Mousterian Research Articles

The Origin of H. s. denisovan and Their Dispersal Across Iran

Before the early 2000s, anthropologists spoke of two taxa existing in the Late Middle and Early Upper Pleistocene: anatomically modern humans in Africa and Neanderthals associated with the Mousterian industry in Eurasia. Therefore, all Eurasian Paleolithic sites dating to that period were believed to be Mousterian and were associated with Neanderthals. In 2010, owing to the sequencing of mtDNA from a fragment of the distal phalanx of the hand found in Denisova Cave, a third species was introduced, genetically different from both anatomically modern humans and Neanderthals. This new taxon was termed H. s. denisovan—or simply Denisovan. Further studies showed that this population dispersed in the Late Middle and Early Upper Pleistocene across vast territories of Central and Southeast Asia. A question arose as to where Denisovans had originated and which routes they had taken to get to the Altai. A series of articles forthcoming in this journal will address these questions. The first of them focuses on the origin of Denisovans on the basis of H. heidelbergensis and on their migration via Iran to Central Asia.

Chronometric data and stratigraphic evidence support discontinuity between Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens in the Italian Peninsula

The process by which Palaeolithic Europe was transformed from a Neanderthal-dominated region to one occupied exclusively by Homo sapiens has proven challenging to diagnose. A blurred chronology has made it difficult to determine when Neanderthals disappeared and whether modern humans overlapped with them. Italy is a crucial region because here we can identify not only Late Mousterian industries, assumed to be associated with Neanderthals, but also early Upper Palaeolithic industries linked with the appearance of early H. sapiens, such as the Uluzzian and the Aurignacian. Here, we present a chronometric dataset of 105 new determinations (74 radiocarbon and 31 luminescence ages) from four key southern Italian sites: Cavallo, Castelcivita, Cala, and Oscurusciuto. We built Bayesian-based chronometric models incorporating these results alongside the relative stratigraphic sequences at each site. The results suggest; 1) that the disappearance of Neanderthals probably pre-dated the appearance of early modern humans in the region and; 2) that there was a partial overlap in the chronology of the Uluzzian and Protoaurignacian, suggesting that these industries may have been produced by different human groups in Europe.

First direct dating of the Late Neanderthal remains from Subalyuk Cave in Northern Hungary.

The Subalyuk hominin remains were uncovered in 1932 in a cave of the same name in the Bükk Mountains, near the village of Cserépfalu in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, Northern Hungary. The remains represent two individuals, an adult and a young child who have been described in a few publications since their discovery, providing substantial anthropological data and general assessments of their Neanderthal affiliation. They were associated with Late Mousterian industry. Thus, the Bükk Mountains gain importance in the discussion concerning the contribution of East Central European sites to the debate on the peopling history of Europe during the Late Middle to Early Upper Palaeolithic transition. In this paper, we summarize the archaeological and chronological context of the two individuals, and publish the first direct dating results that place them among the Last Neanderthals of Central Europe.

후기구석기 오리나시안 문화와 복식에 관한 연구

This study aims to provide basic data for clothing education by exploring Aurinasian culture and its clothing practices. The content focuses on culture and clothing in the pre-Upper Paleolithic period, the characteristics of Arinasian culture, and Arinasian clothing. The study was conducted through a comprehensive literature review.
 The findings revealed that, first, pre-Upper Paleolithic cultures evolved into Oldowan, Acheulean, and Mousterian cultures based on stone tool development. In the case of clothing, Homo erectus used a waist cover, while Neanderthals wore capes and loose top and bottom garments. The evidence suggests that Neanderthals began coloring the human body and interior with fur coverings. Additionally, it was found that Homo sapiens wore accessories such as ostrich egg beads and shell necklaces as social symbols.
 Second, the Aurinacian culture, dating between 43,000 and 24,000 years ago, marked the initial stage of the Upper Paleolithic and spanned mainly from Western Europe to Siberia. This period was marked by cultural innovation, featuring advanced stone and bone tools as well as exquisite artworks like the Chauvet Cave paintings, the first Venus and flute, and the Lion Man.
 Third, Arinasian clothing is presumed to be based on leather for both men and women, with coloring, fringe, and bead decoration. Men wore pullover shirts and pants, while women wore simple dresses. Jewelry items included pendants, beads, ivory rings, and necklaces made of animal teeth or shells. Accessories were found to have not only aesthetic value but also served as expressive symbols representing group membership, social status, and wealth.
 The study suggests that the Aurinacian period was characterized by transitioning toward a clothing concept that introduced decorations to simple clothes. Moreover, this era marked the establishment of clothing as a social symbol, reflecting not only belonging but also status and wealth.

Decoding “déjetés” flakes: Investigating the anatomical factors behind asymmetrical flake attributes

The primary emphasis of this study is placed on the “déjetés” flakes within the context of the Zagros Mousterian industry. The objective is to explore how various knapping gestures and positions of the upper limbs may influence the attributes of these blanks. The hypothesis proposed establishes a potential correlation between the probale more limited abduction range in Neanderthals, the altered direction of force applied during the impact, and the flakes that are released diagonally.

Archaeological evidence for two culture diverse Neanderthal populations in the North Caucasus and contacts between them.

Neanderthals were widespread during the Middle Palaeolithic (MP) across Europe and Asia, including the Caucasus Mountains. Occupying the border between eastern Europe and West Asia, the Caucasus is important region regarding the Neanderthal occupation of Eurasia. On current radiometric estimates, the MP is represented in the Caucasus between about 260-210 ka and about 40 ka. Archaeological record indicates that several culture diverse MP hominin populations inhabited the Caucasus, but the region complex population history during this period remains poorly understood. In this paper, we identify for the first time the archaeological evidence indicating contacts between two culture diverse MP Neanderthal populations in the North Caucasus and discuss the nature of these contacts. Basing on the lithic assemblages that we excavated at Mezmaiskaya cave in the north-western Caucasus (Kuban River basin) and Saradj-Chuko grotto in the north-central Caucasus (Terek River basin), dating from MIS 5 to MIS 3, and comparative data from other MP sites in the Caucasus, we identify two large cultural regions that existed during the late MP in the North Caucasus. The distinctive toolkits and stone knapping technologies indicate that the MP assemblages from Mezmaiskaya cave and other sites in the west of North Caucasus represent a Caucasian variant of the Eastern Micoquian industry that was wide spread in central and eastern Europe, while the assemblages from Saradj-Chuko Grotto and other sites in the east of North Caucasus closely resemble the Zagros Mousterian industry that was wide spread in the Armenian Highlands, Lesser Caucasus and Zagros Mountains. The archaeological evidence implies that two culture diverse populations of Neanderthals settled the North Caucasus during the Late Pleistocene from two various source regions: from the Armenian Highlands and Lesser Caucasus along the Caspian Sea coast, and from Russian plain along the Sea of Azov coast.

Exploring the Lithic Variability of the Mousterian (MIS 9–3) Open-Air Sites of the Pontine Plain (Central Italy)

This paper presents a preliminary study of the Middle Palaeolithic lithic industries recovered at six selected open-air sites in the Latium region (central Italy), part of a regional cultural complex known as the “Pontinian”. The pedo-stratigraphic analysis combined with 40Ar/ 39Ar age constraints on the sites permits us to provide for the first time a geomorphological and chronological (300–40 ka) framework for several open-air sites in central Italy. The temporal range is remarkably coincident with the Neanderthal presence in this region. Moreover, the lithic collections analysed include the oldest occurrence of a Mousterian industry in this region. The present work, therefore, provides the background context for future re-evaluation of the peculiar Pontinian techno-complex through a more in-depth technological approach and its comparison with the other Neanderthal occurrences in central Italy.

The Acheulean of the Upper Guadiana River Basin (Central Spain). Morphostratigraphic Context and Chronology

In the upper basin of the Guadiana River, especially in the sectors drained by its right-bank tributaries, the Bullaque and Becea rivers, important concentrations of Acheulean and Mousterian industries can be found in a superficial position. These industries have provided series containing tens of thousands of pieces. Deposits in stratigraphic position have also been identified, related to the fluvial terraces of the Guadiana and Jabalón rivers and some tributaries. Within the sector studied, in the province of Ciudad Real, the position of these deposits is related to alluvial fans developed on the slopes of the immediate reliefs. These fans, mainly composed of Lower and Middle Ordovician quartzite gravel, were eroded in their distal positions by the Bullaque and Becea rivers, forming very low terraces on which large concentrations of Acheulean and Mousterian lithic industry can be found. El Sotillo, the only known stratigraphic site in the area, was excavated in 2017–2019 and consists of several levels with Mousterian and Acheulean industry. We present the technological characteristics of the main Acheulean assemblage recognised at this site, for which numerical dates have been obtained placing its chronology in the second half of the Middle Pleistocene. The location of these sites, in surficial position and El Sotillo, allows us to recognise a territorial space with specific geographic characteristics and a very significant human impact.

An Introduction to the Late Pleistocene Lithic Industries in the East of the Iranian Plateau in Light of the New Findings from Sarbisheh Plain

ABSTRACT In the present study, in the first step, we introduce and study the newly-discovered site of Kalateh Mohammad Laleh in Sarbisheh plain and then by combining this collection and the lithic artifacts of the other four sites, namely Kiaram, Khunik, Kalateh Shour and Chehel Dokhtaran, we investigate the main characteristics of their lithic artifacts. Accordingly, in the two collections of Kiaram and Khunik, an industry similar to the Zagros Mousterian industry can be observed and in the other two collections of Kalateh Shour and Chehel Dokhtaran, the dominant Levallois Technique can be traced. Although our studies show a relative correlation between the Kalateh Mohammad Laleh collection and the two collections of Kiaram and Khunik, the sampling error of surface collections should not be ignored. This, along with the lack of stratigraphic evidence, poses serious challenges for achieving a clear picture of the lithic industries of east the Iranian plateau.

Modern human incursion into Neanderthal territories 54,000 years ago at Mandrin, France.

Determining the extent of overlap between modern humans and other hominins in Eurasia, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans, is fundamental to understanding the nature of their interactions and what led to the disappearance of archaic hominins. Apart from a possible sporadic pulse recorded in Greece during the Middle Pleistocene, the first settlements of modern humans in Europe have been constrained to ~45,000 to 43,000 years ago. Here, we report hominin fossils from Grotte Mandrin in France that reveal the earliest known presence of modern humans in Europe between 56,800 and 51,700 years ago. This early modern human incursion in the Rhône Valley is associated with technologies unknown in any industry of that age outside Africa or the Levant. Mandrin documents the first alternating occupation of Neanderthals and modern humans, with a modern human fossil and associated Neronian lithic industry found stratigraphically between layers containing Neanderthal remains associated with Mousterian industries.

Rhinoceros exploitation at Érd (Hungary). What a place for the megaherbivores in the Neanderthal diet in Hungary?

The Hungarian Transdanubian site of Érd, where a Mousterian industry and abundant osteological material were discovered in the early 1960s is well known to prehistorians. The remains of megaherbivores (Mammuthus primigenius, Coelodonta antiquitatis) are re-examined here under the taphonomic and archaeozoological components in order to complete the Hungarian and European s.l. data and reassess the potential exploitation of these two pachyderms in the Neanderthal diet and economy. The cut marks, the intense activity of carnivores/hyenas and the skeletal profiles indicate a mixed origin of the carcasses. Mortality patterns of rhinoceros are characterized by the presence of young, subadult and adults, and suggest multiple acquisition by active scavenging and/or hunting with quick access. Skeletal profiles suggest a selective transport of rich/nutritive elements by humans to the site. The cut marks and fracturing of some elements (in situ butchery treatment) confirm that Neanderthals consumed these species on site and that they had at least partial primary access. The mode of acquisition seems active with rapid access for a young mammoth. Érd confirms the Neanderthal exploitation of rhinos and mammoths in their steppic environment during the Middle Palaeolithic. Érd is currently the only Hungarian Middle Palaeolithic site with a proven exploitation and consumption of these megaherbivores.

Upper Pleistocene fauna from the Middle Palaeolithic site of Foz do Enxarrique (Vila Velha de Ródão, Naturtejo Unesco Global Geopark)

Foz do Enxarrique (FENX) is an open-air archaeological site from the end of the Middle Palaeolithic, with faunal remains and Mousterian industry, dated 44–32 Ka. The faunal accumulation shows evidence of human intervention. It can be seen as a paradigm for the interpretation of taphonomic processes typical of open-air sites and difficulties of interpretation. Foz do Enxarrique preserves a single archeological horizon accumulated in low energy conditions, as shown by the fragmentary bones, the predominance of remains of human-hunted animals and the presence of cut marks on some bones. The Municipality of Vila Velha de Rodao has been aware of the interest in the patrimonial value of this archaeological site. The local authorities implemented and developed a project of museology, becoming one of the few Portuguese open-air Palaeolithic sites with a musealization in situ.

A palaeoecological view of the last Neanderthals at the crossroads of south‐central Europe and the central Mediterranean: long‐term stability or pronounced environmental change with human responses

ABSTRACTThis paper presents palaeoecological reconstructions and late Neanderthal responses to environmental conditions in two different palaeoecological zones (continental south‐central Europe and the eastern Adriatic) during MIS 3. Our interpretations are based on the available records of climatic conditions, characteristics of Mousterian industries and site characteristics. A variety of data obtained by different methods of analyses (sediments and biological remains) were used for palaeoecological reconstructions, while hominin behaviour was examined from various perspectives based on lithic remains (technology, typology, raw material use), subsistence strategies, land use and site structures. In both regions, Neanderthals practised a broad exploitation of different faunal and lithic resources available to them and successfully adapted to local environments. Based on a variety of evidence, we offer a new synthesis and examine whether continental south‐central Europe and the Adriatic really acted as refugia during the time of late Neanderthal occupations. We also consider the possible causes and/or timing of Neanderthal disappearance in these regions.

A new discovery of Neanderthal settlements in Turkey: Sürmecik open-air campsite in Western Anatolia

Western Anatolia is the poorest region in terms of Turkey's Palaeolithic finds. In the past years, only a few Palaeolithic artefacts were known from the surface in the provinces of İzmir, Manisa, Kütahya and Afyonkarahisar in western Anatolia. After the fossil Homo erectus skull fragment was found in the travertine deposits in Kocabaş (Denizli) in 2002, the importance of the region more increased. After this important discovery, Dr. Kadriye Özçelik started a Palaeolithic survey in Denizli and found a large number of chipped stone tools from the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic periods. Nevertheless, the last important Palaeolithic discovery in the region was made in Sürmecik (Banaz-Uşak) in 2015. This is an open-air campsite belonging to the Middle Palaeolithic period. Here is also a mining area where a mining operation is conducted. The chipped stone artefacts of the Sürmecik Palaeolithic open-air campsite come from a clay layer between hematite and limonite deposits under a travertine layer of about 4.5–5 meters in thickness. Faunal remains represent mostly by equids species. All stages of Mousterian culture are clearly visible in this open-air campsite. Sürmecik is the richest middle Palaeolithic open-air campsite in Turkey. The 83,002 lithic pieces were collected in the excavations carried out in 2016 and 2017. It is thought that the lithic assemblage will exceed 100,000 with the ongoing studies. The group of bifacial leaf points in this collection is seen in Turkey for the first time. Four master thesis studies started on the lithic material of Sürmecik. It is planned to take some samples for dating analysis along with ongoing studies.

A new look at the Middle Paleolithic lithic industry of the Teshik-Tash Cave, Uzbekistan, West Central Asia

Teshik-Tash Cave, excavated in 1938 and 1939, is a key archaeological site for our understanding of the Middle Paleolithic population dynamics of Central Asia. Its privileged status is due to the discovery of well-preserved Neanderthal skeletal remains in association with rich lithic artifacts. However, despite repeated studies of the skeletal remains, the lithic industry has not received sufficient re-analysis with up-to-date information since its first publication more than a half century ago. The present paper reports our first results based on the collection stored at the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan, Tashkent. We show that a combination of hierarchical and nonhierarchical core reduction strategies, the former of which includes a particular type of Levallois technology, characterizes the Teshik-Tash industry. Typologically, the common manufacturing of side scrapers, associated with a small number of heavy-duty tools, are diagnostic. It is also notable that triangular points often common in the Middle Paleolithic of Southwest Asia are rare. This industry is regarded as an important Neanderthal cultural tradition of West Central Asia, whose precise spatio-temporal placement needs to be determined through comparisons with other assemblages from controlled excavations. In the meantime, its disparity from the Sibiryachikha Mousterian industry left by the Neanderthals of East Central Asia is incontestable. This finding helps us understand the complicated origin and development of Neanderthal groups in Central Asia.

The Middle Paleolithic from an underwater perspective: Submerged Mousterian industry from Kaštel Štafilić – Resnik (Dalmatia, Croatia) in the context of eastern Adriatic

This paper presents the investigation methodology and results of analyses of lithic material from Kaštel Štafilić – Resnik (Dalmatia, Croatia), the first systematically explored underwater Middle Paleolithic site in the central Mediterranean and southeastern Europe. The present site contains lithic elements from one or several open-air habitation sites from the time when the sea level was considerably lower than today. The archeological assemblage (Mousterian industry) and relative chronology indicate that almost all finds are contemporary with the Neandertals. The obtained results were compared to other Middle Paleolithic sites from the eastern Adriatic region. An integrative approach to lithic material from different types of sites (underwater, open-air, cave) provided better understanding of formation processes, a more complete picture of the region occupied by the Mousterian people, and clearer insight into their mobility patterns. Given this new evidence, it has become clear that the Neandertals of the Adriatic region controlled a much larger range of territory than previously documented.

Nouveau site du Paléolithique Moyen dans le Caucase Central (résultats préliminaires des études complexes)

The newest studies of the Caucasus Paleolithic indicate movements of human groups between the northern and southern, and western and eastern parts of this region. In the Baksan river valley in the north-central Caucasus, there is known a large source of obsidian, which was transported to sites in the north-western Caucasus already in the Middle Paleolithic. However, no stratified Middle Paleolithic site was known in the source area until 2016 when we discovered here the first cave site of Saradj-Chuko cave. The article presents the first results of a comprehensive research of this site. The Saradj-Chuko cave is located just 6–7km from the important obsidian source that represents the only source of obsidian, which was highly valued in the past, in the Northern Caucasus, and about 70km from the Elbrus volcanic peak. A comprehensive study in Saradj-Chuko cave began in 2017. A small (∼8 sq. m) excavation was dug next to the 2016 test pit. We report a detailed description of the materials excavated from the main Middle Paleolithic occupational Layer 6B. The study of the lithic assemblage allows us to make a preliminary conclusion that Layer 6B represents an active habitation level where Neanderthals were engaged in intensive flaking of obsidian and usage of tools made predominantly from obsidian for butchering and consumption of hunting game. The laminar character of the stone industry distinguishes the Mousterian industry of the north-central Caucasus and probably the entire Terek river basin from the Eastern Micoquian industry that is represented in factually all Middle Paleolithic sites in the north-western Caucasus (Kuban river basin), as well as makes the Mousterian of north-central Caucasus similar to the Mousterian industries known in the north-eastern Caucasus and the Southern Caucasus. We suggest cultural connections and contacts among Neanderthal groups from these regions during the Middle Paleolithic period.

Postcranial hominin remains from the Late Pleistocene of Pešturina Cave (Serbia)

The Central Balkans represents a significant geographical gap in the human fossil record of Eurasia. Here we present two new human fossils from Pešturina Cave, Serbia: a partial atlas vertebra (C1) and a fragment of radial diaphysis. The atlas (Pes-1) derives from the lower portion of Layer 2 and conforms to modern human morphology. This layer is characterized by Gravettian industry despite uncertainties caused by bioturbation and difficulties in separating Layers 2 and 3. The radial fragment (Pes-2) was recovered from the contact zone between Layers 3 and 4, both of which represent Mousterian industries, and is tentatively assessed as Neanderthal based on morphology. With the recent publication of a Neanderthal molar (Pes-3) from the same site, Pešturina currently stands as the only Neanderthal fossil-bearing site in Serbia. These additional finds make Pešturina Cave the only site in the Central Balkans which preserves both modern human and Neanderthal remains with associated lithic industries and highlights the importance of Pešturina in the current discourse on hominin dispersals and migrations in the Balkans.

The Paleolithic Burials at Qafzeh Cave, Israel

Human fossils, morphologically recognized as modern, were uncovered and dated at Qafzeh cave (Israel). This classification demonstrated that Mousterian industries of Middle Paleolithic age were made by populations different from those (i.e. Neanderthals) who produced similar technocomplexes in Europe. The Qafzeh excavations (during 1933-1935 and 1965-1979) followed that previously made in Skhul cave (Mt. Carmel). The Skhul and Qafzeh clusters were dated by TL and ESR readings to the time range of ca. 120-90 Ka BP.While the morphological attributes of the Qafzeh human group became well-known through a series of publications, the ensemble of the burials and their contexts were not published in detail. The goal of this paper is to describe and discuss the information collected during the excavations of the human remains at Qafzeh cave with the aim to offer a few possible interpretations concerning the funerary practices. We have primarily employed our field observations gathered during 1965-1977, raising several hypotheses as regards our more recent comments associated with the published literature.

New data concerning Neanderthal occupation in the Iberian System: First results from the late Pleistocene (MIS 3) Aguilón P5 cave site (NE Iberia)

This work presents the first results from the Aguilón P5 (Zaragoza) cave site on the northern slope of the Iberian System (NE Iberia). The fieldwork carried out since 2010 on several archaeological layers containing remnants of human occupations has revealed lithic remains, processed faunal bones and charred plant remains from combustion events. Due to the lithic tool assemblage and radiocarbon dating (>50.0–41.9 kyr BP), the attribution of this human occupation to the Mousterian techno-complex is clear, contemporary with other important Late Mousterian sites in the Ebro Basin (NE Iberia) and Mediterranean region. Preliminary results concerning stratigraphic, chronometric, techno-tipological and palaeoenvironmental data from the last human occupations of the cave (archaeological layers “cnc”, “mcp” and “e”) are provided in this paper.To contextualize the Neanderthal occupation of the Aguilón P5 cave, a timeline of Middle Paleolithic in the Iberian System is proposed. A total of 45 dates from 19 stratigraphic units (including speleothems) are available from 10 sites. Chronometric dating series allow us to establish the temporary framework of Mousterian industries in the Iberian System coinciding with the abrupt climate changes related to Heinrich Events which characterize MIS 3. In summary, this paper provides new chronometric and archaeological information about Neanderthal settlement and subsistence in an under-investigated region.