Stratified Archaeological Sites Research Articles

The 2022 Campaign on the Palaeolithic of the Zarqa ValleyThe 2022 Campaign on the Palaeolithic of the Zarqa Valley

New surveys in August-September 2022 in the upper Zarqa Valley have increased the number of stratified archaeological sites from Early and Middle Pleistocene colluvial/alluvial units. The main results are: 1) the extension of the archaeological-bearing Dawqara Formation (Early Pleistocene) to the northern margin of the Zarqa Governorate, with the recovery of new artefacts, 2) the discovery of rodent teeth remains in an archaeological outcrop of Dawqara Formation 3) the discovery of three new stratified middle Acheulean sites, with minimal disturbance and favourable conditions for future excavations. Within the Dawqara and Birayn Formations the occurrence of several palaeosols indicates recurrent pedogenic phases in the Zarqa Valley and provided new material for palaeoenvironmental characterization of the archaeological sites. Conservation requirements and threats to the sites are also discussed with regard to the whole archaeological heritage of the oldest prehistory of Levant.

The Mousterian in North-Western Tuscany: publishing fieldwork documentation leads to a new stratigraphical interpretation of the Piano di Mommio sites

Background The Mousterian technocomplex is commonly associated with Neanderthals and therefore serves as a proxy for their presence across Europe. Stratified archaeological sites are the most informative because they can yield information about artefacts' spatial distribution and dating. Only a few of the Mousterian sites in Tuscany (Italy) met these conditions and most of these sites are concentrated in the North-Western area, with three specific sites situated in proximity to the village of Piano di Mommio, on the slopes of a small river canyon. Nevertheless, research on the sites stopped early on due to their small extent and complete excavation, which does not allow for additional fieldwork. Methods This article presents previously unpublished field notes, reports, and images, which are then correlated with recent archaeological surveys. Results This combination of historical and contemporary data aims to provide a more detailed understanding of the context in which the assemblages at these sites were found. The insights gained from this research shed light on the arrangement and positioning of artefacts at these locations, offering valuable information to guide future investigations on the assemblages. Conclusions The proposed stratigraphical interpretation adheres to the available information and therefore contributes to a future baseline for new research on the sites and on Neanderthal presence in the area.

The Mousterian in North-Western Tuscany: publishing fieldwork documentation leads to a new stratigraphical interpretation of the Piano di Mommio sites.

The Mousterian technocomplex is commonly associated with Neanderthals and therefore serves as a proxy for their presence across Europe. Stratified archaeological sites are the most informative because they can yield information about artefacts' spatial distribution and dating. Only a few of the Mousterian sites in Tuscany (Italy) met these conditions and most of these sites are concentrated in the North-Western area, with three specific sites situated in proximity to the village of Piano di Mommio, on the slopes of a small river canyon. Nevertheless, research on the sites stopped early on due to their small extent and complete excavation, which does not allow for additional fieldwork. This article presents previously unpublished field notes, reports, and images, which are then correlated with recent archaeological surveys. This combination of historical and contemporary data aims to provide a more detailed understanding of the context in which the assemblages at these sites were found. The insights gained from this research shed light on the arrangement and positioning of artefacts at these locations, offering valuable information to guide future investigations on the assemblages. The proposed stratigraphical interpretation adheres to the available information and therefore contributes to a future baseline for new research on the sites and on Neanderthal presence in the area.

The initial peopling of South American Plains: An overview on Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene settlers in Uruguay

This paper reviews more than 20 years of research about the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene occupations of the Uruguayan plains. The aim of this synthesis is to provide an overview of the available information related to early human peopling of Uruguay. Here, we focus on the main issues discussed over the last two decades: early sites characterization and chronology, human response to climate change, cultural diversity, occupations patterns, mobility and technology. The systematic and continuous efforts made have provided new data and new perspectives regarding the earliest human occupations of the region. We have defined an archaeological complex landscape and ongoing research strategy is based on the three main types of site that compose it: residential camps, cave and rock shelters, and raw material sources. This has allowed us to expand and improve our understanding of the record. The new research and data provided by these sites have led us to propose a settlement model for the region and the period. A cultural diversity has been evidenced through in-depth studies of stratified archaeological sites, cultural sequence, a solid chronological database and lithic technology. Finally, we advance in the characterization of objects of social prestige among hunter-gatherers who occupied the plains during the end of the Pleistocene in Southeastern South America.

Terminal Pleistocene human occupation of the upper Copper River basin, southern Alaska: Results of test excavations at Nataeł Na’

After decades of debate, the homeland of the First Americans is now generally understood to be northeast Asia; however, the process of Late Pleistocene peopling remains unresolved. As more archaeological sites south of the continental ice sheets are discovered that predate the opening of the interior “ice-free” corridor, interest in a coastal Pacific dispersal route has grown, and previously overlooked regions proximal to the Pacific coast have become a central focus of exploration efforts. The Copper River basin of southern Alaska is one such region. Here we present the results of 2019 archaeological excavations at Nataeł Na’, a buried and stratified archaeological site situated along the upper Copper River. The site contains a robust occupation dating to the late Younger Dryas climate reversal as well as an earlier occupation dating to the late Allerød interstadial. This discovery demonstrates that Pleistocene hunter-gatherers inhabited the Pacific basin of southern Alaska during the same time Clovis peoples inhabited temperate North America. The occupations at Nataeł Na’ join a growing body of evidence suggesting that the early inhabitants of eastern Beringia were geographically more widely dispersed than previously documented.

ПРИРОДНО-КЛИМАТИЧЕСКИЕ КРИЗИСЫ КАК ФАКТОР КУЛЬТУРНОЙ И ХОЗЯЙСТВЕННОЙ ИЗМЕНЧИВОСТИ В НЕОЛИТЕ–ЭНЕОЛИТЕ НИЖНЕГО ПОВОЛЖЬЯ

The Lower Volga region is important for studying natural and climatic crises as a factor of cultural and economic changes since the local Neolithic and Eneolithic societies are marked by the early appearance of ceramics, cattle breeding and copper items. However, the impact of natural and climatic crises on these processes has not been considered earlier for a number of reasons. First, most of the sites had not detailed information obtained by the analytic research on past environmental and climatic situation. Second, numerous and contradictory radiocarbon dates prevented from determination of the chronological frameworks of these processes. During the period of 2007–2020 the situation has begun to change with the appearance of new archaeological information including homogenous and stratified archaeological sites. The multidisciplinary research made it possible to obtain new data on the chronological framework of the Neolithic–Eneolithic cultures of the Lower Volga region in context of paleoclimatic reconstructions. The results of archaeozoological studies and technical-technological analysis of ceramics had a significant meaning too. Determination of the species composition helped to establish differences in zoological collections of the Neolithic of the Northern Caspian and the steppe Volga region. It was demonstrated that the emergence of a food producing economy in this territory is associated not with the Khvalynsk, but with the earlier Caspian culture. The entire set of data made it possible to bring the development of the question of environmental factors in cultural and economic changes in the Neolithic–Eneolithic of the Lower Volga region to a new level.

Early occupation of High Asia: New insights from the ornaments of the Oshhona site in the Pamir mountains

The Pamir plateau is one of the highest mountain systems in the world, presenting a highly challenging environment for human occupation. During the Soviet era, researchers discovered several stratified archaeological sites in the Pamir zone – including the Oshhona site, which yielded a large collection of lithic artefacts and personal ornaments made of bone. Pairing archaeozoological and biomolecular methods (Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry) with use-wear analysis, we investigate the tradition of personal bone ornament production that emerged in the Pamir mountains during the Middle Holocene. Our analyses indicate that inhabitants of Oshhona site used a wide range of faunal remains to manufacture non-utilitarian items – including pendants, elongated beads, and engraved bone. Comparison of raw materials, manufacture technology, and style provide compelling evidence of cultural links between the Pamir and the middle highlands of the Tian Shan. Although available anthropological and genetic evidence is too scattered to assess the possibility of population movements, our results point to a shared techno-cultural tradition or common cultural adaptation in bone ornament production across these two regions, perhaps developing as a response to life at high altitudes in Central Asia during the Middle Holocene.

Geomorphological and chronostratigraphical context of the La Sala lithic artifacts (Amaicha basin - Northwest Argentina)

The objective of this paper is to make a detailed and multiproxy geomorphological study of the middle section of Amaicha River in Northwest Argentina. The obtained evolutionary model and chronological context will be linked with previous models to include the study area in a regional context. Finally, our model will be used as a morphochronological base to contextualize the lithic materials found in an area which previously lacked stratified records and absolute datings. The geomorphological study shows the high dynamic of the sector recorded in the ravine deposits during the Holocene. This process is reflected by the aggradation/degradation stages. A basal unit chronologically assimilated to the Pleistocene (Pl unit) is overlapped by four Holocene morphosedimentary units (H1 to H4). These units are arranged as terraces following an alternating succession of aggradative and degradative phases. The interbedding of tephra layers of known age, as well as radiometrically dated peat levels and soils, enables a very complete chronology of the Holocene sequence to be made. Lithic artifacts were found in the s1 soil, dated to 5468–4875 cal BP, providing one of the few records of stratified archaeological sites in the region for those times. This paper constitutes an initial approach in the development of a regional evolutionary model covering the period from the Late Pleistocene until the present.

Taphonomic, environmental, and cultural influences on Archaic Faunal assemblages at Modoc Rock Shelter, Illinois, USA

We incorporated faunal datasets from 1950s to 1980s excavations at Modoc Rock Shelter (11R5), a deeply stratified archaeological site in the central Mississippi River valley of southwestern Illinois, into the Digital Archaeological Record (tDAR) as part of a National Science Foundation-funded research project in which nine collaborators in the Eastern Archaic Faunal Working Group (EAFWG) ingested and analyzed faunal datasets from 23 archaeological sites to test hypotheses about changing use of aquatic resources during the Archaic Period (10,000─3000 RCYBP) in the interior Eastern United States. The use of tDAR resulted in the online digital preservation of Modoc Rock Shelter data accumulated by different researchers over five decades from multiple areas of excavation and also provided tools to integrate and synthesize the data. To ensure comparability of Modoc Rock Shelter datasets made by researchers using different coding schemes, we mapped variable attributes to existing and newly created tDAR ontologies. Following the EAFWG taphonomic protocol, we examined evidence for differential bone preservation and destruction caused by weathering, gnawing and chewing, butchering, fragmentation, burning, and bone density-mediated attrition for cultural components of the West Shelter and Main Shelter at Modoc. We also examined potential taphonomic biases caused by differences in recovery techniques, contexts excavated, and settlement function. With due consideration of taphonomic biases, we analyzed variability related to cultural factors and/or environmental change. Using the tDAR integration tool, we compared resource use for the cultural components in the two shelters. Our studies bear out earlier findings that Early Archaic hunter-gatherers at Modoc Rock shelter collected numerous small mammals, especially tree squirrels. Deer hunting and aquatic resource use generally increased during the Middle Archaic; and use of fauna was more specialized in the Late Archaic field camps. We relate these shifts in exploitation to landscape evolution, including stabilization of river systems, development of floodplain lakes, and the opening of the forest in the middle Holocene, as well as to changes in demography and settlement strategies.

The application of X-ray fluorescence core scanning in multi-element analyses of a stratified archaeological cave deposit at Wee Jasper, Australia

Archaeological sediments retain elements from natural and anthropogenic inputs for many years, often forming stratified geochemical records of site formation and human use. This study evaluates the validity and potential of an X-ray fluorescence core scanner (XRF-CS) to contribute to the histories of stratified archaeological sites. Geochemical data sets from an archaeological deposit at Wee Jasper in southeast Australia are obtained using two sediment preparation techniques; the results are compared to trends identified through cultural artefacts and several more traditional methods of sediment analysis. Potential anthropogenic and organic element signatures are identified, and the sediment preparation techniques are evaluated. Minimally processed bulk samples provide consistent XRF results that strongly correlate with the trends observed in other proxies; results from unprocessed sediment columns, however, reveal methodological complications with the XRF-CS technique due to topographical and structural inconsistencies in the columns.

Dating and Digging Stratified Archaeology in Circumpolar North America: A View from Nunalleq, Southwestern Alaska

Through the case study of the Thule-era village site of Nunalleq (GDN-248), this paper presents 14C dating results and perspectives on the issues associated with radiocarbon dating stratified archaeological sites in circumpolar North America. The objective was to investigate relative variation in the 14C age of ecofacts with the aim of establishing a hierarchy of dating suitability for Nunalleq that could more widely inform 14C sample selection on archaeological sites across the North American sub-Arctic and Arctic and Greenland. Owing to the complexities associated with interpreting and establishing the relative chronology of the deeply stratified sod deposits at Nunalleq, we adopted open-area excavation and single-context recording methods. This approach, we suggest, allowed us to eliminate stratigraphic complexity as a source of variation in 14C measurements and to assess the taphonomic issues associated with dating different ecofacts. In total, 16 samples were submitted for dating, comprising two sets of eight different ecofacts, one from each of two stratigraphically contemporary but spatially discrete contexts. In most instances, the 14C ages of ecofacts were statistically indistinguishable between the two contexts and support the relative chronological relationships established by excavation. Only Elymus arenarius (grass) manufactures and Heleomyzidae (fly) puparia produced different ages in the two contexts, variations that suggest that these items are unreliable dating materials. As noted in previous studies, Phoca sp. (seal) and Oncorhynchus sp. (salmon) bone collagen demonstrated a strong marine reservoir effect (c. 700 14C yr.). Picea sp. (wood chips) were marginally older than seeds from edible berries (Rubus chamaemorus and Empetrum nigrum) and caribou (Rangifer tarandus) bone collagen, which provided the most consistent ages.

A Revised Radiocarbon Chronology of the Aceramic Shell Midden of Ra’s Al-Hamra 6 (Muscat, Sultanate of Oman): Implication For Occupational Sequence, Marine Reservoir Age, and Human Mobility

AbstractRa’s al-Hamra 6 (RH-6) is one of the earliest stratified archaeological sites along the eastern littoral of the Arabian Peninsula. This shell midden was radiocarbon dated to the 6th–5th millennium cal BC, but the majority of the dates were obtained before the advent of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C dating and suffer from large uncertainties. In addition, most of these dates were obtained on marine and mangrove shells and required correction for local variations from the global average marine 14C reservoir age (MRA). This proved difficult because no consensus value exists for this period in the area. Recent excavations at RH-6 offered the opportunity to redate this important site in order to precisely determine its occupation history and later use as a graveyard, and establish the marine reservoir effect for this time period. Thirty-eight samples of charcoal, shells, and human bone apatite were selected for 14C dating. Bayesian modeling of the 14C dates suggests that the formation of the shell midden spanned ~1 millennium, between the mid-6th and the mid-5th millennium cal BC. Positive and consistent ΔR values were calculated throughout the entire sequence, ranging from 99±27 to 207±43 14C yr. At the beginning of the 4th millennium cal BC, RH-6 was used as a graveyard, as suggested by the 14C dating of a shell in strict association with an individual buried at the surface of the site. 14C dating of human bone apatite allowed us to calculate that 89% of this individual’s diet derived from marine resources. This finding confirms previous observations showing the overwhelming presence of marine and mangrove-dwelling species in the faunal and charcoal assemblage, and implies a low mobility, or mobility restricted to the coast for this population during the 4th millennium cal BC.

Remote sensing and GIS techniques for reconstructing Arabian palaeohydrology and identifying archaeological sites

Freshwater availability is critical for human survival, and in the Saharo-Arabian desert belt repeated fluctuations between aridity and humidity over the Quaternary mean the distribution of freshwater was likely a primary control upon routes and opportunities for hominin dispersals. However, our knowledge of the spatio-temporal distribution of palaeohydrological resources within Arabia during Mid–Late Pleistocene episodes of climatic amelioration remains limited. In this paper we outline a combined method for remotely mapping the location of palaeodrainage and palaeolakes in currently arid regions that were formerly subject to more humid conditions. We demonstrate the potential of this approach by mapping palaeochannels across the whole Arabian Peninsula, and palaeolakes and marshes for select regions covering c. 10% of its surface. Our palaeodrainage mapping is based upon quantitative thresholding of HydroSHEDs data, which applies flow routing to Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data, while our palaeolake mapping uses an innovative method where spectral classification of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery is used to detect palaeolake deposits within endorheic (closed) basins, before modelling maximum lake extents by flooding the basin to the level of the elevation of the highest detected deposit. Field survey in the Nefud desert and the Dawadmi and Shuwaymis regions of Saudi Arabia indicates accuracies of 86% for palaeodrainage mapping, and 96% for identifying former palaeolake basins (73% accuracy of classification of individual deposits). The palaeolake mapping method has also demonstrated potential for identifying surface and stratified archaeological site locations, with 76% of the surveyed palaeolake basins containing archaeological material, including stratified Palaeolithic archaeology. Initial examination of palaeodrainage in relation to archaeological sites indicates a relationship between mapped features and previously recorded Palaeolithic sites. An example of the application of these data for period-specific regional palaeohydrological and archaeological reconstructions is presented for a region of Northern Saudi Arabia covering the southern Nefud desert and adjacent lava fields.

Neolithic and Aeneolithic Environments in the Central Primor'ye Region (the Bol'shaya Ussurka Valley), the Russian Far East

Holocene climates and environmental changes in the Russian Primor'ye are still insufficiently documented in comparison with the more southerly Far East Asian areas. Systematic field investigations performed during the last years in the central Primor'ye Region adjacent to Manchuria have produced a new and most fascinating picture on the local cultural development between 9th and 3rd Mill. BP. Multi-proxy palaeoecology records from the key stratified archaeological sites in the Bol'shaya Ussurka (Iman) River basin display marked environmental shifts witnessed by the contextual geological and pollen evidence from the occupations loci believed to reflect the early prehistoric formation in these woodland territories during the early and mid-Holocene. The reconstructed vegetation history shows a good correlation of the Neolithic appearance in the Iman Basin with the mapped trend of a regional climate amelioration characterized by increased temperature and humidity rates, culminating in the Holocene Climatic Optimum (9–6 ka BP), and the subsequent cultural diversification and progress during the late Neolithic and Aeneolithic (Palaeo-Metal) periods. Changes in the regional vegetation cover extrapolated from pollen sequences, 14C-dated to ca. 4500–3500 cal. BP, are likely linked to anthropogenic pressure to the pristine environment with the site-vicinity taiga clearance for new pastures by people of the Almazinka Culture, marking the climax of the local Neolithic development. A uniform adaptation to local natural settings with mixed basic (hunting–gathering and extensive pastoral) economies persisted throughout millennia until historical times. Most of the cultural horizons are sealed in abiotically distorted palaeosols, indicating climate instability and marked environmental shifts in the north-central Primor'ye area during the Holocene.

Evidence of cultural responses to the impact of the Mazama ash fall from deeply stratified archaeological sites in southern Alberta, Canada

In a series of papers, we adopted a regional perspective to explore the short and long-term impacts of the Mount Mazama eruption on the plant and animal communities of the northwestern Plains and later developed a model to explain human responses to this natural disaster. The model assumed the convergence of natural disasters which forced the local bison hunters to abandon the impacted zone and to seek refuge among their distant relatives living beyond the eastern limits of their homeland. Together, the refugees and their hosts intensified their subsistence strategies and adapted or developed new methods of food preparation to accommodate the increased pressure on the local resource base. Throughout their stay, the groups continued to monitor the rebirth of their traditional homeland and eventually returned to the places occupied by their ancestors. Upon their return, the groups continued to hunt bison but adapted the stone boiling technology to produce bone grease and pemmican. This nutritious, storable and transportable food source alleviated the concerns about long-term shortages and became an important product in the regional exchange networks. The primary objective of this paper is to test this model using sedimentary, pedological and archaeological data recovered from two deeply stratified sites with evidence of human occupations before and after the eruption of Mount Mazama.

Contributions of geoarchaeology and remote sensing to the study of Holocene hunter–gatherer and agro-pastoral groups in arid margins: The case of North Gujarat (Northwest India)

The present work aims at setting the bases for the critical study of settlement patterns and resource management among Holocene hunter–gatherer and agro-pastoral groups in arid margins. The case study is set on the SW margin of the Thar Desert, in N Gujarat, an ecotone sensitive to the slightest shifts in precipitation patterns (Indian Summer Monsoon). The potential significance of published and newly acquired archaeological information is discussed in the light of physiographical data collected from satellite imagery and field exploration. The review of available and newly acquired records includes: (a) The integration of field and remote observation of regional traits and (b) The definition of active morphological processes that may bias archaeological preservation and visibility. A synthetic geoarchaeological map of the study area is proposed that integrates physiographical and archaeological evidence at the regional scale. The potential significance of the archaeological evidence in the region (i.e. presence/absence/concentration of archaeological materials in different physiographical units) is discussed in terms of preservation and visibility. At this stage, results are considered at the regional level of macroscopic units. The results constitute the first step towards the full multi-scalar integration of landscape architectures, stratified archaeological sites and surface sediments at regional and local levels.

Blade and bifacial technology in Mid-Holocene occupations at Deseado Massif, Santa Cruz province, Argentina

In the Deseado Massif there are many stratified archaeological sites located in caves and rockshelters. The cultural sequences, proposed in the past century, include an occupational hiatus and cultural changes that were developed on the basis of large tools from archaeological sites, without debitage analysis. The aim of this paper is to review the current debate on lithic technology and human occupations of this area during the Mid-Holocene, integrating new data, as well as the latest environmental interpretations. The contribution of new information from blade and bifacial technologies is central to discussion of the models proposed by other authors. The new baseline information generated in the last decade, allow original interpretations. The evidence of coexistence between blade and bifacial technologies during the Mid-Holocene constitutes the main contribution of this paper.

Climate and environmental dynamics of the mid- to late Holocene settlement in the Tobol–Ishim forest-steppe region, West Siberia

Environmental archaeology multi-proxy records provide eloquent evidence of climate changes and the related natural transformations in the forest-steppe/parkland zone of SW West Siberia during the last ca. 8500 years from the late Boreal to Sub-Atlantic period, chronologically encompassing the regional cultural evolution time span from the Mesolithic through the Neolithic, Aeneolithic, the Bronze and Iron Ages to historical times. Close links of the palaeoclimate conditions and the early occupation migrations in the Tobol–Ishim region are manifested by specific socio-economic adaptive patterns reflecting landscape dynamics and availability of natural resources as well as scale and intensity of broader territorial cultural interactions. Pollen spectra from the investigated stratified archaeological sites and palynological sections indicate large-scale landscape restructurings related to both the natural as well as intensified anthropogenic activities. The periodic climate aridization of the Central Asian climate regime leading to the northern expansion of steppes in the south of West Siberia repeatedly activated inflow of pastoralist communities from the south-west further north and east into the former forest-steppe and taiga parkland zones at several stages during the Holocene. In contrast, during the moderately cold and humid intervals with intensified precipitations due to the strengthening influence of the Atlantic atmospheric streams, aboriginal groups of hunters and fishermen linked to the antecedent West Siberian and Trans-Ural Mesolithic cultures expanded into the former open southern steppe regions in the process of re-establishment of the southern taiga parkland/forest environments. These climatically-triggered vegetation zone shifts and territorial population movements are well manifested in the material culture.

Modeling post-depositional mixing of archaeological deposits

We develop a series of simple mathematical models that describe vertical mixing of archaeological deposits. The models are based on assigning probabilities that single artifact specimens are moved between discrete stratigraphic layers. A recursion relation is then introduced to describe the time evolution of mixing. Simulations are used to show that there may be important regularities that characterize the mixing of archaeological deposits including stages of dissipation, accumulation and equilibration. We discuss the impact of post-depositional mixing on the apparent occupation intensities at modeled stratified archaeological sites. The models may also help clarify some of the problems inherent in making general inferences about the nature culture change based on mixed archaeological deposits. We demonstrate the modeling approach by developing a post-depositional mixing model for the Barger Gulch Folsom site.

Early stone technology on Flores and its implications for Homo floresiensis

In the Soa Basin of central Flores, eastern Indonesia, stratified archaeological sites, including Mata Menge, Boa Lesa and Kobatuwa (Fig. 1), contain stone artefacts associated with the fossilized remains of Stegodon florensis, Komodo dragon, rat and various other taxa. These sites have been dated to 840-700 kyr bp (thousand years before present). The authenticity of the Soa Basin artefacts and their provenance have been demonstrated by previous work, but to quell lingering doubts, here we describe the context, attributes and production modes of 507 artefacts excavated at Mata Menge. We also note specific similarities, and apparent technological continuity, between the Mata Menge stone artefacts and those excavated from Late Pleistocene levels at Liang Bua cave, 50 km to the west. The latter artefacts, dated to between 95-74 and 12 kyr ago, are associated with the remains of a dwarfed descendent of S. florensis, Komodo dragon, rat and a small-bodied hominin species, Homo floresiensis, which had a brain size of about 400 cubic centimetres. The Mata Menge evidence negates claims that stone artefacts associated with H. floresiensis are so complex that they must have been made by modern humans (Homo sapiens).