Middle Palaeolithic

The Middle Paleolithic site of Ketrosy studied by N. K. Anisyutkin in 1974–1979 is situated in the middle reaches of the Dniester and can be dated to ca. 100 ka. The materials of cultural layer III (complex 1) have recently been re-examined by A. V. Larionova, who identified a big production zone (flint accumulation no. 1), a living zone (which includes flint accumulation no. 2) and two small accumulations of flint which seem to represent individual working places. The collection includes a considerable series of stone fabricators (19 items). Their dimensions fall within the ranges of variation of the Middle and Upper Paleolithic hammerstones. Worthy of note is a somewhat unusual location of use-wear traces, as well as the fact that all the pebbles are weakly worn. Traces observes on 18 quartzitic sandstone pebbles allow to confidently identify them as hammers for knapping stone. One flint object can be tentatively identified as a hammer-retoucher (other hypotheses about the possible functions of these object are considered too). An interesting finding of this study is that hammerstones are associated not only with accumulations of cores and debitage products, but occur also in direct proximity to ashy lenses. Thus, their spatial distribution points to the homogeneity of the cultural layer and brevity of the site occupation. The character of use-wear traces testifies to the expedient use of hammerstones, which is quite expected to take into account the abundance of pebbles in the area.
На стоянке Кетросы в среднем течении Днестра в 1974–1979 гг. Н. К. Анисюткиным было исследовано среднепалеолитическое поселение возрастом около 100 тыс. л. н. Материалы 3-го слоя стоянки Кетросы (комплекс 1) в последние годы были пересмотрены А. В. Ларионовой. В результате были выделены крупный производственный центр (скопление кремня № 1), жилая зона (включает в себя скопление кремня № 2) и два небольших скопления кремня, по всей вероятности, индивидуальные рабочие места. В коллекции значительной серией представлены каменные ударные орудия (19 экз.). По своим метрическим свойствам они укладываются в рамки вариабельности отбойников среднего–верхнего палеолита. Обращает на себя внимание не вполне обычное расположение следов использования и то, что все гальки мало изношены. Следы на 18 кварцитопесчаниковых гальках  позволяют однозначно отнести их к отбойникам для расщепления камня. Одно кремневое орудие мы определяем как отбойник-ретушер (в статье также предложены альтернативные гипотезы о вероятных функциях этого изделия). Интересным новым наблюдением можно считать расположение отбойников не только внутри скоплений нуклеусов и дебитажа, но и в непосредственной близости от углистых линз. Таким образом, изучение пространственного распределения отбойников подтверждает кратковременность бытования стоянки и гомогенность объектов культурного слоя. Особенности следов на них говорят о том, что при обилии галек вокруг отбойники использовали ситуативно, кроме того, способ их удержания в руке в средне- и верхнепалеолитическую эпоху мог быть различным.

Das Travertinvorkommen im ehemaligen Steinbruch Biedermann in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim, datiert in die Eemwarmzeit und in den Beginn der letzten Kaltzeit (MIS 5e - MIS 5c). Mittelpaläolithische Artefakte stammen aus verschiedenen Fundlagern.
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The travertine deposit in the former Biedermann quarry in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim dates back to the Eemian Interglacial and to the beginning of the last glacial period (MIS 5e - MIS 5c). Middle Palaeolithic artefacts originate from different find layers.
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Le gisement de travertin dans l'ancienne carrière Biedermann à Stuttgart-Untertürkheim date de la Éemien et du début de la dernière période froide (MIS 5e - MIS 5c). Des artéfacts du Paléolithique moyen proviennent de différents couches dans le travertine.

Vanaf 2006 heeft de tweede auteur op akkers bij Esbeek en Diessen (gem. Hilvarenbeek, prov. Noord-Brabant) bijna duizend artefacten uit het midden-paleolithicum verzameld. De totale oppervlakte van het gebied waar vondsten zijn gedaan, bedraagt inmiddels ca. 1600 x 400 m (64 ha). Het gaat om een van de rijkste en grootste vondstspreidingen van midden-paleolithische artefacten in Nederland. In de omgeving van dit gebied heeft onder andere J. Schellekens (Hapert) vanaf 2015 eveneens midden-paleolithische artefacten verzameld. Onder de vondsten bevinden zich kernen en afslagen, maar ook geretoucheerde werktuigen, waaronder veel bifaciaal bewerkte vuistbijlen en rugmessen (Keilmesser), bi- en unifaciale schaven
en enkele spitsen. Bijzonder zijn de voornamelijk kleine afmetingen (kleiner dan 5 cm) van de vuurstenen werktuigen en het feit dat behalve vuursteen ook regelmatig kwartsiet en (in kleinere aantallen) andere steensoorten als grondstof zijn gebruikt. De niet-vuurstenen werktuigen hebben gemiddeld grotere afmetingen.
Typologische en morfologische kenmerken dateren de artefacten in een late fase van het midden-paleolithicum, in het Vroeg-Glaciaal en/of het Midden-Pleniglaciaal (respectievelijk ca. 115.000-75.000 en ca. 60.000-40.000 jaar geleden) van de Weichsel-ijstijd. De artefacten zijn achtergelaten door late Neanderthalers die het gebied van Esbeek vermoedelijk herhaaldelijk hebben bezocht. Vindplaatsen met typologisch en morfologisch vergelijkbare artefacten zijn bekend onder andere uit Noord-Brabant zelf, het aangrenzende Belgische pleistocene zandgebied (Oosthoven) en grotvindplaatsen in de Belgische Ardennen, Duitsland en Frankrijk.
In dit rapport worden de resultaten van het bureauonderzoek gepresenteerd. Het bureauonderzoek is uitgevoerd volgens de eisen van de Kwaliteitsnorm Nederlandse Archeologie (versie 4.0) en was gericht op het opstellen van een gespecificeerde archeologische verwachting. Het dient als basis voor vervolgonderzoek met als doel het toetsen van genoemde verwachting.

"This paper presents a summary of the first season of fieldwork and archive assessment undertaken in 2010 as part of the Quaternary
Archaeology and Environments of Jersey Project. The principle aim of the project is to provide a reassessment of the early prehistoric
record of Jersey, through targeted sampling and key-hole excavation of poorly understood find spots, as well as a major reassessment of
La Cotte de St Brelade. This paper presents the successful results of two weeks of intensive fieldwork at three localities, demonstrating
the rich potential for early prehistoric archaeology on the island. Furthermore, the value of the island’s record in further understanding
the long term record of human occupation in the English Channel region is discussed."

The Middle Palaeolithic site Salzgitter Lebenstedt (northern Ger
many), excavated in 1952, is weil known because of its well-preservedfaunal remains, dorninated by aduit reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). The archaeological assembiage accumulated in an arctic setting in anearlier part of the last (Weichsel) glacial (01S5-3). The site is
remarkable because of the presence of unique Middle Palaeohthic bone tools and the occurrence of the northernrnost Neanderthal rernains, but this paper focuses on an analysis of its reindeer assemblage. The resuits indicate autumn hunting of reindeer by Middle Palaeolithic hominids. After the hunt, carcasses were butchered and in subsequent marrow processing of the bones a selection against
young and sub-adult animals occurred. Aduits were clearly preferred, and from their bones, again, poorer marrow bones were neglected. This focus on primeness of resources has been documented in other dornains of Neanderthal behaviour, hut Salzgitter Lebenstedt is the best example yet known in terms of systematic and routinized processing of garne. The Salzgitter Lebenstedt assernblage displays sorne rernarkable sirnilarities to the Late Glacial reindeer assernblages
from the Ahrensburg tunnel valley sites. The subsequent review ofthe evidence on subsistence strategies from earher periods of the European Palaeolithic shows that hunting of large mammals may have been a part of the behavioural repertoire of the Middle Pleistocene occupants of Europe from the earlfest occupation onwards. At the same time, it is suggested that these eariy hunting strategies were incorporated in ways of rnoving through landscapes (“settlement systems“) which were different frorn what we know from the middleparts of the Upper Palaeolithic onwards.

Kedvező topográfiai helyzete, a Zagyva-völgyhöz való viszonylagos közelsége folytán Bér közvetlen térsége a paleolitikum időszakában igen nagy jelentőségű volt. Az Egri-Bükkalja–Mátraalja–Cserhát hegység között feltételezhető migrációs útvonal egy fontos állomása lehetett. A Bér-patak völgye és a Berceli-völgy találkozásánál létrejött szűk, keskeny „Béri-szoros“, mint topográfiai neuralgikus pont, vadászati stratégiai szempontból minden bizonnyal nagy vonzerővel bírhatott a paleolitikus vadászcsoportok számára. A „Béri-szoros“ D-i oldalán, a Béri-patak völgyének mintkét oldalán találhatók paleolitikus lelőhelyek, de a terület erdőkkel való fedettsége valamint a számos legelő, kaszáló megléte folytán nem nyújt kedvező lehetőségeket a terepkutatás számára. A környezeti adottságok közül ki kell emelni továbbá a közeli nyersanyagforrások meglétét. Valamennyi leletanyagban megtalálható a közeli Buják−Rózsás-tetőről, vagy Bér−Egresi-dűlő területéről származó réteges-táblás megjelenésű limnoszilicit. Ugyanakkor helyenként jelentős a kovakavics és kvarcit kavics felhasználása is. ...Az alábbiakban a Galga völgyhöz kapcsolódó lelőhelyeknek a leletanyagát mutatjuk be részletesebben. A leletanyagok a paleolitikus és neolitikus leletek kisebb-nagyobb arányú, de egyértelmű keveredését mutatják. Hangsúlyoznunk kell azonban hogy egyetlen lelőhely területén sem találhatók neolitikus telepjelenségek. ...

To date, the earliest modern human fossils found outside of Africa are dated to around 90,000 to 120,000 years ago at the Levantine sites of Skhul and Qafzeh. A maxilla and associated dentition recently discovered at Misliya Cave, Israel, was dated to 177,000 to 194,000 years ago, suggesting that members of the Homo sapiens clade left Africa earlier than previously thought. This finding changes our view on modern human dispersal and is consistent with recent genetic studies, which have posited the possibility of an earlier dispersal of Homo sapiens around 220,000 years ago. The Misliya maxilla is associated with full-fledged Levallois technology in the Levant, suggesting that the emergence of this technology is linked to the appearance of Homo sapiens in the region, as has been documented in Africa.

Abstract

The archaeological excavation of the Puente de los Tres Ojos site, next to Cerro Negro Street (Madrid), has provided new data that has allowed us to go in depth into the human settlement and the palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the old Abroñigal stream valley, whose fluvial course worked as a tributary of the Manzanares River probably from before the Late Pleistocene up to the second half of the XXth century. In this paper we present the geomorphological and chronostratigraphic data of the excavated layers, documenting the various sequences of the fluvial and alluvial deposits that have filled the right bank of the Abroñigal valley bottom within its lower stretch. A large collection of lithic pieces has been obtained during the excavation works, most of which have been found within medium energy deposits of sands and gravels, being the rest associated to argillaceous slimes and thin sand deposits. The majority of the lithic collection responds to technical systems of the Middle Palaeolithic, although it is noteworthy the testimonial presence of pieces belonging to the Upper Palaeolithic, as well as mammal faunal remains from the Late Pleistocene. The dates obtained through OSL place the chronology of the deposit between approximately 14,400 and 11,170 years BP.

The Near Eastern Middle Paleolithic is a technocomplex characterized by broad patterns in the succession of lithic industries through time, but also by significant technological diversity in some contexts. This chapter presents a geographic
interpretation of such diversity based on comparison of the Umm el Tlel, Yabrud I and Ksar ‘Akil sequences. Within the paleoenvironmental mosaic of the Near East, each of
these sites is located in a specific environment and allows us to address the question of technological change in different contexts. In these three sequences, in addition to a unique reduction system—Levallois—each industry shows evidence of different objectives and methods. Sites in the inland steppe region (Umm el Tlel and Yabrud I) show several technological changes through time, supporting significant technocultural
variability for the populations occupying these sites. In contrast, little variation can be observed throughout the Ksar ‘Akil sequence. The progressive way in which change occurs suggests continuity of a single technological system, and the succession of populations sharing the same knowledge base. This chapter proposes that these different patterns of change through time are the expression of occupation patterns in different areas: a high degree of mobility for populations on the inland steppe region versus more limited territories in the coastal region, facilitating exchanges and communication between groups.

Le Paléolithique moyen du Proche-Orient est un technocomplexe caractérisé par des grandes tendances dans la succession des industries lithiques dans le temps, mais aussi par une diversité technique importante dans certains contextes. Nous proposons une lecture géographique de cette diversité à partir de la comparaison des séquences d’Umm el Tlel, Yabrud I et Ksar ‘Akil. A l’intérieur de la mosaïque paléoenvironnementale qui caractérise le Proche-Orient, chacun de ces sites est localisé dans un milieu particulier et permet d’appréhender la question des changements techniques dans des contextes différents. Dans ces trois séquences, au delà de l’existence d’un système de débitage unique, le système Levallois, chaque industrie témoigne d’objectifs et de méthodes différentes. Les sites de l’aire intérieure steppique (Umm el Tlel et Yabrud I) attestent de plusieurs changements techniques dans le temps, qui plaident pour une variabilité techno-culturelle importante des populations qui ont occupé les sites. Au contraire, à Ksar ‘Akil, peu de variations caractérisent la séquence. La façon progressive dont intervient le changement suggère la continuité
d’un même système technique, et la succession de populations partageant les mêmes connaissances. Nous proposons que ces différentes modalités de changement dans le temps soient l’expression de modalités d’occupation de l’espace distinctes: une forte mobilité des populations qui occupaient la zone intérieure steppique s’oppose à une occupation de territoires plus restreints dans la zone côtière, facilitant les échanges et
les communications entre les groupes.

This study presents and discusses a methodology to study population contact scenarios among Pleistocene hunter-gatherers. It applies this methodology to the Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic transition in the Middle Danube region by testing three models for the emergence of the transitional technocomplexes: local evolution, diffusion and stimulus diffusion. A detailed attribute analysis suggests that the local evolution model does not adequately explain the patterns in the archaeological record at the Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic transition, while the diffusion model that implies direct contact is best supported by the data presented.

Late 2006 a survey project was initiated by the Groningen Institute of Archaeology and the Drents Museum. The project, which is currently directed by the Stone Foundation, was aimed at discovering Middle Palaeolithic surface scatters on the glacial soils of the Drenthe-Frisian till plateau in the northern part of the Netherlands. These surveys are undertaken mostly by amateur-archaeologists in close cooperation with professional archaeologists and occasionally students and other volunteers. During one of these surveys a Middle Palaeolithic artefact scatter was discovered, the first Neanderthal campsite from the region, and one of the most northern Neanderthal-sites in NW-Europe. Hitherto only isolated finds and a few very small scatters were known. Over the years hundreds of Middle Palaeolithic artefacts were discovered during these extensive and systematic surveys, not only from the site mentioned above but from other locations along the same stream valley as well. During the presentation the project as well as the results will be discussed, in addition to problems regarding lithic recognition in relation to post-depositional surface modifications, the registration procedures, geological research, contacts with farmers, the press, popular-scientific output etc.

Archaeologically, only little is known of the prehistoric, ancient, and medieval periods of central Arabia, the Riyadh Province
in particular. And yet, as one of the few watered areas in the Najd, it has played a significant role in the political, economic, and
religious history of the Peninsula. In order to throw new light on this region, in 2011 a French-Saudi archaeological mission started
work in the Kharj oasis, surveying the area. Several types of site have been located: middle Palaeolithic workshops, Bronze Age
necropoleis, and late antique/early Islamic settlements and irrigation systems. The main results of this survey are presented here,
focusing on two sites: al-Kharj 22, a middle Palaeolithic site, and the late antique/early Islamic site of al-Yamāma, which was one of
the major settlements in central Arabia for almost half a millennium (fifth–twelfth centuries) and was occupied until the eighteenth
century.

Thermal considerations can help to resolve two of the most challenging problems in later Palaeolithic archaeology: the demise of Neanderthals and the emergence of modern human behaviour. Both of these enigmas can be viewed as reflecting interactions between biological and behavioural cold adaptations, in the context of extreme climatic fluctuations during the Upper Pleistocene. Recent studies draw attention to the special difficulties which these conditions posed for humans, but few studies give sufficient regard to the need for adequate pre-adaptations, namely, technologies for manufacturing complex clothing assemblages. It is argued here that pre-existing biological adaptations to cold delayed the development of such technological capacities among Neanderthals, resulting ultimately in their extinction. In contrast, fully modern humans were biologically more vulnerability to cold, promoting a precocious appearance of behavioural adaptations among some (though not all) groups, visible in the various archaeological markers of modern human behaviour.

C’erano elefanti in Italia prima dell'arrivo di Pirro? E 'difficile immaginare che due o trecentomila anni fa la campagna romana era attraversato da branchi di elefanti, ma il territorio di Roma è tra i più ricchi al mondo per l’enorme quantità di siti con resti fossili databili tra il Pliocene e il Pleisocene. I primi ritrovamenti risalgono alla metà del 500 e continuano fino alla urbanizzazione moderna, che ha sepolto sotto il cemento, un grande quantità di siti in cui erano stati scoperti resti fossili
La campagna romana costituiva, nel passato, un ambiente particolarmente favorevole, sia per gli esseri umani e per gli altri mammiferi. Tra i numerosi animali che hanno accompagnato la presenza dell'uomo in queste terre, gli elefanti costituiscono una realtà curiosa, quasi incredibile da immaginare oggi nei territori altamente antropizzati della capitale italiana.
I protagonisti di questo libro sono gli elefanti e le loro relazioni con l'ambiente e gli esseri umani nel corso del tempo. Gli argomenti trattati comprendono, problematiche geologiche climatiche e ambientali e inoltre molti temi di carattere paleontologico, antropologico ed evolutivo.
Per la prima volta sono pubblicati tutti i dati relativi alle centinaia di resti fossili di elefanti rinvenuti nel tempo nel territorio di Roma. Inoltre sono presentati siti e musei in cui è possibile acquisire informazioni più dettagliate.
Infine sono presi in considerazione  i problemi legati al ruolo di questo grande mammifero nell'immaginario collettivo, dalla sua rappresentazione nell'arte preistorica fino alla sua influenza, reale e simbolica, nella storia antica e la sua iconografia in epoca classica.

There were elephants in Italy before the arrival of Pyrrhus? It is difficult to imagine that two or three hundred thousand years ago the Roman Campagna was crossed by herds of elephants, however the Rome territory is among the richest in the world for prehistoric fossil evidences connected with the oldest prehistory. The first findings date back to the mid-500 and continue until the modern urbanization which has buried under concrete, a lot of sites where the fossils were discovered
The Roman Campagna constituted, in the past, a particularly favorable environment, both for humans and for other mammals. Among the numerous animals that have gone together with the man presence in these lands, the elephants are a curious reality, almost incredible to imagine today in the highly anthropized quarters of Italian capital.
The leading actors of this book are elephants and their relationships with the environment and humans over time. The discussed topics include environmental, geological and climatic issues and moreover paleontological, anthropological, and evolutive questions.
For the first time are published all the data related to the hundreds of fossil remains of elephants in the territory of Rome. Furthermore the museum-areas, where you can acquire more detailed information are described.
Finally, problems linked to the role of this large mammal in the collective imagination, from its representation in prehistoric art up to his influence, real and symbolic, in ancient history and its iconography in classical times, are focused.
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In addition to housing some of the oldest known rock art in the world, Daraki-Chattan is also an important Palaeolithic site because it is one of the very few Indian locations where Mode 1 (pre-Acheulian) occupation evidence has been excavated in a stratified context. Overlain by a typical Acheulian with hand-axes, this deposit has yielded very simple, Oldowan-like stone artefacts made mostly of the local quartzite. Here we provide a brief description and of these tools, including several hammerstones that are presumed to have been used in the creation of some of the numerous cupules on the cave walls. We consider not only the typology of this assemblage, but also place it within the context of the Lower Palaeolithic of India.

Донбасс - крупная географическая область на юге Восточной Европы. Основной водной артерией является р. Северский Донец - главный правобережный приток р. Дон. Благодаря особенностям геологической истории, Донбасс изобилует источниками качественного кремня мелового генезиса. Систематическое заселение региона началось в среднем палеолите. Фоновыми памятниками являются комплексы«восточного микока» (Антоновка, Черкасское). Известны также специфические пластинчатые индустрии (Курдюмовка, Белокузьминовка). Переход от среднего палеолита к позднему характерен для модели прерывистой эволюции. В позднем палеолите развивались различные культурные традиции («селетоидные»,«ориньякоидные» и «граветтоидные»), которые не образуют устойчивых во времени культурных секвеций.

Tarih boyunca insanoğlunun en temel gereksinimi kuşkusuz ki beslenme ve barınma ihtiyacı olmuştur. İnsanoğlu ilk başta beslenme ihtiyacını çevresinde bulunan besin kaynaklarını toplayarak karşılamış ve sonraki süreçte avcılık ile uğraşmıştır. İnsanoğlunun beslenmenin ardından ikinci serüveni ise yaşayacak yer arayışı olmuştur. İnsanoğlu doğa koşullarının getirmiş olduğu olumsuz şartlar ve vahşi hayvanların saldırılarından korunmak gibi temel yaşamsal gerekçelerden ötürü kapalı bir barınak ihtiyacı duymuş ve tarihsel süreçte mağaralar insanların uğrak noktası olmuştur.

The replacement hypothesis proposes that “modern humans” evolved only in sub-Saharan Africa, through a speciation event rendering them unable to breed with other hominins. They then spread throughout Africa, then to Asia, Australia and finally to Europe, replacing all other humans by exterminating or outcompeting them. In this critical analysis of the replacement hypothesis it is shown that it began as a hoax, later reinforced by false paleoanthropological claims and a series of flawed genetic propositions, yet it became almost universally accepted during the 1990s and has since dominated the discipline. The numerous shortcomings of the hypothesis are appraised from genetic, anthropological, and archaeological perspectives and it is refuted. The resulting hiatus in the history of the human genus is then filled with an outline of a comprehensive alternative theory presented recently, which not only explains the origins of “modern humans” but also numerous so far unexplained aspects of being human.

The last ten years progresses in characterization and cartography of the Mediterranean northwestern corner lithic resources open new perspectives for the study of the regional Mousterian through the development of techno-economic approaches. Proposing a first overview of the procurement strategies, this paper underlines no matter the distance the diverse forms of flint transport especially illustrated by the frequent circulation of cores upon 80 to 100 km. The multiplication of case studies shows a recurrent exploitation of the same materials which, besides the central role played by some of them in the human groups economy, mark out a circulation area between sea and mountains. This territorial homogeneity also confirmed on a technological plan by a massive use of the recurrent Levallois system suggests the existence of Mediterranean area specific cultural characters.