DIRECT DATING OF THE HUMAN NAVICULAR FROM THE CUEVA DE LOS TORREJONES (GUADALAJARA, SPAIN)

Radiocarbon ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Adrián Pablos ◽  
Nohemi Sala ◽  
Alfonso Arribas
Keyword(s):  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Radiocarbon Dating ◽  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Human Remains ◽  
Upper Paleolithic ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Human Bones ◽  
Human Fossils

ABSTRACT Pleistocene human remains are rare inland on the Iberian Peninsula. Most are considered Neandertals, but anthropological analyses and direct dating are rare. Recently, we published a study of a navicular from this region found in the Torrejones Cave. The results showed it differed from that of Neandertals and it was re-identified as Homo sapiens. Following the previous stratigraphic and biochronologic descriptions, we suggested that it could correspond to an Upper Paleolithic human, since the navicular was apparently recovered in the Late Pleistocene from an in situ unit. Direct radiocarbon dating from this fossil (4855–5036 cal BP), believed to be the only Paleolithic Homo sapiens from inland Iberia, as well as other hominin and faunal remains from the site, show that the human bones actually date to the Chalcolithic. The unexpectedly recent chronology for the navicular implies that there is no evidence of human fossils from the Upper Paleolithic in Torrejones Cave. Thus, any date from the Middle/Upper Paleolithic human record should be taken with caution until in-depth paleoanthropological, stratigraphical and/or direct dating studies are conducted. Extraordinary caution is recommended when human remains are recovered from apparently Paleolithic units in contexts bearing Holocene sepulchral units on the uppermost levels and/or some evidence of bioturbation.

Megafaunal Butchering at Lubbock Lake, Texas: A Taphonomic Reanalysis

1988 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Ann Kreutzer
Keyword(s):  
Human Behavior ◽  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Meat Processing ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Point Bar ◽  
Feature Structure ◽  
Bone Accumulation ◽  
Rule Out

Five seasons of excavation in Feature Area 2-1 of the Lubbock Lake Landmark, Texas, exposed a megafaunal bone accumulation in sands and gravels deposited by a late Pleistocene meandering stream. Many bone specimens exhibit evidence of alteration, supporting interpretation of the feature as an in situ, secondary meat-processing area; the gravels are interpreted as the point bar of a meandering stream. Faunal remains lying stratigraphically above the point bar have been considered to form a separate, noncultural feature produced by stream flooding. However, rose diagrams and analysis of adjusted residuals demonstrate that a statistically significant amount of bone in each feature is aligned along axes of preferred orientation. Further, the orientation patterns and statistical analyses of both features exhibit the same trends, suggesting that the same processes affected both. Although the evidence does not rule out a role of human behavior, it does demonstrate that stream currents significantly influenced feature structure.

scholarly journals Late Pleistocene age and archaeological context for the hominin calvaria from GvJm-22 (Lukenya Hill, Kenya)

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (9) ◽  
pp. 2682-2687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian A. Tryon ◽  
Isabelle Crevecoeur ◽  
J. Tyler Faith ◽  
Ravid Ekshtain ◽  
Joelle Nivens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Morphological Variability ◽  
Modern Human ◽  
Middle Stone Age ◽  
Upper Paleolithic ◽  
Stone Age ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Middle And Late Pleistocene ◽  
Age Range

Kenya National Museums Lukenya Hill Hominid 1 (KNM-LH 1) is a Homo sapiens partial calvaria from site GvJm-22 at Lukenya Hill, Kenya, associated with Later Stone Age (LSA) archaeological deposits. KNM-LH 1 is securely dated to the Late Pleistocene, and samples a time and region important for understanding the origins of modern human diversity. A revised chronology based on 26 accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dates on ostrich eggshells indicates an age range of 23,576–22,887 y B.P. for KNM-LH 1, confirming prior attribution to the Last Glacial Maximum. Additional dates extend the maximum age for archaeological deposits at GvJm-22 to >46,000 y B.P. (>46 kya). These dates are consistent with new analyses identifying both Middle Stone Age and LSA lithic technologies at the site, making GvJm-22 a rare eastern African record of major human behavioral shifts during the Late Pleistocene. Comparative morphometric analyses of the KNM-LH 1 cranium document the temporal and spatial complexity of early modern human morphological variability. Features of cranial shape distinguish KNM-LH 1 and other Middle and Late Pleistocene African fossils from crania of recent Africans and samples from Holocene LSA and European Upper Paleolithic sites.

scholarly journals Bones of Contention: Assorted Hypotheses on the Fate of the Neanderthals

1986 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Heilingbrunner
Keyword(s):  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Near East ◽  
Morphological Evolution ◽  
Short Interval ◽  
Upper Paleolithic ◽  
Middle Paleolithic ◽  
Modern Humans ◽  
Anatomically Modern Humans

The disappearance of Homo sapiens neanderthalensis at the end of the Middle Paleolithic has evoked a plethora of explanations, ranging from carefully supported theories to bizarre or romantic speculation. The processes by which the Neanderthals were replaced by anatomically modern humans occurred in a relatively short interval of time, and have been obscured by a wide variety of disturbances. A review of some of the inferences drawn by various researchers tentatively suggests a combination of in situ technological and morphological evolution in the Near East with movement of Upper Paleolithic genes and technology into Europe.

Direct Radiocarbon Dating of Late Pleistocene Hominids in Eurasia: Current Status, Problems, and Perspectives

Radiocarbon ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (02) ◽  
pp. 753-766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaroslav V Kuzmin ◽  
Susan G Keates
Keyword(s):  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Radiocarbon Dating ◽  
C:N Ratio ◽  
Human Remains ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Modern Humans ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Selection Of

The corpus of radiocarbon dates run directly on Pleistocene-age human remains in Eurasia (∼120 values, with ∼80 of them found to be reliable) is analyzed and interpreted. The latest Neanderthals are dated to ∼34,000–30,500 BP (∼38,800–35,400 cal BP). They probably coexisted with the first modern humans at ∼36,200–30,200 BP (∼42,500–32,800 cal BP) in the western and central parts of Europe. The earliest direct14C dates on modern humans in Eurasia are ∼34,950–33,300 BP (∼40,400–37,800 cal BP). A paucity of14C dates corresponding to the LGM is evident for Europe, but Asia perhaps had larger populations during this timespan. The main criteria for the selection of bone/tooth material for direct14C dating as now widely accepted are (1) the collagen yield (generally, 1% or more) and (2) the C:N ratio (within the 2.9–3.4 range).

Direct Radiocarbon Dating of Late Pleistocene Hominids in Eurasia: Current Status, Problems, and Perspectives

Radiocarbon ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 753-766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaroslav V Kuzmin ◽  
Susan G Keates
Keyword(s):  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Radiocarbon Dating ◽  
C:N Ratio ◽  
Human Remains ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Modern Humans ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Selection Of

The corpus of radiocarbon dates run directly on Pleistocene-age human remains in Eurasia (∼120 values, with ∼80 of them found to be reliable) is analyzed and interpreted. The latest Neanderthals are dated to ∼34,000–30,500 BP (∼38,800–35,400 cal BP). They probably coexisted with the first modern humans at ∼36,200–30,200 BP (∼42,500–32,800 cal BP) in the western and central parts of Europe. The earliest direct 14C dates on modern humans in Eurasia are ∼34,950–33,300 BP (∼40,400–37,800 cal BP). A paucity of 14C dates corresponding to the LGM is evident for Europe, but Asia perhaps had larger populations during this timespan. The main criteria for the selection of bone/tooth material for direct 14C dating as now widely accepted are (1) the collagen yield (generally, 1% or more) and (2) the C:N ratio (within the 2.9–3.4 range).

Ecosystem Impact of the Campanian Ignimbrite Eruption in Late Pleistocene Europe

2002 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 420-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco G. Fedele ◽  
Biagio Giaccio ◽  
Roberto Isaia ◽  
Giovanni Orsi
Keyword(s):  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Upper Paleolithic ◽  
Cultural Transition ◽  
Campanian Ignimbrite ◽  
Mediterranean Europe ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Significant Interference

AbstractThe dating of the Campanian Ignimbrite (CI) eruption to ∼37,000 cal yr B.P. draws attention to the coincidence of this volcanic catastrophe and the suite of coeval, Late Pleistocene biocultural changes that occurred within and outside the Mediterranean region. These included the Middle to Upper Paleolithic cultural transition and the supposed change from Neanderthal to “modern” Homo sapiens anatomy, a subject of sustained debate. No less than 150 km3 of magma were extruded in the CI eruption, the signal of which can be detected in Greenland ice cores. As widespread discontinuities in archaeological sequences are observed at or following the CI event, a significant interference with ongoing human processes in Mediterranean Europe is hypothesized.

scholarly journals Chronology of Late Pleistocene Humans in Eurasia: Results and Perspectives

Radiocarbon ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 54 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 339-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan G Keates ◽  
Yaroslav V Kuzmin ◽  
George S Burr
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Human Remains ◽  
Modern Humans ◽  
Urgent Task ◽  
Human Fossils ◽  
Age Determinations

A compilation of direct age determinations for Late Pleistocene human fossils in eastern Europe and Asia is presented in this paper, and current problems with the dating of hominids in these regions are discussed. Only 25 human finds (4 Neanderthals and 21 modern humans) have been directly dated from Pleistocene eastern Europe and Asia. Indirect dating of human remains (using presumably associated organics) often is insecure, especially when information about the exact provenance of human fossils is lacking. Continuation of direct dating of Late Pleistocene humans in Eurasia, primarily with the help of the accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C method, is therefore an urgent task.

scholarly journals New chronology for Ksâr ‘Akil (Lebanon) supports Levantine route of modern human dispersal into Europe

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (25) ◽  
pp. 7683-7688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjolein D. Bosch ◽  
Marcello A. Mannino ◽  
Amy L. Prendergast ◽  
Tamsin C. O’Connell ◽  
Beatrice Demarchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Remains ◽  
Stone Tools ◽  
Modern Human ◽  
Upper Paleolithic ◽  
Individual Sample ◽  
Modern Humans ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Marine Gastropod ◽  
Human Dispersal ◽  
Human Fossils

Modern human dispersal into Europe is thought to have occurred with the start of the Upper Paleolithic around 50,000–40,000 y ago. The Levantine corridor hypothesis suggests that modern humans from Africa spread into Europe via the Levant. Ksâr ‘Akil (Lebanon), with its deeply stratified Initial (IUP) and Early (EUP) Upper Paleolithic sequence containing modern human remains, has played an important part in the debate. The latest chronology for the site, based on AMS radiocarbon dates of shell ornaments, suggests that the appearance of the Levantine IUP is later than the start of the first Upper Paleolithic in Europe, thus questioning the Levantine corridor hypothesis. Here we report a series of AMS radiocarbon dates on the marine gastropodPhorcus turbinatusassociated with modern human remains and IUP and EUP stone tools from Ksâr ‘Akil. Our results, supported by an evaluation of individual sample integrity, place the EUP layer containing the skeleton known as “Egbert” between 43,200 and 42,900 cal B.P. and the IUP-associated modern human maxilla known as “Ethelruda” before ∼45,900 cal B.P. This chronology is in line with those of other Levantine IUP and EUP sites and demonstrates that the presence of modern humans associated with Upper Paleolithic toolkits in the Levant predates all modern human fossils from Europe. The age of the IUP-associated Ethelruda fossil is significant for the spread of modern humans carrying the IUP into Europe and suggests a rapid initial colonization of Europe by our species.

The Sunghir Human Skeletal Remains

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Trinkaus ◽  
Alexandra P. Buzhilova ◽  
Maria B. Mednikova ◽  
Maria V. Dobrovolskaya
Keyword(s):  
Human Remains ◽  
Parietal Bone ◽  
Frontal Bone ◽  
Left Shoulder ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Forensic Scientists ◽  
Femur Shaft ◽  
Academy Of Sciences ◽  
Human Fossils

The Sunghir human remains originally consisted of the three associated skeletons from the two burials, Sunghir 1, 2, and 3, plus the remains of six other individuals. Sunghir 1 to 3 consist of largely complete skeletons that sustained the inevitable partial crushing, fragmentation, and bone disintegration that accompanies human remains buried in open air sites for 28,000 years. Sunghir 4 is the adult femur shaft that was ritually placed in the Sunghir 2 and 3 burial, next to the left shoulder of Sunghir 2 (chapter 3). Sunghir 5 is a partial adult cranium, found in the sediments above Grave 1. Sunghir 6 is a mature hemimandible, identified as human after excavation from among the faunal remains above Grave 2. There were also the unnumbered remains of the skeleton in Grave 2bis, which were not retained (see discussion in chapter 3). In addition to these human fossils, the remains of three additional individuals were originally found, numbered Sunghir 7 to 9. Sunghir 7 was found in the deposits between the two graves and consisted of a portion of a human femur, variously described as adolescent or from a young adult female. Sunghir 8 consisted of portions of a femur and a skull (a frontal bone, a probable parietal bone, and a temporal bone), found in 1969 in an additional clay pit. Sunghir 9 was a partial skeleton found in 1972 in an additional clay pit. None of the Sunghir 7 to 9 human remains can be currently located. The Sunghir 7 and 8 remains were briefly described by anthropologists and forensic scientists in Moscow, and the limited information on Sunghir 9 is based on reports by the Vladimir Ceramic Works workers. The available human remains from Sunghir therefore consist of the Sunghir 1 to 3 partial skeletons, the Sunghir 4 partial femur, and the Sunghir 5 and 6 cranium and mandible. These specimens are currently curated in the Laboratory of Anthropological Reconstruction of the Institute of Anthropology and Ethnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

scholarly journals Complex mortuary dynamics in the Upper Paleolithic of the decorated Grotte de Cussac, France

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (26) ◽  
pp. 14851-14856 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sacha Kacki ◽  
Erik Trinkaus ◽  
Eline M. J. Schotsmans ◽  
Patrice Courtaud ◽  
Irene Dori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adult ◽  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Adult Male ◽  
Human Remains ◽  
The Body ◽  
Upper Paleolithic ◽  
Lower Body ◽  
Red Pigment ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
The Social

The Mid-Upper Paleolithic (Gravettian) karstic Grotte de Cussac (France) contains two areas of human remains in the context of abundant (and spectacular) parietal engravings. The first area (loci 1 and 2) includes the skeleton of a young adult male in a bear nest, rearranged by postdecomposition inundation, and the variably fragmentary remains of at least two individuals distributed across two bear nests, sorted anatomically and with most of the elements constrained to one side of one nest. The second area (locus 3) retains remains of two adults and an adolescent, in upper hollows and variably distributed down the slope, largely segregated into upper versus lower body groups. The only decoration associated with the human remains is red pigment on some of the bones or underlying sediment. The human remains indicate variable nonnatural deposition and manipulation of human bodies, body portions, and skeletal elements of at least six individuals. Moreover, Cussac is unusual in the association of these remains with exceptional parietal art. The complex Cussac mortuary pattern joins growing evidence from other Gravettian sites of variable treatment of individuals after death, within and across sites, in terms of formal deposition of the body versus postmortem manipulation versus surface abandonment. It provides a window onto the social diversity and the complex interactions of the living and the dead among these successful Late Pleistocene foragers.

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