ICArEHB
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Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behaviour
Centro de investigação interdisciplinar em Arqueologia e evolução do comportamento humano
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Percorrer ICArEHB por Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS) "13:Ação Climática"
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- Deciphering the diet of the iberian iynx: insights from taphonomic analysis of pleistocene coprolitesPublication . Rufà, Anna; Sanz, Montserrat; Daura, JoanPleistocene deposits often result from multiple and overlapping contributions. Carnivores play a significant role as bone accumulators in archaeological sites, but identifying the specific agent responsible for a particular accumulation can be challenging. Referential studies provide valuable insights into bone accumulation patterns, but they are based on modern collections and often fail to account for taphonomic biases associated with site formation processes. Here, we present, for the first time, a taphonomic study focused on fossilised Pleistocene Iberian lynx coprolites within the European context. The assemblage, dated to ca. 33 ky B.P., was recovered from layer III of Cova del Gegant, a site identified as a lynx den likely used for rearing cubs. This study is based on previous research at the site and analyses bone remains consumed by the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), recovered from coprolites, to investigate their role in archaeological contexts. The findings are consistent with other lynx accumulations documented in literature, particularly regarding leporid remains. The anatomical proportions in this assemblage are more balanced than other types of accumulations, with a higher representation of cranial elements. Digestive damage is predominant, affecting most bones, especially at moderate and strong degrees. These results enhance our understanding of archaeological accumulation processes and highlight the role of lynxes as bone accumulators. The archaeological evidence from the site indicates that the Iberian lynx inhabited environments and climates that differ significantly from those currently observed. However, the present study suggests that its diet remained relatively consistent with that of contemporary Iberian populations.
- 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.
- Environmental change in SW Portugal during the last 3900 years BP: an ostracoda assessmentPublication . Fernandes Martins, Maria João; Cabral, Maria Cristina; Magalhães, Vitor Hugo; Drago, Teresa; Fatela, Francisco; Oliveira, AnabelaOstracod, geochemical, mineralogical, and sedimentological proxies from a sediment core collected off Sagres (southwestern Portugal) were used to reconstruct Holocene environmental and hydrodynamic changes. Reduced variability of geochemical elements between ~4000 and ~1290 calibrated years before present suggests relatively stable conditions, regularly disturbed by higher-energy events. At ~1290 cal yrs BP, a transition from arid to wetter conditions is suggested based on enhanced terrestrial/detrital input after this time. Ostracod assemblages further captured fine-scale hydrodynamic variability, offering greater sensitivity to oceanographic changes. Our results support a broader pattern of middle-to-late Holocene drying conditions in southern Iberia, followed by a shift to wetter conditions during periods of negative North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. Our study provides new data on offshore ostracods from the western Algarve, underscoring their value for high-resolution paleoenvironmental reconstructions.
- A holocene n-alkane stable isotope record from Wonderwerk Cave, South Africa and its implications for the later stone age recordPublication . Ecker, Michaela; Rhodes, Sara; Andersen, Nils; Horwitz, Liora Kolska; Chazan, Michael; Makarewicz, Cheryl A.Sediment biomarkers are important archives of regional, and global climate signatures, particularly in regions which lack continuous terrestrial archives such as the semi-arid deserts of Africa. We measured carbon and hydrogen stable isotopes from plant wax n-alkanes recovered from the Holocene Later Stone Age (LSA) sedimentary sequence at Wonderwerk Cave (South Africa), that comprises several technocomplexes (Kuruman/Oakhurst, Wilton, Ceramic Wilton and Historic). The plant wax n-alkane results were integrated with published palaeoenvironment reconstructions from the cave based on faunal, botanical, geological and sedimentological proxies which provides a robust comparative framework. The findings match well with other proxy records from the same strata and indicate a semiarid to semi-humid early Holocene, with a mix of woody C3 plants and C4 grasses. In contrast, the midlate Holocene environment was increasingly arid, open and dominated by C4 grasses. A distinct humid period at 5300–6200 cal. BP is evident, associated with a high density of archaeological material and a change in cultural expression in the Wonderwerk record. This study provides a step forward in using stable isotopes from biomarkers to create terrestrial environmental records in semi-arid regions.
- Homo erectus adapted to steppe-desert climate extremes one million years agoPublication . Mercader, Julio; Akuku, Pamela; Boivin, Nicole; Camacho, Alfredo; Carter, Tristan; Clarke, Siobhán; Temprana, Arturo Cueva; Favreau, Julien; Galloway, Jennifer; Hernando, Raquel; Huang, Haiping; Hubbard, Stephen; Kaplan, Jed O.; Larter, Steve; Magohe, Stephen; Mohamed, Abdallah; Mwambwiga, Aloyce; Oladele, Ayoola; Petraglia, Michael; Roberts, Patrick; Saladié, Palmira; Shikoni, Abel; Silva, Renzo; Soto, María; Stricklin, Dominica; Mekonnen, Degsew; Zhao, Wenran; Durkin, PaulQuestions about when early members of the genus Homo adapted to extreme environments like deserts and rainforests have traditionally focused on Homo sapiens. Here, we present multidisciplinary evidence from Engaji Nanyori in Tanzania’s Oldupai Gorge, revealing that Homo erectus thrived in hyperarid landscapes one million years ago. Using biogeochemical analyses, precise chronometric dating, palaeoclimate simulations, biome modeling, fire history reconstructions, palaeobotanical studies, faunal assemblages, and archeological evidence, we reconstruct an environment dominated by semidesert shrubland. Despite these challenges, Homo erectus repeatedly occupied fluvial landscapes, leveraging water sources and ecological focal points to mitigate risk. These findings suggest archaic humans possessed an ecological flexibility previously attributed only to later hominins. This adaptability likely facilitated the expansion of Homo erectus into the arid regions of Africa and Eurasia, redefining their role as ecological generalists thriving in some of the most challenging landscapes of the Middle Pleistocene.
- The late pliocene to early pleistocene lomekwi faunas, west Turkana, Kenya: systematics, paleoecology, and biochronologyPublication . Geraads, Denis; Bobe, René; Ward, Carol V.; Plavcan, J. Michael; Manthi, Fredrick KyaloWe describe here the vertebrate fauna collected by the West Turkana Paleo Project at Lomekwi, a site best known for yielding the holotype of Kenyanthropus platyops and Lomekwian stone tools, and consisting of several collecting areas providing fossil samples ranging in age from about 3.6 to 2.2 Ma. Analysis of the newly recovered material, alongside a thorough revision of earlier collections, has led to the identification of 85 vertebrate taxa, which provide biochronological indications that help refine the site's chronology and shed light on the paleoenvironmental conditions prevailing during a critical period of early hominin diversification. The newly described fauna illustrates that during the time of Kenyanthropus, hominins shared their landscapes with a rich assemblage of vertebrates, including abundant megaherbivores, some 28 species of artiodactyls, diverse large and medium-size carnivores, and giant crocodiles as apex predators in the lakes and rivers of the Turkana region in the Pliocene. Among primates, the recurring association of Theropithecus with hominins is found at Lomekwi as it is elsewhere. Paleoenvironmental proxies from the Turkana region emphasize the complex and dynamic nature of the habitats that supported this rich biodiversity.
- Living on the shores of the Alboran sea. The neolithic on the coast of Málaga (Spain) a multiproxy approachPublication . Simón-Vallejo, María D.; Lozano-Francisco, M. Carmen; Riquelme-Cantal, José A.; Macías-Tejada, Sara; Camuera, Jon; Uzquiano Ollero, Paloma; Sánchez Marco, Antonio; Garrido-Anguita, Juan M.; Jiménez-Espejo, Francisco; Parrilla-Giráldez, Rubén; Vera-Lozano, José A.; Vera-Peláez, José L.; Cortés-Sánchez, MiguelContext: The coast of Málaga is one of the core areas for the Neolithic in southern Iberia with the earliest occupations dating to the middle of the 8th millennium cal BP. From the outset, evidence shows a fully developed and highly diversified system of agriculture and animal husbandry. The palaeoenvironmental conditions during this period in the southern Iberian Peninsula reveal phases of aridity. Objectives: This study aims to understand how Neolithic communities adapted to these adverse environmental conditions. It also explores the role of wild resources and seasonal patterns in subsistence strategies. Methods: A multiproxy approach was applied, combining regional palaeoenvironmental data with archaeological, archaeofaunal, archaeobotanical and anthropological evidence. The analysis focuses on sites located near aquifer discharges. Results: Fully developed and highly diversified agriculture and herding practices are documented from the earliest Neolithic phases. The challenges posed by arid conditions appear to have been mitigated by settlement in areas linked to major aquifer outlets and by the cultivation of drought-resistant cereals. Multiple lines of evidence suggest a seasonal pattern of occupation, primarily from late autumn to early summer, when marine resources were likely exploited. Neolithic groups may have engaged in regular hunting and gathering activities or maintained interactions with local Epipalaeolithic–Mesolithic populations. Agricultural and pastoral management emerge as key factors for evaluating the contribution of wild resources to their subsistence. Conclusions: The integration of environmental, archaeological and biological records provides a more holistic perspective and better understanding of Neolithic economy and society along the Málaga coast between c. 7.6th—5th millennium cal BP, offering insights into subsistence strategies under arid conditions in a coastal setting.
- Modern African ecosystems as landscape-scale analogues for reconstructing woody cover and early hominin environmentsPublication . Negash, Enquye W.; Alemseged, Zeresenay; Barr, W. Andrew; Behrensmeyer, Anna K.; Blumenthal, Scott A.; Bobe, René; Carvalho, Susana; Cerling, Thure E.; Chritz, Kendra L.; McGuire, Elizabeth; Uno, Kevin T.; Wood, Bernard; Wynn, Jonathan G.Reconstructing habitat types available to hominins and inferring how the paleo-landscape changed through time are critical steps in testing hypotheses about the selective pressures that drove the emergence of bipedalism, tool use, a change in diet, and progressive encephalization. Change in the amount and distribution of woody vegetation has been suggested as one of the important factors that shaped early hominin evolution. Previous models for reconstructing woody cover at eastern African hominin fossil sites used global-scale modern soil comparative datasets. Our higher-spatial-resolution study of carbon isotopes in soil organic matter is based on 26 modern African locations, ranging from tropical grass-dominated savannas to forests. We used this dataset to generate a new Eastern Africa especific Woody Cover Model (EAWCM), which indicates that eastern African hominin sites were up to 13% more wooded than reconstructions based on previous models. Reconstructions using the EAWCM indicate widespread woodlands/bushlands and wooded grasslands and a shift toward C4-dominated landscapes in eastern Africa over the last 6 million years.
- A Santacrucian record of Acarechimys minutus (Octodontoidea) from Laguna del Laja (Cura-Mallín Formation, Chile; late Early Miocene) and its biogeographic implicationsPublication . Solórzano, Andrés; Encinas, Alfonso; Núñez-Flores, Mónica; Carrasco, Gabriel; Buldrini, Karina; Campos-Medina, Jorge; Bobe, RenéThe fossil record of pre-Quaternary continental mammals from Chile remains less well-documented than that of neighboring Argentina and Bolivia. Among the most promising successions is the Miocene Cura-Mallin Formation at Laguna del Laja (37.5 degrees S), which preserves diverse mammalian assemblages spanning nearly 10 million years. One of the rodents previously reported from this locality is Acarechimys, a small octodontoid widely documented in Late Oligocene to Late Miocene continental deposits of South America. However, records from Laguna del Laja were based exclusively on fragmentary and undescribed material, leaving their taxonomic identity uncertain. Here, we describe a Santacrucian (late Early Miocene) occurrence of a caviomorph rodent from Laguna del Laja, represented by a partial mandible preserving m1-m3 and a fragment of the dp4. Dental traits, including a laterally compressed lower incisor and a developed posterior arm of the metaconid, support referral to Acarechimys minutus. This well-dated record provides a stratigraphically constrained occurrence of the species in south-central Chile and narrows the geographic gap between Chilean localities of Chucal in the north and Aysen in the south. The new evidence supports the hypothesis that the Laguna del Laja assemblage was not fully endemic, but rather integrated into the broader Santacrucian biogeographic continuum, reinforcing its value as a key reference point for Neogene faunal and biogeographic studies in the south-central Andes.
- Short communication: etimating radiocarbon reservoir effects in bolivian amazon freshwater lakesPublication . García-Escárzaga, Asier; Lombardo, Umberto; Bello-Alonso, Patricia M.; Capriles, José M.; Colonese, André; Dudgeon, Kate; Lucas Antunes Simões, Carlos Duarte; Fernandes, RicardoThe Llanos de Moxos, in the Bolivian Amazon, preserves a remarkable archaeological record, featuring thousands of forest islands. These anthropogenic sites emerged as a result of activities of the earliest inhabitants of Amazonia during the Early and Middle Holocene. Excavations conducted to date on the forest islands have revealed that many assemblages contain a high number of ancient freshwater snail remains. In these shell middens, the most represented mollusc taxon, and in most cases the sole one, is Pomacea spp., a genus that inhabits inland shallow lakes and wetlands. Although human burials and faunal remains are typically recovered from these sites, their collagen is often not preserved or is of poor quality, and shell carbonates from Pomacea shells, along with carbonised plant remains, are often used for 14C measurements. However, it remains undetermined if these measurements are subject to radiocarbon reservoir effect (RRE). To determine if a freshwater RRE could affect the age estimations of Amazonian archaeological and other paleoecological deposits, we collected modern coeval Pomacea shells and tree leaves from four locations across the Llanos de Moxos area for AMS radiocarbon dating. The radiocarbon results combined with the environmental history of Llanos de Moxos during the Holocene, do not reveal any significant RREs, and support the continued use of freshwater molluscs as viable material for radiocarbon dating in the region.