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
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
closed access
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
