Rebecca Miller | Université de Liège (original) (raw)
Papers by Rebecca Miller
Quaternary International, 2012
The chronological and palaeoenvironmental context for the industries identified in Europe during ... more The chronological and palaeoenvironmental context for the industries identified in Europe during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition (MUPT) is not accurately known. This situation is mainly due to insufficient knowledge of the context of the archaeological data, much of which comes from old excavations. Any major progress in the understanding of the MUPT can only be achieved with the study of long sedimentary sequences providing a semi-continuous record and situating archaeological remains in a reliable palaeoenvironmental and chronological framework. Strict attention must also be paid to stratigraphic control and site formation processes.
Units 17, 16 and 15, currently being excavated on the terrace, cover the Middle to Upper Palaeoli... more Units 17, 16 and 15, currently being excavated on the terrace, cover the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition at the site of Trou Al'Wesse. These include Late Mousterian layers (Unit 17), an archaeologically sterile unit (Unit 16) that contains fauna that will clarify environmental and climatic changes across the transition, and Aurignacian layers (Unit 15). In addition, the discovery of an Aurignacian endscraper on a large blade in previously unexcavated deposits and an undisturbed cave bear den inside the cave suggests that the cave deposits will contain evidence of Mousterian and Aurignacian occupations untouched by the 19th century excavations of Dupont and Fraipont. This paper presents a preliminary overview of the stratigraphic sequence and chronology on the terrace as well as the lithic and faunal assemblages recovered so far.
The scope of this article is to propose an innovative method based on Near Infrared Hyperspectral... more The scope of this article is to propose an innovative method based on Near Infrared
Hyperspectral Chemical Imaging (NIR-HCI) to rapidly and non-destructively evaluate the relative
degree of collagen preservation in bones recovered from archaeological contexts. This
preliminary study has allowed the evaluation of the potential of the method using bone samples
from the Early Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods at the site of Trou Al'Wesse
in Belgium. NIR-HCI, combined with chemometric tools, has identified specific spectral bands
characteristic of collagen. A chemometric model has been built using Partial Least Squares
Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) to identify bones with and without collagen. This enables the
evaluation of the degree of collagen preservation and homogeneity in bones within and
between different strata, which has direct implications for archaeological applications (e.g.,
taphonomic analyses, assemblage integrity) and sample selection for subsequent analyses
requiring collagen. Two archaeological applications are presented: comparison between sublayers
in an Early Upper Paleolithic unit, and evaluation of the range of variability in collagen
preservation within a single Holocene stratum.
The Late Pleistocene global extinction of many terrestrial mammal species has been a subject of i... more The Late Pleistocene global extinction of many terrestrial mammal
species has been a subject of intensive scientific study for over a
century, yet the relative contributions of environmental changes
and the global expansion of humans remain unresolved. A defining
component of these extinctions is a bias toward large species, with
the majority of small-mammal taxa apparently surviving into the
present. Here, we investigate the population-level history of a key
tundra-specialist small mammal, the collared lemming (Dicrostonyx
torquatus), to explore whether events during the Late Pleistocene
had a discernible effect beyond the large mammal fauna. Using
ancient DNA techniques to sample across three sites in North-West
Europe, we observe a dramatic reduction in genetic diversity in this
species over the last 50,000 y. We further identify a series of extinction-
recolonization events, indicating a previously unrecognized
instability in Late Pleistocene small-mammal populations,
which we link with climatic fluctuations. Our results reveal climateassociated,
repeated regional extinctions in a keystone prey species
across the Late Pleistocene, a pattern likely to have had an impact
on the wider steppe-tundra community, and one that is concordant
with environmental change as a major force in structuring Late
Pleistocene biodiversity.
Mesolithic Miscellany, 2014
Talanta 125, p. 181-188, 2014
The scope of this article is to propose an innovative method based on Near Infrared Hyperspectral... more The scope of this article is to propose an innovative method based on Near Infrared Hyperspectral Chemical Imaging (NIR-HCI) to rapidly and non-destructively evaluate the relative degree of collagen preservation in bones recovered from archaeological contexts. This preliminary study has allowed the evaluation of the potential of the method using bone samples from the Early Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods at the site of Trou Al'Wesse in Belgium. NIR-HCI, combined with chemometric tools, has identified specific spectral bands characteristic of collagen. A chemometric model has been built using Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) to identify bones with and without collagen. This enables the evaluation of the degree of collagen preservation and homogeneity in bones within and between different strata, which has direct implications for archaeological applications (e.g., taphonomic analyses, assemblage integrity) and sample selection for sub- sequent analyses requiring collagen. Two archaeological applications are presented: comparison between sub-layers in an Early Upper Palaeolithic unit, and evaluation of the range of variability in collagen preservation within a single Holocene stratum.
Magnetists and thus should make use of those techniques. Although the field of Environmental Magn... more Magnetists and thus should make use of those techniques. Although the field of Environmental Magnetism has continued its rapid development, archaeological applications over the past decade have tended to focus on field applications of susceptibility. There is thus much potential for expanded use of the entire range of magnetic techniques to answer questions relating to past climates, dating, formation, and postdepositional processes central to understanding the relationship of humans to their environment.
PNAS, 2012
The Late Pleistocene global extinction of many terrestrial mammal species has been a subject of ... more The Late Pleistocene global extinction of many terrestrial mammal
species has been a subject of intensive scientific study for over a
century, yet the relative contributions of environmental changes
and the global expansion of humans remain unresolved. A defining
component of these extinctions is a bias toward large species, with
the majority of small-mammal taxa apparently surviving into the
present. Here, we investigate the population-level history of a key
tundra-specialist small mammal, the collared lemming (Dicrostonyx
torquatus), to explore whether events during the Late Pleistocene
had a discernible effect beyond the large mammal fauna. Using
ancient DNA techniques to sample across three sites in North-West
Europe, we observe a dramatic reduction in genetic diversity in this
species over the last 50,000 y. We further identify a series of extinction-
recolonization events, indicating a previously unrecognized
instability in Late Pleistocene small-mammal populations,
which we link with climatic fluctuations. Our results reveal climateassociated,
repeated regional extinctions in a keystone prey species
across the Late Pleistocene, a pattern likely to have had an impact
on the wider steppe-tundra community, and one that is concordant
with environmental change as a major force in structuring Late
Pleistocene biodiversity.
Quaternary International, 2012
"New paleoclimatic data for the Lateglacial clarify climatic phases during the Lateglacial. Cold ... more "New paleoclimatic data for the Lateglacial clarify climatic phases during the Lateglacial. Cold climate played a key role in limiting Magdalenian expansion from southwest and central Europe This paper presents chronological and geographic data for the different climatic phases to map the expansion of the
Magdalenian into northwest Europe. Specifically, it can be seen that initial expansion follows a southwest-northeast trajectory into southern Germany, followed by northern expansion into Belgium, central Germany and the Paris Basin at the end of the Oldest Dryas. During the Bølling and Allerød phases, human occupation intensified in the Paris Basin and contacts and/or territorial exploitation between both the Paris Basin and the Rhineland region with Belgian territory is demonstrated."
Notae Praehistoricae, 2012
Les datations AMS obtenues pour la séquence holocène du Trou Al'Wesse sont cohérentes avec la séq... more Les datations AMS obtenues pour la séquence holocène du Trou Al'Wesse sont cohérentes avec la séquence stratigraphique, associées aux occupations attribuées au Mésolithique ancien, récent et final, ainsi qu'au Néolithique moyen. Cet article présente l'interprétation de la chronostratigraphie à la lumière des récents résultats radiométriques.
L'Anthropologie, 2012
Le site du Trou Al’Wesse a été interprété comme site d’éventuels contacts entre des populations ... more Le site du Trou Al’Wesse a été interprété comme site d’éventuels contacts entre des populations
mésolithique et néolithique, étant donné la découverte des tessons néolithiques et des outils mésolithiques
dans la couche 4. Pourtant, des récentes fouilles montrent la présence de trois faciès datant du Mésolithique
ancien surmonté par un niveau néolithique, pendant que l’attribution au Mésolithique récent est suggérée
pour un quatrième faciès à la base de la pente de la terrasse. Des analyses lithique, archéozoologique et
archéobotanique, ainsi qu’une analyse spatiale et stratigraphique du matériel, indiquent clairement une
séparation des occupations mésolithique et néolithique. Nous présentons une nouvelle interprétation des
occupations humaines de la séquence holocène au Trou Al’Wesse à la lumière de ces nouvelles données,
suggérant que le site a été régulièrement occupé durant le Mésolithique ancien, suivi par un hiatus
d’occupation et réutilisation du site durant le Mésolithique récent. Le Néolithique ancien est une occupation
nettement à part du Mésolithique ancien sous-jacent, mais des fouilles en cours pouvait récupérer des
données concernant le Mésolithique final et son rapport avec le Néolithique ancien ici.
ERAUL 128, 2011
Bulletin des Chercheurs de la Wallonie, hors-série n o 4
British Archaeological Reports S2224 , 2011
Recent excavations at the cave site of Trou Al'Wesse (Modave, Belgium) have yielded significant n... more Recent excavations at the cave site of Trou Al'Wesse (Modave, Belgium) have yielded significant new data concerning the Mesolithic occupations at the site that contribute to understanding of the chronology and environmental context of the Belgian Mesolithic. We present the results of analyses of lithic and faunal assemblages, site taphonomy and spatial distribution, and discuss the relationship of the site with other Mesolithic sites in Belgium. Résumé. La séquence des occupations mésolithiques du Trou Al'Wesse (Modave, Belgique) apporte des nouvelles données pertinentes à la compréhension de la chronologie du Mésolithique belge et son contexte environnemental. On présente des résultats préliminaires des analyses des ensembles lithiques et fauniques, la taphonomie du site et la répartition spatiale du matériel archéologique, suivi par une discussion du site dans son contexte régional en Belgique.
Notae Praehistoricae, 2010
Les fouilles de la séquence holocène du trou Al'Wesse ont fourni de nouveaux éléments concernant ... more Les fouilles de la séquence holocène du trou Al'Wesse ont fourni de nouveaux éléments concernant les occupations mésolithiques, notamment une demi-mandibule humaine et un percuteur en bois de cerf, ainsi qu'un trou de poteau néolithique. Cet article présente des données géologiques, archéologiques et paléoanthropologiques obtenues lors des fouilles de 2010.
Ongoing excavations on the terrace of the cave site of Trou Al’Wesse (Modave, Belgium) have yield... more Ongoing excavations on the terrace of the cave site of Trou Al’Wesse (Modave, Belgium) have yielded evidence from a stratified sequence dating from the end of the Early Mesolithic to the Early Neolithic. Stratum 4b is divided into a series of laterally superimposed facies (alpha-delta), each of which contains palimpsests of lithics and fauna. The oldest facies (alpha) has been dated to 9000±40 BP (Beta-209871) and the most recent (delta) to 6650±70 BP (Lv-1751). These dates demonstrate the regular re-occupation of the site during the Early and Late Mesolithic, with a significant occupational hiatus during the Middle Mesolithic. Isolated human remains include a cranial fragment dated to 6540±45 BP (OxA-10561) and a deciduous incisor. The interdisciplinary project integrates geological, archaeological and environmental data to address hypotheses related to continuity and change across the Pleistocene-Holocene transition and human response to changing environmental conditions, change during the Mesolithic period, and the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition.
Quaternary International, 2012
The chronological and palaeoenvironmental context for the industries identified in Europe during ... more The chronological and palaeoenvironmental context for the industries identified in Europe during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition (MUPT) is not accurately known. This situation is mainly due to insufficient knowledge of the context of the archaeological data, much of which comes from old excavations. Any major progress in the understanding of the MUPT can only be achieved with the study of long sedimentary sequences providing a semi-continuous record and situating archaeological remains in a reliable palaeoenvironmental and chronological framework. Strict attention must also be paid to stratigraphic control and site formation processes.
Units 17, 16 and 15, currently being excavated on the terrace, cover the Middle to Upper Palaeoli... more Units 17, 16 and 15, currently being excavated on the terrace, cover the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition at the site of Trou Al'Wesse. These include Late Mousterian layers (Unit 17), an archaeologically sterile unit (Unit 16) that contains fauna that will clarify environmental and climatic changes across the transition, and Aurignacian layers (Unit 15). In addition, the discovery of an Aurignacian endscraper on a large blade in previously unexcavated deposits and an undisturbed cave bear den inside the cave suggests that the cave deposits will contain evidence of Mousterian and Aurignacian occupations untouched by the 19th century excavations of Dupont and Fraipont. This paper presents a preliminary overview of the stratigraphic sequence and chronology on the terrace as well as the lithic and faunal assemblages recovered so far.
The scope of this article is to propose an innovative method based on Near Infrared Hyperspectral... more The scope of this article is to propose an innovative method based on Near Infrared
Hyperspectral Chemical Imaging (NIR-HCI) to rapidly and non-destructively evaluate the relative
degree of collagen preservation in bones recovered from archaeological contexts. This
preliminary study has allowed the evaluation of the potential of the method using bone samples
from the Early Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods at the site of Trou Al'Wesse
in Belgium. NIR-HCI, combined with chemometric tools, has identified specific spectral bands
characteristic of collagen. A chemometric model has been built using Partial Least Squares
Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) to identify bones with and without collagen. This enables the
evaluation of the degree of collagen preservation and homogeneity in bones within and
between different strata, which has direct implications for archaeological applications (e.g.,
taphonomic analyses, assemblage integrity) and sample selection for subsequent analyses
requiring collagen. Two archaeological applications are presented: comparison between sublayers
in an Early Upper Paleolithic unit, and evaluation of the range of variability in collagen
preservation within a single Holocene stratum.
The Late Pleistocene global extinction of many terrestrial mammal species has been a subject of i... more The Late Pleistocene global extinction of many terrestrial mammal
species has been a subject of intensive scientific study for over a
century, yet the relative contributions of environmental changes
and the global expansion of humans remain unresolved. A defining
component of these extinctions is a bias toward large species, with
the majority of small-mammal taxa apparently surviving into the
present. Here, we investigate the population-level history of a key
tundra-specialist small mammal, the collared lemming (Dicrostonyx
torquatus), to explore whether events during the Late Pleistocene
had a discernible effect beyond the large mammal fauna. Using
ancient DNA techniques to sample across three sites in North-West
Europe, we observe a dramatic reduction in genetic diversity in this
species over the last 50,000 y. We further identify a series of extinction-
recolonization events, indicating a previously unrecognized
instability in Late Pleistocene small-mammal populations,
which we link with climatic fluctuations. Our results reveal climateassociated,
repeated regional extinctions in a keystone prey species
across the Late Pleistocene, a pattern likely to have had an impact
on the wider steppe-tundra community, and one that is concordant
with environmental change as a major force in structuring Late
Pleistocene biodiversity.
Mesolithic Miscellany, 2014
Talanta 125, p. 181-188, 2014
The scope of this article is to propose an innovative method based on Near Infrared Hyperspectral... more The scope of this article is to propose an innovative method based on Near Infrared Hyperspectral Chemical Imaging (NIR-HCI) to rapidly and non-destructively evaluate the relative degree of collagen preservation in bones recovered from archaeological contexts. This preliminary study has allowed the evaluation of the potential of the method using bone samples from the Early Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods at the site of Trou Al'Wesse in Belgium. NIR-HCI, combined with chemometric tools, has identified specific spectral bands characteristic of collagen. A chemometric model has been built using Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) to identify bones with and without collagen. This enables the evaluation of the degree of collagen preservation and homogeneity in bones within and between different strata, which has direct implications for archaeological applications (e.g., taphonomic analyses, assemblage integrity) and sample selection for sub- sequent analyses requiring collagen. Two archaeological applications are presented: comparison between sub-layers in an Early Upper Palaeolithic unit, and evaluation of the range of variability in collagen preservation within a single Holocene stratum.
Magnetists and thus should make use of those techniques. Although the field of Environmental Magn... more Magnetists and thus should make use of those techniques. Although the field of Environmental Magnetism has continued its rapid development, archaeological applications over the past decade have tended to focus on field applications of susceptibility. There is thus much potential for expanded use of the entire range of magnetic techniques to answer questions relating to past climates, dating, formation, and postdepositional processes central to understanding the relationship of humans to their environment.
PNAS, 2012
The Late Pleistocene global extinction of many terrestrial mammal species has been a subject of ... more The Late Pleistocene global extinction of many terrestrial mammal
species has been a subject of intensive scientific study for over a
century, yet the relative contributions of environmental changes
and the global expansion of humans remain unresolved. A defining
component of these extinctions is a bias toward large species, with
the majority of small-mammal taxa apparently surviving into the
present. Here, we investigate the population-level history of a key
tundra-specialist small mammal, the collared lemming (Dicrostonyx
torquatus), to explore whether events during the Late Pleistocene
had a discernible effect beyond the large mammal fauna. Using
ancient DNA techniques to sample across three sites in North-West
Europe, we observe a dramatic reduction in genetic diversity in this
species over the last 50,000 y. We further identify a series of extinction-
recolonization events, indicating a previously unrecognized
instability in Late Pleistocene small-mammal populations,
which we link with climatic fluctuations. Our results reveal climateassociated,
repeated regional extinctions in a keystone prey species
across the Late Pleistocene, a pattern likely to have had an impact
on the wider steppe-tundra community, and one that is concordant
with environmental change as a major force in structuring Late
Pleistocene biodiversity.
Quaternary International, 2012
"New paleoclimatic data for the Lateglacial clarify climatic phases during the Lateglacial. Cold ... more "New paleoclimatic data for the Lateglacial clarify climatic phases during the Lateglacial. Cold climate played a key role in limiting Magdalenian expansion from southwest and central Europe This paper presents chronological and geographic data for the different climatic phases to map the expansion of the
Magdalenian into northwest Europe. Specifically, it can be seen that initial expansion follows a southwest-northeast trajectory into southern Germany, followed by northern expansion into Belgium, central Germany and the Paris Basin at the end of the Oldest Dryas. During the Bølling and Allerød phases, human occupation intensified in the Paris Basin and contacts and/or territorial exploitation between both the Paris Basin and the Rhineland region with Belgian territory is demonstrated."
Notae Praehistoricae, 2012
Les datations AMS obtenues pour la séquence holocène du Trou Al'Wesse sont cohérentes avec la séq... more Les datations AMS obtenues pour la séquence holocène du Trou Al'Wesse sont cohérentes avec la séquence stratigraphique, associées aux occupations attribuées au Mésolithique ancien, récent et final, ainsi qu'au Néolithique moyen. Cet article présente l'interprétation de la chronostratigraphie à la lumière des récents résultats radiométriques.
L'Anthropologie, 2012
Le site du Trou Al’Wesse a été interprété comme site d’éventuels contacts entre des populations ... more Le site du Trou Al’Wesse a été interprété comme site d’éventuels contacts entre des populations
mésolithique et néolithique, étant donné la découverte des tessons néolithiques et des outils mésolithiques
dans la couche 4. Pourtant, des récentes fouilles montrent la présence de trois faciès datant du Mésolithique
ancien surmonté par un niveau néolithique, pendant que l’attribution au Mésolithique récent est suggérée
pour un quatrième faciès à la base de la pente de la terrasse. Des analyses lithique, archéozoologique et
archéobotanique, ainsi qu’une analyse spatiale et stratigraphique du matériel, indiquent clairement une
séparation des occupations mésolithique et néolithique. Nous présentons une nouvelle interprétation des
occupations humaines de la séquence holocène au Trou Al’Wesse à la lumière de ces nouvelles données,
suggérant que le site a été régulièrement occupé durant le Mésolithique ancien, suivi par un hiatus
d’occupation et réutilisation du site durant le Mésolithique récent. Le Néolithique ancien est une occupation
nettement à part du Mésolithique ancien sous-jacent, mais des fouilles en cours pouvait récupérer des
données concernant le Mésolithique final et son rapport avec le Néolithique ancien ici.
ERAUL 128, 2011
Bulletin des Chercheurs de la Wallonie, hors-série n o 4
British Archaeological Reports S2224 , 2011
Recent excavations at the cave site of Trou Al'Wesse (Modave, Belgium) have yielded significant n... more Recent excavations at the cave site of Trou Al'Wesse (Modave, Belgium) have yielded significant new data concerning the Mesolithic occupations at the site that contribute to understanding of the chronology and environmental context of the Belgian Mesolithic. We present the results of analyses of lithic and faunal assemblages, site taphonomy and spatial distribution, and discuss the relationship of the site with other Mesolithic sites in Belgium. Résumé. La séquence des occupations mésolithiques du Trou Al'Wesse (Modave, Belgique) apporte des nouvelles données pertinentes à la compréhension de la chronologie du Mésolithique belge et son contexte environnemental. On présente des résultats préliminaires des analyses des ensembles lithiques et fauniques, la taphonomie du site et la répartition spatiale du matériel archéologique, suivi par une discussion du site dans son contexte régional en Belgique.
Notae Praehistoricae, 2010
Les fouilles de la séquence holocène du trou Al'Wesse ont fourni de nouveaux éléments concernant ... more Les fouilles de la séquence holocène du trou Al'Wesse ont fourni de nouveaux éléments concernant les occupations mésolithiques, notamment une demi-mandibule humaine et un percuteur en bois de cerf, ainsi qu'un trou de poteau néolithique. Cet article présente des données géologiques, archéologiques et paléoanthropologiques obtenues lors des fouilles de 2010.
Ongoing excavations on the terrace of the cave site of Trou Al’Wesse (Modave, Belgium) have yield... more Ongoing excavations on the terrace of the cave site of Trou Al’Wesse (Modave, Belgium) have yielded evidence from a stratified sequence dating from the end of the Early Mesolithic to the Early Neolithic. Stratum 4b is divided into a series of laterally superimposed facies (alpha-delta), each of which contains palimpsests of lithics and fauna. The oldest facies (alpha) has been dated to 9000±40 BP (Beta-209871) and the most recent (delta) to 6650±70 BP (Lv-1751). These dates demonstrate the regular re-occupation of the site during the Early and Late Mesolithic, with a significant occupational hiatus during the Middle Mesolithic. Isolated human remains include a cranial fragment dated to 6540±45 BP (OxA-10561) and a deciduous incisor. The interdisciplinary project integrates geological, archaeological and environmental data to address hypotheses related to continuity and change across the Pleistocene-Holocene transition and human response to changing environmental conditions, change during the Mesolithic period, and the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition.