Stone Age Research Articles

Migratory behavior in the enigmatic Late Pleistocene bovid Rusingoryx atopocranion

For many animals, migration is an important strategy for navigating seasonal bottlenecks in resource availability. In the savannas of eastern Africa, herds of grazing animals, including blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), Thomson's gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii), and plains zebra (Equus quagga), travel hundreds of kilometers annually tracking suitable forage and water. However, we know nearly nothing about migration among the extinct species that often dominated Late Pleistocene communities. Using serially sampled 87Sr/86Sr and δ13C, we characterize the prehistoric movement and diet of the enigmatic wildebeest Rusingoryx atopocranion from two localities (Karungu and Rusinga Island) in the Lake Victoria Basin of western Kenya. We find clear evidence for migration in all four individuals studied, with three 87Sr/86Sr series demonstrating high-amplitude fluctuations and all falling outside the modeled isoscape 87Sr/86Sr ranges of the fossil localities from which they were recovered. This suggests that R. atopocranion exhibited migratory behavior comparable to that of its closest living relatives in the genus Connochaetes. Additionally, individuals show seasonally-variable δ13C, with a higher browse intake than modern and fossil eastern African alcelaphins indicating behavioral differences among extinct taxa otherwise unrecognized by comparison with extant related species. That this species was highly migratory aligns with its morphology matching that of an open grassland migrant: it had open-adapted postcranial morphology along with a unique cranial structure convergent with lambeosaurine dinosaurs for calling long distances. We further hypothesize that its migratory behavior may be linked to its extinction, as R. atopocranion disappears from the Lake Victoria Basin fossil sequence coincident with the refilling of Lake Victoria sometime after 36 ka, potentially impeding its past migratory routes. This study characterizes migration in an extinct eastern African species for the first time and shapes our ecological understanding of this unique bovid and the ecosystems in which Middle Stone Age humans lived.

Mechanical Characterization and Corrosion Behavior of Magnesium/Boron Carbide Composites

“Product Design & Injection Mold Design Development of Car Chassis Upper Cover Part” This project fully concentrated on how to design of double impression injection Mold for wheel hub for the car sing the least economic processing and tooling method and it also helps to get the very deep knowledge about the “Split Activation Method”. Finally, the aim of the project is to estimation of the mold which should most economic and also detail about mention above things. It is all the transcendence of human race that people today reach the height of maximum, luxury upgrading from the days of their very ancient stone and cave age. What human being has achieved today was once only a dream out of reach. But man’s curiosity perhaps the most wonderful gift given to man by God was behind his quest leading to wholehearted efforts to convert all impossible dreams of yesteryears into reality. Today in the 21st century, men have reason enough to be proud for their unique achievements from stepping into the moon to cloning genes; there has been long list of tremendous success. Designing of product and mold for plastics is one of the important achievements in this century. This project is our sincere effort for the design of Bottom inlet valve components and their molds. This component has good aesthetics and optimum production cost which helps in withstanding the market competition.

Plastics Product & Injection Mold Design Development of Car Chassis Upper Cover

“Product Design & Injection Mold Design Development of Car Chassis Upper Cover Part” This project fully concentrated on how to design of double impression injection Mold for wheel hub for the car sing the least economic processing and tooling method and it also helps to get the very deep knowledge about the “Split Activation Method”. Finally, the aim of the project is to estimation of the mold which should most economic and also detail about mention above things. It is all the transcendence of human race that people today reach the height of maximum, luxury upgrading from the days of their very ancient stone and cave age. What human being has achieved today was once only a dream out of reach. But man’s curiosity perhaps the most wonderful gift given to man by God was behind his quest leading to wholehearted efforts to convert all impossible dreams of yesteryears into reality. Today in the 21st century, men have reason enough to be proud for their unique achievements from stepping into the moon to cloning genes; there has been long list of tremendous success. Designing of product and mold for plastics is one of the important achievements in this century. This project is our sincere effort for the design of Bottom inlet valve components and their molds. This component has good aesthetics and optimum production cost which helps in withstanding the market competition

The Application and Research of Illustration Art in Brand Image

Illustration, as a more direct image expression than text communication, has spread from ancient times to the present, broadly speaking, from the stone age murals to the patterns on bronze heavy objects, and then to the New Year pictures posted by every household in ancient times. It is the best way to explain the information by image processing. However, in modern business, the application of illustrations developed and expanded with the changes of newspapers and books in the early 19th century. With the variety of illustrations becoming more and more abundant, and the differences in painting methods and painters' values and artistic concepts, there is the art of illustration. The most important point of illustration art is that it can visually express the information conveyed in the text, and it is more direct and vivid. Since the evolution of illustration, the visual emotional design and content communication in brand image are becoming more and more irreplaceable. This paper will focus on the role and significance of illustration art in brand image, and give examples with my graduation design and "Free" hot pot series of illustrations to provide a certain theoretical basis for the study of art in brand image.

Malebogo Mvimi, Past Environments and Plant Use in Holocene Southern Africa: A Study of Charcoal and Seed Remains from the Late Stone Age Sites of Toteng (Botswana), Leopard Cave and Geduld (Namibia). Oxford: BAR Publishing (pb £50 – 978 1 407 35717 1). 2022, 214 pp.

Malebogo Mvimi, Past Environments and Plant Use in Holocene Southern Africa: A Study of Charcoal and Seed Remains from the Late Stone Age Sites of Toteng (Botswana), Leopard Cave and Geduld (Namibia). Oxford: BAR Publishing (pb £50 – 978 1 407 35717 1). 2022, 214 pp.

Cultural taxonomic systems and the Late Palaeolithic/Later Stone Age prehistory of the Nile Valley – a critical review

Cultural taxonomic systems and the Late Palaeolithic/Later Stone Age prehistory of the Nile Valley – a critical review

THREE TYPES OF INDUSTRY IN THE STONE AGE OF GOBUSTAN

In the east of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in Gobustan district, there are numerous Stone Age sites with preserved culture-bearing deposits. Interest in the richest rock art sites concentrated there overshadowed studying the stone inventory of the region’s earliest sites relegating them to the background. In this work, the author proposes a general systematization of the materials of the Gobustan Stone Age. The paper contains detailed typological lists of key sites; suggests the criteria for dividing the material into three cultural and chronological groups; and substantiates a new view on the chronology and local peculiarities of these groups that is different from previously held ones in many respects. For the sites of the Upper Palaeolithic of Gobustan, an estimated age is proposed corresponding to the period prior to maximum of the Würm glaciation (i.e., no later than approximately 25–20 thousand years ago). The lower date of the Mesolithic layers correlates roughly with the end of the Allerød and the Younger Dryas (approximately 14–12 thousand years ago). The emergence of the local Neolithic is attributed approximately to the early 6th millennium BC.

Preliminary Study of the Stone Age in Crimea: Historiographical Insights

The article deals with the historiography of the formation of the Crimean archaeology as a component of scientific knowledge of Russia in the last quarter of the 19th century. It is accented that an important role in this process was played by social and economic factors, activated after the reforms of the 1860s and scientific and organizational, in particular the arrival of archeological monuments in the sphere of attention of the most educated part of society (K.S. Merezhkovsky, A.S. Uvarov). Crimean researchers of the Stone Age, focusing on the idea of autochthonous, long-term, successive development of cultures, considered the basis of progress the improvement of technology and tools. Developing evolutionist ideas, scientists formulated the main objectives of archaeological knowledge in the following: to rise to the level of creating a comprehensive doctrine about the evolution of primitive societies, their development and decline, education and transformation. At the same time, the authors did not simply describe and classify archaeological monuments and artifacts in a philosophical-historical context, but sought to analyze them and build their own system of views on the change of eras, cultures and individual stages of the prehistoric past of humanity. At the same time in the last third of the 19th century archaeological study of the Stone Age of Crimea was also manifested in the quantitative accumulation of sources. In particular, the first paleolithic sites were discovered, the antiquity of human existence on the peninsula was proved, the first anthropological remains of the primitive era in Crimea were found, the first generalized classifications of stone age tools and collections of archeological collections were created.

#4215 MONOALLELIC IFT140-RELATED POLYCYSTIC KIDNEY DISEASE IN AN ITALIAN ADPKD COHORT

Abstract Background and Aims Autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common inherited renal disorder characterized by progressive bilateral renal cysts development and extrarenal phenotype, i.e. liver and/or pancreatic cysts, intracranial aneurism, hernias, mitral valve prolapse and diverticulosis. More than 90% of patients harbour heterozygous pathogenic variant in PKD1 or PKD2 genes, rarely in other cystogenes (e.g. GANAB, DNAJB11, ALG8, ALG9). Recently Senum et al. demonstrated that monoallelic loss of function (LoF) IFT140 variants are an important cause of ADPKD-like disease distinguished by large renal cysts, few liver cysts and mostly mild renal failure. The aim of our study was to define prevalence and phenotype of IFT140-ADPKD in an Italian ADPKD cohort. Methods The study included ADPKD patients, evaluated in 2021 and 2022, at Outpatient Clinic of Genetic Kidney Diseases of Brescia, Italy, that underwent in-depth clinical, laboratory, and instrumental assessments. ADPKD was clinically diagnosed according to Pei modified criteria, in patients with age-specific ultrasound criteria and family history consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance. From January 2022, NGS genetic testing protocol for ADPKD has been updated with IFT140 gene, thus the ADPKD gene panel included: ALG8, ALG9, ANKS6, DNAJB11, GANAB, IFT140, LRP5, PARN, PKD1, PKD2, PRKCSH, SEC61A1, SEC63. The new protocol has been offered to patients evaluated since January 2022 and to all genetically unresolved patients evaluated in 2021. All patients performed also multiple ligation probe amplification (MPLA) analysis of PKD1 or PKD2. Results In 2021 and 2022 ADPKD genes testing has been performed in 129 patients. Pathogenic variants in PKD1 or PKD2 genes were detected in 110/129 patients (85%); among the negative cases (19/129, 15%), 3 patients (P1,P2,P3) resulted heterozygous carrier of LoF variants in IFT140 gene: p.Arg307*, p.Lys1275Argfs*23 and p.Arg834* respectively. Overall 2,3% of ADPKD patients harboured IFT140 pathogenic variant; considering unresolved cases only, the prevalence was 15.7% (3/19). Segregation analysis identified the LoF variant in 3 daughters of P1 and in a son of P2. The 3 probands were diagnosed with renal disease in adulthood from fourth to sixth decade. In P1 eGFR (CKD-EPI formula) slowly declined from 104 ml/min/1.73 at onset (43 year-old) to 74.6 ml/min/1.73 at age 55. In P2 eGFR at first evaluation was 38 ml/min/1.73 (68 year-old); at last follow-up 32.9 ml/min/1.73 (73 year-old). In P3 eGFR declined from 51.7 ml/min/1.73 (55 year-old) to 42 ml/min/1.73 at age 67. Renal imaging in P1 at and P2 disclosed increased total kidney volume (TKV 1042 and 5520 cc respectively), large cysts and absence of cystic liver disease. P3 had slightly increased kidneys (TKV 447cc) with large renal cysts and few liver cysts. Hypertension was present in 4 patients, all with adult-onset (46-60 years). Two patients had an early diagnosis of kidney stones (age 24 and 18). No macroscopic hematuria or cyst infections were reported. In accordance with an ADPKD-like disease form, P1 presented inguinal hernia. Imaging data are summarized in Figure 1. Conclusion In this Italian cohort, heterozygous LoF variants in IFT140 gene is confirmed to be the third most common genetic cause of ADPKD-spectrum disease, the prevalence being 2,3%. The major features are late onset hypertension, increased kidney volume due to large cysts and slow progressive renal failure. IFT140 gene must be included in diagnostic protocol of ADPKD patients to better define renal prognosis, therapy and familial screening.

The Middle Stone Age Sequence at Klipfonteinrand 1 (KFR1), Western Cape, South Africa

The rock shelter site Klipfonteinrand 1 (KFR1), located on the edge of southern Africa’s Fynbos biome, was initially excavated by John Parkington in 1969. Due to difficulties resolving the stratigraphic sequence, the lack of age estimates, and generally poor organic preservation, the Middle Stone Age (MSA) components of the site have received limited attention. In this paper we report on the re-excavation, dating, palaeoecology, and cultural sequence recovered from a trench placed adjacent to Parkington’s original excavation. The refined sequence includes three stratigraphically distinct MSA components: a Howiesons Poort component dating to ~69 ka, and two earlier MSA components dating to ~85 ka and ~156 ka. These are overlain by two younger components dated to the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. Bedrock morphology at the site is complex, and the oldest component appears to be restricted to a small area of relatively deep (1.9 m) sediment accumulation towards the centre of the sheltered area. Phytoliths suggest limited change in floral communities near the site across the lowest three units—which include parts of marine isotope stages (MIS) 6, 5, and 4—reflecting the characteristic stability of the Fynbos biome. The stone artefacts in the oldest MSA component include large blades that are absent from the overlying strata, and that may be a distinct element of late MIS 6 technology in the area. Interestingly, neither the early MSA nor early Holocene components we describe here were encountered in the rear trench at the site, 3 m away, which instead produced a sequence dominated by marine isotope stage 2 occupation. KFR1 presents new insights into the archaeology of the earlier MSA in southern Africa, while also providing a cautionary note on the discontinuous and spatially variable nature of rock shelter occupation in the region.

Revisiting the Acheulean at Namib IV in the Namib Desert, Namibia

ABSTRACT Namib IV (S23° 44.829’, E14° 19.720’) is frequently cited, as it is one of few Earlier Stone Age sites in the Sand Sea of the Namib Desert. The site was first investigated in 1978 by Myra Shackley, who described 582 artifacts on the surface of a pan as representing an Acheulean butchery site. Descriptions of the artifacts, their number, and area were inconsistently reported. Recently rediscovered, the site of Namib IV is a rare example of a tool-rich and fossil fauna-bearing pan system in the Namib Sand Sea. This project aims to investigate when, how, and under what environmental conditions hominins utilized these landscapes. This article presents the first archaeological research conducted at the site in over 40 years. Typological and technological data was collected from surface-exposed artifacts and large cutting tools (LCTs) and compared to Shackley’s assemblage. Data demonstrate that her collection is representative of the Namib IV site and raise many new questions about the original research and the site.

The Problem with the Anthropocene: Kainos, Not Anthropos

The Problem with the Anthropocene: <i>Kainos</i>, Not <i>Anthropos</i>

Modern Stone Age of Armenia

Modern Stone Age of Armenia

The Stone Age Sannikov Land: human dimensions

The New Siberian Islands are one of the most remote and hardly accessible regions of the Russian Arctic. Due to that, their discovery and initial study took about 300 years. For dozens of thousand years during the Late Pleistocene, this area was a part of drained arctic shelf, a part of which still existed around 9000 years ago. In certain sense, it was the Sannikov Land of the Stone Age. In 1914, the Zhokhov Island became the last one to be discovered out of large islands of the archipelago. Fifty years afterwards, archaeological material was found on it. The Zhokhov site, studied in 1989–1990 and 2000–2005, is one of the northernmost archaeological sites in the world. Human activity at the Zhokhov site falls within the interval 8300–7750 14C years ago, with the most intense occupation spanning 8050–7900 14C BP, that is, roughly CA 9000 calendar years ago. Excavations yielded a unique collection that includes lithic material presenting microprismatic technology, polished stone tools, a variety of artefacts made of non-durable materials (diverse osseous material and wood), including hunting equipment, home utensils, basketry and birch bark products, as well as sled parts. Excavations yielded a large number of animal bone remains, almost exclusively belonging to the reindeer and polar bear. It is shown that in the reconstructed annual economic cycle of the Zhokhov dwellers in winter, the most important role was played by polar bear hunting. Mass procurement of this dangerous animal for food is a unique hunting specialization, while mass accumulation of his bone remains can not be taken as an evidence for the bear cult. It is shown, that the Zhokhov hunters widely used dog sleds and thus the land transportation system was the most important innovation of the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary. The Zhokhov site environments of 9000 years ago were quite comfortable for the Arctic regions. Open landscapes were the most important feature of their habitat providing unlimited opportunities for traveling across the region, especially in winter and spring and thus provided conditions for effective movement of people goods, and genes including long-distance transport.

“A CONCISE OUTLINE OF THE 5-POINTER ANTOA COUNTDOWN” BY RALF G WILL = RGW23C

Aim of this article is a concise overview of ANTOA from Point 1 to 5. It is also a comprehensive selection of comments and annotations to the various benchmarks that form an unusual perimeter, encircling the social context of creative expression.&#x0D; While Point 1 looks for individual footprint and intrinsic character, Point 2 deals with environmental concern and how Art builds social relations viceversa becomes tool for conscientising communal dissent.&#x0D; Point 3 explains the old-meets-new condition whereby relevant Art supports sensible skill upheaval and innovative presentation. Trendy convention changes to refreshing renewal of mindful invention.Point 4 is pure nature, the abstraction of once relevant and definite objects, impressing edgy sentiments on keen consumers and practitioners alike. Often misunderstood as child play, the abstraction needs to have a beginning and an end, and may not contain meaning. Even though it satisfies curiosity and owns an excessively provocative price tag. Point 5 illustrates value, meaning and symbol, and returns to memory and experience as creators of history.The social construction of Art calls for meaning and value and tightens the net of inter-human relations, no matter in the stone age or the controversial period termed modernity or contemporary Art. Meaning has indeed come from social acceptance of the creative flow, the free spirit that paradoxically works best in scientific way, endowing Art with a certain dialect of symbolic language. Weaving individual relations into a social fabric of communal meaning.

Shoredate: An R package for shoreline dating coastal Stone Age sites

shoredate: An R package for shoreline dating coastal Stone Age sites

Standardization of Nubian Levallois Technology in Dhofar, Southern Arabia

ABSTRACT The characteristics and distribution of “Nubian" Levallois technology have been prominent in recent discussions of Middle Palaeolithic/Middle Stone Age technological variability and its implications. Here we explore Nubian Levallois technology by focusing on the relative “standardization” of the TH.69 assemblage from western Dhofar, one of the most “Nubian” of all “Nubian” assemblages. Aspects evaluated include the shape of cores and the dorsal surface preparation patterns. We found that in some ways – such as the overall reduction method, and coefficients of variation for various features of core shape – the assemblage does demonstrate standardization. Yet, in others, such as the precise way in which dorsal surface convexity was prepared, the assemblage is rather less standardized. Our findings highlight the complexity of defining and operationalizing the concept of standardization. On balance, we argue that TH.69 does demonstrate relatively standardized reduction, yet the wider meaning of this is not clear.

Corded Ware Culture Plant Gathering at the Narva-Jõesuu IIB Settlement and Burial Site in Estonia

ABSTRACT Plant use of the Corded Ware Culture (2800–2000 cal BC) communities in Estonia and more broadly in the eastern Baltic area has not been systematically studied using archaeobotanical methods. This article presents the first archaeobotanical study from a Stone Age context in Estonia, and discusses plant use at the Corded Ware Culture settlement and burial site of Narva-Jõesuu IIB in the north-eastern part of the country. Analysis revealed the first occurrence of water chestnut (Trapa natans) from a Stone Age context in Estonia and numerous common hazel (Corylus avellana) nutshells. Otherwise, the plant material preserved in the sandy soils of Narva-Jõesuu IIB consisted of charred remains of conifers and heathland species, as well as plants from scrubs or forest edges. The plant species that were found reflect the mosaic nature of the environment surrounding the site. Only wild plants were gathered and used at Narva-Jõesuu IIB; no domesticated plants or signs of plant cultivation were identified.

Captive bonobos (Pan paniscus) apply precision grips when using flaked stone tools.

Current evidence suggests that flaked stone tool technologies did not emerge until ~3.3-2.6 million-years-ago (Ma). It is often hypothesized that early hominin (principally Ardipithecus and early Australopithecus) manual anatomy may have prevented an earlier emergence, as the forceful precision grips essential to flake tool-use may have been ineffectively performed by these species. Marzke, Marchant, McGrew, and Reece (2015) observed potentially forceful pad-to-side precision grips being recruited by wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) during feeding behaviors, indicating that Pan-like manual anatomy, and therefore potentially early hominin anatomy, may be capable of effectively securing flake stone tools during their use. Here, we report on the grips recruited by four captive, human-trained, bonobos (Pan paniscus) during the use of stone and organic tools, including flake stone tools during cutting behaviors. It is revealed that pad-to-side precision grips are frequently recruited by these bonobos when securing stone flakes during cutting actions. In some instances, high forces could have been resisted and applied by the thumb and fingers. While our analyzes are preliminary and limited to captive individuals, and Pan is not suggested to secure flakes with the same efficacy as Homo or Australopithecus, it points to early hominins potentially being able to perform the precision grips required to use flake stone tools. In turn, the ability to gain tangible benefits from the effective use of flake tools (i.e., gain energetic returns from processing food resources) may have been - at least anatomically - possible in early Australopithecus and other pre-Early Stone Age hominin species. In turn, hominin manual anatomy may not be a leading restriction on the emergence of the earliest stone tool technologies.

Production method of the Königsaue birch tar documents cumulative culture in Neanderthals

Birch tar is the oldest synthetic substance made by early humans. The earliest such artefacts are associated with Neanderthals. According to traditional interpretations, their study allows understanding Neanderthal tool behaviours, skills and cultural evolution. However, recent work has found that birch tar can also be produced with simple processes, or even result from fortuitous accidents. Even though these findings suggest that birch tar per se is not a proxy for cognition, they do not shed light on the process by which Neanderthals produced it, and, therefore, cannot evaluate the implications of that behaviour. Here, we address the question of how tar was made by Neanderthals. Through a comparative chemical analysis of the two exceptional birch tar pieces from Königsaue (Germany) and a large reference birch tar collection made with Stone Age techniques, we found that Neanderthals did not use the simplest method to make tar. Rather, they distilled tar in an intentionally created underground environment that restricted oxygen flow and remained invisible during the process. This degree of complexity is unlikely to have been invented spontaneously. Our results suggest that Neanderthals invented or developed this process based on previous simpler methods and constitute one of the clearest indicators of cumulative cultural evolution in the European Middle Palaeolithic.