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The aim of the present study was to estimate the range of climate variability in Central Poland during the Eemian Interglacial (MIS 5e). High resolution pollen records are available for all seven RPAZs typical of this interglacial in Central Europe. These pollen records were used to estimate total annual precipitation and mean annual temperature, as well as the mean temperatures of the warmest and the coldest months based on the plant indicator method and the modern analogue technique. The reconstructions indicate that the combination of these two methods provides a much clearer insight into the climate changes of the Eemian optimum. The results confirmed no drastic drop in temperature in the Middle Eemian, with high total precipitation in the hazel phase, and that this was followed by a decrease in temperature in the Late Eemian (fir-spruce and pine phases). A drop in precipitation occurred during the youngest part of the Carpinus phase, while coincided with a marked lowering of the water level in lakes and their transformation into peatbogs. The last part of the Eemian is characterized by decreasing temperature, particularly during the coldest month, rising water levels due to a combination of lower evaporation and higher air humidity, and a transition to glacial conditions. Principal Component Analysis found all investigated sites to follow the same pattern of changes. Mean winter temperature, annual temperature and precipitation were found to have a strong positive correlation with the occurrence of thermophilus temperate broadleaved trees (hazel, linden, and ash) typical for the mid-Eemian optimum. These three factors also have a negative correlation with the presence of cold tolerant boreal trees (birch and pine) and open land taxa characteristic of the beginning and end of the interglacial. Mean July temperature was found to be positively correlated with the occurrence of temperate broadleaved trees (oak, ash and elm) typical for early stages of the Eemian and negatively with that of coniferous trees (fir and spruce) characteristic for later stages of the interglacial.

The lowest section of the Upper Dniester River Valley (DRV), located between the uplands of Opillia and Eastern Subcarpathians, was a separate and specific Pleistocene geoecosystem, interesting for the hunter-gatherer communities. This is evidenced by three main (Yezupil, Mariampil and Halych), and a dozen or so additional Palaeolithic open-air sites. They occur as cultural layers within the loess-palaeosol sequences (LPSs) and represent semi-permanent settlement (except for the periods with the maximum intensity of the loess sedimentation); the oldest occur in the Eemian palaeosol. All sites are located on both sides of the river. In the past, the DRV was characterized by local environmental diversity changing with time. In consequence, it has very individual features, so the analysis of environmental changes is a local case study. In order to obtain information about the changes of climate and environment, the multi-proxy analyses were carried out. Chronology was based on the luminescence and radiocarbon dating. The diversity of habitats was local. Its degree was changing with time: it was minimal in the periods with extreme climatic conditions, such as the climate optimum and pessimum, and clearly greater in the climatically intermediate periods with fluctuations. Based on the materials indicating the mesoclimate and local vegetation diversity during the human occupation episodes as well as the location of the Palaeolithic sites, we found that generally the possibilities of choosing a warmer or sheltered place for a camp were not significant for hunters representing different cultures of different ages. Palaeolithic groups very often occupied the same places in the DRV. The camps had a hunting function, the choice of places was dictated primarily by the need to find a good place to observe game animals and to organize hunting – first of all – in the mouth sections of the tributaries of the Dniester River, regardless of the situation of localities relative to riverplains. The settlement attractiveness of such places was essentially timeless.

We present the results of geochemical investigations, including stable isotope, of the Eemian (MIS 5e) and Vistulian (Weichselian, MIS 5a–d, MIS 3–4) sediments of the palaeolake horizons from Gorzow Wielkopolski site (NW Poland). Our analyzes comprised two profiles from different parts of lake basin, each approximately 11-m long. The deposits represent two cycles of lake accumulation (two limnic layers), each ended by peat deposition, separated by mineral fluvial deposits. The lower and upper limnic layers, despite several similar geochemical features, are records of two separate phases of the lake's functioning. The palynological data suggest that the mineral deposits separating them are not continuous succession, but contain a stratigraphic hiatus. We characterized six geochemical zones (GZ), which correspond well with lithological features of deposits and climatic changes, and reflect the changing environmental conditions (redox conditions, variability and intensity of denudation, biological productivity, and fertility of the environment). In the first phase of lake's development, some influence of the surface material supply is visible, indicated by the increased content of lithophilous elements, (e.g. potassium), as well as closely correlated with them copper and zinc. Slow accumulation of carbonates dominated the limnic layers due to their abundant supply from the catchment area. The greatest variations of isotopic values of carbonates occur in the bottom and at the top of the stratigraphic profile and are related to the changing environmental conditions in the lake's basin (water level and temperature variations). The differences in carbon and nitrogen isotope values suggest different sources of organic matter accumulated in the studied basin and varying trophy of the environment. The higher mercury content is related to the course of climate change and is the highest in cold periods. We identified five main phases of evolution of the palaeolake at Gorzow Wielkopolski site. The lake accumulation began during the final phase of the Wartanian (Late Saalian) Glaciation (MIS 6). Initially the palaeolake harmonically developed and reached its maximum depth (Early and Middle Eemian, MIS 5e). Next the palaeolake became shallower and transformed into the peatbog (Late Eemian, MIS 5e). In the Early Vistulian period (or Early Weichselian, MIS 5a–d), the lake re-existed, initially as a flow-through lake. Finally in middle Vistulian (or Middle Weichselian – Pleniglacial, MIS 3–4), the palaeolake declined and mire developed.

For the palaeo-ecological development and interpretation of the macrofauna (Bivalvia and Gastropoda) of the Eemian Sea in the southwestern Baltic Sea region (NE Germany), up to date studies and summarising assessments are largely missing. With the main goal of revising the Eemian marine fauna, the authors have undertaken numerous new samplings in recent years. This study begins by focusing on the Warnow Bay in today's Warnow valley near Rostock. In addition to examining older data from the literature, the sandpit at Schwaan and drillings of the State Geological Survey from Boitin, Reez and Rostock were studied. Parallel to this, was also undertaken pollen analyses. Despite hundreds of drillings from the region of the former Warnow Bay, evidence of the marine Eemian was relatively rare. Apparently the sandy sediments were reworked and redistributed by glaciotectonic, glaciofluvial and fluvial processes during the Weichselian glaciation. There is as yet no definite proof of autochthonous marine sediments. They are predominantly shallow-marine sands several meters thick which are found mostly at a depth of about 30–20 m b.s.l. but more rarely also relatively close to the surface in opencast mining or cliff sections. The sands are rich in marine mollusc fauna of which 29 species have been identified so far and which also include Lusitanian specimens such as Acanthocardia paucicostata, Lucinella divaricata or Polititapes senescens. Account was also taken of accompanying marine fauna such as barnacles and echinoderms. In addition, the sediments contain fresh water molluscs also including the interglacial indicator species Belgrandia germanica.

Les communautés de petits vertébrés du dernier Interglaciaire sont rares en Europe du Nord-Ouest. Le site de Waziers, qui bénéficie d’un cadre chrono-stratigraphique solide, permet d’enrichir nos connaissances sur les dynamiques fauniques et climatiques dans le Nord de la France. Le cortège de petits vertébrés est composé de restes d’oiseaux, de rongeurs, d’herpétofaune et de poissons. Les niveaux de l’US-4, antérieurs à l’Eemien, sont caractérisés par la présence de Lasiopodomys gregalis (Campagnol des hauteurs) et Lagurus lagurus (Lemming des steppes) qui sont associés à des environnements froids et ouverts. L’US-5, qui correspond à l’Eemien, est caractérisée par une diversité élevée d’espèces d’Anatidae et par la présence de Microtus arvalis/agrestis (Campagnol des champs/agreste), de Clethrionomys glareolus (Campagnol roussâtre), d’Emys orbicularis (Cistude d’Europe) ainsi que de repré- sentants des genres Salamandra (Salamandre) et Rana (groupe des grenouilles rousses). Ces différents taxons renvoient l’image d’un environnement de zone humide avec un climat potentiellement plus chaud que l’actuel. L’origine des restes de petits vertébrés de Waziers apparait mixte, avec une action au moins partielle de rapaces et/ou de carnivores pour une partie de l’assemblage (notam- ment amphibiens et oiseaux) et possiblement des individus morts naturellement in situ. Small vertebrate communities from the Last Interglacial are rare in Northwestern Europe. The Waziers site, which has a solid chrono-stratigraphic framework, allows us to enrich our knowledge of faunal and climatic dynamics in Northern France. The small vertebrate assemblage is composed of bird remains, rodents, herpetofauna and fish. The levels of SU 4, which predate the Eemian, are characterised by the presence of Lasiopodomys gregalis (Narrow-headed vole) and Lagurus lagurus (Steppe Lemming) which are associated to cold and open environments. SU 5, which corresponds to the Eemian, is characterised by a diversity of Anatidae species, by the presence of Microtus arvalis/agrestis (Short-tailed field/common vole), Clethrionomys glareolus (Bank vole), Emys orbicularis (European pond terrapin) as well as the presence of the genera Salamandra and Rana. These different taxa give the image of a wetland environment with a potentially warmer climate than the present one. The origin of the small vertebrate remains from Waziers appears to be diverse, with with at least partial action of raptors and/or carnivores for part of the assemblage (notably amphibians and birds) and possibly individuals that died naturally in situ.

We present a description of an almost complete skeleton of the forest rhino (Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis) found near Gorzów Wielkopolski (Northwest Poland) in its geological and palaeoenvironmental context. While finds of bones and teeth are common, the importance of this find resides in, that it is the most complete specimen of this species, almost perfectly preserved in a well-studied and dated stratigraphic and sedimentological context, along with other fossil fauna and flora. The OSL dates of glaciofluvial sediments sandwiching skeleton-bearing horizons indicate a Middle Eemian age of the Pleistocene paleolake land. This warm climate is also indicated by the results of sedimentological, geochemical, paleobotanical, and isotopic analyses. The rhino skeleton was deposited in a shallow area near the lake’s littoral zone. Bite marks of a large predator (cave hyena) were recognized on the rhino’s pelvis, which, due to their location, were probably created post-mortem. With an estimated height of 1.82 m at the withers, this was a large adult Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis. The results of osteometric analyses indicate that we are dealing with one of the largest known individuals of this species. Although it suffered from a pathologically deformed spine, the individual died at a relatively old age.

La dernière période interglaciaire (Last Interglacial, LIG, ou Stade Isotopique Marin 5.5, SIM 5.5), comprise entre environs 129 et environs 16 milliers d’années avant aujourd’hui (ci-dessous ka), est peu documentée, en particulier en domaine continental en raison de la rareté des dépôts attribuables à cette période qui correspond à l’Eemien dans la chronostratigraphie de l’Europe du nord-ouest. Le manque de documentation est encore plus prononcé pour la déglaciation qui précède le LIG, la Transition SIM 6/5 ou Terminaison 2, qui a duré une dizaine de milliers d’années. Dans ce contexte, le site de Waziers, localisé en Europe occidentale (France), présente une séquence exceptionnelle constituée de dépôts successifs fins limono-calcaires couvrant l’avant-dernière déglaciation (SIM 6/5) et des tourbes riches en restes végétaux contemporaines du dernier interglaciaire (SIM 5.5). L’analyse isotopique de l’oxygène du phosphate de l’émail de dents de grands mammifères herbivores (cheval, Equus sp. ; mégalocéros, Megaloceros giganteus ; chevreuil, Capreolus capreolus) présents dans ces dépôts a permis de reconstituer les paléotempératures de l’air du vivant des animaux. Les résultats donnent des températures moyennes annuelles de 4,7 ± 0,6°C pour une première phase de la déglaciation (5 dents d’un même individu), de 6,9 ± 0,5°C pour une phase médiane de la déglaciation (1 dent), et de 8,6 ± 0,5°C pour une phase précédant l’établissement du dernier interglaciaire, le SIM 5.5 (1 dent). Des artefacts paléolithiques (silex) ont été découverts dans les dépôts contemporains de cette dernière phase - ainsi que dans ceux attribués au SIM 5.5. En accord avec les données palyno- logiques, les paléotempératures mettent en évidence un réchauffement progressif au cours d’une partie de la transition glaciaire/ interglaciaire, la Transition SIM 6/5. L’écart de environ 4°C entre la température minimale et la température maximale reconstituées ici permet de minorer l’écart de température entre la période glaciaire SIM 6.2 et la période interglaciaire SIM 5.5 sur le site de Waziers. The Last Interglacial (LIG or Marine Isotopic Substage 5.5, MIS5.5), which is comprised between 129 and 116 thousand years Before Present (hereafter ky BP), is poorly documented, especially in continental areas, owing to the scarcity of deposits attributable to this period, which corresponds to the Eemian in the chronostratigraphy of northwestern Europe. The scarcity of docu- mentation is even more pronounced for the deglaciation that precedes the LIG, the MIS 6/5 Transition or Termination 2, which lasted about ten thousand years. In this context, the site of Waziers, in Western Europe (France), has an exceptional sequence of successive fine silty-limestone deposits covering the penultimate deglaciation (MIS 6/5) and peat rich in plant remains contemporary with the last interglacial (MIS 5.5). Oxygen isotope analysis of phosphate of tooth enamel from large herbivorous mammals (horse, Equus sp. ; megaloceros, Megaloceros giganteus ; roe deer, Capreolus capreolus) present in these deposits allows the reconstruction of air paleotemperatures during the lifetime of the animals. The results yield annual mean temperatures of 4.7 ± 0.6°C for an early phase of the deglaciation (5 teeth of a same individual), of 6.9 ± 0.5°C for a mid-phase of the deglaciation (1 tooth), and of 8.6 ± 0.5°C for a phase preceding the establishment of the last interglacial, the MIS5.5 (1 tooth). In deposits contemporary with the latter phase, human artifacts were discovered, as well as in those of MIS5.5. In agreement with the palynological data, the paleotemperatures illustrate a gradual warming during part of the glacial/interglacial transition, the MIS6/5 Transition. The difference of 4°C between the minimal and maximal temperature reconstructed in this study allows us to minimize the temperature difference between the MIS6.2 glacial period and the MIS5.5 interglacial period at the Waziers site.

International audience; The present dataset comes from rechearch led on the Waziers le Bas-Terroir site since 2013 (Hérisson et al., 2022, for detailsabout the research and fieldwork). The present data paper aims to share with the scientific community the raw or supplementary datato those presented in the papers of the volume 1 and 2 dedicated to Waziers le Bas-Terroir eemian site, corresponding to volumes33-4 (2022) et 34-1 (2023) of Quaternaire. Data (except for data set #5) is stored in the Research Data Warehouse for Human andSocial Sciences called Nakala. Nakala data is stored on servers managed by Huma-Num, at the IN2P3 data centre in France. Alldata in this data paper are grouped in a collection entitled « Waziers le Bas-Terroir tome 1 & 2 Data paper revue Quaternaire » andaccessible through the DOI 10.34847/nkl.de671e05 or through the DOI indicated for each file in the data paper. Data set #5 has beendeposited on the PRIDE platform PRIDE (PRoteomics IDEntifications Database). The files are provided under a licence CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial No Derivates 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0).; Les jeux de données présentés ci-après sont issus des recherches menées sur le gisement de Waziers le Bas-Terroir depuis 2013 (Hérisson et al., 2022, pour les détails des recherches et opérations de terrain). Le présent data paper vise donc à mettre à disposition de la communauté scientifique des données brutes ou complémentaires à celles présentées au sein des articles des tomes 1 et 2 consacrés au gisement eemien de Waziers le Bas-Terroir, à savoir les numéros 33-4 (2022) et 34-1 (2023) de la revue Quaternaire. Les données (hormis le set de données n°5) sont stockées au sein de l'entrepôt de données de recherche pour les Sciences Humaines et Sociales Nakala. Les données de Nakala sont stockées sur des serveurs gérés par Huma-Num, au centre de calcul de l'IN2P3 en France. Toutes les données du présent data paper sont regroupées au sein d'une collection intitulée « Waziers le Bas-Terroir tome 1 & 2 Data paper revue Quaternaire » et accessible via le DOI 10.34847/nkl.de671e05 ou via le DOI indiqué pour chaque fichier dans le data paper. Le set de données n°5 a été déposé sur la plateforme PRIDE (PRoteomics IDEntifications Database). Les fichiers sont mis à disposition sous une licence Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial No Derivates 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0).

The Lithuanian onshore section of the south-eastern Baltic Sea region, or the so-called Lithuanian Maritime Region (LMR) – a belt several tens of kilometres wide along the Baltic Sea coast – is characterised by a complicated Quaternary structure and many of unsolved problems related to stratigraphy and palaeogeography. The inter-till lacustrine sediments widespread in the middle part of the Pleistocene thickness play a key role in solving the mentioned problems. The primary inter-till sediments were attributed, as a single lithostratigraphic unit, to the late Saalian Glaciation (MIS 6, Pamarys Sub-Formation; according to the Lithuanian Quaternary Stratigraphic Scheme). Subsequent detailed investigations show that the investigated inter-till succession represents a more complicated sediment complex formed over a wide time interval from the Saalian ice sheet decay at the very end of MIS 6 to the beginning of severe climate cooling during MIS 4. This standpoint is confirmed by the results of a few series of OSL and IR-OSL datings of inter-till sediments, as well as by data of pollen and diatom analysis. The more detailed stratigraphic subdivision of the inter-till sedimentary complex offers a new significant insight into the regional stratigraphic scheme of the Quaternary. As a result of the mentioned investigations, a new original reconstruction of the palaeogeographic situation in the LMR during the MIS 6 – MIS 3 time span was carried out. The lowermost part of the investigated inter-till sediments, attributed to MIS 6, could be correlated with the third MIS 6 warming in Northern Eurasia about 155 ka ago. The reconstruction of the palaeoenvironmental changes starting from MIS 6 and lasting to MIS 3 shows that the Eemian Sea MIS 5e in age was absent in the LMR, while part of the south-eastern Baltic Sea region was covered by a continental ice sheet during MIS 4 and, possibly, the very beginning of MIS 3.

La Formation de Waziers est constituée d’un dépôt alluvial limoneux surmonté de tuf calcaire et de tourbe. Elle est conservée dans un petit paléo-chenal de la rivière Scarpe-Scarbus, reconnu sur plusieurs centaines de mètres de long à l’entrée de la plaine de la Scarpe et daté de la fin du Saalien (SIM 6) et de l’Eemien (SIM 5e). La Formation de Waziers a été préservée à la faveur d’une défluviation ultérieure à son dépôt puis de son scellement par des dépôts fluvio-éoliens de la fin du Pléniglaciaire weichselien (SIM 2). La synthèse de l’ensemble des données et études (lithologie, paléontologie, géochronologie, reconstitution des paléotem- pératures) fournit une image cohérente de l’évolution de la zone depuis la fin du Saalien vers 130 000 ans environ jusqu’à la fin du Pléniglaciaire weichselien. À la base, les alluvions sablo-graveleuses (témoignant d’écoulements dynamiques) puis limoneuses (Membre 1) se déposent dans le fond de vallée à la fin du glaciaire saalien dans un contexte d’amorce de reconquête forestière. Un plan d’eau se développe ensuite, permettant le dépôt d’une craie lacustre dans un marais à Characées puis d’une tourbière (Membre 2, env. 1,5 m d’épaisseur) dans un contexte forestier. Un cours d’eau chenalisé circule encore dans la tourbière, au moins par intermittence, érodant et déposant localement des alluvions limoneuses. La partie inférieure du Membre 2 enregistre la transition du glaciaire Saalien (fin SIM 6) à l’Interglaciaire eemien (début SIM 5e) dans un contexte de sédimentation continue de plus en plus organique. La partie supérieure du Membre 2 enregistre l’optimum climatique eemien dans un faciès de tourbe typique, puis l’amorce d’une dégradation climatique. Au toit du Membre 2 (et celui de la Formation) est observée la limite d’une érosion majeure qui n’a pas permis l’enregistrement de la fin de l’Interglaciaire eemien. À la base du Membre 3 (env. 3 m d’épaisseur), des écoule- ments concentrés dans des ravines profondes sur sol gelé démantèlent et remanient les dépôts sous-jacents. Ensuite, des écoulements (attribués au Pléniglaciaire weichselien) déposent une nappe de graviers de craie sur l’ensemble du site dans une bande active plus large (probable tressage). La majeure partie du Membre 3 est constituée de dépôts limono-sableux fluvio-éoliens et d’un mince dépôt loessique terminal. La qualité de l’enregistrement sédimentaire de la formation de Waziers, avec notamment un dépôt continu au moment de la transition climatique du Saalien à l’Eemien, et l’abondance des éléments paléontologiques (bois et macrorestes végétaux, macro et méso-faune, microfaune, avifaune, malacofaune…) dans les dépôts eemiens font de celle-ci un témoin exceptionnel pour les recons- titutions paléoenvironnementales et paléoclimatiques de cette période. La présence de niveaux témoignant d’occupations humaines récurrentes dans les Membres 1 et 2 (éclats isolés, amas de débitage, traces d’actions anthropiques sur faune) font de ce site et de cette séquence une référence pour la compréhension des dynamiques de peuplement humain entre le SIM 6 (Saalien) et le SIM 5e (Eemien) dans le Nord de la France et plus largement dans le Nord-Ouest de l’Europe. The Waziers Formation consists of a silty alluvial deposit topped by calcareous tuff and peat. It is preserved in a small palaeo- channel of the Scarpe-Scarbus river, recognised over several hundred metres long at the edge/entrance of the Scarpe river plain and dated to the end of the Saalian (SIM 6) and the Eemian (SIM 5e). The Waziers Formation was preserved by a later defluviation and the sealing by fluvio-aeolian deposits of the late Weichselian Pleniglacial (SIM 2). The synthesis of all the data and studies (lithology, palaeontology, geochronology, reconstruction of palaeotemperatures) provides a coherent picture of the evolution of the area since the end of the Saalian around 130,000 years ago to the end of the Weichselian Pleniglacial. At the base, sandy-gravelly (indicating dynamic flows) and then silty alluvium (Member 1) was deposited in the valley bottom at the end of the Saalian glacial period in a context of incipient forest reconquest. A water body then develops, allowing the sedimentation of a lacustrine chalk deposited in a Characeae marsh, followed by a peat bog (Member 2, ca. 1.5 m thick) in a forest context. A channelled stream still flows through the bog, at least intermittently, locally eroding and depositing silty alluvium. The lower part of Member 2 records the transition from the Saalian glacial (end of MIS 6) to the Eemian interglacial (beginning of MIS 5) in a context of continuous sedimentation with increasing organic content. The upper part of Member 2 records the Eemian climatic optimum in a typical peat facies, followed by the onset of climatic degradation. At the top of Member 2 (and that of the Formation) is the limit of a major erosion that did not allow the recording of the end of the Eemian interglacial. At the base of Member 3 (ca. 3 m thick) flows concentrated in deep gullies on frozen ground dismantle and rework the underlying deposits. Subsequently, flows (attributed to the Weichselian Pleniglacial) deposit a sheet of chalk gravels over the whole site in a wider active band (likely braiding). Most of Member 3 consists of fluvio-aeolian silty-sandy deposits and a thin terminal loessic deposit. The quality of the sedimentary record, with in particular continuous depo- sition at the time of the climatic transition from the Saalien to the Eemian, and the abundance of palaeontological elements (wood and plant macro-remains, macro- and meso-fauna, microfauna, avifauna, malacofauna...) in the Eemian deposits ensure the Waziers Formation is an exceptional testimony for the palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic reconstructions. The presence of levels testying to recurrent human occupations in Members 1 and 2 (with isolated flakes, heaps of debitage, traces of anthropic actions on fauna) make this site and sequence a reference for the understanding of the human settlement dynamics from the MIS 6 (Saalian) to the MIS 5e (Eemian) in Northern France but also broadly in North-Western Europe.

Les jeux de données présentés ci-après sont issus des recherches menées sur le gisement de Waziers le Bas-Terroir depuis 2013 (Hérisson et al., 2022, pour les détails des recherches et opérations de terrain). Le présent data paper vise donc à mettre à disposition de la communauté scientifique des données brutes ou complémentaires à celles présentées au sein des articles des tomes 1 et 2 consacrés au gisement eemien de Waziers le Bas-Terroir, à savoir les numéros 33-4 (2022) et 34-1 (2023) de la revue Quaternaire. Les données (hormis le set de données n°5) sont stockées au sein de l’entrepôt de données de recherche pour les Sciences Humaines et Sociales Nakala. Les données de Nakala sont stockées sur des serveurs gérés par Huma-Num, au centre de calcul de l’IN2P3 en France. Toutes les données du présent data paper sont regroupées au sein d’une collection intitulée « Waziers le Bas‑Terroir tome 1 & 2 Data paper revue Quaternaire » et accessible via le DOI 10.34847/nkl.de671e05 ou via le DOI indiqué pour chaque fichier dans le data paper. Le set de données n°5 a été déposé sur la plateforme PRIDE (PRoteomics IDEntifications Database). Les fichiers sont mis à disposition sous une licence Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial No Derivates 4.0 International (CC-BY- NC-ND-4.0). The present dataset comes from rechearch led on the Waziers le Bas‑Terroir site since 2013 (Hérisson et al., 2022, for details about the research and fieldwork). The present data paper aims to share with the scientific community the raw or supplementary data to those presented in the papers of the volume 1 and 2 dedicated to Waziers le Bas-Terroir eemian site, corresponding to volumes 33-4 (2022) et 34-1 (2023) of Quaternaire. Data (except for data set #5) is stored in the Research Data Warehouse for Human and Social Sciences called Nakala. Nakala data is stored on servers managed by Huma-Num, at the IN2P3 data centre in France. All data in this data paper are grouped in a collection entitled « Waziers le Bas-Terroir tome 1 & 2 Data paper revue Quaternaire » and accessible through the DOI 10.34847/nkl.de671e05 or through the DOI indicated for each file in the data paper. Data set #5 has been deposited on the PRIDE platform PRIDE (PRoteomics IDEntifications Database). The files are provided under a licence Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial No Derivates 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0).

Une séquence attribuable à l’Eemien a été révélée par une série de diagnostics préventifs lors de l’aménagement sur la commune de Waziers d’une Z.A.C. dite du « Bas-Terroir » de 2011 à 2013. Suite à cette découverte, un programme de recherche programmé a été mis sur pied permettant d’explorer la séquence et les dépôts eemiens de la zone. Ce sont les résultats des années de 2013 à 2015 de recherches sur le terrain – et principalement ceux obtenus suite aux fouilles programmées de 2014 et 2015 – qui sont restitués dans le présent article. Quatre niveaux archéologiques sont documentés pour la première fois à Waziers attestant de passages discrets mais récurrents de Néandertaliens depuis le Tardiglaciaire du SIM 6 (c. 140 ka) à l’optimum eemien (SIM 5e, c. 130 ka). L’outillage mis au jour est produit à partir de deux concepts de débitage (Levallois et discoïde). Les vestiges fauniques de vertébrés, essentiellement les mammifères, sont dans un état exceptionnel de conservation, tout comme les bois végétaux constituant une bioconstruction, identifiable comme un barrage ou une hutte de castor. Les témoins des activités de boucherie pratiquées par les Néandertaliens montrent que le décharnement, la fracturation des os longs ainsi que la crémation ont été menées sur le gibier. Si l’aurochs est concerné par la plupart des marques identifiées, le castor présente également des marques de découpe témoignant d’une activité prédatrice des Néandertaliens de Waziers sur ces petits animaux. Le gisement de Waziers le Bas-Terroir constitue donc un jalon majeur pour reconstituer les activités de subsistance des populations néandertaliennes qui peuplaient la France septentrionale durant l’Eemien. Plus largement, Waziers le Bas-Terroir, de par son unicité et la rareté des vestiges organiques qu’il livre, constitue un gisement clé et au potentiel fort pour traiter de la question de la capacité des Néandertaliens à s’adapter au milieu boisé fermé que représente la forêt à l’Eemien en Europe du Nord-Ouest. A sequence attributable to Eemian was revealed by a series of preventive diagnostics during the development in the city of Waziers of a Z.A.C. called ‘Bas-Terroir’ from 2011 to 2013. Following this discovery, a research program was set up to explore the sequence and the Eemian deposits of the area. The results of field research from 2013 to 2015 – and mainly those obtained following the scheduled excavations of 2014 and 2015 – are reported in this article. Four archaeological levels are documented for the first time in Waziers attesting to discrete but recurrent passages of Neanderthals from the late MIS 6 (c. 140 ka) to the Eemian optimum (MIS 5e, c. 130 ka). The uncovered toolkit is produced from two debitage concepts (Levallois and discoid). The faunal remains of vertebrates, mainly mammals, are in an exceptional state of conservation, as are the vegetal wood constituting a bioconstruction, identifiable as a beaver dam or hut. The evidences of the Neanderthals’ butchering activities show that the disbudding, fracturing of the long bones and cremation were carried out on the game. While the aurochs is affected by most of the identified marks, the beaver also has cutting marks showing predatory activity of Waziers Neanderthals on these small animals. Waziers le Bas-Terroir deposit is therefore a major milestone in reconstructing the subsistence activities of the Neanderthal populations who inhabited northern France during the Eemian. More broadly and because of its uniqueness and the scarcity of organic remains that it delivers, Waziers le Bas-Terroir is a key site and with strong potential to address the question of the ability of the Neanderthals to adapt to the closed wooded environment that represents the Eemian forest in North-West Europe.

International audience; Over the past thirty years, the Hauts-de-France region has produced a significant number of Neanderthal occupations attributed to the Middle Palaeolithic, correlated with the end of the Middle Pleistocene and the beginning of the Upper Pleistocene. Despite these numerous discoveries, the Eemian - the last Interglacial (129-116 ka) - remains a little-known period on the palaeoenvironmental and anthropological level, an assessment valid for the northern half of France but also for the whole of North-western Europe, and more broadly for Western Europe. In this paper, we retrace the history of the discovery of a new, hitherto unknown, Eemian formation at Waziers (Nord). It takes on particular importance due to the good preservation and diversity of organic remains as well as the presence of archaeological elements. Despite many difficulties, the results obtained after ten years of exploration (2011-2021) at Waziers are abundant and of high quality. They are the result of several operations, led by several actors belonging to different institutions and co-signatories of this paper. We wanted to review here the history of discoveries and operations in order to clearly present the contributions of each intervention. The aim is also to show the importance of the complementarity of observations and the crucial nature of the collaboration of archaeological actors in the exploitation of such discoveries. The documentation collected during this decade of investigations is of prime importance because it is extremely rare to reconstruct the behavior of Neanderthals, the landscapes and environments they traversed and exploited during the Late Glacial of MIS 6 and the Eemian Interglacial. The site of Waziers joins the list of remarkable sites for the study of the Palaeolithic in the North of France (ie complex of sites of Cagny, Caours, Biache-Saint-Vaast or Renancourt) and is reminiscent of many aspects, in particular the quality preservation of its organic remains (especially plant) and by the extent of the preserved Pleistocene deposits, another exceptional Palaeolithic site in Western Europe, the Schöningen site complex.; La région des Hauts-de-France a livré ces trente dernières années un nombre conséquent d'occupations néandertaliennes attribuées au Paléolithique moyen, corrélées à la fin du Pléistocène moyen et au début du Pléistocène supérieur. Malgré ces nombreuses découvertes, l'Eemien-le dernier Interglaciaire (129-116 ka)-demeure une période méconnue sur le plan paléoenvironnemental et anthropologique, constat valable pour la moitié Nord de la France mais également pour l'ensemble de l'Europe du Nord-Ouest et même plus largement pour l'Europe occidentale. Dans le présent article, nous retraçons l'histoire de la découverte d'une nouvelle formation eemienne, jusqu'ici inédite, à Waziers (Nord). Elle prend une importance particulière de par la bonne préservation et la diversité des restes organiques ainsi que par la présence d'éléments archéologiques. Malgré de nombreuses difficultés, les résultats acquis au bout de dix années d'exploration (2011-2021) à Waziers sont abondants et de qualité. Ils sont issus d'opérations plurielles, dirigées par plusieurs acteurs appartenant à différentes institutions et co-signataires du présent article. Nous avons souhaité reprendre ici l'historique des découvertes et des opérations afin de présenter clairement les apports de chaque intervention. Le but est aussi de montrer l'importance de la complémentarité des observations et le caractère crucial de la collaboration des acteurs archéologiques dans l'exploitation de telles découvertes. La documentation recueillie pendant cette décennie d'investigations est de toute première importance car rarissime pour reconstituer les comportements des Néandertaliens, les paysages et environnements qu'ils ont parcourus et exploités au cours du Tardiglaciaire du MIS 6 et pendant l'interglaciaire eemien. Le gisement de Waziers rejoint la liste des sites remarquables pour l'étude du Paléolithique dans le nord de la France (i.e. complexe de sites de Cagny, Caours, Biache-Saint-Vaast ou Renancourt) et rappelle par bien des aspects, notamment la qualité de préservation de ses vestiges organiques (surtout végétaux) et par l'étendue des dépôts pléistocènes préservés, un autre gisement paléolithique d'exception en Europe occidentale, le complexe de sites de Schöningen.

International audience; A sequence attributable to Eemian was revealed by a series of preventive diagnostics during the development in the city ofWaziers of a Z.A.C. called ‘Bas-Terroir’ from 2011 to 2013. Following this discovery, a research program was set up to explore thesequence and the Eemian deposits of the area. The results of field research from 2013 to 2015 – and mainly those obtained followingthe scheduled excavations of 2014 and 2015 – are reported in this article. Four archaeological levels are documented for the firsttime in Waziers attesting to discrete but recurrent passages of Neanderthals from the late MIS 6 (c. 140 ka) to the Eemian optimum(MIS 5e, c. 130 ka). The uncovered toolkit is produced from two debitage concepts (Levallois and discoid). The faunal remains ofvertebrates, mainly mammals, are in an exceptional state of conservation, as are the vegetal wood constituting a bioconstruction,identifiable as a beaver dam or hut. The evidences of the Neanderthals’ butchering activities show that the disbudding, fracturing ofthe long bones and cremation were carried out on the game. While the aurochs is affected by most of the identified marks, the beaveralso has cutting marks showing predatory activity of Waziers Neanderthals on these small animals. Waziers le Bas-Terroir depositis therefore a major milestone in reconstructing the subsistence activities of the Neanderthal populations who inhabited northernFrance during the Eemian. More broadly and because of its uniqueness and the scarcity of organic remains that it delivers, Waziersle Bas-Terroir is a key site and with strong potential to address the question of the ability of the Neanderthals to adapt to the closedwooded environment that represents the Eemian forest in North-West Europe.; Une séquence attribuable à l’Eemien a été révélée par une série de diagnostics préventifs lors de l’aménagement sur lacommune de Waziers d’une Z.A.C. dite du « Bas-Terroir » de 2011 à 2013. Suite à cette découverte, un programme de rechercheprogrammé a été mis sur pied permettant d’explorer la séquence et les dépôts eemiens de la zone. Ce sont les résultats des annéesde 2013 à 2015 de recherches sur le terrain – et principalement ceux obtenus suite aux fouilles programmées de 2014 et 2015 – quisont restitués dans le présent article. Quatre niveaux archéologiques sont documentés pour la première fois à Waziers attestant depassages discrets mais récurrents de Néandertaliens depuis le Tardiglaciaire du SIM 6 (c. 140 ka) à l’optimum eemien (SIM 5e, c.130 ka). L’outillage mis au jour est produit à partir de deux concepts de débitage (Levallois et discoïde). Les vestiges fauniques devertébrés, essentiellement les mammifères, sont dans un état exceptionnel de conservation, tout comme les bois végétaux constituantune bioconstruction, identifiable comme un barrage ou une hutte de castor. Les témoins des activités de boucherie pratiquées parles Néandertaliens montrent que le décharnement, la fracturation des os longs ainsi que la crémation ont été menées sur le gibier. Sil’aurochs est concerné par la plupart des marques identifiées, le castor présente également des marques de découpe témoignant d’uneactivité prédatrice des Néandertaliens de Waziers sur ces petits animaux. Le gisement de Waziers le Bas-Terroir constitue donc unjalon majeur pour reconstituer les activités de subsistance des populations néandertaliennes qui peuplaient la France septentrionaledurant l’Eemien. Plus largement, Waziers le Bas-Terroir, de par son unicité et la rareté des vestiges organiques qu’il livre, constitueun gisement clé et au potentiel fort pour traiter de la question de la capacité des Néandertaliens à s’adapter au milieu boisé fermé quereprésente la forêt à l’Eemien en Europe du Nord-Ouest.

An analysis of voluminous data on the European fossil small mammals datable to the Dnieper (Saale) Glaciation (MIS 6) allowed establishing the main characteristics of the species composition in the faunas, their distribution and diversity. As is shown by the analysis, the faunas of small mammal underwent cardinal changes within the subcontinent boundaries at that time, with the exception of the faunas of the southern peninsulas. Some subarctic species are proved to penetrate southwards as far as 48° N in Western Europe and up to southern France and the British Isles in Western Europe. The steppe species enlarged their ranges to the north and to the west (up to the British Isles). This fact suggests the disappearance of the continuous forest zone. Occasional forest mammal species persisted in Eastern Europe; in most localities of Western Europe, however, forest mammal remains are present along with those of steppe and subarctic mammals. A structural stability of mammal faunas was preserved on the southern peninsulas that had not been heavily influenced by the glaciation. The transition to the Mikulino (Eem) Interglacial (MIS 5e) was marked by changes in the structure of mammal assemblages on the subcontinent. The ranges of subarctic mammal species shifted northwards, the forest zone was restored gradually, which was served to the restoration of forest species populations. Steppe species ranges shifted to the east of Europe. Unlike the faunas of the Dnieper (Saale) Glaciation, noted for “mixed” composition of mammals belonging to ecologically different groups, the faunas of Mikulino (Eem) Interglacial acquired the zonal structure approximately. The paper was primarily aimed at estimating general regularities in the small mammal fauna distribution beginning from the level of individual species to regional faunal complexes. We concluded that the small mammal fauna of the late Dnieper (Saale) ice age responded to the Mikulian/Eemian warming in a way not unlike the Late Pleistocene “Mammuthus–Coelodonta Faunal Complex” response to the Holocene warming, though with a lesser loss of the species richness.

Data on litho- and biostratigraphy of major sedimentary sequences and their geochronological records were compiled and summarized to describe the Late Pleistocene–Holocene marine and glacial events in the Kola-Northern Karelia region. In the coastal Kola Peninsula and its inner part, three marine units and two glacial events were identified in the Upper Pleistocene sequences. The first marine unit (Ponoi Beds in the regional stratigraphy) can be definitely referred to the significant Late Pleistocene transgression known as the Boreal in northern Eurasia. Data on the Kola Peninsula show that the warm-water Boreal transgression was longer than the Eemian one in western Europe, comprising at least MIS 5e-d (from 130–120 to 105–100 ka BP) in the White Sea depression and MIS 5e-c (earlier at least 90 ka BP) in the Barents Sea. Forested environments dominated on the Kola Peninsula at that time. The second Interglacial marine unit (Strelna Beds) attributed to the subsequent Belomorian transgression was deposited in relatively cold settings at the final phase of the Mikulinian Interglacial (MIS 5), about 100 to 70–80 ka BP. Adjacent areas were covered with open forest and tundra. The third marine unit referred to the Interstadial Leningrad Group was formed 60–40 ka BP in rather a cold marine reservoir, when the environmental conditions were more severe than now. The Late Pleistocene glacial events are correlated to the Podporozhie and Ostashkov Groups (MIS 4 and 2). The Podporozhian glacial unit seems to be associated with the Barents-Kara Ice Sheet and its melting caused the glacioeustatic transgression in the White Sea during the Leningradian Substage (MIS 3). During the Late Glacial and Holocene, a periglacial freshwater lake, brackish-water basin and marine reservoir successively appeared in the White Sea depression successively. Two marine events are suggested here based on the key sedimentary sequences from the coastal isolated lake, i.e. the Late Glacial transgression and the early-middle Holocene (Tapes) transgression.

This article presents data on the enamel characteristics (thickness, enamel differentiation coefficient (SDQ)) of the first lower molars of the European water vole (based on the conditional groups “juvenile” and “adult”) from fossil and modern samples from the Perm Pre-Urals (Russia). Among the “adult” group teeth, samples from the Eemian (Mikulino) interglacial deposits had the highest mean SDQ values (91.5–94.8), while samples from the end of the Bryansk Interstadial, the Late Glacial, the Early Holocene deposits had the lowest (76.3–84.9).

Climate instability in the Eemian Interglacial is gaining more and more evidence. One of such oscillations in the Beckentin record is indicated by the disappearance of the Cladocera and changes in macroremains at the beginning of E4a (Corylus phase). They confirm the shallowing of the reservoir, probably caused by climate changes, but not reflected in the palynological record. However, a significant oscillation observed in the first half of the E5 (Carpinus phase), ~5860 years after the boreal forests subsided and ~6290 years after the onset of interglacial forestation, suggests that, although not being an analogue of the OHO (Older Holsteinian Oscillations) in MIS 11c and the 8.2 ka cold event in the Holocene, it is very similar to these oscillations. The Eemian oscillation was noted also in the Bispingen profile in northern Germany, ~6500 years after the interglacial forestation. However, the course of vegetation changes there differs from that in Beckentin. The analysis of macroremains and Cladocera confirms the disappearance of rush and water vegetation in the water reservoir at that time in Beckentin. These results confirm that numerous climatic oscillations could have occurred in the Eemian Interglacial.