The last Neanderthals of Eastern Europe: Micoquian layers IIIa and III of the site of Zaskalnaya VI (Kolosovskaya), anthropological records and context (original) (raw)
Located in Eastern Crimea, the multilayered site of Zaskalnaya VI (Kolosovskaya) represents an important key Middle Palaeolithic site of the Crimean peninsula. The uppermost unit of cultural layers of the site (layers IIIa, III, II, and I) pertains to the final stage of the Middle Paleolithic development. The richness and good preservation of various evidence of human activity and remains of material culture allow exploration of many important aspects of the period often referred as " the time of the last Neanderthals ". One important aspect of Zaskalnaya VI is the bone remains of Neanderthals, especially numerous in layers IIIa and III. One of two main focuses of this report is the presentation of anthropological data, with particular emphasis on the detailed odontological characterization of mandibles Zsk VI-72 and Zsk VI-78. The examined odontological complex is characterized by a set of morphological features and variations which are common for the line of Transition Neanderthals. Another focus of the paper is aimed at a wider presentation of data provided by layers IIIa and III, including the history of study, general stratigraphy and some peculiar stratigraphic and spatial features of layers IIIa and III, data on numerical chronology, technical and typological features of stone and bone industry, use-wear analysis data, paleontological and archaeozoological characteristics and other related evidence. Layers IIIa and III represent remains of Neanderthal occupations of different duration and intensity of habitation dated between 35 and 40 uncal ka BP. Similarity of lithic industries suggests both belong to the same industry of Ak-Kaya type, a variation of the local Micoquian.
Sign up to get access to over 50M papers
Sign up for access to the world's latest research
Related papers
Exploitation of the natural environment by Neanderthals from Chagyrskaya Cave (Altai)
2019
The article presents the first results of studies concerning the raw material procurement and fauna exploitation of the Easternmost Neanderthals from the Russian Altai. We investigated the Chagyrskaya Cave-a key-site of the Sibiryachikha Middle Paleolithic variant. The cave is known for a large number of Neanderthal remains associated with the Sibiryachikha techno-complex, which includes assemblages of both lithic artifacts and bone tools. According to our results, a Neanderthal population has used the cave over a few millennia. They hunted juvenile, semi-adult and female bisons in the direct vicinity of the site. Human impact on the paleontological remains provides additional evidence about the exploitation and consumption of at least part of the carcasses at the spot, which is characteristic for a consumption site. The first seasonal data available for the Altai Middle Paleolithic indicates that the death of the animals occurred at the end of the warm season, which corresponds to the annual migration of the Bison priscus from the plains to the Altai foothills. The results of the attribute analysis of lithic artifacts suggest that raw pebbles from the nearby riverbed had been transported to the cave in one piece. The spatial data, the large amounts of lithic tools, the presence of bones with cut marks as well as the quantity of bone tools indicate a high intensity of the cave occupations. The composition of the artifact assemblage from Chagyrskaya Cave is characterized by a relatively high percentage of tools and débitage and a low percentage of cores and bifacial tools. The large number of cortical flakes, a significant number of partly cortical flakes (including different varieties of débordant core-trimming elements), as well as the presence of bifacial thinning flakes and chips are a clear indication of on-site core reduction and tool production. The metrical parameters of the cortical and non-cortical regular flakes testify to the complete reduction sequence on the site. In order to produce tools, the biggest blanks available have been chosen intentionally. The results obtained from the assemblage from Chagyrskaya Cave do not fit to the existing functional variability of the Altai Middle Paleolithic, which was dominated by "ephemeral" hunting camps and base camps with relatively low-intensive raw material utilization. The techno-typological characteristics of the Chagyrskaya Cave assemblage are completely consistent with the characteristics of the Crimean Miсoquian techno-complex, which is an integral part of the European Miсoquian. With regard to the settlement pattern, Chagyrskaya Cave is typical for a recurrently visited base camp with the exploitation and consumption of animal carcasses and an intensive lithic reduction as well as bone tool production. Such a site function demonstrates a considerable overlap with the Eastern and Central European Micoquian. Zusammenfassung-In dem vorliegenden Artikel werden erste Ergebnisse zu Strategien der Rohmaterialbeschaffung und Faunennutzung aus dem östlichsten Bereich des Verbreitungsgebietes der Neandertaler bekannt gegeben. Untersucht wurde die Chagyrskaya Cave im Russischen Altai, eine Schlüsselfundstelle der Sibiryachikha-Fazies des dortigen Mittelpaläolithikums mit Erhaltung nicht nur umfangreicher Steingeräte-Inventare und Überresten der Jagdbeute, sondern auch-zum ersten Mal in der Region-mit Knochenartfakten. Die Höhle erfuhr bereits große Popularität durch die Entdeckung zahlreicher fossiler Überreste des Neandertalers, die innerhalb der Abfolge in der Chagyrskaya Cave ausschließlich mit der Sibiryachikha-Fazies vergesellschaftet sind. Die vorläufigen Ergebnisse lassen bereits jetzt den Schluss zu, dass die Höhle über mehrere Jahrtausende hinweg von einer Neandertaler-Population genutzt wurde. Im Zuge der Begehungen wurden vor allem juvenile und semi-adulte weibliche Bisons in der unmittelbaren der Fundstelle Umgebung gejagt. Anthropogene Manipulationen an den Faunenresten deuten auf
Journal of Human Evolution, 2022
Neanderthals are Eurasian fossil hominins whose distinctive morphology developed in the southwestern corner of Europe and later spread throughout the continent, reaching Southwest Asia before the Late Pleistocene and spreading into Central Asia by 59–49 ka. The timing, tempo, and route of the Neanderthal movements eastward are poorly documented. The earliest probable evidence of Neanderthals in Asia comes from Karain E Cave (Anatolia, Turkey), dated to 250–200 ka. We present four Chibanian (Middle Pleistocene) hominin specimens, representing at least two individuals, from Velika Balanica Cave (Serbia): a permanent upper third molar (BH-2), a deciduous upper fourth premolar (BH-3) refitted to a poorly preserved maxillary fragment with the permanent first molar in the alveolus (BH-4), and a permanent upper central incisor (BH-5). We provide descriptions of the teeth, as well as a comparative analysis of the well-preserved M1 (BH-4), including assessments of cusp angles, relative occlusal polygon area, relative cusp base areas, two- and three-dimensional enamel thickness, and taurodontism. Morphology of both the occlusal surface and the enamel dentine junction of the M1 indicates that the maxillary fragment and associated dP4 belonged to an early Neanderthal child. The heavily worn I1 and M3 are consistent with the Neanderthal morphology, although they are less distinct taxonomically. These Chibanian remains with provenance from layer 3a are constrained by two thermoluminescence dates: 285 ± 34 ka and 295 ± 74 ka. They represent the earliest current evidence of Neanderthal spread into the Eastern Mediterranean Area. We discuss these findings in light of recent direct evidence for cultural connections between Southwestern Asia and Southeast Europe in the Chibanian.
A Neanderthal from the Central Western Zagros
Journal of Human Evolution, 2019
Wezmeh Cave, in the Kermanshah region of Central Western Zagros, Iran, produced a Late Pleistocene faunal assemblage rich in carnivorans along with a human right maxillary premolar, Wezmeh 1, an unerupted tooth from an 8 ± 2 year-old individual. Uranium-series analyses of the fauna by alpha spectrometry provided age estimates between 70 and 11 ka. Crown dimensions place the tooth specimen at the upper limits of Late Pleistocene human ranges of variation. Wezmeh 1 metameric position (most likely a P 3) remains uncertain and only its surficial morphology has been described so far. Accordingly, we used microfocus X-ray tomography (12.5 mm isotropic voxel size) to reassess the metameric position and taxonomic attribution of this specimen. We investigated its endostructural features and quantified crown tissue proportions. Topographic maps of enamel thickness (ET) distribution were also generated, and semilandmark-based geometric morphometric analyses of the enamel-dentine junction (EDJ) were performed. We compared Wezmeh 1 with unworn/slightly-moderately worn P 3 and P 4 of European Neanderthals, Middle Paleolithic modern humans from Qafzeh, an Upper Paleolithic premolar, and Holocene humans. The results confirm that Wezmeh 1 represents a P 3. Based on its internal confor-mation and especially EDJ shape, Wezmeh 1 aligns closely with Neanderthals and is distinct from the fossil and extant modern human pattern of our comparative samples. Wezmeh 1 is thus the first direct evidence of Neanderthal presence on the western margin of the Iranian Plateau.
A late Neanderthal associated with Upper Palaeolithic artefacts
Nature, 1996
THE French site of Arcy-sur-Cure is a key locality in documenting the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition in Europe. Reliable attribution of the fragmentary hominid fossils associated with its early Upper Palaeolithic Chatelperronian industry has not been possible. Here we report the first conclusive identification of one of these fossils as Neanderthal on the basis of newly discovered derived features of the bony labyrinth. Dated at about thirty-four thousand years (34 kyr) ago, the fossil is representative of the youngest known Neanderthal populations, and its archaeological context indicates that these hominids used a rich bone industry as well as personal ornaments. The evidence supports the hypothesis of a long term coexistence with technocultural interactions between the first modern humans and the last Neanderthals in Europe. However, the complete absence of the derived Neanderthal traits in labyrinths of modern Upper Palaeolithic specimens from western Europe argues against phylogenetic continuity between the two populations in this region.
Loading Preview
Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.