Holocene Archaeological Sites Research Articles

Geochemical and petrographic approaches to chert tool provenance studies: evidence from two western USA Holocene archaeological sites

Abstract Chert (flint, jasper and agate) from a late Holocene site in Elko, northern Nevada, USA, and a Mid-Holocene site east of Seattle, Washington, USA, represents a wide range of geological source environments for microcrystalline polymorphs of quartz. Potential chert source material and lithic artefacts from these two archaeological sites are utilized to develop laboratory approaches to provenance studies. Chert paragenesis determined by petrographic analysis and geochemical cluster fingerprinting using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and ICP-mass spectrometry analyses accompanied by scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis provides compelling source to artefact correlations.

A New Species of Extinct Parrot (Psittacidae: Eclectus ) from Tonga and Vanuatu, South Pacific

A new extinct species of parrot, Eclectus infectus Steadman, is described from 21 bones from archaeological (late Holocene) and paleontological (late Pleistocene) sites on three islands in the Kingdom of Tonga, with limited referred material (ulna, tibiotarsus) from a late Holocene archaeological site on Malakula, Vanuatu. Probably, therefore, the range of E. infectus also included at least the intervening island group of Fiji. The extinction of E. infectus occurred since the arrival of people in this region ca. 3,000 yr ago and presumably was due to human impact. A single, very fragmentary parrot tibiotarsus from Rota (Mariana Islands) may pertain to an indeterminate species of Eclectus. The only extant species of Eclectus is E. roratus, which occurs from the Solomon Islands westward to the Moluccas. Eclectus infectus provides the first evidence of the genus east of the Solomon Islands, although its biogeographic implications are not unique. Within Oceania (outside New Zealand and the Hawaiian Islands), human activities have eliminated the easternmost species in at least 17 other genera of land birds.

Are land snail a signature for the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition

Edible land snails, representing food remains, are frequently very abundant in late Pleistocene and early-middle Holocene archaeological sites throughout the circum-Mediterranean region. As such, they appear to represent a signature for a broad spectrum subsistence base as first conceived by Flannery in 1969, and therefore must be in some way related to the transition from foraging to food production. This paper investigates the implications that can be drawn from the presence of these snails through information on their ecology, biology, behaviour and nutritional value as well as the behaviour of the prehistoric human groups who collected and consumed them.

DECODING AN EARLY HOLOCENE SAHARAN STRATIFIED SITE. CERAMIC DISPERSION AND SITE FORMATION PROCESSES IN THE TAKARKORI ROCK-SHELTER, ACACUS MOUNTAINS, LIBYA

The surface pottery from a well-preserved Holocene archaeological site in south-western Libya is analysed. The collection suggests a long and protracted human occupation of the shelter, from Late Acacus (Mesolithic) hunter-gatherers to Late Pastoral (Neolithic) herders. Aim of the work is to decode the dynamic history of the site via the study of its surface elements, both artefacts and ecofacts, and the way they interacted over the millennia. To do this, traditional ceramic analysis is combined with recently developed methods of description imported from sedimentology, stressing the potentialities of surface archaeological material. In this framework, spatial analysis of scattered potsherds, in connection with their quantitative and qualitative features and chronological attribution, appears of main relevance in the analysis of site formation processes and postdepositional events that altered the archaeological deposit, transforming its present surface.

Phytolith evidence for early Holocene Cucurbita domestication in southwest Ecuador.

Cucurbita (squash and gourd) phytoliths recovered from two early Holocene archaeological sites in southwestern Ecuador and directly dated to 10,130 to 9320 carbon-14 years before the present (about 12,000 to 10,000 calendar years ago) are identified as derived from domesticated plants because they are considerably larger than those from modern wild taxa. The beginnings of plant husbandry appear to have been preceded by the exploitation of a wild species of Cucurbita during the terminal Pleistocene. These data provide evidence for an independent emergence of plant food production in lowland South America that was contemporaneous with or slightly before that in highland Mesoamerica.

Eolian processes, ground cover, and the archaeology of coastal dunes: A taphonomic case study from San Miguel Island, California, U.S.A.

AbstractGeomorphological evidence and historical wind records indicate that eolian processes have heavily influenced San Miguel Island environments for much of the Late Quaternary. The island is almost constantly bombarded by prevailing northwesterly winds, with peak velocities exceeding 75 km/h and wind gusts reaching over 100 km/h. These strong winds played an important role in the location, formation, and preservation of the island's more than 600 archaeological sites. Excavation and surface collection at a stratified Middle and Late Holocene archaeological site on the island's north coast suggest that wind related disturbances result in significant displacement of light fish bones, produce concentrations of shellfish and heavy mammal bones, and cause significant abrasion, etching, and polishing of bones, shells, and artifacts. These data illustrate that wind not only alters surface materials but can significantly disturb subsurface deposits to a depth of at least 20 cm. Working in concert with a variety of taphonomic processes, wind can play a fundamental role in the preservation of archaeological sites and careful scrutiny during excavation and laboratory analysis is required to delineate its effects. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Aminostratigraphie des formations littorales pléistocènes et holocènes de la région de Casablanca, Maroc / Aminostratigraphy of Pleistocene and Holoceme littoral deposits in the Casablanca region, Morocco.

In the Casablanca region, the regional uplift and climatic conditions which favour rapid consolidation of littoral deposits have favored the preservation of ancient shorelines and their faunas, since at least the end of the Miocene. The species Patella intermedia, present in almost all Middle and Upper Pleistocene formations, exhibits a relatively rapid rate of epimensation because of regional temperatures. This allows us to establish an aminostratigraphic framework for the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of Morocco up until isotopic stage 9. The D-AIle/L-Ile ratios of total ammo acids associated with the Holocene and Soltaman (stages 2 to 4) deposits yield the linear portion of the regional epimensation curve. This gives us an opening for dating Upper Pleistocene and Holocene archaeological sites. Three older groups can be clearly distinguished : aminogroup O (Ouljian) attnbuted to isotopic stage 5 (shoreline between 0 and 6 m), the infrequent Bir Feghloul aminogroup (shoreline near 8 m), attributed to stage 7, and aminogroup OAJ (Oulad Aj Jmel, shoreline between 9 et 12 m) attnbuted to stage 9 Beyond stage 9, Patella intermedia underwent a marked degradation expressed by a significant decrease in ammo acid concentration and scattered D-AIle/L-Ile ratios. These two characteristics allow us to recognize a pre- OAJ aminogroup

Key to Arvicoline (“Microtine” rodents) and Arvicoline-like Lower First Molars Recovered from Late Wisconsinan and Holocene Archaeological and Palaeontological Sites in Eastern North America

Abstract Identification of Arvicoline (Microtine) rodent molars from archaeological and palaeontological sites is especially desirable because they are conspicuous, frequently recovered in quantity, often contemporaneous with occupation, good palaeoenvironmental indicators, and morphologically distinct. In many cases, the rodent taxa themselves comprised a portion of the archaeological resource base. However, inter- and intra-site comparisons are valid only when consistent, standardized taxonomic criteria have been applied. Therefore, qualitative and quantitative methods are presented to differentiate the lower first molars (m1s) of ten Arvicoline genera (and their component species where possible) that resided east of the Rocky Mountains from the early Holocene to the present. Upper second and third molars (M2 and M3) are used in specific identification within Microtus .

Oxygen Isotope Analysis of Animal Bone Phosphate: Method Refinement, Influence of Consolidants, and Reconstruction of Palaeotemperatures for Holocene Sites

A new method to isolate phosphate from bones for oxygen isotope analysis was developed and tested. A graphite-reduction technique introduced by O'Neil et al . (1994; Israel Journal of Earth Sciences 43 , 203–212) is much simpler and quicker than conventional fluorination techniques and was refined in this study. Problems that may arise during the preparation of bone tissue with high organic content were solved by adding two steps of pre-treatment to remove organic substances before complete dissolution of the bone. The reproducibility of δ 18 O values is very good, not only for commercial silver phosphate (±0·25‰) and synthetic hydroxyapatite (±0·22‰) but also for modern and fossil bones with different degrees of preservation (±0·16‰). Interlaboratory comparisons were made with NIST-120c, NIST-120b, and the University of Michigan Standard-1. The values for all standards are in good agreement with values obtained both with conventional fluorination and the graphite-reduction method (δ 18 O p : 21·7; 20·0; 12·2‰ versus SMOW, respectively). Additionally, the influence of consolidants on the preparation and oxygen isotope analysis was investigated. This investigation was deemed necessary, because fragile and brittle animal remains from archaeological and palaeontological sites are often preserved with these materials before samples can be taken for isotopic analysis. Modern and fossil bones of different degrees of preservation were treated with Mowilith, Shellac, Zaponlack, and Ponal, and subsequently, oxygen isotope analyses were performed in the normal way. No measurable effect of these consolidants was observed on the analyses for δ 18 O p . The new procedure has been successfully used to analyse oxygen isotope ratios of cattle and pig bones from Holocene archaeological sites in different climate zones. Calculations of the δ 18 O values of meteoric water and of mean temperatures using the δ 18 O p values illustrate that isotopic compositions of bones from these terrestrial mammals reflect the climatic conditions of their environment very precisely.

Modeling Paleoshorelines and Locating Early Holocene Coastal Sites in Haida Gwaii

AbstractThe integration of archaeology and paleoecology has allowed a fuller understanding of the history of southern Haida Gwaii and provided insights into the regional history of coastal occupation in northwestern North America. Of particular consequence is the history of sea-level fluctuations during the late-glacial and early Holocene. The modern shore holds only part of the history of coastal occupation. Much is flooded or hidden in the rainforest. In southern Haida Gwaii, shorelines dating from 13,000 to 9,500 B.P. are deeply drowned while those dating from 9,200 to 3,000 B.P. are stranded in the rainforest up to 15 meters above modern levels. Shorelines have been approximately coincident with the current position for only the last two to three millennia and for a century or two centered around 9,400 B.P. Modeling these paleoshorelines has led to discovery and investigation of a number of early Holocene archaeological sites.

Prehistoric birds from New Ireland, Papua New Guinea: extinctions on a large Melanesian island.

At least 50 species of birds are represented in 241 bird bones from five late Pleistocene and Holocene archaeological sites on New Ireland (Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea). The bones include only two of seabirds and none of migrant shorebirds or introduced species. Of the 50 species, at least 12 (petrel, hawk, megapode, quail, four rails, cockatoo, two owls, and crow) are not part of the current avifauna and have not been recorded previously from New Ireland. Larger samples of bones undoubtedly would indicate more extirpated species and refine the chronology of extinction. Humans have lived on New Ireland for ca. 35,000 years, whereas most of the identified bones are 15,000 to 6,000 years old. It is suspected that most or all of New Ireland's avian extinction was anthropogenic, but this suspicion remains undetermined. Our data show that significant prehistoric losses of birds, which are well documented on Pacific islands more remote than New Ireland, occurred also on large, high, mostly forested islands close to New Guinea.

Mortuary Behavior and Early Holocene Land Use in the North American Midcontinent

Evidence presented here indicates that the regional mortuary record for Holocene hunter-gatherers emerges in the immediate post-glacial period. Data concerning mortuary practices are reviewed from twenty Early Holocene (10,500-8,000 B.P.) archaeological sites located throughout the North American midcontinent. Two types of funerary treatment appear pervasive, primary inhumation in a flexed posture and cremation of individuals. Such cremations were frequently followed by reburial at spatially separate locations. Grave goods largely consist of ornaments, weapon components, and toolkits. The initial Holocene sites described in this article provide the earliest evidence in North America for the appearance of formal cemeteries. Application of ethnographically-derived models suggests that such cemeteries were special-place ritual nodes which may have defined home territories and reinforced group cohesion across multiple generations.

Early Holocene Archeology in Grand Teton National Park

The purpose of this investigation was to look for and determine the future utility of searching for Early Holocene (6000-12,000 year old) archaeological sites in Grand Teton National Park. Our previous proposal to GTNP stated that the evidence for an Early Holocene human occupation of Jackson Hole was extremely limited, but that this could be a function of investigators not having looked hard enough in the appropriate places. Part of our research was designed to determine where appropriate places' to focus our research might be, while the remainder of our study involved looking in these appropriate places. We conducted these two tasks primarily on the valley floor, rather than the mountains, as we did not expect sites of this age to be preserved in extremely steep and active terrain.

Fossil history of the panther (Puma concolor) and the cheetah-like cat (Miracinonyx inexpectatus) in Florida

Fossils of the Florida panther or puma (Puma concolor) are reported from 15 late Pleistocene (Rancholabrean) sites and one Holocene archaeological site on the Florida peninsula (11 of these are unpublished records). This large cat was widely distributed in Florida during the late Pleistocene, from as far north as Columbia County near the Georgia state line, throughout the northern and central portions of the state, along both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and as far south as Dade County at the southernmost tip of the peninsula. P. concolor is unknown from late Pleistocene faunas in the Florida panhandle. The living Florida panther, P. concolor coryi, is now restricted to southernmost peninsular Florida in Glades, Hendry, Collier, and Dade counties, although it was fairly common father north along the central Atlantic coast until the late nineteenth century. All of the P. concolor fossils reported here compare closely in size and morphology to Recent skulls and postcranial skeletons of P. concolor from southern Florida. The associated mammalian faunas from the Florida sites containing P. concolor indicate that this species is restricted to the late Rancholabrean and Recent (between 130 ka and the present). The cheetah-like cat, or puma-like cat, Miracinonyx is identified from eight late Pliocene and Pleistocene sites in Florida, only two of which were published previously. M. inexpectatus occurs in four Florida late Pliocene and early Pleistocene sites, including the late Blancan Santa Fe River 2A and Northport faunas and the early Irvingtonian Inglis 1A and Leisey Shell Pit local faunas. Three associated metacarpals from the Rancholabrean Lecanto 2A local fauna are tentatively identified as M. inexpectatus, representing one of the youngest records of this species. Fossils identifiable only as Miracinonyx sp. are recorded from the late Irvingtonian Coleman 2A local fauna, from a Plio-Pleistocene locality in Port Charlotte and from the Pleistocene Cardinale site, an underwater fossil site in the Gulf of Mexico located 25 km offshore. Miracinonyx appears to be closely related to the genus Puma and is distinguished from P. concolor by its somewhat larger size and conspicuous elongation of the limbs and metapodials.

The age of two human occupation sites in the Eastern MacDonnell Ranges, Central Australia

 This paper reports on the radiocarbon chronology of two occupation sites discovered during the geomorphic investigation of the Todd River catchment in central Australia. While it is widely accepted that the arid zone has been occupied since the Pleistocene (Smith 1987, 1996), there are no dates available for the eastern MacDonnell Ranges. Data provided here on late Holocene archaeological sites will contribute to the larger spatial and temporal framework of human occupation of the central Australian arid zone. Â

Image and statistical analyses of early sorghum remains (8000 B.P.) from the Nabta Playa archaeological site in the Western Desert, southern Egypt

Carbonized grains of sorghum, with consistent radiocarbon dates of ca. 8000 B.P., have been excavated at an early Holocene archaeological site (E-75-6) in Nabta Playa near the Egyptian-Sudanese border. The objective of the investigations reported here was to classify these early sorghum grains within the known wild or domesticated races or working groups of sorghum through the use of image-analysis procedures. Image-analysis is a non-destructive analytical method that can provide rapid, repeatable, and accurate measurements of ancient cereal grains. Measurements were taken on samples representing the five major domesticated sorghum races, eight wild relatives, and samples from the Nabta Playa and Jebel et Tomat excavation sites. Statistical and clustering techniques indicated significant differences existed among the sorghums with respect to the various measurements made. Sorghum from Nabta Playa was significantly smaller, with respect to most measurements, than either the wild relatives or the five cultivated sorghums. Smaller grain size and the lack of any spikelets containing attached branchlets of the inflorescence or rachis fragments suggest that the material harvested and eaten at the Nabta Playa site were of a wild type.

Cultural Response Or Geological Process? A Comment On Sheehan

Sheehan (1995) suggests that data from large-scale archaeological surveys conducted in the 1980s in the Northern Plains support a refugium model of cultural response to the Altithennal. An alternative interpretation of these data is offered. Surface oriented survey methodologies employed in these surveys consistently underestimate the relative frequency of Early and Middle Holocene archaeological sites because they do not systematically search for geological contexts where the sites are most likely to be preserved.

Earthquake-Induced Subsidence and Burial of Late Holocene Archaeological Sites, Northern Oregon Coast

Fire hearths associated with prehistoric Native American occupation lie within the youngest buried lowland soil of the estuaries along the Salmon and Nehalem rivers on the northern Oregon coast. This buried soil is the result of sudden subsidence induced by a great earthquake about 300 years ago along the Cascadia subduction zone, which extends offshore along the North Pacific Coast from Vancouver Island to northern California. The earthquake 300 years ago was the latest in a series of subsidence events along the Cascadia subduction zone over the last several thousand years. Over the long term, subsidence and burial of prehistoric settlements as a result of Cascadia subduction zone earthquakes have almost certainly been an important factor contributing to the limited time depth of the archaeological record along this section of the North Pacific Coast.

Fish remains from Late Pleistocene and Holocene archaeological sites near Khashm El Girba, Sudan

Se describen los restos de peces procedentes de yacimientos acerámicos y cerámicos a lo largo del Atbara en la región de Khashm el Girba. Las muestras, que cubren un lapso temporal comprendido entre el 10.000-3.000 B.P., no evidencian ningún tipo de evolución de las técnicas de pesca. Todas las diferencias faunísticas pueden, en cambio, explicarse en términos de la situación de cada yacimiento en relación con las masas de agua circundantes.

Seasonality of fishing in south-east Queensland

Seasonality determinations by growth ring analysis are provided for 112 marine fish vertebrae excavated from late Holocene archaeological sites in coastal south-east Queensland. These indicate that fishing was undertaken throughout the year. It is concluded that models of Late Holocene subsistence and settlement in this region which rely on an assumption of winter dominance in marine fish harvesting must be rejected. This has implications for models which relate seasonal resource gluts to forms of social complexity.