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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]

This paper presents the first palaeodemographic results of a newly assembled region-wide radiocarbon record of the Arctic regions of northern Norway. The dataset contains a comprehensive collection of radiocarbon dates in the area (N = 1205) and spans the 10,000-year period of hunter-gatherer settlement history from 11500 to 1500 cal BP. Utilizing local, high-resolution palaeoclimate data, the paper performs multi-proxy correlation testing of climate and demographic dynamics, looking for hunter-gatherer responses to climate variability. The paper compares both long-term climate trends and short-term disruptive climate events with the demographic development in the region. The results demonstrate marked demographic fluctuations throughout the period, characterized by a general increase, punctuated by three significant boom and bust-cycles centred on 6000, 3800 and 2200 cal BP, interpreted as instances of climate forcing of human demographic responses. The results strongly suggest the North Cape Current as a primary driver in the local environment and supports the patterns of covariance between coastal climate proxies and the palaeodemographic model. A mechanism of climate forcing mediation through marine trophic webs is proposed as a tentative explanation of the observed demographic fluxes, and a comparison with inter-regional results demonstrate remarkable similarity in demographic trends across mid-Holocene north and west Europe. The results of the north Norwegian radiocarbon record are thus consistent with independent, international efforts, corroborating the existing pan-European results and help further substantiate super-regional climate variability as the primary driver of population dynamics regardless of economic adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better understand long-term precipitation changes in arid Central Asia, reconstruction of past precipitation is critical. This paper analyzed the core sediments of Balikun lake in eastern Xinjiang. We analyzed 200 pollen samples, combined with 441 surface pollen samples and a radiocarbon chronology, using the Weighted Averaging Partial Least Sequence (WA-PLS) method, to characterize the Holocene high-resolution precipitation change process in Balikun basin. And, Combined with the vegetation types reconstructed by biome method, we discussed the landscape evolution of Balikun basin. Results show that the mean annual precipitation during the Holocene can be broken into three phases: Early Holocene (11,750–8030 cal yr B.P.), which averaged about 130 mm; Middle Holocene (8030–4420 cal yr B.P.), which averaged about 250 mm; and Late Holocene (4420–0 cal yr B.P.), which averaged about 210 mm. The vegetation changed from desert to steppe during the Holocene, and the wetlands gradually expanded, which was mainly informed by precipitation and glacial melt water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a synthesis of the Early Upper Palaeolithic of Cova de les Cendres. Points of special attention are the sedimentary and micromorphological characterisation of level XVI, the analysis of the vegetal and animal resources and their incidence on the economy of the Gravettian human groups, and the characterisation of the landscape during this period. Furthermore, the paper offers important information of the lithic and bone assemblages, economic behaviour and radiocarbon dates of sub-levels XVIA and XVIB, related to the Gravettian, and XVIC and XVID, corresponding to the Aurignacian. Finally, the Gravettian and Aurignacian regional contexts in the Mediterranean Basin of the Iberian Peninsula are discussed, and the recent proposals for regional technological variation in the Iberian Gravettian industries are critically evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to assess the variability of the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of herbivores -guanaco and huemul-in southern Patagonia. The study area extends from the eastern slopes of the Andes to the Atlantic Coast between 47° and 49° S. The ultimate aim of the research was to generate an isotopic ecology with an adequate spatial resolution that allows the incorporation and development of stable isotope studies in discussions of the population dynamics of hunter-gatherers in continental Patagonia. This paper presents the δ13C and δ15N values of 159 guanaco and huemul specimens, both modern and archaeological. This space was divided into three areas: Western area, Central Plateau and Eastern Area. Isotopic variability within groups was analyzed using the SIBER, from which the isotopic niches of the different groups are compared. The results show a spatial pattern of isotopic variability in herbivores, i.e. lower δ13C and δ15N values associated with forest environments in the western end of the transect and higher values, especially δ15N, towards the east, with maximum values observed near the Atlantic coast. Our results support the stated expectations on herbivore stable isotope composition variability and its association with environmental variables in a longitudinal transect across the southern Argentinean Patagonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional archaeology in Lesotho was initiated 50 years ago when Pat Carter, working with Patricia Vinnicombe, excavated the site of Moshebi's Shelter in the Sehlabathebe Basin. His excavations there identified a sequence of both Middle and Later Stone Age (LSA) industries, the latter falling within the last 2200 years. However, the site was never fully published and Carter's use of 10-cm-thick spits to excavate its deposits raises questions about the precise stratigraphic provenance of the finds made. As part of renewed investigations into hunter-gatherer/farmer interactions in highland Lesotho, Moshebi's LSA deposits were re-excavated in 2009. This paper summarizes the results of the archaeological sequence recovered, their dating using both radiocarbon and OSL techniques, and their implications for past human use of the site and the wider Maloti-Drakensberg landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Southwest Asia, early ceramics are generally associated with sedentary farming communities. This is unlike many other parts of Asia, where ceramics were first manufactured by hunter-gatherers. Radiocarbon evidence indicates that sustained production of ceramic containers (pottery) began at several sites in Anatolia, Upper Mesopotamia and the northern Levant around 7000 BC or slightly later, although there are indications that very small-scale production of pottery sometimes occurred at even earlier dates. In other regions (e.g. the southern Levant, Cyprus) pottery does not become common until centuries later. This paper examines Southwest Asian ceramic production in terms of its timing, technology and use, as well as its social and economic contexts. It also considers the legacy of early archaeological studies of Southwest Asian pottery for our general understanding of the emergence of ceramics. For example, Gordon Childe's concept of a 'Neolithic package' promoted a close association between the emergence of farming and pottery, which cannot be supported for many parts of Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the exception of the well known Mesolithic sites in the Danube Gorges (or the Iron Gates), the wider areas of the Central Balkans and southern fringes of the Great Pannonian Plain still represent a terra incognita when it comes to the presence of Mesolithic communities. The absence of Mesolithic sites in the region was associated with environmental changes in the Early Holocene, presumed low human population densities, limited possibilities of detection, or the lack of adequate research. However, valuable insights into the obscure regional Mesolithic can be gained not only by new archaeological excavations, but also by revisiting and reanalysing of existing archaeological collections. Particularly informative in this respect are the Early Neolithic sites, indicative of the extensive spread of farming communities from c. 6200 cal BC. Within the ERC Project BIRTH, a large sample of human and animal remains from these sites was dated, falling in the (expected) range between c. 6200‒5300 cal BC. However, one human and several animal bone samples from the sites of Magareći mlin, Gospođinci-Nove zemlje and Grabovac-Đurića vinogradi were dated to the 8th millennium cal BC, providing the first radiocarbon evidence of Early Holocene sequences in the territory of Serbia other than the Danube Gorges. In this paper, we present the new radiocarbon dates, discuss the contextual provenance of dated bones, and explore the implications of these results for a better understanding of the problem of the "missing" and "invisible" Mesolithic in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the population fluctuation in the central-western region of the Korean Peninsula is investigated using radiocarbon data obtained from prehistoric pit houses in residential bases or settlements during the seventh to third millennium cal BP comprising the Neolithic, Bronze and Early Iron ages in Korea. Fluctuation in radiocarbon date distribution is compared with summed probability distribution of calibrated dates as well as total numbers of settlements and dwellings arranged in chronological order. Results indicate the appearance of Neolithic and Bronze Age settlements in the early sixth and the late fourth millennium BC each followed by a rapid growth of population with a peak around 5500 and 3000 cal BP. Population decline is identified from 5300, 4900, 4500 cal BP during the Neolithic and 2800 and 2400 cal BP during the Bronze Age. The period between 4500 and 3500 cal BP corresponds with the lowest density of settlements and dwellings. Agricultural villages collapsed 2400–2000 cal BP. The paper suggests the hypothesis that climate change, especially cold or dry climate induced by weak Asian monsoon events, is possibly responsible for the fluctuation of settlements and population in prehistoric Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radiocarbon chronology of the sites and cultural sequences is, at the regional level, a benchmark for evaluating different types of processes: cultural, demographic, taphonomic, environmental. Although it is assumed that chronological signal is closely related to the density and intensity of the processes of settlement, colonization, occupation and use of spaces and landscapes, this signal is mediated by many complex factors affecting its representation. In the case of the province of La Pampa (Argentina), which covers the western part of the Pampean region, where research data discussed in this paper are developed, several of these factors should act or be present. However, in the present state of research in the region it is possible to assess and discuss the significance of the radiocarbon signal, not only intra – regionally but in correlation with neighboring areas. In this paper a set of published radiocarbon dates ( n = 64) is presented, that constitute all available Western Pampa published 14 C dates. While still scarce and random, these dates establish that the timescale in which colonization events and use of regional space happened, archaeologically evaluated, covers a span comprised between mid-Early Holocene and final Late Holocene. The results will be discussed in comparative terms, into two scales: the intra and inter-regional and considering different type of archaeological sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El Esquilleu cave provides one of the most interesting Mousterian sequences in recent decades. The upper part of its stratigraphic sequence has provided significant lithic materials with preliminary dating that places human occupation during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Both the regional chronological context and the dating question preliminary interpretations are based on the radiocarbon results for the last lithostratigraphic unit in the El Esquilleu sequence. In this paper, we present a techno-typological approach of the last section of the sequence (levels 3, 4, and 5) to be compared with the other sections of the sequence, as well as other Mousterian and Upper Paleolithic assemblages. We also present these materials alongside their recent dates to discuss their significance and possible cultural meaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent excavations and radiocarbon work conducted at Cocina Cave (Valencia region, Eastern Iberia) provide new insights into the transition from foraging to farming in the eastern Iberian Peninsula between 8000 and 7300 cal yrs. BP. Cocina cave was discovered in 1940 and excavated by L. Pericot from 1941 to 1945. J. Fortea continued excavations in the 70s. Despite early international recognition and great promise of significance, the materials recovered from these excavations have only been partially analyzed and published. A new project started in 2012 is focused on these cave deposits with the main goal of understanding the occupation sequence during the neolithization process in the Western Mediterranean. The project includes a complete analysis of cultural material and biological remains of the previous excavations and integrates a 3D reconstruction of the stratigraphy and spatial analysis of the recorded artifact distributions. The results presented in this paper highlight the chronological position of materials deposited by the last hunter-gatherers and first farmers in Cocina cave based on data from the 1941 and 1945 trenches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arakawa incised-valley fill beneath the Tokyo area, Japan, has formed by delta progradation during Holocene transgression and highstand. This paper presents the integrated stratigraphy of this valley fill as deduced from three continuous sediment cores with rich radiocarbon age control and abundant data from the surrounding, and compares the filling history with the adjacent Nakagawa valley. Six depositional units make up the valley fill, distinguished based on sedimentary facies. In a sequence-stratigraphic framework, these units span from lowstand fluvial deposits (latest Pleistocene) through retrogradational to transgressive marine deposits (early and middle Holocene), to highstand fluvio-deltaic deposits (middle and late Holocene). The isochron and stacking pattern of sedimentary facies indicate that around 8 cal ka BP the shoreline trajectory flipped from landwards to seawards and maximum flooding occurred in the Arakawa valley. This is considerably earlier than in the neighboring Nakagawa valley, where this happened between 7 and 6 cal ka BP. Differences in the sediment supply at the time of transgression explain the diachronicity. The findings identify the Tone River, which was at that time feeding the Arakawa valley, as a system of very large sediment supply, compared to average rivers worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Living in remote places can strain the adaptive capacities of human settlers. It can also protect communities from external social, political and economic forces. In this paper, we present an archaeological population history of the Kuril Islands. This string of small volcanic islands on the margins of the Northwest Pacific was occupied by maritime hunting, fishing and gathering communities from the mid-Holocene to recent centuries. We bring together (1) 380 new and previously published archaeological radiocarbon dates, (2) a new paleodemographic model based on a radiocarbon-timestamped temporal frequency distribution of archaeological deposits, (3) recently published paleoclimate trends, and (4) recently published archaeological proxy evidence for changes in the extent of social networks. We demonstrate that, over the last two millennia, inhabitants of the Kuril Islands underwent dramatic demographic fluctuations. Explanations of these fluctuations are considered in the context of environmental hazards, social networks and the emergence of an East Asian “World System”, elucidating the tension between local and external adaptive strategies to social and ecological uncertainty. Results suggest that population resilience to local climate and environmental variability was achieved by virtue of social networks that maintained non-local support in times of crisis. Conversely, the expansion of the East Asian political economy into neighboring regions of the southern margin of the Kuril Islands perhaps in conjunction with exposure to epidemic diseases appears to have undermined the adaptive strategies, resulting in an increase in the vulnerability of Kuril populations to environmental fluctuations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to make a critical appraisal of the available 14 C dataset from Northwest South America (Colombia) corresponding to the Pleistocene/Holocene transition (ca. 12,000–8000 14 C years BP). The first step in the study was to assemble from both published and unpublished sources an exhaustive database of 14 C dates ( n = 85), recording data regarding the environmental setting and spatial coordinates of each site, stratigraphic provenance of the dated samples, material used for dating, and 14 C dating method. After the application of different filtering procedures based on outlier detection techniques, the database was subsequently reduced ( n = 77). Using uncalibrated and calibrated dates, some spatial and temporal trends in data distribution were investigated in order to illustrate both the strengths and weaknesses of the available database. It is concluded that three main features that characterize the 14 C dataset from Northwest South America, namely the very high percentage of 14 C measurements made on charcoal, the almost total disregard of bone as a target sample for dating, and the extremely low percentage of AMS dates, partially affect both its reliability and comparability. It is suggested that, in order to use 14 C dates as data to make reliable inferences about the timing, pattern, process and tempo of early exploration and colonization of the study area, work at two different levels would be profitably carried out. In the short term, it would be advisable to develop an extensive and exhaustive program aimed at redating, with AMS and new sample selection criteria, the more significant archaeological assemblages attributable to the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. In the medium to long term, it would be necessary to implement new research projects specifically aimed at obtaining original information about early human settlement in different geographical areas of the Colombian territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological radiocarbon databases are being increasingly used as a proxy of past demographic trends. In this paper we compile and analyze an extensive database of paleoecological information and 14 C dates from archaeological sites in northwestern Patagonia (Argentina, South America). On this basis, we assess the regional distribution of human populations since the late Pleistocene, and their relation with the evolution of Patagonian climate and landscapes. We explore the spatial and temporal distribution of evidence and discuss sampling biases affecting the record in different ecological contexts. The analysis is set in the frame of three main ecological regions that have implications for human subsistence: Andean forest, grass steppe, and shrub steppe. The intensity of the archaeological signal differs among these regions through time, being stronger and more homogeneous in the grass steppe. In the Andean forest and the shrub steppe the signal is weaker and even absent during short periods of the middle Holocene. We suggest likely sampling biases contributing to these tendencies, since these three regions present variable research cover and intensity. On the other hand, we also suggest that these differences may reflect variations in the intensity of human occupation, in favor of more attractive environments for hunting (i.e., areas where guanaco are generally more abundant). This macro-regional synthesis of the paleoecology and archaeology of northwestern Patagonia provides a platform for developing future oriented research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compiles a database of radiocarbon dates of archaeological sites that are currently available for the Pampean region. Based on the probability distribution of radiocarbon dates from this database, major temporal trends are defined, taphonomic and scientific biases are evaluated, and their implications for demography are suggested. Results indicate a continuous archaeological signal between ca. 14,500 and 100 cal BP. During the final Late Pleistocene and the Early Holocene, the archaeological signal is low in ca. 14,500–12,800 cal BP, and increases to a moderate and continuous signal in ca. 12,800–7500 cal BP. The archaeological signal for the former lapse correspond to the early peopling of the region and is related to the inhabiting and exploitation of key landforms (e.g., rock shelters, river valleys) and critical resources (e.g., lithic raw material, water). The low amount of available dates for the Middle Holocene (ca. 7400–3700 cal BP), and the associated archaeological signal would be due to the combination of various factors such as taphonomic biases, organization of prehistoric populations, and even a possible low population density. The obtained low but continuous signal for this period are discussed in the framework of the proposed models for the human occupation of the region suggesting that a hypothesis about population extinctions and disruptions processes could not be sustained. Finally, during the Late Holocene (from 3700 to 100 cal BP) human occupations are recorded in all the micro-regions. Regardless of biases, this signal is interpreted as an increase in demographic density at a regional level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Belotinac loess section is one of the southernmost loess-paleosol environmental archives for the Late Quaternary in Serbia. The climate at this site is intermediate between the continental and the Mediterranean realms, which makes this loess archive potentially highly sensitive to past climatic changes. This paper presents new insights into the paleoenvironmental history during the last glacial period in southern Serbia using grain size and isotope proxy data. The grain size parameters from the Belotinac section reveal variations in the paleowind dynamics and weathering intensity, and suggest the nearby valley of the Južna Morava River as an important source of aeolian sediments in this area. Based on a multiproxy dataset, alternating phases of weak interstadials and phases of enhanced loess deposition at this site were identified. Nitrogen isotope data suggest that during Marine Isotope Stage 3, ecosystems of high biomass productivity and rather open N-cycles prevailed. During Marine Isotope Stage 2, productivity was reduced and the N cycle was more strongly closed, probably due to a shorter growing season and more pronounced temperature decline. Carbon isotope data indicate a possible contribution of C4 plants to the Holocene vegetation, but not to the glacial and interstadial ecosystems of the Late Pleistocene. Changes in atmospheric CO2 level are not reflected in the carbon isotope record. These findings are discussed in the light of paleoclimate proxy datasets from the Morava River valley and Carpathian Basin, as well as through comparison of carbon isotope records from loess sections in SE – Central Europe and in the Rhine Valley. Two different loess provinces exist in terms of glacial-interglacial humidity changes: a province of “glacial drying” and a province of “glacial humidification”. The first includes loess sites under more oceanic influence, where loess δ13C records indicate humid interglacials and interstadials and relatively drier glacial periods. The second includes the loess sites of the Carpathian Basin and especially the southern Serbian loess area of Belotinac, where loess δ13C records indicate more intensive aridity during interglacials, but a reduced soil moisture deficit and a more humid climate due to lower evapotranspiration in interstadials, and even more in glacial periods. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: With increasing collaboration between archeology and natural sciences, research on past human–environment interactions has received more attention in recent years. This paper uses nineteen radiocarbon and OSL dates from three profiles to explore environmental evolution of the Liyang Plain, investigate the spatial and temporal distributions of archaeological sites from the Paleolithic Age to the Shang–Zhou period and discuss relationships between human cultures and environmental changes. The results show that Paleolithic sites are mainly distributed in surrounding mountainous and hilly areas, changing to the plain in the late Paleolithic Age. Climatic cooling during the Last Glacial Maximum did not cause severe damage to the regional vegetation and ecosystem, which allowed the continuous development of the late Paleolithic culture in the Liyang Plain. Suitable environmental conditions and progression of human activities facilitated rice cultivation in the early Holocene, and rice agriculture as an important food resource provided a solid material foundation for social development. The number of archaeological sites increased continuously and their distribution expanded considerably into eastern low-lying plain areas during the Neolithic Age. These trends reversed in the late Shijiahe culture, and social development did not recover until the Shang–Zhou period. Variation of site distribution in the Liyang Plain was primarily influenced by hydrological and geomorphological changes as well as climate change. However, it might also have been affected by broader regional political situations, especially during the Shang–Zhou period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper reports the compilation and initial analysis of a database of 14C dates from archaeological sites in Argentina for the period 13,000 and 7000 14C BP. The spatial and temporal distribution of human occupation evidence during this period is surveyed, with discussion of potential sampling biases affecting the recognition of such sites in each region of Argentina. The archaeological signal of human occupation at the beginning of this period (13,000–11,000 14C BP) is suggestive but sparse, and weak. However, from about 11,000 14C BP there is a consistent archaeological signal. Most of the earliest occupation evidence comes from the eastern Pampas and from southern Patagonia. In the Chaco and Northeast regions, similarly early archaeological sites have not yet been detected. This contrast may reflect the actual distribution of early human occupation, but it may also reflect biased research effort and/or systemic factors affecting the visibility and level of preservation of the early archaeological record. In other regions such as the eastern slope of the Andes in Patagonia, the peri-Andean Central West, and the Northwest, where there has been intensive archaeological research for an extended period and there are fewer systematic factors which are likely to bias archaeological visibility, the absence of archaeological evidence of early occupation may indicate delayed colonization of these more marginal environments. The conclusion discusses the implications of 14C dates associated with Fishtail Projectile Points for the western hemisphere pre-Clovis debate, and the implications of terminal Pleistocene/early Holocene dated remains of extinct mammals for the megafaunal overkill hypothesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The early human occupation of the territory between the Uruguay River and the Atlantic Coast occurred from ca 11 ka to 7 ka BP. In four millennia, environmental and cultural changes occurred, with better conditions for human life and the end of the megamammal extinction process. The climate became warmer and more humid. The lowlands covered very extensive areas, and the sea level and coastlines changed, producing ecotonal zones with high productivity. This process originated the La Plata River of today. Environmental conditions and social processes are well combined in this successful human colonization. Corporate groups of dynamic hunter–gatherers built an extended social interaction sphere and produced new tool kits for human work. The emergence of variability in lithic projectile points is the material correlation of the technological adaptation to a new environmental condition. The radiocarbon database for Uruguay is adequate, although a little limited for the Atlantic coast. There are several independent lines of evidence toward discussion of hunter–gatherer modes of production and a dispersal model for the Atlantic side of South America. This paper explores information about covariant transformations (in landscape occupation and in way of life) as well as analyzing the role played by the Atlantic coast in human expansion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper discusses the environmental changes in the pile-dwelling period (5.7–3.2 ka) at the Ljubljansko barje (Slovenia) which were revealed during the study of settlement pattern and sedimentary analysis. The archaeological and radiocarbon data have demonstrated that the oldest pile-dwellings were located closer to the edge of the wetland, and the youngest were positioned closer to the central zone of the basin. The reason for the changes in the settlement pattern lies in the lake''s gradual regression: The pile-dwellers at the Ljubljansko barje built their villages on the edge of the relatively deeper water zone as it regressed. The sedimentary analyses have revealed basal shell-rich marls grading upward into clays with terrigenous input, suggesting a complex lacustrine environment evolving with time into a marshland. At the Resnikov prekop site, a depositional hiatus occurs from 7.4 to 2.2 ka, following which the basin filled with terrigenous sediment delivered by streams from the hilly surroundings. Across the Ljubljansko barje at Stare gmajne and Blatna Brezovica, presumably no depositional hiatus occurred, but the pile-dwellings were located in the marsh, not far from the edge of the deep water zone. Both analyses clearly demonstrate the interdependence between the gradual regression of the lake and settlement pattern during the period of pile-dwellings. These results fail to support some alternative hypotheses that the sites on the southeastern edge lined the dry land formed by river banks feeding the barje. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present paper reports the recently discovered fossil teeth of Early Pleistocene Gigantopithecus blacki and associated mammalian fauna from Baeryan Cave, Bijie County in Guizhou Province, and also reviews briefly the known fossil sites of Gigantopithecus in south China of Pleistocene. In Early Pleistocene, Gigantopithecus had a wider distribution, but withdrew southward in Middle Pleistocene to a limited area mainly in South China, and it disappeared in the Late Pleistocene according to the present fossil records. Diet and habitat analysis from carbon isotope evidence is used to investigate the reasons for the extinction of Gigantopithecus, which fed on a pure C3 diet and lived in a forest habitat. It was clearly different from early hominins in South and East Africa, such as Australopithecus africanus, Paranthropus robustus and Paranthropus boisei, which had C4 diets. The extinction of Gigantopithecus was also related to the great changes of climate and environment of the Pleistocene, especially the last one million years, during which Homo became more and more prosperous and exerted great pressure on G. blacki. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In contrast to the widely acknowledged anthropological finds in Oase Cave and to the key geographical position of Romanian territory for the assumed dispersion of Anatomically Modern Humans in Europe, the archaeological information regarding the emergence of the Upper Paleolithic in Romania remains poorly known to a broader scientific community. The prolonged theoretical and methodological isolation of the Romanian Paleolithic research has particularly contributed to keeping the regional archaeology out of the mainstream debates regarding the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in Europe. It has also encouraged the widely held belief of most Romanian archaeologists in the gradual emergence of the Upper Paleolithic, initiated from the local Mousterian. The present paper puts forward a brief examination of the Romanian archaeological record allegedly belonging to the main cultural actors involved in the transition to the Upper Paleolithic across Europe: the Late Mousterian, the so-called “transitional” industries, and the Aurignacian technocomplex. Doubtful stratigraphical data and radiocarbon sampling feed skepticism regarding the supposed Late Mousterian occurrences in the Southern Carpathian caves. The “transitional” industries ask for a similar criticism, as they either display stratigraphical mixing (e.g. the Mitoc-Valea Izvorului), or simply do not belong to the Early Upper Paleolithic chronological framework (e.g. the Ripiceni-Izvor “Aurignacian”). The local origin, the wide dispersal, and the surprisingly young chronology of the Aurignacian technocomplex in Romania are equally challenged. With the exception of the yet undated occurrences in Banat (Southwestern Romania), all the convincingly documented Aurignacian contexts belong to the generally accepted European chronological framework and show no particular connection to the local Mousterian. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper focuses on the palaeoethological study of steppe bison (Bison priscus), a Eurasiatic species that disappeared at the end of the Pleistocene. In the Southern steppe of Eastern Europe, this large bovid seems to have been a keystone species during the late Pleistocene, where it is omnipresent in archaeozoological assemblages and can constitute spectacular bone accumulations. Based on the principles of actualism, which assume that modern animal biology and their behavioural adaptations can be applied to the past, different models of bison palaeoethological reconstructions have been proposed to explain this important occurrence of bison in East European archaeological records. Considering the variability of extant bison behaviour, it appeared necessary to undertake a direct reconstruction of the behaviour of fossil bison, to assess how they were targeted. In order to reconstruct steppe bison ecology and habits stable isotope analyses were conducted of tooth enamel carbonate of 25 individuals from Amvrosievka, a Late Pleistocene (∼18,500 BP) archaeological site complex from Eastern Ukraine. Intra- and inter-individual variations in the stable oxygen, carbon and strontium isotope composition of tooth enamel were analysed to reconstruct the feeding behaviour and seasonal movements of steppe bison. This is the first large scale multi-proxy study of its kind for a Pleistocene cohort. The results show that bison δ13C values are wholly consistent with an exclusively C3 plant diet, typical of steppe/grassland environments, with a likely consumption of lichen during the cold season. δ18O, δ13C and 87Sr/86Sr values are typical of sedentary bison herds, with limited inter-seasonal movement. These results challenge the previous assumption that Pleistocene bison of the East European steppe were migratory, demonstrating instead that they occupied limited ranges, with no long distance seasonal movement, and that they occasionally incorporated low nutrient foods in their diet. These new palaeobiological results confirm the ecological and behavioural plasticity of bison and have important implications for archaeologists studying hunter-gatherers since human acquisition strategies are directly related to the social, seasonal and spatial behaviour of prey species. This research demonstrates that direct reconstructions of the eco-ethology of fossil prey species are essential, therefore, before attempting to make inferences about the hunting tactics and subsistence strategies developed by Prehistoric hunters. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Carbonate minerals, oxygen and carbon isotopes, and Mg/Ca from surface sediments and soils were examined in Nam Co Lake, Central Tibet. This paper provides information of the irregular distribution and formation of monohydrocalcite, a metastable mineral. Carbonates of soils surrounding Nam Co Lake consist of calcite with minor dolomite. Carbonates in surface sediments in Nam Co Lake consist mainly of calcite and monohydrocalcite. All of the monohydrocalcite and most of the calcite in surface sediments are authigenic. The monohydrocalcite is distributed irregularly in Nam Co Lake because of inhomogeneous features of lake water, the variable micro-environment, high precipitation rate, and/or nucleation. Mg ions could play a greater role in the precipitation of monohydrocalcite than that of phosphate ions, because the amount of phosphate ions could be much lower than Mg ions in the 4781 m-altitude altiplano lake with poor nutrients. The presence of monohydrocalcite occurs at 2.1 ka BP, corresponding with the sharp increase of precipitation rate from 0.134 mm/y to 1.639 mm/y. High precipitation rate and/or nucleation is necessary for water molecule infiltration into the crystal lattice of monohydrocalcite. The δ18OV-PDB and δ13CV-PDB of carbonate minerals mixed with calcite and monohydrocalcite range from −5.3‰ to −8.0‰ with an average of −6.5‰, and from 2.8‰ to 4.5‰ with an average of 3.73‰, respectively. δ18OV-PDB and δ13CV-PDB of calcite range from −8.0‰ to −10.6‰ with an average of −8.09‰, and from 2.8‰ to 4.2‰ with an average of 3.25‰, respectively. Monohydrocalcite possibly has more positive values of δ18O and δ13C than those of calcite. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Four paleoceanographic events are distinguished during the Holocene based on changes in macro- and microfossil assemblages studied from three sediment cores (Ak 521, 522, 2571) from the outer northeast shelf and from core MAR02-45 situated on the southwest shelf of the Black Sea, west to the Bosphorus. The lithology and fossils were previously studied from cores Ak 521 and Ak 522 and MAR02-45. However, high resolution ostracod analyses from the AMS-14C dated core, Ak 2571, allowed for a revision of the taxonomy and paleoecological interpretation of this microfaunal group on the NE shelf. Downcore changes in the relative abundance of the polyhaline ostracods are found to be contemporaneous in all three cores from the NE shelf. As a result, centennial-millennial scale fluctuations of the bottom-water salinity are resolved in the area. A broader scale examination of paleoenvironmental changes between the NE and SW shelves is also made and the surface to bottom salinity gradient is discussed. An uncalibrated radiocarbon based chronology is used throughout this paper to facilitate comparison with the regional chronostratigraphy of marine transgression and regressions in the Black Sea. The calibrated ages corrected for the changes in reservoir age through the Holocene are also provided. The first paleoceanographic event is associated with the pulse of Mediterranean water previously established at about 9.8–9.3ka BP. This event is clearly observed in the SW region but not on the NE shelf due to a hiatus in the longest core, Ak 521. The second event is represented on both the NE and SW shelves as a replacement of brackish benthic fauna and surface phytoplankton with marine ones between 8.4 and 6.9ka BP, indicating a gradual increase in salinity. The third event is marked by opposing trends in surface and bottom-water salinity changes. On the NE shelf, bottom-water salinity rose to modern values by ∼ 6.5ka BP and then decreased within the interval ∼6.4–5.3ka BP as recorded by the ostracod assemblages. On the SW shelf, surface-water salinity reached modern values by 5.6 ka BP and remained constant until present day as inferred from the dinoflagellate cyst assemblages. The fourth event is marked by a recurring increase in bottom-water salinity to modern values indicated by the polyhaline ostracod assemblages at ∼ 5.3ka BP in the NE region, after which only minor salinity fluctuations are observed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to discuss hunter-gatherer settlements on coastal sand dunes in the Southwest of Buenos Aires Province (Argentina). Technological, archaeofaunal and radiocarbon information from Barrio Las Dunas site is presented, and compared with the context of other Pampean coastal sites. Barrio Las Dunas site is located on a sand dune and shows a hunter-gatherers settlement from 6900 14C BP. The archaeofaunal context demonstrates the exploitation of marine taxa: mammals (Otariidae) and fish (Pogonias cromis). Lithic tools such as end scrapers, side scrapers, denticulates, notches and many retouched flake tools were identified. Also, some carefully worked unifacial and bifacial tools were recovered. Artifacts were mainly manufactured from basalt, followed by quartzite and subarkose. The data presented supports some palaeoenvironmental considerations: first that the southwest Atlantic coast sand dunes of Buenos Aires province date from the Early-Middle Holocene and second, that Barrio Las Dunas site was next to a coastal lagoon or estuarine palaeoenvironment with a crab community. This context was appropriate for black drum feeding. Early-Middle Holocene sites from the area illustrate the variability of coastal environments when different landforms, which included lagoons, marsh, sand dunes and beaches, were present in the landscape. The sand dunes were used by hunter-gatherers in their periodic activities; e.g., lithic artifacts were manufactured and sea lions and black drums were butchered and eaten. This data in addition to the areal information show a complex use of the coast during this period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Large areas of Southeast Europe are covered by Pleistocene loess deposits with interbedded palaeosol layers, reflecting interglacials or -stadials. These loess-palaeosol sequences are valuable terrestrial archives for continuous palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental information. In recent years, the traditional paradigm of treeless full-glacial palaeoenvironments has increasingly been called into question, as there is palynological, anthracological and malacological evidence for the continuous presence of trees from loess-palaeosol sequences in the Carpathian Basin. This paper aims at contributing to this discussion by applying biogeochemical, geophysical and sedimentological methods to a late Quaternary loess-palaeosol profile at Tokaj, NE Hungary. Previous studies at the same location have focused on molluscs and charcoal, while this study concentrated on stable C and N isotopes and lipid biomarkers. Long-chain n-alkanes (C23–C33), which form major constituents of plant leaf waxes, have successfully been used as biomarkers over the last years and allow for a reconstruction of palaeovegetation based on the differentiation of grassland vs. shrubs and trees. Stable carbon isotopes were used to further differentiate between C3 and C4 palaeovegetation, and stable N isotopes to reconstruct the N cycle and climatic variations. Magnetic susceptibility (MS), organic carbon and grain size distribution, which may serve as proxies for e.g. the intensity of pedegenesis, weathering and palaeowind strength, were measured to complement the biogeochemical results and to establish a pedo– and biostratigraphy. Although the results do not agree in every detail with previous studies, there are surprising matches and similarities in the data. Alkane and stable N isotopic data indicate that, pedogenesis occurred under productive, fertile steppe-grasslands, probably in an intensified seasonal climate, and during reduced sedimentation. Two short treeless-steppe periods were found between 26 and 12 ka BP. However, periods characterised by a cooler climate in which trees and shrubs expanded were also found. This interpretation is also supported by previous mollusc data that provide evidence for several periods of favourable conditions for tree growth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper uses stable isotopic research on faunal remains from archaeological sites in the Maya area to describe ancient environments through time in the region. Carbon isotope signatures of white-tailed deer remains recovered from the Petexbatún and Motul de San José polities in Guatemala are combined with other published data to provide a regional diachronic perspective on variations in availability of maize, a C4 plant, to herbivores. These data are used as a proxy for the extent of agricultural fields through time across the Maya world and the results indicate considerable temporal and spatial heterogeneity, likely linked to natural environmental heterogeneity and local land-use histories. The local nature of variations underscores the need for greater detail in paleoenvironmental studies at the drainage-basin or site level. Preliminary oxygen isotope research on white-tailed deer from the Motul de San José polity is also presented as the basis for discussion of the role of archaeologically linked oxygen isotope signatures in correlating large scale climate shifts with other site-specific evidence for environmental change over the period of Maya occupation. Together discussions of the two isotopic data sets emphasize the importance of paleoenvironmental and particularly isotopic research on materials from well-dated archaeological contexts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Several decades of geomorphological and archaeological research in the Libyan Desert conducted by the Cologne projects B.O.S. and ACACIA have yielded a wealth of radiocarbon data from archaeological sites and, over the last decade, also 48 OSL ages, mainly from aeolian deposits. This paper focuses on the combination of both data sets in order to obtain a synthesis of Late Quaternary occupational and environmental history in this region. Case studies demonstrate that despite a poorer time resolution of OSL chronologies compared to 14C data, OSL ages can be more consistent with the archaeological context, particularly if the dating of charcoals poses problems due to poor quality or re-deposition. Comparison of data sets from the Egyptian sand seas and from the Wadi Howar (Sudan) shows that in both cases, OSL and 14C data cover complementary time slices. On the regional scale, however, contradictory intervals of aeolian accumulation are documented which can be explained by the different environmental histories. The results accentuate that interpretation of OSL data has to be done in the context of the entire environmental systems including the effective geomorphological processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper addresses misrepresentations and errors in attacks directed against the Overkill hypothesis that was proposed by Paul Martin to explain selective late Pleistocene extinctions. The opposing Climate-Change hypothesis to explain extinctions is driven by ideology as much as by objective reasoning because it is repeated so frequently without strong new evidence to support it, but it has failed to nail down a victory in public opinion. Overkill, which is not an anti-climate-change hypothesis, is perhaps too “flexible” to persuade all scientists, especially because negative evidence (a lack of megafaunal killsites) is considered to be as corroborative as positive evidence. Multiphase models of extinctions that propose different genera died out at different times have become less and less likely as more radiometric dating is done, and overlook the documented variability in atmospheric radiocarbon around the end of the Pleistocene, which prevents the high resolution chronology-building necessary to support a discontinuous model of the extinctions. The extinctions were geologically abrupt, selective, and unique, and therefore they require unique explanations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Eurogeul is the shipping-lane gully in front of Rotterdam harbour. Due to the combination of suction-dredging and fishing activities, diverse faunae are found on its bottom. This paper briefly describes the fauna, consisting of 13 terrestrial mammals and six marine mammal species. Radiocarbon dating gave two time-periods from which the bones originate: ca. 37,500–48,500BP, and ca. 7–8000BP. Pollen sampling gave similar results (respectively, an interstadial before the Last Glacial Maximum, and the Early Holocene Boreal period). Human artefacts dating from the Boreal period add to our understanding of the Quaternary history of the southern North Sea area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Montane glaciation in Japan and Taiwan was maximal in MIS 3/4 and glacier extent at the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) was much more limited. Data from four areas in Japan and two in Taiwan, where the topographical and chronological positions of the terminal moraines are well determined and the chronology is controlled by radiocarbon, AMS and 10Be cosmogenic dates, are presented in this paper. Equilibrium line altitudes (ELAs) at global LGM are around 1500m in the Hidaka Range, Hokkaido, 2500m in the Northern Japanese Alps, 2700m in the Central Japanese Alps, 2800m in the Southern Japanese Alps in Japan, and 3300m in northern Taiwan and 3500m in central Taiwan. The ELAs are mostly determined by maximum discharge, accumulation–ablation area ratio (AAR) and glacier toe-and-headwall ratio (THAR) methods. The pattern of contours of ELAs indicates a strong influence of precipitation control on glacier development in this region. The ELA depression at global LGM in Japan was 1100–1300m except in the northernmost part of the Northern Japanese Alps (only 400m), where the present hypothetical ELA is extraordinarily low because of abundant snowfall. The ELA depression at global LGM in Taiwan is estimated at about 1100–1300m without consideration of uplift. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]