The view from across the Pyrenees : changing perspectives on the Middle/Upper Paleolithic transition in Spanish Prehistory

Understandings of the Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition by prehistorians working in Spain have changed in the course of the last century. Most workers have associated this transition with the replacement of Neanderthals by anatomically modern humans, although in the context of persistent disagreements over the nature and extent of movements of populations and cultural influences into Spain from North Africa and from France. The current relevant archaeological database is of unprecedented quality and quantity. However, in the wake of indications of an early appearance of the Aurignacian in northern Spain, and the late persistence of the Mousterian and Neanderthals in southern Spain and Portugal, there is currently considerable disagreement over the nature of the Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition in the peninsula.La comprension de la transiclon del Paleolitico Medio al Superior ha cambiado entre los prehistoriadores que han trabajado en Espana durante el ultimo siglo. Muchos investigadores han asociado esta transicion con el reemplazamiento de los Neandertales por los humanos anatomicamente modemos, aunque en el contexto de las persistentes diferencias sobre la naturaleza y extension de los movimientos poblacionales y las influencias culturales en Espana desde el Norte de Africa o desde Francia. La Informacion arqueologica es de una calidad y cantidad sin precedentes. Sin embargo entre las indicaciones de una temprana aparicion del Aurihadense en el Norte de Espana y la persistencia, hasta fechas muy tardfas del Musteriense en el Sur, existe un considerable desacuerdo sobre la naturaleza de la transicion Paleolitico Medio-Superior en la peninsula.</p

A Test of the MSEC Method for Paleoclimate and intersite correlations from Late Pleistocene/Holocene cave sites in southern Europe : results from Cova de les Cendres, SE Spain

En los ultlmos diez alios, se han utilizado las mediciones de la susceptibilidad magnetica (MS) de los sedimentos de los yacimientos arqueologicos en cueva para establecer correlaciones entre yacimientos y una estimacion del paleoclima. Ello es posible porque la MS correspondiente a estos sedimentos es el resultado de los procesos activos del clima en el exterior de las cavidades y las variaciones en las propiedades magneticas de los sedimentos, que finalmente se acumulan en el interior de las cavidades. Una vez que se ban depositado, estos materiales son preservados y su estratigraffa proporciona una informacion sobre el clima que puede ser inferida. En este trabajo, al usar la magnetosusceptibilidad, el metodo de cicloestratigrafia (MSEC) y la correlacion grafica, presentamos informacion sobre la Cova de les Cendres y situamos estos resultados en un marco paleoclimatico que abarca los ultimos 43.000 anos (fechas BP sin calibrar) de la Europa meridional. Estos resultados correlacionan bien con otros indicadores independientes de clima. Ademas, a causa de que los sedimentos de la parte superior de la Cova de les Cendres se depositaron relativamente rapidos, es posible observar cambios climaticos de escala ultra-fina en los dates de esta parte de la secuencia en la cavidad.During the last 10 years or so, magnetic susceptibility (MS) measurements of cave sediments from archaeological sites have been used for intra-site correlation and paleoclimate estimation. This is possible because the MS of these sediments results from climate processes active outside caves causing variations in magnetic properties of the sediments ultimately accumulating inside of caves. Once deposited, these materials are preserved and their stratigraphy provides a climate proxy that can be extracted. Here, using the magnetosusceptibility event and cyclostratigraphy (MSEC) method and graphic correlation, we present data from Cova de les Cendres and place these results into a paleoclimatic framework for the last 43,000 years (uncalibrated BP) for southern Europe. These results correlate well with independent climate indicators. In addition, because sediments in the upper part of Cova de les Cendres were deposited relatively quickly, it is possible to see ultra fine scale climatic changes in the data set from this cave

A reliability and validity study of the Palliative Performance Scale

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) was first introduced in1996 as a new tool for measurement of performance status in palliative care. PPS has been used in many countries and has been translated into other languages.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This study evaluated the reliability and validity of PPS. A web-based, case scenarios study with a test-retest format was used to determine reliability. Fifty-three participants were recruited and randomly divided into two groups, each evaluating 11 cases at two time points. The validity study was based on the content validation of 15 palliative care experts conducted over telephone interviews, with discussion on five themes: PPS as clinical assessment tool, the usefulness of PPS, PPS scores affecting decision making, the problems in using PPS, and the adequacy of PPS instruction.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The intraclass correlation coefficients for absolute agreement were 0.959 and 0.964 for Group 1, at Time-1 and Time-2; 0.951 and 0.931 for Group 2, at Time-1 and Time-2 respectively. Results showed that the participants were consistent in their scoring over the two times, with a mean Cohen's kappa of 0.67 for Group 1 and 0.71 for Group 2. In the validity study, all experts agreed that PPS is a valuable clinical assessment tool in palliative care. Many of them have already incorporated PPS as part of their practice standard.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results of the reliability study demonstrated that PPS is a reliable tool. The validity study found that most experts did not feel a need to further modify PPS and, only two experts requested that some performance status measures be defined more clearly. Areas of PPS use include prognostication, disease monitoring, care planning, hospital resource allocation, clinical teaching and research. PPS is also a good communication tool between palliative care workers.</p

The view from across the Pyrenees : changing perspectives on the Middle/Upper Paleolithic transition in Spanish Prehistory

Understandings of the Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition by prehistorians working in Spain have changed in the course of the last century. Most workers have associated this transition with the replacement of Neanderthals by anatomically modern humans, although in the context of persistent disagreements over the nature and extent of movements of populations and cultural influences into Spain from North Africa and from France. The current relevant archaeological database is of unprecedented quality and quantity. However, in the wake of indications of an early appearance of the Aurignacian in northern Spain, and the late persistence of the Mousterian and Neanderthals in southern Spain and Portugal, there is currently considerable disagreement over the nature of the Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition in the peninsula.La comprension de la transiclon del Paleolitico Medio al Superior ha cambiado entre los prehistoriadores que han trabajado en Espana durante el ultimo siglo. Muchos investigadores han asociado esta transicion con el reemplazamiento de los Neandertales por los humanos anatomicamente modemos, aunque en el contexto de las persistentes diferencias sobre la naturaleza y extension de los movimientos poblacionales y las influencias culturales en Espana desde el Norte de Africa o desde Francia. La Informacion arqueologica es de una calidad y cantidad sin precedentes. Sin embargo entre las indicaciones de una temprana aparicion del Aurihadense en el Norte de Espana y la persistencia, hasta fechas muy tardfas del Musteriense en el Sur, existe un considerable desacuerdo sobre la naturaleza de la transicion Paleolitico Medio-Superior en la peninsula.</p

High-resolution Paleoclimatic Trends for the Holocene identifies using Magnetic Susceptibility Data from the Archaelogical Excavations in Caves / Prirjet paleoklimatike të Holocenit të identifikuara me anë të të dhënave manjetike të ndjeshmërisë në kërkimet arkeologjike në shpella

Ellwood Brooks В., Petruso Karl M., Harrold Francis B. High-resolution Paleoclimatic Trends for the Holocene identifies using Magnetic Susceptibility Data from the Archaelogical Excavations in Caves / Prirjet paleoklimatike të Holocenit të identifikuara me anë të të dhënave manjetike të ndjeshmërisë në kërkimet arkeologjike në shpella. In: Iliria, vol. 29, 1999. pp. 101-117

Radiocarbon and archaeomagnetic dates from Konispol Cave, Albania

Albania, isolated from Europe for nearly half a century, was closed to absolute archaeological dating during that time. New dates from an unusual large cave-site in southern Albania go beyond the single first radiocarbon date published for the country in ANTIQUITY in 1991, and permit the establishment of a radiocarbon and archaeomagnetic sequence. © 1994, Antiquity Publications Ltd. All rights reserved

Site Identification and Correlation Using Geoarchaeological Methods at the Cabeço do Porto Marinho (CPM) Locality, Rio Maior, Portugal

Several geoarchaeological techniques have been employed in evaluating an open-air site within a uniform sand matrix, near Rio Maior, Portugal. Electrical resistivity data, acquired at the Upper Palaeolithic site complex of Cabeço do Porto Marinho (CPM), delineated an important new occupational locus. This result was confirmed, first by auger testing which recovered subsurface artefacts, and then by direct excavation. In addition, 107 samples were recovered at the site for magnetic susceptibility measurements. Comparisons between magnetic susceptibility profiles from two loci, including the new area at CPM, show distinctive patterns which allow direct correlation between the occupation areas. These methods provide quick and inexpensive means for investigators to evaluate new sites or to correlate between and within sites, without resorting to other more time-consuming and expensive techniques. © 1994 Academic Press Limited

The mesolithic of Conispol Cave, Albania / Mezoliti në shpellën e Konispolit, Shqipëri

Harrold Francis B., Rusell Nerissa, Wickens Jere Mark. The mesolithic of Conispol Cave, Albania / Mezoliti në shpellën e Konispolit, Shqipëri. In: Iliria, vol. 40, 2016. pp. 7-38