Hominin Occupation Research Articles

Fluvial terrace formation and its impacts on early human settlement in the Hanzhong basin, Qinling Mountains, central China

The Qinling Mountains (QLM) form the climatic boundary between the temperate north and subtropical south of China. Many important Paleolithic archaeological sites located on fluvial terraces in this area have been reported in recent decades. Abundant artifacts have been excavated in silt layers overlying fluvial gravels and coarse sands. These silt layers have thus far been interpreted as aeolian deposits. However, in principle they could also represent (in part) fluvial (floodplain) deposits, especially near the base of fine-grained sequences. Reconstruction of fluvial terrace formation is crucial for the correct interpretation of the environment of hominin occupation. In this paper, two sediment sequences from two Paleolithic sites, located on different terrace levels of the Hanjiang River in the Hanzhong basin, are studied mainly using grain-size and grain-shape analyses. In addition, grain-size distributions have been unraveled by applying end-member modelling to distinguish different sedimentary environments. The results show that three different units can be discriminated in each section. The lower unit, consisting of gravelly sand mixed with fine silt, is interpreted as shallow-channel-fill sediment deposited during the start of the transition from a channel to a floodplain environment. The middle unit comprises a fine-grained, gradually fining-upward sequence, representative a floodplain environment. At its base, it reflects a high-energy floodplain situation; at its top, the sequence is interpreted as a low-energy floodplain environment with aeolian input (settling in static water). The third, uppermost unit consists of aeolian loess interbedded with paleosol(s) and sediments that are interpreted as the results of episodic surface runoff. The gradual transition between the 3 units and the gradual fining upward trend of the middle unit indicates that there is no considerable age gap (no hiatus) between the fluvial- and aeolian sedimentary environments. Stone artifacts have been found in all 3 units, with difference abundance, indicating that both the aeolian and floodplain depositional environments provided favorable living conditions. For the floodplain environment, the resources of water and raw materials (fluvial gravels) for tool making may have offered fundamental resources for hominin settlement. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.

Bovid mortality patterns from Kanjera South, Homa Peninsula, Kenya and FLK-Zinj, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania: Evidence for habitat mediated variability in Oldowan hominin hunting and scavenging behavior

The archaeological record has documented Oldowan hominin occupation of habitats ranging from open grasslands to riparian forest by 2.0 Ma. Despite this we have a poor understanding of whether hominin foraging behavior varied in different environmental settings. We compared bovid mortality profiles from the two largest Oldowan zooarchaeological samples, one from a grassland (Excavation 1, Kanjera South, Kenya) and another from a woodland (FLK Zinj, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania) with bovid mortality samples created by African carnivores in different habitats. Kanjera hominins frequently had early access, likely through hunting, to small (size 1 ≤ 23 kg and size 2 = 24–112 kg) juvenile bovids, creating a mortality pattern similar to that created by grassland dwelling carnivores. Kanjera hominins had more mixed access to large (size 3 = 113–340 kg), often juvenile, bovids and frequently scavenged heads. In contrast, previous work has shown that the few small bovids at FLK-Zinj were predominantly older individuals. Prime adults dominated the FLK-Zinj large bovid sample, leading to a mortality pattern similar to that created by carnivores occupying more closed habitats. Variation in bovid body size and mortality profiles between these archaeological assemblages may reflect the challenges of acquiring fauna in open versus closed habitats with a simple hunting toolkit. The heterogeneous woodland habitat of FLK-Zinj would have provided more opportunities to ambush prey, whereas on grasslands with more limited concealment opportunities Kanjera hominins focused their efforts on vulnerable juvenile prey, some likely acquired after short chases.

The Toba tephra as a late Quaternary stratigraphic marker: Investigations in the Sagileru river basin, Andhra Pradesh, India

The Youngest Toba Tuff (YTT, 74 ka ago) is considered as the product of one of the largest super-volcanic events in the Quaternary period, which possibly caused a disastrous effect on the climate and hominid habitation. Here, we report a rare occurrence of an ∼ 2 cm YTT ash bed in the Barakar-Damodar Late Quaternary sediments, Eastern India, and the Microlith toolkits that were found in the sedimentary deposits above the ash layer. The high silica content of the glass shards with bubble walls, blocky, rod-shaped structures, and pumice morphology, are similar to other YTT ash deposits. The sedimentary facies associated with the ash layer show a transition from lacustrine to fluvial depositional environments. Sedimentological, petrographical, mineralogical, geochemical, and magnetic properties suggest the ash was deposited in a lacustrine environment. Moreover, the discovery of the ash bed, the occurrence of in-situ Bovid species, and microlith assemblages in the Barakar-Damodar Valley add to our understanding of late Pleistocene depositional environments, hominin occupations, and possible local migration across eastern India during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) period.

Palaeotopography of a Palaeolithic landscape at Bestwood 1, South Africa, from ground-penetrating radar and magnetometry

In order to investigate the buried landscape at the Fauresmith locality of Bestwood 1, outside the town of Kathu in the Northern Cape Province, we performed ground-penetrating radar and magnetometry surveys across the sand-filled central portion of the valley. The radar images a strong continuous reflector which we can assign to the boundary between the Kalahari sands and underlying Banded Ironstone Formation gravels. Moreover, the thickness of the sand delineates a buried depression in the centre of the valley with flat plateaus at the sides. Subtracting the sand thickness from the current topography produces a map of a small stream channel in the northern part of the valley. Analysis of the magnetic gradient data allows us to extend this buried channel further to the south. Our geophysical survey provides a valuable contribution towards understanding the context of hominin occupation along the banks of a small stream in the Kathu Complex.
 Significance:
 
 We provide an example of combining two geophysical methods to map overburden thickness, useful for archaeological landscape interpretation.
 
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Timing of archaic hominin occupation of Denisova Cave in southern Siberia.

The Altai region of Siberia was inhabited for parts of the Pleistocene by at least two groups of archaic hominins-Denisovans and Neanderthals. Denisova Cave, uniquely, contains stratified deposits that preserve skeletal and genetic evidence of both hominins, artefacts made from stone and other materials, and a range of animal and plant remains. The previous site chronology is based largely on radiocarbon ages for fragments of bone and charcoal that are up to 50,000 years old; older ages of equivocal reliability have been estimated from thermoluminescence and palaeomagnetic analyses of sediments, and genetic analyses of hominin DNA. Here we describe the stratigraphic sequences in Denisova Cave, establish a chronology for the Pleistocene deposits and associated remains from optical dating of the cave sediments, and reconstruct the environmental context of hominin occupation of the site from around 300,000 to 20,000 years ago.

Geochronology, paleogeography, and archaeology of the Acheulian locality of ‘Evron Landfill in the western Galilee, Israel

AbstractA multidisciplinary study was conducted in a newly discovered Paleolithic locality, named ‘Evron Landfill. This locality is a part of the Lower Paleolithic complex of ‘Evron located at the western Galilee, Israel. Examination of artifacts has enabled the cultural attribution of ‘Evron Landfill to the Early Acheulian, while detailed paleomagnetic stratigraphy places the hominin occupations near the Brunhes–Matuyama transition ~0.77 Ma. This age is constrained by cosmogenic isotope burial dating of the sediments overlying the Paleolithic finds, providing a minimum age of ~0.66±0.11 Ma for hominin activity at the site. These results are further supported by the biochronological information derived from the faunal assemblage. Comparative analyses of faunal remains and lithic artifacts from ‘Evron Landfill demonstrate similarities to the assemblages from the Early Acheulian site of Evron Quarry, located ~300 m to the south. Pedo-sedimentological analyses indicate that hominin activity took place in a marsh environment in proximity to the Mediterranean coast, which probably fluctuated in both space and time with a fluvial environment. In addition, this study provides important data about ancient coastal activity during the early to middle Pleistocene.

Lake-level changes and hominin occupations in the arid Turkana basin during volcanic closure of the Omo River outflows to the Indian Ocean

AbstractIn the East African Rift, the western margin of Lake Turkana (northern Kenya) exposes Mio-Plio-Pleistocene lake sediments with dated volcanic horizons constraining basin dynamics at the astronomical time scale. Since the late Pliocene, coastal archaeological sites have formed within the lacustrine dynamics. Here, lake levels are reconstructed from 2.4 to 1.7 Ma using sedimentary facies and water/depth-controlled sediment association. The lacustrine stratigraphy is measured with a total station, and cyclostratigraphy is derived from tephrochronology. The water depths are evaluated from paleochemical properties of lake sediments analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Our reconstruction highlights that Lake Turkana rose during 100 ka insolation/eccentricity maxima periods in response to higher monsoonal inputs of the Omo River. However, Lake Turkana also expanded through an insolation minimum at 2.17–1.95 Ma. This asynchronous lake phase coincides with volcanic closure of the Omo River and Lake Turkana outflow sill to the east and the Indian Ocean. An archaeological hiatus occurs during this endorheic lake phase, and alkalinity increases at the beginning of the hiatus. The lake rose again during insolation/eccentricity maxima at 1.9–1.7 Ma, and a new outflow sill opened to the west and the Nile basin. Hominin coastal occupations return during this exorheic/freshwater lake phase.

The expansion of later Acheulean hominins into the Arabian Peninsula

The Acheulean is the longest lasting cultural–technological tradition in human evolutionary history. However, considerable gaps remain in understanding the chronology and geographical distribution of Acheulean hominins. We present the first chronometrically dated Acheulean site from the Arabian Peninsula, a vast and poorly known region that forms more than half of Southwest Asia. Results show that Acheulean hominin occupation expanded along hydrological networks into the heart of Arabia from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 7 until at least ~190 ka ̶ the youngest documented Acheulean in Southwest Asia. The site of Saffaqah features Acheulean technology, characterized by large flakes, handaxes and cleavers, similar to Acheulean assemblages in Africa. These findings reveal a climatically-mediated later Acheulean expansion into a poorly known region, amplifying the documented diversity of Middle Pleistocene hominin behaviour across the Old World and elaborating the terminal archaic landscape encountered by our species as they dispersed out of Africa.

Early Ipswichian (last interglacial) sea level rise in the channel region: Stone Point Site of Special Scientific Interest, Hampshire, England

Constraining the speed of sea level rise at the start of an interglacial is important to understanding the size of the ‘window of opportunity’ available for hominin migration. This is particularly important during the last interglacial when there is no evidence for significant hominin occupation anywhere in Britain. There are very few finer grained fossiliferous sequences in the Channel region that can be used to constrain sea level rise and they are preserved only to the north of the Channel, in England. Of these, the sequence at Stone Point SSSI is by far the most complete. Data from this sequence has been previously reported, and discussed at a Quaternary Research Association Field Meeting, where a number of further questions were raised that necessitated further data generation. In this paper, we report new data from this sequence – thin section analysis, isotopic determinations on ostracod shells, new Optical Stimulated Luminescence ages and Amino Acid Recem analyses. These show early sea level rise in this sequence, starting during the pre-temperate vegetation zone IpI, but no early warming. The implications of this almost certainly last interglacial sequence for the human colonisation of Britain and our understanding of the stratigraphic relationship of interglacial estuarine deposits with their related fluvial terrace sequences is explored.

Between Denisovans and Neanderthals: Strashnaya Cave in the Altai Mountains

New data from Strashnaya Cave have revealed previously unknown complexity in hominin occupation of the Altai Mountains, including the first regional evidence for the presence of anatomically modern humans.

The genetics of human short stature

Human Genomics Flores Island in Indonesia has a long history of hominin occupation, including by the extinct Homo floresiensis and a more recent settlement by modern humans. Furthermore, Flores has an extant population of pygmy humans, and H. floresiensis exhibited a diminutive adult size relative to other hominins. Tucci et al. examined genetic variation among 32 individuals, including 10 sequenced genomes, from a population of pygmies living close to the cave where H. floresiensis remains were discovered. These individuals exhibit signatures of polygenic selection explaining the short stature and have genomic content from both Neanderthals and Denisovans, but no additional archaic lineages. Thus, restricted height is under selection at this location and has evolved independently at least twice in hominins. Science , this issue p. [511][1] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aar8486

Evolutionary history and adaptation of a human pygmy population of Flores Island, Indonesia.

Flores Island, Indonesia, was inhabited by the small-bodied hominin species Homo floresiensis, which has an unknown evolutionary relationship to modern humans. This island is also home to an extant human pygmy population. Here we describe genome-scale single-nucleotide polymorphism data and whole-genome sequences from a contemporary human pygmy population living on Flores near the cave where H. floresiensis was found. The genomes of Flores pygmies reveal a complex history of admixture with Denisovans and Neanderthals but no evidence for gene flow with other archaic hominins. Modern individuals bear the signatures of recent positive selection encompassing the FADS (fatty acid desaturase) gene cluster, likely related to diet, and polygenic selection acting on standing variation that contributed to their short-stature phenotype. Thus, multiple independent instances of hominin insular dwarfism occurred on Flores.

The top of the Gran Dolina (Atapuerca, Spain) sequence: A zooarchaeological and occupational perspective

Middle Pleistocene unit TD10 of the Gran Dolina site is nearly four metres thick and is divided into four subunits (TD10.1, TD10.2, TD10.3, TD10.4). To date, the upper two subunits (TD10.1 and TD10.2) have been completely excavated and have been studied from zooarchaeological, taphonomic and occupational perspectives. The top of the sequence (Upper TD10.1), however, has not undergone these types of studies until now. In this paper we report the results of our analyses of the anatomical profiles, age, and the anthropogenic and carnivore-induced modifications in this assemblage. Methods employed to evaluate sequential scenarios (carnivore to hominin; hominin to carnivore; carnivore to hominin to carnivore) have led to contradictory results. We conclude that the formation of Upper TD10.1 is the product of the overlap of independent events (hominin only and carnivore only), with limited commensalism between the two agents. The type of accumulation is consistent with the characteristics of an accumulative palimpsest generated by different actors. Unlike those documented in the lower levels of TD10 (TD10.1BB and TD10.2BB), hominin occupations in this part of the sequence were very brief. This scenario completes the picture of the types of occupations that took place during the end of Middle Pleistocene at Gran Dolina. In short, level TD10 was the site of three types of occupation by Middle Pleistocene hominins: a kill/butchering site in TD10.2BB, a long-term residential camp in TD10.1BB, and finally, logistical and short-term occupations in Upper TD10.1.

Hominin occupation of the Chinese Loess Plateau since about 2.1 million years ago.

Considerable attention has been paid to dating the earliest appearance of hominins outside Africa. The earliest skeletal and artefactual evidence for the genus Homo in Asia currently comes from Dmanisi, Georgia, and is dated to approximately 1.77-1.85 million years ago (Ma)1. Two incisors that may belong to Homo erectus come from Yuanmou, south China, and are dated to 1.7Ma2; the next-oldest evidence is an H. erectus cranium from Lantian (Gongwangling)-which has recently been dated to 1.63Ma3-and the earliest hominin fossils from the Sangiran dome in Java, which are dated to about 1.5-1.6Ma4. Artefacts from Majuangou III5 and Shangshazui6 in the Nihewan basin, north China, have also been dated to 1.6-1.7Ma. Here we report an Early Pleistocene and largely continuous artefact sequence from Shangchen, which is a newly discovered Palaeolithic locality of the southern Chinese Loess Plateau, near Gongwangling in Lantian county. The site contains 17 artefact layers that extend from palaeosol S15-dated to approximately 1.26Ma-to loess L28, which we date to about 2.12Ma. This discovery implies that hominins left Africa earlier than indicated by the evidence from Dmanisi.

Magnetostratigraphic dating of the hominin occupation of Bailong Cave, central China

Intermontane basins in the southern piedmont of the Qinling Mountains are important sources of information on hominin occupation and settlement, and provide an excellent opportunity to study early human evolution and behavioral adaptation. Here, we present the results of a detailed magnetostratigraphic investigation of the sedimentary sequence of hominin-bearing Bailong Cave in Yunxi Basin, central China. Correlation to the geomagnetic polarity time scale was achieved using previously published biostratigraphy, 26Al/10Be burial dating, and coupled electron spin resonance (ESR) and U-series dating. The Bailong Cave hominin-bearing layer is dated to the early Brunhes Chron, close to the Matuyama-Brunhes geomagnetic reversal at 0.78 Ma. Our findings, coupled with other records, indicate the flourishing of early humans in mainland East Asia during the Mid-Pleistocene climate transition (MPT). This suggests that early humans were adapted to diverse and variable environments over a broad latitudinal range during the MPT, from temperate northern China to subtropical southern China.

The submerged archaeology of the North Sea: Enhancing the Lower Palaeolithic record of northwest Europe

The Lower Palaeolithic hominin occupation of northwest Europe occurred during a period of significant climatic change. In Britain, hominin populations were present discontinuously, from strongly continental sites to those characterised by a balmy Mediterranean environment. Whilst apparently able to survive a range of conditions, the configuration of the associated landscapes, in particular the presence or absence of a land connection with the continent, would have had a fundamental impact on the density of hominin occupation in Britain at any given time. Similarly, the environments once present in the now-drowned North Sea Basin and Channel regions would presumably have played an important role in attracting and sustaining hominin populations. However, our understanding of the physical and environmental character of these landscapes, as well as the timing of marine transgressive and regressive periods, remains frustratingly murky, hindering the ability to imagine how these landscapes may have been used. A growing body of data from recent research and commercial offshore development is beginning to help researchers understand this issue, but there is still an immense amount of work to do. With the contribution that evidence from these lost landscapes could provide to Lower Palaeolithic archaeology as a focus, this paper begins with a review of the current state of affairs with regard to commercial and research methods and practices. It then discusses the ways that we are moving this forward through specific archaeological projects, providing tentative suggestions for how current methods could be developed and the kinds of information that these could provide.

Early hominins in north-west Europe: A punctuated long chronology?

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).

Joint vegetation and mammalian records at the early Pleistocene sequence of Bòvila Ordis (Banyoles-Besalú Basin, NE Spain) and their bearing on early hominin occupation in Europe

The early Pleistocene site at Bovila Ordis (Banyoles-Besalu Basin in NE Iberia) delivered in the past a significant pollen succession which can be assigned to the upper Matuyama geomagnetic chron owing to the identification of the Cobb Mountain magnetic subchron (1.2 Ma ago). It has been previously shown by palynology that the succession of lakes recorded at Bovila Ordis corresponds to a succession of late early Pleistocene glacial–interglacial phases, between 1.2 and 1 Ma, which can be correlated with MIS 35, 33 and 31. The present investigation focuses on lake 1 (borehole BOIV) and lake 3 (boreholes BOI, BOII and BOIII and outcrops) from this site, where both fossil pollen and rodent teeth were recovered together in the same sediment, and offers the potential to provide a vegetation and climatic context to sites that are dated by rodent teeth, such as some hominin sites in Western Europe. Here we analyse the rodent content and their biostratigraphical implications in the context of early hominin dispersal in Western Europe. In lake 1, pollen data had revealed in previous analysis a complete glacial–interglacial cycle and parts of a second one. The uppermost part of BOIV sequence yielded rodent remains that can be assigned to the arvicolid species Allophaiomys chalinei and Mimomys cf. savini. Previous palynological investigations from lake 3 had revealed a temperate deciduous forest, indicative of warm and humid conditions. At the top of the section of lake 3, a regression of the forest and the spread of open landscape elements indicated drier, more steppic conditions. The palaeobiological record of lake 3 includes pollen and large (Cervus philisi, Hippopotamus antiquus and Equus stenonis) and small mammal remains (Mimomys savini and Allophaiomys lavocati). The rodent material from lake 1 clearly indicates an early Pleistocene age somewhat older than that of lake 3. According to these new biostratigraphic data in the context of previous palynological and chronological data, it is clear that Allophaiomys chalinei entered Iberia before 1 Ma ago and A. lavocati remained until 1 Ma ago. The fact that Allophaiomys lavocati and Allophaiomys chalinei, two arvicolids currently associated with the earliest evidence of hominin presence in Western Europe, appear in Bovila Ordis at a time of mild, temperate conditions reinforce the idea that the first hominin dispersal in this region was strongly dependent on favourable climatic conditions.

Shedding light on the Early Pleistocene of TD6 (Gran Dolina, Atapuerca, Spain): The technological sequence and occupational inferences.

This paper aims to update the information available on the lithic assemblage from the entire sequence of TD6 now that the most recent excavations have been completed, and to explore possible changes in both occupational patterns and technological strategies evidenced in the unit. This is the first study to analyse the entire TD6 sequence, including subunits TD6.3 and TD6.1, which have never been studied, along with the better-known TD6.2 Homo antecessor-bearing subunit. We also present an analysis of several lithic refits found in TD6, as well as certain technical features that may help characterise the hominin occupations. The archaeo-palaeontological record from TD6 consists of 9,452 faunal remains, 443 coprolites, 1,046 lithic pieces, 170 hominin remains and 91 Celtis seeds. The characteristics of this record seem to indicate two main stages of occupation. In the oldest subunit, TD6.3, the lithic assemblage points to the light and limited hominin occupation of the cave, which does, however, grow over the course of the level. In contrast, the lithic assemblages from TD6.2 and TD6.1 are rich and varied, which may reflect Gran Dolina cave’s establishment as a landmark in the region. Despite the occupational differences between the lowermost subunit and the rest of the deposit, technologically the TD6 lithic assemblage is extremely homogeneous throughout. In addition, the composition and spatial distribution of the 12 groups of lithic refits found in unit TD6, as well as the in situ nature of the assemblage demonstrate the high degree of preservation at the site. This may help clarify the nature of the Early Pleistocene hominin occupations of TD6, and raise reasonable doubt about the latest interpretations that support the ex situ character of the assemblage as a whole.

Environments and Cultural Change in the Indian Subcontinent

The Indian subcontinent lies on a key east-west corridor for hominin expansions across Asia, which has led to it playing a prominent role in debate surrounding the dispersal of modern humans. The current geography and ecology of the region consists of a diverse array of habitats. An examination of changes in monsoonal intensity indicates that geographic reconfiguration of ecological diversity occurred, but at a regional level, South Asia is shown to provide suitable environments for hominin occupations throughout the Late Pleistocene. Unfortunately, the fossil record of South Asia remains poor, preventing decisive resolution of modern human dispersal debates. However, in the past decade new interdisciplinary approaches to the archaeological record have overhauled the framework for understanding behavioral change during the Late Pleistocene. While the nature of the Late Acheulean to Middle Paleolithic transition remains to be resolved, it is now clear that it appears significantly later than in other Old World regions and may coincide with the expansion of modern humans across Asia. Mounting evidence supports a gradual rather than abrupt transition from Middle to Late Paleolithic technologies, which does not easily reconcile with arguments for the introduction of microlithic tool kits by the earliest expansions of modern humans.