The North Sea has an important one million year history of hominin occupation, for which much is unknown of human history, and in particular the history of hominids. Traces indicate that...Show moreThe North Sea has an important one million year history of hominin occupation, for which much is unknown of human history, and in particular the history of hominids. Traces indicate that Neandertals used food sources from the coast and scavenged along the shoreline, but not much is known about Neanderthal occupation along the shoreline of North-Western Europe. The aim of this research is to reconstruct successive landscapes and climate conditions using fossil shells. The second aim is to apply these to the newly obtained records. To accomplish the second aim of this research the set of factors suggesting hominid occupation potential need to be applied to the newly obtained records to see whether there was hominid occupation possible at the specific research area of Castricum. The fractions are then analyzed in five steps. When the samples are sorted by species and condition of conservation, literature is used to find out the ecology of these species and used to describe the environment. Intervals with no shell fractions were described using literature. Traces indicate that Neandertals used food sources from the coast and scavenged along the shoreline. Whether that was also the case in the North Sea area, was not known for sure. There is fragmented evidence of hominin occurrences around the North Sea Basin during the past 1 Ma. The analysis of shell fractions from a coring in Castricum together with literature analysis yielded evidence for possible Neanderthal occupation during MIS 3, MIS 5a, MIS 5c and MIS 5e in the Castricum area. The other MIS were too cold or unsuitable for the preferable habitat of Neanderthals.Show less
