Aggiornamento 22 febbraio

The Mousterian bone retouchers of Noisetier Cave: experimentation and identification of marks, di J. B. Mallye, C. Thiébaut, V. Mourre, S. Costamagno, É. Claud, P. Weisbecker, "Journal of Archaeological Science", Volume 39, Issue 4, April 2012, Pages 1131–1142

Retouchers are fragments of bone used during the Paleolithic to strike stone flakes in order to transform them into retouched tools. Our experiments show that the mark produced on retouchers differs depending on whether they were used to strike flint or quartzite. Our results suggest that numerous pits, most often with an ovoid form, characterize the retouching of quartzite flakes. Most of the scores produced with this material have a sinuous morphology with rough interior faces. The areas with superposed traces have a pitted appearance. On the other hand, the retouching of flint flakes, produces pits that are most often triangular in form. Most of the scores have a rectilinear morphology with smooth interior faces and their superposition results in the formation of hatch marks. There is also a relationship between the characteristics of the mark and the relative state of freshness of the retouchers. The validity of the criteria identified was confirmed by a blind test. These diagnostic criteria were applied to archaeological retouchers from the Mousterian site of Noisetier Cave. The results obtained improve our knowledge of the technical behaviors of Neanderthals and allow us to address questions concerning their techno-economic implications. (...)

Elephants and subsistence. Evidence of the human exploitation of extremely large mammal bones from the Middle Palaeolithic site of PRERESA (Madrid, Spain), di J. Yravedra, S. Rubio-Jara, J. Panera, D. Uribelarrea, A. Pérez-González, "Journal of Archaeological Science", Volume 39, Issue 4, April 2012, Pages 1063–1071

The archaeological site at PRERESA (Madrid, Spain) has been dated to 84 ± 5.6 ka by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) (MIS 5a). An area 255 m2 was excavated and 754 lithic pieces were recovered, as well as a large amount of micro and macro vertebrate remains, including proboscidean bones. The aim of this paper is to outline the results of the taphonomic study of these remains. The identification of cut marks on a number of the bones recovered strengthens the theory that the exploitation of extremely large mammals was more than just a marginal practice before the Upper Palaeolithic. Additionally, the identification of green-bone fractures and percussion marks confirm for the first time, that the bone marrow of these taxa was also consumed. Few other cases of this practice have been identified, firstly because obtaining this substance would not be an easy matter, and secondly because similar nutritional needs can also be met by the consumption of brain matter, which is easier to acquire. (...)

Technological, elemental and colorimetric analysis of an engraved ochre fragment from the Middle Stone Age levels of Klasies River Cave 1, South Africa, di F. d’Errico, R. García Moreno, R. F. Rifkin, "Journal of Archaeological Science", Volume 39, Issue 4, April 2012, Pages 942–952

It is generally accepted that abstract and iconographic representations are reflections of symbolic material culture. Here we describe a fragmented ocherous pebble bearing a sequence of sub-parallel linear incisions. These were produced by a lithic point and may represent one of the oldest instances of a deliberate engraving. The object was recovered from Middle Stone Age II levels of Klasies River Cave 1, South Africa, and is dated to between 100,000 and 85,000 years ago. Microscopic analysis reveals that the surface of the object was ground until smooth before being engraved with a sequence of sub-parallel lines made by single and multiple strokes. X-ray fluorescence and colorimetric analysis of the object and a sample of twelve additional ochre pieces from the same level reveals that the brown colour and Manganese-rich composition renders the engraved piece distinct. This suggests that a particular type of raw material may have been selected for engraving purposes. Although the purpose of marking this object remains uncertain, its detailed analysis adds relevant information to previously published occurrences of Middle Stone Age engraved objects and contributes to clarify their distribution through time and space. (...)

Nature vs. Culture: present-day spatial distribution and preservation of open-air rock art in the Côa and Douro River Valleys (Portugal), di T. Aubry, L. Luís, L. A. Dimuccio, "Journal of Archaeological Science", Volume 39, Issue 4, April 2012, Pages 848–866

Late-glacial and Iron-Age open-air rock art of the Côa River Valley shows a similar spatial distribution, with several clusters along the Côa and Douro River tributaries that are mostly exposed to the southeast. In this report, we try to determine whether the artists of both periods deliberately chose the same natural panels for rock art or its present-day spatial distribution is imposed by formation and weathering processes, previous or subsequent to the engraving. Geological structural analysis, from regional to field scales, shows a NNE-SSW sinistral strike-slip fault system that crosses the study area, together with a set of fracture/joints with the same orientation and formed by the same tectonic stress. Direct field measurement and the description of 713 natural panels, engraved and un-engraved, reveal that the preserved rock art panels correspond to the most common tectonic fracture/joint systems (NNE-SSW) of the study area. Locally, the hydrographic network is conditioned by the same structural control. Differential weathering exists between the panels exposed on opposite margins of watercourses, with preferential degradation of the rock art panel surfaces exposed to the NW. We propose that, on the scale of the valley, the surface weathering of the rock art panels results from differential solar radiation, humidity, lichen and bryophyte colonisations. Interpretation of field observations, a frequency-probabilistic procedure, pair-wise comparison matrix and geographic information system analysis were combined to evaluate a Côa panel formation and preservation predictive model using archaeological, topographical and hydrological data. Four variables were extracted and weighted from the collected data, including topographic slope and aspect, solar radiation and cost-weighted distance to watercourses, which were used as environmental input data. The archaeological input data (rock art occurrences) were used to calculate the variable ratings and to evaluate both the Côa panel formation and preservation predictive model and external validation maps, with the results showing an agreement of 80% and 70%, respectively. Field verification revealed unknown rock art panels in areas with high and very high values. The Côa panel formation and preservation predictive model provides a useful framework to guide survey and heritage management. (...)

Statistical tool for dating and interpreting archaeological contexts using pottery, di L. Bellanger, P. Husi, "Journal of Archaeological Science", Volume 39, Issue 4, April 2012, Pages 777–790

Analyzing chronological patterns is one of the major issues in archaeology. How can the date of a specific context be estimated? Is it possible to identify residual and intrusive material in it at the same time? Numerous statistical methodological approaches have been developed and implemented to estimate dates but have less often addressed the issue of socio-economic area or the functional interpretation of contexts. This article deals with the construction and analysis of two different probability estimate density curves of context dates using pottery. By contrasting the two curves we can define the boundaries of the socio-economic area and make a chrono-functional interpretation of a context. This statistical tool allows the archaeologist to visualize and analyze chronological patterns easily. The method is applied to the analysis of contexts in the town of Tours in particular and more generally in the centre-west of France, based on collected pottery finds. (...)

Surveying the Townscape of Roman Ammaia in Portugal: An Integrated Geoarchaeological Investigation of the Forum Area, di F. Vermeulen, C. Corsi, M. De Dapper, "Geoarchaeology", Volume 27, Issue 2, pages 123–139, March / April 2012

Geoarchaeological research, integrating traditional excavations, and ground truthing with intensive geophysical surveys, aerial photography, and GIS-based data processing, has revealed the full intramural plan of the abandoned Roman city of Ammaia in central Portugal. Although this multidisciplinary effort also focussed on understanding the town/territory relationships and the system of resource exploitation, this paper presents the most important results from fieldwork in the central monumental area of the town, the Roman Forum. Here, excavations, geomorphological survey, and an array of geophysical methods illuminate the long history of the site, from the first settlement and monument-building phases in early Imperial times, to the ongoing post-abandonment processes. This paper discusses some of the benefits of compiling these complementary data sets and proposes the use of a wide array of approaches in order to achieve full understanding of the complex topography and evolution of a classical urban site. It further demonstrates the need for effective stratigraphical control and geomorphological analysis of crucial areas revealed by high-quality geophysics

New Life for the Lion Man, di J. A. Lobell, "Archaeology", Volume 65 Number 2, March/April 2012

On August 25, 1939, archaeologists working at a Paleolithic site called Stadelhole (“stable cave”) at Hohlenstein (“hollow rock”) in southern Germany, uncovered hundreds of mammoth ivory fragments. Just one week later, before they could complete their fieldwork and analyze the finds, World War II began. The team was forced to quickly fill the excavation trenches using the same soil in which they found the ivory pieces. For the next three decades, the fragments sat in storage at the nearby City Museum of Ulm, until archaeologist Joachim Hahn began an inventory. As Hahn pieced together more than 200 fragments, an extraordinary artifact dating to the Aurignacian period (more than 30,000 years ago) began to emerge. It was clearly a figure with both human and animal characteristics. However, only a small part of the head and the left ear had been found, so the type of creature it represented remained a mystery (...)

New Discoveries at Stonehenge, di Z. Zorich, "Archaeology", Volume 65 Number 2, March/April 2012

Stonehenge and its surrounding area continue to offer new information about how the prehistoric site was used. A ground-penetrating radar survey led by Vincent Gaffney of the University of Birmingham has revealed evidence of two large pits that, when viewed from the Heel Stone, a small standing stone near the entrance to the site, align with sunrise and sunset on the summer solstice. The pits may have held wooden posts or standing stones, and the area between them and the Heel Stone may have been used for summer solstice rituals (...)

Multivariate carbon and nitrogen stable isotope model for the reconstruction of prehistoric human diet, di A.W. Froehle, C.M. Kellner, M.J. Schoeninger, "American Journal of Physical Anthropology", Volume 147, Issue 3, pages 352–369, March 2012

Using a sample of published archaeological data, we expand on an earlier bivariate carbon model for diet reconstruction by adding bone collagen nitrogen stable isotope values (δ15N), which provide information on trophic level and consumption of terrestrial vs. marine protein. The bivariate carbon model (δ13Capatite vs. δ13Ccollagen) provides detailed information on the isotopic signatures of whole diet and dietary protein, but is limited in its ability to distinguish between C4 and marine protein. Here, using cluster analysis and discriminant function analysis, we generate a multivariate diet reconstruction model that incorporates δ13Capatite, δ13Ccollagen, and δ15N holistically. Inclusion of the δ15N data proves useful in resolving protein-related limitations of the bivariate carbon model, and splits the sample into five distinct dietary clusters. Two significant discriminant functions account for 98.8% of the sample variance, providing a multivariate model for diet reconstruction. Both carbon variables dominate the first function, while δ15N most strongly influences the second. Independent support for the functions' ability to accurately classify individuals according to diet comes from a small sample of experimental rats, which cluster as expected from their diets. The new model also provides a statistical basis for distinguishing between food sources with similar isotopic signatures, as in a previously analyzed archaeological population from Saipan (see Ambrose et al.: AJPA 104(1997) 343-361). Our model suggests that the Saipan islanders' 13C-enriched signal derives mainly from sugarcane, not seaweed. Further development and application of this model can similarly improve dietary reconstructions in archaeological, paleontological, and primatological contexts. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Three-dimensional evaluation of root canal morphology in lower second premolars of early and middle pleistocene human populations from atapuerca (Burgos, Spain), di L. Prado-Simón et alii, "American Journal of Physical Anthropology", Volume 147, Issue 3, pages 452–461, March 2012

The aim of this study is to describe the morphology of the roots and root canals of permanent lower second premolars (LP4s) with fully developed roots of five hominin groups: Homo sp. (ATE9-1 specimen) from Atapuerca-Sima del Elefante locality, H. antecessor (ATD6-4 and ATD6-125) from Atapuerca-Gran Dolina TD6 locality, H. heidelbergensis from Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos locality, H. neanderthalensis from Krapina, Regourdou, and Abri Bourgeois-Delaunay localities, and two contemporary H. sapiens groups. The teeth were scanned by means of microtomography. The roots were divided into three virtual segments by three planes: cemento-enamel junction (CEJ), mid-root (MR), and mid-apex (MA). Volumetric and planar direct measurements of the whole teeth and each segment were taken. Descriptive statistical analyses and nonparametric Mann-Whiney test were performed to test for significant differences (P < 0.025) between groups. ATE9-1 and Gran Dolina-TD6 fossils present intricate radicular complexes that might be transitional between the morphologies of Australopithecus robustus and African early Homo and the derived conditions typically found in later Homo. In H. neanderthalensis and H. heidelbergensis, the root canals are wide, with small apical convergence. This trait is particularly pronounced in the Sima de los Huesos sample which may reflect a particularity of this population. Our study demonstrates the potential of hominin roots and root canals as untapped sources of taxonomic information when the tooth crown is fragmented. Future studies, including more fossil specimens and species will shed light in the polarity of the morphologies observed. Am J Phys Anthropol 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Two human fossil deciduous molars from the sangiran dome (Java, Indonesia): Outer and inner morphology, di C. Zanolli, L. Bondioli, L. Mancini, A. Mazurier, H. Widianto, R. Macchiarelli, "American Journal of Physical Anthropology", Volume 147, Issue 3, pages 472–481, March 2012

Currently, the human deciduous dental record from the Pleistocene deposits of the Sangiran Dome, Java, consists of only eight specimens. Here we report two deciduous crowns collected near the village of Pucung. While their precise geo-chronological context remains unknown, a provenance from the Early–Middle Pleistocene Kabuh Formation, or from the Early Pleistocene “Grenzbank Zone,” is very likely. These isolated specimens consist of an upper first molar (PCG.1) and a lower second molar (PCG.2). Taxonomic discrimination of the Indonesian tooth record is difficult because of the convergence in crown size and appearance between Pongo and Homo. Accordingly, as PCG.2 still bears a concretion masking most of its features, we coupled the outer analysis of the two specimens with an investigation of their inner morphology. In addition to external characteristics, virtual imaging and quantitative assessment of inner morphology and tissue proportions support an attribution to the taxon Homo, and we preliminary allocate both specimens toH. erectus. Am J Phys Anthropol 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Technical note: Interpreting stable carbon isotopes in human tooth enamel: An examination of tissue spacings from South Africa, di E. Loftus, J. Sealy, "American Journal of Physical Anthropology", Volume 147, Issue 3, pages 499–507, March 2012

Stable isotope analysis of skeletal tissues is widely used in archeology and paleoanthropology to reconstruct diet. In material that is poorly preserved or very old, the tissue of choice is frequently tooth enamel, since this is less susceptible to diagenesis. The relationships between carbon isotope ratios in tooth enamel (δ13Cenamel), bone collagen (δ13Ccollagen), and bone apatite (δ13Cbone apatite) are, however, not well understood. To elucidate these, we have measured all three indicators in archeological humans from the western and southern Cape coastal regions of South Africa. The correlation between δ13Cenamel and δ13Ccollagen is good (R2 = 0.71 if two outliers are excluded, n = 79). The correlation between δ13Cenamel and δ13Cbone apatite is weaker (R2= 0.37, n = 33) possibly due to bone diagenesis. No systematic offset between δ13Cbone apatite and δ13Cenamel was observed in this sample of archeological humans. Intertooth comparisons of δ13Cenamel in three individuals showed little variation, despite the different ages of crown formation. Carbon isotope ratios in both enamel and bone collagen are good proxies for δ13Cdiet. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Results from a survey of Chalcolithic settlements in the plain of Kazeroun, Iran, di A. H. Nobari et alii, "Antiquity - Project Gallery", issue 331, vol. 86, march 2012

Kazeroun County is located in Fars province in Iran at an altitude of 732m asl (Figure 1). The plain of Kazeroun and Lake Parishan sit between two mountain ranges oriented north-west to south-east (Mozaffarian 1994: 25). The majority of studies in this area have been conducted by western archaeologists on historical sites (in particular of the Sassanid period) such as the city of Bishapour and at Tange Chogan, Sar Mashad and Tange Ghandil. Prehistoric investigations, on the other hand, have been few. Among research carried out recently, a systematic surface survey of Bishapour was conducted in 2006 (Rajayi 2006), the route from Bishapour to Borazjan was traced in 2007 (Ghasemi 2008), the Palaeolithic sites of the Lake Parishan area were evaluated in 2007 (Vahdati Nasab 2008), and a survey of archaeological sites in the central Kazeroun plain was undertaken by one of the authors in 2007 (Rezaei 2007) (...)

Real-time 3D archaeological field recording: ArchField, an open-source GIS system pioneered in southern Jordan, di N. G. Smith, T. E. Levy, "Antiquity - Project Gallery", issue 331, vol. 86, march 2012

Building upon previous implementations of an on-site digital archaeology system for field recording (Levy & Smith 2007; Levy et al. 2010; Petrovic et al. 2011; Gidding et al. in press), a real-time 3D data recording interface called ArchField has been developed for a total reconstruction of architecture and recovered material culture (Figure 1). Since 1998, the methodological goal of our fieldwork has been to develop a streamlined fully integrated Geographic Information System (GIS) that would enable the production of digital top plans and at the end of the season publication-quality digital maps, charts and tables. By using GIS as the nexus for data storage and analysis, our research has played a major role in the application of digital/cyber-archaeology field methods to help answer historical, anthropological and archaeological questions. These goals have led to the innovation of a new on-site digital archaeology recording system for field recording and digital conservation called ArchField (...)

Near-Infrared Aerial Crop Mark Archaeology: From its Historical Use to Current Digital Implementations, di G. J. Verhoeven, "Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory", Volume 19, Number 1 / March 2012, pp. 132-160

Even though most archaeologists are aware of the crop mark phenomenon and its possible archaeological nature, the information on its occurrence and specific character is, in most cases, obtained by imaging in the visible spectrum. After the Second World War, the occasional use of near-infrared (NIR) sensitive emulsions attributed this kind of invisible imaging with a great potential. However, archaeological NIR imaging always remained restricted due to several reasons not, at least, its complicated workflow and uncertain results. This article wants to delve deeper into the subject, looking at the conventional film-based approach of NIR aerial reconnaissance and its historical use in archaeological crop mark research, after which a current straightforward digital approach will be outlined. By explaining the spectral properties of plants and using examples of recently acquired NIR imagery in comparison with visible frames, it should become clear why the detection and interpretation of crop marks can benefit from low-cost digital NIR imaging in certain situations. 

Integrating Archaeological Theory and Predictive Modeling: a Live Report from the Scene, di P. Verhagen, T. G. Whitley, "Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory", Volume 19, Number 1 / March 2012, pp. 49-100

Archaeological predictive modeling has been used successfully for over 20 years as a decision-making tool in cultural resources management. Its appreciation in academic circles however has been mixed because of its perceived theoretical poverty. In this paper, we discuss the issue of integrating current archaeological theoretical approaches and predictive modeling. We suggest a methodology for doing so based on cognitive archaeology, middle range theory, and paleoeconomic modeling. We also discuss the problems associated with testing predictive models. (...)

LB1 and LB6 Homo floresiensis are not modern human (Homo sapiens) cretins, di P. Brown, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 62, Issue 2, February 2012, Pages 201–224

Excavations in the late Pleistocene deposits at Liang Bua cave, Flores, have uncovered the skeletal remains of several small-bodied and small-brained hominins in association with stone artefacts and the bones of Stegodon. Due to their combination of plesiomorphic, unique and derived traits, they were ascribed to a new species, Homo floresiensis, which, along with Stegodon, appears to have become extinct ∼17 ka (thousand years ago). However, recently it has been argued that several characteristics of H. floresiensis were consistent with dwarfism and evidence of delayed development in modern human (Homo sapiens) myxoedematous endemic (ME) cretins. This research compares the skeletal and dental morphology in H. floresiensis with the clinical and osteological indicators of cretinism, and the traits that have been argued to be associated with ME cretinism in LB1 and LB6. Contrary to published claims, morphological and statistical comparisons did not identify the distinctive skeletal and dental indicators of cretinism in LB1 or LB6 H. floresiensis. Brain mass, skeletal proportions, epiphyseal union, orofacial morphology, dental development, size of the pituitary fossa and development of the paranasal sinuses, vault bone thickness and dimensions of the hands and feet all distinguish H. floresiensis from modern humans with ME cretinism. The research team responsible for the diagnosis of ME cretinism had not examined the original H. floresiensis skeletal materials, and perhaps, as a result, their research confused taphonomic damage with evidence of disease, and thus contained critical errors of fact and interpretation. Behavioural scenarios attempting to explain the presence of cretinous H. sapiens in the Liang Bua Pleistocene deposits, but not unaffected H. sapiens, are both unnecessary and not supported by the available archaeological and geochronological evidence from Flores. (...)

A comprehensive morphometric analysis of the frontal and zygomatic bone of the Zuttiyeh fossil from Israel, di S.E. Freidline, P. Gunz, I. Janković, K. Harvati, J.J. Hublin, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 62, Issue 2, February 2012, Pages 225–241

The Zuttiyeh hominin craniofacial fossil was discovered in Israel in 1925. Radiometric dates and the archaeological context (Acheulo-Yabrudian) bracket the associated cave layers to between 200 and 500 ka (thousands of years ago), making it one of the earliest cranial fossils discovered in the Near East thus far. Its geographic position, at the corridor between Africa and Eurasia, in combination with its probable Middle Pleistocene date make it a crucial specimen for interpreting later human evolution. Since its discovery, qualitative descriptive and traditional morphometric methods have variously suggested affinities to Homo erectus (Zhoukoudian), Homo neanderthalensis (Tabun), and early Homo sapiens (Skhul and Qafzeh). To better determine the taxonomic affinities of the Zuttiyeh fossil, this study uses 3D semilandmark geometric morphometric techniques and multivariate statistical analyses to quantify the frontal and zygomatic region and compare it with other Middle to Late Pleistocene African and Eurasian hominins. Our results show that the frontal and zygomatic morphology of Zuttiyeh is most similar to Shanidar 5, a Near East Neanderthal, Arago 21, a European Middle Pleistocene hominin, and Skhul 5, an early H. sapiens. The shape differences between archaic hominins (i.e., Homo heidelbergensis and H. neanderthalensis) in this anatomical region are very subtle. We conclude that Zuttiyeh exhibits a generalized frontal and zygomatic morphology, possibly indicative of the population that gave rise to modern humans and Neanderthals. However, given that it most likely postdates the split between these two lineages, Zuttiyeh might also be an early representative of the Neanderthal lineage. Neanderthals largely retained this generalized overall morphology, whereas recent modern humans depart from this presumably ancestral morphology. (...)

Stature estimation from complete long bones in the Middle Pleistocene humans from the Sima de los Huesos, Sierra de Atapuerca (Spain), di J. M. Carretero et alii, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 62, Issue 2, February 2012, Pages 242–255

Systematic excavations at the site of the Sima de los Huesos (SH) in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain) have allowed us to reconstruct 27 complete long bones of the human species Homo heidelbergensis. The SH sample is used here, together with a sample of 39 complete Homo neanderthalensis long bones and 17 complete early Homo sapiens (Skhul/Qafzeh) long bones, to compare the stature of these three different human species. Stature is estimated for each bone using race- and sex-independent regression formulae, yielding an average stature for each bone within each taxon. The mean length of each long bone from SH is significantly greater (p < 0.05) than the corresponding mean values in the Neandertal sample. The stature has been calculated for male and female specimens separately, averaging both means to calculate a general mean. This general mean stature for the entire sample of long bones is 163.6 cm for the SH hominins, 160.6 cm for Neandertals and 177.4 cm for early modern humans. Despite some overlap in the ranges of variation, all mean values in the SH sample (whether considering isolated bones, the upper or lower limb, males or females or more complete individuals) are larger than those of Neandertals. Given the strong relationship between long bone length and stature, we conclude that SH hominins represent a slightly taller population or species than the Neandertals. However, compared with living European Mediterranean populations, neither the Sima de los Huesos hominins nor the Neandertals should be considered ‘short’ people. In fact, the average stature within the genus Homo seems to have changed little over the course of the last two million years, since the appearance of Homo ergaster in East Africa. It is only with the emergence of H. sapiens, whose earliest representatives were ‘very tall’, that a significant increase in stature can be documented. (...)

Iberomaurusian funerary behaviour: Evidence from Grotte des Pigeons, Taforalt, Morocco, di L. Humphrey, S. M. Bello, E. Turner, A. Bouzouggar, N. Barton, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 62, Issue 2, February 2012, Pages 261–273

Grotte des Pigeons at Taforalt, north-east Morocco, is well known for a large assemblage of Iberomaurusian (Epipalaeolithic) skeletons, possibly representing the earliest and most extensively used prehistoric cemetery in North Africa. New archaeological excavations carried out in 2005 and 2006 revealed further human remains in a largely undisturbed burial area in an alcove at the back of the cave. This discovery provides the first opportunity to report on Iberomaurusian human mortuary activity at this site. Reported here are a closely spaced and inter-cutting series of four burials. These contained the remains of four adults, of which three were buried in a seated or slightly reclining position facing towards the cave entrance and one was buried in a highly flexed position on its left side. The distribution of articulated and disarticulated bones suggested intensive use of the area, with earlier burials disturbed or truncated by subsequent burials, and displaced skeletal elements deliberately or unwittingly incorporated into later depositions. Through this process, parts of a single skeleton were redistributed among several discrete graves and within the surrounding deposit. Some aspects of the Iberomaurusian funerary tradition that are evident from the human remains excavated in the 1950s are absent in the newly excavated adult burials, suggesting a possible elaboration of funerary activity over time. (...)

The Vindija Neanderthal scapular glenoid fossa: Comparative shape analysis suggests evo-devo changes among Neanderthals, di F. Di Vincenzo, S. E. Churchill, G. Manzi, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 62, Issue 2, February 2012, Pages 274–285

Although the shape of the scapular glenoid fossa (SGF) may be influenced by epigenetic and developmental factors, there appears to be strong genetic control over its overall form, such that variation within and between hominin taxa in SGF shape may contain information about their evolutionary histories. Here we present the results of a geometric morphometric study of the SGF of the Neanderthal Vi-209 from Vindjia Cave (Croatia), relative to samples of Plio-Pleistocene, later Pleistocene, and recent hominins. Variation in overall SGF shape follows a chronological trend from the plesiomorphic condition seen in Australopithecus to modern humans, with pre-modern species of the genus Homo exhibiting intermediate morphologies. Change in body size across this temporal series is not linearly directional, which argues against static allometry as an explanation. However, life history and developmental rates change directionally across the series, suggesting an ontogenetic effect on the observed changes in shape (ontogenetic allometry). Within this framework, the morphospace occupied by the Neanderthals exhibits a discontinuous distribution. The Vindija SGF and those of the later Near Eastern Neanderthals (Kebara and Shanidar) approach the modern condition and are somewhat segregated from both northwestern European (Neandertal and La Ferrassie) and early Mediterranean Neanderthals (Krapina and Tabun). Although more than one scenario may account for the pattern seen in the Neanderthals, the data is consistent with palaeogenetic evidence suggesting low levels of gene flow between Neanderthals and modern humans in the Near East after ca. 120–100 ka (thousands of years ago) (with subsequent introgression of modern human alleles into eastern and central Europe). Thus, in keeping with previous analyses that document some modern human features in the Vindija Neanderthals, the Vindija G3 sample should not be seen as representative of ‘classic’ – that is, unadmixed, pre-contact – Neanderthal morphology. (...)

A new chronostratigraphic framework for the Upper Palaeolithic of Riparo Mochi (Italy), di K. Douka, S. Grimaldi, G. Boschian, A. del Lucchese, T. F.G. Higham, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 62, Issue 2, February 2012, Pages 286–299

The rockshelter of Mochi, on the Ligurian coast of Italy, is often used as a reference point in the formation of hypotheses concerning the arrival of the Aurigancian in Mediterranean Europe. Yet, the site is poorly known. Here, we describe the stratigraphic sequence based on new field observations and present 15 radiocarbon determinations from the Middle Palaeolithic (late Mousterian) and Early Upper Palaeolithic (Aurignacian and Gravettian) levels. The majority of dates were produced on humanly modified material, specifically marine shell beads, which comprise some of the oldest directly-dated personal ornaments in Europe. The radiocarbon results are incorporated into a Bayesian statistical model to build a new chronological framework for this key Palaeolithic site. A tentative correlation of the stratigraphy to palaeoclimatic records is also attempted. (...)

A uniquely modern human pattern of endocranial development. Insights from a new cranial reconstruction of the Neandertal newborn from Mezmaiskaya, di P. Gunz, S. Neubauer, L. Golovanova, V. Doronichev, B. Maureille, J. J. Hublin, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 62, Issue 2, February 2012, Pages 300–313

The globular braincase of modern humans is distinct from all fossil human species, including our closest extinct relatives, the Neandertals. Such adult shape differences must ultimately be rooted in different developmental patterns, but it is unclear at which point during ontogeny these group characteristics emerge. Here we compared internal shape changes of the braincase from birth to adulthood in Neandertals (N = 10), modern humans (N = 62), and chimpanzees (N = 62). Incomplete fossil specimens, including the two Neandertal newborns from Le Moustier 2 and Mezmaiskaya, were reconstructed using reference-based estimation methods. We used 3D geometric morphometrics to statistically compare shapes of virtual endocasts extracted from computed-tomographic scans. Throughout the analysis, we kept track of possible uncertainties due to the missing data values and small fossil sample sizes. We find that some aspects of endocranial development are shared by the three species. However, in the first year of life, modern humans depart from this presumably ancestral pattern of development. Newborn Neandertals and newborn modern humans have elongated braincases, and similar endocranial volumes. During a ‘globularization-phase’ modern human endocasts change to the globular shape that is characteristic for Homo sapiens. This phase of early development is unique to modern humans, and absent from chimpanzees and Neandertals. Our results support the notion that Neandertals and modern humans reach comparable adult brain sizes via different developmental pathways. The differences between these two human groups are most prominent directly after birth, a critical phase for cognitive development.

Global migration - who came first? 16 febbraio 2012

150,000 years ago the majority of the human race lived in Africa. Then the great migration occurred with populations spreading out across the globe. When looking at a map of the 21st Century globe it would be logical to think that, from Africa, the first area to be populated by this migration would be Europe and Asia Minor (they are the closest and have a land link via the Nile delta and Upper Egypt). So why have recent studies by geneticists revealed that Australia was populated at least 10,000 years before Europe, particularly considering the large expanses of water that need to be crossed? (...)

Human evolution: Cultural roots, di J. Tollefson, "Nature", Volume: 482, Pages: 290–292 (16 February 2012)

Metal scrapes on hard sand as archaeologist Chris Henshilwood shaves away the top layer of sediment in Blombos Cave. After just a few moments, the tip of his trowel unearths the humerus of a pint-sized tortoise that walked the Southern Cape of South Africa many millennia ago. Next come shells from local mussels and snails amid blackened soil and bits of charred wood, all remnants of an ancient feast. It was one of many enjoyed by a distinct group of early humans who visited Blombos Cave over the course of thousands of years. The Still Bay culture was one of the most advanced Middle Stone Age groups in Africa when it emerged some 78,000 years ago in a startlingly early flourishing of the human mind. Henshilwood's excavations at Blombos Cave have revealed distinctive tools, including carefully worked stone points that probably served as knives and spear tips, and bits of rock inscribed with apparently symbolic designs. But evidence of the technology disappears abruptly in sediment about 71,000 years old, along with all proof of human habitation in southern Africa. It would be 7,000 years before a new culture appeared, with a markedly different toolkit, including crescent-shaped blades probably used as arrowheads (...)

Da un mignolo i segreti dell’Uomo Denisoviano, di C. Di Porto, 15 Febbraio 2012 

Dieci milligrammi. Un frammento di falange di mignolo. Tanto è bastato ai ricercatori dell’Istituto Max Planck di Antropologia Evoluzionistica di Lipsia guidati da Svante Pääbo per sequenziare completamente il Dna di un Uomo Denisoviano o Denisovan. Questi è, insieme all’Uomo di Neanderthal, il più vicino antenato dell’Homo sapiens e prende il suo nome dalla Caverna Denisova nella Siberia meridionale dove il minuscolo pezzo di dito è stato ritrovato, nel 2008. Lo studio, parte del “The Neandertal Genome Project”, è il completamento di una precedente ricerca del 2010 (...)

· Entire genome of extinct human decoded from fossil, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, February 07, 2012

First Neanderthal paintings on a Spanish cave? 11 febbraio 2012

According to new dating tests, a series of seals painted more than 42,000 years ago, located in the Cave of Nerja, in Málaga (Spain) are the first paintings ever made by humans. Until now, archeologists thought that the oldest art was created by modern humans during the Aurignacian period, an archaeological culture of the Upper Palaeolithic, located in Europe and southwest Asia that lasted broadly between ca. 47,000 and 41,000 years ago in terms of the most recent calibration of the radiocarbon timescale. But the Nerja paintings are way older, way more primitive than the ones in Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave, the 32,000-year-old paintings featured in Herzog's 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams'. According to the latest dating of the charcoal found next to the paintings - used either to make the paintings or illuminate them - these seals may have been made more than 42,300 years ago. In fact, they may be as old as 43,500 years (...)

Hobbit small, but not stunted, "Nature", Volume: 482, Page: 135 (09 February 2012)

Evidence is mounting for the argument that the 'hobbit' of Flores Island was not the same species as modern humans.
The first of the 17,000-year-old Homo floresiensis fossils were discovered in 2003; since then there has been fierce debate over whether they represent a new diminutive Homo species, or Homo sapiens with the medical condition cretinism. Peter Brown at the University of New England in Armidale, Australia, analysed H. floresiensis traits such as brain mass, skeletal proportions and tooth development, and compared them with those of people with cretinism.

Use of red ochre by early Neandertals, di  W. Roebroeks, M. J. Sier, T. Kellberg Nielsen, D. De Loecker, J. M. Parés, C, E. S. Arps, H. J. Mücher, "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" (PNAS), February 7, 2012, vol. 109, no. 6, pp. 1889-1894 

The use of manganese and iron oxides by late Neandertals is well documented in Europe, especially for the period 60–40 kya. Such finds often have been interpreted as pigments even though their exact function is largely unknown. Here we report significantly older iron oxide finds that constitute the earliest documented use of red ochre by Neandertals. These finds were small concentrates of red material retrieved during excavations at Maastricht-Belvédère, The Netherlands. The excavations exposed a series of well-preserved flint artifact (and occasionally bone) scatters, formed in a river valley setting during a late Middle Pleistocene full interglacial period. Samples of the reddish material were submitted to various forms of analyses to study their physical properties. All analyses identified the red material as hematite. This is a nonlocal material that was imported to the site, possibly over dozens of kilometers. Identification of the Maastricht-Belvédère finds as hematite pushes the use of red ochre by (early) Neandertals back in time significantly, to minimally 200–250 kya (i.e., to the same time range as the early ochre use in the African record). (...)

Neanderthal mammoth hunters in Jersey? 3 febbraio 2012

Archaeologists are investigating the truth behind the story that Ice Age Neanderthals in Jersey would push mammoths off cliffs in St Brelade for food. About 30 years ago, evidence suggested early residents of what is today the island of Jersey chased the giant mammals off the cliffs at La Cotte above Ouaisne. Dr Geoff Smith, an analyst for Jersey Archive, is now using new technology to look at whether that theory is correct or not. Dr Smith said: "I record the ages of the animals to see if they resemble natural deaths or whether it is indicative of human hunting or other carnivore. Was the climate change so severe it forced them into a refuge somewhere from which they became such a small population they couldn't survive? We still don't know, new theories are coming out every day." (...)

Dating Europe's oldest modern humans, "British Archaeology", Issue 122, Jan / Feb 2012 

Around 45,000 years ago a new human appeared across much of the Old World. Flourishing in environments far removed from the African heartlands where this species had evolved – hot and dry in Australia, wet in Indonesia or temperate in northern Europe – groups of individuals would occasionally have come across similar beings. Themselves long since having left Africa, these beings had evolved in their own separate ways. It is thought they occasionally interbred with the new arrivals, and they may have passed on to each other ideas about technology or the worlds around them. But in time the aboriginal peoples – neanderthals in Europe, Denisovans in Asia, and perhaps others – all died out. We are still here (...)

Neandertal social structure? di B. Haydeno, "Oxford Journal of Archaeology", Volume 31, Issue 1, pages 1–26, February 2012

The cognitive and social capacities of Neandertals have been questioned by a number of authors, while others suggest that such capacities did not differ markedly from those of anatomically modern humans in the last 30,000 years. What does the material evidence indicate? The information that can be gleaned from Middle Palaeolithic sites indicates that there were Neandertal bands of about 12–24 people that formed alliances with 10–20 other bands and had enemy relationships as well. Rituals probably helped hold alliances together. These conclusions indicate that there were language or dialect groups that were probably ethnically self-conscious. Some of the postulated band ranges and population densities in the literature appear unrealistic. Sexual division of labour was probably pronounced and Neandertals appear to have used rudimentary status markers, including predator pelts, bird wings or claws, colorants, and a range of speciality items.

Why Levallois? A Morphometric Comparison of Experimental ‘Preferential’ Levallois Flakes versus Debitage Flakes, di M. I. Eren, S. J. Lycett, "PlosONE", January 23, 2012

Middle Palaeolithic stone artefacts referred to as ‘Levallois’ have caused considerable debate regarding issues of technological predetermination, cognition and linguistic capacities in extinct hominins. Their association with both Neanderthals and early modern humans has, in particular, fuelled such debate. Yet, controversy exists regarding the extent of ‘predetermination’ and ‘standardization’ in so-called ‘preferential Levallois flakes’ (PLFs). Using an experimental and morphometric approach, we assess the degree of standardization in PLFs compared to the flakes produced during their manufacture. PLFs possess specific properties that unite them robustly as a group or ‘category’ of flake. The properties that do so, relate most strongly to relative flake thicknesses across their surface area. PLFs also exhibit significantly less variability than the flakes generated during their production. Again, this is most evident in flake thickness variables. A further aim of our study was to assess whether the particular PLF attributes identified during our analyses can be related to current knowledge regarding flake functionality and utility. PLFs are standardized in such a manner that they may be considered ‘predetermined’ with regard to a specific set of properties that distinguishes them statistically from a majority of other flakes. Moreover, their attributes can be linked to factors that, based on current knowledge, are desirable features in flake tools (e.g. durability, capacity for retouch, and reduction of torque). As such, our results support the hypothesis that the lengthy, multi-phase, and hierarchically organized process of Levallois reduction was a deliberate, engineered strategy orientated toward specific goals. In turn, our results support suggestions that Levallois knapping relied on a cognitive capacity for long-term working memory. This is consistent with recent evidence suggesting that cognitive distinctions between later Pleistocene hominins such as the Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans were not as sharp as some scholars have previously suggested (...)

The Arabian Cradle: Mitochondrial Relicts of the First Steps along the Southern Route out of Africa, di V. Fernandes et alii, "The American Journal of Human Genetics", Volume 90, Issue 2, 347-355, 26 January 2012

A major unanswered question regarding the dispersal of modern humans around the world concerns the geographical site of the first human steps outside of Africa. The southern coastal route model predicts that the early stages of the dispersal took place when people crossed the Red Sea to southern Arabia, but genetic evidence has hitherto been tenuous. We have addressed this question by analyzing the three minor west-Eurasian haplogroups, N1, N2, and X. These lineages branch directly from the first non-African founder node, the root of haplogroup N, and coalesce to the time of the first successful movement of modern humans out of Africa, 60 thousand years (ka) ago. We sequenced complete mtDNA genomes from 85 Southwest Asian samples carrying these haplogroups and compared them with a database of 300 European examples. The results show that these minor haplogroups have a relict distribution that suggests an ancient ancestry within the Arabian Peninsula, and they most likely spread from the Gulf Oasis region toward the Near East and Europe during the pluvial period 5524 ka ago. This pattern suggests that Arabia was indeed the first staging post in the spread of modern humans around the world (...)

Aggiornamento 23 gennaio

Raw material economy in Salento (Apulia, Italy): new perspectives on Neanderthal mobility patterns, di E. E. Spinapolice, "Journal of Archaeological Science", Volume 39, Issue 3, March 2012, Pages 680–689

This paper presents a case study that questions the behavioral model of a “non-modern” provisioning of raw materials by Neanderthals. The Salento is a peninsula in south eastern Italy rich in Mousterian sites and Neanderthal remains. This region is particularly suitable for raw material economy studies, for its peninsular status and the scarceness of good raw materials. Surveys made in 2006 showed the pattern of utilization of different local raw materials (limestone, siliceous limestone) and the absence of good quality raw materials, that are present in archaeological record. A very long distance provisioning is supposed to be at the origin of their presence in Mousterian Salento sites.

Geochemical impacts to prehistoric iron-rich siliceous artifacts in the nearshore coastal zone, di D. L. Lowery, D. P. Wagner, "Journal of Archaeological Science", Volume 39, Issue 3, March 2012, Pages 690–697

In the Middle Atlantic region of the United States, landscapes drowned by sea level rise contain scores of prehistoric archaeological sites. These sites provide archaeologists with a rare opportunity to investigate various geologic processes. During the transition from a terrestrial to an offshore setting, the materials associated with an archaeological site are exposed to a series of geochemical processes inherent to the formation of tidal marsh. The duration of the geochemical exposure to tidal marsh is largely dependent on the rate of marine transgression. Here we describe the stages associated with the sulfidization and sulfuricization scheme and the impact to iron-rich lithic artifacts from naturally drowned archaeological sites. Sulfidization and sulfuricization should also impact buried archaeological materials as a result of anthropogenic dredge spoil dumping and the creation of man-made tidal marshes along modern coastlines. Our results indicate that the surfaces of an iron-rich artifact, as well as its interior are visually and geochemically altered by prolonged exposure to the anaerobic conditions of a tidal marsh. Not only should researchers be cautious about making lithic material identification on artifacts found within coastal tidal marsh areas, but museum curators should be aware of the damaging impact of long-term aerobic storage. The geochemical tidal marsh scheme that has altered or corroded iron-rich lithic artifacts in the nearshore zone is an expression of a process that has impacted numerous earlier prehistoric sites currently located on the continental shelf or beneath the coastal estuaries around the world.

Object-based landform delineation and classification from DEMs for archaeological predictive mapping, di P. Verhagen, L. Drăgut, "Journal of Archaeological Science", Volume 39, Issue 3, March 2012, Pages 698–703

In this paper we report the results of an experiment with automated landform delineation and classification from digital elevation models (DEMs) using object-based image analysis (OBIA). Archaeologists rely on accurate and detailed geomorphological maps to predict and interpret the location of archaeological sites. However, they have been using high-resolution DEMs primarily for visual interpretation and expert-judgement classification of landform. OBIA can perform these classifications much faster and in a more objective fashion. The method was tested on a study area in the south east of the Netherlands. It is concluded that OBIA is a suitable technique for quick and objective delineation of landform, but needs an improved conceptual framework adapted to the local situation and archaeological questions to better identify and interpret the derived landform objects.

Ciclo seminari - Prof. Dominique Grimaud-Hervé (Muséum Nationale d'Histoire Naturelle de Paris - Département de Préhistoire) - Aula 1E del Dipartimento di Biologia ed Evoluzione - C.so Ercole I d'Este, 32, Ferrara

Martedi 7 febbraio 2012 - h. 15,00-18,00: Les plus anciens représentants du genre Homo en Afrique - La sortie d’Afrique : Homo georgicus

Mercoledi 8 febbraio - h. 15,00-18,00: Les Homo erectus d’Asie continentale et insulaire - La question de l’Homme de Flores

Giovedi 9 febbraio - h. 15,00-18,00: Les premiers peuplements d’Europe et les néandertaliens 

Estimating the distribution of probable age-at-death from dental remains of immature human fossils, di L. L. Shackelford, A. E. Stinespring Harris, L. W. Konigsberg, "American Journal of Physical Anthropology", Volume 147, Issue 2, pages 227–253, February 2012

In two historic longitudinal growth studies, Moorrees et al. (Am J Phys Anthropol 21 (1963) 99-108; J Dent Res 42 (1963) 1490-1502) presented the “mean attainment age” for stages of tooth development for 10 permanent tooth types and three deciduous tooth types. These findings were presented graphically to assess the rate of tooth formation in living children and to age immature skeletal remains. Despite being widely cited, these graphical data are difficult to implement because there are no accompanying numerical values for the parameters underlying the growth data. This analysis generates numerical parameters from the data reported by Moorrees et al. by digitizing 358 points from these tooth formation graphs using DataThief III, version 1.5. Following the original methods, the digitized points for each age transition were conception-corrected and converted to the logarithmic scale to determine a median attainment age for each dental formation stage. These values are subsequently used to estimate age-at-death distributions for immature individuals using a single tooth or multiple teeth, including estimates for 41 immature early modern humans and 25 immature Neandertals. Within-tooth variance is calculated for each age estimate based on a single tooth, and a between-tooth component of variance is calculated for age estimates based on two or more teeth to account for the increase in precision that comes from using additional teeth. Finally, we calculate the relative probability of observing a particular dental formation sequence given known-age reference information and demonstrate its value in estimating age for immature fossil specimens. Am J Phys Anthropol 147:227–253, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A new theory on the disappearance of Neanderthals, 19 January 2012

A new theory has been put forward by a team from the Arizona State university and the University of Colorado Denver (USA) on the fate of Neanderthals. The team has recently published a paper on their findings, which were the results of computational modelling. Michael Barton, a pioneer in the area of archaeological applications of computational modelling explains what it means. "To better understand human ecology, and especially how human culture and biology evolved amongst hunter-gatherers in the Late Pleistocene of western Eurasia (approximately 126,000 to 9,500 BCE) we designed theoretical and methodological frameworks that incorporated feedback across three evolutionary systems: biological, cultural and environmental". Their theory is based on the fact that Neanderthals were more intelligent than originally thought and adapted rapidly to changes in their environment. So, when the more populous Homo Sapiens arrived in their midst they adapted and survived by inter breeding with them and, eventually, became absorbed into their society and ceased to be recognisable as a separate species. The paper has already provoked a vocal reaction, both for and against.

· Modeling Human Ecodynamics and Biocultural Interactions in the Late Pleistocene of Western Eurasia, di C. M. Barton, J. Riel-Salvatore, J. M. Anderies, G. Popescu, "Human Ecology", vol. 39, n. 6, december 2011 

Palaeoenvironmental changes and human dispersals in North and East Asia during MIS3 and MIS2, edited by Akira Ono 

Volume 248, Pages 1-98 (18 January 2012)

Evolution of human-driven fire regimes in Africa, di S. Archibald, A. C. Staver, S. A. Levin, "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" (PNAS), January 17, 2012 vol. 109 no. 3, pp. 847-852 

Human ability to manipulate fire and the landscape has increased over evolutionary time, but the impact of this on fire regimes and consequences for biodiversity and biogeochemistry are hotly debated. Reconstructing historical changes in human-derived fire regimes empirically is challenging, but information is available on the timing of key human innovations and on current human impacts on fire; here we incorporate this knowledge into a spatially explicit fire propagation model. We explore how changes in population density, the ability to create fire, and the expansion of agropastoralism altered the extent and seasonal distribution of fire as modern humans arose and spread through Africa. Much emphasis has been placed on the positive effect of population density on ignition frequency, but our model suggests this is less important than changes in fire spread and connectivity that would have occurred as humans learned to light fires in the dry season and to transform the landscape through grazing and cultivation. Different landscapes show different limitations; we show that substantial human impacts on burned area would only have started ∼4,000 B.P. in open landscapes, whereas they could have altered fire regimes in closed/dissected landscapes by ∼40,000 B.P. Dry season fires have been the norm for the past 200–300 ky across all landscapes. The annual area burned in Africa probably peaked between 4 and 40 kya. These results agree with recent paleocarbon studies that suggest that the biomass burned today is less than in the recent past in subtropical countries. 

Earliest modern human, 15 January 2012

Palaeo-anthropologists agree that modern humans evolved in Africa about 200,000 years ago, yet fossil evidence for the earliest examples is scarce. One problem is the difficulty in recognising true modern humans in the fossil record: At this time, many thought to be early members of our species possess a mix of modern and primitive traits. For some, this means our species once had a greater range of physical variation than today - for others, that more than one species of Homo may have lived in Africa at this time. Despite these challenges, there are several candidates for the earliest known members of our species.
Omo I and II (195,000 years ago): In 1967, a team led by Richard Leakey discovered possible Homo sapiens fossils in the Kibish Formation near the Omo River in southern Ethiopia. Re-analysis in 2005 revealed they are 195,000 years old - the oldest fossils assigned to Homo sapiens. Researchers largely agree Omo I was a modern human; flat face, fully formed chin, high forehead and globular brain case. They are less certain about Omo II, with its thicker cranial bones and sloping forehead.
Herto (160,000 years ago): Tim White of the University of California at Berkeley and colleagues unearthed three largely complete skulls in the Middle Awash region of Ethiopia in 1997. They appear quite modern, but because certain traits are outside the range of modern variation, they were placed in their own subspecies.
Qafzeh and Skhul (~100,000 years ago): In the 1930s, researchers working in these caves in northern Israel found the remains of at least 30 individuals, a few purposefully buried. Some suggest they represent an early migration out of Africa, but like Omo II some are difficult to classify. The primitive traits in this population might have resulted from interbreeding with Neanderthals, who also lived in the region at this time.

Nella scapola i segreti dell'evoluzione umana, di A. Danti,  12 gennaio 2012

Lo studio, in corso di pubblicazione sulla rivista Journal of Human Evolution, ha confrontato 67 reperti ossei appartenenti a varie specie di ominidi fossili e viventi, tra i cui Neandertal e uomini anatomicamente moderni (Homo sapiens). Fabio Di Vincenzo e Giorgio Manzi, paleoantropologi dell’Università La Sapienza di Roma, insieme a Steve E. Churchill della Duke University, in North Carolina, hanno analizzato la forma di un piccolo dettaglio anatomico della spalla, cioè la fossa glenoidea della scapola. La morfologia della fossa glenoidea scapolare è da molto tempo oggetto di interesse per gli studiosi dell’evoluzione umana: in particolare, le differenze morfologiche tra le scapole dei Neandertal e quelle degli uomini moderni sono state interpretate finora come il risultato delle diverse attività svolte dai due gruppi: per esempio, l’uso delle armi da getto, comparse con Homo sapiens, avrebbe comportato un particolare sviluppo delle ossa della spalla. Il nuovo studio invece smentisce questa interpretazione e chiarisce come queste differenze siano parte di un cambiamento più generale dei tempi e dei modi di sviluppo dello scheletro che ha interessato tutte le forme del genere Homo (...)

Loss of air sacs improved hominin speech abilities, di B. de Boer, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 62, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 1–6

In this paper, the acoustic-perceptual effects of air sacs are investigated. Using an adaptive hearing experiment, it is shown that air sacs reduce the perceptual effect of vowel-like articulations. Air sacs are a feature of the vocal tract of all great apes, except humans. Because the presence or absence of air sacs is correlated with the anatomy of the hyoid bone, a probable minimum and maximum date of the loss of air sacs can be estimated from fossil hyoid bones. Australopithecus afarensis still had air sacs about 3.3 Ma, while Homo heidelbergensis, some 600 000 years ago and Homo neandethalensis some 60 000 years ago, did no longer. The reduced distinctiveness of articulations produced with an air sac is in line with the hypothesis that air sacs were selected against because of the evolution of complex vocal communication. This relation between complex vocal communication and fossil evidence may help to get a firmer estimate of when speech first evolved.

Morphological description and comparison of the dental remains from Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos site (Spain), di M. Martinón-Torres, J. M. Bermúdez de Castro, A. Gómez-Robles, L. Prado-Simón, J. L. Arsuaga, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 62, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 7–58

The systematic excavation of the Sima de los Huesos (SH) site in Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain) has yielded the largest hominin collection worldwide for the Middle Pleistocene. The dental sample now consists of more than 500 teeth that provide exceptional opportunities to define the dental morphological pattern of a Middle Pleistocene population as well as develop hypotheses about the origins of the Neanderthals. The dental collection has now increased to over 533 specimens (525 permanent and 8 deciduous teeth), necessitating new morphological assessments. Thus, we present a detailed morphological description of the SH permanent dentition recovered up to 2007, accomplishing comparisons with European Middle Pleistocene hominins, Neanderthals, and early and contemporary Homo sapiens. We find that SH dentitions present all the morphological traits that, either in their degree of expression, frequency, or particular combination, are usually considered as typical of Homo neanderthalensis. This study ratifies the deep roots of the Neanderthal lineage in the Middle Pleistocene of Europe. In addition, SH teeth are morphologically “more Neanderthal” than other penecontemporaneous Middle Pleistocene samples such as Mauer or Arago, and even more derived than some classic Neanderthal samples. Thus, our study would not sustain the linearity of the accretion process hypothesized for the origins of the Neanderthals, and we suggest that other evolutionary models and scenarios should be explored for the Middle and Upper Pleistocene of Europe. We propose that more than one hominin lineage may have coexisted during the Middle Pleistocene in Europe.

Paleoclimate during Neandertal and anatomically modern human occupation at Amud and Qafzeh, Israel: the stable isotope data, di K. A. Hallin, M. J. Schoeninger, H. P. Schwarcz, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 62, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 59–73

The δ13C(en) and δ18O(en) values of goat and gazelle enamel carbonate indicate that Neandertals at Amud Cave, Israel (53–70 ka) lived under different ecological conditions than did anatomically modern humans at Qafzeh Cave, Israel (approximately 92 ka). During the Last Glacial Period, Neandertals at Amud Cave lived under wetter conditions than those in the region today. Neither faunal species ate arid-adapted C4 plants or drought-stressed C3 plants. The variation in gazelle δ18O(en) values suggests multiple birth seasons, which today occur under wetter than normal conditions. The magnitude and pattern of intra-tooth variation in goat δ18O(en) values indicate that rain fell throughout the year unlike today. Anatomically modern humans encountered a Qafzeh Cave region that was more open and arid than Glacial Period Amud Cave, and more open than today's Upper Galilee region. Goat δ13C(en) values indicate feeding on varying amounts of C4 plants throughout the year. The climate apparently ameliorated higher in the sequence; but habitats remained more open than at Amud Cave. Both gazelles and goats fed on C3 plants in brushy habitats without any inclusion of C4 plants. The magnitude of intra-tooth variation in goat δ18O(en) values, however, suggest that some rain fell throughout the year, and the relative representation of woodland dwelling species indicates the occurrence of woodlands in the region. Climate differences affecting the distribution of plants and animals appear to be the significant factor contributing to behavioral differences previously documented between Neandertals and anatomically modern humans in the region. Climate forcing probably affected the early appearances of anatomically modern humans, although not the disappearance of Neandertals from the Levant.

Chronology of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition at Abric Romaní, Catalunya, di M. Camps, T. Higham, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 62, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 89–103

This paper presents new data from Abric Romaní, a key site in the region of Catalunya, northeastern Iberia, which is central to discussions of the transition between the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic in Europe. Until now, the Mid-Upper Paleolithic transition had been dated at the site through samples from the remaining baulk sections of levels A and B (typologically classified as ‘earliest Aurignacian’ and Mousterian, respectively) at the rear of the rockshelter, which were left from excavations in the late 1900s and early 1910s. We dated samples of bone and charcoal from these remnant sections with accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) methods. We also analysed several humanly-modified artefacts (bone points and perforated shells) excavated from other areas of the same layers. From the initial series, we obtained ages of c. 20 ka BP (thousands of years before present); much younger than expected if they indeed dated to the early Upper Palaeolithic. We sampled additional material to test the robustness of these initial ages, and older determinations that were more comparable with the chronology outlined by [8] and [10] resulted. All of the old and new results have been compared in a Bayesian model using the new INTCAL09 14C calibration dataset. The results appear to confirm the suggestion of some researchers (e.g., Zilhão and d’Errico, 1999) that there was no Aurignacian in the north of Iberia until c. 36,500 BP. The chronometric model shows a good level of agreement between the radiocarbon and U-series chronologies previously obtained, and the new results published in this paper.

A chronological framework for a long and persistent archaeological record: Melka Kunture, Ethiopia, di L. E. Morgan, P. R. Renne, G. Kieffer, M. Piperno, R. Gallotti, J. P. Raynal, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 62, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 104–115

New 40Ar/39Ar geochronological data for several volcanic ash horizons from Melka Kunture, Ethiopia, allow for significantly more precise age constraints to be placed upon the lithostratigraphy, archaeology and paleontology from this long record. Ashes from the Melka Kunture Formation at Gombore yielded the most reliable age constraints, from 1.393 ± 0.162 Ma2 (millions of years ago) near the base of the section to 0.709 ± 0.013 Ma near the top. Dating the Garba section proved more problematic, but the base of the section, which contains numerous Oldowan obsidian artifacts, may be >1.719 ± 0.199 Ma, while the top is securely dated to 0.869 ± 0.020 Ma. The large ignimbrite from the Kella Formation at Kella and Melka Garba is dated to 1.262 ± 0.034 Ma and pre-dates Acheulean artifacts in the area. The Gombore II site, which has yielded two Homo skull fragments, ‘twisted bifaces,’ and a preserved butchery site, is now constrained between 0.875 ± 0.010 Ma and 0.709 ± 0.013 Ma. Additional ashes from these and other sites further constrain the timing of deposition throughout the section. Integration with previously published magnetostratigraphy has allowed for the first time a relatively complete, reliable timeline for the deposition of sediments, environmental changes, archaeology, and paleontology at Melka Kunture.

Stratigraphic and technological evidence from the middle palaeolithic-Châtelperronian-Aurignacian record at the Bordes-Fitte rockshelter (Roches d’Abilly site, Central France), di T. Aubry et alii, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 62, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 116–137

This paper presents a geoarchaeological study of Middle and Upper Palaeolithic (Châtelperronian, Aurignacian and Solutrean) occupations preserved at the Bordes-Fitte rockshelter in Central France. The lithostratigraphic sequence is composed of near-surface sedimentary facies with vertical and lateral variations, in a context dominated by run-off and gravitational sedimentary processes. Field description and micromorphological analysis permit us to reconstruct several episodes of sediment slope-wash and endokarst dynamics, with hiatuses and erosional phases. The archaeostratigraphic succession includes Châtelperronian artefacts, inter-stratified between Middle Palaeolithic and Aurignacian occupations. Systematic refitting and spatial analysis reveal that the Châtelperronian point production and flake blanks retouched into denticulates, all recovered in the same stratigraphic unit, result from distinct and successive occupations and are not a ‘transitional’ Middle to Upper Palaeolithic assemblage. The ages obtained by 14C place the Châtelperronian occupation in the 41–48 ka cal BP (calibrated thousands of years before present) interval and are consistent with the quartz optically stimulated luminescence age of 39 ± 2 ka and feldspar infra-red stimulated luminescence age of 45 ± 2 ka of the sediments. The Bordes-Fitte rockshelter sequence represents an important contribution to the debate about the characterization and timing of the Châtelperronian, as well as its affinities to earlier and later industries.

Microwear, mechanics and the feeding adaptations of Australopithecus africanus, di D. S. Strait et alii, "Journal of Human Evolution", Volume 62, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 165–168

Recent studies of dental microwear and craniofacial mechanics have yielded contradictory interpretations regarding the feeding ecology and adaptations of Australopithecus africanus. As part of this debate, the methods used in the mechanical studies have been criticized. In particular, it has been claimed that finite element analysis has been poorly applied to this research question. This paper responds to some of these mechanical criticisms, highlights limitations of dental microwear analysis, and identifies avenues of future research.

New German-Israeli center to study human evolution, 8 January 2012

When it comes to human evolution, Europe and the Near East are crucial places: Europe has the first cave art, and the Near East has the first sightings of modern humans out of Africa. Now a leading scientific body, the Munich-based Max Planck Society, is teaming up with Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science to create a joint center devoted to studying archaeology and human evolution, to be based in both Rehovot, Israel, and Leipzig, Germany. On 11 January, Max Planck President Peter Gruss, and Daniel Zajfman, president of the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, will sign a contract to create the new center, worth about €5 million over the next 5 years. The new Max Planck Weizmann Center for Integrative Archaeology and Anthropology, as it will be called, won't have a new building. Instead, the money will fund up to 10 postdocs or graduate students in each city, says anthropologist Jean-Jacques Hublin. It will also support equipment and infrastructure such as the rental of additional lab space in Leipzig and the kitting out of existing space at the Weizmann Institute. The center will focus on key questions such as the timing of cultural change over the past tens of thousands of years and the nature of coexistence between Neanderthals and modern humans. But Hublin says no decisions have been made about specific projects. In addition to CT scanning of bones and teeth and radiocarbon dating of previously excavated materials, researchers hope to launch new archaeological digs, possibly in Europe or the Near East.

Q7. Bio-géosystèmes continentaux quaternaires variabilité climatique et anthropisation - Première partie - Vol. 22/3-2011

- Paléovégétation du site à hominidés de Pont-de-Lavaud, Pléistocène inférieur, région Centre, France
- Datation ESR/U-Th du site paléontologique de Romain-La-Roche (Doubs, France) 
- Successions malacologiques à la charnière Glaciaire/Interglaciaire: du modèle Tardiglaciaire-Holocène aux transitions du Pleistocène 
- Datation et reconstitution paléoenvironnementale d’un site paléolithique moyen submergé en Manche Est: Ault-Onival (Somme, France)
- Nouvelles données sur les changements paléoenvironnementaux de la plaine alluviale de la Saône depuis le Tardiglaciaire: palynologie, géomorphologie
- L’étalonnage du temps du radiocarbone par les cernes d’arbres. L’apport des séries dendrochronologiques du gisement de bois subfossiles du torrent des Barbiers (Alpes françaises du sud)