Leiden University Student Repository

Matze, Lobke (2010)

The Middle Pleistocene fauna from Schöningen (Lower Saxony, Germany). What do the large mammals tell us?

Master thesis | Archaeology (MA/MSc)

The large mammal material described in this MA-thesis comes from the open brown coal quarry near Schöningen (Niedersachen, Germany). This quarry contains several Pleistocene sites. The focus of this MA-thesis is on the site Schö 13 II. This site became famous when in 1994 several wooden artefacts and wooden spears were found among the remains of several horses. The site consists of several layers, Schö 13 II-1 till Schö 13 II-5, representing the Reinsdorf Interglacial. Previous research has been done on the large mammal assemblage on layer Schö 13 II-4, the spear horizon. In this thesis large mammal material from layer Schö 13 II-1 till Schö 13 II-4 will be looked at and compared. The material of layer Schö 13 II-5 is scarce and in bad condition. The large mammal assemblages of the different layers show the development of the second part of an interglacial, with interglacial species like Sus scrofa and Capreolus capreolus in layer Schö 13 II-1, the interglacial maximum. Those...Show moreThe large mammal material described in this MA-thesis comes from the open brown coal quarry near Schöningen (Niedersachen, Germany). This quarry contains several Pleistocene sites. The focus of this MA-thesis is on the site Schö 13 II. This site became famous when in 1994 several wooden artefacts and wooden spears were found among the remains of several horses. The site consists of several layers, Schö 13 II-1 till Schö 13 II-5, representing the Reinsdorf Interglacial. Previous research has been done on the large mammal assemblage on layer Schö 13 II-4, the spear horizon. In this thesis large mammal material from layer Schö 13 II-1 till Schö 13 II-4 will be looked at and compared. The material of layer Schö 13 II-5 is scarce and in bad condition. The large mammal assemblages of the different layers show the development of the second part of an interglacial, with interglacial species like Sus scrofa and Capreolus capreolus in layer Schö 13 II-1, the interglacial maximum. Those typical interglacial species disappear in the following layers, although cf. Capreolus capreolus is present in layer Schö 13 II-3. This means the climate was not as cool as previous thought. The large mammal assemblage from layer Schö 13 II-4 is most abundant and shows a cool climate with an open vegetation. Equus mosbachensis dominates the material. This is caused by hunting and butchering activities by hominids. Other species like Bison priscus and Stephanorhinus hemitoechus do confirm a steppe like environment. One molar of the forest dwelling species Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis indicates that some patches of forest should have been present. This means the climate during the deposition of layer Schö 13 II-4 was not as cold as indicated by the pollen analyses. When comparing the large mammal species present in the different layers of the Reinsdorf Interglacial it becomes clear that a large difference in body size is visible between the animals in the oldest and in the youngest layers. This should mean the evolution speed varies during the Middle Pleistocene. Evolution is fast during the Reinsdorf Interglacial. Evolution is therefore not a gradual process. This has consequences for the use of biostratigraphy. The biostratigraphy based on the difference in size between populations should be reconsidered.Show less

Author

Matze, Lobke

Faculty

Faculty of Archaeology

Supervisors

Kolfschoten, M. van

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en