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Lincombian-Ranisian-Jerzmanowician Industry and South Moravian Sites: a Homo sapiens Late Initial Upper Paleolithic with Bohunician Industrial Generic Roots in Europe

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Yuri Demidenko at Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian Institute
Yuri Demidenko
Petr Škrdla
Petr Škrdla
Petr Škrdla
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This article re-examines the Lincombian-Ranisian-Jerzmanowician (LRJ) industry, a well-known Early Upper Paleolithic complex in northern Europe. It is widely thought that the LRJ was produced by late Neanderthals and that its industrial roots are in late Middle Paleolithic industries with bifacial leaf points in north-western Europe. On the basis of evidence from four recently excavated open-air sites in southern Moravia (Czech Republic) (Líšeň/Podolí I, Želešice III/Želešice-Hoynerhügel, Líšeň I/Líšeň-Čtvrtě, and Tvarožná X/Tvarožná, “Za školou”), combined with findings from two cave sites in Bohemia (Nad Kačákem Cave) and southern Moravia (Pekárna Cave) and critical re-examination of the LRJ sites and materials from other areas, we propose that the LRJ should actually be considered a late Initial Upper Paleolithic industry. Its initial dates are just before Heinrich Event 4 (HE-4) and the Campanian Ignimbrite (CI) super-eruption, c. 42–40 ka cal BP. We further propose that LRJ assemblages were produced by Homo sapiens, and that its roots are in the Bohunician industry. The LRJ originated as a result of a gradual technological transition, centering on the development of Levallois points into Jerzmanowice-type blade-points. It is also suggested that the LRJ industry first appeared in Moravia, in central Europe, and spread along with its makers (Homo sapiens) across the northern latitudes of central and western Europe. Accordingly, the IUP “Bohunician package” did not disappear in Europe but gave rise to another IUP industry successfully adapted for the then steppe-tundra belts in northern Europe.
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Vol.:(0123456789)
Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology (2023) 6:17
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41982-023-00142-2
1 3
Lincombian‑Ranisian‑Jerzmanowician Industry andSouth
Moravian Sites: aHomo sapiens Late Initial Upper
Paleolithic withBohunician Industrial Generic Roots
inEurope
YuriE.Demidenko1 · PetrŠkrdla2
Accepted: 31 March 2023 / Published online: 23 May 2023
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023
Abstract
This article re-examines the Lincombian-Ranisian-Jerzmanowician (LRJ) indus-
try, a well-known Early Upper Paleolithic complex in northern Europe. It is widely
thought that the LRJ was produced by late Neanderthals and that its industrial
roots are in late Middle Paleolithic industries with bifacial leaf points in north-
western Europe. On the basis of evidence from four recently excavated open-air
sites in southern Moravia (Czech Republic) (Líšeň/Podolí I, Želešice III/Želešice-
Hoynerhügel, Líšeň I/Líšeň-Čtvrtě, and Tvarožná X/Tvarožná, “Za školou”), com-
bined with findings from two cave sites in Bohemia (Nad Kačákem Cave) and
southern Moravia (Pekárna Cave) and critical re-examination of the LRJ sites and
materials from other areas, we propose that the LRJ should actually be considered a
late Initial Upper Paleolithic industry. Its initial dates are just before Heinrich Event
4 (HE-4) and the Campanian Ignimbrite (CI) super-eruption, c. 42–40kacal BP.
We further propose that LRJ assemblages were produced by Homo sapiens, and
that its roots are in the Bohunician industry. The LRJ originated as a result of a
gradual technological transition, centering on the development of Levallois points
into Jerzmanowice-type blade-points. It is also suggested that the LRJ industry first
appeared in Moravia, in central Europe, and spread along with its makers (Homo
sapiens) across the northern latitudes of central and western Europe. Accordingly,
the IUP “Bohunician package” did not disappear in Europe but gave rise to another
IUP industry successfully adapted for the then steppe-tundra belts in northern
Europe.
Keywords Initial Upper Paleolithic· Bohunician· Lincombian-Ranisian-
Jerzmanowician
This paper is part of the collection “Across steppes and mountains: the Initial Upper Paleolithic in
Eurasia.”.
Extended author information available on the last page of the article
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
... Secondly, structured prismatic bladelet production with diverse reduction schemes (Fig. 6), but mostly burin core technology, and a variety of core-maintenance actions ( www.nature.com/scientificreports/ . Core maintenance products: unmodified ridge bladelet (4-6); ridge blades slightly modified (9, 10); crested bladelets (1-4) and blades (8) with one prepared versant; crested blades with two prepared versants (11)(12)(13). Artefacts come from the current excavation. www.nature.com/scientificreports/ ...
... Thermoalterations are the predominant anthropogenic modification (NR = 5 in L2 and NR = 31 in L1), mostly presenting a black coloration. Besides, Figure 8. Upper Palaeolithic-like artefacts: bladelet with lateral marginal retouch (1), truncated blades (2-3), retouched backed tools (4-9), bladelets (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19), blades (20-27, 35, 36, 38-40, 44, 45), fragmented blades (29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34), blades with lateral marginal retouch (37,41), blades with Aurignacian-like retouch (42)(43). Artefacts come from the current excavation (1-6, 8-32, 36, 38-41, 44, 45) and the 1980s excavation (7, 33-35, 37, 41-43 www.nature.com/scientificreports/ the presence and morphology of cut marks on the diaphysis of an ibex humerus in L1 have been associated with defleshing activity (Supplementary Fig. 32). ...
... Under this scenario, inter-population connectivity would have played a pivotal role in the emergence and dissemination of the initial UP industries 34 , through close and long-distance population displacements (demic diffusion) 15 and direct or indirect cultural diffusion within and between populations 40 . Along with both diffusion vectors, local adaptations and innovations may take place 32,33 , contributing to the evolution and diversification of the initial UP entities 12,40 . ...
Initial Upper Palaeolithic lithic industry at Cueva Millán in the hinterlands of Iberia
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2024
The extended period of coexistence between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens in Europe coincided with the emergence of regionally distinctive lithic industries, signalling the onset of the Upper Palaeolithic. The Iberian Peninsula was on the periphery of pioneering Upper Palaeolithic developments, with archaeological remains primarily found in northern territories. We report the discovery of an initial Upper Palaeolithic lithic industry at Cueva Millán in the hinterlands of Iberia. This industry, termed here Arlanzian, not only represents the earliest and southernmost evidence of such industries in Iberia but also lacks a direct counterpart. However, it exhibits chronological and technological parallels with the lithic industries associated with the earliest expansion of Homo sapiens throughout Eurasia. We interpret this as potential evidence of its intrusive nature, but not necessarily associated with a migration event, as more complex scenarios derived from inter-population connectivity must be also considered. The biological identity of the Arlanzian makers remains unknown, but they coexisted with declining Neanderthal groups from neighbouring territories.
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... This is perhaps particularly the case for the Uluzzian industry of Italy, but also the northern European Lincombian-Ranisian-Jerzmanowician (LRJ)-which has recently been associated with multiple individuals presenting Homo sapiens mtDNA at the key site of Ranis, Germany (Mylopotamitaki et al., 2024). However, and interestingly, an argument has recently been made that LRJ technology may have derived from Bohunician industrial roots-potentially representing a 'Late Initial Upper Palaeolithic' entity (Demidenko & Škrdla, 2023). Concerning the Uluzzian, this industry represents an equally pronounced technological rupture with the regional Mousterian as the Châtelperronian, but follows a divergent trajectory with no known analogues in Eurasiacharacterised predominantly by the proliferation of bipolaron-anvil knapping (Rossini et al., 2022). ...
... Concerning the Uluzzian, this industry represents an equally pronounced technological rupture with the regional Mousterian as the Châtelperronian, but follows a divergent trajectory with no known analogues in Eurasiacharacterised predominantly by the proliferation of bipolaron-anvil knapping (Rossini et al., 2022). The LRJ represents an interesting example as, similarly to the Châtelperronian, it is from a technological perspective characterised by the production of blades from bidirectional cores utilising marginal, soft-stone percussion (Demidenko & Škrdla, 2023;Flas, 2011). Bladelet production has also been documented at some LRJ sites (Demidenko & Škrdla, 2023), and some cores (both blade and bladelet) show intriguing structural similarities to Châtelperronian counterparts (see for example Fig. 5 in Flas, 2011). ...
... The LRJ represents an interesting example as, similarly to the Châtelperronian, it is from a technological perspective characterised by the production of blades from bidirectional cores utilising marginal, soft-stone percussion (Demidenko & Škrdla, 2023;Flas, 2011). Bladelet production has also been documented at some LRJ sites (Demidenko & Škrdla, 2023), and some cores (both blade and bladelet) show intriguing structural similarities to Châtelperronian counterparts (see for example Fig. 5 in Flas, 2011). Typological differences are pronounced however-with the LRJ typified by the production of large points characterised by flat, invasive retouch on one or both surfaces (Demidenko & Škrdla, 2023;Flas, 2011;Wiśniewski et al., 2022). ...
Stone Tools in Shifting Sands: Past, Present, and Future Perspectives on the Châtelperronian Stone Tool Industry
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2024
The Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in France and northern Spain reflects the transition from Neandertals to Homo sapiens and the emergence of novel cultural entities and standardised blade and bladelet technologies between ~ 55 and 40 thousand years ago. The Châtelperronian stone tool industry represents the first unambiguous appearance of Upper Palaeolithic technologies in this region, and is traditionally considered as representing a geographically isolated archaeological entity produced by late Neandertals. However, debate as to the makers and origin of this industry has been ever-present. In recent years, fuel has been thrown onto this discussion through (a) the demonstration that the association between Neandertal remains and Châtelperronian artefacts at the key site of Saint-Césaire could not be reliable, (b) the identification of an immature Homo sapiens pelvic fragment in association with Neandertal remains and Châtelperronian artefacts at the Grotte du Renne (Arcy-sur-Cure), and (c) the formulation of a disruptive hypothesis in which the Châtelperronian directly originates from the Early Upper Palaeolithic of the Levant. In conjunction with the increasing evidence for a protracted presence of Homo sapiens across Europe, these observations have led to the arrival of an inflection point for the competing interpretations concerning the origin and implications of this industry. In this paper, we provide a critical review of the Châtelperronian in light of the emerging data—taking into account technological, chronological, geographic, stratigraphic, and genetic perspectives. First we provide a detailed, three-part historiography of this industry and a modern, synthetic review of Châtelperronian lithic technology. Our review reinforces the fact that the Châtelperronian is a fully Upper Palaeolithic industry with no ‘transitional’ nor Initial Upper Palaeolithic-type technological features. Subsequently, we highlight a series of prospects, problems, and uncertainties which remain to be addressed in discussions concerning the origins, maker(s), and implications of the Châtelperronian and the onset of the Upper Palaeolithic in western Europe. Finally, we propose a few potential paths forward and call for an open and critical approach towards the re-conceptualisation of the Châtelperronian in the years to come.
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... Introduction [20], scarcity of human fossils [17] and state of preservation of the dating materials [21]. From a chrono-stratigraphical and lithic technological perspective, identifying the IUP today may not be overly challenging [11,22] however it can be confusing in light of the emerging diversity of the IUP record and when we have only partially aligning data with the IUP definition [11]. ...
... An ongoing debate how should be the IUP term used it as a chronological marker or as a techno-complex (i.e. an aggregation of cultures sharing some techno-typological traits) and how this relates to the Neanderthal-H. sapiens turnover [21,[23][24][25][26][27], and to the replacement of Denisovans [28] in Asia. Under discussion is that the IUP may not exclusively signify the dispersal of H. sapiens but in certain regions could also stem from convergent evolution or phylogenetic factors [29], aligning with the multiregional (polycentric) model [30]. ...
... This conceptual difference in elongated points versus blade production between the Bohunician and Bacho Kiro Cave could be also because the Bohunician represents an older IUP phase. The production of Levallois elongated points from bidirectional non-Levallois method is typical for the early IUP development (Emirian) in Boker Tachtit (Layer 1-3) [9] while the laminar production associated to volumetric pyramidal cores is typical for the late IUP phase (corresponding to the uppermost layer 1 at Boker Tachtit) [11,21]. The Ukrainian open-air site of Kulychivka site [96,97] share similar conception of blade production like the Bohunician but with relatively recently obtained younger radiocarbon ages [98]. ...
Curated character of the Initial Upper Palaeolithic lithic artefact assemblages in Bacho Kiro Cave (Bulgaria)
Article
Full-text available
The dispersal of Homo sapiens across Eurasia during MIS 3 in the Late Pleistocene is marked by technological shifts and other behavioral changes, known in the archaeological record under the term of Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP). Bacho Kiro Cave in north Bulgaria, re-excavated by us from 2015 to 2021, is one of the reference sites for this phenomenon. The newly excavated lithic assemblages dated by radiocarbon between 45,040 and 43,280 cal BP and attributed to Homo sapiens encompass more than two thousand lithic artifacts. The lithics, primarily from Layer N1-I, exist amid diverse fauna remains, human fossils, pierced animal teeth pendants, and sediment with high organic content. This article focuses on the technological aspects of the IUP lithics, covering raw material origin and use-life, blank production, on-site knapping activities, re-flaking of lithic implements, and the state of retouched lithic components. We apply petrography for the identification of silicites and other used stones. We employ chaîne opératoire and reduction sequence approaches to profile the lithics techno-typologically and explore the lithic economy, particularly blade production methods, knapping techniques, and artifact curation. Raw material analysis reveals Lower Cretaceous flints from Ludogorie and Upper Cretaceous flints from the Danube region, up to 190 km and 130 km, respectively, from Bacho Kiro Cave, indicating long-distance mobility and finished products transport. Imported lithic implements, were a result of unidirectional and bidirectional non-Levallois laminar technology, likely of volumetric concept. Systematic on-anvil techniques (bipolar knapping) and tool segmentation indicate re-flaking and reshaping of lithic implements, reflecting on-site curation and multifaceted lithic economy. A limited comparison with other IUP sites reveals certain shared features and also regional variations. Bacho Kiro Cave significantly contributes to understanding the technological and behavioral evolution of early Homo sapiens in western Eurasia.
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... The Châtelperronian and Uluzzian industries are among the most well-known and well-documented technocomplexes in Europe during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition (60-40 ka), a period marked by biocultural changes at least partly related to multiple waves of Homo sapiens dispersal throughout Eurasia (e.g. Benazzi et al., 2011;Demidenko & Škrdla, 2023;Djakovic et al., 2024;Hajdinjak et al., 2021;Moroni et al., 2013;Mylopotamitaki et al., 2024;Slimak, 2023;Slimak et al., 2022) and instances of interbreeding between different groups (Green et al., 2010;Prüfer et al., 2014Prüfer et al., , 2017Slon et al., 2018;Vallini et al., 2022Vallini et al., , 2024. Since the discovery of the Uluzzian in the 1960s (Palma di Cesnola, 1963), similarities have been noted between the Châtelperronian and Uluzzian due to their comparable chronology, stratigraphic position, and the presence of curved backed retouched tools in both sets of assemblages. ...
The Uluzzian and Châtelperronian: No Technological Affinity in a Shared Chronological Framework
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2025
The Châtelperronian and Uluzzian techno-complexes are identified in western Europe in the same stratigraphic position, between the late Middle Palaeolithic and other Upper Palaeolithic assemblages. Both industries include retouched artefacts with abrupt retouch and arched backs, and radiometric dating indicates that these two technocomplexes belong to the same window of time. Here, we provide a detailed, qualitative technological comparison of two Châtelperronian and two Uluzzian lithic assemblages based on a collaborative, first-hand examination of these collections. This study results from a one-week workshop designed to bring relevant researchers together to conduct an in-person investigation of these lithic industries. Our analysis highlights significant technological divergences between these industries. In short, the Châtelperronian is a blade industry with a minor bladelet component produced by freehand direct percussion, whereas the Uluzzian is a flake-bladelet industry with massive use of bipolar percussion and a minor component produced by freehand, direct percussion. Our results suggest that there are no, or very little, technological affinities between the Châtelperronian and the Uluzzian — despite occupying the same window of time. As an extension, this suggests that there was little to no relationship/contact between the groups producing these industries during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition. The distinctiveness of the Châtelperronian and Uluzzian highlights that technological behaviours in western Europe during the 45–40 ka can be very diverse and that general labels such as ‘transitional industries’ are unsatisfactory in describing this diversity. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41982-024-00202-1.
View
... The proportions of flakes, points, and blades may vary across different techno-complexes (Kuhn, 2019;Rybin et al., 2020;Zwyns et al., 2019). Additionally, this toolkit can be combined with diverse bladelet reduction strategies and Upper Paleolithic tools, such as end-scrapers and burins (Demidenko & Škrdla, 2023;Demidenko et al., 2020;Zwyns, 2021;Zwyns et al., 2024). Possible correlations between the IUP and the dispersal of Homo sapiens from southwest Asia have been suggested (Boaretto et al., 2021;Hublin et al., 2020). ...
IUP Technological Signatures or Mousterian Variability? The Case of Riparo l'Oscurusciuto (Southern Italy)
Article
Full-text available
  • Oct 2024
In the Italian peninsula, the Late Middle Paleolithic exhibits significant technological diversity, featuring blades, points, and bladelets. Assemblages displaying these distinctive characteristics have, in some cases, been labeled as Musteriano evoluto or Evolved Mousterian, and they are interpreted as contributing to the technological and typological variability within the Middle Paleolithic. In this study, we report the results of a detailed technological analysis of the lithics recovered from the latest layers preserved at Riparo l’Oscurusciuto (SU1 to SU3) in southern Italy. These layers were previously attributed to the Late Mousterian based on their chronological age and a preliminary techno/typological analysis of a small number of artifacts. Our comprehensive analysis of entire assemblages reveals the presence of original technological features, including blades, bladelets, and specific production of micro-points on flake cores. Some of these technological traits are comparable to those recently described at Grotte Mandrin in south-eastern France, which have been attributed to an early phase of the Initial Upper Paleolithic and associated with one modern human tooth. The study confirms the variability of the Late Middle Paleolithic in southern Italy and emphasizes the necessity to reassess it considering recent theories on the earlier arrival of Homo sapiens in Europe and their potential interaction with local populations.
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... The re-evaluation of the Uluzzian, besides overturning the previous attribution of the technocomplex to Neanderthals (although see ref. 27 for an alternative view), raised doubts regarding the attribution of the remaining "transitional" assemblages to Neanderthals. Mylopotamitaki et al. 28 demonstrated recently that the LRJ technocomplex at the site of Ranis-Ilsenhöhle was probably produced by H. sapiens too, confirming the suspicions of other researchers 29 . Finally, some scholars have posited that the Châtelperronian technocomplex could also be linked with H. sapiens, as its industry displays Upper Palaeolithic-like techno-typological characteristics rather than reflecting previous Mousterian traditions 30,31 . ...
Chronometric data and stratigraphic evidence support discontinuity between Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens in the Italian Peninsula
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2024
The process by which Palaeolithic Europe was transformed from a Neanderthal-dominated region to one occupied exclusively by Homo sapiens has proven challenging to diagnose. A blurred chronology has made it difficult to determine when Neanderthals disappeared and whether modern humans overlapped with them. Italy is a crucial region because here we can identify not only Late Mousterian industries, assumed to be associated with Neanderthals, but also early Upper Palaeolithic industries linked with the appearance of early H. sapiens, such as the Uluzzian and the Aurignacian. Here, we present a chronometric dataset of 105 new determinations (74 radiocarbon and 31 luminescence ages) from four key southern Italian sites: Cavallo, Castelcivita, Cala, and Oscurusciuto. We built Bayesian-based chronometric models incorporating these results alongside the relative stratigraphic sequences at each site. The results suggest; 1) that the disappearance of Neanderthals probably pre-dated the appearance of early modern humans in the region and; 2) that there was a partial overlap in the chronology of the Uluzzian and Protoaurignacian, suggesting that these industries may have been produced by different human groups in Europe.
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... 44 and 41 ka (Picin et al., 2022). However, this culture is not clearly identified anthropologically (Semal et al., 2009;Flas et al., 2011;Demidenko et al., 2023). Despite the intense ongoing debates on the attribution of LRJ, rare records from northern France place the end of the Late Middle Palaeolithic (Neanderthals occupations) around 40 ka (Locht et al., 2016;Locht, 2019), confirming the dates from Devièse et al. (2021) and Abrams (2023) as the timing of last occupation of Neanderthals in northwest Europe. ...
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Earliest modern human genomes constrain timing of Neanderthal admixture
Article
Full-text available
  • Dec 2024
  • NATURE
Modern humans arrived in Europe more than 45,000 years ago, overlapping at least 5,000 years with Neanderthals1, 2, 3–4. Limited genomic data from these early modern humans have shown that at least two genetically distinct groups inhabited Europe, represented by Zlatý kůň, Czechia³ and Bacho Kiro, Bulgaria². Here we deepen our understanding of early modern humans by analysing one high-coverage genome and five low-coverage genomes from approximately 45,000-year-old remains from Ilsenhöhle in Ranis, Germany⁴, and a further high-coverage genome from Zlatý kůň. We show that distant familial relationships link the Ranis and Zlatý kůň individuals and that they were part of the same small, isolated population that represents the deepest known split from the Out-of-Africa lineage. Ranis genomes harbour Neanderthal segments that originate from a single admixture event shared with all non-Africans that we date to approximately 45,000–49,000 years ago. This implies that ancestors of all non-Africans sequenced so far resided in a common population at this time, and further suggests that modern human remains older than 50,000 years from outside Africa represent different non-African populations.
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Ořechov IV: nová stratifikovaná lokalita bohunicienu mimo brněnskou kotlinu
Article
Full-text available
  • Oct 2017
Ořechov IV je lokalita bohunicienu ležící v Bobravské vrchovině, přibližně 7 km jihozápadně od Bohunic, tedy již mimo vlastní brněnskou kotlinu. Po mnoho let (od objevu na počátku 20. století) byla známá jako povrchová lokalita, v průběhu několika posledních let na ní však byla objevena dvě místa s intaktními situacemi. Poloha byla zřejmě opakovaně osídlována na počátku mladého paleolitu, a představuje tak palimpsest. Předběžné analýzy naznačují přítomnost mladého bohunicienu, který se chronologicky i technologicky odlišuje od dosud známých lokalit bohunicienu v Bohunicích a na Stránské skále.
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Initial Upper Paleolithic bladelet production: Bladelets in Moravian Bohunician
Article
Full-text available
  • Jun 2020
Bladelets are a common Upper Palaeolithic technological category, often described as a proxy for the Early Upper Palaeolithic. However, bladelet production has already been documented within preceding Initial Upper Palaeolithic techno-complexes, e.g. at Boker Tachtit (Negev Desert, Israel) and Kara-Bom (Altai Republic, Russian Federation). Only isolated bladelets have been reported from the Central European Bohunician. However, a recently discovered and excavated site, Ořechov IV – Kabáty has yielded a large series (over 1,000 items) of micro-blades and bladelets, documenting a higher degree of technological heterogeneity of the Bohunician techno-complex than previously thought.
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Initial Upper Palaeolithic Homo sapiens from Bacho Kiro Cave, Bulgaria
Article
Full-text available
  • May 2020
  • NATURE
The Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in Europe witnessed the replacement and partial absorption of local Neanderthal populations by Homo sapiens populations of African origin1. However, this process probably varied across regions and its details remain largely unknown. In particular, the duration of chronological overlap between the two groups is much debated, as are the implications of this overlap for the nature of the biological and cultural interactions between Neanderthals and H. sapiens. Here we report the discovery and direct dating of human remains found in association with Initial Upper Palaeolithic artefacts2, from excavations at Bacho Kiro Cave (Bulgaria). Morphological analysis of a tooth and mitochondrial DNA from several hominin bone fragments, identified through proteomic screening, assign these finds to H. sapiens and link the expansion of Initial Upper Palaeolithic technologies with the spread of H. sapiens into the mid-latitudes of Eurasia before 45 thousand years ago3. The excavations yielded a wealth of bone artefacts, including pendants manufactured from cave bear teeth that are reminiscent of those later produced by the last Neanderthals of western Europe4–6. These finds are consistent with models based on the arrival of multiple waves of H. sapiens into Europe coming into contact with declining Neanderthal populations7,8. Direct dates for human remains found in association with Initial Upper Palaeolithic artefacts at Bacho Kiro Cave (Bulgaria) demonstrate the presence of Homo sapiens in the mid-latitudes of Europe before 45 thousand years ago.
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The Eastern Magdalenian. Hunters, landscapes, and caves.
Chapter
Full-text available
  • Mar 2019
The regions on the Middle Danube and Upper Elbe rivers in eastern central Europe represent two important provinces at the eastern Magdalenian periphery. Analysis of the adaptation strategies suggests a certain degree of variation in settlement patterns, hunting specialisation, and art.
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Neandertaler im spätesten Mittelpaläolithikum Bayerns? Die Jerzmanovice-Spitzen aus der Kirchberghöhle bei Schmähingen im Nördlinger Ries. Bericht der Bayerischen Bodendenkmalpflege 59, 2018, 19-28.
Article
Full-text available
  • Feb 2019
Mit den Jerzmanovice-Spitzen aus der Kirchberghöhle kann den wenigen Fundpunkten des „LRJ“-Komplexes, die außerhalb Südenglands bekannt sind , eine weitere Fundstelle aus Bayern hinzugefügt werden. Ob die Fundablage der Silices und die der Faunenreste in einen gemeinsamen Kontext gestellt werden können, ist aus quellenkritischer Perspektive unsicher. Immerhin datieren beide Phänomene in etwa gleich. Als wahrscheinlichere Hypothese wird daher angenommen, dass Angehörige einer regionalen Neandertaler-Gruppe des „LRJ“-Komplexes die Kirchberghöhle in einem Zeitraum zwischen 39.714 calBP und 44.714 calBP aufsuchten.
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Le passage du Paléolithique moyen au Paléolithique supérieur en Europe centrale et orientale
Article
  • Jan 2000
Les aptitudes moustériennes nous semblent amplement démontrées par la flexibilité étourdissante de la technologie, l’aptitude à la prévision des besoin et à la maîtrise du fonctionnement symbolique. La question se résout à bien distinguer les potentialités des réalisation au sein d’ensemble paléolitique. Ceux-ci nous semblent dus en particulier à la relation nouvelle entretenue entre homme et l’animal au début du Paléolitique supérieur : autant l’arme naturelle se retourne contre la proie (sagaies en bois de renne), autant l’image s’approprie les vertus et la puissance des espèces vivantes. L’Europe centrale et orientale contribuent alors non seulement à l’histoire des peuples européens, mais aussi à la réflexion sur la nature des processus permettant le passage d’une période à l’autre.
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Chronostratigraphy of Jerzmanowician. New data from Koziarnia Cave, Poland
Article
  • May 2021
  • JASR
Lincombian-Ranisian-Jerzmanowician (LRJ) industries are extremely scarce in Central Europe. Therefore, each LRJ site is of great importance. One of them is Koziarnia Cave in Poland situated eastwards relative to other LRJ sites. Our investigations of this cave provided new chronostratigraphic data for the LRJ industries. A detail debitage analysis recognised the ventral thinning chips and enabled identification of the LRJ assemblage-containing stratum. Besides the LRJ assemblage, strata with traces of Late Middle Palaeolithic and Early Gravettian occupation were found at the site. The radiocarbon dates of Koziarnia samples show that the archaeological settlement represents one of the oldest Gravettian stays north to the Carpathians. Moreover, these dates demonstrate that humans and cave bears had alternately occupied the cave. Additionally, the radiocarbon dates indicate relatively young chronology of the Jerzmanowician occupation in Koziarnia Cave (ca. 39-36 ky calBP). The results suggest the long chronology of the LRJ technocomplex, exceeding the Campanian Ignimbrite event.
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Reevaluating the timing of Neanderthal disappearance in Northwest Europe
Article
  • Mar 2021
Significance Understanding when Neanderthals disappeared is a hotly debated topic. When radiocarbon dating placed the Spy Neanderthals amongst the latest surviving in Northwest Europe, questions were raised regarding the reliability of the dates. Using a procedure more efficient in removing contamination and ancient genomic analysis, we show that previous dates produced on Neanderthal specimens from Spy are too young by up to 10,000 y. Our direct radiocarbon dates on the Neanderthals from Spy and those from Engis and Fonds-de-Forêt show a reduction of the uncertainty for the time window corresponding to Neanderthal disappearance in Northwest Europe. This population disappeared at 44,200 to 40,600 cal B.P. (at 95.4% probability). This is also earlier than previous suggestions based on dates on bulk collagen.
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