Percorrer por autor "Bicho, Nuno"
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- Anthony E. Marks (1938–2025): pioneer of the palaeolithicPublication . Rose, Jeffrey Ian; Bicho, Nuno; Usyk, Vitaly I.; Winchell, FrankAnthony “Tony” Edward Marks passed away on August 15, 2025, at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the age of 87. Tony’s passing marks the end of a remarkable career in archaeology that spanned nine countries, four continents, and a quarter million years of prehistory. Not only did he fundamentally shape how we understand the Palaeolithic record, but he transformed our very perception of lithic technology, teaching us how to find the profound depth of meaning in stone. A proud New Yorker, Tony was born, raised, and edu¬cated in Manhattan. As a young student at Columbia Uni¬versity eager to pursue his love of European medieval art and churches, he was promptly taken aside by the anthropol¬ogy department head, Marvin Harris, who (rather forcefully as Tony would recall) urged him to stick with archaeology. Tony’s professional career began with the UNESCO Nubian salvage campaigns of the 1960s. As Lake Nasser rose behind the Aswan High Dam, Tony mapped prehistoric sites along the east bank of the Nile before their inundation. During the Nubian salvage project, he documented several key Palaeo¬lithic industries, including an array of assemblages defined by the presence of Nubian core technology. He could never know at the time how that discovery would unexpectedly resurface decades later, at the end of his career.
- Charcoal analyses from Muge shellmidden (Portugal): Comparative analyses from Cabeco da Arruda and Cabeco da AmoreiraPublication . Monteiro, Patrícia Diogo; Caruso Fermre, Laura; Bicho, NunoCabeco da Arruda and Cabeco da Amoreira are shellmiddens that integrate the Mesolithic Muge shell-midden complex. Paleoenvironmental studies indicate that Muge valley was both rich in marine and terrestrial resources. The exploitation of diverse resources from the Muge landscape is a crucial issue to understand the economy, subsistence and social complexity of these Mesolithic societies. This paper aims to shed light on the exploitation and use of woodland resources through charcoal analyses. Results from new samples collected in Cabeco da Arruda are presented and compared with charcoal data from Cabeco da Amoreira in order to understand the acquisition modalities of both sites. The results demonstrate a prevalence of Pinus in Cabeco da Arruda as well as the presence of Quercus. The similar pattern of Pinus and Quercus occurs in the Cabeco da Amoreira assemblages, although in this case some minor taxa were also identified This seem to indicate that both sites were exploiting the same main wood resources and the main species in the environment. The meaning of the absence of minor taxa in Cabeco da Arruda assemblage is still uncertain, it might happen because of the different acquisition modalities of the wood or uses for fuel, or due to the size of the sample. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.
- Comparing extraction method efficiency for high-throughput palaeoproteomic bone species identificationPublication . Mylopotamitaki, Dorothea; Harking, Florian S.; Taurozzi, Alberto J.; Fagernäs, Zandra; Godinho, Ricardo Miguel; Smith, Geoff M.; Weiss, Marcel; Schüler, Tim; McPherron, Shannon P.; Meller, Harald; Cascalheira, João; Bicho, Nuno; Olsen, Jesper V.; Hublin, Jean-Jacques; Welker, FridoHigh-throughput proteomic analysis of archaeological skeletal remains provides information about past fauna community compositions and species dispersals in time and space. Archaeological skeletal remains are a finite resource, however, and therefore it becomes relevant to optimize methods of skeletal proteome extraction. Ancient proteins in bone specimens can be highly degraded and consequently, extraction methods for well-preserved or modern bone might be unsuitable for the processing of highly degraded skeletal proteomes. In this study, we compared six proteomic extraction methods on Late Pleistocene remains with variable levels of proteome preservation. We tested the accuracy of species identification, protein sequence coverage, deamidation, and the number of post-translational modifications per method. We find striking differences in obtained proteome complexity and sequence coverage, highlighting that simple acid-insoluble proteome extraction methods perform better in highly degraded contexts. For well-preserved specimens, the approach using EDTA demineralization and protease-mix proteolysis yielded a higher number of identified peptides. The protocols presented here allowed protein extraction from ancient bone with a minimum number of working steps and equipment and yielded protein extracts within three working days. We expect further development along this route to benefit large-scale screening applications of relevance to archaeological and human evolution research.
- Complexity in the middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in Peninsular Southern Europe and application of refugium conceptsPublication . Carvalho, Milena; Bicho, NunoDuring the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in the Balkan, Italian and Iberian peninsulas of southern Europe, late Neanderthal and early Anatomically Modern Human (AMH) populations may have overlapped in some capacity. Many of the hypotheses and models for the transition interval suggest that Neanderthal populations remained in, or migrated to, refugial zones while AMHs colonized areas not suitable for, or abandoned by, Neanderthals. However, many hypotheses and models have not been conclusively tested due to general issues impeding a clear understanding of the relevant archeological record and because of a lack of specificity in defining and applying the term ‘refugium’. This paper briefly summarizes what is known about the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in southern European Peninsulas and discusses some new directions in the use of refugium concepts in the study of Neanderthal extinction and AMH dispersal. We highlight the complexity of the archeological record in each region and in the studies of refugia more generally. Finally, we make an appeal for generating local, multi‐proxy paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic records to address these complexities so that hypotheses and models integrating refugial concepts in explanations of the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition can be properly formulated and tested. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of Quaternary Science Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- Cortical bone loss in a sample of human skeletons from the Muge Shell middensPublication . Umbelino, Cláudia; Curate, Francisco; Perinha, Andreia; Ferreira, Teresa; Cunha, Eugenia; Bicho, NunoThe Muge shell middens of Cabeco da Arruda, Cabeco da Amoreira and Moita do Sebastiao (central Portugal) have been key sites of archaeological research for 150 years, possibly working as residential sites occupied by semi-sedentary communities during the final Mesolithic. The purposes of this article include the biocultural assessment of metacarpal cortical bone fragility and its associations with age at death, sex and osteoporotic fractures in the Portuguese Mesolithic, as well as a diachronic comparison of cortical bone health in Mesolithic (N = 34) and modern reference (N = 219) samples. Cortical bone at the Muge shell middens displays age and sex-specific trajectories of periosteal apposition and endosteal bone loss, most likely associated with hormonal and behavioural/cultural influences. Metacarpal endocortical bone loss seems to increase with age at death in females, with a simultaneous expansion of the diaphysis. The overall pattern of cortical bone health is similar to the pattern observed in a reference skeletal collection, but elderly women from Muge seem to lose less cortical bone than late twentieth century counterparts from Coimbra. Two older males exhibited vertebral compression fractures, but only one is possibly related with bone fragility.
- Cross-scale adaptive behaviors during the Upper Paleolithic in Iberia: The example of Vale Boi (Southwestern Portugal)Publication . Cascalheira, João; Bicho, Nuno; Manne, Tiina; Horta, PedroIt is now rather evident that, concomitant with the advent, growth and disappearance of the traditionally defined Western European Upper Paleolithic techno-complexes, a series of discrete eco-cultural niches would have existed within Iberia. Vale Boi, and its surroundings, may represent one of these niches, since its lengthy and fairly complete archaeological record clearly attests that the region was an attractive location for hunter-gatherer communities for over 10,000 years. From the first Modern Human occupations, c. 32 ka cal BP ago, a set of very specific cultural adaptive markers seem to have been developed in response to the particularities of the regional ecological background. Some of these strategies, such as intensive subsistence practices, raw-material specialized use, among others, were resilient through time and apparently impermeable to the major shifts in the techno-typological novelties brought about with the advent of each Upper Paleolithic phase. Even with the appearance of quite unique and broad-scale technologies, e. g. Solutrean, regional markers and identity have been kept, clearly showing that each level of the adaptive system seem to have operate at its own pace. This paper focus on long-term adaptive choices and on how and why hunter-gatherers inhabiting Vale Boi manage to absorb change and re-organize their system under new techno-complex cultural patterns while still retaining, efficiently, the same regional adaptive idiosyncrasies. Within the theoretical framework of Panarchy and the cross-scale resilience model we argue that cross-scale interactions between creative and conserving niche-specific behavioral adaptations were the keystone for the sustainability of hunter-gatherer cultural systems across the Late Pleistocene. c (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.
- Early evidence of earthquake management through mobility and social network adjustments at Vale Boi (SW Iberia)Publication . Barbieri, Alvise; Sánchez-Martínez, Javier; Belmiro, Joana; Fernandes, Paulo; Galfi, Jovan; Horta, Pedro; Cascalheira, João; Bicho, NunoTectonic processes profoundly influenced the dispersal, evolution, and archaeological record of our Paleolithic ancestors. However, in-depth reconstructions of human resilience against seismic events come mostly from contexts dating to the last 13,000 years. Here, we present geophysical, geological, geochronological, and archaeological data from the openair site of Vale Boy in southwestern Iberia, revealing how foragers mitigated earthquake impacts between ~30,000 and 24,000 years ago. At Vale Boi, faulting formed sedimentary traps that were recurrently exploited by hunter-gatherers and periodically buried by rockfalls, likely triggered by ≥5.7 Mw earthquakes. Despite seismic destruction, hunter-gatherers repeatedly returned to the site, drawn by its strategic access to key resources. They mitigated seismic risks by increasing their mobility and even abandoning Vale Boi, as seen during the Gravettian and at the early/late Proto-Solutrean transition. When seismic and climatic stressors co-occurred (Heinrich Event 2), they did not abandon the site. Instead, they adopted strategies to limit their exposure to rockfall hazard while securing access to increasingly vital coastal and estuarine resources. Until the early Proto-Solutrean, tightly knit social networks supported the survival of Vale Boi foragers during periods of high stress, such as the aftermath of seismic rockfalls. During the late Proto-Solutrean, an expansion of super-regional connections might have functioned as a proactive buffer against future tectonic shocks. Our findings demonstrate that forager resilience to seismic events relied on flexible adjustments in mobility and social connectivity. Despite limitations deriving from its single-site focus, this study underscores the value of deep archaeological sequences for disentangling human responses to intertwined geological and ecological pressures.
- From stone to tool: how raw materials influenced upper palaeolithic technology in southwestern Iberia (Vale Boi)Publication . Belmiro, Joana; Bicho, Nuno; Terradas, Xavier; Cascalheira, JoãoThe Upper Palaeolithic (UP) of westernmost Europe was marked by technological and cultural transformations and abrupt climatic shifts. The Iberian Peninsula, particularly southwestern Iberia, served as a refugia and key eco-cultural niche, making it a key region for UP studies. Vale Boi, the only site in southwestern Iberia with a nearly complete UP sequence, provides critical insights into technological, economical and mobility patterns over time. This study examines lithic raw material procurement and technological organisation at Vale Boi, focusing on the differences between local and non-local cherts. We analysed chert assemblages from Gravettian, Proto-Solutrean, and Solutrean levels, integrating previously published techno-typological and raw material macroscopic and petrographic data. Our results indicate that non-local cherts were intensively reduced. The presence of varied techno-typological classes suggests that non-local cherts were not exclusively transported as finished tools, instead highlighting their role as versatile, transportable raw material volumes. Gravettian occupations exhibited greater reliance on non-local cherts, suggesting short-term occupations and higher mobility, while Proto-Solutrean and Solutrean occupations showed increased dependence on local materials, suggesting long-term occupations. These findings expand our understanding of UP technological adaptations in southwestern Iberia, emphasising the complex role of lithic resources in mobility, settlement, and social networks.
- Human adaptive responses to climate and environmental change during the Gravettian of Lapa do Picareiro (Portugal)Publication . Haws, Jonathan; Benedetti, Michael; Carvalho, Milena; Ellis, Grace; Pereira, Telmo; Cascalheira, João; Bicho, Nuno; Friedl, LukasOn the Iberian Peninsula, abrupt climate shifts during the Late Pleistocene impacted human and natural systems. Our knowledge of human adaptive responses to these climatic perturbations has improved in recent years with the development of new radiocarbon techniques that have increased the temporal resolution of cultural chronologies. At the same time, new high-resolution paleoclimatic records from Greenland ice cores, deep-sea sediment cores, speleothems, and microfaunal assemblages have permitted detailed paleoenvironmental reconstructions. Combined with the archaeological record of culture change, these data sets allow for a better understanding of the nature of human socio-ecological systems during the Late Pleistocene. Here we present new data on the Gravettian occupations at Lapa do Picareiro, a cave site in Portugal with a long continuous stratigraphic sequence spanning MIS 3 and 2. The ongoing excavation of Lapa do Picareiro has revealed at least three Gravettian levels with very different patterns of raw material use and technological reduction. The Early Gravettian levels contain a quartzite flake assemblage with several refitting clusters and a small chert assemblage with nosed endscrapers and bladelet technology. The Late or Terminal Gravettian level contains carinated endscraper/core-bladelet technology, mainly quartz, with chert blade production, and a few bone tools. The faunal assemblages also have a different character. Both contain a similar range of medium and large ungulates but the earlier Gravettian has a much richer and more diverse assemblage of small animals. These combined archaeological data sets provide a new perspective on Gravettian human adaptations in response to climate shifts, especially Heinrich Event 3 and Greenland Interstadials 4 and 3.
- Large scale and regional demographic responses to climatic changes in Europe during the final palaeolithicPublication . Schmidt, Isabell; Gehlen, Birgit; Winkler, Katja; Arrizabalaga, Alvaro; Arts, Nico; Bicho, Nuno; Crombé, Philippe; Eriksen, Berit Valentin; Grimm, Sonja B.; Kapustka, Katarina; Langlais, Mathieu; Mevel, Ludovic; Naudinot, Nicolas; Nerudová, Zdeňka; Niekus, Marcel; Peresani, Marco; Riede, Felix; Sauer, Florian; Schön, Werner; Sobkowiak-Tabaka, Iwona; Vandendriessche, Hans; Weber, Mara-Julia; Zander, Annabell; Zimmermann, Andreas; Maier, Andreas; Przemysław MroczekThe European Final Palaeolithic witnessed marked changes in almost all societal domains. Despite a rich body of evidence, our knowledge of human palaeodemographic processes and regional population dynamics still needs to be improved. In this study, we present regionally differentiated population estimates for the Greenland Interstadial 1d-a (GI-1d-a; 14-12.7 ka cal BP) and the Greenland Stadial 1 (GS-1; 12.7-11.6 ka cal BP) for Southern, Western, Northern and Central Europe. The data were obtained by applying the Cologne Protocol, a geostatistical approach for estimating prehistoric population size and density, to a newly compiled dataset of Final Palaeolithic sites. On a large spatio-temporal scale and compared to preceding Upper Palaeolithic phases, areas north of the Alps become the dominant demographic growth area for the first time since the dispersal of anatomically modern humans into Europe. At smaller scales, we observe divergent regional trends, with a conspicuous lack of archaeological evidence appearing in previously occupied areas of central France and Germany. Our study also shows that during the Final Palaeolithic, the climatic cooling of GS-1 coincides with a pronounced population decline in most parts of the study area. An apparent increase in population density occurs only in north-eastern Central Europe and north-eastern Italy. Our estimates suggest that the total population was reduced by half. Similar results, with a relationship between decreasing temperatures and decreasing populations, have already been observed for the late phase of the Gravettian, when populations were reduced to only one third of those estimated for the early phase. Yet, in contrast to the collapse of local populations during the late Gravettian, the increase in population densities in Central Europe during GS-1 indicates population movements eastwards, possibly in response to deteriorating climatic conditions, particularly in western regions during the Younger Dryas.
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