Papoulia, C., 2017. Seaward dispersals to the NE Mediterranean islands in the Pleistocene. The lithic evidence in retrospect. (original) (raw)
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Géoarchéologie des îles de Méditerranée - Geoarchaeology of the Mediterranean Islands
The oldest direct evidence of a boat from the Aegean is dated to the Neolithic and comes from a lakeside settlement in NW Greece. However, indirect evidence in the form of structures, artefacts and aquatic resources are present on islands and date from at least the Mesolithic. Obsidian procurement networks testify to seagoing journeys since the Upper Palaeolithic, while a number of studies have recently suggested that the initial sea-crossings took place during earlier parts of the Pleistocene. At present there is no consensus regarding the exact date of the earliest successful attempts to cross the Mediterranean, thus rendering the extant pre-LGM (Last Glacial Maximum) evidence highly controversial. This paper reviews the geoarchaeological evidence for the early prehistoric sea-crossings in the Aegean (Eastern Mediterranean). It stresses the differences in character and scale between the initial serendipitous crossings and the fully-organised maritime networks of the later parts of prehistory. In view of the limited direct evidence, the examination of indirect forms, together with the information gained from ethnography and experimental archaeology, enables us to propose specific hypotheses regarding the nature of the crossings, the routes and the types of vessels used.
NEANDERTHAL AND ANATOMICALLY MODERM HUMAN SEAFARERS IN THE AEGEAN ARCHIPELAGO, MEDITERRANEAN SEA
This paper presents and discusses the chrono-cultural layout of the late Middle and Upper Palaeo-lithic during MIS 4 and MIS 3 (74-22ka BP) in the Hellenic peninsula, the Levant, Anatolia, central and south-eastern Europe within the context of the prevailing palaeo-configuration in the Aegean Archipelago over the same time span. The data presented offers substantial evidence that: (i) Neanderthals and AMHs co-existed in the Hellenic peninsula at around 35ka BP (40 calendar ka BP), (ii) the max. time-span of the Neanderthals and AMHs co-existence in the Hellenic peninsula may extend from 44 to 27.5ka BP., (iii) Neanderthals and AMHs were seafaring in the Aegean Sea, the former from around 60 to 35 ka BP and probably from 120 to 27.5 ka BP, the latter from 35ka BP and onward and (vi) Neanderthal and AMHs in their movement from southern Europe to the Levant and vice-versa had established a coastal route via the Aegean Archipelago using the islands as stop over.
Neanderthal and Anatomically Modern Human Seafarers in the Aegean Archipelago, Mediterranean Sea
This paper presents and discusses the chrono-cultural layout of the late Middle and Upper Palaeo-lithic during MIS 4 and MIS 3 (74-22ka BP) in the Hellenic peninsula, the Levant, Anatolia, central and south-eastern Europe within the context of the prevailing palaeo-configuration in the Aegean Archipelago over the same time span. The data presented offers substantial evidence that: (i) Neanderthals and AMHs co-existed in the Hellenic peninsula at around 35ka BP (40 calendar ka BP), (ii) the max. time-span of the Neanderthals and AMHs co-existence in the Hellenic peninsula may extend from 44 to 27.5ka BP., (iii) Neanderthals and AMHs were seafaring in the Aegean Sea, the former from around 60 to 35 ka BP and probably from 120 to 30 ka BP, the latter from 35ka BP and onward and (vi) Neanderthal and AMHs in their movement from southern Europe to the Levant and vice-versa had established a coastal route via the Aegean Archipelago using the islands as stop over.
Middle Pleistocene Sea-Crossings in the Eastern Mediterranean?
Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2016
Lower and Middle Palaeolithic artifacts on Greek islands separated from the mainland in the Middle and Upper Pleistocene may be proxy evidence for maritime activity in the eastern Mediterranean. Four hypotheses are connected with this topic. The first is the presence of archaic hominins on the islands in the Palaeolithic, and the second is that some of the islands were separated from the mainland when hominins reached them. A third hypothesis is that archaic hominin technological and cognitive capabilities were sufficient for the fabrication of watercraft. Finally, the required wayfinding skills for open sea-crossings were within the purview of early humans. Our review of the archaeological, experimental, ethno-historical, and theoretical evidence leads us to conclude that there is no a priori reason to reject the first two hypotheses in the absence of more targeted archaeological surveys on the islands, and thus the latter two hypotheses should be tested by future research.
2011
A survey in 2008 and 2009 on the southwestern coast of Crete in the region of Plakias documented 28 preceramic lithic sites. Sites were identified with artifacts of Mesolithic type similar to assemblages from the Greek mainland and islands, and some had evidence of Lower Palaeolithic occupation dated by geological context o at least 130,000 years ago. The long period of separation (more than 5,000,000 years) of Crete from any landmass implies that the early inhabitants of Crete reached the island using seacraft capable of open-sea navigation and multiple journeys a finding that pushes the history of seafaring in the Mediterranean back by more than 100,000 years and has important implications for the dispersal of early humans.