HNHP - Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique (UMR 7194)

Résumé : The multiple-aliquot regenerative-additive method of ESR (electron spin resonance) dating was applied to Numazawa-Shibahara (Nm-Sb) tephra from Fukushima, Japan, with dose recovery tests for impurity centers in quartz. The age obtained from Ti-H center is consistent with the RTL (red thermoluminescence) and Fission Track ages while the ones from Al and Ti-Li center are overestimates. The dose recovery test indicates that the equivalent dose estimate based on the Ti-H center agrees within 6% of the expected dose (370 Gy). The dose recovery test is a useful procedure for choosing the signal appropriate for dating.

Résumé : The occipital bone is frequently investigated in paleoanthropological studies because it has several features that help to differentiate various fossil hominin species. Among these features is the separation between inion and endinion, which has been proposed to be an autapomorphic trait in (Asian) Homo erectus. Methodologies are developed here to quantify for the first time the location of these anatomical points, and to interpret their variation due to the complex interactions between exocranial and endocranial size and shape of the occipital and nuchal planes, as well as the occipital lobes and cerebellum. On the basis of our analysis, neither ‘the separation between inion and endinion’ nor ‘endinion below inion’ can be considered as an autapomorphic trait in H. erectus, since this feature is a condition shared by extant African great apes and fossil hominins. Moreover, our results show that the exo- and endocranial anatomy of the occipital bone differs between hominins (except Paranthropus boisei specimens and KNM-ER 1805) and great apes. For example, chimpanzees and bonobos are characterized by a very high position of inion and their occipital bone shows an antero-posterior compression. However, these features are partly correlated with their small size when compared with hominins. Asian H. erectus specimens have a thick occipital torus, but do not differ from other robust specimens, neither in this feature nor in the analysed exo- and endocranial proportions of the occipital bone. Finally, the apparent brain size reduction during the Late Pleistocene and variation between the sexes in anatomically modern humans (AMH) reflect that specimens with smaller brains have a relatively larger posterior height of the cerebellum. However, this trend is not the sole explanation for the ‘vertical shift’ of endinion above inion that appears occasionally and exclusively in AMH.

Résumé : The Cueva del Angel archaeological site is an open-air sedimentary sequence, remnant of a collapsed cave and part of a karst complex. The faunal assemblage dominated by Equus ferus, large bovids and cervids has been subjected to intense anthropic actions reflecting selective predation. The fauna may be correlated with European faunistic associations of the end of the Middle Pleistocene to the beginning of the Upper Pleistocene. The Cueva del Angel lithic assemblage (dominated by non-modified flakes and abundant retouched tools with the presence of 46 handaxes) appears to fit well within the regional diversity of a well developed non-Levallois final Acheulean industry. A preliminary 230Th/234U age estimate, the review of the lithic assemblage and faunal evidence would favour a chronological positioning of the site in a period stretching from the end of the Middle Pleistocene to the beginning of the Upper Pleistocene (MIS 11–MIS 5). The Acheulean lithic assemblage found at the Cueva del Angel fits very well with the hypothesis of a continuation of Acheulean cultural traditions in the site, distinct from the contemporaneous uniquely Mousterian complexes witnessed in other parts of the Iberian Peninsula, and Western Europe.

Résumé : The discovery in 1999 of an isolated skull of Homo sapiens in the Orsang River valley,a tributary of the Narmada River in western India,is significant for understanding human evolution in India and the links between South Asian Homo erectus and the oldest Asian Homo sapiens(or AMH,anatomically modern human).The fossil was found in an old fluvial deposit.Infrared stimulated luminescence(IRSL) dating of the host sediments and of those within the endocranium provided an age ranging from 50 to 30 ka.However,direct dating(AMS radiocarbon) of the bone gave a minimum age of 4981-5579 cal BP.The skull is found to refer to a brachycranial Homo sapiens.and The most interesting features observed are the exocranial,a well developed torus angularis in the posterior part of the Asian Homo erectus,the greatest width in the lower part of the cranium(temporal) as in Homo erectus,which may be due to pneumatization of the mastoid process.The supramastoid crest is developed and very broad frontal sinuses are visible located in the broken glabellar area(20mm).All together,these robust features suggest a genetic continuity between Orsang skull and the late Asian Homo erectus.

Résumé : The FJ-1 Tuff and three additional isolated outcrops of volcanic tuffs listed in the Fejej area (South Omo, Ethiopia) are associated with a single volcanic event and correspond to the same ash deposit subsequently truncated by erosion. Data from new chemical analyses given by X-ray fluorescence allow correlation of these tuffs with the Borana Tuff of the Koobi Fora Formation, which is itself correlated with a tuff in the Upper G member or with the H-1 tuff of the Shungura formation. The geochronological assessment of this tephra is in agreement with previous magnetostratigraphical and biostratigraphical studies, attributing the Fejej FJ-1 Tuff to between 1.95 to 1.90 Ma.

Résumé : In the beginning of the Holocene, hunter–gatherer populations settled in the Pamir plateau, especially in the tectonic depression of Markansu near the Kara Kul Lake (Osh Kona site, 4100 m, 9580 BP and 7145 BP). These populations were well adapted to high altitude life conditions in summer. They were using stone tools related to a cobble tool tradition that Ranov considered as the local continuation of an Asian Middle Palaeolithic (Ferghana, Darwaz or Punjab). However, they disappeared during the second half of the Holocene. As well, hunters–gatherers characterised by a tradition close to Markansu Culture, namely Hissar Culture, appeared during the Holocene in the northern mountains of the Tajik–Afghan depression (Amu Darya upper basin) occupying the middle altitude valleys (Gissar Range) when Neolithic populations began to develop at lower altitudes. For Ranov, origin and destiny of both Markansu and Hissar cultures were the most important questions to solve in this region. The Department of Prehistory, National Museum of Natural History (Paris) conducted field work in collaboration with the University of Peshawar between 1996 and 1998 in the northernmost valley of the Indus basin giving access to the Wakhan corridor. The upper Yarkhun valley (Chitral district, Pakistan), accessible only by foot, was surveyed from 2500 to 4000 m altitude. This allowed the discovery of 6 sites yielding lithic artefacts, among which half are cobble tools. They attest to human activity later than 5500 BP, suggesting population movements between the Amu Darya and Indus basins. The consequences of the Quaternary climate oscillations between South Asian monsoon and Northern hemisphere influences on the one hand, and the impact on biotopes of the increasing pastoral activity on the other hand, are discussed as probable causes for the disappearance of the mountainous nomadic hunters of Central Asia.

Résumé : Résumé Le quartz est l’une des principales ressources lithiques utilisées pendant le Pléistocène pour la fabrication de l’outillage préhistorique. Son abondance dans tous types de milieu explique que ce soit l’une des matières premières les plus représentées dans les différents sites archéologiques. Malgré son abondance et son aptitude pour la taille, la rareté des études spécifiques fait que cette matière première est considérée comme une ressource secondaire et de mauvaise qualité, utilisée uniquement dans les cas où la disponibilité en silex aux alentours présente une carence. L’étude de trois séries lithiques d’Europe méridionale permet de montrer le haut degré de complexité technique et conceptuelle qui régit la gestion de cette ressource. La connaissance des caractéristiques pétrologiques et mécaniques des différentes variétés du quartz au Pléistocène moyen et supérieur se traduit par une gestion rationnée et différentielle des ressources. Il existe une sélection évidente de ses variétés selon les objectifs d’exploitation et de configuration. Les schémas d’exploitation des matrices sont très homogènes, basés sur des enlèvements longitudinaux, et l’on constate également l’usage de la technique bipolaire. Quand la matière première est de bonne qualité, des méthodes d’exploitation complexes, telles que la méthode discoïde ou la méthode Levallois, peuvent être appliquées. En revanche, pour la configuration, il existe une meilleure gestion différentielle des matières premières, le quartz étant alors réservé aux petits objets et le reste des matières premières étant alors plutôt utilisé pour l’élaboration d’outils qui requièrent une plus grande complexité ainsi qu’un meilleur contrôle dans la configuration (bifaces, hachereaux). Le quartz agissant alors comme principale ressource technique ou comme complément à d’autres matières premières, une grande complexité conceptuelle est observée dans la gestion selon les objectifs et les besoins recherchés. Quant la qualité de la matière première le permet, les innovations technologiques peuvent être appliquées à ce type de matériau. Nous ne devons pas comprendre l’usage du quartz comme un échantillon des contraintes environnementales mais le mettre en rapport avec la variabilité des stratégies d’approvisionnement et de gestion des ressources lithiques des communautés préhistoriques. Quartz is one of the main lithic resources employed along the Pleistocene for the manufacturing of tools. The abundance in all kind of environments leads to its frequent presence in archaeological sites. In spite of its suitability for knapping, the scarcity of specific researches on quartz industries has led to a view of this raw material as a second-rate resource, only used when flint was not available in the surroundings. Quite in opposition to this prejudice, the familiarity with the petrological and mechanical properties of the different varieties of quartz has led the Middle/Upper Pleistocene groups to a rational and differential exploitation of the available resources. There is a distinct selection of the varieties attending to the purposes of the exploitation and configuration. The patterns of exploitation of the cores are very standardized, based on longitudinal extractions and documenting the bipolar flaking technique. Moreover, when the raw material is of good quality, more sophisticated reduction methods such as the discoidal or the Levallois may be employed. On the other hand, for the purposes of configuration a clearly differential management of the raw material is attested: thus quartz is used for the small products (denticulates, side-scrapers, notches), while other stones (quartzite, porphyry and others) are devoted to the manufacturing of those tools demanding a more complex control of the elaboration (bifaces, cleavers, etc.). Either acting as the main lithic resource or as a complement to other raw materials, we can observe through the technological analysis of these lithic collections the great conceptual complexity depending on the needs to be fulfilled. Raw material quality allowing, the state-of-the-art technology of knapping can be applied to the quartz and, therefore, we should not understand its use as a consequence of environmental constrictions but rather as a result of the variability of the procurement strategies and management of lithic resources among the prehistoric communities.

Résumé : The palaeontological site of Venta Micena (Orce, Andalusia, Spain) lies in the eastern sector of the Guadix–Baza basin, one of the best documented areas in Europe for Plio-Pleistocene biostratigraphy. The combination of biochronological and palaeomagnetic results, combined with the radiometric data obtained for Atapuerca Sima del Elefante, indicated that the Venta Micena stratum was formed between the Jaramillo and Olduvai palaeomagnetic events, most likely between 1.22 and 1.77 Ma. Five fossil teeth from two outcrops (sites A and B) were selected to assess the potential of combined uranium series–electron spin resonance (US-ESR) dating of Early Pleistocene sites. Although the US-ESR results of the first outcrop showed a large scatter between the three teeth, the mean age of 1.37 ± 0.24 Ma can be considered a reasonable age estimate for Venta Micena. The mean ESR age of 0.62 ± 0.03 Ma obtained for site B seems to be a severe underestimation when compared with the independent age control. This underestimation is attributed to a relative recent U-mobilization event that led to some U-leaching. The results show that any ESR age calculations of old samples are extremely sensitive to variations in the measured 230Th/234U ratios in dental tissues. Although the results demonstrate that ESR can in principle be applied to Early Pleistocene sites, they also reveal the complexity of dating such old teeth. It is necessary to continue research in several directions, such as study of the behaviour of ESR signals in old teeth and understanding recent U-mobilization processes, to improve the reliability of the combined US-ESR dating method applied to Early Pleistocene times, a period for which the number of available numerical dating techniques is very limited. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Résumé : The four stratigraphic units of the Late Pleistocene (MIS 3) clay-rich deposit of La Chauverie (Charente, SW France) have been characterized for mineral composition. The lower part of this 75 cm-thick karst deposit preserves a mammal fauna typical of temperate climate, followed by an assemblage pointing to a colder phase. The clay fraction of both horizons mostly results from mineral transformations of the clays contained in the sediments of the Paleogene formation surrounding the cave. Because clay mineral properties and changes intimately depend on the physico-chemical conditions and reaction kinetics prevailing at a given time in the soils, they are highly temperature-related. Notably, changes are rapid under temperate conditions, but slow in tundra-like cold contexts. As shown by the altered inherited mica-illite, as well as by the increase of crystallinity of kaolinite particles, at La Chauverie these transformations were marked in the stratigraphically lower part of the deposit formed under temperate conditions. Conversely, as reflected by the reduction of the kaolinite/smectite ratio characterizing the sediments of the upper horizon, the pedological evolution was limited during the subsequent cold phase. Here, both illite/smectite and kaolinite/smectite mixed layers become smectite-richer than their equivalent in the Paleogene. The parallelism between paleontological evidence and mineral signature in recording a relatively rapid (millennial-scale) shift towards colder conditions suggests that clay mineral assemblages from cave deposits can be used to assess paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental dynamics at local scale. Nonetheless, future research should test this potential tool in more appropriate, thicker deposits investigated using other independent paleobiological and geochemical indicators.

Résumé : The Siwalik Range especially in its western sector is known for numerous surface sites yielding large quantities of cobble tools. These tools have for long been considered to belong to the Lower Palaeolithic but they are sometimes associated with other apparently more evolved tool types having a transversal trimmed cutting edge. These types look like adzes/axes and are made from large flakes, split cobbles or flat cobbles. Moreover, such assemblages composed of choppers along with these adze/axe-like tools occur on geological surfaces formed in the late Pleistocene; they are probably later than these deposits in age. These assemblages compare well with the industries occurring further east in Nepal or northern South-East Asia related to the Hoabinhian industries. It is suggested that they are linked through subsistence and technical behaviours to the particular environment of the sub-Himalayan belt and its eastern extension characterised by densely forested hilly landscapes, generously irrigated by perennial streams. Besides, this region was not severely disturbed during the last glacial maximum and could have been a refuge for many animal and vegetal species. It has certainly favoured “latitudinal” circulation (precisely circulation along the geomorphological features) of human and animal populations despite the global climatic changes.

Résumé : Among the Middle Pleistocene human remains discovered in Biache-Saint-Vaast (Pas-de-Calais, France), three cranial fragments were attributed to the same individual: Biache-Saint-Vaast 2 (BSV2). Three-dimensional virtual imaging methods have been used to assemble the various bones and to study the endocranial cavities. The fact that these remains showed most of the classical Neanderthal characteristics as well as several plesiomorphic characteristics suggests the existence of a phyletic relationship with the early European Neanderthals.

Résumé : Neanderthals are most often portrayed as big game hunters who derived the vast majority of their diet from large terrestrial herbivores while birds, fish and plants are seen as relatively unimportant or beyond the capabilities of Neanderthals. Although evidence for exploitation of other resources (small mammals, birds, fish, shellfish, and plants) has been found at certain Neanderthal sites, these are typically dismissed as unusual exceptions. The general view suggests that Neanderthal diet may broaden with time, but that this only occurs sometime after 50,000 years ago. We present evidence, in the form of lithic residue and use-wear analyses, for an example of a broad-based subsistence for Neanderthals at the site of Payre, Ardèche, France (beginning of MIS 5/end of MIS 6 to beginning of MIS 7/end of MIS 8; approximately 125–250,000 years ago). In addition to large terrestrial herbivores, Neanderthals at Payre also exploited starchy plants, birds, and fish. These results demonstrate a varied subsistence already in place with early Neanderthals and suggest that our ideas of Neanderthal subsistence are biased by our dependence on the zooarchaeological record and a deep-seated intellectual emphasis on big game hunting.

Résumé : This paper presents a new series of AMS dates on ultrafiltered bone gelatin extracted from identified cutmarked or humanly-modified bones and teeth from the site of Abri Pataud, in the French Dordogne. The sequence of 32 new determinations provides a coherent and reliable chronology from the site’s early Upper Palaeolithic levels 5–14, excavated by Hallam Movius. The results show that there were some problems with the previous series of dates, with many underestimating the real age. The new results, when calibrated and modelled using a Bayesian statistical method, allow detailed understanding of the pace of cultural changes within the Aurignacian I and II levels of the site, something not achievable before. In the future, the sequence of dates will allow wider comparison to similarly dated contexts elsewhere in Europe. High precision dating is only possible by using large suites of AMS dates from humanly-modified material within well understood archaeological sequences modelled using a Bayesian statistical method.

Résumé : The debate over the taxonomic position and affinities of Trachypithecus auratus has been ongoing since its identification by E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire in 1812. The type specimen of this species is housed in Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris (MNHN-ZM 2005-912). This point is debated due to the complex and fluctuating taxonomy of Southeast Asian Colobinae (Brandon-Jones et al.: Int J Primatol 25 (2004) 97-164) and to the fact that this individual is represented by a mounted skeleton. By means of 3D medical imaging methodologies we describe for the first time the cranial anatomy of the specimen MNHN-ZM 2005-912 and compare it with other Trachypithecus species, in order to test the molecular systematic hypotheses for affinities among the T. auratus-T. cristatus group. We ascertain the taxonomic attribution of this individual to the species Trachypithecus auratus species. The most diagnostic characters shared by the type specimen and Trachypithecus auratus compared to other species of Trachypithecus are the rounded orbits and the straight facial profile. We then try to clarify the inconsistencies concerning the geographical provenance of the type. The island of Java appears to be the most probable locality from a cluster analysis based on linear morphometry. After this approach and a discriminant analysis, a northeastern Javanese provenance of this specimen, as proposed by Brandon-Jones et al. (Int J Primatol 25 (2004) 97-164) is dubious. Finally we provide 3D models of the skull and the endocast, and a list of cranial landmark coordinates of the holotype for future research. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Résumé : Diagenetic alterations modifying fossil bones over geological time can limit their use as archaeological and paleontological proxies. The understanding of fossilization processes and the evaluation of the extent of diagenetic alterations of bones therefore constitute major issues in current research. The com Synchrotron Radiation in Art and Archaeology

Résumé : Between Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 4 and 2, Northeast Africa witnessed migrations of Homo sapiens into Eurasia. Within the context of the aridification of the Sahara, the Nile Valley probably offered a very attractive corridor into Eurasia. This region and this period are therefore central for the (pre)history of the out-of-Africa peopling of modern humans. However, there are very few sites from the beginning of the Upper Palaeolithic that document these migration events. In Egypt, the site of Nazlet Khater 4 (NK4), which is related to ancient H. sapiens quarrying activities, is one of them. Its lithic assemblage shows an important laminar component, and this, associated with its chronological position (ca. 33 ka), means that the site is the most ancient Upper Palaeolithic sites of this region. The detailed study of the Nazlet Khater 4 lithic material shows that blade production (volumetric reduction) is also associated with flake production (surface reduction). This technological duality addresses the issue of direct attribution of NK4 to the Upper Palaeolithic.

Résumé : Dmanisi is the oldest site outside of Africa that records unquestioned hominin occupations as well as the dispersal of hominins in Europe and Asia. The site has yielded large numbers of artefacts from several periods of hominin occupation. This analysis of Dmanisi stone tool technology includes a review of all the pieces recovered during the last 15 years of excavations. This lithic assemblage gives insights into the hominin behaviour at 1.7–1.8 Ma in Eurasia. Dmanisi hominins exploited local rocks derived from either nearby riverbeds or outcrops, and petrographic study provides data on patterns of stone procurement. Recent geological surveys and technological studies of the artefacts illustrate the roles of hominins in composing the assemblage. Dmanisi hominins selected two types of blanks, including cobbles and angular blocks, of basalt, andesite, and tuffs. Many complete cobbles, pebbles, and rolled blocks in basalt were unmodified, and geological analyses and surveys indicate that hominins brought manuports back to the site, suggesting a complex procurement strategy. Cores, flakes and debris show that all stages of flaking activity took place at the site. Numerous unifacial cores suggest that knapping was not very elaborate. Centripetal knapping is observed on some flake-cores. Knapping was influenced by the blank shape and natural angles. Most flaked objects were either cores or chopper-cores. Flakes predominate while flake tools are rare. The Dmanisi lithic assemblage is comparable to Oldowan sites in Africa in terms of reduction sequence, organisation of the removals, platform types, and the lack of retouched flakes. Dmanisi artefacts and may have been produced by the original hominins in Europe and Asia.

Résumé : Résumé La série lithique de La Garde offre la possibilité d’examiner un ensemble cohérent pouvant être rattaché à de l’Acheuléen, probablement final, dans la Loire (Sud-Est de la France). Les stratégies mises en œuvre font penser à un site où des activités multiples se sont pratiquées nécessitant grands outillages et éclats. Trois grandes catégories de pièces bifaciales, principalement en silex, sont présentes, de forme triangulaire, ovalaire et à tranchant transversal. Le type d’aménagement et la présence de retouches secondaires sur certaines arêtes conduisent à décrire ces pièces comme des outils bifaces. Le débitage Levallois est associé à divers autres types de débitage. La présence de ce gisement localisé dans une petite vallée permet de supposer une circulation humaine entre le grand axe Saône-Rhône et les bassins intérieurs du Massif Central. L’axe rhodanien a livré à ce jour encore peu d’indices d’occupations acheuléennes à l’inverse du Centre de la France. L’existence de sites comme La Garde prouve que des recherches systématiques doivent se poursuivre dans ces secteurs permettant de dresser une cartographie des types d’habitats acheuléens. The lithic assemblage of La Garde offers the opportunity to observe a Final Acheulean series located in the Loire department (south-east France). The site was probably a multi-activity place asking large tools and flakes, according to the strategies used by humans. Three main categories of large bifacial tools mainly made of flint can be described, with a triangular or oval shape and with a transversal cutting edge. These tools are more bifacial-tools than bifaces through the kind of shaping and the retouches on the cutting edges. The Levallois flaking is associated to various other types of knapping. The site, located along a small valley, suggests a human circulating between the Saône-Rhône corridor and the interior basins of the Massif Central Mountains. The Rhodanian corridor yielded little evidence of Acheulean settlements while in the Centre of France, they are numerous. La Garde proves that systematic prospecting in this area will permit in future to complete the map of the Acheulean occupations in south-east France.

Résumé : The archaeological sequence from the Orgnac 3 site presents the opportunity to observe behavioral aspects characterizing the beginnings of the main Neanderthal technological strategies employed in Europe until marine isotopic stage (MIS) 3. In this site, the Levallois debitage method appears in the middle of the sequence (MIS 9) and develops at about 300,000 BP at the top of the sequence (MIS 8). The Levallois method is best represented in level 1, making the site one of the oldest examples of Levallois technology. Orgnac 3 indicates the emergence of new technological behavior in southern France and Europe around the limit between isotopic stages 9 and 8. In order to provide new evidence on pre-Neanderthal behavior, new data from level 1 were obtained by comparing stone processing systems with faunal remains. Lithic and bone assemblages display evidence of one to several occupations by horse and bovid hunters during predominantly cool climatic conditions. Animal carcass processing is principally associated with standardized knapping, which produced most of the tool supports. Small and large flakes bear little retouch. Behavioral modifications appeared later than changes in human anatomical traits and did not follow a particular rhythm. New behavioral aspects emerged in Europe as early as MIS 12, as indicated by subsistence strategies, and specialized and selective hunting and butchering strategies. During MIS 10, new technological behavior (pre-Levallois knapping) appeared. However, at Orgnac 3, the archaeological record reveals several stages. From MIS 9–8 and until MIS 7, strategies adopted by Neanderthals became systematic, independent of climatic conditions. The results of this study contribute to a better understanding of early Neanderthal behavior, i.e., of human history.

Résumé : While prehistoric hunting of marine mammals and caribou by eastern Arctic prehistoric groups is well documented, the relationship between Paleoeskimo groups and the fox has received little attention. The open-air Dorset site of Tayara (KbFk-7), in southern Hudson Strait, Nunavik, is exceptional in that it contains numerous fox remains, of which 70% have been identified as Arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) and 30% as red fox (Vulpes vulpes). By analyzing the profiles of anatomical parts and examining cut marks on the bones, the authors have been able to identify the various stages in Dorset use of the carcass—skinning, butchering (disarticulating and filleting)—and also to examine the general ways in which fox was exploited. We found that these early Dorset people actively hunted foxes, which are still abundant on Qikirtaq Island where KbFk-7 is located. The whole carcass was carried to the camp, where the animal was skinned and the meat was removed from the bones for consumption. At the Tayara site, Paleoeskimo people exploited foxes not only for their pelts, but also as a valuable source of protein.

Résumé : The Barranco León and Fuente Nueva 3 sites are located in the Guadix-Baza Basin in Orce (Andalusia, Spain) about 80 km from the Mediterranean Sea. The sites were accumulated in swampy areas near the paleo-lake Baza’s eastern shoreline. There, hominins and hyenas competed for access to large herbivore carcasses abandoned by carnivores. The ages of the Barranco León and Fuente Nueva 3 sites have been evaluated from large and small mammal biochronology, magnetostratigraphy and also by ESR to around 1.4–1.2 Ma, respectively. Both sites have yielded fauna and lithic artefacts in situ. Systematic excavations at Barranco León and Fuente Nueva 3 have been underway since the 1990’s and contribute to growing evidence of hominin presence in southern Europe well before 1 Ma. The two lithic assemblages show strong similarities. At both sites, the artefacts were knapped from tabular flint and limestone pebbles collected nearby. The assemblages are composed mainly of small, non modified flakes and angular fragments, as well as some cores. Larger limestone heavy duty tools and cores are also present. There are no standardized small or large tools. Stone knapping was carried out using hand held and bipolar-on-an-anvil reduction strategies in accordance with raw material constraints and probably also desired product morphology. The assemblages are characterized by widespread use of unidirectional knapping methods. Reduction strategies were progressively adapted as the cores evolved into different forms. The Barranco León and Fuente Nueva 3 stone tool assemblages express a variant of Oldowan or Mode 1 technology that may be considered to be more complex than that observed at some earlier African sites, mainly because of the systematic use of extended orthogonal knapping episodes producing multiplatform cores and the differential use of two types of raw materials for making small cutting tools and larger percussion instruments.

Résumé : Grasping is essential for primates in numerous behaviors. A variety of different grasping techniques are used for obtaining food. Among humans, several studies have shown that the properties of the objects such as the size or the form influence grasp patterns. In addition, other works have tested the individual variability through grasping strategies and age and several studies have revealed some similarities between great apes and humans in grip types. Finally, results on hand preference are still equivocal and, for non-human primates, object parameters and age effect are rarely tested together, even though it is a methodological aspect important to consider. The study sought to determine whether grip type varied according to the age of the subject, the species (human versus chimpanzee), the size of the object and the hand used. Frame-by-frame analysis of hand contact strategies and statistical results indicated that (1) adults of both species used fewer contact strategies than juveniles and that there was a greater variability of contacts for small than for large objects (2) young juvenile chimpanzees and human children follow a similar grip types development, i.e. more frequent use of precision grips with age (3) juvenile chimpanzees used all five categories of grip and the adults used the “thumb-fingerpad(s)” more than the “precision grips” in addition to the “power grip” and (4) a right hand preference was greater for the grasping of small objects with “precision grips” in adults for both species. These results are discussed in relationship with neurology, morphology and grasping evolution.

Résumé : Chalcedony is a porous spatial arrangement of hydroxylated nanometre sized α-quartz (SiO2) crystallites. Due to micro-structural transformations upon heat treatment, the optical and mechanical properties of the rock are modified. We investigated these transformations in sedimentary length-fast chalcedony through Fourier Transform near- and mid-infrared spectroscopy using direct transmission and the reflectivity. Chemical adsorption potential and absorption of H2O by pores was studied after heat treatment. We found that water held in open porosity is reduced upon heat treatment to temperatures above 150 °C. Silanole is noticeably lost from 250 to 300 °C upwards and new bridging Si–O–Si further reduces the surface of open pores, creating a less porous material. Molecular water, resulting from the reaction Si–OH HO–Si → Si–O–Si + H2O creates new isolated pores within the material. At temperatures above 500 °C, the samples start internal fracturing, permitting water held in isolated pores to be evacuated. These results shed light on thermal transformations in chalcedony and allow for a better understanding of mechanical transformations after heat treatment.

Résumé : Chalcedony consists of hydroxylated 50–100 nanometre measuring α-quartz (SiO2) crystallites that lose their surface silanole groups (Si–OH) upon heating between 350 °C and 600 °C. The loss of the chalcedony's ≈1% of silanole groups allows for the healing of water related defects in the crystallites. We investigated these crystallographic transformations using Fourier Transform mid Infrared Spectroscopy in direct transmission, Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) and the reflectivity. We found that an absorption band that is specific for chalcedony at 555 cm−1 disappears gradually upon heating between 350 °C and 600 °C. The reduction of the band is correlated to the loss of surface silanoles. This result leads to the assignment of the band to free Si–O vibrations in non bridging Si–OH groups that have a lower natural frequency than Si–O vibrations in bridging Si–O–Si. The recognition of a silanole signal in the mid infrared allows for an easy, cheap and rapid recognition of hydroxyl in chalcedony.

Résumé : Located in Southern Italy, the Early Palaeolithic site of Isernia la Pineta has provided numerous palaeontological remains and artefacts in well-defined fluvio-lacustrine sequence. The normal magnetization of the main archaeological layer t3a and 39Ar/40Ar date of 610 ± 10 (2σ) ka, obtained from the immediately overlaying geological level, put the Isernia assemblage in the first part of the Middle Pleistocene. Previous ESR/U-series analyses of Isernia fossil teeth have displayed both recent U-uptake and severe underestimation of the ESR/U-series dates in comparison with the 39Ar/40Ar age. In order to identify the cause of this age underestimation, new analyses were realized in the present study on four bovid teeth directly recovered from the archaeological surface t3a. The ESR/U-series dates obtained were once again strongly underestimated, with an error weighted mean age of 435 ± 24 (1σ) ka. These too young dates could be associated to a change of the environmental γ-dose rate during the geological history of the Isernia site, related to the revealed recent U-uptake into the palaeontological remains of the archaeological level. If we consider that this dose rate change was coeval with a wet interglacial period and taking the 39Ar/40Ar age as geochronological reference, simulations with two dose rate steps indicate that this change could be correlated with marine isotopic stage 7 (MIS 7).

Résumé : The relationship between local and global climatic variations and the origin and dispersal of Homo sapiens in Africa is complex, and North Africa may have played a major role in these events. In Morocco, very few studies are specifically dedicated to small fossil vertebrates, and neither taphonomic nor palaeoecological studies have been undertaken on these taxa, particularly in archaeological contexts. The late Pleistocene to middle Holocene succession of El Harhoura 2 cave, situated in the region of Témara, yields an exceptionally rich small vertebrate assemblage. We present the results of a first systematic, taphonomic, and palaeoecological study of the small mammals from Levels 1 to 8 of El Harhoura 2. The absence of bone sorting and polishing, as well as the presence of significant traces of digestion indicate that the small mammal bones were accumulated in the cave by predators and that no water transport occurred. Other traces observed on the surface of bones consist mainly of root marks and black traces (micro-organisms or more probably manganese) which affected the majority of the material. The percentage of fragmentation is very high in all stratigraphic levels, and the post-depositional breakage (geologic and anthropogenic phenomena) obscure the original breakage patterns of bones by predators. According to the ecology of the different species present in the levels of El Harhoura 2, and by taking into account possible biases highlighted by the taphonomic analysis, we reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental evolution in the region. For quantitative reconstructions we used two indices: the Taxonomic Habitat Index (THI) and the Gerbillinae/Murinae ratio. Late Pleistocene accumulations were characterised by a succession of humid (Levels 3, 4a, 6, and 8) and arid (Levels 2?, 5, and 7) periods, with more or less open landscapes, ending in an ultimate humid and wooded period during the middle Holocene (Level 1). We discuss particular limits of our results and interpretations, due to an important lack of taxonomic, ecological, and taphonomic knowledge in North Africa.

Résumé : Résumé La Baume du Houx, dans le Var, située en bord de falaise, a livré un assemblage osseux constitué essentiellement de phalanges d’ongulés domestiques et de nombreux restes digérés. Cette faune a été récoltée en surface avec de nombreux tessons de poterie attribués probablement à l’âge du Bronze ou au premier âge du Fer, mais dont la contemporanéité avec les ossements n’est pas démontrée. L’étude a été conduite sous diverses méthodes taphonomiques, afin de déterminer l’agent responsable de l’accumulation osseuse, telles que la composition de l’assemblage, la représentation des éléments anatomiques et l’observation des dommages occasionnés sur les os. Le fort degré de digestion observé sur le matériel et la taille des proies correspondent à une accumulation observée dans un nid de gypaète barbu. Le contexte du site, en falaise, plaide en faveur de ce résultat. Il s’agit ici de la première découverte d’un nid de gypaète barbu en Provence. Chronologiquement, la présence d’espèces domestiques digérées par le vautour situe l’occupation du nid à partir du Néolithique, sans plus de précision. The Baume du Houx, in the Var department of France, situated on the edge of a cliff, has yielded a bone assemblage composed mainly of domesticated ungulate phalanges and numerous digested remains. This fauna was collected from the surface, along with numerous potsherds probably attributable to the Bronze Age or the Early Iron Age, but their contemporaneity with the fauna has not been demonstrated. This study has employed diverse taphonomic methods in order to determine the agent of bone accumulation, such as assemblage composition, skeletal part representation, and bone damage patterns. The high degree of digestion observed on the material and the size of the prey correspond with an accumulation observed in a bearded vulture nest. The site's context, on a cliff, supports this conclusion. This is the first discovery of a bearded vulture nest in Provence region. Chronologically, the presence of domestic species digested by the vulture places the nest's occupation sometime after the Neolithic, without any further precision.

Résumé : Here we present the first terrestrial record of mid-Holocene environmental changes in Vanuatu. This preliminary multi-proxy analysis of core Tfer 06 from Emaotfer Swamp (Efaté Island) indicates changes in environmental conditions are mainly related to variations in climate over the last 6500 cal yr BP. Drier periods are broadly correlated with an increase in sustained El Niño events recorded in the Pacific on a decadal timescale. The earliest change is the disappearance of mangroves adjacent to the site around 3200 cal yr BP, this could well be due to both local tectonic uplift with subsequent hydrostatic adjustment and the onset of a drier period. From c. 3250–2500 cal yr BP the prevailing drier conditions can be linked to more persistent El Niño conditions. Local volcanic events had limited ecological impact on the area. Freshwater diatoms indicate a hydroseral succession, species living on submerged plants being common in muds from c. 3250–1500 cal yr BP, but rare in fibrous peat deposited later. Palaeoecological indicators of human impact have not been identified throughout this work.

Résumé : Multiproxy analysis of three littoral cores from western New Caledonia supports the hypothesis that the main controlling factors of environmental changes are sea-level change, ENSO variability and extra-tropical phenomena, such as the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) marked by a tendency for La Niña-like conditions in the tropical Pacific. The record starts during the late Holocene sea-level rise when the terrestrial vegetation indicated wet and cool conditions. The site was a coastal bay definitely transformed into a freshwater swamp at around 3400 cal yr BP, after the rapid drawdown of sea level to its current level. Sediments and foraminiferal assemblages indicated subsequent episodes of freshwater infillings, emersion or very high-energy conditions, likely related to climatic changes and mostly controlled by ENSO variability. Between 2750 and 2000 cal yr BP, relatively dry and cool climate prevailed, while wetter conditions predominated between ca. 1800 and 900 cal yr BP. The Rhizophoraceae peak between ca. 1080 and 750 cal yr BP, coeval with the MWP, may indicate a global phenomenon. Microcharcoal particles present throughout the record increased after 1500 cal yr BP, suggesting an anthropogenic source. From ca. 750 cal yr BP the appearance of current type of vegetation marks the human impact.

Résumé : The Dali skull is a key fossil for understanding human evolution in China. It has been attributed either to an archaic Homo sapiens, an evolved Homo erectus or to other species of Homo, such as Homo heidelbergensis. The cranium was discovered in 1978 in Shaanxi Province in a fluvial terrace which was recovered by a loessic sequence including two interglacial palaeosoils. ESR/U-series data analyses were carried out on several teeth recovered from the palaeoanthropological level. Four samples exhibit different kinds of uranium-uptake behaviour, but the results seem to indicate that the cranium is coeval with Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 8 and that some teeth might be reworked from older deposits.