Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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The Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in Western Eurasia took place between 50,000 and 35,000 years ago. At the start of the transition, the region was inhabited by Neanderthals, and perhaps...Show moreThe Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in Western Eurasia took place between 50,000 and 35,000 years ago. At the start of the transition, the region was inhabited by Neanderthals, and perhaps by a few scattered groups of Anatomically Modern Humans. However, by the end of the transition, only Anatomically Modern Humans remained. Our understanding of how this came to be is fragmentary, as sites without preserved organic remains cannot be dated with high-precision methods. However, around 41,000 years ago there was a profound temporary change in the Earth’s magnetic field, named the Laschamps event. This event can be identified through using paleomagnetism and can potentially help in greatly constraining the chronologies of archaeological sites by offering a margin of error of less than 1,000 years. This thesis assesses the potential benefits and pitfalls of using the Laschamps event as a geochronological marker in archaeology. This is done by combining a literature study with a paleomagnetic case study. The literature study focuses on assessing the quality of the previous identifications of the Laschamps event at archaeological sites. This literature study is the first ever on the Laschamps event at archaeological sites and found that most of the previous claims were not well supported by the available evidence. In particular, the methods used for demagnetising the paleomagnetic samples and recognising the potential effects of post-depositional processes was found to be important for interpreting the paleomagnetic signal. The paleomagnetic study uncovered reversed directions in several of the lower units at the cave site at Quinçay, France. This thesis shows the first record of the Laschamps event ever found at an archaeological site in Western Europe. The likely position of the Laschamps event in the site stratigraphy straddled the final Mousterian and Châtelperronian layers, which could indicate that the cultural succession at the site happened rapidly. But this interpretation is made with several caveats, particularly the need for better age control of the lower levels at the site.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
This thesis focuses on the use of experimental archaeology and residues analysis to further our understanding of the plant exploitation possibilities on the Crimean Peninsula during the Late...Show moreThis thesis focuses on the use of experimental archaeology and residues analysis to further our understanding of the plant exploitation possibilities on the Crimean Peninsula during the Late Pleniglacial period (19 -15 cal BP). Crimean plant exploitation during this period is not well understood despite palaeoenvironmental, archaeological and ethnobotanical data being available. The aim was to elicit the types of residues that would have been collected and how these residues could be made useful in archaeological applications. This was done by executing several experiments with stone tools and plants likely to have been on the peninsula during that period. The results showed interesting plant specific correlations with the tools as well as a consistent performance of starch accumulation across all tools. These results are a vital step towards creating a broader and a more inclusive reference collection for wild plants in order to understand the residues and what we need to look for in the field from an archaeological and palaeobotanical perspective.Show less
A collection of fish remains recovered from the Upper Palaeolithic site of Les Pedroses in the Spanish province of Asturias have been examined to determine the nature of accumulation. Research...Show moreA collection of fish remains recovered from the Upper Palaeolithic site of Les Pedroses in the Spanish province of Asturias have been examined to determine the nature of accumulation. Research focused on the anatomy, taxonomy, taphonomy and osteometry of the remains. The site is located along a tributary of the Sela river valley Asturias in the municipality of Ribadesella. Previous excavations have uncovered evidence of human occupation ranging from the Solutrean to the Early Holocene. The fish remains were recovered from four stratigraphical layers found at the back of the vestibule along the northern wall of the cave. The oldest layer has been radiocarbon dated to 12.250±40 BP or 14.328-14.004 Cal BP, which puts it well within the Late Upper Magdalenian. It is followed by a transitionary layer, an Early Holocene layer and a superimposed layer. Taxonomic identification of the remains was conducted with the help of fish bone reference collections housed at the Laboratory for Archaeozoological Studies of Leiden and the Laboratory for Zooarchaeological Research at the University of Amsterdam. A family, genus or species level identification could be obtained for the majority of fish remains found in the assemblage. A mix of marine and freshwater fishes were identified with Clupeids and Salmonids being best represented taxa in all four stratigraphical layers. Vertebrae were by far the best represented skeletal elements. Over half of the skeletal elements in all four stratigraphical layer could be identified as vertebrae. All skeletal elements were measured according to the guidelines established in Watt et al. (1997) for vertebrae and Morales & Rosenlund (1979), when applicable. Total length and weight of the fishes was estimated through the use of global rachidean profiles. Clupeid and salmonids vertebrae, the most common taxa and skeletal elements, were compared to two reference specimens taken from the Laboratory for Archaeozoological Studies of Leiden. We estimate the clupeids had fork length of less than 24 cm and the salmonids had a total length of around 29.5 cm and weighted roughly 200 grammes. The total length and weight of all other taxa falls somewhere in-between, likely on the side of the Clupeids. The presence of bone surface modifications such as compression or digestion and degree of fragmentation was documented for each skeletal element in the assemblage. Over 90% of the remains were fragmented with 10 to 20% of vertebrae showing signs of compression or digestion. The absence of chopmarks, cutmarks or burning marks and the overall small size ranges of the fishes discounts an anthropogenic origin of accumulation. The osteometrical, taphonomical, taxonomical and anatomical aspects of the assemblage best fit the characteristics of fish bones deposited by otters (Lutra lutra L.). The seasonality inferred from the fishes suggests human occupied Les Pedroses during the late summer and autumn months. This research has illustrated the archaeological value in fish remains, which are typically understudied in the region.Show less
Climate change has had an influence on hominin evolution for quite some time and led to several speciation and adaptation events. With the later hominin species climate change has less of an impact...Show moreClimate change has had an influence on hominin evolution for quite some time and led to several speciation and adaptation events. With the later hominin species climate change has less of an impact, and extinction theories for the Neanderthals tend to lean in other directions. Despite this, the role of climate change in the Neanderthal extinction is not clear. Older research tended to be focused on global climate records that might not be representative of the smaller climate differences across highly geographically diverse continents. This research provides an overview of local palaeoenvironmental reconstructions for the period of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in research from 2015-2021 and focuses on the different proxies and climate factors, the stability of the climate, the scale of the research performed, and the perceived influence of climate change on local Neanderthal extinctions. These will be compared per major region (Iberian Peninsula, Apennine Peninsula, Balkan Peninsula, and mid-latitude Europe) in order to determine if any patterns exist. The results show a diversity in the applied proxies and a general trend of deteriorating climate around the time of the Neanderthal extinction. The majority of the research concludes that climate change did not play a major role in the Neanderthal extinction. Despite this, there are some anomalous locations that do not agree with the general consensus this overview produced. Future research at these locations could provide information to nuance the current picture of climate change or corroborate the overall consensus.Show less
The Neanderthal extinction is not fully understood and there is no common consensus on the date of the demise of Neanderthals in Europe. In the Crimean peninsula, located in south-eastern Europe,...Show moreThe Neanderthal extinction is not fully understood and there is no common consensus on the date of the demise of Neanderthals in Europe. In the Crimean peninsula, located in south-eastern Europe, there is evidence for a longer persistence. This thesis investigates the late Neanderthal persistence on the Crimean peninsula. The foraging radius and the settlement patterns of the Crimean Micoquian and the Western Crimean Mousterian are discussed together with analysis of the known radiocarbon dates to gain understanding of the correlation between them. To test the hypothesis that the foraging radius impacted the longer persistence of Neanderthals populations, secondary literature has been analyzed regarding the environmental, lithic and faunal assemblages. The results show that the foraging radius is difficult to determine but it did not have a major influence on the persistence of Neanderthals in Crimea. The radiocarbon datings together with the environmental data concur with the later persistence of Neanderthal populations. Moreover, the Crimean Micoquian was highly adapted in Crimea and especially the mountainous region. The adaptation together with the seasonal movement of prey led to more interaction between Neanderthal populations, which resulted in a potentially higher fitness. This needs to be tested in future research by, for example, the extraction of aDNA from samples of soil of Late Middle Palaeolithic sites. The limitations with this method of testing are the lack of Neanderthal fossils dating to this late period and the presence of palimpsest in many of the Late Middle Palaeolithic sites. Additionally, Russian and Ukrainian literature from previous excavations needs to be translated and re-evaluated to gain more knowledge about the Crimean Middle Palaeolithic as a whole.Show less
The consequences for the Neanderthal population in Western Europe upon the arrival of anatomically modern humans in the Upper Palaeolithic, is a matter of intense debate within the field of...Show moreThe consequences for the Neanderthal population in Western Europe upon the arrival of anatomically modern humans in the Upper Palaeolithic, is a matter of intense debate within the field of prehistoric archaeology. The fact that our species is the only one to survive, has traditionally been explained by a supposed cognitive superiority inherent to anatomically modern humans. However, recent studies have refuted most of the proclaimed differences between the species, leaving the reason behind the Neanderthal disappearance even more peculiar. One way to address this issue, is through the study of behavioural differences between the species. By mapping differences and compare the results, we may potentially discern behavioural patterns or cognitive abilities indicating a difference great enough to explain the notable success of our species. In this study, a micro-wear analysis of three multi-functional flint tools, distinct for Upper Palaeolithic assemblages (hence anatomically modern humans) was performed. The tools originate from the final stage of the Early Aurignacian occupation of Les Cottés, France, a site that has been occupied by both Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans. The continuous stratigraphical sequence of the site makes it suitable for behavioural comparisons between the two populations within the same context. By understanding the function/s of the tools, tasks performed at the site can be inferred. As a consequence, information about behavioural and cognitive aspects of the manufacturers of the artefacts can be indicated. The results can later be used for behavioural comparisons between anatomically modern humans and Neanderthals, in an attempt to define eventual cognitive or behavioural differences. In order to strengthen any claims of performed tasks, the results from the micro-wear analysis were compared with results derived from the faunal and lithic assemblages of the same context. The results corroborated each other, consequently contributing to our knowledge about certain behavioural aspects of anatomically modern humans from this period.Show less
The archaeology of the late Paleolithic in the Netherlands studies human behavior during the termination of the last glacial period. These studies focus mostly on lithic material due to...Show moreThe archaeology of the late Paleolithic in the Netherlands studies human behavior during the termination of the last glacial period. These studies focus mostly on lithic material due to preservative conditions. One of the ‘groups’ defined on the basis of this lithic material is the Federmesser-group, or Azilien. This tradition is generally dated to the Allerød warm period (11.800-10.800 BP). This thesis focuses on Federmesser-mobility patterns in the western Meuse area of Limburg, the Netherlands. Specifically, the sites of Horn-Haelen and Heythuysen-de Fransman will be addressed. Here we show that Heythuysen-de Fransman may actually have a different chronological position than was previously assumed. Based on assemblage size, a differentiation was made between Meuse sites and Peelhorst sites, interpreting the sites on the peelhorst as Base camps and the Meuse-region sites as extraction camps. In this thesis it is suggested that larger Peelhorst-sites may actually consist of a palimpsest of various sites related to clustered resources in this area, as opposed to the Meuse area. However, lithic typology does suggest processing activities were more important on the Peelhorst, while hunting activities dominate in the Meuse area. Through the analysis and publications of the lithic inventories of Horn-Haelen and Heythuysen-de Fransman, the author hopes to contribute to the dataset of published upper Paleolithic sites in the Netherlands. The author also hopes to contribute to the larger debate on mobility strategies for the Late Paleolithic, on which little has been published for the Netherlands in the last 20 years.Show less
The aim of this thesis is to re-examine the flint material from a Dutch site named Tienray op den Hees (North-Limburg, The Netherlands). The site should be placed in the occupation history of...Show moreThe aim of this thesis is to re-examine the flint material from a Dutch site named Tienray op den Hees (North-Limburg, The Netherlands). The site should be placed in the occupation history of Northwest-Europe after the Last Glacial Maximum. The re-colonization of Northwest-Europe is closely related to large ecological and climatic changes. The flint assemblage has been examined by Stapert and characterized as Creswellian. An elaborate study on the typo- and technological aspects of flint show that the Tienray assemblage should not be assigned to the Creswellian. On typological grounds, the Laterally Modified Laminar Pieces and technological aspects point into the direction of Federmesser technology. The absence of the en éperon preparation, the low amount of 'lips' and the external platform angles are indications for the use of soft stone percussion for the production of relative straight blade(let)s and blade like flakes. Based on the current geological data, it is not possible to date Tienray op den Hees. However, Tienray op den Hees is located between the Late Pleniglacial terrace level 1 and the younger Holocene driftsands. The large variety of tools suggests that all kinds of daily activitities (e.g. processing of skin and meat) took place at the site. A few LMP show macroscopic impact-traces that can only be the end product by the use of arrow point. Retooling might have took place at the site. None of the so called southern 'Creswellian' sites meet the definition argued by Barton et al. (2003). Unfortunately, sites such as Zeijen and Siegerswoude in the Northern Netherlands are not studied on the technological aspects yet.Show less
