Prehistoric Man Research Articles

Faunal remains from the El Abra rock shelters (Colombia)

A study of the faunal remains collected during the excavation of the El Abra rock shelters, revealed that the deer Odocoileus was the main source of meat for prehistoric man in that area, since ca. 10,000 B.P. In addition, bones of armadillo ( Dasypus novemcinctus), of the Colombian rabbit ( Sylvilagus brasiliensis) and of several carnivores and birds were found in all periods. Remains of the cavia or guinea pig ( Cavia porcellus) became more frequent after c. 7,000 B.P., and after 2,500 B.P. there are indications of domestication. In the uppermost level, dating after A.D. 1,550, introduced species (cattle, sheep, goats, cats and fowl) appear. The bones of the two most important meat-supplying animals (deer and guinea pig) show an abundance of skulls and lower extremities indicating that the animals were not eaten at the site. The rock shelters could represent temporal hunting camps, where the animals were butchered and prepared for consumption elsewhere.

Prehistoric Man in the High Country: The Archaeology of the Northern Tetons

The Northern Tetons, defined as the mountainous drainages of Moose, Owl and Berry Creeks, have long been known among Jackson Hole collectors as an area rich in prehistoric artifacts. When Dr. Gary A. Wright initiated his archaeological fieldwork in Grand Teton National Park, reports of extensive sites in the Northern Tetons soon came filtering in. Preliminary investigations in the area revealed the existence of large archaeological sites there that were comparable in size and artifact density to anything yet discovered on Jackson Hole's basin floor. At that time--July 1976--archaeological investigation of the Northern Tetons was begun.

The Mount Albion Complex, A Study of Prehistoric Man and the Altithermal, by James B. Benedict and Byron L. Olson

The Mount Albion Complex, A Study of Prehistoric Man and the Altithermal, by James B. Benedict and Byron L. Olson

A palaeoecological study of holocene peat bog sections in Germany and The Netherlands, based on the analysis of pollen, spores and macro- and microscopic remains of fungi, algae, cormophytes and animals

A Holocene peat section of the Engbertsdijksveen (The Netherlands) was analysed at centrimetre intervals for all kinds of micro- and macrofossils in order to obtain maximum information regarding local vegetation and animal succession and regional changes in the prevailing vegetation types. The analysed micro- and macrofossils are illustrated, described and interpreted. Among them are about 70 fungal taxa, about 25 animal taxa, at least 4 algae, and about 15 fossils of unknown identity or origin. The taxonomic designation, matrix, host- or substrate specificity and indicator value of representatives of five different groups of fossils have been tabulated. The fruit-bodies of several taxa distinguished as spore types were found during the macrofossil analysis, e.g., ascospores, mycelium and fruit-bodies of the parasite Meliola cf. niessleana (Type 14) are present in the levels in which Calluna vulgaris played a role in the local vegetation. The ascomycete Geoglossum sphagnophilum was, according to its spore distribution, a common element in the bog vegetation during the Atlantic and Subboreal periods. Zygospores of Mougeotia cf. gracillima (Type 61) and other Zygnemataceae indicate the levels where these algae could grow during the local succession in the peat bog. The zygospores indicate phases of shallow, stagnant, mesotrophic open water during spring. Conventional analysis of pollen and macro-remains with a high resolution in time (centimetre diagrams), the above-mentioned new information, and the correlation of events inside and outside the site of the peat bog lead to the following main conclusions: The Atlantic-Subboreal transition, well known for its elm decline, could be correlated with a local change in bog vegetation. Following the alteration of wet Scheuchzeria palustris vegetation with hummock vegetation in the Atlantic period, the appearance of a Molinia coerulea peat coincides with the elm decline. According to the present ecology of M. coerulea, this change must have been caused by a seasonally recurring, considerable lowering of the groundwater level during summer. During winter the groundwater rose so far that in spring shallow open water prevailed and Mougeotia cf. gracillima could develop. This local vegetational succession indicates an unstable climatic period with pronounced dry seasons during the early Subboreal. During the climatic deterioration of the Subboreal-Subatlantic transition the incidence of Corylus avellana decreased. The Corylus pollen curve shows several cyclic fluctuations during this period (1400-600 B.C.). Depressions in the Corylus pollen curve correspond with particularly wet local vegetation (more oceanic, possibly cooler phases), Corylus pollen maxima correspond with relatively dry bog vegetation (less oceanic, possibly warmer phases). These cyclic fluctuations correspond to approximately 150–200 historical years each. The increasing oceanicity ultimately resulted in the formation of peat by Sphagnum species of the section Cymbifolia. In this Subatlantic Cymbifolia peat the fluctuations of the minor constituent Sphagnum cf. rubellum are clearly correlated with the fluctuations of the curve of the rhizopod Amphitrema flavum. This phenomenon is interpreted as a reflection of more and less oceanic phases during the Subatlantic period. All available data were expressed in curves, in order to indicate changes in local and perhaps regional moisture conditions. Ther percentages of plants indicating human influence are relatively low during the Neolithic and Bronze Age. During the Iron Age the influence of prehistoric man was relatively important. Secale cereale was already grown during the secondary century B.C. Population density decreased again during the second century A.D. The present study is intended as a first step towards a more detailed knowledge of the changing ecosystems of bogs and forests and in their response to changing environmental factors, such as minor and major climatic cycles.

Fruit in the diet of prehistoric man and of the hunter-gatherer

Fruit in the diet of prehistoric man and of the hunter-gatherer

The Hungarian and Slovak sources of archaeological obsidian: an interim report on further fieldwork, with a note on tektites

This report describes the results of fieldwork carried out in the Zemplén Mountain area of north-eastern Hungary in 1975. The aim of this work was to locate and sample geological sources of obsidian which may have been used by prehistoric man. These sources are of increased importance since the work of Nandris (1975) showed that the Romanian “sources” do not produce workable obsidian. During the fieldwork three sources in Hungary were visited and sampled; one of these was the previously unlocated source of Csepegö Forräs. A number of other possible localities for geological obsidian are mentioned in 19th and 20th century geological and archaeological literature, and the present state of knowledge with regard to these is summarized. Further sources exist in central and in south-eastern Slovakia. These sources were not visited but material has been obtained from both areas. The central Slovak sources do not produce workable obsidian and are not therefore relevant to archaeological studies. Obsidian from three localities in south-eastern Slovakia is of good glassy quality and further fieldwork is now needed to check the validity of these localities as geological sources. Reference is made to obsidian sources in the western U.S.S.R., and the problem of the use of tektites in archaeological sites is discussed. The obsidian samples obtained during this work are currently being analyzed using neutron activation, in order to characterize the sources on the basis of their trace element analysis and thus to relate them to archaeological obsidian from central and eastern Europe.

Prehistoric Man and Environments: A Case Study in the Ozark Highland.W. Raymond Wood , R. Bruce McMillan

Previous articleNext article No AccessNew Biological BooksPrehistoric Man and Environments: A Case Study in the Ozark Highland. W. Raymond Wood , R. Bruce McMillan Richard Michael GramlyRichard Michael Gramly Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Quarterly Review of Biology Volume 52, Number 3Sep., 1977 Published in association with Stony Brook University Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/410096 PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

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Prehistoric Man and His Environments: A Case Study in the Ozark Highland. W. Wood Raymond and R. Bruce McMillan, editors. Academic Press, New York, San Francisco, and London, 1976. xiv + 271 pp., illus. $19.50.

Prehistoric Man and His Environments: A Case Study in the Ozark Highland. W. Wood Raymond and R. Bruce McMillan, editors. Academic Press, New York, San Francisco, and London, 1976. xiv + 271 pp., illus. $19.50. - Volume 42 Issue 2

九十九里平野北部の沖積世干潟層の花粉分析的研究

The Higata Formation, laid down in the north of the Kujukuri coastal plain, Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, is lithologically divided into two members of the Lower and the Upper Member. The Lower Member measures about 15-20 meters in thickness, has its upper surface about 4 meters above the sea level, and consists mainly of sandy and silty sediments which include marine molluscan shells. Abundant molluscan shells with warm water species and poorly the corals of Oulastrea crispata are contained in the upper shell bed of this member, called the Higata Shell Bed. The Upper Member measures about 2 meters in thickness and consists of peaty silt and peat in which a few ancient boats of the prehistoric men are contained.Radiocarbon datings on the molluscan shells from the Higata Shell Bed indicate ages of 5, 940±180ys. B. P. and 6, 100±190ys. B. P., and on the peat materials from. the lowermost and the middle parts of the Upper Member indicate ages for the former of 5, 470±110ys. B. P. and for the latter of 3, 660±130ys. B. P.A pollen analysis was made on samples from the columns of the four sites YK-3, 4, 6 and 7. For the studies of the paleoenvironments in the area, four pollen assemblage zones are differentiated on the basis of the prosperities of the main genera of pollen in pollen diagrams.Lithological and palynological evidences of the formation suggests a paleogeographical change at about 5, 000ys. B. P. from the bay filled with warm sea-water and its seaside salt marsh in which the halophytes grew thick, to the eutrophic lake in which the hydrophytes attached to the substrate and free-floating ones lived. The peatland has developed along the inner margin of the lake from about 4, 000ys. B. P. The forest vegetation on the hills changed at about 3, 700ys. B. P. gradually from the forests dominated by Quercus and other deciduous genera, to the forests dominated by Gryptomeria and Quercus. At about 1, 500ys. B. P., there were increases of Pinus and Gramineae, which were considered to be influences of the catastrophic destruction of the former natural forests and the agricultural activities of the prehistoric men.

A history of sweeteners--natural and synthetic.

Sweetness for the prehistoric man was the taste sensation obtained from sweet berries and honey. Man's quest for other sweet things led to sucose, starch-derived sugars, and synthetic sweeteners. An unusual source of sweet taste is a West African berry known as miracle fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum). This fruit possesses a taste-modifying substance that causes sour foods--e.g., lemons, limes, or grapefruit--to taste sweet. The active principle was found to be a glycoprotein. Until this time, only small molecules were considered sweet-evoking substances, but now macromolecules are considered capable of participating in taste perception. The intense sweetener of the fruit of Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii, called the serendipity berry, was revealed to be a protein. The intensely sweet principle of Thaumatococcus daniellii, called katemfe, was reported in 1972 to contain two proteins having intense sweetness. Since intensely sweet protein sweeteners act directly on taste buds as a probe, a peptide linkage analogous to the aspartic acid sweeteners may be partly responsible for their sweetness.

EUROPE: Prehistoric Man in Northern Europe. Produced by Gene Feldman

EUROPE: Prehistoric Man in Northern Europe. Produced by <i>Gene Feldman</i>

EUROPE: The Story of Prehistoric Man. 1953. Produced by Coronet Films

EUROPE: The Story of Prehistoric Man. 1953. Produced by <i>Coronet Films</i>

What managers can learn from artists

Managers speak of their profession as both an art and a science. Yet, management literature has increasingly emphasized science and noticeably neglected art. Part of the reason could be the impressive track record of science. It has not only taken us to the moon, built artificial organs for our bodies, and brought the world into our living rooms in living color but has also automated factories, computerized planning and decision making, and constructed alternate futures for our examination. The power of science is visible, direct, and increasingly dominant in our society. The art of management is more difficult to define and observe. If pressed for a definition, most managers would probably describe it as the intuitive elements that influence their decision making and relations with others. Since art is personal and intuitive, it cannot provide a generalized road map for understanding management. This is not the only way to view the subject, however. An alternative is to acknowledge that art is more than intuition. Art, at least in part, is a learnable craft that artists have practiced for centuries. Since prehistoric man first drew figures and scribbled symbols on the walls of his caves, art has served an important function in all societies. It is an expression of our feelings, emotions, spirituality, and a release for our fears, anxieties, and tensions, k provides an opportuni ty to stretch our spirits beyond our bodies and the physical confines of our universe. Thus, art stimulates and gives pleasure. This has important implications for the manager because stimulation and satisfaction are key elements in healthy productive individuals and organizations.

A Demographer's View of Prehistoric Demography [and Comments and Replies

The direct data on the population of prehistoric man are typically too sparse to be used alone. However, such supports as the population-resources model can easily become distortive prisons rather than aids to analysis, and the most important general point from ethnographic analogy-that contemporary primitives differ widely in their demographic characteristics but in all cases these are affected by a belief in the supernatural-is seldom reflected in discussions of ancient man. There is every reason to believe that the conscious control of procreation was practiced in prehistoric times, and one can surmise that the shift from ranging to a sedentary life resulted in a rise in fertility. Early death was prevalent, but one should note also that the age at death undoubtedly varied considerably according to a people's therapeutic skills, nutritional standards, proclivity toward violence, and the like. The balance between births and deaths, the growth or decline of a population, is no easier to estimate, paradoxically, than its two components. The numbers of persons inhabiting a site at successive dates do not constitute data that archeological evidence yields easily and automatically.Such factors as migration and race mixture, often impossible even to guess at, complicate the estimation of population growth and structure. During the past two decades a new interest in the demography of prehistoric man has developed, and one can anticipate a considerable improvement in the techniques of analysis over the next generation.

AN X‐RAY DIFFRACTION STUDY OF HEAT‐TREATED CHERT AND ITS ARCHAEOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

ABSTRACTSIt has been established that on occasion prehistoric man heat‐treated siliceous stones in order to improve their flaking qualities. In this work we have examined samples of heat‐treated chert by means of X‐ray diffraction and have established that, in most cases, heat treatment causes an X‐ray diffraction line broadening which can be interpreted as a decrease in range of crystalline order of up to 40%, in the most extreme case. The implications of this to an understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of fracture and as a tool for archaeological studies are discussed.

Ecological changes induced by prehistoric man at pitstone, buckinghamshire

This paper describes the study of a buried palaeosol of post-glacial age stratified between a periglacial coombe rock and a ploughwash deposit. Soil analysis (lithology and mineralogy) and molluscan analysis demonstrate a sequence of woodland, woodland clearance, and tillage. Radiocarbon assay of charcoal from the buried soil gave a date of 1960±220 bc which may date the clearance phase. The soil profile is part of a palaeocatena, the Mollusca from a drier phase of which have been published in an earlier paper. It has therefore been possible to check the relationship of the molluscan assemblages to the buried soil types and it is shown that both the morphology of the palaeosol and the composition of the fauna vary according to their position on the buried landscape.

A Late Stone Age Site on the Fish River near Mariental, South West Africa

Introduction The large number of Stone Age sites occurring within the borders of South West Africa, some of which are unusually large by any standard, is a tribute to prehistoric man's ability to adapt himself to harsh conditions of living. This is especially true of Late Stone Age peoples with their increased populations, and to whom the greater number and the more extensive of the sites may be attributed. It is possible that the climate did not differ appreciably from that of.the present day, with little surface water for the greater part of the year and a consequently low vegetation level. However, it is not the intention here to indicate the frequency which which these sites occur as this has already been adequately done by Dr G. J. Fock (Fock 1959) in a review of prehistoric sites in that territory, but rather to compare the material from a previously unrecorded Late Stone Age site with that of similar age from other and more fertile areas of southern Africa.

Environment and subsistence of prehistoric man in the southern Cape Province, South Africa

Abstract This paper discusses prehistoric man‐environment relationships in the Southern Cape, defined as Africa south of 32°S. lat. Although the area was occupied in the early Pleistocene and perhaps earlier, archaeological evidence only becomes substantial in mid‐Pleistocene contexts. Local mid‐Pleistocene peoples (Acheulean) seem to have been widespread, but reconstruction of their environment and subsistence remains a goal of future research. Detailed archeological knowledge is so far restricted to the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene, but even here major questions go unanswered. Chief among these is the nature of the replacement of the Middle Stone Age (MSA), some 30–40,000 years ago. In all known Southern Cape sites, the MSA is followed by a gap in occupation, varying from 15,000 to 25,000 years. This gap alone suggests that the immediate successors to MSA peoples may have been characterized by significantly different settlements and subsistence patterns from those of their predecessors. Additionally, ...

Sediment Peels from Prehistoric Sites

A method for making sediment peels from profiles at prehistoric sites is described. It consists of placing a piece of cheesecloth over a cleaned profile and then applying several coats of white, polyvinyl acetate glue (Elmer's Glue-All). After the glue dries, the peel is removed, mounted on a board and then ready for study or storage. The sediment peel is an effective means of preserving the prehistoric profile and, as important, reveals cryptic stratigraphic features that are important in reconstructing the environment of deposition of the sediment and the environment of prehistoric man.