Middle Pleistocene Site Research Articles

Victoria West-like Core Technology from Fengshudao, an Early–Middle Pleistocene Site in Bose Basin, South China

ABSTRACT The Victoria West core technology (VWCT) has long been regarded as an important and uniquely prepared core tradition in the Acheulean. This technology is currently the earliest prepared core technology (0.8–1.1 Ma) to appear during the Paleolithic. The VWCT is thought to have many conceptual and technological similarities with the Levallois technology and is sometimes considered to be a “proto-Levallois” tradition. The discovery and subsequent analyses of VWCT have led to extensive discussion among Paleolithic archaeologists about the origin and development of prepared core technologies and associated complex cognitive abilities of early hominins. Unfortunately, VWCT has only been reported from one restricted area of the world, central South Africa. This has made it difficult to determine how widespread this behavior may have been. Here, we report evidence of a similar technology to the VWCT outside South Africa, from the Bose (Baise) Basin in southern China, a basin that has long been considered a core large cutting tool-bearing region in eastern Asia. Eight stone artifacts from the Middle Pleistocene Fengshudao site in Bose appear to be quite similar to the VWCT from the Canteen Kopje site in South Africa. These findings from Fengshudao potentially expand the distribution area of this technologyto eastern Asia and for the first time demonstrate that prepared core technology, along with the required cognitive abilities, also exists in the East Asian Early Paleolithic. The Fengshudao evidence from southern China, being so far east of South Africa suggests this may be a case of convergent evolution.

Tarsals from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site (Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain).

Here, we provide a complete, updated, and illustrated inventory, as well as a comprehensive study, of the tarsals (rearfoot) recovered from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH, Atapuerca, Spain) in comparison to other Homo comparative samples, both extant and fossil. The minimum number of individuals (MNI) estimated from the tarsals has been established as 15, which represents 51.7% of the 29 dental individuals identified within the SH sample. Within the SH hominin foot sample, an exclusive combination of primitive or plesiomorphic and derived or autapomorphic traits can be observed when compared with other Homo individuals/populations. Other characters are shared among SH hominins and Neandertals that might represent shared derived or autapomorphic traits for this evolutionary line, and most are likely related to robusticity (e.g., rectangular-like trochlea of the talus, broad calcanei, broad naviculars, and short lateral cuneiforms). Additionally, we observed some exclusive autapomorphic traits in the SH tarsal sample (e.g., narrow head of the talus and short intermediate cuneiforms). A few exclusive traits in SH tarsal remains are even more robust than in Neandertals (e.g., broad lateral malleolar facet in talus, more projected sustentaculum tali, and broad medial cuneiform). These traits could suggest a slightly higher level of gracilization in the tarsal bones of Neandertals compared to the SH sample that is also supported by other anatomical postcranial skeleton elements. Additionally, some paleobiological inferences are made in relation to body size (stature and body mass) and some associations are proposed within the SH sample. In conclusion, the morphology of the SH tarsi confirms an evolutionary relationship of sister groups between this population and Neandertals, probably representing a morphotype similar to the Neandertal ancestors.

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.

The Lower Paleolithic Engravings of Bilzingsleben, Germany

Some of the earliest known engravings are described, analyzed, and interpreted, following their microscopic examination. They are of significance in exploring the cognitive evolution of hominins several hundred thousand years ago and have not been described together before. The Steinrinne site near Bilzingsleben, north of Weimar, Germany, is one of Europe’s most important Lower Paleolithic occupation sites. Its extensive human habitation floor, excavated over 1000 square meters, comprises some of the world’s oldest evidence of dwellings, broadly matching or exceeding the age of examples proposed in Africa, India, and France. It has yielded numerous hominin remains, many wooden artefacts, other exquisitely preserved organic remains, and more portable engravings than any other Middle Pleistocene site. The latter are reviewed here, presenting the results of a detailed microscopic examination of the main finds. Bilzingsleben has so far produced the largest number of engraved Lower Paleolithic objects reported, which are particularly important to exploring the cognitive developments of hominins.

Summer temperatures from the Middle Pleistocene site Schöningen 13 II, northern Germany, determined from subfossil chironomid assemblages

We present the first climatic and environmental reconstruction based on subfossil chironomid head capsules from the Middle Pleistocene Reinsdorf sequence, Schöningen, northern Germany, corresponding to Marine Isotope Stage 9e‐a. The sequence is characterized by interglacial forest successions followed by alternating woodland and steppe phases. Higher levels of runoff formed lacustrine habitats during post‐interglacial, cool steppe (woodland) phases. These were characterized by diverse chironomid assemblages with up to 27 chironomid morphotypes occurring simultaneously. Warmer forest phases were mostly void of chironomids when the site Schöningen 13 II fell dry owing to higher vegetational coverage and therefore lower runoff. Transitional periods between woodland and steppe phases show higher abundances of profundal, bottom‐dwelling chironomid taxa, suggesting oligo‐mesotrophic aquatic conditions, while steppe phases are dominated by shallow‐lake taxa with higher tolerance to increasing productivity. We applied temperature inference models to the chironomid assemblages based on a Swiss–Norwegian and a Swiss–Norwegian–Polish chironomid–temperature calibration data set to reconstruct mean July air temperatures for the Reinsdorf sequence. The Swiss–Norwegian–Polish training set (TS) seems better suited owing to a longer temperature gradient and the presence of the dominant taxon, Propsilocerus lacustris‐type, which is missing from the Swiss–Norwegian TS. In sections of the record with low taxon richness (Shannon index <2) and a dominance of P. lacustris‐type, indicating increased nutrient impact, summer temperatures may have been overestimated by the Swiss–Norwegian–Polish TS. In the other sections, the chironomid‐based reconstructions based on the Swiss–Norwegian–Polish TS were in line with ostracod and plant remains‐based temperature reconstructions, suggesting summer temperatures of the post‐interglacial Reinsdorf oscillations between 16.5 and 22 °C. Our results show that summer air temperatures were lower during warmer, wetter transitional zones (−0.5–0.2 °C colder/warmer than today) and increasing during cooler, dry steppe phases (1 °C warmer than today), most likely caused by higher continentality.

Reevaluating the “elephant butchery area” at the Middle Pleistocene site of Notarchirico (MIS 16) (Venosa Basin, Basilicata, Italy)

The archaeological site of Notarchirico, chronologically placed at the end of MIS 17 and MIS 16 (675-610 ka), is a key site for studying Acheulean technology in southern Europe and gaining a better understanding of human occupation in that region during the Middle Pleistocene. It was excavated between 1979 and 1995 by Marcello Piperno and re-opened since 2016. Between 1990 and 1991, around forty remains of Palaeloxodon antiquus, mostly comprising the head of the animal, such as cranium, mandible and tusks fragments belonging to a sub-adult male were discovered as a result of the excavation of a lateral discontinuity of the level A, situated in an area known as the “elephant butchery area”. Remains of deer, mainly assigned to Dama sp., and 42 stone tools, including choppers, hand-axes, cores and some flakes were also identified in the surroundings. This accumulation was originally interpreted as a butchering site, reflecting a single event of processing of an elephant carcass, and the entire paleosurface was exposed to visitors in situ. This work re-evaluates the original archaeological materials, especially those still preserved on the paleosurface, in terms of stratigraphic distribution, taphonomy and technology, to critically evaluate the putative role of hominins in the exploitation of the megaherbivore. After a meticulous examination of each element's surface and its deposition, we conclude that there is no support for the previous interpretation of the so-called "elephant butchery area" of Notarchirico as the result a butchery event, as there is no evidence of human exploitation of the remains and the accumulation derives from at least two diverse and unrelated depositional events, one resulting in the deposition of the elephant remains, and the other of the majority of the fallow deer remains and the stone tools.

ESR/U-series and pIR-IR290 dating of the Middle Pleistocene site of Lunel-Viel (LV I), Hérault, Southern France

The Mas des Caves site at Lunel-Viel, Southern France, is a complex of several caves, developed in Miocene limestone, that have yielded a rich archaeo-palaeontological sequence attributed to the Middle Pleistocene with abundant vertebrates and lithic artefacts. The first caves (LVI, II and III), discovered in 1800, were excavated at the beginning of the 19th century (Serres et al., 1828) before falling into oblivion for over a century. The main cavity is LVI, when LVII and III are smaller subparallel galleries not connected to LVI. In the early 1970s, research was conducted in the main gallery by E. Bonifay who discovered an extension named LVIV and the natural entrance (sinkhole, doline) both completely closed now.Recently, a multidisciplinary approach has been set up (DRAC-SRA Occitanie) to contextualize the ancient collections with the recent ones and to allow a better understanding of the site formation, palaeoenvironmental and behavioral history of the animals and humans who lived there (Brugal et al., 2021). The previous chronology based on faunal evidence yields important biomarkers (including new genus and species/subspecies) making Lunel-Viel a major Middle Pleistocene site in the European record. Among various dating techniques used in this study, trapped-charged methods such as combined ESR/U-series and pIR-IR290 were applied on fossil tooth enamel and on K-feldspars, respectively. The results obtained by both methods are in agreement and suggest a period of human occupation between 300 and 200 ka. This age range matches well with the composition of the faunal assemblage attributed to the second part of the Middle Pleistocene (biochronology) and which constrains the occupation to a cool/temperate and humid period which could be contemporaneous with the MIS7 (Lisiecki and Raymo, 2005) cited in figure 5 legend.

The Sima de los Huesos thorax and lumbar spine: Selected traits and state-of-the-art.

Information on the evolution of the thorax and lumbar spine in the genus Homo is hampered by a limited fossil record due to the inherent fragility of vertebrae and ribs. Neandertals show significant metric and morphological differences in these two anatomical regions, when compared to Homo sapiens. Thus, the important fossil record from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH) not only offers important information on the evolution of these anatomical regions within the Neandertal lineage but also provides important clues to understand the evolution of these regions at the genus level. We present the current knowledge of the costal skeleton, and the thoracic and lumbar spine anatomy of the hominins found in Sima de los Huesos compared to that of Neandertals and modern humans. The current SH fossil record comprises 738 vertebral specimens representing a minimum of 70 cervical, 95 thoracic and 47 lumbar vertebrae, 652 rib fragments representing a minimum of 118 ribs, and 26 sternal fragments representing 4 sterna. The SH hominins exhibit a morphological pattern in their thorax and lumbar spine more similar to that of Neandertals than to that of H. sapiens, which is consistent with the phylogenetic position of these hominins. However, there are some differences between the SH hominins and Neandertals in these anatomical regions, primarily in the orientation of the lumbar transverse processes and in the robusticity of the second ribs. The presence of some but not all of the suite of Neandertal-derived features is consistent with the pattern found in the cranium and other postcranial regions of this population.

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.

Metatarsals and foot phalanges from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site (Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain).

This study provides a complete, updated and illustrated inventory, as well as a comprehensive study, of the metatarsals and foot phalanges (forefoot) recovered from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH, Atapuerca, Spain) in comparison to other Homo comparative samples, both extant and fossils. This current updated review has established a minimum number of individuals (MNI) of 17, which represent 58.6% of the 29 dental individuals identified within the SH sample. An exclusive or autoapomorphic combination of traits can be recognized within the SH hominin foot sample. A few traits appear primitive or plesiomorphic when compared with earlier Homo individuals and other recent modern humans. There are other metrical and morphological traits that SH hominins and Neandertals have in common that sometimes represent shared derived traits in this evolutionary line, most of which are probably related to robusticity. Furthermore, some exclusive autoapomorphic traits are observed in the SH sample: a very broad first metatarsal, long and broad hallucal proximal foot phalanges and possibly extremely robust lateral distal foot phalanges compared to those of Neandertals and modern humans. In these last traits, the SH metatarsals and pedal phalanges are even more robust than in Neandertals. They are herein named as "hyper-Neandertal" traits, which could suggest a slight gracilization process in this evolutionary line, at least in the hallux toe. Finally, some paleobiological inferences are made in relation to body size (stature and body mass) and some associations are proposed within the SH sample.

Fusion of the occipitomastoidal synchondrosis as a developmental marker in the Sima de los Huesos Crania (Atapuerca, Spain).

The basicranium contains multiple synchondroses potentially informative for estimating the developmental stage of individuals. The basilar synchondrosis has been routinely used for this purpose in bioarchaeological, forensic and paleoanthropological research, and studies carried out in modern human populations have shown a close relationship between the fusion of the occipitomastoidal synchondrosis and developmental processes. This synchondrosis articulates the jugular process of the occipital bone with the jugular surface of the temporal bone. As the process of fusion of the synchondrosis progresses, the jugular surface undergoes a series of alterations whose study allows to establish the state of fusion of the synchondrosis when the individual died. The extraordinary preservation of the jugular surface in a large number of individuals represented in the fossil hominin sample from the middle Pleistocene site of the Sima de los Huesos (SH) has made it possible to carry out the first systematic study to assess the usefulness of occipitomastoidal synchondrosis in the establishment of the state of development in fossil hominins. Our results show that the complete closure of the occipitomastoidal synchondrosis occurred toward the end of the growth period in the SH fossils. This result opens up the possibility of using it to determine the developmental stage of fossil hominins for which no other information is available, such as the state of the dentition or the degree of closure of the basilar synchondrosis. This has allowed us to infer a state of development for three SH crania where it could not previously be established with certainty.

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.

Equus suessenbornensis from Akhalkalaki (Georgia, Caucasus): a review with new insights on the paleoecology, paleobiogeography and evolution of the palearctic large-sized equids during the Early – Middle Pleistocene Transition

Equus suessebornensis is one of the most intriguing species of the Early and Middle Pleistocene Eurasian Equus. Although it was described from the Middle Pleistocene site of Süssenborn, in recent years its biochronological correlation has been extended to the Early Pleistocene, raising a debate in the scientific community. In this contribution, we provide a complete ontogenically-based description of the Akhalkalaki E. suessenbornensis samples, and we compare it by multivariate and statistical analyses with the Early and Middle Pleistocene European fossil record. Moreover, we provide new paleoecological insights utilizing body mass, mesowear and net primary productivity estimates. Our outcomes provide a new perspective on the E. suessenbornensis morphology and variability, but also new interpretations for its paleoecology, biochronology, paleobiogeography and evolution. Eventually, these results provide a reassessment of equid evolution during the Early – Middle Pleistocene Transition in Western Eurasia, a critical period for the dynamics of the Quaternary faunas and paleoenvironments.

A taphonomic and spatial distribution study of the new levels of the middle Pleistocene site of Notarchirico (670–695 ka, Venosa, Basilicata, Italy)

A taphonomic and spatial distribution study of the new levels of the middle Pleistocene site of Notarchirico (670–695 ka, Venosa, Basilicata, Italy)

The Sima de los Huesos cervical spine.

Information regarding the evolution of the neck in genus Homo is hampered owing to a limited fossil record. Neandertals display significant metric and/or morphological differences in all the cervical vertebrae, when compared to Homo sapiens. Thus, the important fossil record from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH) not only offers important information about the evolution of this anatomical region within the Neandertal lineage, but also provides important clues to understand the evolution of this region at the genus level. We present the current knowledge of the anatomy of the cervical spine of the hominins found in SH compared to that of Neandertals and modern humans, and, when possible, to Homo erectus and Homo antecessor. The current SH fossil record comprises 172 cervical specimens (after refittings) belonging to a minimum of 11 atlases, 13 axes, and 52 subaxial cervical vertebrae. The SH hominins exhibit a morphological pattern in their cervical spine more similar to that of Neandertals than that of H. sapiens, which is consistent with the phylogenetic position of these hominins. However, there are some differences between the SH hominins and Neandertals in this anatomical region, primarily in the length and robusticity, and to a lesser extent in the orientation of the spinous processes of the lowermost cervical vertebrae. We hypothesize that these differences in the lowermost subaxial cervical vertebrae could be related to the increase in the brain size and/or changes in the morphology of the skull that occurred in the Neandertal lineage.

Anthropic modifications on megafauna bones in the paleontological collections of the Museum national d’Histoire naturelle de Paris: Historical aspects and implications for the Pampean Pleistocene peopling

The most abundant evidence of Pampean Pleistocene human presence are modified bones, as lithic procurement sites located farther than 300km away. Therefore, we focused on the study of bone modifications, in particular cut and percussion marks. We studied Pampean paleontological collections of Argentine and European museums as an alternative resource of previously unnoticed human modification evidences. We compared marks characteristics with those of archaeological collections from diverse climatic and cultural adaptations, from middle Pleistocene sites (Vallonet, Atapuerca, Lazaret, Arago and Terra Amata) to terminal Pleistocene ones (Abri Pataud, Isturiz and La Vache). Marks typologies were defined, leading to the identification of a particular cutmark that we named double parallel considered as highly diagnostic of anthropic use of lithic artifacts. We also propose that hafted artifacts were used on carcass processing. Perimortem bone modifications are classified in relation with mark morphology (e.g., percussion striae), inferred gesture or action (e.g., breakage of diaphysis), and inferred objective of that action (e.g., marrow extraction). The megafauna specimens analyzed from the historical collections (d’Angelis-Vilardebó, 1847, Muñiz-Dupotet, 1842 and Breton-Bonnement, 1881) present modifications compatible with dismemberment, defleshing, tongue and masseter extraction, and utilization as anvils. The lack of contextual data (location, stratigraphy) and the loss due to museum selection/collecting of accompanying material prevent paleoenvironmental and paleoecological inferences. Regional geology indicates that most of the historical collections were exhumed in riverbank cuts with ages between 70 and 13 ky BP. Preliminary direct dating presents evidence of a Pampean human occupation, at least, since OIS 2.

Taphonomic skeletal disturbances in the Sima de los Huesos postcranial remains.

The postcranial skeleton of fossil hominins is crucial for reconstructing the processes that occurred between the time of death and the recovery of the bones. Thousands of postcranial skeletal fragments from at least 29 hominin individuals have been recovered from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site in Spain. This study's primary objective is to address the main taphonomic features of the postcranial remains from the Sima de los Huesos sample, including antemortem, perimortem, and postmortem skeletal disturbances. We present an updated assessment of the bone surface modification analysis, the fracture pattern analysis, and the skeletal part representation to facilitate interpretation of the biostratinomic and fossil-diagenetic processes in this large paleoanthropological collection. We conclude that carnivores (probably bears) had limited access to the hominin bones and complete bodies were probably placed in the site.

Raw material characterization and lithic provenance from Shishan Marsh 1, a Middle Pleistocene site in the central Azraq Basin, Jordan

Provenance analyses have been utilized to cast light on the nature of lithic procurement and the mobility strategies of prehistoric foragers. Recently, scholars have applied them to chert formations of the Levant with noted success. However, the Azraq Basin in the eastern desert of Jordan is a region of the Levant where characterization of the lithology is on-going. This study evaluates additional chert sources from the central Azraq Basin, Jordan through LA-ICP-MS. These geochemical data contribute to an expanding regional dataset, particularly on the Umm Rijam Chert-Limestone formation. Furthermore, their profiles are used to investigate the provenance of a sample of lithic artifacts from the Middle Pleistocene site of Shishan Marsh 1 located within the Azraq wetlands. The evaluated stone tools are most consistent with certain profiles of the URC formation. The results indicate that raw material was procured from sources on-site and in distant areas to the west and northeast of the wetlands. Foragers remained mobile throughout the region and moved lithics over local and non-local distances into the wetlands before discarding them at Shishan Marsh 1. The utility of geochemistry for provenance in the Azraq Basin is recognized, but a future incorporation of petrography is suggested.

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.

New ESR/U-series dates of the lowest Acheuleo-Yabrudian levels of Qesem cave

Qesem cave is a Middle Pleistocene site located close to Tel Aviv, Israel, assigned to the Acheuleo-Yabrudian Cultural Complex (AYCC) of the Lower Palaeolithic. The site provides rich assemblages of knapped flint, animal remains and some human teeth making it of particular interest. Its location in the Levantine corridor confers a major interest to the understanding of human dynamics during the Middle Pleistocene. A series of 6 herbivorous teeth from the base of the 11 m archaeological sequence of AYCC Qesem Cave was analysed by combined ESR/U-series method; this complements previous dating series carried out on teeth and on heated flints on higher parts of the sequence (Mercier et al., 2013; Falguères et al., 2016) The teeth were measured according a regular protocol for which each tissue was analysed by inductively coupled plasma-quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-Q-MS) for U-series using a combination of a Thermo iCAP-RQ mass spectrometer coupled to a Cetac Aridus III desolvator system, and ESR analyses were implemented on enamel tissue. All these data were combined in order to yield modelled ages. The goal was to find out whether there was a time gap between the carbonates layers dated to 420 ka (Gopher et al., 2010) and archaeological layers of the AYCC found throughout the cave's sequence. The new results yield ages ranging between 220 and 430 ka confirming a great antiquity and a long duration of AYCC in the Levant. • ESR/U-series on teeth in the lowest part of the Qesem sequence. • To get the maximum AYCC extension. • Replace the Qesem sequence in the general stratigraphic scheme in Levant area.