Gruta Nova da Columbeira (Bombarral, Portugal): Fundplatz-Stratigraphie, Alter der Moustérien-Schichtenfolge, und Schlussfolgerungen für die Chronologie des Aussterbens der Neanderthaler auf der Iberischen Halbinsel

The Gruta Nova da Columbeira is recurrently mentioned in the literature concerning the Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic transition in Iberia as documenting the persistence beyond 30 000 calendar years ago of a Neanderthal-associated Mousterian. This claim is based on conventional radiocarbon dates obtained in the 1960’s and the 1970’s. In order to assess its validity, we undertook archival research to obtain unpublished details concerning the actual composition and chemistry of the dated samples, replicated the dating of samples of the same kind (carbonaceous sediments) and collected in the same deposits from the back of the cave whence came the 1970’s results, and obtained an U-series age estimate for a bone tool from the base of the Mousterian sequence excavated at the entrance of the cave in 1962. We then cross-checked all the stratigraphic and dating information thus assembled against the original field documents. Our results show that (a) the cave entrance sequence formed between MIS-5 and early MIS-3, (b) the deposits at the back of the cave probably formed in the Tardiglacial, and (c) the presence in these deposits of significant amounts of inherited charcoal derived from the entrance area explains the “Early Upper Palaeolithic” (EUP) age determinations obtained for the 1970’s samples. The association of such determinations with the Mousterian has been based on an unwarranted assumption of lateral stratigraphic continuity. While the entrance deposits correspond to an in situ Mousterian sequence, those from the back of the cave are primarily made of clay accumulated under temporary waterlogged conditions, with the few artefacts of Middle Palaeolithic affinities recovered therein being in secondary position. The evidence from Gruta Nova can no longer be used to counter the existence of a late Aurignacian in the region. In southern and western Iberia, the Neandertal-to-modern and Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic transitions occurred no later than about 37 000 years ago.Auf der Grundlage konventioneller Radiokarbondaten aus den 1960er und 1970er Jahren werden Grabungsergebnisse aus der Gruta Nova da Columbeira (Bombarral) in der Fachliteratur auch heute noch verschiedentlich als Beleg für eine zeitliche Überlappung des späten Moustérien mit dem älterem Jungpaläolithikum genannt. Die unerwartet jungen 14C-Daten werden weiterhin als Beleg für eine Fortdauer der Neanderthaler bis in eine Zeit jünger als 30 000 Jahre vor heute herangezogen. Zur Überprüfung dieser Hypothese haben wir zahlreiche historische Dokumente zu den früheren Grabungen, wie auch der 14C-Datierungen, zusammengestellt und einer kritischen Sichtung unterzogen. Mit Hilfe der historischen Grabungsdokumente konnten zahlreichen Details der ursprünglichen Stratigraphie von Gruta Nova rekonstruiert werden. Auf dieser Grundlage wurden dann gezielt Nachuntersuchungen vorgenommen, um Probenmaterial zur erneuten 14C-Datierung aus gleicher stratigraphischer Position zu erhalten. Ferner wurde eine U/Th-Datierung an einem Knochenwerkzeug des Moustérien aus der Basis der Schicht 8 vorgenommen. Die Datierungsergebnisse zeigen, (1) dass es am Höhleneingang tatsächlich Fundschichten mit Artefakten gibt, die zwischen MIS-5 und MIS-3 datieren, aber (2), dass die ursprünglich anhand der 14C-Daten als ein „frühes Jungpaläolithikum“ interpretierten Schichten im rückwärtigen Teil der Höhle wahrscheinlich aus dem Spätglazial und durch Sedimente mit alten Holzkohlen aus dem Eingangsbereich kontaminiert wurden. Wie die Rekonstruktion der stratigraphischen Situation zeigt, gibt es in Gruta Nova — bei den heute nicht mehr akzeptablen 14C-Daten — keine ernstzunehmenden Indizien für die Existenz eines späten Moustérien. Damit liegt auch kein Beleg für einen späten Übergang - nach 37 000 Jahren vor heute - vom Mittel- zum Jungpaläolithikum im südlichen und westlichen Bereich der Iberischen Halbinsel vor

High-resolution isotopic evidence of specialised cattle herding in the European Neolithic.

Peer reviewe

New ages for old paintings: U-Th dating reveals Neanderthal origin of cave paintings

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Leprosy at the edge of Europe-Biomolecular, isotopic and osteoarchaeological findings from medieval Ireland

Relatively little is known of leprosy in Medieval Ireland; as an island located at the far west of Europe it has the potential to provide interesting insights in relation to the historical epidemiology of the disease. To this end the study focuses on five cases of probable leprosy identified in human skeletal remains excavated from inhumation burials. Three of the individuals derived from the cemetery of St Michael Le Pole, Golden Lane, Dublin, while single examples were also identified from Ardreigh, Co. Kildare, and St Patrick's Church, Armoy, Co. Antrim. The individuals were radiocarbon dated and examined biomolecularly for evidence of either of the causative pathogens, M. leprae or M. lepromatosis. Oxygen and strontium isotopes were measured in tooth enamel and rib samples to determine where the individuals had spent their formative years and to ascertain if they had undertaken any recent migrations. We detected M. leprae DNA in the three Golden Lane cases but not in the probable cases from either Ardreigh Co. Kildare or Armoy, Co. Antrim. M. lepromatosis was not detected in any of the burals. DNA preservation was sufficiently robust to allow genotyping of M. leprae strains in two of the Golden Lane burials, SkCXCV (12-13th century) and SkCCXXX (11-13th century). These strains were found to belong on different lineages of the M. leprae phylogenetic tree, namely branches 3 and 2 respectively. Whole genome sequencing was also attempted on these two isolates with a view to gaining further information but poor genome coverage precluded phylogenetic analysis. Data from the biomolecular study was combined with osteological, isotopic and radiocarbon dating to provide a comprehensive and multidisciplinary study of the Irish cases. Strontium and oxygen isotopic analysis indicate that two of the individuals from Golden Lane (SkCXLVIII (10-11th century) and SkCXCV) were of Scandinavian origin, while SkCCXXX may have spent his childhood in the north of Ireland or central Britain. We propose that the Vikings were responsible for introducing leprosy to Ireland. This work adds to our knowledge of the likely origins of leprosy in Medieval Ireland and will hopefully stimulate further research into the history and spread of this ancient disease across the world.</p

A Non-local Source of Irish Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age Gold

Lead isotope analyses of 50 Irish Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age gold artefacts favour a gold source in southern Ireland. However when combined with major element analysis, the artefacts are not consistent with any Irish gold deposit analysed to date. Understanding the lead isotope signatures of ore deposits within a study region allows informed inferences to be drawn regarding the likelihood that an unanalysed ore deposit was exploited in the past. If an Irish gold source is assumed, then the gold is most likely to have originated from deposits hosted by Old Red Sandstone in the Variscan ore field of south-west Ireland. However, based on our current understanding of mineralisation in the region, this scenario is considered unlikely. A non-Irish source for the gold is therefore preferred – a scenario that may favour cosmologically-driven acquisition, ie, the deliberate procurement of a material from distant or esoteric sources. Available geochemical data, combined with current archaeological evidence, favour the alluvial deposits of south-west Britain as the most likely source of the gold.</jats:p

Datación por series de Uranio del grafismo de estilo pre-magdaleniense en Cantabria

El objetivo del proyecto de investigación fue la obtención de fechas absolutas de formaciones de calcita asociadas a figuras paleolíticas de estilo pre-magdaleniense (anteriores a 17000 años 14C BP). La puesta en práctica del proyecto aportó fechas ante quem y post quem de su realización. Desde hace casi dos décadas la aplicación de técnicas analíticas en el estudio del arte rupestre paleolítico está abriendo nuevas vías de reflexión. En cuanto a la cronología, en los últimos años se ha asistido a la datación por radiocarbono mediante el procedimiento del AMS de pequeñas muestras del carbón con el que fueron trazados algunos motivos. Por otro lado, vienen siendo aplicados otros procedimientos (Termoluminiscencia y serie del Uranio) que permiten obtener datos numéricos con carácter contextual (momento ante quem o post quem siempre y cuando las muestras estén en relación directa y superpuestas a las figuras) relativos al momento de realización de figuras grabadas o pintadas con materias no orgánicas. La puesta en marcha de este proyecto de investigación debe ser entendida como innovadora en los estudios del arte rupestre paleolítico, abordándose problemáticas arqueológicas relativas a la periodicidad (en su escala diacrónica) del fenómeno gráfico paleolítico y, más en concreto, a la definición de los caracteres técnicos, formales y estilísticos de las primeras (contexto crono-cultural pre-magdaleniense) obras gráficas de la Humanidad.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

238 U, 232 Th profiling and U-series isotope analysis of fossil teeth by laser ablation-ICPMS

U and Th concentration profiles in fossil hominid and faunal teeth have been measured by laser ablation ICPMS. These profiles record diverse modes of U and Th uptake, particularly within enamel, that can be broadly related to the state of sample preservation. Observed U profiles are in general inconsistent with existing diffusion-adsorption models developed for U-uptake in bone and teeth. Where the models appear applicable, calculated diffusion rates are several orders of magnitude smaller than previous estimates. Laser ablation ICPMS offers a means of rapidly characterizing U and Th distributions in the enamel and dentine components of teeth as a precursor to ESR and U-series dating. In particular, it should allow the identification of teeth (and also bone) samples that have simple U-uptake histories and are amenable to precise dating by time-consuming and expensive Th-U and Pa-U TIMS techniques. We also demonstrated the use of laser ablation ICPMS to measure U-series isotopes in dentine and enamel samples with relatively high U concentrations (> 20 ppm). These results, obtained using a quadrupole ICPMS, illustrate significant promise for in situ U-series isotope analysis, particularly when combined with the greater sensitivity and multi-collection capabilities of new sector ICPMS instrumentation. The latter may permit precise isotope ratio measurements on samples containing only a few ppm of U

U-series dating of calcite accretions associated with Paleolithic rock paintings at the cave of Las Aguas

La datación por la serie del uranio de formaciones de calcita asociadas a pinturas rupestres paleolíticas de la cueva de Las Aguas ha permitido documentar una actividad gráfica reiterada en el tiempo, que descarta la hipótesis de sincronía en la ejecución de este conjunto de arte rupestre. Se constata actividad gráfica en una fecha cercana o anterior a 22.000 años, por tanto, durante o antes del Solutrense superior. Los motivos corresponden a formas rojas, en algunos casos describibles como manchas y en otros posiblemente como formas rectangulares. El grabado de contorno fino y múltiple es posterior a una fase del Gravetiense medio/ inicial.The U-series dating of calcite accretions associated with Paleolithic rock paintings at Cueva de Las Aguas indicates continuous graphic activity through an extended period of time, rejecting the hypothesis that this rock art ensemble was executed synchronically. Red motifs, which in some cases can be described as staining and in others correspond to rectangular forms, are shown to predate the beginning of the Upper Solutrean, 22,000 years ago. Figures engraved with both thin and multiple contour lines are shown to post-date the Initial/ Middle Gravettian.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Reconstructing Neanderthal mobility and range at Gruta da Oliveira, Portugal, using high resolution laser ablation Sr isotope analysis

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio