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The passing of Russell Coope in 2011 brought an end to a vigorous, dynamic research career that launched the field of Quaternary entomology. This issue of Quaternary International is composed mostly of papers given in his honour in June, 2012 at Royal Holloway University of London. It comprises 21 papers that cover a wide range of topics. The reconstruction of British Pleistocene environments was arguably Coope's most important contribution to science. Three papers containing previously unpublished Middle and Late Pleistocene beetle faunas and their interpretations are included here. A discussion paper on the origins of the insect faunas of North Atlantic islands echoes another of Coope's research interests, as do two studies of late glacial climates of northwest Europe. A suite of several papers discussing the environmental archaeology of sites ranging in age from the Bronze Age to the early 20th century honour Coope's pioneering work in this field. Pleistocene research from sites in North America and Japan complete the volume, followed by descriptions of two large-scale insect fossil databases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2013 archaeological radiocarbon databases covering 13,000–7000 14C BP for nine countries in South America, including Peru, were published in a special issue of Quaternary International. The past decade has seen new field research and radiocarbon ages contributed to the Peruvian archaeological record, two updates to the southern hemisphere calibration curve, and research papers drawing from South American radiocarbon databases to explore region- and continent-scale patterns of human-environment interaction, settlement dynamics, and paleodemography. This paper provides an update to the Peruvian archaeological radiocarbon database for the Late Pleistocene to early Middle Holocene. The new database (version 2) includes 493 radiocarbon dates spanning 20,000 to 7000 14C BP. No radiocarbon dates >13,000 14C BP meet basic archaeological criteria. First, I review the structure of Peru's early archaeological radiocarbon record and highlight several research and landscape taphonomic biases. Second, I examine distributions of archaeological sites through time, beginning with basic site and date frequencies and progressing to Bayesian analysis of aggregated radiocarbon dates. Third, applying established criteria for well-dated archaeological events, I identify some unresolved problems in early Peruvian radiocarbon chronologies, with the goal of outlining priorities for future archaeological and chronometric research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The active tectonics of the Kashmir basin is an interesting research problem because it involves a region that is located away from the Himalayan frontal portions where most of the tectonic activity is absorbed on the Main Frontal Thrust system. Therefore, any study on the active tectonics of the region would increase our understanding on how interior faults form, activate or reactive. However, several problematic and controversial research articles have been published over the years on the active tectonics of the Kashmir basin. These have questioned the quality of research, which has been raised by Shah in several of his commentary papers. The work presented below is a discussion on the recently published article by Bhat et a. (2020) where the authors argue to have identified a new active fault in Aripal basin, Kashmir, by using the geomorphic indices, morphometric parameters, and detailed fieldwork. However, the fault does not exist, and the field details are conflicting and controversial. Therefore, I suggest that the paper should be removed and authors should be allowed to correct the problems that I have raised below, and resubmit when they are ready with the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paleolimnology is a rapidly expanding field within the natural sciences. To date, many scientific papers have been published focusing on studies of remains from single sediment cores in specific lakes, or a few cores from the same water body. However, few previous publications have provided a comprehensive comparative analysis of taphocenosis (and maternal community) changes in different water bodies from a large geographical region during whole Holocene using multivariate statistical methods. We conducted a joined statistical analysis of data obtained as a result of the cladoceran analysis of the sediment samples from six cores taken along the North-South transect from the Kola Peninsula to the Karelian Region (North-West Russia). Our aim was to identify, based on quantitative statistical methods, general whole-Holocene patterns in cladoceran taphocenosis changes. All taphocenoses in all cores from six lakes can be classified into six clusters based on their species composition. Our unexpected conclusion is that different taphocoenoses are formed by the same set of species, but their proportions vary significantly. This suggests that the same species may play different functional roles in different maternal communities. During whole Holocene, we observed a single taphocenosis cluster in the Holocene core from Lake Antyukh-Lambina, and four taphocenosis clusters in the Lake Medvedevskoe, with an intermediate number of clusters in the lakes between them. Furthermore, it can be asserted that the potential for cluster changes in the core is greater for the more southern studied water bodies (0–3 clusters for northern lakes vs. 4 clusters for southern lakes). Based on our data, we hypothesize that the diversity of cladoceran associations during the Holocene was lower in Arctic/Subarctic lakes, possibly due to their formation by ubiquitous species. Our study suggests that at least some Arctic lake ecosystems have remained unchanged since deglaciation times. Further studies are necessary to determine if this is a general rule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review paper delves into the geological history of Mallorca, focusing on the Middle to Late Pleistocene period and its impact on the landscape and climate of the island. The Quaternary, particularly, the Last Interglacial, represents a relatively short timeframe on the global chronological scale, yet it is notable for its climatic instability and complex alternation of glacial and interglacial phases, leading to fluctuations in sea levels. During the last interglacial, millennial-scale fluctuations, known as Dansgaard–Oeschger and Heinrich events, occurred. Aeolianites are thought to have formed during periods of sparse vegetation cover and abundant sediment availability from the sea bed or platform (Heinrich events), while colluvial deposits and paleosols are believed to represent periods of reduced sediment supply and enhanced pedogenesis (Dansgaard–Oeschger events). These different deposits reflect climatic shifts and sea-level changes, offering insights into the environmental history of the island. Fossil evidence, including Strombus bubonius (currently known as Thetystrombus lauts) or "Senegalese hosts," reveals past warm climatic fluctuations, particularly during the Last Interglacial. Myotragus balearicus exemplifies evolutionary adaptation and isolation on the island, offering a unique perspective on its paleontological legacy. The integration of stratigraphic characteristics and literature research on Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating techniques provides a comprehensive temporal framework, spanning from Marine Isotope Stage 6 (MIS 6) to Marine Isotope Stage 2 (MIS 2), enabling the precise dating of geological events and a stratigraphic correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, sedimentological and geochemical data from six cores are presented and discussed in order to better understand the Holocene palaeoenvironmental evolution of the coastal plains of the Pecora and Cornia Rivers (southern Tuscany, Italy). Overall, the stratigraphies show a general upward trend in the evolution of the sedimentary succession of lagoonal environments (low Zr/Rb, high EC values) connected or partially connected to the sea (low EC values), to a seaward progradation of marshy-swampy environments (Mn/Ti, high TOC values) and finally to continental environments with the progradation of distal alluvial plains (high Zr/Rb, low EC values) influenced by runoff phenomena or local water stagnation. This trend is closely related to the increasing input of sediments from inland due to soil erosion processes and, especially in the last two centuries, land reclamation works. In the Cornia coastal plain, the chronologies indicate that lagoonal environments were already present before ca. 8.2ka BC and started receding seaward at around 3.7ka BC. On the other hand, chronologies from ca. 0.5ka BC to ca. 0.6ka AD point to a persistence of lagoonal environments only in areas very close to those already identified as such in historical cartography. In the Pecora coastal plain, the chronologies show that the lagoon environments had already disappeared before ca. 3.3ka BC, whilst the peripheral environments were characterised by abundant vegetation. The latter gradually degraded in favour of the development of shallow to very deep, unvegetated marshlands, which persisted until ca. 1ka AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the high resolution palynological analyses carried out on samples from four cores drilled in the coastal plains of the Cornia and Pecora rivers, southern Tuscany, Italy. This study provides new information on the landscape transformations that the area has undergone over the past 7500 years, with focus on Medieval times when settlement patterns and land use contributed the onset of the current landscape. The study area, considered one of the most important early centres of the European civilization, has been fully investigated by the ERC funded nEU-Med project through an interdisciplinary approach combining archaeological, geomorphological, chemical, and archaeobotanical analyses. Environmental features and resource availability were explored through pollen markers of natural environments and human activities suggesting similarities and dissimilarities between the two valleys. In the Cornia Valley, the high diversity and percentages of woody taxa is connected to agrarian exploitation with arboriculture, while the Pecora Valley had a mostly open landscape, with lower diversity and higher percentages of anthropogenic pollen indicators. In both valleys, the land was mainly exploited for grazing resources: the high presence of pasture indicators suggests that domesticated animals should have been an important local resource especially in Medieval times. Pastoral/breeding activities fit into a larger context of management of the territory with specific vocation (namely, salt and iron in these two valleys). The detailed palynological analysis and the comparison between the two valleys highlight the local character of these activities, probably carried out in a collateral way by the peasant communities between the 7th-12th centuries AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The invention or adoption of bows is one of the most significant global shifts in humanity's history, and tracking this in the archaeological record depends on metrically distinguishing dart and arrow projectile points. Given the importance of comparative databases in this endeavor, this paper presents an expanded compilation of measurements on 85 hafted points from North America. For South America, we present unpublished data for 22 hafted points and 61 foreshafts. A clear metric gap in point width at 14–15 mm separates arrows and darts. This reflects the weapons' different physical requirements, since these points come from historically independent regions and periods. These patterns are not replicated in ethnographic arrows, which are consistently larger than archaeological arrows. We suggest they not be used in archaeological comparisons. Hafted darts are notably larger than unhafted darts from archaeological sites, which is mostly due to use-life reductions. We suggest that there is no universally applicable data set, nor derived formula or index, that can be used to identify archaeological points as darts or arrows. We recommend nonparametric comparisons focusing on natural breaks in cross-cultural archaeological data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we will present the information obtained from a set of bifacial tanged quartz points found at rock art shelter Oyola 7, located in the El Alto-Ancasti mountain range, Catamarca province, Argentina. These stone tools date back to the 1st millennium of the Common Era. We detail the technological characteristics of this assemblage, primarily manufactured in quartz, and analyze their association with different types of weapons, suggesting their possible use with bows and arrows. Additionally, we will inquire about the significance of this assemblage at this particular archaeological site, as it is almost the only one where we have identified this type of stone tool. Finally, we reflect on the presence of bows and arrows in this region during the historical period studied, while also proposing an alternative perspective based on a locally situated understanding of social processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the Central Andean Chavín Phenomenon as a case study, this paper explores the middle ground between top-down (big data) and bottom-up (Bayesian modeling) approaches to archaeological radiocarbon data. Compiling radiocarbon dates associated with the Chavín Phenomenon addresses questions of chronology, demonstrating that the relevant phases at interacting sites are relatively brief and broadly contemporary. In addition, the definition of a discrete span of time associated with the Chavín Phenomenon makes it possible to explore the context for that period of heightened interaction. Juxtaposing that timespan with a compilation of Central Andean radiocarbon dates identifies contemporary non-participatory sites, enabling characterization of the sociopolitical milieu within which the Chavín Phenomenon emerged, flourished, and faded. The identification of that corpus of sites also highlights the importance of a shift in focus from identification of interaction to characterization of interaction. Bottom-up approaches to radiocarbon chronology will be a key element of that effort, while high-level summary of radiocarbon assemblages can identify where additional dating and Bayesian modeling can have the greatest interpretive impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Late Intermediate Period (LIP, cal AD 1000–1450) in the central Andes is defined as a hiatus after the collapse of Tiwanaku and Wari, expansive state polities of the Middle Horizon (cal AD 600–1000), and before the domination of the Inca empire in the Late Horizon (cal AD 1450–1532). The LIP is often characterized as a unit, but major developments took place within this long period, including diasporic migrations and the new colonization of some regions, demographic change, intensified conflict, large-scale adverse climate episodes, and changes associated with the onset of Inca expansion. Here we make a preliminary attempt to clarify the chronology of these developments. A database of published and new radiocarbon dates is compiled for the south-central highlands and coastal valleys in order to model overall and subregional demographic trends using an updated "dates-as-data" cumulative kernel density estimate (CKDE) approach, and to examine specific LIP phenomena in two subregions. Our results indicate major demographic change including 1) substantial population growth beginning in the 13th century, 2) a marked 14th-century population surge in most, but not all, subregions included here, 3) evidence of population decline in several subregions during the same intervals when neighboring populations are expanding. Population growth was associated with intensified violence and increased physiological stress in the upper Nasca drainage. In the altiplano of Peru and Bolivia, population growth accompanied the rise of defensive hillforts and monumental cemeteries. Our date models also indicate a more complicated terminal LIP in the altiplano, with the height of classically "LIP" societies overlapping with early evidence for imperial Inca presence. This paper highlights the ways that more refined chronology can make advances in our understanding of a turbulent post-collapse era in the Andes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a multidisciplinary approach between palaeoecology and the analysis of historical archives to reconstruct forest history subjected to long-term human activities. We focus on a case study from the southern French Alps (the Bléone Valley), for which a rich historical corpus but little palaeoenvironmental data are available. We compared and contrasted (i) pedoanthracological data obtained along an altitudinal transect (ca 400 m), (ii) dendrochronological data from historical buildings and old living trees, and (iii) historical data from written sources on forest management and land-use change. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that the comparison between different proxy data to understand the history of mountain forest ecosystems and human-forest interactions is very challenging. We show that the spatial distribution of forest and treeline position have been impacted by human activities, mainly due to agro-sylvo-pastoral practices through the use of fire and forest cutting to maintain open pasture lands and local building purposes. Despite centuries of local agro-sylvo-pastoral activities, the forest composition has remained relatively unchanged since the Middle Ages. Our comparison of historical documents with dendrochronological data on local buildings and soil charcoal data shows that the local demands of wood cannot explain the observed large-scale changes in forest spatial continuity. Curiously, the highest demand for wood by local residents did not occur in pace with modern demographic boom (17th century), as would be expected. Thus, we suggest that supra-regional external regulations and State's control played a more important role in forest management. Royal shipbuilding industry, more lucrative economic stakes, and expanded demand for timber for construction of buildings in urban areas of the lower valleys and plains are among the external factors which impacted forest exploitation during periods when logging was prohibited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Settlements and dwellings related to pastoral communities in mountainous areas speak to the adaptation strategies of people to this specific environment. This paper describes unprecedented archaeological features found in the Nuratau Mountains of Uzbekistan, dated between the 18th-early 20th centuries AD, and interpreted as living places of pastoralist groups. Preliminary statistical and spatial analyses provide information on the intra- and inter-site organization and the settlement patterns of these communities. We document some variability in patterns of social and spatial organization of the dwellings and campsites and we discuss the interweaving of the ecological and cultural factors governing the settlement systems. When studied as both physical structures and social spaces, the Nuratau campsites contribute to highlight the choices made by pastoral communities in the past and to investigate the integration of human activities in mountain landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates ancient pastoral mobility in a high mountain area of the Pyrenees. Firstly, modern transhumant routes were analysed using GIS tools in order to understand possible determinant factors (such as terrain slope and altitude, water courses and possible nodes) in the layout of a route used for seasonal livestock movements. The observations obtained were then used to model optimal paths which may have been used by ancient shepherds. Subsequently, an analysis was made of the spatial relationship between the simulated paths and the dispersion pattern of archaeological sites in two time periods: Late Antiquity-Medieval (3rd-14th centuries AD) and Modern-Contemporary (18th-20th centuries AD). The results show significant differences in the spatial distribution of the sites throughout both periods in terms of accessibility and proximity to possible pathways. This variability provides information concerning historical changes in the social structure of pastoral alpine landscapes over long periods of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the first human settlement of the Kohgiluyeh region in southwestern Iran in relation to regional environmental conditions. At an altitude between 500 and 3500 m asl, a range of different ecozones and diversified resources available at short distance compose this highly mountainous region. The first sedentary occupation occurred here during the 8th millennium BC. Applying remote sensing, GIS and geo-topographic landscape analyses to contextualize the available dataset, our study illustrates that in the southern portion of the region fertile lands played a pivotal role for the first settled communities and the stability of their subsistence strategies. Farming became even more important during the later Neolithic phase. Furthermore, Neolithic sites are recorded along the bottom of open slopes, at locations with direct access to the combined resources of the plains and the hilly lands. The first occupation of the region is also documented at high elevation up to 1600 m asl, along narrow valley formations, where limited areas are available for farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although evidence is sporadic it is becoming clear that haymaking and hay meadow management were likely indispensable elements of practices related to animal husbandry during the Roman period. As large towns begin to emerge, success in breeding large livestock such as cattle and horses would have required good quality fodder. Yet, how we distinguish fodder or other animal associated plant remains in the archaeological record can be problematic for many reasons. This paper explores this issue through the context of Roman Mursa, located in modern day Osijek, Croatia. Two pits dating to c. AD133, contained relatively large quantities of grassland and wet ground species, such as Trifolium/Melilotus sp. Prunella vulgaris and the grasses Poa sp. and Phleum sp., as well as chaff and other remains, such as dung, eggshells, and fish scales. By examining the proportion of species grouped into habitat types, we see that the composition of sample SU391 is indictive of hay meadows and could indicate nearby animal stabling in the centre of the early Roman colony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to provide new data on forest management and arboricultural practices in the Roman and Late Antique periods in the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula. In this study, the waterlogged branches found in three wells at the sites of Iesso and Vilauba in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula were analysed. To determine management practices the roundwood method, based on the correlation between age and diameter, has been applied. The study has revealed the presence of a wide range of species collected on surrounding forests, especially in riparian forest. Moreover, it is remarkable the abundance of fruit trees at both sites, being the most abundant Prunus sp. The comparison of the archaeological branches with a reference collection of modern twigs from cultivated and non-managed individuals of the Prunaceae family, Salix sp. and Sambucus nigra , has provided clear evidence of management practices in these taxa. In addition, direct evidence of pruning was observed on some branches of Vitis vinifera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present the archaeological data that allows us to characterise the agrarian practices of Roman farmers through the study of cultivated fields. To undertake this research, we designed an analytical strategy combining spatial analysis, microstratigraphic analysis through soil micromorphology and physical-chemical analyses of bulk soil samples, and archaeobotanical analyses including palynology, phytoliths and geochemical analysis. All this has allowed us to obtain data of interest for the reconstruction of agrarian land use and to establish a methodological basis for developing future research. This high-resolution, multiscalar, and multianalytical approach pursues to characterise these archaeological contexts to singularize intensive agricultural practices developed in terraced field. The creation of this Roman peasant landscape is related to a specific models of socioeconomic organisation of agricultural work based on the household and its workforce as a determining vector in agrarian intensification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bianfudong (pinyin for Bat Cave) is a paleolithic site that was recently discovered in Heqing, Yunnan in southwestern China. Several hominin fossils, stone artifacts and more than 69,000 mammal fossils were unearthed in 2019. The hominin fossils and stone artifacts were excavated from the upper part (layers 1–12) of the section with an age range of 180–70 ka BP. Some large mammal fossils and micromammalian remains were collected from the lower part of the section (layers 22–30), which has an age >180 ka BP. This paper describes the micromammalian fossils collected from layers 25–30 and analyzes the fauna composition and paleohabitats. A total of 638 micromammal specimens represent 12 species, including 11 extant species i.e. Euroscaptor longirostris , Blarinella wardi , Anourosorex squamipes , Crocidura vorax , Eothenomys (Anteliomys) chinensis , E. (A.) proditor , Apodemus chevrieri , Ap. draco , Ap. latronum , Micromys minutus , and Niviventer confucianus , and one extinct species Anourosorex qianensis. The two arvicolid Eothenomys species dominate, both in the number of identified specimens and the minimum number of individuals. The composition of the Bianfudong micromammalian fauna can be compared with the faunas of Sanjiacun in Chenggong of Yunnan Province, Mawokoudong in Bijie and Xinglongdong in Fengjie, Guizhou Province. Using the random forest model with modern meteorological data, we calculated the mean annual precipitation (MAP) and the mean annual temperature (MAT) for all 11 living species in the Bianfudong. The MAP was inferred as 1008.04 mm, close to modern data in the Heqing area, while the MAT was slightly lower at 12.84 °C. The dominance of Eothenomys also supports a slightly cooler climate during the late Middle Pleistocene in the Heqing area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents sedimentological and paleobotanical studies of the deposits from Last Glaciation (Late Nemunas, Late Weichselian) in the middle reaches of the River Nemunas in southern Lithuania. Spores, pollen, and other palynomorphs in the intercalated sediments between the diamicton (glacial till) beds were analyzed, and the paleogeographical and paleoclimatic conditions of their sedimentation were assessed using the modern analog technique (MAT). The two till layers from the Last Glaciation, characterized by significant differences in their composition, testify to a difference in glacier movement paths in the region. The continuous sedimentation process between glacial tills provides evidence of global climate changes during the Last Glaciation and the restructuring of glacial lobes during deglaciation in the southeastern part of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet. The sedimentation process and vegetation composition bear witness to an open landscape of steppe-tundra, scattered wooded areas, and the emergence of thermophilic vegetation afterward, suggesting increased annual temperatures and higher humidity. The available data enable the identification of the Balbieriškis interstage period within the Late Nemunas Glaciation (Upper Nemunas Formation) between the Grūda and Baltija stages (Grūda and Baltija subformations) in the regional Quaternary stratigraphic scheme. This period correlates with the Marine Isotope Stage 2 (MIS 2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea-level rise was a key factor changing environments during the Early Holocene in Northwest Europe. It affected Mesolithic hunter-gatherer communities by inundating large areas in the current North Sea, commonly referred to as Doggerland. In this paper we present novel inundation models for the southern North Sea providing visualisations of lateral inundation driven by sea-level rise and relate it to frequency analysis of radiocarbon dates from archaeological sites. These improve on previous studies that relied on bathymetric data, which includes post-inundation overprints of Holocene sedimentation and erosion, and thus significantly underestimates the timing of inundation in some areas. We constructed a paleoDEM (a composite elevation grid of the top of the Pleistocene) for the eastern part of the southern North Sea; and sea level surfaces that combine relative sea-level curves from glacio-isostatic adjustment models optimised for Britain and southern Scandinavia respectively. We corrected our paleoDEMs for tectonic background basin subsidence, and in the inundation modelling account for pre-compaction elevation of peat in coastal areas. We evaluated the impact of these model components on our results and describe the possible inundation history of Doggerland. We suggest earlier inundation than predicted by previous models, showing significant area loss around 10.5–10 ka cal BP. Palaeogeographic changes are compared with archaeological radiocarbon data using a dates-as-data approach. Composite Kernel Density Estimate and permutation tested Summed Probability Distributions are used as a proxy for the visibility, nature and intensity of human activity. Results indicate key periods of growth and decline recorded in the dataset, as well as regional differences in growth rate, some correlating with inundation phases. Chiefly, we find elevated growth rates around 10.5–10 ka in northwest Germany and the Netherlands, contemporaneous with the abovementioned phase of extensive area loss, and moreover, with changes in culture and practices on Early Mesolithic sites. However, the spatiotemporal distribution of archaeological data is significantly influenced by accessibility and preservation of sediments of a certain age. We discuss the importance of inundation modelling and sediment data in understanding how landscape taphonomy affects archaeological patterning, especially in dates-as-data approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Projectile implements are one of the most frequent transformed lithic blanks within the Upper Paleolithic assemblages. Since the first taxonomic studies, their morphological variability has been used as primary fossil director to define specific regional trends and diachronic phases. However, an exhaustive analysis of manufacturing methods and techniques applied to shape this gear category is extremely rare. In fact, during the Late Epigravettian, except for a certain typological variability, the lack of detailed studies resulted in an apparent homogeneity in armatures production. In this paper, a technological and traceological approach applied to reconstruct the whole chaîne opératoire of armatures manufacture in three Northern Italian sites dated between 17,000 and 12,000 cal BP demonstrates important variations in how projectile implements are fashioned, concerning shape, production methods and retouch techniques. Moreover, a large-scale comparison suggests how renewals in projectile implements production in North-Eastern Italy may result from long-distance connections between human groups over the western Late Epigravettian territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainability of dry regions has become a key issue for global development. Their natural and cultural landscapes are facing threats resulting from ongoing global changes. This paper presents an overview of geomorphological, climatic-environmental, and archaeological studies in the hyper-arid eastern Tarim Basin (Lop Nur), northwest China, a world-renowned crossroad for early east-west communications, to provide a scientific foundation for sustaining its nature-culture heritage. The late Quaternary landscape changes in the Lop Nur region are characterised by cycles between oases and yardang deserts, shaping the extensive aeolian landform. Archaeological evidence suggests humans' adaptation and resilience to today what are viewed as inhospitable environments since the late Pleistocene by exploiting the diverse range of oasis resources, movement, and encouraging adjacent populations to diversify their subsistence base. Settlement- and regional-scale deterioration of available water resources, affected by environmental and climatic dynamics, caused the eventual abandonment. Periodic occupation and abandonment in the Lop Nur region accompanying oasis-desert/yardang environment cycles provide important lessons for present-day policymakers to contextualise the relationship between human communities and fragile ecosystems. The open-air sites in the Lop Nur region represent the best-preserved oasis-desert civilisation, suffering cultural history losses. We propose the urgent necessity to establish a transdisciplinary database, construct a master chronological framework of settlement, and integrate the culture-nature heritage within the network of the Silk Roads. The scientific management of river networks is also critical for protecting those riverine cultural relics. The site- and group-level management of heritage needs to be adapted to the projected changes in climate and environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, measurements of 2.012 bone remains from four different domestic species (sheep, goats, cattle and pigs) originating from 33 Bronze Age archaeological sites from the Balearic Islands, mainland Iberia, southern France and Sardinia, and spanning about 2500 years (3700-700 cal. BCE) have been compared. The results show that a decrease in animal size occurred in the Balearic Islands during the Bronze Age. It was not a local phenomenon but rather was a general pattern that happened in different territories. Yet it was more marked on the islands. The evidence shows that the four analyzed species were not affected in the same way and it was a nonlinear phenomenon. Indeed, during the Late Bronze Age some archaeological sites from the Balearics had taller caprines compared with the other contemporaneous places, also on the continent. A multi-factor explanation for these fluctuations is proposed in this paper, showing that animal sizes generally decreased during late prehistory -especially cattle- and this process could reflect different factors such as a combination of limited feeding, increased human pressure and endogamy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of zooarchaeological data for the principal livestock (i.e., cattle, sheep, goats and pigs) reveals regional and cultural variability in how animals were manipulated, marketed, bred, and utilized over the course of antiquity. This paper focuses upon those developments, as reconstructed through zooarchaeological frequency and morphometric data for the period from c. 1000 BCE to c. 700 CE. Regionally, North Africa encompasses a vast territory, from Egypt, in the East, to Mauretania, in the West. Ecologically, there are variations within each of these zones. Culturally, moreover, these regions witnessed the introduction and influence of different social and economic agents and factors over the timeframe under investigation. This paper examines patterns in these components in a broad synthetic manner, using zooarchaeological data across the entire expanse of Roman North Africa—from Egypt to Mauretania. Focus centers upon the nature and degree of size and shape changes within the principal livestock, modifications that were in part influenced by aspects such as the scale and pattern in trade, dietary appeal for animal products (notably fatty meats), market demands, ecological adaptations, as well as economic and cultural contact among areas. Key similarities and differences in faunal patterns, across time and space within ancient North Africa, and the links these share with changes in animal husbandry schemes are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of assemblages of animal remains have come to light in the modern city of Rome and have been studied over the past forty years, providing a large amount of information on animal consumption and exploitation from the Early Iron Age (9th c. BC) to the Late Middle Ages (13th c. AD). This long chronological period witnesses the succession of important historical events that have profoundly influenced all aspects, among them the urban landscape, the demography, but also the diet and all economic activities involving animals. Some papers devoted to the discussion of faunal data from single context or on particular topics and some overviews on animal consumption and management in ancient Rome have been already published, but a detailed analysis of biometric data has not yet completely carried out. Biometry is an important tool used in zooarchaeological studies that provides data on size variation in animal populations, contributing to our understanding of husbandry practices, focusing on breeding control and improvement in ancient time. This paper is devoted to the discussion of the results of the biometric analyses carried out with the LSI (Logarithm Size Index) method, in order to investigate on the variation of domestic animals in Rome from the Orientalizing/Archaic period to the Late Middle Ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of ancient human dental calculus (mineralized dental plaque, also known as tartar) is becoming increasingly important in osteoarchaeology, human palaeoecology and environmental archaeology. Microremains of different origin (e.g. starch granules, pollen, phytoliths, feather barbules) as well as biomolecules and chemical compounds retrieved from its mineral matrix may represent an important link between past humans and their physical, biological and social environment, but they are rarely fully linked to the evidence from skeletal remains. This paper critically reviews the lines of evidence retrieved from dental calculus in relation to osteoarchaeological parameters, employing macroscopic, microscopic and biomolecular approaches, assessing synergy potential and limitations. The scope of this paper is also to contribute to the building of a much needed theoretical framework in this emerging subfield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent paper by Bownes et al. (2017, Radiocarbon 59(5): 1275–1294) used the Bayesian modelling software package FRUITS (Fernandes et al. 2014, PLoS ONE 9(2): e87436) to argue that Neolithic individuals from Carding Mill Bay on the west coast of Scotland obtained up to ca. 21% dietary protein from marine sources. This is in contrast to previous interpretations of the same isotopic (δ 13C and δ 15N) data, which concluded that these individuals showed little if any use of marine resources (Schulting and Richards 2002, European Journal of Archaeology 5(2): 147–189). Resolving this discrepancy is important for our understanding of the nature of the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition not only on the west coast of Scotland, but along all of Atlantic Europe, since similar isotopic results to those obtained at Carding Mill Bay are widespread throughout the Neolithic and indeed later periods. We suggest that greater caution needs to be excercised in the interpretation of the output of Bayesian palaeodietary modelling, which can be very useful heuristically, but should not always be taken at face value. Given the large number of parameters employed in such models (diet isotopic values and nutrient concentrations, trophic level and tissue fractionations, etc.) and the uncertainty involved in almost all of them, a wide range of outcomes are possible, as we demonstrate in this paper. We reaffirm the overwhelmingly terrestrial nature of diet at Carding Mill Bay both through FRUITS modelling and through the new application of compound-specific δ 13C analysis of single amino acids of humans and fauna from the site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isotopic analysis has become one of the most popular arenas of archaeological science, in part due to its versatility to uncover intriguing insights from a range of organic and inorganic archaeological materials. However, alongside an increase in popularity, the field has seen the rise of dissemination of publications that do not pass quality control, do not apply robust interpretative frameworks, or do not report data in ways that would make them amenable to critical evaluation or inclusion in large meta-analyses. This paper represents an effort to clarify some of the most pressing weaknesses and misconceptions in 'traditional' applications of isotopic techniques in archaeology: measurement of stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope values of organic and inorganic materials (bulk bone collagen, bulk tooth dentine, seeds; bulk and incremental tooth enamel, molluscan shells), and strontium isotope ratio analysis of tooth enamel and cremated bone. The discussion centers on three key aspects of research: (1) Selecting samples, with advice on building comparative baselines (or more appropriately 'base intervals ') and words of caution on interpreting stable carbon isotope values measured during AMS radiocarbon dating. (2) Handling data, including tips on exploratory data analysis, graphical visualization, and statistical assessment of differences between groups; with particular reference to the Statement on p -values published by the American Statistical Association. (3) Reporting results, with advice on using correct terminology and decimal points, calculating measurement precision and accuracy, and communicating results using effective scientific language. The advice provided in this paper does not cover all aspects of project design and dissemination but will hopefully provide clarification within the above key areas and inspire further discussion of effective and impactful applications of isotopic techniques in archaeology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northeast China played an irreplaceable role in population migrations and cultural exchanges in East Asia during the Paleolithic. This paper collected 182 archaeological sites to analyse the characteristics of spatial-temporal variations of Paleolithic human activities in Northeast China, and explored the driving mechanisms behind these variations in combination with the paleoenvironmental and archaeological studies. During the Lower Paleolithic, constrained by the relatively cold-dry climate and blocked by the Songnen paleo-lake basin, the population was sparse and distributed only near 40° N at the southern end of Northeast China. Upon entering the Middle Paleolithic, as humans developed greater tolerance to cold climates and adopted more sophisticated survival strategies with the application of small lithic tools, their numbers increased and geographical distribution expanded northward to 45° N at the central region of Northeast China. The Upper Paleolithic saw a considerable increase in population and expansion across almost all of Northeast China except for the eastern Inner Mongolia Plateau. We speculated that 50 ka and 30 ka BP were two key points, both of which may be associated with a significant increase in the frequency of migrations and communications among humans, and the widespread popularity of highly mobile microblade technology, respectively. In addition, the environmental analysis of archaeological sites revealed a continuous spread of Paleolithic humans to areas with higher elevations, steeper slopes, and lower temperatures. Meanwhile, they were becoming less reliant on water resources and were more widely conducting activities in open-air areas, showing that the environmental adaptability had been continuously improving over time. This study can provide a reference for the reconstruction of the migration history of early humans in East Asia, and is also of great significance for a comprehensive understanding of the evolutionary process of early human-environment interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extent to which pre-Columbian human societies occupied and significantly impacted Amazonian environments have been long-standing questions and are currently under active discussion. Data are particularly limited from terra firme forests, formations away from watercourses that occupy over 90 % of the Amazon Basin. This paper investigates pre-Columbian influences on fire and vegetation in three regions of the western Peruvian Amazon through phytolith and charcoal analysis of terrestrial soils. One region in the Tapiche-Blanco watersheds was not previously studied. In the other two regions, the Los Amigos Biological Station and between the towns of Iquitos and Nauta, previous phytolith research was expanded to study in more detail forest composition and cultural palm usage through time. Our results indicate the diverse forests in these regions remained intact and were little affected by human forest clearing and agriculture with annual seed and root crops during the past 2000–5000 years of prehistory. Cultural palm enrichment is indicated in limited areas within each region studied, and usually occurred in riverine environments. The accumulated evidence from a number of different proxies indicates the persistence of diverse, forest-dominated pre-Columbian landscapes in western and parts of central Amazonia studied to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Central Western Argentina (CWA), the incorporation of cultigens by hunter-gatherer populations has been much discussed. This paper explores the relationship between population dynamics, subsistence change, and burial patterns driven by the process of land use intensification and increasing reliance on maize. We hypothesize that territorial behavior emerged in the context of population growth and competition for resources with a high probability of failure, as expected in an arid environment. To evaluate this hypothesis, we explore four lines of inquiry in southern Mendoza (CWA): 1) the frequency of radiocarbon dates to estimate population dynamics; 2) the Juvenile Index as a fertility rate proxy; 3) the stable isotopes on human bone (δ 13C co , δ 15N, δ 13C ca) to reconstruct diet; and 4) burial patterns as an estimate of territorial control. Our results partially support our hypothesis: During an early stage, when maize started to appear in the diet, the population was increasing, and cemeteries emerged along with some signs of violence. The hypothesis is not supported in a second period, when maize consumption and population were highest, but large cemeteries disappeared. In light of this evidence, the effect of maize on human societies was not uniform and irrevocable, and the adoption of maize by human foragers contributed to a new and diverse set of human-environment relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a summary of work undertaken by the authors and their teams on a series of Qe'an (plural of Qa'), in the Badia of eastern Jordan. These basins are foci for settlement in the region, with the sites described here (Shubayqa, Wisad and the Qa' Qattafi) edged by archaeological sites dating from the late Epipalaeolithic (ca. 14,500 - 11,600 cal BP) and the Neolithic (ca. 11,700 - 6100 cal BP), and in areas still used by people today as seasonal wetlands for watering animals and growing cereal. We assess here the potential for the Qe'an sediments to provide what would be rare continuous palaeoenvironmental records for this part of SW Asia. The paper presents the first dates from the Qe'an of this region and the outline sedimentology. Much of the fill is of Holocene age, which leads to discussion of climate and landscape change over the last 15,000 years, particularly due to the close geographical relationship between these basins and archaeology. Our optically stimulated luminescence and radiocarbon dating of the basin fill suggests that there was significantly more space in the landscape for water storage in the early Holocene, which may have therefore provided this resource for people and their livestock or game for a longer duration each year than that seen today. Linked to this are hypotheses of a more vegetated landscape during this time period. Given the environmentally marginal nature of our study area subtle changes in landscape and/or climate, and human exploitation of these resources, could have led to significant, and likely detrimental for its inhabitants, environmental impacts for the region, such as desertification. Our data are suggestive of desertification occurring, and sets up a clear hypothesis for testing by future work in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of the archaeological and palaeoenvironmental investigation carried out at Molleres II site located at 2.425 m a.s.l. in the area of Puigpedrós-Malniu (Meranges, La Cerdanya, Eastern Pyrenees). A high-resolution multi-proxy research is proposed combining landscape archaeology, soil micromorphology, anthracology, biomolecular analysis, and radiocarbon dating. This work allowed us to characterize the site's functionality, providing new insight into the occupation dynamics of high mountain spaces starting from the Neolithic onwards. Based on this research Molleres II has been interpreted as a complex and wide open-air site built up by the end of the Middle Neolithic (3636–2701 cal. BC) and consisting of large enclosures entirely dedicated to seasonal animal husbandry and located at an exceptionally high altitude. These unique settings make the site a primer for this period and in the Eastern Pyrenees, revealing the considerable intensity of the animal presence since the Prehistory in these uplands. Following the Neolithic, a second phase of more intense occupation likely occurred during Middle Ages (1179–1434 cal. AD). However, the animal presence in this mountain sector had never been exhausted, even in other historical periods. Palaeoenvironmental data also suggest that such intense and long-term animal presence and possibly fire use could be at the origin of stable grassland-dominated environments and open landscapes maintained almost continuously until nowadays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ancient faecal material is becoming a highly valuable more frequently investigated proxy with which to address a wide range of research questions. With advancing scientific methodologies it is becoming easier to identify and to analyse. The aim of this paper is to use a set of archaeological and ethnographic case studies to illustrate and evaluate the range of methods that can be used in conjunction with each other to aid investigation of archaeological faecal material. This multi-scalar and multi-method approach uses portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF), spot sampling and smear slide analysis, micromorphology, gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), environmental scanning microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (ESEM-EDX), and phytolith analysis. The case studies presented here focus on the Neolithic because of this unique opportunity to examine concentrations of animal dung from managed or early domesticated herds. This research illustrates a range of the methods that can be used in conjunction with each other to locate, identify and analyse faecal material. The results demonstrate that an integrated, multi-scalar, multi-methodological approach enables detection, identification, and investigation of a range of faecal attributes and provides new insights into key issues and themes on environment, animal management, diet, health, the built environment and energy sources. This integrated methodology and pilot study highlights two main recommendations. Firstly, modern faecal comparative material should always be consulted within the study region as a baseline for identifying and classifying different types of faecal material. Secondly, micromorphology and GC-MS samples are always vital proxies in further investigations to confirm the nature and identity of the dung sources once potential sample locations have been identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the implementation of herding in the Neolithic period, specialized areas for livestock activities have emerged in the Western Mediterranean region, such as some caves and shelters, which were systematically used for the stabling of herds. By definition, this type of sites has a great potential for the study of the beginning of livestock practices and offer high-resolution information on the exploitation and management of herds. Different disciplines analyze these activities through the analysis of faunal, archaeobotanical or sedimentological remains from these sites. In this paper, we offer a state of the art on the contribution to the study of early husbandry practices of zooarchaeological studies of faunal assemblages from sheepfold caves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In southern France, the analysis of fossil dung layers from caves and shelters occupied by the first Neolithic farmers has provided a wealth of information about the lives of shepherds and their flocks, and thus on pastoral systems. Since the early 1980s, the development of sedimentological, archaeozoological and archaeobotanical studies has made possible to collect a large amount of data. More recently, the implementation of a whole range of innovative approaches allows a more detailed approach to pastoralism. This paper proposes a synthetic approach of 40 years of bioarchaeological analysis on Neolithic sheepfold caves (grottes-bergeries). Their interpretation focuses on understanding the early agropastoral system: pastoral use of wild and cultivated plant resources (fodder, litter, care and health of livestock), mobility systems, seasonality, practices and appropriation of territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a new high-resolution (up to decadal) palaeoecological evidence based on detailed AMS radiocarbon dating, plant macrofossils, testate amoebae, loss on ignition, peat humification, elemental and stable isotopic records, obtained from a palsa peatland located in vicinities of Igarka town. This gave us a unique possibility to examine the mid-to late Holocene environmental changes in a poorly investigated area in Yenisei Siberia. The obtained data show that the peatland initiation occurred at about 6350 cal yr BP by paludification of a larch forest in the conditions of climate warming and high surface wetness, possibly, due to permafrost thaw. The first sign of palsa formation occurred about 5360 cal yr BP and coincided with the temperature decrease, wetter and anoxic conditions in peatland. After several phases of uplifts (and relatively dryer conditions) and partial thawing and subsidence of its surface (wetter conditions) between 5360 and 2250 cal yr BP, the continuous rise of the perennial frost mound (up to the height of 5 m) accomplished by drying its surface and colonization by drought-resistant plant species, evidently, encouraged by the climate cooling and permafrost aggradation during the last two millennia. The high-resolution analyses of elemental (C and N) and stable isotope content (δ13C and δ15N) of the peat sequence revealed the strong linkages between the plant composition and mineralization/humification processes. Our multi-proxy study revealed detailed features of peat accumulation patterns driven by multiple interrelated allogenic and autogenic forcings, influencing changes in peat macroelement content and stable isotope composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper constitutes a narrative view of the diachronic research conducted at Cueva de la Cocina (Dos Aguas, València) and its consequences on the Spanish Mesolithic literature from the middle of the 20th century to current times. Since its discover in 1941, the site has become one of the key sites regarding the sequence of the Late Mesolithic in Mediterranean Iberia. The campaigns conducted by L. Pericot (1941-45) provided the first archaeological sequence between the end of the Palaeolithic and the Early Neolithic in the aforementioned area. The review developed by J. Fortea in his fundamental book, focused on the Mediterranean "Epipalaeolithic", reinforced the initial postulates on the occupations of the last hunter-gatherers and gave place to the current sequence. The goal of this work consists of providing some light in the epistemological trajectory that conforms the Mesolithic's research history. Particularly, we want to highlight the importance to understand pioneering works to open new research questions considering current archaeological challenges and chances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a refined Mesolithic chronocultural sequence as a result of matching data provided by the set of archaeological research conducted at Cueva de la Cocina (Valencia, Spain) in the 20th and 21st centuries and the new radiocarbon dates record. Because available data are of different quality, we apply a methodological framework based on Bayesian modelling approaches. To do this, we systematically order each one of the archaeological registers and then combine the information in a unitary general chronology. Our novel approach introduces Bayesian modelling from a double analytical procedure: using Bayesian chronological models applied to the stratigraphic sequence of Pericot's excavation in Cocina cave we build a general phase model using data from multiple years of archaeological fieldwork. One the most reliable layers have been defined, we use this information to define the rest of the sequence through a Predictive Bayesian approach. This approach sheds light on evolutionary questions from a macroscale regarding the socioecological dynamics of the last hunter-gatherers and their role for explaining the subsequent agricultural spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]