Lithic production, site formation and Middle Palaeolithic palimpsest analysis: in search of human occupation episodes at Abric del Pastor Stratigraphic Unit IV (Alicante, Spain)

2013 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 2254-2273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Machado ◽  
Cristo M. Hernández ◽  
Carolina Mallol ◽  
Bertila Galván
Keyword(s):  
Site Formation ◽  
Middle Palaeolithic ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Stratigraphic Unit ◽  
Production Site

scholarly journals Middle Palaeolithic technical behaviour: Material import-export and Levallois production at the SU 13 of Oscurusciuto rock shelter, Southern Italy

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Marciani ◽  
Vincenzo Spagnolo ◽  
Daniele Aureli ◽  
Filomena Ranaldo ◽  
Paolo Boscato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Southern Italy ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Middle Palaeolithic ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Main Concept ◽  
Rock Shelter ◽  
Stratigraphic Unit ◽  
Lithic Assemblage ◽  
Siliceous Limestone

The Oscurusciuto rock shelter, located in southern Italy (Puglia), has yielded a long Middle Palaeolithic stratigraphy rich in lithic assemblages, fireplaces and faunal remains, attesting Neanderthal occupation during the MIS 3. This paper is focused on the stratigraphic unit 13, consisting of a sandy compact deposit mixed with pyroclastic sediment above a thick level of tephra-US 14, identified as Mt. Epomeo green tuff (dated Ar/Ar ~ 55 ka).Level 13 represents the first stable human occupation after the deposition of tephra. Our goal was to examine the lithic assemblage of this stratigraphic unit by means of an interdisciplinary approach (technology, RMU, refitting program) in order to identify the economic behaviour and technical strategies of Neanderthals occupying the stratigraphic unit 13 of Oscurusciuto.The technical strategies applied indicate fragmentation of the reduction processes, as well as probable events of importation and exportation of objects. The lithic material were introduced at different stages of manufacturing. Pieces were introduced in the form of rough objects (pebbles), as well as semi-finished items, and as finished tools. This fragmentation of the chaîne opératoire also demonstrate the palimpsest nature of the level which is made up of different events happening one after another.The main concept of debitage was Levallois, generally realized on local jasper and siliceous limestone pebbles or cortical flakes. Jasper and siliceous limestone flakes, backed flakes and convergent flakes were the technological objectives of the debitage. A marginal volumetric debitage aimed at producing bladelets was also attested. 

Early Human Occupation at al-Jamrab (White Nile Region, Central Sudan): A Contribution to the Understanding of the MSA of Eastern Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enza Elena Spinapolice ◽  
Andrea Zerboni ◽  
Michael Meyer ◽  
Donatella Usai
Keyword(s):  
Middle Stone Age ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
Site Formation ◽  
Stone Age ◽  
Cultural Layer ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Stratigraphic Sequence ◽  
Central Sudan ◽  
Out Of Africa ◽  
White Nile

AbstractThe middle reaches of the Nile River play a key role in the current models about the diffusion of modern Humans out of Africa, nevertheless the Early and the Middle Stone Age (Early Palaeolithic and Middle Palaeolithic) in central Sudan are poorly known. On-going investigation at al-Jamrab (White Nile region) highlights the archaeological potential of the central Sudan and illustrates the importance of an integrated approach combining archaeological excavation and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction for understanding cultural site formation and post-depositional dynamics. The stratigraphic sequence at al-Jamrab includes a thick cultural layer rich in Early and Middle Stone Age artefacts, preserved in a deeply weathered palaeosol developed on fluvial sediments. The cultural layer includes a two-fold human occupation covering the Middle Stone Age, with Acheulean and Sangoan bifacial artefacts, although an Early Stone Age/Middle Stone Age transitional phase cannot be excluded. The artefact-bearing unit is attributed to the Upper Pleistocene based on preliminary OSL dating, the local palaeoenvironmental context, and strong pedogenetic weathering. Considering the paucity of archaeological data for the Pleistocene of Sudan and the importance of this region in the study of human dispersal out of Africa, this preliminary work on a new site and its associated stratigraphic context provides insights into the early peopling of Sudan and adds one more tessera to the Eastern Africa picture.

scholarly journals Sediment sequence and site formation processes at the Arbreda Cave, NE Iberian Peninsula, and implications on human occupation and climate change during the Last Glacial

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 1053-1100
Author(s):  
M. Kehl ◽  
E. Eckmeier ◽  
S. O. Franz ◽  
F. Lehmkuhl ◽  
J. Soler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Accumulation ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Site Formation ◽  
Site Formation Processes ◽  
Upper Palaeolithic ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Climate Signal ◽  
Geochemical Composition ◽  
Geochemical Study ◽  
Dry Spell

Abstract. The cave of Arbreda provides a detailed archaeological record of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic and is a key site for studying human occupation and cultural transitions in NE Iberia. Recently, studies of lake archives and archaeological sites presented new evidence on climate changes in NE Iberia correlating with Heinrich events. It, therefore, needs to be determined whether climate signals can be identified in the cave sequence of Arbreda, and if so, whether these signals can be correlated with stratigraphic indicators suggesting the continuity or discontinuity of human occupation. We conducted a high-resolution sedimentological and geochemical study, including micromorphological investigations, to shed light on stratigraphy, processes of sediment accumulation and post-depositional alteration in the cave. Seven major sediment units were distinguished which partly correlate with archaeological levels. The lower part of the sequence including Mousterian levels J and K consists of fluvial deposits truncated by a sharp erosional disconformity between Mousterian levels J and I. Strong enrichment with phosphorus and strontium reflect zoogenic inputs. The transition from Mousterian to Archaic Aurignacian in levels I and H, respectively, is reflected by more gradual changes in colour, grain size, and geochemical composition. However, a peak in potentially wind-blown particles (40–125 μm in diameter) reflects higher aeolian input, and banded microstructure suggests reworking of sediments at the interface. Both properties correlate with low density of finds suggesting low intensity of human occupation related to a dry spell. More arid conditions than during the Holocene are indicated for the Gravettian to Solutrean levels. These findings are in agreement with previous palaeoclimatic interpretations as based on palaeontological proxies. The detailed multi-proxy analyses of the sequence adds to our understanding on sediment accumulation and alteration in the Cave of Arbreda. The transition from the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic probably includes a gap in human occupation. Assessing the significance and duration of this gap and correlating the climate signal requires three-dimensional reconstructions of find densities and more reliable geochronological control.

Human occupation of Northwest Africa: A review of Middle Palaeolithic to Epipalaeolithic sites in Morocco

2012 ◽  
Vol 274 ◽  
pp. 158-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jörg Linstädter ◽  
Josef Eiwanger ◽  
Abdessalam Mikdad ◽  
Gerd-Christian Weniger
Keyword(s):  
Middle Palaeolithic ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Northwest Africa

scholarly journals The Potential of Micromammals for the Stratigraphy and the Timing of Human Occupations at La Roche-à-Pierrot (Saint-Césaire, France)

Quaternary ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Loïc Lebreton ◽  
Eugène Morin ◽  
Brad Gravina ◽  
Alexandre Michel ◽  
François Bachellerie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Archaeological Site ◽  
Site Formation ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Site Formation Processes ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Stratigraphic Sequence ◽  
Archaeological Material ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Taphonomic Analysis

As micromammals are highly sensitive to changes in their habitat, variations in species representation are often used to reconstruct local environmental conditions. However, taphonomic aspects of micromammals are often overlooked, despite the fact that they can provide important information for our understanding of archaeological sites. La Roche-à-Pierrot, Saint-Césaire, is a major archaeological site for our understanding of the Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic transition in Western Europe. Clearly documenting site formation processes, the post-depositional reworking of deposits and the sequence of human occupations is fundamental for providing a secure archaeostratigraphic context of the site. The exceptionally large accumulation of micromammals from recently excavated stratigraphic units at the site makes it possible to track variations in the density of micromammals across the stratigraphic sequence. The taphonomic analysis of micromammals demonstrates these variations are not related to a change in the main accumulation agent or post-depositional phenomena. A negative correlation between small mammal remains and archaeological material suggests that peaks in micromammal densities can potentially be correlated with periods when the site was abandoned or when human occupation was less intense, and therefore provide new data for interpreting the Saint-Césaire stratigraphic sequence.

Geoarchaeological Investigation of Site Formation and Depositional Environments at the Middle Palaeolithic Open-Air Site of ‘Ein Qashish, Israel

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Stahlschmidt ◽  
N. Nir ◽  
N. Greenbaum ◽  
T. Zilberman ◽  
O. Barzilai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depositional Environments ◽  
Site Formation ◽  
Middle Palaeolithic
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