J. Christopher Gillam | Winthrop University (original) (raw)

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Papers by J. Christopher Gillam

Quaternary international, 2014

Nature Scientific Reports, 2019

The fossil record suggests that at least two major human dispersals occurred across the Eurasian ... more The fossil record suggests that at least two major human dispersals occurred across the Eurasian steppe during the Late Pleistocene. Neanderthals and Modern Humans moved eastward into Central Asia, a region intermittently occupied by the enigmatic Denisovans. Genetic data indicates that the Denisovans interbred with Neanderthals near the Altai Mountains (South Siberia) but where and when they met H. sapiens is yet to be determined. Here we present archaeological evidence that document the timing and environmental context of a third long-distance population movement in Central Asia, during a temperate climatic event around 45,000 years ago. The early occurrence of the Initial Upper Palaeolithic, a techno-complex whose sudden appearance coincides with the first occurrence of H. sapiens in the Eurasian steppes, establishes an essential archaeological link between the Siberian Altai and Northwestern China. Such connection between regions provides empirical ground to discuss contacts between local and exogenous populations in Central and Northeast Asia during the Late Pleistocene. Although models for H. sapiens' early dispersals out of Africa emphasize a southern route to Asia 1-5 , Neanderthal and Modern Human (MH) fossils in Siberia 6-9 suggest that at least two other dispersals took place across the Eurasian steppe north of the Asian high mountains. Given the size of the area considered, human fossils are few but recent studies have suggested that a major change in the regional archaeological record could be indicative of a large-scale human dispersal event. Known as the Initial Upper Palaeolithic (IUP), it refers to the sudden appearance in contiguous regions of a specific blade technology sometimes associated with bone tools and ornaments 10-17. How old these assemblages are, and how long the phenomenon lasts are still controversial questions, and little is known about the timing and environmental context of these population movements. Here we present

Antiquity, 2008

What happened at the sites of prehistoric burial mounds after they were erected? In the southern ... more What happened at the sites of prehistoric burial mounds after they were erected? In the southern highlands of Brazil and Argentina the pre-Hispanic mounds of the twelfth-thirteenth centuries AD are surrounded by large circular enclosures with avenues leading to their centre. The authors discovered that the banks of the surrounding enclosure were built up over several generations of time, accompanied by a succession of ovens. Ethnohistoric observations of more recent peoples in the same region suggested an explanation: the cremation of a chief was followed by periodic feasts at his mound, where meat was steamed and maize beer prepared at the edge of the gathering.

The Neolithic is regarded as one of the most important developments in prehistory, a major cultur... more The Neolithic is regarded as one of the most important developments in prehistory, a major cultural threshold marked by combined shifts in economy, technology, ideology, settlement and social organisation. Many foundational ideas about the Neolithic emerged within the context of European archaeology, and substantial work has now been directed at understanding how this 'package' of innovations appeared first in the Near East, and then dispersed steadily out into the rest of northwest Europe. Papers presented in this special issue are an output of the international NEOMAP Project (Neolithization and Modernization: Landscape History on East Asian Inland Seas) (2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012), which sought to apply two key approaches drawn from European Neolithic studies to the archaeology of East Asia: (a) the concept of Neolithization, defined as a long-term and historically-

What happened at the sites of prehistoric burial mounds after they were erected? In the southern ... more What happened at the sites of prehistoric burial mounds after they were erected? In the southern highlands of Brazil and Argentina the pre-Hispanic mounds of the twelfth-thirteenth centuries AD are surrounded by large circular enclosures with avenues leading to their centre. The authors discovered that the banks of the surrounding enclosure were built up over several generations of time, accompanied by a succession of ovens. Ethnohistoric observations of more recent peoples in the same region suggested an explanation: the cremation of a chief was followed by periodic feasts at his mound, where meat was steamed and maize beer prepared at the edge of the gathering. ANTIQUITY 82 (2008): 947-961 947 Monumental burials and memorial feasting

Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, Mar 2013

Fieldwork involving survey, detailed topographic mapping, and excavations in Pinhal da Serra, Rio... more Fieldwork involving survey, detailed topographic mapping, and excavations in Pinhal da Serra, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, has revealed a highly-structured landscape revolving around funerary/ceremonial structures that began around A.D. 1000. This paper focuses on the results of detailed topographic survey of mound and enclosure complexes and their interpretation in light of southern Jê ethnohistorical and ethnographic data. We compare the architectural patterns of mortuary architecture from this study with fundamental spatial features of historic Kaingang's social organisation, mortuary rituals and cosmogony myth. Our results suggest historical continuity in the organisation of space in cardinal directions (E-W), topography (low and high places), and in circular/concentric spatiality revealed in the southern proto-Jê mound and enclosure complexes. It is argued that small paired mound and enclosure complexes are associated with the material representation of a dual ranked opposition materialised in proto-Jê moiety cemeteries where important persona were buried.

integrates database and GIS technology to make available locational data on nearly 30,000 project... more integrates database and GIS technology to make available locational data on nearly 30,000 projectile points, attribute data on over 15,000 artifacts, and image data on ca. 7,500 points from across North America. These data can be used to explore patterns of land and lithic raw material use and demographic trends within the Paleoindian period. Equally important, PIDBA serves as a model for collaborative interaction between professional and avocational archaeological communities across the Americas. PIDBA grows through the voluntary collection and compilation of primary data, and the website provides instructions on how to record and submit this information. Recent additions to PIDBA include radiometric and bibliographic databases, color artifact photographs, and artifact distribution maps that include accurate glacial, periglacial and pluvial lake, and shoreline/sea-level boundaries. Ongoing activity is directed to finding and adding in new information and compiling the attribute data from multiple sources into a single comprehensive database. All those interested in participating in the project are welcome and encouraged to do so.

Estimating paleo-shoreline extents for the late Pleistocene and early Holocene has traditionally ... more Estimating paleo-shoreline extents for the late Pleistocene and early Holocene has traditionally been a difficult task to accomplish even at local scales. This fact is highlighted by the common use of the approximate Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) shoreline contour in the literature when regional or continental scale distributions are illustrated. While useful as a heuristic, the LGM shoreline is not accurate for most of the Paleoindian Period and can present problems for geographic information system (GIS) and other spatial analyses of site distribution and land use.

Legacy, 2007

Fig. 2: Stone features at the base of the mounded ring surrounding the central mound. (Photo by J... more Fig. 2: Stone features at the base of the mounded ring surrounding the central mound. (Photo by J. Christopher Gillam)

Numerous questions remain regarding the timing and the context of Upper Paleolithic emergence in ... more Numerous questions remain regarding the timing and the context of Upper Paleolithic emergence in Northeast Asia. Available data allow the recognition of a form of Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) documented in the Altai circa 45e40 ka 14 C BP, and in the Cis-and Transbaikal around À37 ka 14 C BP. In Northern Mongolia, a series of assemblages show intriguing similarities with IUP laminar assemblages from South Siberia and suggest long distance contact/movements of population during the first half of MIS3. These contacts are potentially enabled by the main river that drains into Lake Baikal, the Selenga. By cutting through the Sayan and the Yablonovy mountain ranges, the Selenga drainage system provides a potential corridor connecting South Siberia with the plains of Mongolia. The Tolbor 16 site (Ikh Tulberiin Gol, Northern Mongolia) is located circa 13 km from the confluence with the Selenga. The first results presented here suggest that the lithic assemblage and the ornaments discovered at Tolbor 16 document the early appearance of Upper Paleolithic in the region. This newly discovered site offers the possibility to generate high-resolution contextual data on the first appearance of the blade assemblages in Mongolia and to test the 'Selenga corridor hypothesis'.

Quaternary international, 2014

Nature Scientific Reports, 2019

The fossil record suggests that at least two major human dispersals occurred across the Eurasian ... more The fossil record suggests that at least two major human dispersals occurred across the Eurasian steppe during the Late Pleistocene. Neanderthals and Modern Humans moved eastward into Central Asia, a region intermittently occupied by the enigmatic Denisovans. Genetic data indicates that the Denisovans interbred with Neanderthals near the Altai Mountains (South Siberia) but where and when they met H. sapiens is yet to be determined. Here we present archaeological evidence that document the timing and environmental context of a third long-distance population movement in Central Asia, during a temperate climatic event around 45,000 years ago. The early occurrence of the Initial Upper Palaeolithic, a techno-complex whose sudden appearance coincides with the first occurrence of H. sapiens in the Eurasian steppes, establishes an essential archaeological link between the Siberian Altai and Northwestern China. Such connection between regions provides empirical ground to discuss contacts between local and exogenous populations in Central and Northeast Asia during the Late Pleistocene. Although models for H. sapiens' early dispersals out of Africa emphasize a southern route to Asia 1-5 , Neanderthal and Modern Human (MH) fossils in Siberia 6-9 suggest that at least two other dispersals took place across the Eurasian steppe north of the Asian high mountains. Given the size of the area considered, human fossils are few but recent studies have suggested that a major change in the regional archaeological record could be indicative of a large-scale human dispersal event. Known as the Initial Upper Palaeolithic (IUP), it refers to the sudden appearance in contiguous regions of a specific blade technology sometimes associated with bone tools and ornaments 10-17. How old these assemblages are, and how long the phenomenon lasts are still controversial questions, and little is known about the timing and environmental context of these population movements. Here we present

Antiquity, 2008

What happened at the sites of prehistoric burial mounds after they were erected? In the southern ... more What happened at the sites of prehistoric burial mounds after they were erected? In the southern highlands of Brazil and Argentina the pre-Hispanic mounds of the twelfth-thirteenth centuries AD are surrounded by large circular enclosures with avenues leading to their centre. The authors discovered that the banks of the surrounding enclosure were built up over several generations of time, accompanied by a succession of ovens. Ethnohistoric observations of more recent peoples in the same region suggested an explanation: the cremation of a chief was followed by periodic feasts at his mound, where meat was steamed and maize beer prepared at the edge of the gathering.

The Neolithic is regarded as one of the most important developments in prehistory, a major cultur... more The Neolithic is regarded as one of the most important developments in prehistory, a major cultural threshold marked by combined shifts in economy, technology, ideology, settlement and social organisation. Many foundational ideas about the Neolithic emerged within the context of European archaeology, and substantial work has now been directed at understanding how this 'package' of innovations appeared first in the Near East, and then dispersed steadily out into the rest of northwest Europe. Papers presented in this special issue are an output of the international NEOMAP Project (Neolithization and Modernization: Landscape History on East Asian Inland Seas) (2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012), which sought to apply two key approaches drawn from European Neolithic studies to the archaeology of East Asia: (a) the concept of Neolithization, defined as a long-term and historically-

What happened at the sites of prehistoric burial mounds after they were erected? In the southern ... more What happened at the sites of prehistoric burial mounds after they were erected? In the southern highlands of Brazil and Argentina the pre-Hispanic mounds of the twelfth-thirteenth centuries AD are surrounded by large circular enclosures with avenues leading to their centre. The authors discovered that the banks of the surrounding enclosure were built up over several generations of time, accompanied by a succession of ovens. Ethnohistoric observations of more recent peoples in the same region suggested an explanation: the cremation of a chief was followed by periodic feasts at his mound, where meat was steamed and maize beer prepared at the edge of the gathering. ANTIQUITY 82 (2008): 947-961 947 Monumental burials and memorial feasting

Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, Mar 2013

Fieldwork involving survey, detailed topographic mapping, and excavations in Pinhal da Serra, Rio... more Fieldwork involving survey, detailed topographic mapping, and excavations in Pinhal da Serra, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, has revealed a highly-structured landscape revolving around funerary/ceremonial structures that began around A.D. 1000. This paper focuses on the results of detailed topographic survey of mound and enclosure complexes and their interpretation in light of southern Jê ethnohistorical and ethnographic data. We compare the architectural patterns of mortuary architecture from this study with fundamental spatial features of historic Kaingang's social organisation, mortuary rituals and cosmogony myth. Our results suggest historical continuity in the organisation of space in cardinal directions (E-W), topography (low and high places), and in circular/concentric spatiality revealed in the southern proto-Jê mound and enclosure complexes. It is argued that small paired mound and enclosure complexes are associated with the material representation of a dual ranked opposition materialised in proto-Jê moiety cemeteries where important persona were buried.

integrates database and GIS technology to make available locational data on nearly 30,000 project... more integrates database and GIS technology to make available locational data on nearly 30,000 projectile points, attribute data on over 15,000 artifacts, and image data on ca. 7,500 points from across North America. These data can be used to explore patterns of land and lithic raw material use and demographic trends within the Paleoindian period. Equally important, PIDBA serves as a model for collaborative interaction between professional and avocational archaeological communities across the Americas. PIDBA grows through the voluntary collection and compilation of primary data, and the website provides instructions on how to record and submit this information. Recent additions to PIDBA include radiometric and bibliographic databases, color artifact photographs, and artifact distribution maps that include accurate glacial, periglacial and pluvial lake, and shoreline/sea-level boundaries. Ongoing activity is directed to finding and adding in new information and compiling the attribute data from multiple sources into a single comprehensive database. All those interested in participating in the project are welcome and encouraged to do so.

Estimating paleo-shoreline extents for the late Pleistocene and early Holocene has traditionally ... more Estimating paleo-shoreline extents for the late Pleistocene and early Holocene has traditionally been a difficult task to accomplish even at local scales. This fact is highlighted by the common use of the approximate Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) shoreline contour in the literature when regional or continental scale distributions are illustrated. While useful as a heuristic, the LGM shoreline is not accurate for most of the Paleoindian Period and can present problems for geographic information system (GIS) and other spatial analyses of site distribution and land use.

Legacy, 2007

Fig. 2: Stone features at the base of the mounded ring surrounding the central mound. (Photo by J... more Fig. 2: Stone features at the base of the mounded ring surrounding the central mound. (Photo by J. Christopher Gillam)

Numerous questions remain regarding the timing and the context of Upper Paleolithic emergence in ... more Numerous questions remain regarding the timing and the context of Upper Paleolithic emergence in Northeast Asia. Available data allow the recognition of a form of Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) documented in the Altai circa 45e40 ka 14 C BP, and in the Cis-and Transbaikal around À37 ka 14 C BP. In Northern Mongolia, a series of assemblages show intriguing similarities with IUP laminar assemblages from South Siberia and suggest long distance contact/movements of population during the first half of MIS3. These contacts are potentially enabled by the main river that drains into Lake Baikal, the Selenga. By cutting through the Sayan and the Yablonovy mountain ranges, the Selenga drainage system provides a potential corridor connecting South Siberia with the plains of Mongolia. The Tolbor 16 site (Ikh Tulberiin Gol, Northern Mongolia) is located circa 13 km from the confluence with the Selenga. The first results presented here suggest that the lithic assemblage and the ornaments discovered at Tolbor 16 document the early appearance of Upper Paleolithic in the region. This newly discovered site offers the possibility to generate high-resolution contextual data on the first appearance of the blade assemblages in Mongolia and to test the 'Selenga corridor hypothesis'.

With the aim of investigating the socio-political organization of Taquara/Itararé groups during t... more With the aim of investigating the socio-political organization of Taquara/Itararé groups during the late Holocene in the highlands of southern Brazil and Argentina during the second field season of our project we carried out reconnaissance, systematic and opportunistic survey and small-scale excavations in the upper Piray Mini River, Misiones Province, Argentina. The preliminary results obtained from this project are beginning to document how southern Jê groups were organized at a regional level in the transition between the lowland semideciduos and mixed Araucaria forest allowing us to assess for the first time their socio-political organization. The distinctiveness of southern Jê settlement types and ceremonial architecture in relation to other Andean and Amazonian Formative processes will make an important contribution to the comparative study of the rise and dynamics of complex societies in lowland South America and elsewhere.

Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2013

Fieldwork involving survey, detailed topographic mapping, and excavations in Pinhal da Serra, Rio... more Fieldwork involving survey, detailed topographic mapping, and excavations in Pinhal da Serra, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, has revealed a highly-structured landscape revolving around funerary/ceremonial structures that began around A.D. 1000. This paper focuses on the results of detailed topographic survey of mound and enclosure complexes and their interpretation in light of southern Jê ethnohistorical and ethnographic data. We compare the architectural patterns of mortuary architecture from this study with fundamental spatial features of historic Kaingang's social organisation, mortuary rituals and cosmogony myth. Our results suggest historical continuity in the organisation of space in cardinal directions (E-W), topography (low and high places), and in circular/concentric spatiality revealed in the southern proto-Jê mound and enclosure complexes. It is argued that small paired mound and enclosure complexes are associated with the material representation of a dual ranked opposition materialised in proto-Jê moiety cemeteries where important persona were buried.