Late Upper Paleolithic Research Articles

The last cave lion of the late Upper Palaeolithic: The engraved feline of Grotta Romanelli (southern Italy)

On the occasion of the review of the portable art of Grotta Romanelli, a decorated stone with a feline figure was object of an interdisciplinary study. The analysis considered different approaches so to: characterise the stratigraphic setting of the finding, the rock support, look into the techniques used to decorate the stone, elaborate a graphic documentation (photographs, 3D models and tracings), relate the symbolic production with the environmental context, and consider the motifs into the wider late Upper Palaeolithic (LUP) art production.The work allows confirming that the represented subject corresponds to a Panthera spelaea, and fixing some issues concerning the variability of the decorating activity, which is in line with the graphic tradition of the European LUP. Style and formal variable features of the figure might have responded to specific social conventions or to single author's skills, tracing new investigation lines about the cultural behaviour and the decorating activity: from the collection of the raw material and the preliminary modelling of the support, to the different artistic techniques (engraving and painting), from the use of the object to the definition of possible local artistic variations and/or inspiration at large scale. Moreover, it questions the thematic aspect in relation to the local fauna and its influence in the symbolic production, highlighting the importance of this stone in the wider debate about the extinction of the cave lions. Indeed, the Romanelli lion may represent the last evidence of this animal in Europe.

Where the Grass is Greener — Large-Scale Phenological Patterns and Their Explanatory Potential for the Distribution of Paleolithic Hunter-Gatherers in Europe

A unique property of the Paleolithic record is the possibility to observe human societies in large areas and over long periods of time. At these large spatial and temporal scales, a number of interesting phenomena can be observed, such as dynamics in the distribution of populations in relation to equally large-scale environmental patterns. In this paper, we focus on phenological patterns of vegetation and discuss their explanatory potential for differences in site densities in different periods and parts of Europe. In particular, we present a case-transferable approach to diachronically estimate the timing of the vegetation period and resulting phenological gradients. We discuss results for two complementary case studies. First, we look at the Aurignacian in Western and Central Europe, a period of dynamic population dispersal in a topographically heterogeneous region. Second, we focus on the Middle and Late Upper Paleolithic in the East European Plain, a period after the arrival of anatomically modern humans in a topographically rather uniform area. We visualize phenological trajectories and boundaries otherwise invisible in the archaeological record with certain explanatory potential for the observed archaeological patterns. Importantly, we do not intend to reconstruct specific plant communities or dispersal routes of animals or humans. Rather, we aim at highlighting gradients which in themselves and on small temporal scales might be comparatively weak, but over the course of millennia may potentially influence the distribution of animal biomass and human populations by biasing the aggregate of at times opposing actions of individuals towards particular directions.

Reconstructing Middle and Upper Paleolithic human mobility in Portuguese Estremadura through laser ablation strontium isotope analysis

Understanding mobility and landscape use is important in reconstructing subsistence behavior, range, and group size, and it may contribute to our understanding of phenomena such as the dynamics of biological and cultural interactions between distinct populations of Upper Pleistocene humans. However, studies using traditional strontium isotope analysis are generally limited to identifying locations of childhood residence or nonlocal individuals and lack the sampling resolution to detect movement over short timescales. Here, using an optimized methodology, we present highly spatially resolved 87Sr/86Sr measurements made by laser ablation multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry along the growth axis of the enamel of two marine isotope stage 5b, Middle Paleolithic Neanderthal teeth (Gruta da Oliveira), a Tardiglacial, Late Magdalenian human tooth (Galeria da Cisterna), and associated contemporaneous fauna from the Almonda karst system, Torres Novas, Portugal. Strontium isotope mapping of the region shows extreme variation in 87Sr/86Sr, with values ranging from 0.7080 to 0.7160 over a distance of c. 50km, allowing short-distance (and arguably short-duration) movement to be detected. We find that the early Middle Paleolithic individuals roamed across a subsistence territory of approximately 600km2, while the Late Magdalenian individual parsimoniously fits a pattern of limited, probably seasonal movement along the right bank of the 20-km-long Almonda River valley, between mouth and spring, exploiting a smaller territory of approximately 300km2. We argue that the differences in territory size are due to an increase in population density during the Late Upper Paleolithic.

Возможности неразрушающего анализа каменных артефактов на примере материалов позднепалеолитических комплексов Южного Приангарья и Верхней Лены

The results of non-destructive analysis of stone artifacts from siliceous rocks from the Late Upper Paleolithic (LUP) sites of the Belaya and Upper Lena Rivers are presented. X-ray fluorescence analysis carried out using a portable device (pXRF) and geometric-morphometric analysis of 3D models were selected as the main methods. The purpose of pXRF was to highlight criteria for differentiating rocks from different sites, issues of searching for sources of raw materials, including the problem of identifying local and non-local components in archaeological complexes, as well as the possibilities of this method in expanding the source base and geography of research. To do this, we selectively analyzed materials from two archaeological sites: 1) Maltinka 1 on the Belaya River (36 samples), and 2) Makarovo 2 on the Upper Lena (12 samples), as well as rock pieces collected near the archaeological site Sosnovyi Bor on the Belaya River. The method of studying 3D models of artifacts we used on a limited collection of the Maltinka 1 site (11 samples) to test how promising it is to use geometric-morphometric analysis in relation to specific LUP materials of Baikal-Yenisei Siberia. Based on the pXRF results, it was established that the siliceous rocks of the Belaya River and Upper Lena collection have significant differences and various origins. Most of the artifacts and rock pieces from Belaya River demonstrate certain similarities in chemical composition. It is concluded that these are local siliceous rocks originating from the deposits of the Lower Cambrian Angara Formation, the outcrops of which are found in many areas of the Belaya River valley. Samples from the Makarovo 2 site show greater variability in chemical composition. It has been suggested that the source for them could be the pebble horizons of the ancient Manzurka Alluvium. One sample from the Upper Lena corresponds in chemical composition to the Belaya collection, which allows us to put forward a version about its imported nature. However, this hypothesis requires testing by expanding collections of artifacts and raw material sources. As a result of the 3D analysis of cores and core preforms, it was established that the samples are quite similar in morphological characteristics, which indicates a high degree of standardization in the production of bifacial blanks. This method has been demonstrated to be effective but is most useful only when the sample and methodologies are expanded.

Поздний верхний палеолит Нижнего Витима (по материалам стоянок Коврижка-III–IV и Большой Якорь-I)

The multilayer sites Kovrizhka-IV and Bol’shoi Yakor’-I, Kovrizhka-III (Baikal-Patom Highlands, Lower Vitim) make it possible to characterize the Late Upper Paleolithic (LUP) at the early, 19–17 Kyr BP, and late, 15–13 Kyr BC, stages, respectively. The high information potential makes it possible to highlight the culture and activities of the inhabitants in terms of lithic production and microblade splitting, living features, settling, hunting, the transportation of mineral resources from remote sources, sign-symbolic activity and art. Th e lithic assemblages of LUP appearance, in general, show continuity from the early stage to the late one. In microblade splitting, this is expressed in the translation of the Kovrizhka and Yubetsu-Bol’shoi Yakor’ techniques for preparing the wedge-shaped microcore and reducing the biface. For the early stage, chisel-shaped tools are more typical than for the late stage, for the late stage - transversal burins. On Kovrizhka-IV (early stage), the remains of dwelling features were found, art objects were discovered as well as numerous evidence of the use of ocher. Bol’shoi Yakor’-I and Kovrizhka-III (late stage) show various hearth complexes and specifi c structures made of gneiss slabs. Culturally and typologically, the LUP of the Lower Vitim correlates with the Studenovskaya culture of Southern Transbaikalia at an early stage, the Dyuktai culture of Yakutia, and the Verkholenskaya culture of Southwestern Cisbaikalia at a later stage. In the early Holocene, LUP traditions were continued in a number of sites. However, already along with the appeared complexes of the Mesolithic appearance.

Transport Patterns as Heuristic Testing Variables for the Social Coherence of Taxonomic Units at Different Spatial Scales

Taxonomic units in archaeology strongly convey the assumption of a social connection between the people having left the sites attributed to these units. The (implicit) assumption is that people whose sites are attributed to the same unit had closer social relations among one another than they had to people whose sites are attributed to other taxonomic units, and that such social proximity is reflected in similarities in their material culture. It is often difficult to be sure about the processes behind the emergence of similarities and dissimilarities. Therefore, taxonomic units relying on this criterion require additional testing in order to be meaningful components of studies on social relations. Dynamic objects, whose location of origin is known in addition to their place of discard, provide means for such testing, because they reflect the movement or contact patterns of people, potentially providing information on social boundaries or links on different spatial scales. Social coherence—the degree of connectedness between the people having left the sites attributed to these units—is sensitive to phenomena of spatial and temporal scale. However, there is no coherent terminology that would match scale levels of taxonomic units to those of social units. This paper proposes a hierarchical systematics for taxonomic units and their social equivalents applicable to both hunter-(fisher-)gatherer and farming societies to facilitate discussions on this topic. Based on this systematics, we propose an approach to test the coherence of taxonomic units regarding different social scale levels based on transport patterns of dynamic objects. Knowledge on the mode of acquisition (direct/embedded procurement, exchange, trade) of the dynamic objects is not a prerequisite. Three case studies from the Late Upper Paleolithic in Central Europe, the Late Paleolithic in Bavaria, and the Early Neolithic in Norway will be discussed to evaluate the potential and limits of the approach.

Les relations entre l’Extrême-Orient eurasien et le nord de l’archipel du Japon au Paléolithique

The aim of this paper is to present a review of current knowledge concerning the Paleolithic records and the related natural environmental setting in the Eurasian Far East and Hokkaido, located at the northern tip of the Japanese islands. At present, it is quite difficult to answer whether the archaic humans dispersed from Siberia and northern China across the Amur River basin and Sakhalin into Hokkaido or not, because there is no reliable evidence indicating the Lower and Middle Paleolithic in Hokkaido. We demonstrate that the Upper Paleolithic assemblages in Hokkaido can be divided into at least three phases such as the early Upper Paleolithic (EUP), the middle Upper Paleolithic (MUP), and the late Upper Paleolithic (LUP), based on a synthesis of available radiocarbon dates and the techno-typological characteristics of lithic assemblages. It is reasonable to suggest that the lithic assemblage from the Rubenosawa site, located in northern Hokkaido, and some of lithic assemblages at the transition from the Middle to Upper Paleolithic or the initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) in Siberia share the relative similarities of techno-typological attributes in the reduction sequences, although the reliable radiocarbon dates have not been obtained from the Rubenosawa site unfortunately. Also, the emergence of microblade technology at the MUP in Hokkaido, such as represented by the microblade assemblage recovered from the Kashiwadai-1 site, central Hokkaido, indicates a close interaction between the Eurasian Far East and Hokkaido. As a result, the comparison of archaeological evidence in these regions provides us with a suggestion that the appearance and development of the Upper Paleolithic assemblages in Hokkaido were sometimes associated with the human dispersions and the mutual contacts crossing between the Eurasian Far East and Hokkaido.

Sosruco Rockshelter: revision of materials of the excavation by S.N. Zamiatnin and the Upper Horizons Radiocarbon Chronology

The new radiocarbon dates were obtained from samples of the collections from the excavations by S.N. Zamyatnin in 1955–1957 of the Sosruko Rockshelter in the Elbrus region. The Sosruko Rockshelter is a multi-layered site containing cultural horizons of the Iron Age, Mesolithic and Late Upper Palaeolithic. Clear stratigraphy of the Stone Age layers and representative collections were used to create periodization schemes of the development and change of the lithic industries of the late Pleistocene — early Holocene of the Caucasus. But the lack of radiocarbon dating did not allow determining their absolute age. Three samples of faunal remains of layers M1, M2 and M3 were analyzed. Obtained four radiocarbon AMS dates are in agreement not only with the sequence of deposits in the Rockshelter, but also with the data obtained for similar typological collections of the North-West Caucasus synchronous sites.

THE BURIAL PRACTICES OF THE GRAVETTIAN AND THE EPI-GRAVETTIAN PERIODS IN ITALY, CZECH REPUBLIC, AND RUSSIA

This paper describes the burial practice in the Gravettian (early Upper Paleolithic) and the Epi-Gravettian periods (lateUpper Paleolithic) in Italy, and the Gravettian period (early Upper Paleolithic) in Czech and Russia. In Italy, the Gravettianand the Epi-Gravettian burial sites were mostly situated in caves because geologically Italy has extensive karstic systemsthroughout Alpine mountains. Meanwhile, the Gravettian single and multiple burial sites in Czech and Russia were foundin an alluvial plain. The single burials are more numerous in the Epi-Gravettian than the Gravettian periods in Italy.Furthermore, Italy has the largest number of the Gravettian single and multiple burials compared to Czech and Russia. Ifthe compass direction and the corpse placement (prosthesis) in the ground and the position of the head are considered, itapparently links to their origin. The ancestors of the Gravettian peoples in Italy, Czech, and Russia are supposed to haveoriginated from the East or Southeast. The disparity of cultural behavior between the Gravettian and the Epi-Gravettianperiods in Italy can be deduced by the number of single burial and the environmental condition where the Gravettianperiod developed during the last glacial maximum (LGM), while the Epi-Gravettian happened in warmer condition.

Revisiting Alice and Gwendoline Cave, Co. Clare: new light on the 1902 excavations

Alice and Gwendoline Cave, Co. Clare, has produced the first evidence for human occupation on the island of Ireland during the Palaeolithic. A butchered brown bear patella discovered in the cave during excavations by the Committee Appointed to Explore Irish Caves in 1902 was recently dated by AMS to the Late Upper Palaeolithic (LUP) period. As part of current investigations into the cave, this paper presents hitherto unpublished data on the archaeological and palaeontological context of the antiquarian discoveries based on detailed analysis of an unpublished notebook related to the 1902 excavation. A GIS reconstruction of the original antiquarian grid system has facilitated a visualisation of the spatial distribution of artefacts, human bones and faunal remains found at the cave. This provides a more nuanced understanding of human activities at this multi-period site and highlights the role of natural formation processes at the cave, particularly with regard to the bones of extinct fauna. Preliminary results of a recent excavation inform our interpretation of the antiquarian data. The information extracted from the unpublished notebook provides an essential foundation for any future investigations of the site or any re-evaluation of material recovered there in 1902.

Revisiting Alice and Gwendoline Cave, Co. Clare: new light on the 1902 excavations

Alice and Gwendoline Cave, Co. Clare, has produced the first evidence for human occupation on the island of Ireland during the Palaeolithic. A butchered brown bear patella discovered in the cave during excavations by the Committee Appointed to Explore Irish Caves in 1902 was recently dated by AMS to the Late Upper Palaeolithic (LUP) period. As part of current investigations into the cave, this paper presents hitherto unpublished data on the archaeological and palaeontological context of the antiquarian discoveries based on detailed analysis of an unpublished notebook related to the 1902 excavation. A GIS reconstruction of the original antiquarian grid system has facilitated a visualisation of the spatial distribution of artefacts, human bones and faunal remains found at the cave. This provides a more nuanced understanding of human activities at this multi-period site and highlights the role of natural formation processes at the cave, particularly with regard to the bones of extinct fauna. Preliminary results of a recent excavation inform our interpretation of the antiquarian data. The information extracted from the unpublished notebook provides an essential foundation for any future investigations of the site or any re-evaluation of material recovered there in 1902.

The upper limb skeleton and behavioral lateralization of modern humans from Zhaoguo Cave, southwestern China.

Aims of the study are to initially describe and comparatively evaluate the morphology of the new Zhaoguo M1 upper limb remains, and contextualize upper limb functional adaptations among those of other worldwide Upper Paleolithic (UP) humans to make inferences about subsistence-related activity patterns in southwestern China at the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary. The preserved Zhaoguo M1 skeletal remains include paired humeri, ulnae, and radii, among others. These specimens were scanned using micro-computed tomography to evaluate internal structural properties, while external osteometric dimensions of the Zhaoguo M1 upper limb elements also were acquired. Both sets of measurements were compared to published data on Neandertals, and Middle and Upper Paleolithic modern humans. The upper limb elements of Zhaoguo M1 display a suite of characteristics that generally resemble those of other contemporary Late UP (LUP) modern humans, while robusticity indices generally fall within the upper range of LUP variation. The Zhaoguo M1 upper limb elements display fewer traits resembling those of late archaic humans. The Zhaoguo M1 individual exhibits diaphyseal asymmetry in several upper limb elements suggesting left hand dominance. When evaluating the full range of magnitudes of humeral bilateral asymmetry in the comparative sample, Zhaoguo M1 falls at the lower end overall, but yet is relatively higher than contemporary LUP modern humans specifically from East Eurasia. The Zhaoguo M1 individual suggests typical LUP modern human upper limb morphology persisted in southwest China until the end of the last glacial period. Upper limb bone asymmetry of Zhaoguo M1 also indicates that behavioral activities attributed to a hunter-gatherer tradition apparently extended through the Pleistocene-Holocene transition in this region.

Filling the gaps: Late Upper Palaeolithic settlement in Gvardjilas Klde, Georgia

The paper presents the newly established radiocarbon dates of the Late Upper Palaeolithic (LUP) settlement in Gvardjilas Klde in the Imereti region in Georgia. The analysed samples were collected by Stefan Krukowski in 1916 during his fieldwork in the cave. Krukowski identified two separate UP cultural horizons. The older one was connected with what he called layer 10, and the younger one - with layer 11. The obtained radiocarbon dates confirm the results obtained by Krukowski. The older settlement phase can be dated to 19.7–18.8 ky cal. BP, while the younger one to 15.8–14.7 ky cal. BP. The end of human occupation can be linked to the beginning of the Holocene. Interestingly, the presented probability density models show that Gvardjilas Klde was occupied interchangeably with other sites in the region. There is no other site in the Imereti region with chronology similar to any of the settlement phases in Gvardjilas Klde. The only chronologically corresponding sites are Mezmaiskaya Cave and Badynoko Rockshelter in the Northern Caucasus.

Statistical and geographical modelling of Moravian (Czech Republic) Late Upper Palaeolithic occupation

The period of the second half of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the beginning of the Late Glacial (LGT) belongs to a remarkably interesting period of human history because humans had to adapt to severe conditions. Moravia, in the eastern part of the Czech Republic, is one of the crucial European regions where we can study human behaviour during the mentioned period. This area was not depopulated due to the presence of local refuges. There are 50 sites that are attributed to the Epigravettian or the Epiaurignacian. Some of these have been dated between 23 and 15 ka cal BP. One approach to studying relations between both technocomplexes is related to the analysis of settlement strategies. Earlier analyses have indicated people changed their behaviour during the end of the LGM and the beginning of the LGT. They preferred protected locations and we are able to identify two mains strategies – sites in low elevations near main rivers or higher elevations on the eastern slopes.New analyses based on statistics confirm two different settlement strategies in Moravia during the time under analysis. The first, which is better defined, is related to sites classified as Epiaurignacian. The second group is represented by Epigravettian assemblages. The settlement strategy for this technocomplex is more variable. Two different settlement strategies during the Late Upper Palaeolithic (LUP) in Moravia may indicate two different communities, seasonal changes in behaviour of one community or cultural evolution of one community over time.

Lithic perspectives on the Late Upper Palaeolithic in the French Pyrenees

This work deals with Late Upper Palaeolithic (Azilian and Laborian) lithic industries in the French Pyrenees. Assemblages are compared at an interregional level in order to contextualize and clarify this period. Since its discovery at the end of the 19th century, the Azilian was characterized by its specific lithic industry (backed points), osseous artefacts (harpoons) and artistic remains (painted pebbles). However, new discoveries have shed new light on our understanding the Azilian. Six lithic assemblages were examined in this study: Rhodes II (Ariège), Troubat (Hautes-Pyrénées), La Tourasse (Haute-Garonne), Le Poeymaü (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), Gouërris (Haute-Garonne) and Pagès (Lot), allowing us to investigate the evolution of the Azilian and Laborian technocomplexes and to comparatively evaluate this process at the scale of Western Europe. The beginning of the Azilian in the Pyrenees differs from what is observed in the northern Aquitain Basin; the Magdalenian seems to persist until 14 200 cal. BP, while the Early Azilian is only observed in the Basque Country. However, during the recent phase some common traits are identified at a larger scale (France, Pyrenees, Cantabria), most notably a technological simplification. Still, the Pyrenean Azilian (between 14 200 and 12 500 cal. BP) preserves its regional lithic signature, defined by the presence of double backed points, small scrapers and the use of bipolar reduction on an anvil. The Laborian, sporadically present in the Pyrenees, may indicate a later technical reinvestment, characterized by a more regular and straight production of lamino-lamellar blanks, which is a trend that appears to be observed in the whole Western Europe around 12 500 cal. BP.

Images of camels on a mammoth tusk from West Siberia

This study introduces the engravings on a mammoth tusk from the lower reaches of the Tom River in West Siberia. The tusk was found in 1988 during construction works and was later transferred to the Tomsk State University, but it remained almost unknown to specialists until now. Radiocarbon dating by AMS reported the age of the tusk as 13,100–13,005 Сal BP (95% confidence level). The surface of the tusk is engraved with images of two-humped camels arranged in two pairs. In addition, arrows and wounds within the contours of the animals can be seen. The comparative analysis of the stylistic features of the camel figures shows that they correspond to the age of the tusk itself, making them, at present, the oldest camel images in Asia. The discovery of the engravings in this region is consistent with the theory of mobile population groups moving to western Siberia from the periglacial steppe to the south in the Late Upper Paleolithic.

Adaptability, resilience and environmental buffering in European Refugia during the Late Pleistocene: Insights from La Riera Cave (Asturias, Cantabria, Spain)

The Upper Palaeolithic in Europe was a time of extensive climatic changes that impacted on the survival and distribution of human populations. During the Late Glacial Maximum (LGM), southern European peninsulas were refugia for flora, fauna, and human groups. One of these refugia, the Cantabrian region (northern Atlantic Spain), was intensively occupied throughout the Upper Palaeolithic. Characterising how climatic events were expressed in local environments is crucial to understand human and animal survival. La Riera Cave (Asturias) has a rich geo-cultural sequence dating between 20.5kyr BP to 6.5kyr BP and represents an ideal location in which to explore this. Stable isotope analysis of red deer and ibex is used alongside other environmental and climatic proxies to reconstruct Late Upper Palaeolithic conditions. Results show that during the LGM, ibex adapted their niche to survive, and became a major prey species for humans. The diverse environmental opportunities offered in the high-relief and coastal environs of La Riera may help to explain the high human population levels in the Cantabrian Region throughout the Late Upper Palaeolithic. Despite fluctuating conditions, herbivores and humans had the flexibility and resilience to adapt, demonstrating the importance of southern European refugia for the survival of different species.

The cave of Atxurra: A new major Magdalenian rock art sanctuary in Northern Spain

The discovery of Palaeolithic parietal art in the cave of Atxurra took place within an archaeological surveying project that has been carried out over the last decade in the eastern Cantabrian region. As a consequence of this project, the number of caves with parietal art known in this region has tripled. The case of Atxurra Cave is a remarkable contribution because of the number of parietal representations and the presence of a related external and internal archaeological context. Through this contribution, we present the main data derived from the cave study project that is currently underway, as well as its implications for the reformulation of symbolic interaction during the late Upper Palaeolithic.

A microwear study regarding the function of lithic tools in Moravian Epigravettian

Use-wear analyses on lithic pieces from Brno-Štýřice III presented in this article are the first studies of this type conducted on Epigravettian Late Upper Paleolithic (LUP) assemblages from the Czech Republic and the broader region. A total of 187 artefacts classified as formal tools as well as pieces with macroscopic traces of marginal – discontinuous – retouch (edge damage) have been microscopically analyzed. Different types of use-wear traces were noticed on 57 of these artefacts. The traces are mainly associated with animal carcass treatment (the tools were usually used for cutting or scraping), including hide processing, butchering activities, or, to a lesser extent, bone/antler processing. Although there are only sporadic traces associated with plant or wood processing, they support the use of plants during LUP. Recognized use-wear traces are located mainly along unretouched edges or on burins around the negative bulbs of spalls. The spatial distribution of the artefacts with the use-wear traces corresponds to the settlement density. The character and intensity of the use-wear traces fit well with both faunal remains and palynological analyses and illustrates the complexity of everyday life for Epigravettian hunters.

WITHDRAWN: Lithic Perspectives on the Late Upper Palaeolithic in the French Pyrenees

WITHDRAWN: Lithic Perspectives on the Late Upper Palaeolithic in the French Pyrenees