Research at the Middle Pleistocene open air site Marathousa 1 uncovered the skeleton of a straight tusked elephant, that contained cut marks. This site was found through the PaGE project which...Show moreResearch at the Middle Pleistocene open air site Marathousa 1 uncovered the skeleton of a straight tusked elephant, that contained cut marks. This site was found through the PaGE project which focussed on finding evidence for Palaeolithic archaeology at the gates of Europe. The Galerian migration hypothesis is based on the necessity of mammal protein for hominins and suggests that they followed large mammal herds into Europe. At Marathousa 1 large mammal exploitation is evident and its location fits into the theory of migration through the Levantine corridor and the Balkans. In this research the environment and the climate of Marathousa 1 are reconstructed through macro and micro botanical fossil data. It shows that the site was at the edge of a paleolake, with a reed swamp surrounding it and a relatively open oak woodland in the distance. The lake had fluctuating water levels and regularly flooded. The fluctuating water levels are clear from the growing amount of vegetation mostly consisting of reed swamp that indicates that the edge of the water moved further away from the sampling point. The climate of Marathousa 1 was temperate to warm and got warmer towards the top of the sequence of the sampled data, which is closer to the lignite layers. These layers supposedly indicate an interglacial period. This warm climate promoted and facilitated particular vegetation that was advantageous for the hominins in the area. Many of the species found in the research were edible and some were well suited for making tools as well. The environment of Marathousa 1 provided an excellent opportunity for hominins to exploit their surroundings. Their (hominin) presence in southern Greece, related to warm climatic conditions, can attest for the migration of hominins slowly transitioning into central and northern Europe.Show less
