scholarly journals Late Pleistocene and Holocene Lithic Variability at Goda Buticha (Southeastern Ethiopia): Implications for the Understanding of the Middle and Late Stone Age of the Horn of Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 202-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Leplongeon ◽  
David Pleurdeau ◽  
Erella Hovers
Keyword(s):  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Late Holocene ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Archaeological Record ◽  
Stone Age ◽  
Horn Of Africa ◽  
Stratigraphic Sequence ◽  
Late Stone Age ◽  
Lithic Assemblages ◽  
Out Of Africa

AbstractsThe Late Pleistocene is a key period to understand the shift from the Middle (msa) to the Late Stone Age (lsa) in Africa. More generally, it is also a crucial time for elucidation of changes in the technological behaviours of human populations in Africa after the main Out of Africa event of modern humans ca. 60-50 thousand years ago. However, the archaeological record for this period is relatively poor, particularly for the Horn of Africa. Here we present a detailed analysis of the lithic assemblages from Goda Buticha (gb), a cave in southeastern Ethiopia, which has yielded a long stratigraphic sequence including Late Pleistocene and Holocene levels. This study (1) contributes to a better knowledge of the latemsain the Horn of Africa; (2) documents a late Holocenelsalevel (gb– Complexi); (3) highlights the presence ofmsacharacteristics associated withlsafeatures in the Holocene (gb– Layeriic). This adds to the emerging record of great lithic technological variability during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene in this region.

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.

The Cyrenaican Prehistory Project 2009: the third season of investigations of the Haua Fteah cave and its landscape, and further results from the 2007–2008 fieldwork

2009 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 55-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme Barker ◽  
Annita Antoniadou ◽  
Huw Barton ◽  
Ian Brooks ◽  
Ian Candy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle Stone Age ◽  
Stone Age ◽  
Glacial Cycle ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
Stratigraphic Sequence ◽  
Hunter Gatherers ◽  
The Third ◽  
Late Stone Age ◽  
Southern Side ◽  
Deep Sounding

AbstractThe paper reports on the third (2009) season of fieldwork of the Cyrenaican Prehistory Project, and on further results from the analysis of materials collected in the previous (2007 and 2008) fieldwork. Sediments in a 14 m-deep core drilled beside the McBurney trench provide an invaluable overview of the overall stratigraphic sequence, including at depths reached by the 1950s Deep Sounding but not yet investigated by the present project. Sampling of newly-exposed faces of the original excavation trench for dating (14C, ESR, OSL, U-series) and palaeoenvirommental indicators continued. Excavation was begun of sediments assigned to the early Holocene Libyco-Capsian (McBurney's Layer X), and of Pre-Aurignacian layers beside the top of the Deep Sounding. The Libyco-Capsian layers are particularly prolific in lithic debris, shells, and animal bones; preliminary analysis of the lithics suggests a development from Typical to Upper Capsian within the layers excavated in 2009. Geoarchaeological survey along the littoral to the west and east of the Haua Fteah identified complex sequences spanning most of the last interglacial-glacial cycle. Geoarchaeological survey south of the Haua Fteah characterized the major landforms of the Gebel Akhdar mountain and of the pre-desert and desert-edge zones further south, with Late Stone Age (Upper Palaeolithic and Epipalaeolithic) material being found especially on the southern side of the Gebel Akhdar, and Middle Stone Age (Middle Palaeolithic) material in the pre-desert and desert regions. The first suite of 14C dates (from charcoal samples taken in 2007) indicates the use of the Haua Fteah by Oranian hunter-gatherers during the Last Glacial Maximum and in the succeeding millennia, but not in the Younger Dryas cold/dry phase (c. 11,000–10,000 cal. BC), with Libyco-Capsian occupation resuming soon after the beginning of the Holocene c. 9000 cal. BC, suggesting that the cave, and perhaps the Gebel Akhdar in general, have a complex history as refugia for human settlement during the Pleistocene.

scholarly journals Industri Alat Mikrolit di Situs Balang Metti: Teknologi Toala Akhir dan Kontak Budaya di Dataran Tinggi Sulawesi Selatan

AMERTA ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 93
Author(s):  
Suryatman Suryatman ◽  
Budianto Hakim ◽  
Afdalah Harris
Keyword(s):  
Early Modern ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Late Holocene ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Cultural Contact ◽  
South Sulawesi ◽  
Material Sources ◽  
Early Modern Humans ◽  
Out Of Africa

Abstract. The Microlith Tool Industry at Balang Metti Site: Late Toalean Technology and Cultural Contact in the Highlands of South Sulawesi.The presence and distribution of microlith tools in Africa, Europe, and Asia have often been debated by prehistorians. The technology was brought by Early Modern Humans out of Africa to some areas of Europe and Asia during the Late Pleistocene. In South Sulawesi, it exists from the Middle to Late Holocene and is classed as part of the ‘Toalean’ culture. Excavations at Balang Metti site revealed a layer of microlith tools representing an industry that occurred for no more than 3,500 years ago. This is remarkable as the site is located in the highlands, whereas all previously known Toalean occupation sites are dispersed throughout the lowlands of South Sulawesi. The purpose of our research is to explain this microlith technology, especially the implication of its cultural contact, which occurred up to the highlands. Research methods done by classified, counted, and measured all lithic artefacts from excavation. The results show that the early stages of flaking (reduction) occurred not only in the cave but also out of the site, possibly close to the raw material sources. Abstrak.Kehadiran dan persebaran alat mikrolit di Afrika, Eropa, dan Asia telah diperdebatkan oleh kalangan peneliti prasejarah. Peralatan tersebut dibawa oleh manusia modern awal keluar dari Afrika ke beberapa wilayah Eropa dan Asia pada akhir Pleistosen. Di Sulawesi Selatan peralatan ini baru muncul pada pertengahan hingga akhir Holosen dan digolongkan sebagai bagian dari budaya Toalean. Penggalian di Situs Balang Metti menunjukkan lapisan budaya industri alat mikrolit berumur tidak lebih dari 3.500 tahun. Permasalahannya adalah situs tersebut berada di wilayah dataran tinggi, yang sebelumnya situs-situs hunian Toalean hanya ditemukan tersebar di wilayah dataran rendah Sulawesi Selatan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskan teknologi alat mikrolit dan implikasi kontak budaya yang terjadi hingga di dataran tinggi Sulawesi Selatan. Metode penelitian dilakukan dengan mengklasifikasi, menghitung, dan mengukur semua artefak batu dari penggalian. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa proses penyerpihan tidak hanya dilakukan di dalam gua, tetapi juga di luar gua yang mungkin tidak jauh dari lokasi pengambilan bahan.

scholarly journals La secuencia arqueológica en el cinturón forestal centroafricano

1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel Martí
Keyword(s):  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Late Holocene ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
Archaeological Record

Este trabajo presenta una revisión de la evidencia arqueológica en el cinturón forestal de África Central desde el Pleistoceno Final al Holoceno reciente. El avance generado por la investigación en África en las últimas décadas ha mostrado una mayor complejidad y variabilidad en el patrón de cambio tecnológico de lo que en un principio se estableció. Estos patrones además, difieren en gran medida de los observados en el registro europeo.This paper explores from the Late Pleistocene to the Late Holocene archaeological record of Central África. The advance provided in África by the research during the last decades has shown a more complexity and variabllity in the technological chango pattern than earlier believed. These patterns are quite different from the European record.

The Hargeisan revisited: Lithic industries from shelter 7 of Laas Geel, Somaliland and the transition between the Middle and Late Stone Age in the Horn of Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 343 ◽  
pp. 69-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xavier Gutherz ◽  
Amélie Diaz ◽  
Clément Ménard ◽  
François Bon ◽  
Katja Douze ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stone Age ◽  
Horn Of Africa ◽  
Late Stone Age

scholarly journals History and Practice of Archaeology in Laos

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Marwick
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Late Holocene ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Current Understanding ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
French Government ◽  
Lao People's Democratic Republic ◽  
History Of

As the smallest and only landlocked country of Southeast Asia, the history and practice of archaeology in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (hereafter Laos) has been strongly influenced by activities of its neighbours, especially Vietnam. The earliest mentions of Laos in western archaeological literature are due to the activities of the French government in Indochina (Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam), specifically the Geological Service of Indochina and the École Française d’Extrême-Orient. By the 1930s publications were appearing by GSA and EFEO officials that indicated a cultural chronology from the Late Pleistocene (Tam Hang - Arambourg and Fromaget, 1938) through to the late Holocene (The Plain of Jars - Colani, 1932). The history of these early French archaeologists has been well described elsewhere (Malleret, 1969, Saurin, 1971, White and Bouasisengpaseuth, 2008), here we will concentrate on how that work, and more recent research, has added to our current understanding of the origins, behavior, and identities of the prehistoric human populations of Laos, as well as their biological, linguistic and cultural diversity and commonalities.

scholarly journals Neutral evolution of human enamel–dentine junction morphology

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (42) ◽  
pp. 26183-26189
Author(s):  
Tesla A. Monson ◽  
Diego Fecker ◽  
Marc Scherrer
Keyword(s):  
Late Holocene ◽  
Tooth Development ◽  
Population History ◽  
Neutral Evolution ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Human Enamel ◽  
Morphometric Analyses ◽  
Neutral Genetic Variation ◽  
Out Of Africa

Teeth have been studied for decades and continue to reveal information relevant to human evolution. Studies have shown that many traits of the outer enamel surface evolve neutrally and can be used to infer human population structure. However, many of these traits are unavailable in archaeological and fossil individuals due to processes of wear and taphonomy. Enamel–dentine junction (EDJ) morphology, the shape of the junction between the enamel and the dentine within a tooth, captures important information about tooth development and vertebrate evolution and is informative because it is subject to less wear and thus preserves more anatomy in worn or damaged specimens, particularly in mammals with relatively thick enamel like hominids. This study looks at the molar EDJ across a large sample of human populations. We assessed EDJ morphological variation in a sample of late Holocene modern humans (n= 161) from archaeological populations using μ-CT biomedical imaging and geometric morphometric analyses. Global variation in human EDJ morphology was compared to the statistical expectations of neutral evolution and “Out of Africa” dispersal modeling of trait evolution. Significant correlations between phenetic variation and neutral genetic variation indicate that EDJ morphology has evolved neutrally in humans. While EDJ morphology reflects population history, its global distribution does not follow expectations of the Out of Africa dispersal model. This study increases our knowledge of human dental variation and contributes to our understanding of dental development more broadly, with important applications to the investigation of population history and human genetic structure.

scholarly journals Population Dynamics and Human Strategies in Northwestern Patagonia

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 ◽  
pp. 2-21
Author(s):  
Gustavo Neme ◽  
Marcelo Zárate ◽  
María de la Paz Pompei ◽  
Fernando Franchetti ◽  
Adolfo Gil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Holocene ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Probability Distributions ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Stratigraphic Sequence ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Middle Holocene

In this paper we evaluate the role of human strategies in the Andean Piedmont from northern Patagonia across the Holocene. Specifically, we present the analysis of the Early Holocene-Late Holocene archaeological record of Salamanca cave (Mendoza-Argentina). We identified technological changes that occurred during the Late Holocene and the implications of a human occupation hiatus in the Middle Holocene. We follow a multiproxy approach by the analysis of radiocarbon dates, archaeofaunal remains, ceramic, lithics and XRF obsidian sourcing. We also discuss a detailed stratigraphic sequence by geomorphological descriptions, the construction of a radiocarbon sequence model and summed probability distributions, compared with other archaeological sites in the region. We conclude that after the Middle Holocene archaeological hiatus, human populations grew while guanaco populations dropped. The imbalance between demography and resources boosted the incorporation of new technologies such as ceramics and the bow and arrow, allowing people to exploit lower-ranked resources.

scholarly journals Selective sweep for an enhancer involucrin allele identifies skin barrier adaptation out of Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Elizabeth Mathyer ◽  
Erin A. Brettmann ◽  
Alina D. Schmidt ◽  
Zane A. Goodwin ◽  
Inez Y. Oh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Selective Sweep ◽  
Skin Barrier ◽  
Human Migration ◽  
Epidermal Differentiation ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Epidermal Differentiation Complex ◽  
Regulatory Module ◽  
Reporter Assays ◽  
Out Of Africa

AbstractThe genetic modules that contribute to human evolution are poorly understood. Here we investigate positive selection in the Epidermal Differentiation Complex locus for skin barrier adaptation in diverse HapMap human populations (CEU, JPT/CHB, and YRI). Using Composite of Multiple Signals and iSAFE, we identify selective sweeps for LCE1A-SMCP and involucrin (IVL) haplotypes associated with human migration out-of-Africa, reaching near fixation in European populations. CEU-IVL is associated with increased IVL expression and a known epidermis-specific enhancer. CRISPR/Cas9 deletion of the orthologous mouse enhancer in vivo reveals a functional requirement for the enhancer to regulate Ivl expression in cis. Reporter assays confirm increased regulatory and additive enhancer effects of CEU-specific polymorphisms identified at predicted IRF1 and NFIC binding sites in the IVL enhancer (rs4845327) and its promoter (rs1854779). Together, our results identify a selective sweep for a cis regulatory module for CEU-IVL, highlighting human skin barrier evolution for increased IVL expression out-of-Africa.

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