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Between 22ka and 9ka ago, after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and during the transition to the Holocene, mobile hunter-gatherer populations, differentiated by their stone tool assemblages, periodically dispersed and contracted across Europe. It is well understood that climate played an important role in human distributions and population sizes during the post-LGM Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene, but the question remains as to whether increasing population sizes drove early human dispersal. Here, using a spatiotemporal species distribution model to infer the fundamental and potential human climatic niche space of Late Upper Paleolithic, Final Paleolithic and Early Mesolithic Europe, and hypotheses derived from the Ideal Distribution Model, we test i) how changes in climate affected the size and extent of the projected potential human niche space, ii) for effects of changes in size of projected potential niche on regional human population sizes, iii) whether increasing human population sizes drove human dispersal into less climatically suitable habitats, and iv) whether populations associated with different high-order material culture groupings (macro-level technocomplexes) occupied different climatic spaces. We find that changes in climate correlate strongly with the size and extent of the projected potential human niche space, that increases in the projected human niche space correlate with increases in human population, that human population size is just beginning to become large enough to influence land use and dispersal patterns at the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, and that archaeological technocultural entities overlap in their fundamental climatic niche space. This overlap implies that changing tools forms cannot readily been seen as reflecting adaptations to changing climates. • Changes in climate correlate with the size and extent of the human projected potential niche space. • Increases in the geographic size of the projected potential niche space correlate with increases in human population size. • Larger human population sizes push people to occupy less suitable habitats. • Climate can impose constraints on human population size, limiting the effects of human population size on dispersal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variability in the composition of lithic assemblages stems from the combined action of different agents. In this study we used shifts in the relation between lithic artefact density and lithic technological organisation as a tool to better understand the underlying causes of lithic techno-typological variability throughout the archaeological sequence of Nesher Ramla (Israel). Nesher Ramla is a Middle Palaeolithic open-air site found in a karst sinkhole, where human occupation took place in situ. The upper part of the site's sequence (Units II-I, dated to Marine Isotope Stage 5), is characterised by sharp shifts in lithic artefact densities, concomitant with changes in the composition of the lithic assemblages. Using lithic artefact density as a proxy, we were able to partially dissect palimpsests at the site as well as isolate which components of the lithic assemblages are affected by the length of the site occupation and which are possibly the outcome of different activities performed on-site (i.e., the site function) or result from the stylistic preferences of the site inhabitants. We suggest that the role played by the site within past hunter-gatherers' mobility systems changed from the occupation of Unit IIB-Lower, when it was possibly repeatedly used for hunting and processing animal resources, to Unit I, when it was only sporadically visited for more general purposes. Morphological changes in the karst sinkhole over time are suggested as the major causes of change in site use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we evaluate the hypothesis that during cold climatic phases, people and resources became increasingly packed along highland Lesotho's riverine corridors as the viability of palatable grasslands for large mammal hunting on the upland plateaus declined. These intensification efforts resulted in increased reliance on lower-ranked aquatic (fish) resources with knock-on effects for lithic technological organization. We compare data on the relative contribution of fishing to the diets of highland hunter-gatherers at Sehonghong rockshelter with a faunal proxy widely argued to correlate with subsistence intensification (faunal assemblage evenness). In addition, we compare these data with two measures of lithic technological intensification (cutting edge production and core reduction intensity) to test whether diet intensification tracks technological intensification. We show that at Sehonghong, aquatic resource exploitation is not always correlated with faunal assemblage evenness. We find that some layers (i.e. RF) show spikes in aquatic resource use irrespective of changes in faunal assemblage evenness. Other layers (i.e. RBL/CLBRF) were intensively occupied, but they do not have many fish. Our data also demonstrate that aquatic resource use is not correlated with lithic technological intensification. These results suggest that while aquatic resource exploitation was a 'fallback' option for some of Lesotho's highland hunter-gatherers, there is considerable variability. Our data show that multiple intensification dimensions were variably combined through the Late Pleistocene at Sehonghong as they were elsewhere in southern Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multidisciplinary research suggests that Marine Isotope Stage 5 (~130–74 ka) was an important evolutionary stage in African deep history. Population expansion and growth spurred changes in material culture as well as the exploration of previously unoccupied regions and ecosystems. The archaeological sequence at Melikane Rockshelter (1860 masl) in the Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains of highland Lesotho, southern Africa, stretches from the late Holocene back to sub-stage 5a, ~80 ka. The site's earliest strata represent one of the earliest known examples of a sustained human presence in high mountain systems worldwide. This paper deals with the lithic assemblages from those levels, which are currently the oldest radiometrically dated archaeology in Lesotho and one of the few stratified assemblages of Last Interglacial age in the southern African interior. The results of a typo-technological analysis of the assemblages are presented. They suggest that the afromontane foragers who resided at Melikane employed both blade-focussed and bipolar flaking systems, curated a maintainable toolkit suited to frequent residential moves, and used a hybrid provisioning system adapted to their immediate environment. Comparisons with other late Last Interglacial assemblages across the subcontinent suggest that highland populations at this time were largely disconnected from their lowland counterparts. This implies that as Last Interglacial populations in southern Africa expanded into new environments, they also fragmented, adapting to local conditions rather than adhering to a universal technological system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North China is known as a region where cultural traditions do not change throughout the Pleistocene, while it is a region of interest for its association with several demographic events in Paleolithic age. In order to clarify the reason why the lithic industry mainly composed of quartz continued over a long period of time, it is necessary to accumulate information on lithic assemblage and human behavior. This paper adds an example of culture and behavior around 40 ka and discusses the adaptability of quartz small flake-tool industry. As reported here, three lithic assemblages of the Shuilian Cave Site in Hebei Province were dated to 43 ka cal BP, 34 ka cal BP, and the intermediate age based on the result of our radiocarbon dating. Except for small number of artifacts made of siliceous rock, the majority in all three assemblages are corresponds to the traditional small flake-tool industry in northern China. In the upper assemblage of the site, it was restored that vein quartz procured around the site was consumed systematically using bipolar percussion in combination with direct percussion. The technology employed at the site is adapted to the vein quartz as resources in the vicinity, giving a hint as to why less variable lithic industry continued throughout some demographic epoch in northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change, a global challenge for human beings, is in the long term best documented through archaeological research. As this has shown, some cold reversal events, like Last Glacial Maximum and YD, greatly impacted of human behavior in mid-latitude areas of the northern hemisphere. A general recognition on how these events affected those in low latitude areas is yet to be determined. Previous studies have suggested that cold reversal events had a limited impact on humans in the latter parts of the world. This account discusses the effect of the YD on human behavior in a subtropical region, based on isotope analyses, and samples both faunal and artificial from the late Pleistocene site of Zhongshan in the Bubing Basin, Guangxi. During the YD, the environment became more open, and the consumption of aquatic resources increased. Polished stone artefacts first occurred in this period, probably for finer food processing. Our study highlights the significant impact of the YD on the ecology and human behavior in this subtropical region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The site of Goa Topogaro (Topogaro Caves) on Sulawesi Island in Eastern Indonesia yields numerous osseous and lithic artefacts in association with anatomically modern humans (AMH) from the late Pleistocene and Holocene. Sulawesi is the largest island in Wallacea and could have been located along the early AMH migration routes to Sahul that required sea crossings between the past Sunda and Sahul-continents. AMH utilized both osseous and lithic technologies use during the early stage of their migration to South Asia, Island Southeast Asia (ISEA), and Sahul, a more intensive use and wider expansion of bone-based technologies occurred after the end of the Pleistocene in ISEA and Sulawesi. Our study confirms the emergence and wide use of an variety of osseus technologies, specifically bone points that may have been used as drills, engravers, and projectiles, during the early Holocene in Sulawesi. This is in tandem with a significant shift of lithic technologies and the dramatic increase of retouched tools. Use-wear analysis of bone and lithic materials shows that some specific retouched stone tools were likely used for the production of bone implements. We suggest such a combination in the use of bone and lithic technologies for Sulawesi, and widely across ISEA, may indicate early AMH subsistence strategies and adaptations to the changing island and rainforest environments during the transition from the late Pleistocene to the Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dispersal processes of anatomically modern humans in Asia during the late Middle to early Upper Paleolithic periods have been a focus of intensive research in recent years through interdisciplinary approaches including genetic, paleoanthropological, and archeological studies. However, sparse datasets, often only available from limited time-space contexts have not produced a satisfactory picture of the vast geographic extension of this continent. This study investigated how the chrono-spatial patterning of lithic technological records, which are widely available across Asia, might contribute to our better understanding of the population dynamics in this period. The study is based on a large database (PaleoAsiaDB) recently developed by the authors to accommodate the relevant datasets, including geographical coordinates of each site and available radiometric dates, for the Middle and Upper Paleolithic periods in Asia. Each of the 895 lithic assemblages was characterized in terms of the presence/absence of 24 lithic modes/submodes that were adapted from the work of John Shea to fit our research objective. The dataset was analyzed using exploratory statistical methods, including principal component analysis. The results revealed marked spatiotemporal patterns in technological variability from the late Middle to early Upper Paleolithic periods. Some can be interpreted as a result of modern human dispersal, whereas others are better explained from ecological and other perspectives rather than authorships. Although this study has obvious limitations due to its reliance on the information sourced from the literature, it provides a global synthesis of lithic variability in the crucial period of the dispersals of modern humans on a continental scale for the first time. The results serve as a guide to be tested with evidence from other research strategies, such as genetics and fossil studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bladelets and microliths have been recognized as key parts of the late prehistoric cultural dynamics on a global scale and recently discussed in relation to the range expansion of Homo sapiens in the late Pleistocene. This paper focuses on some of the current issues on bladelet technology in the Levant, including 1) the occurrences of bladelets in the Late Middle Paleolithic (LMP) and Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) and 2) evolutionary reasons for the development of the UP bladelet technology. To discuss the first issue, we examine frequencies and production technology of bladelets in the LMP, IUP, and Early Upper Paleolithic (Ahmarian) assemblages from the Jebel Qalkha area, southern Jordan. We then discuss the results in light of relevant data from other sites in the Levant. A clear increase in bladelets coincides with the Ahmarian, as already known, but we suggest that the unified production of blades and bladelets in the Ahmarian most likely derived from the IUP which provided a technological basis, on which the miniaturization of blades/bladelets was achieved in the Ahmarian through the changes in platform preparation technique. We also examine bladelet production in the LMP that shares some technological elements with the IUP bladelet production. However, they fundamentally differ from each other in the relationship of the bladelet production to the main flaking system of the whole assemblages. To examine the second issue, we evaluate performance characteristics of bladelets from a viewpoint of changing mobility patterns from the LMP to the Ahmarian and suggest that the settlement/procurement patterns since the IUP provided conditions, in which the miniaturization of blade blanks became beneficial. The employment of bladelet technology is likely to have facilitated the transportability of tools/blanks and the efficient consumption of raw material, highlighting flexible implementations in response to variable conditions of raw material availability, mobility, and provisioning strategies. The bladelet technology was increasingly employed from the IUP to the Ahmarian probably as a versatile strategy in raw material economy, which was advantageous under variable mobility patterns and thus kept its popularity for a long time until the Epipaleolithic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key inquiry in Pleistocene human coastal adaptations asks whether coastlines were productive littoral patches that were consistently utilized over time or did fluctuating sea levels make them marginally productive patches that only supplemented terrestrially oriented foraging. Investigating this issue is challenging because rising glacio-eustatic sea levels submerged most evidence of Pleistocene coastal occupation. We address the question directly by integrating this analysis of open-air lithic assemblages with previously reported cave excavations on Barrow and adjacent islands in Western Australia. Well-dated, stratified cave deposits bracket occupation of Barrow Island from c. 50 ka to 7 ka, when rising sea levels severed pedestrian access to the mainland. Consequently, the open-air sites are a solely Pleistocene to Early Holocene record of land-use when the extensive North West Shelf was as a vast coastal plain. These assemblages offer evidence of human interaction with Pleistocene sea-level change that were undetectable from cave deposits alone. While local calcarenite dominates cave lithic assemblages, it is rare among surface artifacts that are predominately lithologies that originate either on the mainland, or from now-drowned sources. The distribution of surface materials is statistically patterned across the island reflecting broader land-use patterns across the coastal plain. Expedient flake and core tools made mostly of igneous material are prevalent on sites in the north, whereas curated food processing and fabrication tools, and sedimentary lithologies, are more common in the south. While this study bolsters findings from the cave excavations that early Aboriginal people regularly moved across the coastal plain targeting coastal resources, it sheds light on their access to inland resources and suggests they were linked to the continental mainland by mobility, social networks, and exchange. Additionally, this research links contemporary Aboriginal communities from northwest Australia to the continental islands of the North West Shelf. The Barrow Island Archaeology project received support from the Buurabalayji Thalanyji Aboriginal Corporation, involving Thalanyji Knowledge Holders and elders: Glenys Hayes, Anne Hayes, Robyn Davison, and Jane Hyland. • Barrow Island lithic scatters date solely to the Pleistocene – Early Holocene. • Lithological sources differ dramatically from artifacts in coeval cave occupations. • Analysis suggests three distinct lithic provisioning strategies. • Functional patterning may reflect temporal changes in land use. • Pleistocene coastal adaptations spanned vast, inundated coastal plains of Sahul. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents preliminary results of fieldwork conducted at the Upper Palaeolithic open-air site Mitoc-Malu Galben in northeastern Romania. The site has a ~14m deep loess-paleosol sequence with a rather high climatic resolution. The chronostratigraphy is well established and embedded in this long sequence are abundant archaeological remains, mostly attributed to the Aurignacian and Gravettian. Our fieldwork between 2013 and 2016 provided new samples of the main Aurignacian and Gravettian layers. Here we provide an overview of our fieldwork activities, the generated archaeological collections, and present a preliminary analysis of raw material economy and blank production and core exploitation strategies of the Gravettian assemblages. We also discuss the Mitoc-Malu Galben Gravettian in its wider regional context and implications for the Aurignacian-Gravettian transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noailles burins are one of the main lithic types of the European Upper Palaeolithic which characterizes the "Noaillian" Gravettian. Their typological definition is well accepted today by the scientific community despite a long debate lasted several decades between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. On the contrary, the functional role of Noailles burins remains a matter of debate. In order to provide new evidence about the interpretation of the Noailles burins, this paper combines techno-typological and functional data. At this regard, the entire collection of Noailles burins found in the east sector of the well-known site of Riparo Mochi (Balzi Rossi, Italy) has been studied. Our data, also compared with the European scenario, allow to reconsider the significance of the Noailles burins within the economy of the Noaillian hunter-gatherers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the analysis of the lithic assemblages from Layers 5 and 4E (Terrace) of the site of Vale Boi (southern Portugal) and Levels U and T from Lapa do Picareiro (central Portugal). We aimed to understand the technological patterns and raw material exploitation during the Gravettian-Solutrean transition in westernmost Iberia and test the traditional models with assemblages from recently excavated sites, while expanding the geographic range. Results show the existence of two discrete phases in each site. The first, with high frequency of quartz use for bladelet production, seems to reflect the presence of a Terminal Gravettian horizon, as defined by Almeida (2000). The second, with some significant differences between sites, attests the presence of Vale Comprido technology and lower quartz frequencies at Vale Boi, representing a Proto-Solutrean occupation; and the presence of a blade component in Lapa do Picareiro that, together with the respective absolute chronology, may be attributed to a Proto-Solutrean or an Early Solutrean horizon. In general terms, this study allowed to confirm that the Terminal Gravettian and the Proto-Solutrean are discrete phases across the transition, in agreement with the Three-Phase model presented by Zilhão (1997). It further consolidates the expansion of similar techno-cultural patterns to southern Portugal, which may be explained by the significant changes in the dynamic of social networks (Cascalheira and Bicho, 2013). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, fossil directors have been key elements for the characterization of chrono-cultural series over time. Current research on lithic technology demonstrate extensive and growing variability within technocomplexes, particularly in the Upper Paleolithic, making more complex the previously established chrono-cultural organization. In this article we analyze the lithic technology of level 497C from Cova Gran de Santa Linya, dated to 26.220 ± 220 BP (31260–30580 cal BP). Chronometric data indicates the assemblage is located between MIS 3 and MIS 2, likely placing it within the Gravettian tradition. The level 497C constitutes one of the few archaeological sites in NE Iberia for this period and allows identifying technical traits in core reduction methods, stone tools manufacture and site composition. Reduction strategies through prismatic cores were used to obtain distinct sequences of blades and bladelets. The assemblage of retouched artifacts is mainly composed by " fond commun" , pieces with abrupt retouch, and burins (mostly on oblique truncation). Backed tools, which were common during this period, are notably rare, as are Gravette points and Noailles burins, classic indicators that are not represented here. Nevertheless, a group of partially retouched macro-flakes forms a little-known category of instruments that can provide remarkable information regarding the technical behaviors of human groups. The technological features seen in level 497C may be consistent with the Gravettian technocomplex. However, we suggest the integration of technical-organizational indicators to assist the contextualization of the diversity of responses and technological decisions identified in technocomplexes. In this sense, the characteristics of this assemblage offer keys for evaluating archaeological sequences without fossil directors, thereby expanding our understanding of technological variability in this period in Iberia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kammern-Grubgraben is among the few stratified Upper Palaeolithic sites in Central Europe dating to the Last Glacial Maximum which provided not only substantial amounts of archaeological materials but also extensive preserved occupational structures. Although the site has been known since the last quarter of the 19th century, systematic excavations didn't start until the 1980's. These were carried out subsequently by two different teams providing partly incongruent observations and interpretations. Renewed field investigations commenced in 2015 and aim at reassessing stratigraphy and chronology, settlement structures and occupational sequence, as well as mobility and economy. First results provide a robust multi-method chrono-stratigraphic bracket for occupation between Greenland Stadials GS-3 and GS-2.1. Artefact technology and typology point at supra-regional contacts to both the west and east on a more general scale while a high degree of mobility is specifically demonstrated for the hunter-gatherer groups occupying the site by displaying procurement patterns for various raw materials targeting not only local, but also regional and far-distance sources. Furthermore, the new investigations have been able to almost double the previously established site extent, and targeted excavations show that the diversity and complexity of stone constructions considerably exceeds what has previously been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last ice age, between 25.5 and 23.5 ka cal. BP approximatively, the Solutrean culture was present in Western Europe, located on a vast area, which corresponds to the present territories of France and the Iberian Peninsula. According to French stratigraphic references, the Solutrean culture was replaced by the Badegoulian culture without technological transition between 23.5 and 23 ka cal. BP. But at the same time, a cultural group deriving from the Upper Solutrean appeared in the Rhône Valley. It is known as the Salpetrian culture. The lithic tool kit of this post-Solutrean group demonstrates both technological rupture and continuity in comparison with the Upper Solutrean: persistence of the main tool, the Mediterranean shouldered point with abrupt retouch, but loss of flat and invasive retouch. This article presents the technological and cultural specificities of the Salpetrian group and the knapping objectives in particular, which are clearly defined by the technological analysis of the lithic industry. It is also a discussion of the chronological place of the Salpetrian and the question of its cultural relationship with other regional Paleolithic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to find out about and discuss the peopling of the Americas, there is evidence that comes from a range of scientific disciplines. In archaeology, stone tool vestiges are one of the main pieces of evidence used for assessing the knowledge and understanding of this topic. One of the most iconic lithic remains from the South American Paleoindian record is the so-called Fishtail, or just "Fell" projectile point, a distinctive artifact that stands out due to its wide distribution from southern Mexico to southernmost South America. Different hypotheses have been proposed regarding its origin, mainly related to Paleoindian points from North America. In order to discuss this issue, special attention has been paid among the existing varieties to a group distributed throughout eastern North America, mainly in states with a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico. This group stands out, because with their narrow or broader blades, their lower portions typically have deeply indented concave edges, forming flaring rounded or pointed ears with fluted and unfluted bases which are reminiscent of the Fishtail. By comparing them from a morphological and technological viewpoint, and because of the observed similarities between North and South American fishtailed points, the hypothesis in this paper proposes that South American Fell points are related to similar ones from eastern North America. A model of the possible route/s followed by the waves of colonizers who peopled northern South America and the lands beyond the equator in the southern hemisphere is also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, the European archaeological records can be divided into two broad entities – the Epigravettian in the northern Mediterranean Basin and the industries characterized by the return of a well-developed blade technology in northwestern Europe. This large Western European techno-complex comprises several cultural traditions defined essentially by various types of projectile points. One of these cultures, the Laborian, occupies an area at the crossing of northern traditions (Ahrensbourgian) and the Epigravettian techno-complex. Situated between the Azilian and the Mesolithic, the Laborian (ca 12.5–11 Ka cal. BP) is, paradoxically, poorly defined in southwestern France where it was initially defined. In fact, data for this culture is essentially available in the surrounding regions and especially in northern and western France. Revaluation of key Laborian lithic assemblages as well as the discovery of new sites today allow to draw a new picture of the various cultural traditions occupying this large area around 12 Ka cal. BP. Despite the scarcity of data on hunted fauna, we can observe the dominance of the exploitation of large game typical of open temperate landscapes. Osseous industry is also rare but we note the maintenance of bone barbed points in few sites. Artistic. conventions (engraved pebbles or bones) show several symbolic innovations, such as the development of a unique zoomorphic art. Lithic hunting weaponry essentially based around pointed elements, much like during the Azilian, allows to highlight two chronological phases along the Laborian culture: an older phase with straight backed points with truncated bases (Malaurie points) and bitruncated backed blades ("rectangles") and a recent phase with pointed backed bladelets (Blanchères points) and bitruncated trapezoids. The production of large, standardized, straight blades with flat cross-sections during the Laborian reveals clear similarities with concepts recognized in Belloisian collections from Northern France even if blade lengths rarely reach the standards known on these sites. Finally, the technological study of domestic stone tools and hunting weaponry is an effective means for reconstructing larger scale evolution processes influencing these last Pleistocene societies and the persistence of their traditions into the European Mesolithic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tardiglacial of Portugal has been associated with the Magdalenian culture and lithic industries characterized by tool miniaturization, a diversity of microlith types, and the absence of a intentional blade production. The technological characterization, the chronology and the phasing of the Portuguese Magdalenian have been defined based on data recovered from open-air sites of the Estremadura region (Central Portugal). This paper presents an overview of the research undertaken over the last twenty-five years, including results from research and preventive archaeology fieldwork outside this region, namely in the Côa, Sabor and Vouga Valleys (northern Portugal), as well as in the Guadiana Valley and Algarve regions (southern Portugal). Our chronological boundaries are the Greenland Stadial 2-1b and the 8.2 ka event, from Early Magdalenian to Early Mesolithic. Regarding vegetation, deciduous Quercus underwent expansion during the warm phases of the Tardiglacial and retracted during cold ones, when pines increased. After the Solutrean, the faunal assemblages show a decrease in the variability of the represented species and an increase in fish, birds, small mammals and rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Concerning the cultural sequence, the Middle Magdalenian remains uncharacterised. After the Upper Magdalenian, and thenceforward, the use of local raw materials and of cores-on-flakes (burin or carinated endscraper type) for bladelet production gradually increased. In terms of lithic armatures typology, a four-stage sequence can be discerned: 1) Upper Magdalenian with axial points rather than backed bladelets, quite common in previous phases; 2) Final Magdalenian with an increase in the diversity of armature types; 3) Azilian with geometric microliths, curved backed points (Azilian points) and Malaurie points, and 4) Early Mesolithic without retouched bladelet tools or at best a persistence of Azilian armature types. There were some changes in the Palaeolithic rock art of the Douro basin between phase 3 (Final Magdalenian) and phase 4 (Late Azilian): figurative animal representations give place to animal depictions characterized by their geometrical bodies, often filled-in, and red deer becomes the best-represented animal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work deals with Late Upper Palaeolithic (Azilian and Laborian) lithic industries in the French Pyrenees. Assemblages are compared at an interregional level in order to contextualize and clarify this period. Since its discovery at the end of the 19th century, the Azilian was characterized by its specific lithic industry (backed points), osseous artefacts (harpoons) and artistic remains (painted pebbles). However, new discoveries have shed new light on our understanding the Azilian. Six lithic assemblages were examined in this study: Rhodes II (Ariège), Troubat (Hautes-Pyrénées), La Tourasse (Haute-Garonne), Le Poeymaü (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), Gouërris (Haute-Garonne) and Pagès (Lot), allowing us to investigate the evolution of the Azilian and Laborian technocomplexes and to comparatively evaluate this process at the scale of Western Europe. The beginning of the Azilian in the Pyrenees differs from what is observed in the northern Aquitain Basin; the Magdalenian seems to persist until 14 200 cal. BP, while the Early Azilian is only observed in the Basque Country. However, during the recent phase some common traits are identified at a larger scale (France, Pyrenees, Cantabria), most notably a technological simplification. Still, the Pyrenean Azilian (between 14 200 and 12 500 cal. BP) preserves its regional lithic signature, defined by the presence of double backed points, small scrapers and the use of bipolar reduction on an anvil. The Laborian, sporadically present in the Pyrenees, may indicate a later technical reinvestment, characterized by a more regular and straight production of lamino-lamellar blanks, which is a trend that appears to be observed in the whole Western Europe around 12 500 cal. BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time we compare lithic production systems from the three archaeological phases identified in the Iberian Mediterranean region between 14.5 and 10.5 ky cal BP: final Magdalenian, microlaminar Epipalaeolithic and sauveterroid Epipalaeolithic. These phases coincided with rapid palaeoenvironmental changes, whose effects on a peripheral region of southern Europe require a regional analysis. The basic blanks used in all three phases were blades and bladelets and there is considerable typological homogeneity. The results obtained in the study of the three phases identified at Coves de Santa Maira provide new grounds for discussion about lithic production systems during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition. Through this study it has been possible to establish the local and regional origin of the raw materials. At the same time, it has been observed that the standardisation typical of the classic Magdalenian decreased and there was an increase in more flexible and opportunistic chaînes opératoires , in addition to the absence of some stone points that are characteristic of more northern facies and cultures. The results have made it possible to contextualise the known data for the central–southern region of the Iberian Peninsula, allowing us to draw up a regional model of lithic production systems and assess the continuity or break between the three phases, as well as providing new possibilities to investigate the relationship with other facies and regional groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What happened at the transition between late Pleistocene and early Holocene in Italy and the Western Balkans remains up to now an unresolved question. While in recent years, research has been conducted in several regions, it is still difficult to propose a synthetic model for the changes that occurred in material cultures during this period. Multiple causes may explain this, but the apparent diversity of scenarios illustrated by each region seems to be the most explanatory. Terms such as terminal or final Epigravettian, Epipaleolithic, Romanelian and Sauveterrian, used in certain contexts, do not have a generally accepted definition. Some of these terms have been criticized and, at least, their definition should be reevaluated in accordance with modern methodological norms. Nevertheless, they indicate an actual diversity of regional and chronological expressions that we should describe precisely and integrate into a comprehensive model for the changes that occurred in this critical phase of the Late Upper Paleolithic. On a global scale, it has been argued that in contrast to what has been described in Western Europe for example, no discontinuity between the end of the Epigravettian and the first Mesolithic is evident. To better understand this period and its dynamics, it is necessary to initiate a hierarchical analysis of the elements of unit and variability across time and among the different regions. In order do to so, it is necessary to engage (1) a critical review of the available data and (2) a comparative technological analysis of different assemblages. This paper is a first step in this direction. We focus especially on the current study of two assemblages from Italy and the Western Balkans: grotta della Continenza (Central Italy) and Medena Stijena (Montenegro). We also include published data from the recent study of the sequence of grotta del Cavallo (Southern Italy). To sum up, we discuss the chronological and geographical variability in Italy and the Western Balkans based on a regional synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The character of lithic industries in southwest China is still unclear due to the limited number of dated and well-studied sites reported. Although a diversity of prehistoric cultures in this geographic area has long been proposed, the term "cobble-tool industry" was often applied to different lithic assemblages which included tools made on cobbles or pebbles. However, this term loses its validity when exploring the diversity presented in the assemblages and renders it difficult to make comparative studies with neighboring industries in mainland Southeast Asia and southern China. Therefore we use the chaîne opératoire approach to distinguish the operational sequences that reveal the processes and objectives of lithic production and to construct uniform criteria for comparison between different lithic industries. Here we present the lithic assemblage of the Tangzigou open-air site (Yunnan Province, southwest China) from a technological perspective. We argue for an original technological solution to conduct subsistence tasks in this industry, because abundant bone tools are associated with the stone tools. Therefore Tangzigou may provide an ideal case to discuss the coexistence of organic and lithic tools within an industry which developed in a subtropical environment in southern China. The lithic industry of Tangzigou, though dominated by the concept of shaping (façonnage), was very different from those "Hoabinhian Assemblages" in the Lancang River valley (upper reach of the Mekong River) in western Yunnan, and thus it could be another argument supporting the diversity and originality of prehistoric cultures in Southwest China, and also possibly influence on the prehistory of the nearby region of mainland Southeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The applicability of the three stage Paleolithic sequence (Lower, Middle, Upper) in eastern Asia that is used in the western Old World has long been a debated issue. The crux of the discussion is whether a distinct "Middle Paleolithic" ("MP") is present in the eastern Asian record, especially north China. Recently, the artifacts from the Lingjing site (2005–2016), in northern China, have been argued to be potential representative of a "Chinese Middle Paleolithic" ("CMP"). In this paper, we introduce a thorough analysis on a newly discovered lithic assemblage from the 2017 excavation of the Lingjing site. We found that simple free-hand hard hammer percussion is the dominant core reduction strategy with only a very small frequency of atypical, bi-conical discoidal cores. When considering other contemporary sites in northern China (e.g., Xujiayao and Banjingzi), Lingjing belongs to a small tool tradition that is widespread throughout northern China. The Lingjing artifacts do display some obvious differences in core reduction and lithic retouching techniques from those typical of the Lower/Early Paleolithic (or Mode 1) assemblage pre-40 ka in the Chinese Paleolithic. The diversity of characteristics of lithic technology from Lingjing and other contemporary sites in north China show the complexity of the Chinese Early Paleolithic, rather than a simple monotonous stone tool tradition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of a standard protocol for analyzing and comparing multiple assemblages of lithic artifacts has hindered the advance of a better understanding of the cultural diversity associated to prehistoric hunter-gatherer groups. This was the case of Brazilian archaeologists that for many decades associated lithic stemmed point assemblages to a cultural entity known as "Umbu Tradition". However, most associations of assemblages to this "tradition" have been made regardless of the type of lithic points, as well as ignoring other elements related to the lithic industry, settlement patterns, among others. As a result, since the 1980s, several studies have been questioning the validity of such Tradition. Recent research has proposed new definitions for the previously associated Umbu Tradition lithic industries based on the stemmed points typology. However, no raw data on the technological analysis of such points have ever been presented. This article proposes a protocol for the technological study of lithic points that allows the application of descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis to verify if these types present or not significant differences. We present new data on the technological analysis of 501 lithic points from sites located in the supposed Umbu Tradition coverage area and period, as well two new Early Holocene C14 dates for one of the studied sites (Caetetuba site). Our results corroborate previous propositions of discarding Umbu Tradition as a valid cultural entity, as well as new typologies for the points. We also show that our protocol is suitable to unravel potential cultural patterns regarding many attributes in lithic points as well as to explore if there are significant differences among previously defined types. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roccia San Sebastiano is a tectonic-karstic cave located at the foot of the southern slope of Mt. Massico, in the territory of Mondragone (Caserta) in Campania (southern Italy). Systematic excavation has been carried out since 2001, leading to the partial exploration of an important Pleistocene deposit, extraordinarily rich in lithic and faunal remains. The aim of this paper is to (1) present the stratigraphic sequence of Roccia San Sebastiano, and (2) technologically describe the lithic materials of squares F14 t18, t19, t20; E16 t16, t17, t18 recently recognised as Uluzzian. The stratigraphic sequence is more than 3 m thick and dates from the Middle to the Upper Palaeolithic. It contains different techno-complexes: Gravettian, Aurignacian, Uluzzian and Mousterian. In the Uluzzian lithic assemblage mostly local pebbles of chert were used in order to produce small-sized objects. The concept of debitage mainly deals with unidirectional debitage with absent or fairly accurate management of the convexities and angles; the striking platforms are usually natural or made by one stroke. It is attested the use of both direct freehand percussion and bipolar technique on anvil in the same reduction sequence. Amongst the retouched tools the presence of two lunates is of note. This study of the Roccia San Sebastiano Uluzzian lithic complexes is significant for understanding the dynamics of the transition from Middle to Upper Palaeolithic in the Tyrrhenian margin of southern Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defining the processes involved in the technical/cultural shifts from the Late Middle to the Early Upper Palaeolithic in Europe (~50-39 thousand years BP) is one of the most important tasks facing prehistoric studies. Apart from the technological diversity generally recognised as belonging to the latter part of the Middle Palaeolithic, some assemblages showing original technological traditions (i.e. Initial Upper Palaeolithic: Bohunician, Bachokirian; so called transitional industries: Châtelperronian, Szeletian, Lincombian-Ranisian-Jerzmanowician, Uluzzian; Early Upper Palaeolithic: Protoaurignacian, Early Aurignacian) first appear during this interval. Explaining such technological changes is a crucial step in order to understand if they were the result of the arrival of new populations, the result of parallel evolution, or of long-term processes of cultural and biological exchanges. In this debate Italy plays a pivotal role, due to its geographical position between eastern and western Mediterranean Europe as well as to it being the location of several sites showing Late Mousterian, Uluzzian and Protoaurignacian evidence distributed across the Peninsula. Our study aims to provide a synthesis of the available lithic evidence from this key area through a review of the evidence collected from a number of reference sites. The main technical features of the Late Mousterian, the Uluzzian and the Protoaurignacian traditions are examined from a diachronic and spatial perspective. Our overview allows the identification of major differences in the technological behaviour of these populations, making it possible to propose a number of specific working hypotheses on the basis of which further studies can be carried out. This study presents a detailed comparative study of the whole corpus of the lithic production strategies documented during this interval, and crucial element thus emerge: 1. In the Late Mousterian tools were manufactured with great attention being paid to the production phases and with great investment in inizializing and managing core convexities; 2. In contrast, Uluzzian lithic production proceeded with less careful management of the first phases of debitage, mainly obtaining tool morphologies by retouching. 3. In the Protoaurignacian the production is carefully organized and aimed at obtaining laminar blanks (mainly bladelets) usually marginally retouched. These data are of primary importance in order to assess the nature of the "transition" phenomenon in Italy, thus contributing to the larger debate about the disappearance of Neandertals and the arrival of early Modern Humans in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Situated on the eastern periphery of Central Asia, Mongolia was a potentially important pathway for the migration of paleopopulations from the west to the east (and/or vice versa). Possible scenarios for the dispersal of ancient human populations in Mongolia are much more complicated than we initially supposed, due to the limited number of corridors penetrating natural barriers like the mountains of southern Siberia in the north and the arid mountain systems of the Mongolian and Gobi Altai ranges in the south. Nevertheless, we can detect several episodes during which those barriers were crossed by human migrants in the Upper Pleistocene based upon the geographic distribution of various species of Homo. These migration events can be detected by analyzing variability in lithic knapping technology and stone tool assemblages in Mongolia. The earliest two dispersal events we can identify – the Terminal Middle Paleolithic (TMP) and Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) are associated with an extremely complex and enigmatic question: who were the bearers of those cultural traits and did they successively replace one another, or did they co-exist, overlapping culturally? Both the TMP and IUP are associated with the Levallois reduction technology. Here, we attempt to analyze and interpret the entire spectrum of Levallois methods from chronological and technological perspectives, identified in Terminal Middle Paleolithic and Initial Upper Paleolithic assemblages from Mongolia. We identify four principal Levallois methods. The reduction strategies associated with them share features in common with lithic industries from the Russian Altai district in southern Siberia as well as northwestern and north-central China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent anthropological and archaeological studies have established the significance of the Altai Mountains prehistoric sites, which illustrate complex peopling events. In this paper, we use the chaîne opératoire techno-economic approach to describe the reduction sequences from layers 5 and 3 of Ust'-Kanskaya cave, Gorny Altai, Russia. The Levallois concept is attested in both layers by the presence of cores, flakes, points and blades. However, the majority of the products do not correspond to the cores, which implies a shift at some point of the reduction sequence. Shorter reduction sequences that do not demand such a high degree of predetermination have also been identified. The two layers display similar technological features and can both be associated with the Levalloiso-Mousterian variant of the Altai Middle Palaeolithic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Huangniliang site, located in the coastal province of Shandong, in North China, was excavated in 2013. Optically stimulated luminescence results show that the age of the deposits ranges from 59 to 54 ka, corresponding to the initial part of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3. This study introduces the detailed analyses of the stone artefacts from the site, and provides a review of the major Paleolithic sites dated to early MIS 3 in North China. Analyses of the Huangniliang lithic assemblage show that the principal flaking technique was direct hard-hammer percussion, but core preparations and systematic percussion are also present. A series of assemblages in North China show a diversified scenario before the Late Paleolithic (LP). Dominated by the simple flake-core tradition, lithic industries in northern China dated to 35–60 ka occasionally include a Mousterian-like industry, a macroblade technology, Acheulian-type large cutting tools, systematic percussion and diversified toolkits. Lithic technological organization expressed by systematic percussion and incipient organization on the land-use expressed by the organized acquisition of raw materials during early MIS 3 are indicators of behavioral complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the body of knowledge on the first human occupations predating MIS 21 in the Atapuerca karst system. These occupations are described in terms of their ecological, cultural and technological context based on the Sima del Elefante and Gran Dolina sites. This paper focuses on the lower units of these sedimentary infills, specifically Unit TE9 of Sima del Elefante and Unit TD4 of Gran Dolina. In addition, evidence of the earliest human settlements in Europe is reviewed and hypotheses about the dynamics and intensity of that settlement are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During past decades the lack of sufficient clarification between typology and lithic technology has caused misapprehension and misuse of "lithic technology" and more than once generated two opposing views on characterization of the same lithic industry. Here the authors would like firstly to take issue with Hu et al.'s recently published paper claiming "the earliest evidence of Levallois at Guanyindong site of Southwest China" (Nature 565: 82–85), secondly to clarify the essential difference between these two methods which Hu et al. failed to do, with expectation for deeper discussion and larger application of lithic technology in East Asian Paleolithic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the identity of the early Acheulean, it is necessary to discriminate between the variables that influenced the selection of technological strategies. Functionality of the archaeological sites is crucial in assessing the manufacturing strategies of lithic tools. To achieve this goal, analysis of the post-depositional processes must be evaluated. When bone remains have been preserved, anthropic animal processing can be identified through zooarchaeological and taphonomic analyses, and the spatial relationships among all the components can also be assessed, especially when bone surface is not sufficiently preserved. There are two levels present at Thiongo Korongo, ~1.3 Ma, TKLF and TKSF. These are in autochthonous position with no significant temporal diachrony but with substantial technological differences in the manufacturing of the lithic tools, which enables the analysis of the influence of human activities on technological behaviour. In order to evaluate this issue at TKSF, we present lithic, faunal, taphonomic, fabric, and spatial analyses. An assemblage of megaherbivores, among which Sivatherium is outstanding, dominate the TKSF faunal remains. Cortical preservation is poor; there is no intervention of carnivores, the rate of green fractures is low, and a few cut marks on size 5 and 3b animals were identified. Hence, apparently human intervention on the fauna was not intensive. Spatial and geostatistical analyses hints of a specific area where megaherbivores were processed by humans. Through wear use and biomarker analyses on stone tools, we are currently trying to understand the activities that were carried out in the remaining paleosurface. At paleosurface TKLF, the main anthropogenic input could be related to activities other than animal resource exploitation, in which large handaxes were necessary. Without the assessment of site functionality and chronological context, this data could have lead to the differences observed at TKLF and TKSF being attributed to different Acheulean stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central Africa is a key region for examining patterns of hunter-gatherer inhabitation and engagement with ecological diversity and environmental change. In contrast to adjacent regions, however, the archaeological record of prehistoric hunter-gatherer populations in Central Africa is underrepresented in studies of recent human evolution. This limited engagement with Central African archaeological records in part stems from the complexities of identifying, excavating, and dating hunter-gatherer sites in what are today often heavily forested environments, a focus on named stone tool industries from undated sites to structure the record, and highly limited means to associate dated hunter-gatherer occupations with proxy records of environmental conditions. Here, we present a novel synthesis of prehistoric hunter-gatherer stone tool assemblages from dated Central African sites and use climate model datasets to illuminate the environmental and ecological landscapes in which they were deployed. Our results suggest a significant ecological shift occurred from 14,000 years ago onwards, associated with a greater engagement with broadleaf forests. We examine the extent to which a range of geographic and paleoclimatic drivers can explain patterns of gross assemblage composition and the appearance of individual lithic technologies highlighting the significant role of changes in altitude, precipitation, seasonality, and ecology. Notably, considerable continuity can be observed between the habitat ranges of contemporary hunter-gatherer populations in Central Africa and prehistoric occupations that significantly precede the appearance of farming lifeways in the region. • Synthetic review of Late Pleistocene and Holocene lithic assemblages in Central Africa. • Environmental contextualization of lithic assemblages over time. • Shift of environmental context occupied by Central African hunter-gatherers identified in the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. • Quantitative assessment of drivers of similarity in assemblage composition over time. • Altitude, site type, ecology and precipitation seasonality identified as significant drivers of similarity in assemblage composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capangombe – Santo António is an open-air site located 596 m a.s.l. at the foothill of Morro Santo António, Namibe Province (southwest Angola). The inselberg of Santo António is associated to the Chela escarpment developing from the Marginal Mountain range parallel to the Atlantic Ocean, separating the Angolan inland plateau from the coastal semi-arid to arid plain. A dissected valley formed by the Leba-Capangombe stream exposed a conglomerate with abundant stone tools assigned to the Early Stone Age (ESA). The site was discovered in 1966 by Miguel Ramos, who collected a total of 1776 lithic artifacts, and further published a small report about the assemblage in 1971. In this preliminary analysis, Ramos focused on cleavers using the "French school" typology for the "hachereaux" in Northern Africa and concluded that there are several morphotypes identified in Capangombe-Santo António with specific features, suggesting the occurrence of a local tradition for the Late ESA/Middle Stone Age (MSA). The study presented here is a new analysis of the lithic assemblage curated at the University of Lisbon, Portugal. A sample of 1017 artefacts was analyzed for this project applying an extended descriptive methodology to characterize lithic raw material procurement, reduction sequences and typological classes. The chrono-cultural model initially proposed for the site is revised thanks to recent advances in Stone Age studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithic industries during the Upper Pleistocene in Equatorial Guinea may be broadly included in the Central African Middle Stone Age (MSA) Lupemban tradition. However, these industries present certain particularities related to their raw materials, and stone-knapping sequences. In the case of bifacial tools, bifacial points are commonly found with a cortical reserved proximal portion that keeps the cortex covering the base and part of both faces. Bifacial points made on thin stone slabs that keep the cortex on the center of one or both faces are also commonly found. This knapping technique gives the idea of unfinished preform artifacts. The edges, however, suggest that both points and other bifacial artifacts were used for some tasks. A sample of these tools was taken from the open-air Mabewele I site to decide whether the MSA points from Equatorial Guinea were finished artifacts, in spite of the preservation of their cortex. Petrographic studies and macro and microscopic analyses of the use-wear traces and residues from retouched edges were also performed. The analysis clearly shows that the Mabewele I bifacial artifacts were used for plant processing, among other activities. The results confirmed the fact that cortical reserved-base points with cortex on one or both faces were intentionally manufactured, finished tools, rather than unfinished preforms. The petrographic analysis also shows the schistous nature of raw material and explains the shape and stepped edges of bifacial knives, extending our understanding of the unique technical characteristics of the MSA in Equatorial Guinea. It also provides new insights into some of the hunter-gatherer's subsistence strategies in the Central African tropical rainforest at the end of the Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Klipfonteinrand 1 (KFR1) is a foundational but poorly documented Middle Stone Age (MSA) site located in the south west of South Africa. Originally excavated by John Parkington in 1969 but undated for more than 50 years, the MSA component of the sequence formed a part of Thomas Volman's influential culture-historic technocomplex scheme. Renewed excavations identified four distinct MSA stratigraphic units at the site, the oldest two of which date to ∼85 ka and ∼156 ka. This paper presents an analysis of ∼4500 artefacts from the oldest units to test the viability of Volman's scheme and its derivatives. Coeval assemblages from other regional sites are also reviewed to test alternative models of regional technological variability driven by demographic dynamics in MIS 6 and MIS 5. We find that assemblages from neither of the deepest two stratigraphic units at KFR1 map perfectly to prevailing technocomplex schemes for southern Africa, and that they are also distinct from nearby assemblages of comparable age. Ultimately, KFR1 provides an important data point furthering the identification of variable technological adaptations during an important phase in the evolution of human behaviour. • Re-excavation and reassessment of Klipfonteinrand 1's Early Middle Stone Age units. • Validity testing of the relevancy of Thomas Volman's technocomplex scheme. • We find that the deepest two units do not map perfectly to Volman's determination. • Basal units from Klipfonteinrand 1 are distinct from coeval assemblages. • Typologically based assessments result in generalisations and mask variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Régismont-le-Haut, an Aurignacian open-air campsite, provides an occasion to investigate aspects of Aurignacian site variability that are rarely broached: (1) the relatively poorly known area connecting the Aquitaine and Mediterranean Basins, and (2) the high-resolution spatial organization of an Early Upper Palaeolithic campsite. While more difficult to integrate directly into chronological models of Aurignacian evolution, mostly derived from stratified rock-shelter and cave sites from the northern Aquitaine Basin, it is argued that studying open-air sites like Régismont-le-Haut can furnish detailed information that rock shelter/cave sites cannot, therefore providing critical building blocks and possible reading keys to help reconstruct prehistoric circulation systems and marry synchronic and diachronic perspectives on variability. A detailed description of the geomorphological and sedimentary context, as well as the differing materials and activities (lithic industry and use-wear, faunal remains, mineral colouring materials, personal ornamentation, limestone blocks, fireplaces) that occur on-site, is provided. A summary of activities occurring in two complementary loci ensues, followed by a preliminary spatial reading of one of the primary domestic units. The contemporaneity of the two loci is then treated, and the article finishes with a discussion regarding how Régismont-le-Haut fits both diachronically and synchronically within the Aurignacian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In recent years many issues arose regarding the technological and functional analysis of lithic assemblages dominated by "second rate raw materials" like vein quartz, metamorphic or volcanic rocks. Nevertheless, the technological study of this kind of assemblages and their consequent interpretation seems to be still based on the techno-typological criteria elaborated for flint artefacts, thus leading to the common inference that these lithic assemblages are archaic and mainly linked to opportunistic production systems. Pedra Dreta and Can Garriga, located in the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula, present two small lithic assemblages dominated by local raw materials (vein quartz, quartzite, porphyry, syenite, etc.) and by opportunistic reduction sequences but with the presence of Levallois and discoid châine operatoires. The technological analysis is aimed to answer two main issues that emerged during the study and that can contribute to the study of non-flint lithic assemblages: 1. Which criteria should we adopt to distinguish between discoid and recurrent centripetal Levallois products? 2. Is it possible that the Levallois products are the result rather of the opportunistic and expedient reduction sequences that are dominant in these assemblages than of a real use of the Levallois method? A use-wear analysis has also been conducted for the first time on Pedra Dreta and Can Garriga lithic assemblages. The peculiarities of the lithic raw materials employed made necessary the adoption of specific methodologies and the realization of a particular procedure for the analysis of porphyry's tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bifaces, primarily handaxes and cleavers, are the hallmark of the Acheulian techno-complex lithic industry. They spread across Africa and Eurasia during the Early to Middle Pleistocene. While many attempts have been made to define and describe the typology and technology of these tools, most focus on a single stage in their manufacture and usage, from quarry to discard. These attempts are fragmented, primarily due to the fact that at no single site are all stages of biface manufacture and use represented. An additional factor that appears to impede attempts to present the full “life cycle” of bifaces is the view of all Acheulian assemblages as belonging to a single cultural entity. While all assemblages belong to the same techno-complex, distinct stages and phases should be recognized, each different in typology, technology, and probably also in chronology. This research focuses on the large flake stage of the Acheulian. Data accumulated over many years of research from different regions are analyzed together in an attempt to present a holistic view of the life cycle of a biface. The study of particular Acheulian sites from the Levant and Western Europe enables us to reconstruct all stages of the biface, from raw material exploitation to final discard. The result is a model more comprehensive and precise than those suggested previously for understanding the Large Flake Acheulian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ramification is the term used to classify branched productive sequences in which a functional item (the flake) was exploited as a productive item (the core). This technological behaviour was present in Europe and the Levant beginning in the Lower and Early Middle Palaeolithic, but ramified productions were intensely developed in the Late Middle Palaeolithic. Traditionally, ramification has been interpreted as a well-structured behaviour, implying its integration into the provisioning strategies of past humans. This viewpoint has significant implications for the understanding of technological evolution in Neanderthals, suggesting specific cognitive and socio-economic capacities. Ramified procedures were characterised by high flexibility due to the versatile patterns of the core-on-flake and are described in the literature as corresponding to several different knapping concepts and technical procedures. This research aimed to describe the role of ramification in the Late Middle Palaeolithic. We analysed two assemblages from the Abric Romaní site (located in the north-east part of the Iberian Peninsula) characterised by informal, expedient technologies. The focus was on the spatial and temporal fragmentation of the ramified sequences based on the identification of single technical events. The reduction of the scale of analysis and the resulting implementation of temporal resolution of the stone tool assemblages in such expedient contexts allowed us to understand ramification from an innovative perspective, setting aside our bias toward well-defined productive methods associated with preconceived economic and mobility patterns. The results showed that ramification reflected a range of behaviours, implying a variety of planning proficiency, economic strategies and social interactions. This means that ‘ramified production’ is not meaningful unless is linked with a detailed description of human choices and an understanding of temporal and spatial relationships between knapping events. Furthermore, the results showed that, to approach behavioural issues, we as researchers must change our unitary vision of assemblages and enlarge the scope of categories to which we apply that vision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Altiplano constitutes the most extensive, high-elevation terrain in South America. Most archaeological research on the earliest human occupation of this region in the Bolivian Andes derives from sites such as Viscachani where the emphasis has been on typological comparisons of projectile points, rather than on complete and radiometrically dated assemblages. In this paper, we present survey and excavation data from the Iroco region in the Central Altiplano of Bolivia to address questions related to the adaptive strategies engaged by Archaic Period highland foragers. Specifically, we focus on the nature of mobility, subsistence, and technological strategies, stemmed from principles in human behavioral ecology. Based on data from radiocarbon dates, lithic, and faunal analyses, we suggest that, similar to other mobile foraging societies in arid environments, highland foragers in Iroco engaged in seasonal residential mobility, consumed a broad range of faunal resources, and developed a curated technological toolkit within the context of ameliorated environmental conditions that prevailed during the early Holocene (11,500–8000 cal BP). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we use taphonomic and technological analyses as a basis for study of the spatial and temporal variability of six lithic assemblages from the Pleistocene-Holocene transition (12,600–11,000 cal BP), recovered in the Imilac and Punta Negra basins (3000 m. a.s.l.), Atacama Desert (24.5°S). During the initial peopling of this area, the lithic sub-system was based on local raw material procurement and highly interconnected, complementary operative chains. This non-centralized structure resulted in even distribution of technical investment in the different stages of the reduction process, achieving great flexibility and responsiveness. We propose that this strategy allowed high mobility to co-exist with a generalized subsistence economy. Finally, we discuss the results and how they relate at the regional scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper builds on recent research on the abrupt cooling event known as GS1 (Younger Dryas) from ca. 12.9 to 11.7 ka cal. BP. These studies have indicated the diversity of local responses to this period between different regions across Europe. Research has indicated both responses and lack of responses of humans to this event in different regions. In accordance with this research, this paper argues that it is necessary to move away from global models of human responses to the analysis of regional scales. We argue that it is necessary to consider the evolutionary dynamics that predated the GS1 cooling event before identifying its potential impact. This paper focuses on this aspect of the problem by considering evidence from three mountainous areas: the Pyrenees, the northern French Alps and Jura, and lastly southern and Apuan Alps. Recently studied sites are considered with specific attention to lithic industries. Our analysis focuses on (1) the identifiable changes in each industry and (2) the relationship with pre-existing cultural and technological dynamics. The analysis has produced two main results. First, there was a tendency towards a decrease in the standardization of blanks, especially in blades, which was common to the different areas. This change, however, predated GS1 and can therefore not be associated with cooling at the start of GS1. Second, the Northern Alps and Jura, in contrast to the two other areas, seems to reveal a break from the lithic technological traditions that occurred around 12.9 ka cal BP or the early stages of GS1. These results enable a discussion of the different mechanisms that can explain differential regional responses to GS1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dans les zones tropicales du Brésil, alors que les méthodes de débitage ont généralement connu une évolution limitée, différentes solutions ont été recherchées pour l'obtention de supports d'outils aux caractéristiques volumétriques contrôlées, pendant la fin du Pléistocène et au cours de l'Holocène. Le façonnage unifacial est l'une d'elle. Il se développe particulièrement entre 12 000 et 8000 ans avant le présent dans une vaste aire au centre du Brésil. Il permet l'obtention d'outils aux potentiels fonctionnels variés. Ces pièces unifaciales sont rencontrées dans un système technique où elles sont complétées par des outils sur éclats relativement normés. Cet ensemble correspond à ce qu'on appelle le Technocomplexe Itaparica et émerge à un moment décisif de densification du peuplement de la région. Le débitage bipolaire sur enclume est une autre face de ces solutions techniques développées par les populations préhistoriques au Brésil. Moins mis en avant dans la littérature que d'autres productions, il est pourtant presque omniprésent. Ce débitage permet, au moyen de méthodes variées, de produire une ample gamme de produits, selon les périodes et les contextes. De façon récurrente, il est utilisé pour l'obtention de produits de moyenne à très petite taille, dont la destinée fonctionnelle n'est pas encore toujours très bien cernée. Nous illustrons, à travers ces deux exemples, les particularités de l'histoire des techniques des populations préhistoriques du Brésil. Ils mettent en évidence le choix d'une autre trajectoire que celle de leurs contemporaines européennes, qui ont plutôt misé sur un développement des concepts de débitage. In the Brazilian tropics, while débitage methods have generally undergone limited evolution, various solutions were sought to obtain tool blanks with controlled volumetric characteristics during the late Pleistocene and Holocene periods. One such solution was the unifacial shaping. It was particularly developed between 12,000 and 8000 BP in a vast area of central Brazil. It produced tools with varied functional potential. These unifacial pieces are found in a technical system where they are complemented by relatively standardized retouched flakes. This ensemble corresponds to what is known as the Itaparica Technocomplex, and emerged at a decisive moment in the densification of the region's population. Bipolar-on-anvil débitage is another facet of the technical solutions developed by prehistoric populations in Brazil. Although it receives less attention in the literature than other productions, it is nonetheless almost ubiquitous. Using a variety of methods, this débitage can be employed to produce a wide range of products, depending on the period and context. Recurrently, it is used to obtain medium to very small-sized products, whose functional purpose is not always well understood. These two examples illustrate the particularities of the technical history of Brazil's prehistoric populations. They highlight the choice of a different trajectory from that of their European contemporaries, who focused instead on the development of débitage concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Les forêts subandines des élévations moyennes du bassin de la rivière Cauca (« Cauca Medio », Centre-Ouest de la Colombie) sont particulièrement marquées par la présence d'objets lithiques préhistoriques retrouvés dans des niveaux à cendres volcaniques, datés entre 10 619 et 3746 BP (âge 14C non calibré). Ces ensembles d'instruments sont majoritairement des galets caractérisés par des bords et des surfaces bouchardés ou usés, qui – selon la forme, la taille et la matière première – ont servi de percuteurs ou de meules pour abrasion. Des produits de débitage et quelques outils finis sur éclats ou nucléus, ainsi que certains produits de percussion bipolaire sur enclume sont associés à ces objets. Additionnel dans ces contextes, on retrouve souvent des outils façonnés bifacialement à caractère technique normalisé, avec des encoches qui ont facilité leur aménagement. Ces outils présentent des fonctions d'usages variés (p.e., haches emmanchées) mais l'utilisation comme pelles-bêches prédomine indiquant leur insertion au sein d'activités de travail des sols liées à la transformation, la domestication et à l'exploitation initiale de végétaux. Les ensembles lithiques ont été localisés aux sommets de collines ou de terrasses d'origine alluviale ou colluviale. Ces artefacts démontrent le choix conscient de matières premières d'origine volcanique ou métamorphique. Une relative stabilité peut être proposée pendant l'Holocène ancien et moyen dans le bassin intérieur du Cauca, tenant en compte des caractéristiques typologiques et technologiques similaires des ensembles lithiques, attestant le rôle de cette région dans les origines de l'horticulture. The sub-Andean forests in the Middle Cauca River Valley (Central West of Colombia) show evidences of preceramic lithic industry, recovered from paleo-soils buried by volcanic debris. Their production and use were dated by 12,000 to 4000 BP. Lithic assemblages included cobbles with modified edges with surface modification by use. According to the shape, size or raw material those instruments were used as hammers or ground-stones. Other flint knapped products, such as cores and flakes, or products of bipolar percussion, are present. Additionally, in those cultural contexts there were some particular instruments with bifacial manufacture, standardized shape and preparation for hafting. Those instruments were used in different tasks, basically for preparation of soils toward domestication and harvest of plants. Lithic assemblages were localized on rolling hills, alluvial or colluvial terraces. Artifacts demonstrated careful selection of raw material, from volcanic or metamorphic origin. A relative stability can be proposed during the Early and Middle Holocene in the inland basin of Cauca, taking into account the similar typological and technological characteristics of the lithic ensembles, attesting to the role of this region in the origins of horticulture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stone artifacts are a common finding at prehistoric occupation cave sites in Indonesia. Flake tools with various key functions are one of the cultural markers of the pre-Neolithic period, frequently recovered in the context of assemblages of animal bones, bone tools, and shell artifacts. Recently, excavation at a new cave site on the small island of Kangean, unearthed an extensive set of stone tools. Our analysis of this assemblage of stone tools from Arca Cave site, Kangean Island, identified specific characteristics in typology, technology, and environmental context. Dating to at least 6,000 years ago, the Kangean lithic assemblage is associated with the mid-Holocene period and possibly even earlier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major challenges in Paleolithic research is disentangling various factors that contributed to variation in Neandertal technological behavior. As a result of variable abundance of the Paleolithic record across Eurasia, our understanding of regional and temporal patters of Middle Paleolithic industries differs from one region to another. Southeastern Europe is one of the areas that stands in contrast to rich and thoroughly investigated regions of other parts of Europe. A few sites in the region, nevertheless, offer an opportunity for the study of technological behavior of Middle Paleolithic hominins. The rockshelter sites of Crvena stijena and Bioče in Montenegro, located on the eastern Adriatic coast in the Mediterranean zone, have relatively dense remains of hominin occupations compared to other sites in the Balkan peninsula. Previous research identified several characteristics of the eastern Adriatic industries. Firstly, they have been characterized as Micromousterian due to the small average size of the artifacts, a feature that potentially results from the size of the local raw material. On typological grounds, some assemblages have been said to show typological similarity to Charentian, and some researchers have emphasized frequent denticulate tools as a late Mousterian feature. In this study we aim to examine lithic production strategies at the two sites based on samples from Crvena stijena deposits that tentatively range from late MIS 5 to MIS 3 and from the still undated upper sequence of Bioče. We will evaluate variability in the industries in the Adriatic region by looking at both the process of blank production and further tool production and consumption to provide a clearer picture of lithic production strategies during the late Middle Paleolithic. We will address the issue of how raw material affects the structure of these assemblages, artifact size, and particularly diachronic patterns of stone tool production strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the latest results of archaeological research in Epigravettian deposits of Blazi Cave in north-central Albania. This Epigravettian site is the first of its kind in Albania with a large sample of stone artifacts, faunal remains and dating material. The study material stems from the last remaining Late Pleistocene deposits in this cave and therefore characterizes the site in its totality. AMS 14 C dates place the cultural layers between 18 and 17 ka cal. BP. This age model coupled with the density of anthropogenic remains attests an intensive use of the shelter by hunter-gatherers in the final phase of the Last Glacial Maximum. The radiocarbon results place the Blazi data into the early phase of the Late Adriatic Epigravettian complex. This chronology is corroborated by certain technological and typological traits identified within the stone tool sample. Analysis of the faunal remains suggests a repeated use of the shelter in the warmer summer period. Blazi Cave functioned as a specialized ibex hunting site and therefore fits into a larger complex of task localities in the wider region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Situated between the Altai Mountains and the Chinese Loess Plateau, the current territory of Mongolia played a pivotal role in Pleistocene human population dynamics in Northeast Asia with archaeological evidence suggesting the existence of cultural links with southern Siberia beginning in the Late Pleistocene. Here, we present preliminary results from the newly discovered site of Kharganyn Gol 5 in northern Mongolia. The results obtained from the Kharganyn Gol 5 site allow new reconstructions of chrono-cultural sequences and human behavior in eastern Central Asia. The site has yielded evidence of human occupation corresponding to several phases of the regional Upper Paleolithic. In addition, we present the first evidence of human occupation of the region prior to Greenland Interstadial 12 (GI12; 40,000–43,000 BP) and discuss the implications of such data. The Kharganyn Gol River basin contains sedimentary rock formations including numerous raw material outcrops, containing various types of chert. Prehistoric people used all these chert varieties for tool production, but the modes of raw material exploitation changed through time. This paper reports the presence, unique in Central and North Asia, of a non-utilitarian object made of muscovite mica in an Initial Upper Paleolithic assemblage in Archaeological Horizon 5 of the Kharganyn Gol 5 site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]