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Sedrati M, Morales JA, Duveau J, M'rini AE, Mayoral E, Díaz-Martínez I, Anthony EJ, Bulot G, Sedrati A, Le Gall R, Santos A, Rivera-Silva J. A Late Pleistocene hominin footprint site on the North African coast of Morocco. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1962. [PMID: 38263453 PMCID: PMC10806055 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52344-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Footprints represent a relevant vestige providing direct information on the biology, locomotion, and behaviour of the individuals who left them. However, the spatiotemporal distribution of hominin footprints is heterogeneous, particularly in North Africa, where no footprint sites were known before the Holocene. This region is important in the evolution of hominins. It notably includes the earliest currently known Homo sapiens (Jebel Irhoud) and the oldest and richest African Middle Stone Age hominin sites. In this fragmented ichnological record, we report the discovery of 85 human footprints on a Late Pleistocene now indurated beach surface of about 2800 m2 at Larache (Northwest coast of Morocco). The wide range of sizes of the footprints suggests that several individuals from different age groups made the tracks while moving landward and seaward across a semi-dissipative bar-trough sandy beach foreshore. A geological investigation and an optically stimulated luminescence dating of a rock sample extracted from the tracksite places this hominin footprint surface at 90.3 ± 7.6 ka (MIS 5, Late Pleistocene). The Larache footprints are, therefore, the oldest attributed to Homo sapiens in Northern Africa and the Southern Mediterranean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mouncef Sedrati
- Geo-Ocean, Univ Bretagne Sud, Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, UMR6538, F- 56000, Vannes, France.
| | - Juan A Morales
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Huelva, Campus de El Carmen, Huelva, Spain
- Centro Científico Tecnológico de Huelva, Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | - Jérémy Duveau
- DFG Center for Advanced Studies ''Words, Bones, Genes, Tools: Tracking Linguistic, Cultural and Biological Trajectories of the Human Past'', Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Rümelinstrasse 23, 72070, Tübingen, Germany
- UMR 7194 Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique, CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Université Perpignan Via Domitia, Paris, France
| | | | - Eduardo Mayoral
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Huelva, Campus de El Carmen, Huelva, Spain
- Centro Científico Tecnológico de Huelva, Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | - Ignacio Díaz-Martínez
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra y Física de la Materia Condensada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cantabria, 39005, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
| | - Edward J Anthony
- CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Coll France, CEREGE, Aix Marseille University, 13545, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Glen Bulot
- Geo-Ocean, Univ Bretagne Sud, Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, UMR6538, F- 56000, Vannes, France
| | - Anass Sedrati
- Lixus Archaeological Site, Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, Larache, Morocco
| | - Romain Le Gall
- Geo-Ocean, Univ Bretagne Sud, Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, UMR6538, F- 56000, Vannes, France
| | - Ana Santos
- Departamento de Geología, Facultad de Geología, Universidad de Oviedo, Campus de Llamaquique, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Jorge Rivera-Silva
- Centro de Investigación, Tecnología e Innovación (CITIUS), Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
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Morrissey P, Mentzer SM, Wurz S. The stratigraphy and formation of Middle Stone Age deposits in Cave 1B, Klasies River Main site, South Africa, with implications for the context, age, and cultural association of the KRM 41815/SAM-AP 6222 human mandible. J Hum Evol 2023; 183:103414. [PMID: 37660505 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Cave 1B, in the Klasies River Main site complex (KRM), is best known for the recovery of the KRM 41815/SAM-AP 6222 human mandible. After initial skepticism over the modernity of this specimen, it is accepted that the mix of archaic and modern traits it displays is characteristic of early Homo sapiens individuals. Different authors have associated this specimen with the Middle Stone Age (MSA) I and II/Mossel Bay cultural phases, but the published data do not allow an unambiguous attribution. KRM 41815's frequent use in studies of the evolution of the human mandible, and its well-developed chin, makes clarifying its age and context important objectives. The field and micromorphology observations presented here provide greater insight into the stratigraphy and formation of the sequence exposed in the PP38 excavation. There are three major divisions: the basal Light Brown Sand (LBS) Member (not excavated), the Rubble Sand (RS) Member (MSA I), and the Shell and Sand Dark Carbonized (SASDC) Submember (MSA II). Cultural stratigraphy based on lithic artifacts remains the only way to make secure (but broad) temporal correlations with the rest of the site complex. This investigation shows that a range of anthropogenic, geogenic, and biogenic processes contributed to the deposition and post-depositional alteration of the identified microfacies. Short depositional hiatuses are reasonably common, and a significant hiatus was identified between the RS and SASDC. The impact of post-depositional processes on the RS is significant, with anthropogenic deposits poorly preserved. In comparison, the SASDC is dominated by hearths contained within deposits rich in reworked anthropogenic materials known as carbonized partings. Small shell disposal features are also present. The distribution of these anthropogenic features suggests continuity in the management of space throughout the MSA II occupations, from before 110 ka. New stratigraphic correlations indicate that KRM 41815 is unambiguously associated with the MSA I. Therefore, it predates 110 ka, with a lower age limit potentially in Marine Isotope Stage 6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Morrissey
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Susan M Mentzer
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Department of Geosciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sarah Wurz
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; SFF Centre for Early Sapiens Behaviour (SapienCE), University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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3
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Lieberman DE, Worthington S, Schell LD, Parkent CM, Devinsky O, Carmody RN. Comparing measured dietary variation within and between tropical hunter-gatherer groups to the Paleo Diet. Am J Clin Nutr 2023; 118:549-560. [PMID: 37343704 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although human diets varied considerably before the spread of agriculture, public perceptions of preagricultural diets have been strongly influenced by the Paleo Diet, which prescribes percentage calorie ranges of 19-35% protein, 22-40% carbohydrate, and 28-47% fat, and prohibits foods with added sugar, dairy, grains, most starchy tubers, and legumes. However, the empirical basis for Paleolithic nutrition remains unclear, with some of its assumptions challenged by the archaeological record and theoretical first principles. OBJECTIVES We assessed the variation in diets among tropical hunter-gatherers, including the effect of collection methods on implied macronutrient percentages. METHODS We analyzed data on animal food, plant food, and honey consumption by weight and kcal from 15 high-quality published ethnographic studies representing 11 recent tropical hunter-gatherer groups. We used Bayesian analyses to perform inference and included data collection methods and environmental variables as predictors in our models. RESULTS Our analyses reveal high levels of variation in animal versus plant foods consumed and in corresponding percentages of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. In addition, studies that weighed food items consumed in and out of camp and across seasons and years reported higher consumption of animal foods, which varied with annual mean temperature. CONCLUSIONS The ethnographic evidence from tropical foragers refutes the concept of circumscribed macronutrient ranges modeling preagricultural diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Lieberman
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States.
| | - Steven Worthington
- Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Laura D Schell
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Christine M Parkent
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States; Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, North Haven, CT, United States
| | - Orrin Devinsky
- Department of Neurology, Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Rachel N Carmody
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States.
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Goldsborough Z, Crofoot MC, Alavi SE, Del Rosario-Vargas E, Garza SF, Tiedeman K, Barrett BJ. Coupling of coastal activity with tidal cycles is stronger in tool-using capuchins ( Cebus capucinus imitator). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230355. [PMID: 37736530 PMCID: PMC10509577 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Terrestrial mammals exploiting coastal resources must cope with the challenge that resource availability and accessibility fluctuate with tidal cycles. Tool use can improve foraging efficiency and provide access to structurally protected resources that are otherwise unavailable (e.g. molluscs and fruits). To understand how variable accessibility of valuable resources shapes behavioural patterns, and whether tool use aids in the efficient exploitation of intertidal resources, we compared the relationship between tidal cycles and activity patterns of tool-using versus non-tool-using groups of white-faced capuchin monkeys on Jicarón Island in Coiba National Park, Panama. Although tool use on Jicarón is localized to a small stretch of coast (approx. 1 km), all coastal groups forage on intertidal resources. Using more than 5 years of camera trap data at varying distances from the coast, we found that capuchins on Jicarón showed increased coastal activity during specific parts of the tidal cycle, and that this relationship differed between tool-using and non-tool-using groups, as well as between seasons. Activity patterns of tool-using capuchins were more strongly and consistently tied to tidal cycles compared with non-tool-users, indicating that tool use might allow for more efficient exploitation of tidal resources. Our findings highlight the potential of tool use to aid niche expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoë Goldsborough
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Ancon, Panama
| | - Margaret C. Crofoot
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Ancon, Panama
| | - Shauhin E. Alavi
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | | | - Sylvia F. Garza
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Kate Tiedeman
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Brendan J. Barrett
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Ancon, Panama
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5
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Konner M, Eaton SB. Hunter-gatherer diets and activity as a model for health promotion: Challenges, responses, and confirmations. Evol Anthropol 2023; 32:206-222. [PMID: 37417918 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Beginning in 1985, we and others presented estimates of hunter-gatherer (and ultimately ancestral) diet and physical activity, hoping to provide a model for health promotion. The Hunter-Gatherer Model was designed to offset the apparent mismatch between our genes and the current Western-type lifestyle, a mismatch that arguably affects prevalence of many chronic degenerative diseases. The effort has always been controversial and subject to both scientific and popular critiques. The present article (1) addresses eight such challenges, presenting for each how the model has been modified in response, or how the criticism can be rebutted; (2) reviews new epidemiological and experimental evidence (including especially randomized controlled clinical trials); and (3) shows how official recommendations put forth by governments and health authorities have converged toward the model. Such convergence suggests that evolutionary anthropology can make significant contributions to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melvin Konner
- Department of Anthropology, Program in Anthropology and Human Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - S Boyd Eaton
- Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine (Emeritus), Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Scerri EML, Will M. The revolution that still isn't: The origins of behavioral complexity in Homo sapiens. J Hum Evol 2023; 179:103358. [PMID: 37058868 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
The behavioral origins of Homo sapiens can be traced back to the first material culture produced by our species in Africa, the Middle Stone Age (MSA). Beyond this broad consensus, the origins, patterns, and causes of behavioral complexity in modern humans remain debated. Here, we consider whether recent findings continue to support popular scenarios of: (1) a modern human 'package,' (2) a gradual and 'pan-African' emergence of behavioral complexity, and (3) a direct connection to changes in the human brain. Our geographically structured review shows that decades of scientific research have continuously failed to find a discrete threshold for a complete 'modernity package' and that the concept is theoretically obsolete. Instead of a continent-wide, gradual accumulation of complex material culture, the record exhibits a predominantly asynchronous presence and duration of many innovations across different regions of Africa. The emerging pattern of behavioral complexity from the MSA conforms to an intricate mosaic characterized by spatially discrete, temporally variable, and historically contingent trajectories. This archaeological record bears no direct relation to a simplistic shift in the human brain but rather reflects similar cognitive capacities that are variably manifested. The interaction of multiple causal factors constitutes the most parsimonious explanation driving the variable expression of complex behaviors, with demographic processes such as population structure, size, and connectivity playing a key role. While much emphasis has been given to innovation and variability in the MSA record, long periods of stasis and a lack of cumulative developments argue further against a strictly gradualistic nature in the record. Instead, we are confronted with humanity's deep, variegated roots in Africa, and a dynamic metapopulation that took many millennia to reach the critical mass capable of producing the ratchet effect commonly used to define contemporary human culture. Finally, we note a weakening link between 'modern' human biology and behavior from around 300 ka ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor M L Scerri
- Pan-African Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Kahlaische Str. 10, 07749, Jena, Germany; Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta, Msida, MSD 2080, Malta; Department of Prehistory, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Manuel Will
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Schloss Hohentübingen, Burgsteige 11, 72070, Tübingen, Germany
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Mesfin I, Benjamim MH, Lebatard AE, Saos T, Pleurdeau D, Matos J, Lotter M. Evidence for Earlier Stone Age 'coastal use': The site of Dungo IV, Benguela Province, Angola. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0278775. [PMID: 36827267 PMCID: PMC9955982 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between Earlier Stone Age (ESA) hominins and the southern African coastal environment has been poorly investigated, despite the high concentration of open-air sites in marine and fluvial terraces of the coastal plain from c. 1Ma onward during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition. Southern Africa provides some of the earliest evidence of coastal subsistence strategies since the end of the Middle Pleistocene, during the Middle Stone Age (MSA). These coastal MSA sites showcase the role of coastal environments in the emergence and development of modern human behaviors. Given the high prevalence of coastal ESA sites throughout the region, we seek to question the relationship between hominins and coastal landscapes much earlier in time. In this regard, the +100 m raised beaches of the Benguela Province, Angola, are key areas as they are well-preserved and contain a dense record of prehistoric occupation from the beginning of the Middle Pleistocene, including sites like Dungo, Mormolo, Sombreiro, Macaca and Punta das Vacas. Accordingly, this paper provides a critical review of the coastal ESA record of southern Africa and a detailed presentation of the Dungo IV site, through a qualitative technological analysis coupled with a quantitative inter-site comparison with contemporary southern African coastal plain sites. Through our detailed technological analyses, we highlight the influence of coastal lithological resources on the technical behaviors of hominin groups, and we propose the existence of a "regional adaptive strategy" in a coastal landscape more than 600 000 years ago. Finally, we argue for the integration of coastal landscapes into hominins' territories, suggesting that adaptation to coastal environments is actually a slower process which begins with "territorialization" well before the emergence and development of Homo sapiens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isis Mesfin
- Fyssen Foundation - Museu Nacional de Arqueologia de Benguela, Benguela, Angola
- UMR 7194 Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique – CNRS, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Université Perpignan Via Domitia – Alliance Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
- * E-mail: ,
| | | | | | - Thibaud Saos
- UMR 7194 Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique – CNRS, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Université Perpignan Via Domitia – Alliance Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - David Pleurdeau
- UMR 7194 Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique – CNRS, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Université Perpignan Via Domitia – Alliance Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Jorge Matos
- Instituto Superior Politecnico Jean Piaget, Bairro Nossa Senhora da Graça, Benguela, Angola
| | - Matt Lotter
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
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8
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Deschamps M, Martín-Lerma I, Linares-Matás G, Zilhão J. Organization of residential space, site function variability, and seasonality of activities among MIS 5 Iberian Neandertals. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20221. [PMID: 36418334 PMCID: PMC9684422 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24430-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether ethnoarcheological models of hunter-gatherer mobility, landscape use, and structuration of the inhabited space are relevant to the archeology of Neandertals and the Middle Paleolithic remains controversial. The thin lenses of hearth-associated stone tools and faunal remains excavated in sub-complex AS5 of Cueva Antón (Murcia, Spain) significantly advance these debates. Dated to 77.8-85.1 ka, these living floors are interstratified in river-accumulated sands and were buried shortly after abandonment by low-energy inundation events, with minimal disturbance and negligible palimpsest formation. Stone tools were made and ergonomically modified to fit tasks; their spatial distributions and use-wear reveal hearth-focused activities and a division of the inhabited space into resting and working areas. Site function varied with season of the year: units III-i/j1 and III-i/j2-3 record winter visits focused on filleting and hide processing, while woodworking predominated in unit III-b/d, which subsumes visits to the site over the course of at least one winter, one spring, and one summer. These snapshots of Neandertal behavior match expectations derived from the ethnographic and Upper Paleolithic records for the lifeways of hunter-gatherers inhabiting temperate regions with a markedly seasonal climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Deschamps
- grid.9983.b0000 0001 2181 4263UNIARQ, Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1600-214 Lisbon, Portugal ,UMR 5608-TRACES, Maison de la recherche, 5 allées Antonio Machado, 31058 Toulouse Cedex 9, France
| | - Ignacio Martín-Lerma
- grid.10586.3a0000 0001 2287 8496Área de Prehistoria, Facultad de Letras, Universidad de Murcia, Calle Santo Cristo, 1, 30001 Murcia, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Linares-Matás
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948St. Hugh’s College, University of Oxford, St. Margaret’s Road, Oxford, OX2 6LE UK ,grid.5335.00000000121885934Present Address: Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge, St Andrew’s Street, Cambridge, CB2 3AP UK
| | - João Zilhão
- grid.9983.b0000 0001 2181 4263UNIARQ, Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1600-214 Lisbon, Portugal ,grid.425902.80000 0000 9601 989XICREA, Passeig de Lluís Companys, 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain ,grid.5841.80000 0004 1937 0247Department of History and Archaeology, University of Barcelona, Carrer de Montalegre, 6-8, 08001 Barcelona, Spain
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9
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Val A, Collins B. From Veld to Coast: Towards an Understanding of the Diverse Landscapes' Uses by Past Foragers in Southern Africa. JOURNAL OF PALEOLITHIC ARCHAEOLOGY 2022; 5:16. [PMID: 36406469 PMCID: PMC9660208 DOI: 10.1007/s41982-022-00124-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In this brief contribution, we outline the aims of a collection entitled "From veld to coast: towards an understanding of the diverse landscapes' uses by past foragers in southern Africa," and we define its chronological, geographic and thematic framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurore Val
- Abteilung Für Ältere Urgeschichte Und Quartärökologie, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behavior (ICArEHB), Universidade Do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Benjamin Collins
- Department of Anthropology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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11
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Álvarez-Fernández E, Aura Tortosa JE, Jordá Pardo JF, Palomero-Jiménez I, Aparicio MT, Cabello-Ligero L, Cantalejo P, Vadillo Conesa M, Marco YC, Espejo MDM, Fernández-Gómez MJ, García-Ibaibarriaga N, Maestro A, Marlasca R, Martín-Vallejo FJ, Murelaga X, Pérez-Ripoll M. Maritime-oriented foragers during the Late Pleistocene on the eastern costa del sol (Southeast Iberia): Cueva Victoria (Málaga, Spain). Heliyon 2022; 8:e09548. [PMID: 35669540 PMCID: PMC9163520 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Mediterranean coast of Spain is marked by several clusters of Palaeolithic sites: to the south of the Pyrenees, in the area around the Ebro River, in the central part, and on the south coast, one of the southernmost regions in Europe. The number of sites is small compared with northern Iberia, but like that region, the Palaeolithic occupations are accompanied by several rock art ensembles. The archaeological material (both biotic and abiotic resources) and radiocarbon dates presented here were obtained during archaeological fieldwork of professor J. Fortea in the Late Pleistocene deposits in Cueva Victoria, located near the modern coastline and about 150 km north of the Strait of Gibraltar. In the three occupation phases, marine resources were acquired by shell-fishing (focusing almost exclusively on the clam Ruditapes decussatus), fishing, and the use of beached marine mammals. This contrasts with the limited data about the exploitation of terrestrial resources by hunting and gathering animals and plants. The study is completed by the study of artefacts (lithic and bone industry and objects of adornment) that help to understand the subsistence strategies of the cave occupants and enable a comparison with other groups inhabiting the Mediterranean coasts of the Iberian Peninsula during Greenland Interstadial 1, between ca. 15.1 and 13.6 cal BP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban Álvarez-Fernández
- Departamento de Prehistoria, Historia Antigua y Arqueología, Universidad de Salamanca, Calle Cerrada de Serranos s/n, 37002, Salamanca, Spain.,Grupo de Investigador Reconocido PREHUSAL, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain
| | - J Emili Aura Tortosa
- Departament de Prehistòria Arqueologia i Història Antiga-PREMEDOC, Universitat de València, Avda. Blasco Ibañez 28, E-46010, València, Spain
| | - Jesús F Jordá Pardo
- Laboratorio de Estudios Paleolíticos, Departamento de Prehistoria y Arqueología, Facultad de Geografía e Historia, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Paseo Senda del Rey 7, 28040, Madrid, Spain.,Grupo de Investigador Reconocido PREHUSAL, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain
| | - Ismael Palomero-Jiménez
- Departamento de Prehistoria, Historia Antigua y Arqueología, Universidad de Salamanca, Calle Cerrada de Serranos s/n, 37002, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Mª Teresa Aparicio
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, C. José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Pedro Cantalejo
- Museo Municipal de la Historia y las Tradiciones de Ardales, Cueva de Ardales, Ayuntamiento de Ardales, Avda. de Málaga, 1, 29550, Ardales, Málaga, Spain
| | - Margarita Vadillo Conesa
- Departament de Prehistòria Arqueologia i Història Antiga-PREMEDOC, Universitat de València, Avda. Blasco Ibañez 28, E-46010, València, Spain
| | - Yolanda Carrión Marco
- Departament de Prehistòria Arqueologia i Història Antiga-PREMEDOC, Universitat de València, Avda. Blasco Ibañez 28, E-46010, València, Spain
| | - María Del Mar Espejo
- Museo Municipal de la Historia y las Tradiciones de Ardales, Cueva de Ardales, Ayuntamiento de Ardales, Avda. de Málaga, 1, 29550, Ardales, Málaga, Spain
| | - Mª José Fernández-Gómez
- Departamento de Estadística, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, 37007, Salamanca, Spain.,Grupo de Investigador Reconocido PREHUSAL, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain
| | - Naroa García-Ibaibarriaga
- Departamento de Geografía, Prehistoria y Arqueología, Facultad de Letras, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, C. Tomás y Valiente s/n, 01006, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Adolfo Maestro
- Department of Geoscientific Research and Prospective, IGME, Calle Calera 1., E-28760, Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - F Javier Martín-Vallejo
- Departamento de Estadística, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, 37007, Salamanca, Spain.,Grupo de Investigador Reconocido PREHUSAL, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain
| | - Xavier Murelaga
- Departamento de Geología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Departamento de Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Apartado 644, 48080, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Manuel Pérez-Ripoll
- Departament de Prehistòria Arqueologia i Història Antiga-PREMEDOC, Universitat de València, Avda. Blasco Ibañez 28, E-46010, València, Spain
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12
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de Chevalier G, Bouret S, Bardo A, Simmen B, Garcia C, Prat S. Cost-Benefit Trade-Offs of Aquatic Resource Exploitation in the Context of Hominin Evolution. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.812804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
While the exploitation of aquatic fauna and flora has been documented in several primate species to date, the evolutionary contexts and mechanisms behind the emergence of this behavior in both human and non-human primates remain largely overlooked. Yet, this issue is particularly important for our understanding of human evolution, as hominins represent not only the primate group with the highest degree of adaptedness to aquatic environments, but also the only group in which true coastal and maritime adaptations have evolved. As such, in the present study we review the available literature on primate foraging strategies related to the exploitation of aquatic resources and their putative associated cognitive operations. We propose that aquatic resource consumption in extant primates can be interpreted as a highly site-specific behavioral expression of a generic adaptive foraging decision-making process, emerging in sites at which the local cost-benefit trade-offs contextually favor aquatic over terrestrial foods. Within this framework, we discuss the potential impacts that the unique intensification of this behavior in hominins may have had on the evolution of the human brain and spatial ecology.
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13
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Ben Arous E, Philippe A, Shao Q, Richter D, Lenoble A, Mercier N, Richard M, Stoetzel E, Tombret O, El Hajraoui MA, Nespoulet R, Falguères C. An improved chronology for the Middle Stone Age at El Mnasra cave, Morocco. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0261282. [PMID: 35148324 PMCID: PMC8836329 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
North African coastal Middle Stone Age (MSA) sites are key to study the development and expansion of early H. sapiens. El Mnasra cave on the Atlantic coast of Morocco (Témara region) is a crucial site associated with MSA archaeological materials considered advanced cognitive hallmarks of behavioural innovation, such as numerous Nassariidae perforated shells, hematite pigments, bones industry and coastal resources exploitation. We provide new trapped-charges dates (OSL and combined US-ESR ages). Our Bayesian modelling strengthens the new lithostratigraphic interpretation of the cave stratigraphic units (US) and we propose an updated chronostratigraphic model for the Middle Stone Age archaeo-sequence of El Mnasra Cave. We confirm a human presence between 124-104 ka, earlier than what the previous OSL and US-ESR data showed. Our time range intervals allowed us to also extend the age of the MSA occupations considerably to the MIS 4/3 (~62-30 ka), marked by the disappearance of the Nassariidae perforated shells. Outstandingly, our model pushed back the age of the largest record of Nassariidae perforated shells and placed the age of their use by the Aterian groups at El Mnasra from the MIS 5d-5b (~115-94 ka).
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Affiliation(s)
- Eslem Ben Arous
- Pan-African Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human Evolution, Jena, Germany
- Geochronology and Geology Programme, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
- Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique (HNHP, UMR 7194)—Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, UPVD, Paris, France
| | - Anne Philippe
- Laboratoire de Mathématiques Jean Leray, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Qingfeng Shao
- Key Laboratory of Virtual Geographic Environment (Nanjing Normal University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing, China
| | - Daniel Richter
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Arnaud Lenoble
- De la Préhistoire à l’Actuel: Culture, Environnement et Anthropologie, CNRS, Université Bordeaux, MCC, UMR 5199 PACEA, Pessac, France
| | - Norbert Mercier
- Institut de Recherche sur les Archéomatériaux, UMR 5060 CNRS, Université Bordeaux Montaigne, Centre de Recherche en Physique Appliquée à l’Archéologie (CRP2A), Maison de l’Archéologie, Pessac, France
| | - Maïlys Richard
- Institut de Recherche sur les Archéomatériaux, UMR 5060 CNRS, Université Bordeaux Montaigne, Centre de Recherche en Physique Appliquée à l’Archéologie (CRP2A), Maison de l’Archéologie, Pessac, France
- Abteilung für Ältere Urgeschichte und Quartärökologie, Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte und Archäologie des Mittelalters, University of Tübingen, Schloss Hohentübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Emmanuelle Stoetzel
- Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique (HNHP, UMR 7194)—Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, UPVD, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Tombret
- Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique (HNHP, UMR 7194)—Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, UPVD, Paris, France
- Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques et Environnements (AASPE, UMR 7209), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, Paris, France
| | | | - Roland Nespoulet
- Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique (HNHP, UMR 7194)—Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, UPVD, Paris, France
| | - Christophe Falguères
- Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique (HNHP, UMR 7194)—Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, UPVD, Paris, France
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14
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Pedergnana A, Cristiani E, Munro N, Valletta F, Sharon G. Early line and hook fishing at the Epipaleolithic site of Jordan River Dureijat (Northern Israel). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257710. [PMID: 34613991 PMCID: PMC8494375 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Nineteen broken and complete bone fish hooks and six grooved stones recovered from the Epipaleolithic site of Jordan River Dureijat in the Hula Valley of Israel represent the largest collection of fishing technology from the Epipaleolithic and Paleolithic periods. Although Jordan River Dureijat was occupied throughout the Epipaleolithic (~20-10 kya the fish hooks appear only at the later stage of this period (15,000-12,000 cal BP). This paper presents a multidimensional study of the hooks, grooved stones, site context, and the fish assemblage from macro and micro perspectives following technological, use wear, residue and zooarchaeological approaches. The study of the fish hooks reveals significant variability in hook size, shape and feature type and provides the first evidence that several landmark innovations in fishing technology were already in use at this early date. These include inner and outer barbs, a variety of line attachment techniques including knobs, grooves and adhesives and some of the earliest evidence for artificial lures. Wear on the grooved stones is consistent with their use as sinkers while plant fibers recovered from the grooves of one hook shank and one stone suggest the use of fishing line. This together with associations between the grooved stones and hooks in the same archaeological layers, suggests the emergence of a sophisticated line and hook technology. The complexity of this technology is highlighted by the multiple steps required to manufacture each component and combine them into an integrated system. The appearance of such technology in the Levantine Epipaleolithic record reflects a deep knowledge of fish behavior and ecology. This coincides with significant larger-scale patterns in subsistence evolution, namely broad spectrum foraging, which is an important first signal of the beginning of the transition to agriculture in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Pedergnana
- TraCEr, Laboratory for Traceology and Controlled Experiments at MONREPOS Archaeological Research Centre and Museum for Human Behavioural Evolution, RGZM, Mainz, Germany
| | - Emanuela Cristiani
- DANTE–Diet and Ancient Technology Laboratory, Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Roma, Italy
| | - Natalie Munro
- Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Storrs Mansfield, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Francesco Valletta
- Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Gonen Sharon
- Department of Galilee Studies (M.A.), Tel Hai College, Qiryat Shemona, Israel
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15
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Wilkins J. Homo sapiens origins and evolution in the Kalahari Basin, southern Africa. Evol Anthropol 2021; 30:327-344. [PMID: 34363428 PMCID: PMC8596755 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The Kalahari Basin, southern Africa preserves a rich archeological record of human origins and evolution spanning the Early, Middle and Late Pleistocene. Since the 1930s, several stratified and dated archeological sites have been identified and investigated, together with numerous open-air localities that provide landscape-scale perspectives. However, next to recent discoveries from nearby coastal regions, the Kalahari Basin has remained peripheral to debates about the origins of Homo sapiens. Though the interior region of southern Africa is generally considered to be less suitable for hunter-gatherer occupation than coastal and near-coastal regions, especially during glacial periods, the archeological record documents human presence in the Kalahari Basin from the Early Pleistocene onwards, and the region is not abandoned during glacial phases. Furthermore, many significant behavioral innovations have an early origin in the Kalahari Basin, which adds support to poly-centric, pan-African models for the emergence of our species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayne Wilkins
- Australian Research Centre for Human EvolutionGriffith UniversityBrisbaneAustralia
- Human Evolution Research Institute, University of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
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16
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Faulkner P, Miller JM, Quintana Morales EM, Crowther A, Shipton C, Ndiema E, Boivin N, Petraglia MD. 67,000 years of coastal engagement at Panga ya Saidi, eastern Africa. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256761. [PMID: 34437643 PMCID: PMC8389378 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The antiquity and nature of coastal resource procurement is central to understanding human evolution and adaptations to complex environments. It has become increasingly apparent in global archaeological studies that the timing, characteristics, and trajectories of coastal resource use are highly variable. Within Africa, discussions of these issues have largely been based on the archaeological record from the south and northeast of the continent, with little evidence from eastern coastal areas leaving significant spatial and temporal gaps in our knowledge. Here, we present data from Panga ya Saidi, a limestone cave complex located 15 km from the modern Kenyan coast, which represents the first long-term sequence of coastal engagement from eastern Africa. Rather than attempting to distinguish between coastal resource use and coastal adaptations, we focus on coastal engagement as a means of characterising human relationships with marine environments and resources from this inland location. We use aquatic mollusc data spanning the past 67,000 years to document shifts in the acquisition, transportation, and discard of these materials, to better understand long-term trends in coastal engagement. Our results show pulses of coastal engagement beginning with low-intensity symbolism, and culminating in the consistent low-level transport of marine and freshwater food resources, emphasising a diverse relationship through time. Panga ya Saidi has the oldest stratified evidence of marine engagement in eastern Africa, and is the only site in Africa which documents coastal resources from the Late Pleistocene through the Holocene, highlighting the potential archaeological importance of peri-coastal sites to debates about marine resource relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Faulkner
- Department of Archaeology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Jennifer M. Miller
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Eréndira M. Quintana Morales
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Alison Crowther
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ceri Shipton
- Institute of Archaeology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Emmanuel Ndiema
- Department of Earth Sciences, Archaeology Section, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Nicole Boivin
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Michael D. Petraglia
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution (ARCHE), Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
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17
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Reply to Klein: Ysterfontein 1 shell midden (South Africa) and the antiquity of coastal adaptation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2108794118. [PMID: 34285084 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2108794118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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18
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Cox KJA, Adams PR. A minimal model of the interaction of social and individual learning. J Theor Biol 2021; 527:110712. [PMID: 33933477 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2021.110712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Learning is thought to be achieved by the selective, activity dependent, adjustment of synaptic connections. Individual learning can also be very hard and/or slow. Social, supervised, learning from others might amplify individual, possibly mainly unsupervised, learning by individuals, and might underlie the development and evolution of culture. We studied a minimal neural network model of the interaction of individual, unsupervised, and social supervised learning by communicating "agents". Individual agents attempted to learn to track a hidden fluctuating "source", which, linearly mixed with other masking fluctuations, generated observable input vectors. In this model data are generated linearly, facilitating mathematical analysis. Learning was driven either solely by direct observation of input data (unsupervised, Hebbian) or, in addition, by observation of another agent's output (supervised, Delta rule). To make learning more difficult, and to enhance biological realism, the learning rules were made slightly connection-inspecific, so that incorrect individual learning sometimes occurs. We found that social interaction can foster both correct and incorrect learning. Useful social learning therefore presumably involves additional factors some of which we outline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kingsley J A Cox
- Department of Neurobiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
| | - Paul R Adams
- Department of Neurobiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
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19
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Early, intensive marine resource exploitation by Middle Stone Age humans at Ysterfontein 1 rockshelter, South Africa. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2020042118. [PMID: 33846250 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2020042118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern human behavioral innovations from the Middle Stone Age (MSA) include the earliest indicators of full coastal adaptation evidenced by shell middens, yet many MSA middens remain poorly dated. We apply 230Th/U burial dating to ostrich eggshells (OES) from Ysterfontein 1 (YFT1, Western Cape, South Africa), a stratified MSA shell midden. 230Th/U burial ages of YFT1 OES are relatively precise (median ± 2.7%), consistent with other age constraints, and preserve stratigraphic principles. Bayesian age-depth modeling indicates YFT1 was deposited between 119.9 to 113.1 thousand years ago (ka) (95% CI of model ages), and the entire 3.8 m thick midden may have accumulated within ∼2,300 y. Stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotopes of OES indicate that during occupation the local environment was dominated by C3 vegetation and was initially significantly wetter than at present but became drier and cooler with time. Integrating archaeological evidence with OES 230Th/U ages and stable isotopes shows the following: 1) YFT1 is the oldest shell midden known, providing minimum constraints on full coastal adaptation by ∼120 ka; 2) despite rapid sea-level drop and other climatic changes during occupation, relative shellfish proportions and sizes remain similar, suggesting adaptive foraging along a changing coastline; 3) the YFT1 lithic technocomplex is similar to other west coast assemblages but distinct from potentially synchronous industries along the southern African coast, suggesting human populations were fragmented between seasonal rainfall zones; and 4) accumulation rates (up to 1.8 m/ka) are much higher than previously observed for dated, stratified MSA middens, implying more intense site occupation akin to Later Stone Age middens.
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20
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Wilkins J, Schoville BJ, Pickering R, Gliganic L, Collins B, Brown KS, von der Meden J, Khumalo W, Meyer MC, Maape S, Blackwood AF, Hatton A. Innovative Homo sapiens behaviours 105,000 years ago in a wetter Kalahari. Nature 2021; 592:248-252. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03419-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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21
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An emerging consensus in palaeoanthropology: demography was the main factor responsible for the disappearance of Neanderthals. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4925. [PMID: 33649483 PMCID: PMC7921565 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84410-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The causes of Neanderthal disappearance about 40,000 years ago remain highly contested. Over a dozen serious hypotheses are currently endorsed to explain this enigmatic event. Given the relatively large number of contending explanations and the relatively large number of participants in the debate, it is unclear how strongly each contender is supported by the research community. What does the community actually believe about the demise of Neanderthals? To address this question, we conducted a survey among practicing palaeo-anthropologists (total number of respondents = 216). It appears that received wisdom is that demography was the principal cause of the demise of Neanderthals. In contrast, there is no received wisdom about the role that environmental factors and competition with modern humans played in the extinction process; the research community is deeply divided about these issues. Finally, we tested the hypothesis that palaeo-anthropologists' stand in the debate co-varies with their socio-political views and attitudes. We found no evidence for such a correlation.
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22
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Turner JH, Schutt RK, Keshavan MS. Biology and American Sociology, Part II: Developing a Unique Evolutionary Sociology. THE AMERICAN SOCIOLOGIST 2020; 51:470-505. [PMID: 32836293 PMCID: PMC7275132 DOI: 10.1007/s12108-020-09448-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In sociology's formative period between 1830 and 1930, evolutionary analysis organized much theorizing and research. This line of work ended abruptly in the 1920s but, over the last decades, has come back into the discipline somewhat piecemeal with the reintroduction of more sophisticated stage models of societal evolution, functional analysis, human ecological analysis, and other new lines of evolutionary inquiry outlined in this paper. Our goal is to demonstrate that revitalized paradigms of the past can still be useful with modest reconceptualization, while at the same time new intellectual movements in the other social sciences, especially economics and psychology, incorporating evolutionary ideas from biology provide sociology with an opportunity to develop its own approach to evolutionary analysis that avoids the problems that let to the demise of this line of inquiry in the 1920s, as well as the problems of other social sciences applying their more narrowly focus models to sociological problems. Indeed, sociology can become a leader in the social sciences in developing more sophisticated theoretical and methodological approaches to incorporating biology and evolutionary analysis into the social sciences. When presented in a new, more sophisticated guise, old approaches like functionalism, stage models of societal evolution, and ecological models can be seen as still having a great deal of explanatory power, while revealing a progressive and future orientation that should appeal to all contemporary sociologists. It is time, then, for sociology to remember its past in order to move into the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Russell K. Schutt
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Research Scientist I, University of Massachusetts Boston and Lecturer, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
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23
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Zilhão J, Angelucci DE, Igreja MA, Arnold LJ, Badal E, Callapez P, Cardoso JL, d'Errico F, Daura J, Demuro M, Deschamps M, Dupont C, Gabriel S, Hoffmann DL, Legoinha P, Matias H, Monge Soares AM, Nabais M, Portela P, Queffelec A, Rodrigues F, Souto P. Last Interglacial Iberian Neandertals as fisher-hunter-gatherers. Science 2020; 367:367/6485/eaaz7943. [PMID: 32217702 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaz7943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Marine food-reliant subsistence systems such as those in the African Middle Stone Age (MSA) were not thought to exist in Europe until the much later Mesolithic. Whether this apparent lag reflects taphonomic biases or behavioral distinctions between archaic and modern humans remains much debated. Figueira Brava cave, in the Arrábida range (Portugal), provides an exceptionally well preserved record of Neandertal coastal resource exploitation on a comparable scale to the MSA and dated to ~86 to 106 thousand years ago. The breadth of the subsistence base-pine nuts, marine invertebrates, fish, marine birds and mammals, tortoises, waterfowl, and hoofed game-exceeds that of regional early Holocene sites. Fisher-hunter-gatherer economies are not the preserve of anatomically modern people; by the Last Interglacial, they were in place across the Old World in the appropriate settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Zilhão
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain. .,Universitat de Barcelona, Departament d'Història i Arqueologia, Facultat de Geografia i Història, c/Montalegre 6, 08001 Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa (UNIARQ), Faculdade de Letras de Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1600-214 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - D E Angelucci
- Università degli Studi di Trento, Dipartimento di Lettere e Filosofia, via Tommaso Gar 14, 38122 Trento, Italy
| | - M Araújo Igreja
- Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa (UNIARQ), Faculdade de Letras de Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1600-214 Lisboa, Portugal.,Laboratório de Arqueociências (LARC), Direcção Geral do Património Cultural, Calçada do Mirante à Ajuda 10A, 1300-418 Lisboa, Portugal.,Environmental Archaeology Group, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (ENVARCH, CIBIO/InBIO), University of Oporto, Rua Padre Armando Quintas 7, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - L J Arnold
- Environment Institute and Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), Department of Earth Sciences, School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, North Terrace Campus, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - E Badal
- Universitat de València, Departament de Prehistòria, Arqueologia i Història Antiga, Av. Blasco Ibañez 28, 46010 València, Spain
| | - P Callapez
- Departamento de Ciências da Terra (CITEUC), Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Coimbra, Rua Sílvio Lima, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - J L Cardoso
- Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa (UNIARQ), Faculdade de Letras de Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1600-214 Lisboa, Portugal.,Universidade Aberta, Rua da Escola Politécnica 147, 1269-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - F d'Errico
- CNRS (UMR 5199-PACEA), Université de Bordeaux, Bât. B18, Allée Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, CS 50023, 33615 Pessac Cedex, France.,SFF Centre for Early Sapiens Behaviour (SapienCE), Sydnesplassen 12/13, 4 Etage, Postboks 7805, 5020 University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - J Daura
- Universitat de Barcelona, Departament d'Història i Arqueologia, Facultat de Geografia i Història, c/Montalegre 6, 08001 Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa (UNIARQ), Faculdade de Letras de Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1600-214 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - M Demuro
- Environment Institute and Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), Department of Earth Sciences, School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, North Terrace Campus, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - M Deschamps
- Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa (UNIARQ), Faculdade de Letras de Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1600-214 Lisboa, Portugal.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5608-TRACES, Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès, Maison de la Recherche, 5 allées Antonio Machado, 31058 Toulouse cedex 9, France
| | - C Dupont
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 6566-CReAAH, Laboratoire Archéosciences, Bât. 24-25, Université de Rennes 1-Campus de Beaulieu, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France
| | - S Gabriel
- Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa (UNIARQ), Faculdade de Letras de Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1600-214 Lisboa, Portugal.,Laboratório de Arqueociências (LARC), Direcção Geral do Património Cultural, Calçada do Mirante à Ajuda 10A, 1300-418 Lisboa, Portugal.,Environmental Archaeology Group, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (ENVARCH, CIBIO/InBIO), University of Oporto, Rua Padre Armando Quintas 7, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - D L Hoffmann
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,Geoscience Center, Isotope Geology Division, University of Göttingen, Goldschmidtstrasse 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - P Legoinha
- Geobiotec, Departamento de Ciências da Terra, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - H Matias
- Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa (UNIARQ), Faculdade de Letras de Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1600-214 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - A M Monge Soares
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares (C2TN), Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Estrada Nacional 10, 2695-066 Bobadela, Portugal
| | - M Nabais
- Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa (UNIARQ), Faculdade de Letras de Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1600-214 Lisboa, Portugal.,Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 31-34 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PY, UK
| | - P Portela
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares (C2TN), Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Estrada Nacional 10, 2695-066 Bobadela, Portugal
| | - A Queffelec
- CNRS (UMR 5199-PACEA), Université de Bordeaux, Bât. B18, Allée Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, CS 50023, 33615 Pessac Cedex, France
| | - F Rodrigues
- Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa (UNIARQ), Faculdade de Letras de Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1600-214 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - P Souto
- Sociedade Torrejana de Espeleologia e Arqueologia, Quinta da Lezíria, 2350-510, Torres Novas, Portugal
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24
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Abstract
Did our closest relatives adapt to the sea in the same way as early
Homo sapiens
?
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Will
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Schloss Hohentübingen, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
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25
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Mika A, Flood K, Norris JD, Wilson M, Key A, Buchanan B, Redmond B, Pargeter J, Bebber MR, Eren MI. Miniaturization optimized weapon killing power during the social stress of late pre-contact North America (AD 600-1600). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230348. [PMID: 32182279 PMCID: PMC7077820 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Before Europeans arrived to Eastern North America, prehistoric, indigenous peoples experienced a number of changes that culminated in the development of sedentary, maize agricultural lifeways of varying complexity. Inherent to these lifeways were several triggers of social stress including population nucleation and increase, intergroup conflict (warfare), and increased territoriality. Here, we examine whether this period of social stress co-varied with deadlier weaponry, specifically, the design of the most commonly found prehistoric archery component in late pre-contact North America: triangular stone arrow tips (TSAT). The examination of modern metal or carbon projectiles, arrows, and arrowheads has demonstrated that smaller arrow tips penetrate deeper into a target than do larger ones. We first experimentally confirm that this relationship applies to arrow tips made from stone hafted onto shafts made from wood. We then statistically assess a large sample (n = 742) of late pre-contact TSAT and show that these specimens are extraordinarily small. Thus, by miniaturizing their arrow tips, prehistoric people in Eastern North America optimized their projectile weaponry for maximum penetration and killing power in warfare and hunting. Finally, we verify that these functional advantages were selected across environmental and cultural boundaries. Thus, while we cannot and should not rule out stochastic, production economizing, or non-adaptive cultural processes as an explanation for TSAT, overall our results are consistent with the hypothesis that broad, socially stressful demographic changes in late pre-contact Eastern North America resulted in the miniaturization–and augmented lethality–of stone tools across the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Mika
- Department of Anthropology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Kat Flood
- Department of Anthropology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States of America
| | - James D. Norris
- Department of Anthropology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Michael Wilson
- Department of Anthropology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Alastair Key
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Briggs Buchanan
- Department of Anthropology, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Brian Redmond
- Department of Archaeology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Justin Pargeter
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Archaeology and Environmental Studies, School of Geography, Rock Art Research Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Michelle R. Bebber
- Department of Anthropology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Metin I. Eren
- Department of Anthropology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Archaeology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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26
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Villa P, Soriano S, Pollarolo L, Smriglio C, Gaeta M, D'Orazio M, Conforti J, Tozzi C. Neandertals on the beach: Use of marine resources at Grotta dei Moscerini (Latium, Italy). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0226690. [PMID: 31940356 PMCID: PMC6961883 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Excavated in 1949, Grotta dei Moscerini, dated MIS 5 to early MIS 4, is one of two Italian Neandertal sites with a large assemblage of retouched shells (n = 171) from 21 layers. The other occurrence is from the broadly contemporaneous layer L of Grotta del Cavallo in southern Italy (n = 126). Eight other Mousterian sites in Italy and one in Greece also have shell tools but in a very small number. The shell tools are made on valves of the smooth clam Callista chione. The general idea that the valves of Callista chione were collected by Neandertals on the beach after the death of the mollusk is incomplete. At Moscerini 23.9% of the specimens were gathered directly from the sea floor as live animals by skin diving Neandertals. Archaeological data from sites in Italy, France and Spain confirm that shell fishing and fresh water fishing was a common activity of Neandertals, as indicated by anatomical studies recently published by E. Trinkaus. Lithic analysis provides data to show the relation between stone tools and shell tools. Several layers contain pumices derived from volcanic eruptions in the Ischia Island or the Campi Flegrei (prior to the Campanian Ignimbrite mega-eruption). Their rounded edges indicate that they were transported by sea currents to the beach at the base of the Moscerini sequence. Their presence in the occupation layers above the beach is discussed. The most plausible hypothesis is that they were collected by Neandertals. Incontrovertible evidence that Neandertals collected pumices is provided by a cave in Liguria. Use of pumices as abraders is well documented in the Upper Paleolithic. We prove that the exploitation of submerged aquatic resources and the collection of pumices common in the Upper Paleolithic were part of Neandertal behavior well before the arrival of modern humans in Western Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Villa
- Museum of Natural History, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America.,Istituto Italiano di Paleontologia Umana, Rome, Italy.,School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Sylvain Soriano
- ArScAn, AnTET, CNRS, Maison de l'Archéologie et de l'Ethnologie, Université Paris Nanterre, France
| | - Luca Pollarolo
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Laboratoire Archéologie et Peuplement de l'Afrique, University of Geneva, Genève, Switzerland
| | | | - Mario Gaeta
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo D'Orazio
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Jacopo Conforti
- Dipartimento Civiltá e Forme del Sapere, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Carlo Tozzi
- Dipartimento Civiltá e Forme del Sapere, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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27
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Galili E, Benjamin J, Eshed V, Rosen B, McCarthy J, Kolska Horwitz L. A submerged 7000-year-old village and seawall demonstrate earliest known coastal defence against sea-level rise. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0222560. [PMID: 31851675 PMCID: PMC6919572 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the results of underwater archaeological investigations at the submerged Neolithic settlement of Tel Hreiz (7500 - 7000 BP), off the Carmel coast of Israel. The underwater archaeological site has yielded well-preserved architectural, artefactual, faunal and human remains. We examine and discuss the notable recent discovery of a linear, boulder-built feature >100m long, located seaward of the settlement. Based on archaeological context, mode of construction and radiometric dating, we demonstrate the feature was contemporary with the inundated Neolithic settlement and conclude that it served as a seawall, built to protect the village against Mediterranean Sea-level rise. The seawall is unique for the period and is the oldest known coastal defence worldwide. Its length, use of large non-local boulders and specific arrangement in the landscape reflect the extensive effort invested by the Neolithic villagers in its conception, organisation and construction. However, this distinct social action and display of resilience proved a temporary solution and ultimately the village was inundated and abandoned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehud Galili
- Zinman Institute of Archaeology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- * E-mail:
| | - Jonathan Benjamin
- Maritime Archaeology Program, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Vered Eshed
- Israel Antiquities Authority, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Baruch Rosen
- Independent researcher, Kaplanski St. 26 Petah Tikva, Israel
| | - John McCarthy
- Maritime Archaeology Program, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Liora Kolska Horwitz
- National Natural History Collections, Faculty of Life Science, The Hebrew University, E. Safra Campus, Jerusalem, Israel
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28
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Cultural bistability and connectedness in a subdivided population. Theor Popul Biol 2019; 129:103-117. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2019.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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29
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Carter T, Contreras DA, Holcomb J, Mihailović DD, Karkanas P, Guérin G, Taffin N, Athanasoulis D, Lahaye C. Earliest occupation of the Central Aegean (Naxos), Greece: Implications for hominin and Homo sapiens' behavior and dispersals. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaax0997. [PMID: 31663021 PMCID: PMC6795523 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax0997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We present evidence of Middle Pleistocene activity in the central Aegean Basin at the chert extraction and reduction complex of Stelida (Naxos, Greece). Luminescence dating places ~9000 artifacts in a stratigraphic sequence from ~13 to 200 thousand years ago (ka ago). These artifacts include Mousterian products, which arguably provide first evidence for Neanderthals in the region. This dated material attests to a much earlier history of regional exploration than previously believed, opening the possibility of alternative routes into Southeast Europe from Anatolia (and Africa) for (i) hominins, potentially during sea level lowstands (e.g., Marine Isotope Stage 8) permitting terrestrial crossings across the Aegean, and (ii) Homo sapiens of the Early Upper Paleolithic (Aurignacian), conceivably by sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Carter
- Department of Anthropology and School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton L8S 4L9, Canada
| | - Daniel A. Contreras
- Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Justin Holcomb
- Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Malcolm H. Wiener Laboratory of Archaeological Science, American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Athens 10676, Greece
| | | | - Panagiotis Karkanas
- Malcolm H. Wiener Laboratory of Archaeological Science, American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Athens 10676, Greece
| | - Guillaume Guérin
- IRAMAT-CRP2A, UMR 5060–CNRS/Université Bordeaux Montaigne, 33600 Pessac Cedex, France
| | - Ninon Taffin
- IRAMAT-CRP2A, UMR 5060–CNRS/Université Bordeaux Montaigne, 33600 Pessac Cedex, France
| | | | - Christelle Lahaye
- IRAMAT-CRP2A, UMR 5060–CNRS/Université Bordeaux Montaigne, 33600 Pessac Cedex, France
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30
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Hausmann N, Meredith-Williams M, Douka K, Inglis RH, Bailey G. Quantifying spatial variability in shell midden formation in the Farasan Islands, Saudi Arabia. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217596. [PMID: 31188856 PMCID: PMC6561681 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
During the past decade, over 3000 shell middens or shell matrix deposits have been discovered on the Farasan Islands in the southern Red Sea, dating to the period c. 7,360 to 4,700 years ago. Many of the sites are distributed along a palaeoshoreline which is now 2-3 m above present sea level. Others form clusters with some sites on the shoreline and others located inland over distances of c. 30 m to 1 km. We refer to these inland sites as 'post-shore' sites. Following Meehan, who observed a similar spatial separation in shell deposition in her ethnographic study of Anbarra shellgathering in the Northern Territory of Australia, we hypothesise that the shoreline sites are specialised sites for the processing or immediate consumption of shell food, and the post-shore sites are habitation sites used for a variety of activities. We test this proposition through a systematic analysis of 55 radiocarbon dates and measurement of shell quantities from the excavation of 15 shell matrix sites in a variety of locations including shoreline and post-shore sites. Our results demonstrate large differences in rates of shell accumulation between these two types of sites and selective removal of shoreline sites by changes in sea level. We also discuss the wider implications for understanding the differential preservation and visibility of shell-matrix deposits in coastal settings in other parts of the world extending back into the later Pleistocene in association with periods of lowersea level. Our results highlight the importance of taphonomic factors of post-depositional degradation and destruction, rates of shell accumulation, the influence on site location of factors other than shell food supply, and the relative distance of deposits from their nearest palaeoshorelines as key variables in the interpretation of shell quantities. Failure to take these variables into account when investigating shells and shell-matrix deposits in late Pleistocene and early Holocene contexts is likely to compromise interpretations of the role and significance of shell food in human evolutionary and socio-cultural development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklas Hausmann
- Max-Planck-Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- University of York, Heslington, United Kingdom
| | | | - Katerina Douka
- Max-Planck-Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Geoff Bailey
- University of York, Heslington, United Kingdom
- Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
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31
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Tattersall I. The Minimalist Program and the Origin of Language: A View From Paleoanthropology. Front Psychol 2019; 10:677. [PMID: 31001169 PMCID: PMC6454856 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
In arguing that articulate language is underpinned by an algorithmically simple neural operation, the Minimalist Program (MP) retrodicts that language emerged in a short-term event. Because spoken language leaves no physical traces, its ancient use must be inferred from archeological proxies. These strongly suggest that modern symbolic human behavior patterns – and, by extension, cognition – emerged both abruptly and late in time (subsequent to the appearance of Homo sapiens as an anatomical entity some 200 thousand years kyr ago). Because the evidence is compelling that language is an integral component of modern symbolic thought, the archeological evidence clearly supports the basic tenet of the MP. But the associated proposition, that language was externalized in an independent event that followed its initial appearance as a conduit to internal thought, is much more debatable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Tattersall
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, United States
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32
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A dispersal of Homo sapiens from southern to eastern Africa immediately preceded the out-of-Africa migration. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4728. [PMID: 30894612 PMCID: PMC6426877 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41176-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Africa was the birth-place of Homo sapiens and has the earliest evidence for symbolic behaviour and complex technologies. The best-attested early flowering of these distinctive features was in a glacial refuge zone on the southern coast 100–70 ka, with fewer indications in eastern Africa until after 70 ka. Yet it was eastern Africa, not the south, that witnessed the first major demographic expansion, ~70–60 ka, which led to the peopling of the rest of the world. One possible explanation is that important cultural traits were transmitted from south to east at this time. Here we identify a mitochondrial signal of such a dispersal soon after ~70 ka – the only time in the last 200,000 years that humid climate conditions encompassed southern and tropical Africa. This dispersal immediately preceded the out-of-Africa expansions, potentially providing the trigger for these expansions by transmitting significant cultural elements from the southern African refuge.
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33
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Loftus E, Lee-Thorp J, Leng M, Marean C, Sealy J. Seasonal scheduling of shellfish collection in the Middle and Later Stone Ages of southern Africa. J Hum Evol 2019; 128:1-16. [PMID: 30825979 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
This study assesses the seasonal scheduling of shellfish harvesting among hunter-gatherer populations along the southernmost coast of South Africa, based on a large number of serial oxygen isotope analyses of marine mollusk shells from four archaeological sites. The south coast of South Africa boasts an exceptional record of coastal hunter-gatherer occupation spanning the Holocene, the last glacial cycle and beyond. The significance of coastal adaptations, in this region in particular, for later modern human evolution has been prominently debated. Shellfishing behaviors are an important focus for investigation given the dietary and scheduling implications and the abundant archaeological shell remains in numerous sites. Key to better understanding coastal foraging is whether it was limited to one particular season, or year-round. Yet, this has proven very difficult to establish by conventional archaeological methods. This study reconstructs seasonal harvesting patterns by calculating water temperatures from the final growth increment of shells. Results from two Later Stone Age sites, Nelson Bay Cave (together with the nearby Hoffman's Robberg Cave) and Byneskranskop 1, show a pronounced cool season signal, which is unexpected given previous ethnographic documentation of summer as the optimal season for shellfishing activities and inferences about hunter-gatherer scheduling and mobility in the late Holocene. Results from two Middle Stone Age sites, Klasies River and Pinnacle Point 5-6, show distinct seasonal patterns that likely reflect the seasonal availability of resources in the two locations. The Pinnacle Point 5-6 assemblage, which spans the MIS5-4 transition, records a marked shift in shellfishing seasonality at c. 71 ka that aligns with other indications of archaeological and environmental change at this time. We conclude that the scheduling and intensity of shellfishing in this region is affected by a suite of factors, including environmental and cultural drivers, rather than a single variable, such as population growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Loftus
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 1-2 South Parks Road, OX1 3TG, UK; Merton College, University of Oxford, Merton Street, OX1 4JD, UK.
| | - Julia Lee-Thorp
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 1-2 South Parks Road, OX1 3TG, UK
| | - Melanie Leng
- NERC Isotope Geoscience Laboratory Facilities, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK; Centre for Environmental Geochemistry, School of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Curtis Marean
- Institute of Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, PO Box 874101, Tempe, AZ, 85287-4101, USA; African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa
| | - Judith Sealy
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
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34
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Briz I Godino I, Ahedo V, Álvarez M, Pal N, Turnes L, Santos JI, Zurro D, Caro J, Galán JM. Hunter-gatherer mobility and technological landscapes in southernmost South America: a statistical learning approach. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:180906. [PMID: 30473837 PMCID: PMC6227973 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.180906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The present work aims to quantitatively explore and understand the relationship between mobility types (nautical versus pedestrian), specific technological traits and shared technological knowledge in pedestrian hunter-gatherer and nautical hunter-fisher-gatherer societies from the southernmost portion of South America. To that end, advanced statistical learning techniques are used: state-of-the-art classification algorithms and variable importance analyses. Results show a strong relationship between technological knowledge, traits and mobility types. Occupations can be accurately classified into nautical and pedestrian due to the existence of a non-trivial pattern between mobility and a relatively small fraction of variables from some specific technological categories. Cases where the best-fitted classification algorithm fails to generalize are found significantly interesting. These instances can unveil lack of information, not enough entries in the training set, singular features or ambiguity, the latter case being a possible indicator of the interaction between nautical and pedestrian societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Briz I Godino
- CONICET-Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, B. Houssay 200, Ushuaia 9410, Argentina
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, The King's Manor, Y01 7EP York, UK
| | - Virginia Ahedo
- Departamento de Ingeniería Civil, Universidad de Burgos, Edif. A1. Avenida Cantabria, S/N, 09006 Burgos, Spain
| | - Myrian Álvarez
- CONICET-Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, B. Houssay 200, Ushuaia 9410, Argentina
| | - Nélida Pal
- CONICET-Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, B. Houssay 200, Ushuaia 9410, Argentina
| | - Lucas Turnes
- CONICET-Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, B. Houssay 200, Ushuaia 9410, Argentina
| | - José Ignacio Santos
- Departamento de Ingeniería Civil, INSISOC, Universidad de Burgos, Edif. 'La Milanera', C/Villadiego, S/N, 09001 Burgos, Spain
| | - Débora Zurro
- Cultural and Socio-Ecological Dynamics Research Group (CaSEs) - GRPRE 212, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, IMF-CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), Carrer de les Egipcíaques 15, 08001 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Humanities, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Jaume I Building (Ciutadella Campus), Carrer de Ramon Trias Fargas 25-27, 08005 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jorge Caro
- Cultural and Socio-Ecological Dynamics Research Group (CaSEs) - GRPRE 212, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, IMF-CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), Carrer de les Egipcíaques 15, 08001 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Humanities, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Jaume I Building (Ciutadella Campus), Carrer de Ramon Trias Fargas 25-27, 08005 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Sociology, GSADI, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Campus UAB, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - José Manuel Galán
- Departamento de Ingeniería Civil, INSISOC, Universidad de Burgos, Edif. 'La Milanera', C/Villadiego, S/N, 09001 Burgos, Spain
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35
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Esteban I, Marean CW, Fisher EC, Karkanas P, Cabanes D, Albert RM. Phytoliths as an indicator of early modern humans plant gathering strategies, fire fuel and site occupation intensity during the Middle Stone Age at Pinnacle Point 5-6 (south coast, South Africa). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0198558. [PMID: 29864147 PMCID: PMC5986156 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of plant remains in archaeological sites, along with a better understanding of the use of plants by prehistoric populations, can help us shed light on changes in survival strategies of hunter-gatherers and consequent impacts on modern human cognition, social organization, and technology. The archaeological locality of Pinnacle Point (Mossel Bay, South Africa) includes a series of coastal caves, rock-shelters, and open-air sites with human occupations spanning the Acheulian through Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA). These sites have provided some of the earliest evidence for complex human behaviour and technology during the MSA. We used phytoliths-amorphous silica particles that are deposited in cells of plants-as a proxy for the reconstruction of past human plant foraging strategies on the south coast of South Africa during the Middle and Late Pleistocene, emphasizing the use and control of fire as well as other possible plant uses. We analysed sediment samples from the different occupation periods at the rock shelter Pinnacle Point 5-6 North (PP5-6N). We also present an overview of the taphonomic processes affecting phytolith preservation in this site that will be critical to conduct a more reliable interpretation of the original plant use in the rock shelter. Our study reports the first evidence of the intentional gathering and introduction into living areas of plants from the Restionaceae family by MSA hunter-gatherers inhabiting the south coast of South Africa. We suggest that humans inhabiting Pinnacle Point during short-term occupation events during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 built fast fires using mainly grasses with some wood from trees and/or shrubs for specific purposes, perhaps for shellfish cooking. With the onset of MIS 4 we observed a change in the plant gathering strategies towards the intentional and intensive exploitation of dry wood to improve, we hypothesise, combustion for heating silcrete. This human behaviour is associated with changes in stone tool technology, site occupation intensity and climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Esteban
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- ERAAUB. Dept. Història i Arqueologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Curtis W. Marean
- African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- Institute of Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States of America
| | - Erich C. Fisher
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- Institute of Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States of America
| | - Panagiotis Karkanas
- The Malcolm H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Science, American School of Classical Studies, Athens, Greece
| | - Dan Cabanes
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Biological Sciences Building, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
- Center for Human Evolutionary Studies. Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Biological Sciences Building, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Rosa M. Albert
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- ERAAUB. Dept. Història i Arqueologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
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Chase BM, Faith JT, Mackay A, Chevalier M, Carr AS, Boom A, Lim S, Reimer PJ. Climatic controls on Later Stone Age human adaptation in Africa's southern Cape. J Hum Evol 2017; 114:35-44. [PMID: 29447760 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Revised: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Africa's southern Cape is a key region for the evolution of our species, with early symbolic systems, marine faunal exploitation, and episodic production of microlithic stone tools taken as evidence for the appearance of distinctively complex human behavior. However, the temporally discontinuous nature of this evidence precludes ready assumptions of intrinsic adaptive benefit, and has encouraged diverse explanations for the occurrence of these behaviors, in terms of regional demographic, social and ecological conditions. Here, we present a new high-resolution multi-proxy record of environmental change that indicates that faunal exploitation patterns and lithic technologies track climatic variation across the last 22,300 years in the southern Cape. Conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum and deglaciation were humid, and zooarchaeological data indicate high foraging returns. By contrast, the Holocene is characterized by much drier conditions and a degraded resource base. Critically, we demonstrate that systems for technological delivery - or provisioning - were responsive to changing humidity and environmental productivity. However, in contrast to prevailing models, bladelet-rich microlithic technologies were deployed under conditions of high foraging returns and abandoned in response to increased aridity and less productive subsistence environments. This suggests that posited links between microlithic technologies and subsistence risk are not universal, and the behavioral sophistication of human populations is reflected in their adaptive flexibility rather than in the use of specific technological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian M Chase
- Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5554, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, Université Montpellier, Bat. 22, CC061, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
| | - J Tyler Faith
- Natural History Museum of Utah & Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA
| | - Alex Mackay
- Centre for Archaeological Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Building 41, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Manuel Chevalier
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, Geopolis, University of Lausanne, Quartier UNIL-Mouline, Batiment Géopolis, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Andrew S Carr
- School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Arnoud Boom
- School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Sophak Lim
- Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5554, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, Université Montpellier, Bat. 22, CC061, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Paula J Reimer
- School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland, UK
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Wilkins J, Brown KS, Oestmo S, Pereira T, Ranhorn KL, Schoville BJ, Marean CW. Lithic technological responses to Late Pleistocene glacial cycling at Pinnacle Point Site 5-6, South Africa. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174051. [PMID: 28355257 PMCID: PMC5371328 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There are multiple hypotheses for human responses to glacial cycling in the Late Pleistocene, including changes in population size, interconnectedness, and mobility. Lithic technological analysis informs us of human responses to environmental change because lithic assemblage characteristics are a reflection of raw material transport, reduction, and discard behaviors that depend on hunter-gatherer social and economic decisions. Pinnacle Point Site 5-6 (PP5-6), Western Cape, South Africa is an ideal locality for examining the influence of glacial cycling on early modern human behaviors because it preserves a long sequence spanning marine isotope stages (MIS) 5, 4, and 3 and is associated with robust records of paleoenvironmental change. The analysis presented here addresses the question, what, if any, lithic assemblage traits at PP5-6 represent changing behavioral responses to the MIS 5-4-3 interglacial-glacial cycle? It statistically evaluates changes in 93 traits with no a priori assumptions about which traits may significantly associate with MIS. In contrast to other studies that claim that there is little relationship between broad-scale patterns of climate change and lithic technology, we identified the following characteristics that are associated with MIS 4: increased use of quartz, increased evidence for outcrop sources of quartzite and silcrete, increased evidence for earlier stages of reduction in silcrete, evidence for increased flaking efficiency in all raw material types, and changes in tool types and function for silcrete. Based on these results, we suggest that foragers responded to MIS 4 glacial environmental conditions at PP5-6 with increased population or group sizes, 'place provisioning', longer and/or more intense site occupations, and decreased residential mobility. Several other traits, including silcrete frequency, do not exhibit an association with MIS. Backed pieces, once they appear in the PP5-6 record during MIS 4, persist through MIS 3. Changing paleoenvironments explain some, but not all temporal technological variability at PP5-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayne Wilkins
- Human Evolution Research Institute, Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Private Bag, South Africa.,Centre for Coastal Paleoscience, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa
| | - Kyle S Brown
- Human Evolution Research Institute, Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Private Bag, South Africa
| | - Simen Oestmo
- Institute of Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
| | - Telmo Pereira
- Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behavior, Faculdade das Ciências Humanas e Sociais, Universidade do Algarve, Campus Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
| | - Kathryn L Ranhorn
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Benjamin J Schoville
- Human Evolution Research Institute, Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Private Bag, South Africa.,Institute of Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
| | - Curtis W Marean
- Centre for Coastal Paleoscience, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa.,Institute of Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
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Sullivan AP, Bird DW, Perry GH. Human behaviour as a long-term ecological driver of non-human evolution. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 1:65. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-016-0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Tattersall I. The material record and the antiquity of language. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 81:247-254. [PMID: 28161510 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.01.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Revised: 06/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
One view of language origins sees it as ancient and selection-driven; the other as recent and emergent. Such disagreement occurs because language is ephemeral, detectable only by indirect proxies. Because internalized language and symbolic thought are tightly linked, the best archaeological proxies for language are symbolic objects. Nothing indicates convincingly that any hominid behaved symbolically prior to Homo sapiens, which originated 200kyr ago but started behaving symbolically only 100kyr later. Most probably the necessary neural underpinnings arose exaptively in the extensive developmental reorganization that gave rise to anatomically distinctive Homo sapiens, and were recruited subsequently via a necessarily behavioral stimulus. This was most plausibly the spontaneous invention of externalized language, in an isolate of Homo sapiens in Africa, that initiated a feedback process between externalized structured language and internalized language/organized thought. These subsequently spread in tandem throughout a species already biologically predisposed for them. Despite its qualitatively remarkable result, this exaptive process would have been perfectly routine and unremarkable in terms of evolutionary mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Tattersall
- American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA.
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40
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Armstrong A. Small mammal utilization by Middle Stone Age humans at Die Kelders Cave 1 and Pinnacle Point Site 5-6, Western Cape Province, South Africa. J Hum Evol 2016; 101:17-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Revised: 09/17/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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41
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Langley MC, O'Connor S, Piotto E. 42,000-year-old worked and pigment-stained Nautilus shell from Jerimalai (Timor-Leste): Evidence for an early coastal adaptation in ISEA. J Hum Evol 2016; 97:1-16. [PMID: 27457541 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Revised: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we describe worked and pigment-stained Nautilus shell artefacts recovered from Jerimalai, Timor-Leste. Two of these artefacts come from contexts dating to between 38,000 and 42,000 cal. BP (calibrated years before present), and exhibit manufacturing traces (drilling, pressure flaking, grinding), as well as red colourant staining. Through describing more complete Nautilus shell ornaments from younger levels from this same site (>15,900, 9500, and 5000 cal. BP), we demonstrate that those dating to the initial occupation period of Jerimalai are of anthropogenic origin. The identification of such early shell working examples of pelagic shell in Island Southeast Asia not only adds to our growing understanding of the importance of marine resources to the earliest modern human communities in this region, but also indicates that a remarkably enduring shell working tradition was enacted in this area of the globe. Additionally, these artefacts provide the first material culture evidence that the inhabitants of Jerimalai were not only exploiting coastal resources for their nutritional requirements, but also incorporating these materials into their social technologies, and by extension, their social systems. In other words, we argue that the people of Jerimalai were already practicing a developed coastal adaptation by at least 42,000 cal. BP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C Langley
- Archaeology & Natural History, School of Culture, History & Language, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Australia.
| | - Sue O'Connor
- Archaeology & Natural History, School of Culture, History & Language, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Australia.
| | - Elena Piotto
- Archaeology & Natural History, School of Culture, History & Language, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Australia.
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42
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Marean CW. The transition to foraging for dense and predictable resources and its impact on the evolution of modern humans. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 371:20150239. [PMID: 27298470 PMCID: PMC4920296 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Scientists have identified a series of milestones in the evolution of the human food quest that are anticipated to have had far-reaching impacts on biological, behavioural and cultural evolution: the inclusion of substantial portions of meat, the broad spectrum revolution and the transition to food production. The foraging shift to dense and predictable resources is another key milestone that had consequential impacts on the later part of human evolution. The theory of economic defendability predicts that this shift had an important consequence-elevated levels of intergroup territoriality and conflict. In this paper, this theory is integrated with a well-established general theory of hunter-gatherer adaptations and is used to make predictions for the sequence of appearance of several evolved traits of modern humans. The distribution of dense and predictable resources in Africa is reviewed and found to occur only in aquatic contexts (coasts, rivers and lakes). The palaeoanthropological empirical record contains recurrent evidence for a shift to the exploitation of dense and predictable resources by 110 000 years ago, and the first known occurrence is in a marine coastal context in South Africa. Some theory predicts that this elevated conflict would have provided the conditions for selection for the hyperprosocial behaviours unique to modern humans.This article is part of the themed issue 'Major transitions in human evolution'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Curtis W Marean
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, PO Box 872402, Tempe, AZ 85287-2402, USA Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape 6031, South Africa
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43
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Haslam M, Luncz L, Pascual-Garrido A, Falótico T, Malaivijitnond S, Gumert M. Archaeological excavation of wild macaque stone tools. J Hum Evol 2016; 96:134-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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44
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Archer W, Pop CM, Gunz P, McPherron SP. What is Still Bay? Human biogeography and bifacial point variability. J Hum Evol 2016; 97:58-72. [PMID: 27457545 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Revised: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
'Still Bay' is the name given to a cultural phase within the southern African Middle Stone Age, which remains critical to our understanding of modern human behavioural evolution. Although represented in only a handful of sites, the Still Bay is widespread geographically and, at certain localities, persisted over a substantial period of time. Many studies have focused on tracing the temporal range and geographic reach of the Still Bay, as well as inferring degrees of early modern human demographic connectedness from these parameters. Variation within the Still Bay, relative to the accuracy with which it can be identified, has received considerably less attention. However, demographic models based on the spread of the Still Bay in space and time hinge on the reliability with which it can be recognized in the archaeological record. Here we document patterns of bifacial point shape and size variation in some key Still Bay assemblages, and analyse these patterns using the statistical shape analysis tools of geometric morphometrics. Morphological variation appears to be geographically structured and is driven by the spatial separation between north-eastern and south-western clusters of sites. We argue that allometric variation is labile and reflects environmentally driven differences in point reduction, whereas shape differences unrelated to size more closely reflect technological and cultural fragmentation. Our results suggest that the biogeographic structure of Middle Stone Age populations was complex during the period associated with the Still Bay, and provide little support for heightened levels of cultural interconnectedness between distantly separated groups at this time. We briefly discuss the implications of our findings for tracing classic techno-traditions in the Middle Stone Age record of southern Africa, and for inferring underpinning population dynamics from these patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Will Archer
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Cornel M Pop
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Philipp Gunz
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Shannon P McPherron
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
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45
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De Vynck JC, Anderson R, Atwater C, Cowling RM, Fisher EC, Marean CW, Walker RS, Hill K. Return rates from intertidal foraging from Blombos Cave to Pinnacle Point: Understanding early human economies. J Hum Evol 2016; 92:101-115. [PMID: 26989020 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Revised: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The south coast of South Africa provides the earliest evidence for Middle Stone Age (MSA) coastal resource exploitation by early Homo sapiens. In coastal archaeology worldwide, there has been a debate over the general productivity of intertidal foraging, leading to studies that directly measure productivity in some regions, but there have been no such studies in South Africa. Here we present energetic return rate estimates for intertidal foraging along the southern coast of South Africa from Blombos Cave to Pinnacle Point. Foraging experiments were conducted with Khoi-San descendants of the region, and hourly caloric return rates for experienced foragers were measured on 41 days near low tide and through three seasons over two study years. On-site return rates varied as a function of sex, tidal level, marine habitat type and weather conditions. The overall energetic return rate from the entire sample (1492 kcal h(-1)) equals or exceeds intertidal returns reported from other hunter-gatherer studies, as well as measured return rates for activities as diverse as hunting mammals and plant collecting. Returns are projected to be exceptionally high (∼ 3400 kcal h(-1) for men, ∼ 1900 kcal h(-1) for women) under the best combination of conditions. However, because of the monthly tidal cycle, high return foraging is only possible for about 10 days per month and for only 2-3 h on those days. These experiments suggest that while intertidal resources are attractive, women and children could not have subsisted independently, nor met all their protein-lipid needs from marine resources alone, and would have required substantial additional energy and nutrients from plant gathering and/or from males contributing game.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan C De Vynck
- Centre for Coastal Paleosciences, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa
| | - Robert Anderson
- Fisheries Branch, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Pvt Bag X2, Roggebaai, South Africa; Department of Biological Sciences and Marine Research Institute, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Chloe Atwater
- Institute of Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, PO Box 872402, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-2402, USA
| | - Richard M Cowling
- Botany Department, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa
| | - Erich C Fisher
- Institute of Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, PO Box 872402, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-2402, USA
| | - Curtis W Marean
- Centre for Coastal Paleosciences, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa; Institute of Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, PO Box 872402, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-2402, USA
| | - Robert S Walker
- Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Kim Hill
- Institute of Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, PO Box 872402, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-2402, USA.
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46
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Affiliation(s)
- Curtis W. Marean
- Institute of Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-2402;
- Faculty of Science, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape 6031, South Africa
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47
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Eerkens JW, Carlson T, Malhi RS, Blake J, Bartelink EJ, Barfod GH, Estes A, Garibay R, Glessner J, Greenwald AM, Lentz K, Li H, Marshall CK. Isotopic and genetic analyses of a mass grave in central California: Implications for precontact hunter-gatherer warfare. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2015; 159:116-25. [PMID: 26331533 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2014] [Revised: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Traci Carlson
- Department of Forensics; University of California; Davis CA
| | - Ripan S. Malhi
- Department of Anthropology; Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; IL
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Justin Glessner
- Department of Spectrometry; Interdisciplinary Center for Plasma Mass, University of California; Davis CA
| | | | | | - Hongjie Li
- Department of Anthropology; Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; IL
| | - Charla K. Marshall
- Department of Anthropology; Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; IL
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48
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Groucutt HS, Petraglia MD, Bailey G, Scerri EM, Parton A, Clark-Balzan L, Jennings RP, Lewis L, Blinkhorn J, Drake NA, Breeze PS, Inglis RH, Devès MH, Meredith-Williams M, Boivin N, Thomas MG, Scally A. Rethinking the dispersal of Homo sapiens out of Africa. Evol Anthropol 2015; 24:149-64. [PMID: 26267436 PMCID: PMC6715448 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Current fossil, genetic, and archeological data indicate that Homo sapiens originated in Africa in the late Middle Pleistocene. By the end of the Late Pleistocene, our species was distributed across every continent except Antarctica, setting the foundations for the subsequent demographic and cultural changes of the Holocene. The intervening processes remain intensely debated and a key theme in hominin evolutionary studies. We review archeological, fossil, environmental, and genetic data to evaluate the current state of knowledge on the dispersal of Homo sapiens out of Africa. The emerging picture of the dispersal process suggests dynamic behavioral variability, complex interactions between populations, and an intricate genetic and cultural legacy. This evolutionary and historical complexity challenges simple narratives and suggests that hybrid models and the testing of explicit hypotheses are required to understand the expansion of Homo sapiens into Eurasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huw S. Groucutt
- School of Archaeology, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, United Kingdom
| | - Michael D. Petraglia
- School of Archaeology, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, United Kingdom
| | - Geoff Bailey
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, YO1 7EP, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor M.L. Scerri
- UMR5199 (CNRS) De la Préhistoire à l’Actuel: Culture, Environment et Anthropologie (PACEA), Université de Bordeaux, Avenues des Facultes, Pessac, 33405, France
| | - Ash Parton
- School of Archaeology, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, United Kingdom
| | - Laine Clark-Balzan
- School of Archaeology, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, United Kingdom
| | - Richard P. Jennings
- School of Archaeology, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Lewis
- School of Archaeology, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, United Kingdom
| | - James Blinkhorn
- UMR5199 (CNRS) De la Préhistoire à l’Actuel: Culture, Environment et Anthropologie (PACEA), Université de Bordeaux, Avenues des Facultes, Pessac, 33405, France
| | - Nick A. Drake
- Department of Geography, King’s College London, WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - Paul S. Breeze
- Department of Geography, King’s College London, WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - Robyn H. Inglis
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, YO1 7EP, United Kingdom
| | - Maud H. Devès
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, YO1 7EP, United Kingdom
- Laboratoire Tectonique, Institut de Physique du Globe, Paris, 75252, France
| | | | - Nicole Boivin
- School of Archaeology, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, United Kingdom
| | - Mark G. Thomas
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Aylwyn Scally
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, United Kingdom
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Gradual decline in mobility with the adoption of food production in Europe. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:7147-52. [PMID: 26060299 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1502932112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased sedentism during the Holocene has been proposed as a major cause of decreased skeletal robusticity (bone strength relative to body size) in modern humans. When and why declining mobility occurred has profound implications for reconstructing past population history and health, but it has proven difficult to characterize archaeologically. In this study we evaluate temporal trends in relative strength of the upper and lower limb bones in a sample of 1,842 individuals from across Europe extending from the Upper Paleolithic [11,000-33,000 calibrated years (Cal y) B.P.] through the 20th century. A large decline in anteroposterior bending strength of the femur and tibia occurs beginning in the Neolithic (∼ 4,000-7,000 Cal y B.P.) and continues through the Iron/Roman period (∼ 2,000 Cal y B.P.), with no subsequent directional change. Declines in mediolateral bending strength of the lower limb bones and strength of the humerus are much smaller and less consistent. Together these results strongly implicate declining mobility as the specific behavioral factor underlying these changes. Mobility levels first declined at the onset of food production, but the transition to a more sedentary lifestyle was gradual, extending through later agricultural intensification. This finding only partially supports models that tie increased sedentism to a relatively abrupt Neolithic Demographic Transition in Europe. The lack of subsequent change in relative bone strength indicates that increasing mechanization and urbanization had only relatively small effects on skeletal robusticity, suggesting that moderate changes in activity level are not sufficient stimuli for bone deposition or resorption.
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