Dating the Demise: A review based on direct radiocarbon dates of late Pleistocene Neanderthal fossils in Eurasia

Neanderthals are without doubt one of the most studied extinct hominin populations in the world. Questions regarding their adaptability, survival skills and cognition have been the focus of many researchers for decades. One of the most heavily debated topics however remains that of their extinction. Neanderthals occupied an immense region of Eurasia, stretching from the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula to the hills of southern Siberia. The chronology of their demise and the extent to which their disappearance overlapped with the earliest colonization of Eurasia by anatomically modern humans, are key questions in Palaeolithic archaeology. Studying the demise of Neanderthals is important in that aspect as it will provide a better understanding and broader insights of the hominin evolution during the Late Pleistocene. By establishing the exact timing of their demise, archaeologists will be able to answer questions regarding the cause of their disappearance. The Neanderthal demise...Show moreNeanderthals are without doubt one of the most studied extinct hominin populations in the world. Questions regarding their adaptability, survival skills and cognition have been the focus of many researchers for decades. One of the most heavily debated topics however remains that of their extinction. Neanderthals occupied an immense region of Eurasia, stretching from the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula to the hills of southern Siberia. The chronology of their demise and the extent to which their disappearance overlapped with the earliest colonization of Eurasia by anatomically modern humans, are key questions in Palaeolithic archaeology. Studying the demise of Neanderthals is important in that aspect as it will provide a better understanding and broader insights of the hominin evolution during the Late Pleistocene. By establishing the exact timing of their demise, archaeologists will be able to answer questions regarding the cause of their disappearance. The Neanderthal demise has been dated numerous times, with the focus on direct and indirect dates. Researchers who previously aimed to date their demise concluded that the Mousterian had ended by 41-39ka cal. BP, claiming that no Neanderthals survived after this time. However, Neanderthal remains have been found to date a couple of thousands of years later. Moreover, it is not unlikely that Neanderthals disappeared from various regions at different times. In this thesis study, I have therefore focused on direct AMS dates obtained from late Neanderthal fossils, as these direct dates best represent the age of the hominin remains. I divided Eurasia in three separate regions, from which different demise patterns were established. In total 11 late Neanderthal sites were obtained, yielding 58 direct AMS dates. Each fossil sample was individually analyzed and evaluated. Results have shown that Neanderthals can be directly dated as late as 35.7ka cal. BP in western Europe, 42.1ka cal. BP in western Asia and 35.3ka cal. BP in central Europe. Over the past few decades, improvements in pre-treatment methods and radiocarbon dating have yielded a vast growth in late Pleistocene chronologies. Databases and publications derived from these chronologies ought to be properly audited and quality standards need to be met, to ensure that research obtained today remains valuable and applicable in the future.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

Dating the Demise: A review based on direct radiocarbon dates of late Pleistocene Neanderthal fossils in Eurasia