan. In total, more than 300 mammalian bones were collected there by one of the authors (M.V. Sablin) in 1986 and 1990. The remains were laid close to each other in a 25 m2 lens-like accumulation, in a stratum of normally magnetized (the upper part of the Olduvai subchron) yellowish-grey Lower Apsheron loams. No any excavations have been carried here out since. The present study is based on the analysis of the Bovidae remains. The material is represented by fragments of skulls and horn cores, isolated teeth and bones of the postcranial skeleton. As a result of the revision of the collection, Leptobos (Smertiobos) cf. etruscus (Falconer, 1859), Gazellospira torticornis (Aymard, 1854) and Gazella cf. bouvrainae (Kostopoulos, 1996) were identified. The degree of the unworn M3 tooth hypsodonty of Leptobos, as well as the size and morphology of limb bones indicate a greater similarity with those of L. etruscus from Olivola and Tasso. The characteristics of the horn cores, as well as the upper teeth and limb bones of the medium-sized spiral-horned antelope from Palan-Tyukan indicate a greater similarity with those of the nominative subspecies G. torticornis torticornis. The dimensions and degree of flattening of the horn cores, as well as the parameters of the p4 tooth, are similar to those of the medium-sized gazelle G. bouvrainae, described from several Early Pleistocene localities of Greece. The taxonomic composition of the Bovidae association from Palan-Tyukan is consistent with the previously determined stratigraphic position of the locality, the fauna from which belongs to the Psekups faunal complex of Eastern Europe, correlated with the Late Villafranchian of Western Europe. The composition of these herbivores community testifies to the spread of savanna-like forest-steppe landscapes in the west of Transcaucasia during this period of the Early Pleistocene.

Glacial/interglacial climate variability in southern Spain during the late Early Pleistocene and climate backdrop for early Homo in Europe

The oldest evidence of a human presence in western Europe is currently documented at the late Early Pleistocene sites of Barranco León and Fuente Nueva 3 (Guadix-Baza Basin, SE Spain), dated respectively to 1.4 and 1.2 Ma. Understanding the climatic variability that these hominins encountered and coped with is of outstanding importance for placing their activities in an ecological context and understanding their capacity to adapt to changing conditions. Glacial-interglacial variability during this period was considerably less intense than during later phases of the Pleistocene. To date, however, no quantitative estimates are available for this climate variability in Early Pleistocene hominin sites, and no ‘cold’ reconstructions directly associated with the early hominin occupations of Europe have been performed either. Here stratigraphically constrained quantitative climatic reconstructions are provided for the sites of Barranco León and Fuente Nueva 3, using an improvement on the Mutual Ecogeographic Range method by projecting the niche envelope of the extant representatives of Ophisaurus sp. We ascertain differences in temperature and rainfall between the different layers of the two sites, in line with previous reconstructions that revealed warm, humid periods (‘interglacial’) as well as more temperate but drier periods (‘glacial’'), consistent with Early Pleistocene climate cyclicity. Our new estimates suggest that late Early Pleistocene hominins, though conditioned to some degree by climatic factors, were able to deal with changing climatic and environmental conditions (‘interglacial’ and ‘glacial’') in the southwestern extremity of the European continent.

Assessing the subsistence strategies of the earliest North African inhabitants: evidence from the Early Pleistocene site of Ain Boucherit (Algeria)

The archaeological data on the earliest hominin behavioral subsistence activities in North Africa are derived primarily from the Early Pleistocene site of Ain Boucherit (northeastern Algeria). Ain Boucherit consists of two archaeological layers, Ain Boucherit Upper (AB-Up) and Ain Boucherit Lower (AB-Lw), estimated to ~ 1.9 Ma and ~ 2.4 Ma, respectively. Cutmarked and hammerstone percussed bones associated with Oldowan stone tools were found in both layers, with AB-Lw yielding the oldest in North Africa. The faunal assemblages from both deposits are dominated by small-sized bovids and equids. Evidence of cutmarks and percussion marks in both assemblages shows that hominins exploited animal carcasses, involving skinning, evisceration and defleshing activities. The evidence of meat and marrow acquisition is more abundant at AB-Lw with carnivore activity being scarce. However, the AB-Up assemblage shows more carnivore damage and less hominin-induced tool marks. Ain Boucherit evidence, is similar, in type and chronology, to that provided by the Early Pleistocene sites in East Africa (e.g., the Gona sites), where the oldest evidence of stone tools used in faunal exploitation have been discovered. This paper reports on the ability of early North African Oldowans to compete successfully for accessing animal resources with other predators.

The earliest European Acheulean: new insights into the large shaped tools from the late Early Pleistocene site of Barranc de la Boella (Tarragona, Spain)

Since the oldest known Acheulean lithic techno-typological features in Europe were reported at the site of Barranc de la Boella (Tarragona, Spain), continuous fieldwork has been conducted there in archeological deposits of the late Early Pleistocene age (0.99–0.78 Ma). As a result, excavations in two of the three open-air localities have significantly expanded the collection of lithic and faunal remains, allowing us to make progress in the interpretation of the hominin behaviors in an open-air fluvial-deltaic sedimentary environment. This includes examples of cumulative palimpsests, such as those found at the locality of La Mina, in which hominins only had a minimal role as modifying agents, as well as the extraordinary mammoth butchery site recorded at the Pit 1 locality. The aim of this paper is to present a comprehensive update of the collection of large shaped tools and to assess its significance in the framework of the earliest occurrence of the Acheulean in Europe. This cultural entity is increasingly well-documented for the early Middle Pleistocene, but very little is known about its presence in Europe before the Brunhes–Matuyama boundary. Large shaped tools appear in the three localities explored in the Unit II of Barranc de la Boella, including choppers (unifacial and bifacial) and standard Acheulean forms, such as picks, knives, and cleaver-like forms. Techno-typological and morphometrical analyses revealed a basic heavy-duty component obtained through simple shaping sequences coupled with significantly more elaborate tools produced on various large blanks (cobbles, slabs, or flakes). The complete bifacial and bilateral shapings have yet to be documented, but the present specific tool assemblage attests to the Early Acheulean technological threshold. Hence, the archaeological data from Barranc de la Boella provide insights into the first appearance of the Acheulean technology in Europe and add critical information to the debate on the technological variability of the Early Pleistocene hominin occupation of the continent. The results of this study revealed a technological assemblage unique in the known late Early Pleistocene archeological record from Europe, different from the rest of ancient Acheulean sites in this continent, which are dated at the Middle Pleistocene. This lends support to the hypothesis that Barranc de la Boella may represent a previously unrecognized Early Acheulean dispersion out of Africa connected to its first evidence at the gates of Eurasia, potentially moving over the northern Mediterranean coastal road to reach Western Europe.

Sharing food with hyenas: a latrine of Pachycrocuta brevirostris in the Early Pleistocene assemblage of Fuente Nueva-3 (Orce, Baza Basin, SE Spain)

The Early Pleistocene archeological site of Fuente Nueva-3 (FN3) preserves some of the oldest evidence of hominin presence in Western Europe, including a huge assemblage of Oldowan tools and evidence of butchering and marrow processing of large mammal bones. Moreover, there is also evidence of the regular presence of carnivores at the site, including a small proportion of bones that show tooth marks, the majority of which can be attributed to the giant, short-faced hyena Pachycrocuta brevirostris, and there are 220 coprolites, most of them from the Upper Archeological Level. In order to identify the defecating agent, we analyze here the coprolites and compare them with other specimens from the literature and with scats from zoo spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). The morphology, color, size, and chemical composition of the FN3 coprolites allow us to attribute them to the hyena P. brevirostris, which is also represented at the site by fossil specimens. In addition, we evaluate the origin of the accumulation of coprolites and discuss on the role played by the scavenging hyenas in the accumulation and modification of the bone remains unearthed at the site, which allows evaluating the contribution of the giant hyena to this Early Pleistocene site. Finally, based on the lithology of layer 5 of the Upper Archeological Level, fine sands and clays deposited in a salt-lake environment, we hypothesize that this layer may have acted as a quicksand where large-sized animals like elephants were trapped and their carcasses lured scavenging carnivores.

Hominins and carnivores in the Early Pleistocene site of Barranco León (Orce, Baza Basin, SE Spain): Comment on Courtenay et al. (2023)

This work investigates questions regarding obsidian circulation among the late populations (since ca. 1100 BP) of Antofagasta de Sierra (Catamarca Province, Argentinean Southern Puna Plateau). By means of geochemical provenance studies conducted on obsidian artefacts, the sources of obsidian that these groups accessed have been identified. The samples considered in this study were collected at three radiocarbon-dated sites in the micro-region: La Alumbrera, Bajo del Coypar II and Campo Cortaderas.The results obtained are compared with those available for other contemporary sites and Formative contexts (ca. 3000–1100 BP) within the area of study. A preliminary discussion is presented on the basis of the environmental, political and social tendencies that characterized the times after ca. 1100 BP at the micro-region and south-central Andes.

Déjà vu: on the use of meat resources by sabretooth cats, hominins, and hyaenas in the Early Pleistocene site of Fuente Nueva 3 (Guadix-Baza Depression, SE Spain)

The late Early Pleistocene archaeological site of Fuente Nueva 3 (Orce, Guadix-Baza Depression, SE Spain), dated to ~1.4 Ma, provides evidence on the subsistence strategies of the first hominin population that dispersed in Western Europe. The site preserves Oldowan tool assemblages associated with abundant remains of large mammals. A small proportion of these remains show cut marks and percussion marks resulting from defleshing and bone fracturing, and a small proportion of bones also show tooth marks. Previous taphonomic studies of FN3 suggested that the hominins had secondary access to the prey leftovers abandoned by sabretooth cats and other primary predators. However, a recent analysis by Yravedra et al. (2021) of the frequency of anthropogenic marks and tooth marks has concluded that the hominins had primary access to the carcasses of a wide variety of ungulate prey, even though the frequency of evisceration marks is strikingly low. In this rebuttal, we analyse the patterns of bone preservation in FN3, which show that the exploitation of bone marrow by the hominins after hammerstone breakage was a usual activity at the site. Our study also reviews the evidence available on the lesser abilities of sabretooth cats for carcass processing compared to pantherine felids. This reinforces the hypothesis that primary predators provided the hominins the opportunity to scavenge sizeable chunks of meat and bone marrow of their prey carcasses before the arrival of hyaenas. Finally, we also provide new inferences on resource availability and competition intensity among the members of the carnivore guild in FN3, which reinforce our interpretation that a secondary access by the Oldowan hominins to the prey leftovers of sabretooth cats was an optimal foraging strategy in the Guadix-Baza Depression.

Deciphering carnivoran competition for animal resources at the 1.46 Ma early Pleistocene site of Barranco León (Orce, Granada, Spain)

Barranco León (Orce, Guadix Baza, Spain) is one of the sites with the oldest evidence of human activity in south-western Europe. This site has yielded human remains in association with both fauna and lithic artefacts, linked through the presence of anthropogenic cut and percussion marks. Nevertheless, while this site is a clear example of early hominin access to carcasses, the accumulations have been identified as a palimpsest, where multiple agents including carnivorans played a role in modifying and interacting in site formation processes. From this perspective, the interpretation and study of the Barranco León site is of great difficulty. Traditionally, interpretations have presented Barranco León as an area where hominins as well as the giant hyena, Pachycrocuta brevirostris, competed for access to carcasses left by machairodontine felids, such as the saber-toothed Homotherium latidens. Nevertheless, as will be presented in this study, the complexity and trophic pressure of Barranco León is much more complicated than originally hypothesized. This study presents a detailed taphonomic analysis of carnivoran activities in the level D1 of the Barranco León assemblage. 3D modelling, geometric morphometrics, and computational learning are used to provide new insights into the tooth pits observed on faunal materials. Here we show that Canis mosbachensis plays a pivotal role in the formation of the site, followed by Pachycrocuta, Homotherium, Ursus etruscus, and Xenocyon (Lycaon) lycaonoides. From this perspective, it can be seen that while Pachycrocuta and Homotherium were active agents in the formation of the site, other carnivorans are also important agents to consider when investigating the Guadix Baza region.

Evidence for the cooking of fish 780,000 years ago at Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, Israel.

Although cooking is regarded as a key element in the evolutionary success of the genus Homo, impacting various biological and social aspects, when intentional cooking first began remains unknown. The early Middle Pleistocene site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, Israel (marine isotope stages 18-20; ~0.78 million years ago), has preserved evidence of hearth-related hominin activities and large numbers of freshwater fish remains (>40,000). A taphonomic study and isotopic analyses revealed significant differences between the characteristics of the fish bone assemblages recovered in eight sequential archaeological horizons of Area B (Layer II-6 levels 1-7) and natural fish bone assemblages (identified in Area A). Gesher Benot Ya'aqov archaeological horizons II-6 L1-7 exhibited low fish species richness, with a clear preference for two species of large Cyprinidae (Luciobarbus longiceps and Carasobarbus canis) and the almost total absence of fish bones in contrast to the richness of pharyngeal teeth (>95%). Most of the pharyngeal teeth recovered in archaeological horizons II-6 L1-7 were spatially associated with 'phantom' hearths (clusters of burnt flint microartifacts). Size-strain analysis using X-ray powder diffraction provided evidence that these teeth had been exposed to low temperature (<500 °C), suggesting, together with the archaeological and taphonomic data, that the fish from the archaeological horizons of Area B had been cooked and consumed on site. This is the earliest evidence of cooking by hominins.

Prepared core technology from the Early Pleistocene site of Nyabusosi 18, Uganda

The site of Nyabusosi 18 (NY18), Uganda, is among the westernmost Early Pleistocene archaeological occurrences in the Rift Valley. The site is dated by tephrochronology to c. 1.5 Ma and was initially attributed to the Oldowan techno-complex. The lithic assemblage is mainly composed of small flakes and cores with very few retouched pieces and vein quartz is the dominant raw material. However, it is accepted that NY18 displayed an important quantity of “prepared cores”. After providing the current definition of Prepared Core Technology (PCT), we present a detailed methodology combining qualitative and quantitative analyses. Qualitative technology is based on diacritical sketches and knappers’ gesture analysis whereas quantitative approach relies on the univariate and multivariate analyses of morphometrical patterns of the PCT remains. The results show that several concepts such as bifaciality, surface hierarchy and recurrence characterize the PCT at NY18. However, the intensity of the core blank preparation is highly variable and the “guiding-arrises” from the flaking surfaces are poorly used. This appears to impact on the PCT flakes morphology. The PCT flakes are particularly thin in profile view when compared with other flakes from NY18. However, we argue that their outline and elongation is uncontrolled. We revise the previous affiliation of NY18 to the Oldowan and we discuss PCT in the context of the Early Pleistocene, a threshold period for the evolution of human technologies. We suggest that PCTs are Early Pleistocene technical inventions sub-contemporaneous with other major technical changes in Africa, such as large flake production and bifacial shaping that mark the emergence and development of the Acheulean from 1.7 Ma.