Neandertal adaptations to Interglacial conditions – a case study from the Eemian site Neumark-Nord 2 (Germany)

Pop, E.A.L. (2015)

Doctoral Thesis

After a long period of cold conditions that characterize the Saalian Glacial in Europe, Neandertals were confronted with the warm and more forested environments of the Eemian Interglacial (125-115,000 years ago). We do know that they were present in these environments, but the number of known sites and the size of their assemblages is relatively limited. The Eemian deposits of Neumark-Nord 2 (eastern Germany) yielded the unique opportunity for a detailed analysis of Neandertal behaviour within its environmental context. The reconstructed environmental conditions give us a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities that Neandertals faced, and, together with data from other Eemian sites, provided indications for their environmental preferences. How Neandertals dealt with these environmental conditions is also reflected in the archaeological record, which has been addressed by a detailed analysis of the flint tool assemblage as well as the proxies for hominin use of fire at the site.

• Interglacial
• Eemian
• Neandertals
• Basin
• Lithics
• Fire
• Environment
• Vegetation
• Taphonomy
• Palaeolithic

• All authors: Pop, E.A.L.
• Supervisor: Roebroeks, J.W.M.
• Co-supervisor: Verpoorte, A.
• Committee: Kolfschoten, T. van; Gaudzinski-Windheuser, S.; Cohen, K.; Bakels, C.C.; MacDonald, K.
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University
• Date: 2015-09-22
• Sponsorship: NWO Spinoza grant prof. dr. W. Roebroeks