New hominin dental remains from the Middle Pleistocene deposits of Velika Balanica, Serbia

Abstract

Dated to 285 ± 34 ka and 295 ± 74 ka via thermoluminescence, Layer 3a of Velika Balanica cave (Sićevo Gorge, southern Serbia) previously yielded dental remains of at least two individuals (BH-2, BH-3, BH-4, and BH-5) attributed to early Neanderthals. Here, we present three new permanent teeth—a lower lateral incisor (BH-7), an upper central incisor (BH-8), and a lower third molar (BH-15)—identified in Layers 3a and 3b during recent laboratory and field research. The massive and robust structure of the BH-7 and BH-8 crowns and roots aligns with a dental morphological pattern characteristic of Eurasian Pleistocene hominins. Moreover, BH-8 displays linear enamel hypoplasia, an important marker of systemic physiological stress during childhood. Despite some damage to the crown, the enamel-dentine junction of the BH-15 molar shows a continuous middle trigonid crest—a trait regarded as typical of the Neanderthal lineage. The morphological and metric features of the new dental specimens align with previous findings, indicating the presence of an early Neanderthal population around 300 ka at Velika Balanica.The 31th European Association of Archaeologists Annual Meeting (Interwined pasts), Belgrade Virtual, 2-6 September 2025 - Saopštenje štampano u izvod