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...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
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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A database of Neanderthal raw material transports and fauna from assemblages across Europe has been compiled with the aim to explore the evolution of the Neanderthals’ mobility behaviour with...Show moreA database of Neanderthal raw material transports and fauna from assemblages across Europe has been compiled with the aim to explore the evolution of the Neanderthals’ mobility behaviour with regard to the environment from the beginning of the Late Saalian (191 ka BP) to the demise of Neanderthals (40 ka BP). Mobility, as observed from the lithic transports in the Palaeolithic, is often interpreted as mirroring the social organisation of a group. As the study of Neanderthal mobility normally focuses on the maximum transport distances of lithics, such a methodology is seen as inadequate because three equifinal processes (subsistence activity, social transactions, and semi-random lithic scavenging) can account for these distances. Here, two different indicators of Neanderthal mobility are created based on the transport distances, quantities, and number of utilised raw material sources. These mobility variables and their relationship to the changing environment are then analysed using novel statistical techniques.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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The aim of this thesis is to provide a better understanding of the characteristics and context of the transition from the Early Stone Age/Lower Palaeolithic to the Middle Stone Age/Middle...Show moreThe aim of this thesis is to provide a better understanding of the characteristics and context of the transition from the Early Stone Age/Lower Palaeolithic to the Middle Stone Age/Middle Palaeolithic in Africa and Europe. This boundary is defined by a crucial change in lithic industries, more exactly by the emergence of the so-called ‘Mode 3 industries’, which is characterized by manufacturing standardized flakes. The production of such products can be done if the core is prepared in a specific way, a concept which is generally known as the Levallois technique. This form of prepared core technology is connected to the appearance of Neanderthals in Europe and early modern humans in Africa. The apparent 'sudden' occurence of Levallois products can therefore provide more information on these evolutionary events in terms of possible contact, migration and/or acculturation.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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Recent discoveries in the Cromer Forest-bed Formation, UK, demonstrated early colonisation of northern Europe. The Mediterranean like environment of Pakefield led to the interpretation that...Show moreRecent discoveries in the Cromer Forest-bed Formation, UK, demonstrated early colonisation of northern Europe. The Mediterranean like environment of Pakefield led to the interpretation that hominins before 500 ka may have been able to colonise northern Europe only under environmental conditions that were familiar to them (Parfitt et al. 2005; Roebroeks 2006). The discovery of archaeological sites at Happisburgh (UK) provided new data that were not in compliance with the ecological signal established above (Parfitt et al. 2010). This thesis presents evidence from Happisburgh Site 1 and Site 3 that indicates early hominin presence in northern Europe before 500 ka in cool and forested environments. Theories that can explain hominin presence in these cooler environments are addressed as well as technological innovations the hominins may have adapted to survive the environment. The coastal perspective theory explains hominin presence in northern Europe due to adaptations to coastal zones which would provide an abundant habitat mix, plenty of resources and a temperate low seasonal climate (Cohen et al. 2012). Technological adaptations to cold winters (below zero) may have been needed, but are not irrefutably reflected in the archaeological record of the Happisburgh sites. The Happisburgh sites have large implications for our understanding of the ecological tolerances and behaviour of early hominins in Europe.Show less
This thesis addresses the issue of climatic and environmental change being the main cause of changes in tool shape or form in Neandertal society. This is approached through several literature...Show moreThis thesis addresses the issue of climatic and environmental change being the main cause of changes in tool shape or form in Neandertal society. This is approached through several literature studies of sites which have been excavated. These sites are Königsaue and Rheindahlen in Germany; Riencourt-lès-Bapaume and Grotte Vaufrey in France; and la-Cotte-de-St-Brelade on the Channel Island Jersey. Using the bordian typological sequence, transitions were determined within sites through changes in assemblage composition. The climatic changes were determined through the study of palynological and zoological material cross referenced to the MIS curve from the chronostratigraphical correlation table. After the analysis was complete the conclusion was that the quality of the information was insufficient to assess the validity of the hypothesis.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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Isotopic analysis has been revealed highly applicable to the reconstruction of past dietary behaviour. In the line of this expansion of the archaeological methodology however, it might be easily...Show moreIsotopic analysis has been revealed highly applicable to the reconstruction of past dietary behaviour. In the line of this expansion of the archaeological methodology however, it might be easily forgotten that scientific methods needs exhaustive background studies to substantiate the use of the method. There is no doubt that isotopic analysis can say something about the dietary input, however when applied to the past it is important to investigate changes in climate, physiology and behaviour that could have altered the isotopic signal. The aim of this research is thus to establish whether any significant variations in the background isotopic signal occurred at the end of the Pleistocene and the beginning of the Holocene. This is attempted by the use of an extensive database of isotopic measurements on fauna and plant organic matter processed through temporal, spatial and biome specific analyses. The results obtained did indeed indicate major variations over time and space. In the temporal analysis the results obtained supports previous published chronologies to some extent, but differs in key aspects since it fails to support the δ15N-depletion observed elsewhere (Hedges et al. 2004; Richards and Hedges 2003; Steven and Hedges 2004). The temporal analysis additionally adds to the current knowledge of temporal variation by observing a pronounced δ15N-depletion between 37.000 and 35.000 BP, possibly linked to the Heinrich event 4. On a spatial scale the latitude-longitude analysis showed that prior to the LGM the δ13C-increases with increasing northern latitudes, this is contrary to the observations made for the LGM/LGT and the Holocene. The third analysis attempted to reconstruct LGM, LGT and Holocene biomes and correlate the isotopic signals in the plant organic matter to these biomes. These enquiries lead to the observation that during the LGM the most northern biome was more depleted than the in the south, and during the LGT the biomes show inconsistent variation that may be the result of localised reactions to the deglaciation. This exercise showed that major differences occur between the biomes and that generally wooded areas have lower δ13C-signals and that the signal is generally lower in the Holocene biomes compared to the LGM and LGT. The implications of this research to paleo-isotopic reconstructions are significant. The exhaustive collection of variation factors can be used as guidelines when making interpretations on isotopic measurements obtained from archaeological assemblages. The extension of the chronology to 45.000 BP moreover is a novel addition to the discussions on temporal variation in current research. The result of this research indicates the necessity of a methodological change in the practical field of archaeology where attention is often placed on site based reconstructions using the hominin fossils as the representative of the highest trophic link, however as proved here it is just as important, if not more, to contextualise these fossils by sampling exhaustively all along the trophic chain from different regions in order to make reliable paleo-dietary reconstructions.Show less
