Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2025-02-15"
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- Solving the puzzle of neanderthal occupations: a reassessment of temporal indicators of occupation durationPublication . Lubrano, Valentina; Rufà, Anna; lasco, Ruth; Rivals, Florent; Rosell, JordiThe identification of the duration of Neanderthal occupations is a tricky topic by the palimpsest nature of archaeological assemblages. This study explores the challenges associated with distinguishing between long and short-term occupations, using qualitative and quantitative data from relevant archaeological sites in the Late Middle Palaeolithic in Spain and south-eastern France. We highlight the proposed occupation models and their specific characteristics, considering the heterogeneity of archaeological evidence and the limitations of current methodologies. The article offers a reassessment of the topic, critically analysing the current indicators used to determine the duration of Neanderthal occupations. Furthermore, we discuss the complexity in defining the concepts of short and long-term occupation, emphasising the need for a multidisciplinary approach to fully understand the complexity of the practices of the Late Neanderthals.
- A first look at the gravettian open-air site ollersdorf-heidenberg (Austria): recent fieldwork and first results on stratigraphy, chronology, organic preservation and combustion activityPublication . Bosch, Marjolein D.; Pirson, Stéphane; Damblon, Freddy; Jambrina-Enríquez, Margarita; Mallol, Carolina; Pryor, Alexander; Murphree, William; Viola, Bence T.; Antl-Weiser, Walpurga Antl-Weise; Nigst, Philip R.The Middle Danube region is a key area for understanding Upper Palaeolithic hunter-gatherer behaviours in a climatic context due to its long loess-palaeosol sequences and rich archaeological record spanning from the onset of the Upper Palaeolithic to the Last Glacial Maximum and beyond. Recently, new approaches focusing on high-resolution studies of the stratigraphy, geoarchaeological studies at microscopic scale and investigations of organic matter at molecular scale (biomarker analyses) have shown great new insights in human behaviour. Many sites in the Middle Danube region have been excavated a long time ago without opportunity to apply such approaches. The aim of this paper is to introduce Ollersdorf-Heidenberg, a loess open-air site. The site is located similar to 26 km northeast of Vienna close to the Morava River valley and preserves several Upper Palaeolithic archaeological horizons. The site has been known since a pipeline construction in 1998. Here, we report the first results of new research at the site including new excavations in two trenches. We describe and analyse the stratigraphy, present a first radiocarbon date, describe and analyse lithic and faunal collections, and assess potential in situ combustion activity and the preservation of organic matter. Research at the site is ongoing, but our preliminary results let us suggest good preservation of organic matter and, hence, Ollersdorf-Heidenberg has a remarkable potential for providing valuable insights in past hunter-gatherer behaviours at the climatic downturn towards the Last Glacial Maximum.