Neandertals are the best-studied of all extinct hominins, with a rich fossil record sampling hundreds of individuals, roughly dating from between 350,000 and 40,000 years ago. Their distinct fossil... Show moreNeandertals are the best-studied of all extinct hominins, with a rich fossil record sampling hundreds of individuals, roughly dating from between 350,000 and 40,000 years ago. Their distinct fossil remains have been retrieved from Portugal in the west to the Altai area in central Asia in the east and from below the waters of the North Sea in the north to a series of caves in Israel in the south. Having thrived in Eurasia for more than 300,000 years, Neandertals vanished from the record around 40,000 years ago, when modern humans entered Europe. Modern humans are usually seen as superior in a wide range of domains, including weaponry and subsistence strategies, which would have led to the demise of Neandertals. This systematic review of the archaeological records of Neandertals and their modern human contemporaries finds no support for such interpretations, as the Neandertal archaeological record is not different enough to explain the demise in terms of inferiority in archaeologically visible domains. Instead, current genetic data suggest that complex processes of interbreeding and assimilation may have been responsible for the disappearance of the specific Neandertal morphology from the fossil record. Show less
Flint and amber artefacts from Dutch Funnelbeaker (3400-2900 cal BC) megaliths were examined from a biographical perspective, also involving microwear analysis. It is shown that both flint and... Show moreFlint and amber artefacts from Dutch Funnelbeaker (3400-2900 cal BC) megaliths were examined from a biographical perspective, also involving microwear analysis. It is shown that both flint and amber contributed to the materiality of Funnelbeaker burial practices, which above all stressed the collective identity of the local community. This is evident in the selection of agricultural tools for deposition. Agriculture was of course an important collective task. There are also indications that flint knapping took place around the tomb. A third observation concerns the enigmatic scratches on the transverse arrowheads and flakes, forming regular patterns that cannot have a post-depositional origin. Lastly, both the axes and the amber beads ended up in the grave in a used state, indicating a previous life. However, prior to deposition both items were reground, obliterating any traces of individual ownership before they could be deposited in the communal burial ground. Show less
This internal report from the faculty of Archaeology of the University of Leiden provides an overview of excavations done between 2004 and 2012 at the coastal area referred to as Happisburgh I at... Show moreThis internal report from the faculty of Archaeology of the University of Leiden provides an overview of excavations done between 2004 and 2012 at the coastal area referred to as Happisburgh I at the east Anglian coast. Here several excavations have produced archaeological and biological material relevant to early hominin occupation on the British coastal area. Show less
It is common knowledge that in the Andes ecological zones are linked to subsistence activities. Decades ago, working with non-portable sacred monoliths ( Pierre Duviols (1979: 23–6) proposed their... Show moreIt is common knowledge that in the Andes ecological zones are linked to subsistence activities. Decades ago, working with non-portable sacred monoliths ( Pierre Duviols (1979: 23–6) proposed their variability according to their location, opening a path for material culture studies. Following this approach, here I go a step further, relating ecological zones with pantheons, and finally show that when exploring pre-colonial sacred sites we must incorporate apparently mundane dimensions, which are all too often overlooked.huancas),ushnus, conceived as altars. In general, I aim to1 To start, I will present my methodological considerations and the main lines of discussion surrounding theushnu (also spelled:husno, husnu, osno, osño, ozño, usno, usnu, uzno, vsnu) in relation to the puna Show less
Kothieringer, K.; Lambers, K.; Seregély, T.; Schäfer, A. 2014
This paper describes the results of initial archaeological and geoarchaeological fieldwork in the Northern Franconian Jura between the cities of Bayreuth and Bamberg. Our research aims at the... Show moreThis paper describes the results of initial archaeological and geoarchaeological fieldwork in the Northern Franconian Jura between the cities of Bayreuth and Bamberg. Our research aims at the reconstruction of settlement patterns and strategies of land use during the Metal Ages (Bronze Age and Iron Age) in the catchment area of the river Weismain. The project is designed as a case study for research into the settlement and landscape history of a rural region of the Central German Uplands during the last two millennia before our era. Show less
One of the key periods to understand the Neandertal ecological niche and tolerances in Europe is the Eemian. This interglacial stage is the last and best documented interglacial stage in which... Show moreOne of the key periods to understand the Neandertal ecological niche and tolerances in Europe is the Eemian. This interglacial stage is the last and best documented interglacial stage in which Neandertals were present in Europe. This study aims to contribute to the debate on Neandertal environmental tolerances of this period in Europe by improving our knowledge of the timing of Neandertal occupation. In order to further specify the timing and character of this occupation, detailed palaeomagnetic and environmental studies were carried out at the interglacial sites of Neumark Nord 2 (Germany), Rutten (The Netherlands), and Caours (France). For the Last Interglacial, a global stratigraphic marker has been documented, the so-called Blake Event. This palaeomagnetic event is recorded in both marine and terrestrial sediments and has been found in settings which allow direct correlation with the Marine Isotope Stage record. Our palaeomagnetic studies at Neumark Nord 2, Rutten and Caours have provided a strong indication for the presence of a palaeomagnetic event which we have identified as the Blake. We were able to correlate this Blake Event to the pollenzones of the Eemian sensu stricto at Rutten and at Neumark Nord 2. The observed position of the Blake Event in relation to the Eemian in north western and central Europe supports a time lag of 5000 years between the onset of the Eemian in the south and the northern-central parts of Europe. This result has consequences for views of the chronological and geographical limits of the Neanderthal range. As an example, our correlation indicates that both Neumark Nord 2 and Caours were occupied well after the MIS 5e global high sea level stand. This implies that during these occupations, easy access to the British Isles was blocked by the fully developed English Channel, possibly explaining the absence of hominins in what is now Great Britain at that period Show less
The eastern part of West Frisia, in the northwest of the Netherlands, was densely inhabited in the Middle and Late Bronze Age (c. 1600-800 BC). Forty years ago large-scale excavations were carried... Show moreThe eastern part of West Frisia, in the northwest of the Netherlands, was densely inhabited in the Middle and Late Bronze Age (c. 1600-800 BC). Forty years ago large-scale excavations were carried out in the region and extensive settlement areas were investigated. None of these excavations are fully published, but nevertheless a model for Bronze Age habitation of West Frisia was presented in the 1970s. In 2007, 2009 and 2011 a total area of 6 ha to the northwest of the town of Enkhuizen was excavated. The results of these excavations present us with an opportunity to evaluate some current ideas about the wide distribution and development of the settlements, the house building traditions and economic aspects of Bronze Age farmers in West Frisia. At least a few centuries before the estuary at Bergen closed, Bronze Age habitation appeared, both on sanded up creek ridges and on the low-lying clay areas adjacent to, and between the creek ridges. The extent of habitation appears to be on a much wider scale than was previously suggested. House plans are remarkably similar, but there is substantially less repairing and rebuilding than previously thought. Also, there are new considerations about the generality of changes in subsistence strategy, the presumed landscape openness and the way the habitation came to an end just before the start of the Iron Age. If it is not a higher groundwater level that caused the inhabitants to build the 'terps' in the second half of the Late Bronze Age, it may well have been inundations, though not necessarily of a marine origin. Show less
