Paleolithic Europe Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

A partir del análisis de contextos arqueológicos con restos humanos y las manifestaciones rupestres del Paleolítico Superior europeo, se proponen dos principales formas de tratamiento mortuorio; uno dirigido a la dispersión y eventual... more

A partir del análisis de contextos arqueológicos con restos humanos y las manifestaciones rupestres del Paleolítico Superior europeo, se proponen dos principales formas de tratamiento mortuorio; uno dirigido a la dispersión y eventual desaparición de los difuntos y otro centrado en su preservación y retención. En el primero se observa una tendencia a la difuminación de las diferencias sociales y, en el segundo, se nota una distinción en función del grupo de edad y género. Tras el cambio climático y de patrones de asentamiento en el paso del Gravetiense al
Magdaleniense y Epigravetiense, se percibe que, hasta cierto punto, las formas en que se inhumaban los diversos sectores sociales se tornaron más homogéneas. Pero, reconociendo constantes, se concluye que las concepciones paleolíticas de la muerte conformaron un fenómeno de larga duración en el que, pese a la existencia de modificaciones superficiales, pudieron mantenerse una serie de elementos más centrales.

Durante el último trimestre de 2003 y el primer trimestre de 2004 se han realizado los trabajos de prospección arqueológica y el estudio geomorfológico del área comprendida en el proyecto constructivo de la “Actuación Urbanística Mixta de... more

Durante el último trimestre de 2003 y el primer trimestre de 2004 se han realizado los trabajos de prospección arqueológica y el estudio geomorfológico del área comprendida en el proyecto constructivo de la “Actuación Urbanística Mixta de Puente Largo”, situado al norte del término municipal de Aranjuez (Comunidad de Madrid). Se han localizado evidencias líticas en superficie en diferentes niveles de terrazas cuaternarias del río Jarama, al norte de su confluencia con el Tajo. Se incluyen en este trabajo los resultados de dicha intervención, así como el futuro proyecto de actuación que incluye la realización de sondeos mecánicos y zanjas transversales al curso del Jarama, para profundizar en el conocimiento de la geología y paleoambientes del Cuaternario y documentar la posible existencia de restos líticos/faunísticos en estratigrafía, además de la toma de muestras para su datación por luminiscencia.

This article unveils imagery that seems intended to be recognized in phases from such sites as Font-de-Gaume (pg. 24), Laugerie-Basse (pg. 35-37), Isturitz (pg. 37-38), Saint-Cirq-du-Bugue (pg. 38-39), and Guy-Martin (pg. 26-35), after... more

This article unveils imagery that seems intended to be recognized in phases from such sites as Font-de-Gaume (pg. 24), Laugerie-Basse (pg. 35-37), Isturitz (pg. 37-38), Saint-Cirq-du-Bugue (pg. 38-39), and Guy-Martin (pg. 26-35), after describing the first Paleolithic sculpture of an animal reported in the Ile-de-France. These include: 1) The extended panel of Ségognole 3. The grotto is known for a vulva between 2 faint horses, but its largest graphic element is a groove that has been explained away as a “border”. The groove is actually the caudal line of a 1.9 meter-long bas-relief of a bison that has been overlooked because of the failure to apply the same conventions of the vulva – figurative realism, monumentality, and the use of natural forms – to the engraved line, although it is identical in manufacture. The wisent composed by natural relief accentuated by incising, flaking, and polishing confirms that the ensemble is Paleolithic. 2) A survey of Paleolithic parietal images wh...

Пясецький В. Нові стратиграфічні, археологічні і геоморфологічні помилки, які спричинені невірним використанням стратиграфічної схеми М. Ф. Веклича.

En este trabajo se revisan la representación faunística existente en diferentes yacimientos del Paleolítico Inferior europeo, con el fin de poder dilucidar las posibles vías de paso que utilizaron los homínidos en el poblamiento inicial... more

En este trabajo se revisan la representación faunística existente en diferentes yacimientos del
Paleolítico Inferior europeo, con el fin de poder dilucidar las posibles vías de paso que utilizaron los
homínidos en el poblamiento inicial de Europa. De esta manera la evidencia bioestratigráfica parece
revelar una emigración de fauna africana a través de Gibraltar en el límite del Pliopleistoceno, pero
todavía no hay ningún indicio claro que permita asegurar tal franqueamiento, ya que como se verá, esta
posible fauna es algo discutible. Por otro lado los diferentes datos existentes permiten asegurar una
ocupación de Europa en fechas anteriores al Pleistoceno Medio.

How have humans colonised the entire planet and reshaped its ecosystems in the process? This unique and groundbreaking collection of essays explores human movement through time, the impacts of these movements on landscapes and other... more

How have humans colonised the entire planet and reshaped its ecosystems in the process? This unique and groundbreaking collection of essays explores human movement through time, the impacts of these movements on landscapes and other species, and the ways in which species have co-evolved and transformed each other as a result. Exploring the spread of people, plants, animals, and diseases through processes of migration, colonisation, trade, and travel, it assembles a broad array of case studies from the Pliocene to the present. The contributors from disciplines across the humanities and natural sciences are senior or established scholars in the fields of human evolution, archaeology, history, and geography.

Public lecture given in Lokve, Croatia. May 2015.

Thermal considerations can help to resolve two of the most challenging problems in later Palaeolithic archaeology: the demise of Neanderthals and the emergence of modern human behaviour. Both of these enigmas can be viewed as reflecting... more

Thermal considerations can help to resolve two of the most challenging problems in later Palaeolithic archaeology: the demise of Neanderthals and the emergence of modern human behaviour. Both of these enigmas can be viewed as reflecting interactions between biological and behavioural cold adaptations, in the context of extreme climatic fluctuations during the Upper Pleistocene. Recent studies draw attention to the special difficulties which these conditions posed for humans, but few studies give sufficient regard to the need for adequate pre-adaptations, namely, technologies for manufacturing complex clothing assemblages. It is argued here that pre-existing biological adaptations to cold delayed the development of such technological capacities among Neanderthals, resulting ultimately in their extinction. In contrast, fully modern humans were biologically more vulnerability to cold, promoting a precocious appearance of behavioural adaptations among some (though not all) groups, visible in the various archaeological markers of modern human behaviour.

Purpose: The primitive anthropological meaning of genital ornamentation is not clearly defined and the origin of penile intervention for decorative purposes is lost in time. Corporeal decoration was practiced in the Upper Paleolithic... more

Purpose: The primitive anthropological meaning of genital ornamentation is not
clearly defined and the origin of penile intervention for decorative purposes is lost
in time. Corporeal decoration was practiced in the Upper Paleolithic period. We
discuss the existing evidence on the practice of phallic piercing, scarring and
tattooing in prehistory.
Materials and Methods: We studied the archaeological and artistic evidence
regarding explicit genital male representations in portable art made in Europe
approximately 38,000 to 11,000 years ago with special emphasis on decorations
suggesting genital ornamentation.
Results: Archaeological evidence that has survived to our day includes 42 phallic
pieces, of which 30 (71.4%) show intentional marks to a different extent with a
probable decorative purpose. Of these ornamental elements 18 (60%) were recovered
from the upper Magdalenian period (11,000 to 12,700 years ago) in France
and Spain, and 23 (76.7%) belong to the category of perforated batons. Decorations
show lines (70% of objects), plaques (26.7%), dots/holes (23.3%) or even
human/animal forms (13.3%). These designs most probably represent skin scarification,
cutting, piercing and tattooing. Notably there are some technical similarities
between the motifs represented and some designs present in symbolic
cave wall art. This evidence may show the anthropological origin of current male
genital piercing and tattooing.
Conclusions: European Paleolithic art shows decoration explicitly represented
in a high proportion of portable art objects with a phallic form that have survived
to our day. Decorative rituals of male genital tattooing, piercing and scarification
may have been practiced during Paleolithic times.

The book was published in Moscow in 1978 / Книга была издана в Москве в 1978 году.

The archaeological excavation of Arlanpe cave provides a limited set of bone industry and ornaments. In level D from the Back sector two bone remains with use-wear traces have been identified: one pointed bone flake, with indications of... more

The archaeological excavation of Arlanpe cave provides a limited set of bone industry and ornaments. In level D from the Back sector two bone remains with use-wear traces have been identified: one pointed bone flake, with indications of possible use, and a small diaphyseal fragment, with depressions and grooves. The bone tools from level II of the Entrance sector are characterized, despite its shortage, by its typological and functional diversity. Some of them seem to be related to the daily life (needle, spatula), while other are associated with hunting activities (assegais). Also, in that level several ornaments made in shell and mineral have been identified.

Uda et Mo est un conte illustré dont l’histoire se déroule dans la grande plaine d’Europe orientale à l’époque de la préhistoire. Le conte immerge le lecteur dans le monde de l’Âge de Pierre rempli d’aventures, où la réalité et les rêves... more

Uda et Mo est un conte illustré dont l’histoire se déroule dans la grande plaine d’Europe orientale à l’époque de la préhistoire. Le conte immerge le lecteur dans le monde de l’Âge de Pierre rempli d’aventures, où la réalité et les rêves se rejoignent et nous replongent dans un univers d’enfant.

Abstract : No primary sources of mineral raw materials are known in this part of the Aquitaine Basin. The only resources actually available were carried by the rivers descending from the Massif Central and Pyrenees and are contained in... more

Abstract :
No primary sources of mineral raw materials are known in this part of the Aquitaine Basin. The only resources actually available were carried by the rivers descending from the Massif Central and Pyrenees and are contained in several alluvial terraces. So, the lithological variability depends mainly of the outcrops cut by the river. It can vary with the catchment area of each river, but it can also vary along time, according the incision of the valley and the erosion of different kind of rocks. So, we can think that the available resources should not appear so monolithic than it is commonly admitted. Indeed, we cannot compare the terraces as a huge reservoir of raw materials, where the prehistoric artisans could find everywhere all what they need to produce their lithics artifacts.
First, we have made a listing of lithic resources present in the alluvial deposits. Then, we conducted systematic sampling and built a petrographic overview of all alluvial systems. Finally, we compared this natural spectrum with the ones we have studied in the Paleolithic sites. This is the result of this work that we propose to present here.
Résumé :
Ce secteur du Bassin aquitain ne contient pas de gîte primaire de matières premières minérales. Les seules ressources véritablement disponibles sont celles des nappes alluviales des différentes rivières descendant du Massif Central ou des Pyrénées. Les cortèges lithologiques dépendent donc, en premier lieu, des terrains traversés par ces cours d'eaux, différents selon les bassins concernés et qui peuvent varier au cours de l’incision de la vallée. Partant de ce fait, les ressources disponibles ne devraient pas apparaître de manière aussi monolithique que ce qui est communément admis. Effectivement, les terrasses ne peuvent pas être un immense gisement de matières premières, où en chaque point les artisans préhistoriques pouvaient trouver tous les éléments fort opportunément utiles à la confection de leurs équipements lithiques.
Nous avons, donc dans un premier temps, constitué un inventaire raisonné des ressources lithiques des formations alluviales. Nous avons ensuite réalisé des prélèvements systématiques, afin de construire un spectre pétrographique de l'ensemble des systèmes alluviaux. Enfin, nous avons pu comparer ce spectre "naturel" des "gîtes" avec celui des séries archéologiques paléolithiques. Ce sont les résultats de ces travaux que nous proposons de présenter ici.

Tarih boyunca insanoğlunun en temel gereksinimi kuşkusuz ki beslenme ve barınma ihtiyacı olmuştur. İnsanoğlu ilk başta beslenme ihtiyacını çevresinde bulunan besin kaynaklarını toplayarak karşılamış ve sonraki süreçte avcılık ile... more

Tarih boyunca insanoğlunun en temel gereksinimi kuşkusuz ki beslenme ve barınma ihtiyacı olmuştur. İnsanoğlu ilk başta beslenme ihtiyacını çevresinde bulunan besin kaynaklarını toplayarak karşılamış ve sonraki süreçte avcılık ile uğraşmıştır. İnsanoğlunun beslenmenin ardından ikinci serüveni ise yaşayacak yer arayışı olmuştur. İnsanoğlu doğa koşullarının getirmiş olduğu olumsuz şartlar ve vahşi hayvanların saldırılarından korunmak gibi temel yaşamsal gerekçelerden ötürü kapalı bir barınak ihtiyacı duymuş ve tarihsel süreçte mağaralar insanların uğrak noktası olmuştur.

The last two decades have witnessed considerable advances in chronometric approaches to cave art, specifically with the application of new dating techniques (AMS 14C, U-series, Thermoluminescence). In this paper we assess all the... more

The last two decades have witnessed considerable advances in chronometric approaches to cave art,
specifically with the application of new dating techniques (AMS 14C, U-series, Thermoluminescence). In
this paper we assess all the currently available chronological information (numerical dates, stylistic
comparisons between portable and cave art, the immediate context of art and its relationship with
archaeological strata and wider artistic styles) pertaining to cave art of the western Pyrenean and eastern
Cantabrian regions, in order to summarize the evolution of art in this important area. The data allow only
an imprecise definition of a broad chronological framework for the area of study: at present we cannot
define precisely the origins of figurative cave art in the area; the earliest (Pre-Magdalenian) cycle is
characterized by basic figures in which, frequently, only the outline is represented. By contrast, in the
later (Magdalenian) cycle the figures are naturalistic and realistically composed. The critical analysis of
available chronological information is necessary in order for us to advance towards the construction of
more solid and less subjective frameworks for the development of art.

The replacement hypothesis proposes that “modern humans” evolved only in sub-Saharan Africa, through a speciation event rendering them unable to breed with other hominins. They then spread throughout Africa, then to Asia, Australia and... more

The replacement hypothesis proposes that “modern humans” evolved only in sub-Saharan Africa, through a speciation event rendering them unable to breed with other hominins. They then spread throughout Africa, then to Asia, Australia and finally to Europe, replacing all other humans by exterminating or outcompeting them. In this critical analysis of the replacement hypothesis it is shown that it began as a hoax, later reinforced by false paleoanthropological claims and a series of flawed genetic propositions, yet it became almost universally accepted during the 1990s and has since dominated the discipline. The numerous shortcomings of the hypothesis are appraised from genetic, anthropological, and archaeological perspectives and it is refuted. The resulting hiatus in the history of the human genus is then filled with an outline of a comprehensive alternative theory presented recently, which not only explains the origins of “modern humans” but also numerous so far unexplained aspects of being human.

Kniha vyšla roku 1991 ve Lvově (ISBN 5.11-000837-2) / The book was published in 1991 in Lvov (ISBN 5.11-000837-2).

This paper links research questions in Quaternary geology with those in Palaeolithic archaeology. A detailed geological reconstruction of The Netherland’s SW offshore area provides a stratigraphical context for archaeological and... more

This paper links research questions in Quaternary geology with those in Palaeolithic archaeology. A detailed geological reconstruction of The Netherland’s SW offshore area provides a stratigraphical context for archaeological and palaeontological finds. Progressive environmental developments have left a strong imprint on the area’s Palaeolithic record. We highlight aspects of landscape evolution and related taphonomical changes, visualised in maps for critical periods of the Pleistocene in the wider southern North Sea region. The Middle Pleistocene record is divided in two palaeogeographical stages: the pre-Anglian/Elsterian situation with a wide land bridge between England and Belgium even during marine highstands; and the Anglian/Elsterian to Saalian interglacial situation with a narrower landbridge, lowered by proglacial erosion but not yet fully eroded. The Late Pleistocene situation is very different, with the landbridge fully dissected by an axial Rhine-Thames valley, eroded deep enough to fully connect the English Channel and the North Sea during highstands. This tripartite staging implies great differences in (i) possible migration routes of herds of herbivores as well as hominins preying upon them, (ii) the erosion base of axial and tributary rivers causing an increase in the availability of flint raw materials and (iii) conditions for loess accumulation in Northern France and Belgium and the resulting preservation of Middle Palaeolithic sites.

Kniha byla vydána v Praze roku 2005, ISBN:80-86912-04-3 / The book was published in Prague in 2005, ISBN: 80-86912-04-3

Kniha byla vydána roku 2003 v Kijevě / The book was published in 2003 in Kiev.

Brochura de divulgação, não assinada, mas produzida por vários dos membros do GEPP (Grupo para o Estudo do Paleolítico Português) em 1977 e editada pelo Museu de Castelo Branco. Breve introdução, muito actualizada para a época, aos... more

Brochura de divulgação, não assinada, mas produzida por vários dos membros do GEPP (Grupo para o Estudo do Paleolítico Português) em 1977 e editada pelo Museu de Castelo Branco. Breve introdução, muito actualizada para a época, aos estudos do Paleolítico.

L’archeologo del XXI secolo non vive più di solo studio e scavo. Oggi la moderna ricerca impone di affiancare al lavoro in cantiere e ai libri in biblioteca modi sempre nuovi di indagare, comunicare e gestire l’antico. Bastano un po’ di... more

L’archeologo del XXI secolo non vive più di solo studio e scavo. Oggi la moderna ricerca impone di affiancare al lavoro in cantiere e ai libri in biblioteca modi sempre nuovi di indagare, comunicare e gestire l’antico. Bastano un po’ di fantasia, versatilità e intraprendenza per dare vita, da archeologo, alle attività più disparate. Come hanno fatto i 34 professionisti che si raccontano in Archeostorie: c’è chi cura un museo e chi gestisce un’area archeologica, chi narra il passato ai bambini e chi lo “fa vedere” ai ciechi, chi usa nel racconto le tecnologie e i linguaggi più diversi e persino i videogame; c’è poi chi ricostruisce l’antico in 3D e chi lo sperimenta dal vivo, chi organizza i dati di scavo e chi li rende disponibili per tutti; c’è chi scrive sui giornali e chi parla di archeologia alla radio o in tivù, chi realizza documentari e chi racconta l’archeologia sui social network; c’è ancora chi punta sul marketing e chi sul crowdfunding, chi fa dell’archeologia un’esperienza per tutti e chi difende le bellezze da furti e scempi. C’è anche chi studia e scava, e nel libro descrive la vita vera di studio e scavo al di là dei miti e dei sogni.
Il risultato è un manuale non convenzionale che offre spunti originali e concreti agli archeologi del futuro in cerca di reali possibilità di occupazione. Una sorta di bottega artigiana dove apprendere i segreti del mestiere, o meglio dei mestieri, che un’archeologia nuova, pragmatica e ancorata nel presente può ispirare.

En el Paleolítico, con una duración dividida en: Inferior, 1 millón a 100 mil años; Medio, 100 mil a 35 mil años y, Superior, 35 mil a diez u ocho mil años Antes de Cristo, existieron distintas industrias denominadas líticas, cuyas... more

En el Paleolítico, con una duración dividida en: Inferior, 1 millón a 100 mil
años; Medio, 100 mil a 35 mil años y, Superior, 35 mil a diez u ocho mil años Antes de Cristo, existieron distintas industrias denominadas líticas, cuyas características fue desarrollar ciertas técnicas de manufactura destinadas a la producción de artefactos que permitieran la obtención, en un principio, de alimentos y, posteriormente, objetos mediante los
cuales pudieran expresar aquello que les pareciera interesante imitar: el cuerpo humano y ciertos animales cuadrúpedos.