Filling the gap. Human cranial remains from Gombore II (Melka Kunture, Ethiopia; ca. 850 ka) and the origin of Homo heidelbergensis

African archaic humans dated to around 1,0 Ma share morphological affinities with Homo ergaster and appear distinct in cranio-dental morphology from those of the Middle Pleistocene that are referred to Homo heidelbergensis. This observation suggests a taxonomic and phylogenetic discontinuity in Africa that ranges across the Matuyama/Brunhes reversal (780 ka). Yet, the fossil record between roughly 900 and 600 ka is notoriously poor. In this context, the Early Stone Age site of Gombore II, in the Melka Kunture formation (Upper Awash, Ethiopia), provides a privileged case-study. In the Acheulean layer of Gombore II, somewhat more recent than 875±10 ka, two large cranial fragments were discovered in 1973 and 1975 respectively: a partial left parietal (Melka Kunture 1) and a right portion of the frontal bone (Melka Kunture 2), which probably belonged to the same cranium. We present here the first detailed description and computer-assisted reconstruction of the morphology of the cranial vault pertaining to these fossil fragments. Our analysis suggest that the human fossil specimen from Gombore II fills a phenetic gap between Homo ergaster and Homo heidelbergensis. This appears in agreement with the chronology of such a partial cranial vault, which therefore represents at present one of the best available candidates (if any) for the origin of Homo heidelbergensis in Africa

The prehistory of Melka Kunture (Ethiopia)

A brief history of discoveries and researchesThe site of Melka Kunture was discovered and proposed to the attention of the Ethiopian Archaeological Service for the first time in 1963 by G. Dekker. The same year a French prehistorian archaeologist, G. Bailloud, carried out the first surface surveys and collected important lithic materials and faunal remains. Since 1965, a French-Ethiopian mission directed by Jean Chavaillon faced to the systematic investigation of the Paleolithic site through ..

La préhistoire de Melka Kunturé (Éthiopie)

traduction française, Colette Salem Bref historique des recherchesC'est en 1963 que l'hydrologue hollandais Gérard Dekker attira l'attention du Service des Antiquités d'Addis Abéba sur le site de Melka Kunturé. La même année, G. Bailloud menait les premières recherches en surface, récoltant de nombreux objets façonnés en pierre, ainsi que des restes d'ossements d'animaux.Depuis 1965, une mission franco-éthiopienne, dirigée par Jean Chavaillon, a entrepris des recherches systématiques sur le s..

Téphrostratigraphie et premiers peuplements d'Italie méridionale : les gisements pleistocènes de Loreto et Notarchirico (Venosa, Basilicata, Italia).

La position stratigraphique et chronologique des gisements paléolithiques de Loreto et Notarchirico a été révisée par la mise en oeuvre d'une démarche litho-téphrostratigraphiqueappliquée aux dépôts de l'ensemble du bassin de Venosa dans lequel ont été identifiées trois unités lithostratigraphiques mises en corrélation avec les unités volcano-stratigraphiques identifiées sur l'appareil éruptif du Monte Vulture :: le site de Loreto appartient au Membre C de la Formation de Tufarelle, unité la plus récente du remplissage du bassin, alors que le site de Notarchirico occupe une position stratigraphique plus ancienne, au toit de la Formation de Piano Regio, formations d'âge Pléistocène moyen ancien. L'ensemble des données lithotéphrostratigraphiques, géochronologiques et biochronologiques sont en accord pour proposer un âge Pléistocène moyen ancien, vers 650 ka, pour les unités archéologiques de la base du site de Notarchirico. Le Téphra de Notarchirico, daté vers 640 ± 40 ka, seule retombée directe identifiée et datée avec certitude dans un site préhistorique ancien en Italie méridionale, est un géomarqueur de première importance pour les premiers peuplements de l'Europe méditerranéenne

Les formations volcano-sédimentaires pléistocènes du Bassin de Venosa (Basilicata, Italia): cadre stratigraphique et géochronologique des gisements de Venosa Loreto et Notarchirico

pef disponible en tant que "tiré à part" électronique pour usage scientifique privéLa position stratigraphique et chronologique des gisements paléolithiques de Loreto et Notarchirico a été révisée par la mise en œuvre d'une démarche litho-téphrostratigraphique appliquée à l'ensemble des dépôts du bassin de Venosa mis en corrélation avec l'évolution volcanologique de l'appareil éruptif du Monte Vulture. Le Téphra de Notarchirico , daté vers 640 Ka, est un géomarqueur de première importance des premiers peuplements d'Italie méridionale. L'importance du volcanisme et la variété des faciès éruptifs a autorisé une relecture des différents affleurements et des sites archéologiques et permet de poser la question de l'impact des phénomènes éruptifs sur les environnements naturels et les comportements adaptatifs des groupes humains aux stress occasionnés par les éruptions volcaniques

Hommes et volcans au Pleistocene moyen dans le bassin de Venosa (Basilicata, Italia)

pdf disponible en tant que "tiré à part" électronique pour un usage scientifique privéOur knowledge concerning the most ancient phases of the Southern Italy Early Paleolithic has been greatly increased in the last years through the systematic excavations and studies of the early Middle Pleistocene sites of Notarchirico and Loreto (Venosa, Basilicata, Italy). One of the main conclusions obtained by the lithostratigraphical and tephrostratigraphical identifications has been that the sedimentary events identified in the site of Notarchirico took part in a relatively short period, largely and continuously influenced by the volcanic activity of Monte Vulture, between 740 and 600 ky. The most important palaeoethnological consequence which can be deduced by this conclusion is that the variability observed in the composition and structure of the lithic assemblages from different levels cannot be explained by a phyletic approach but do rather reflect some kind of rapid adaptive answers to moderate climatic fluctuations combined with the locally more significant consequences of the volcanic activity.L'étude des sites du Paléolithique ancien du bassin de Venosa (Notarchirico, Loreto) dans leur cadre litho-téphrostratigraphique montre que la sédimentation dans les sites est intervenue durant une période relativement courte, sous l'influence permanente de l'activité volcanique. La conclusion palethnographique immédiate est que la variabilité des outillages lithiques observée entre les différents niveaux archéologiques peut sans doute être en partie interprêtée comme une expression adaptative aux stress locaux induits par le volcanisme

Genomic and dietary discontinuities during the Mesolithic and Neolithic in Sicily

Sicily is a key region for understanding the agricultural transition in the Mediterranean because of its central position. Here, we present genomic and stable isotopic data for 19 prehistoric Sicilians covering the Mesolithic to Bronze Age periods (10,700-4,100 yBP). We find that Early Mesolithic hunter-gatherers (HGs) from Sicily are a highly drifted lineage of the Early Holocene western European HGs, whereas Late Mesolithic HGs carry ∼20% ancestry related to northern and (south) eastern European HGs, indicating substantial gene flow. Early Neolithic farmers are genetically most similar to farmers from the Balkans and Greece, with only ∼7% of ancestry from local Mesolithic HGs. The genetic discontinuities during the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic match the changes in material culture and diet. Three outlying individuals dated to ∼8,000 yBP; however, suggest that hunter-gatherers interacted with incoming farmers at Grotta dell'Uzzo, resulting in a mixed economy and diet for a brief interlude at the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition.Funding. The Max Planck Society financed the genetic, isotopic, and radiocarbon analyses. S. Talamo has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program (grant agreement No. 803147 RESOLUTION, https://site.unibo.it/resolution-erc/en).Peer reviewe

Applicazione di un GIS intra-site al giacimento paleolitico di Garba IV - Melka Kunture (Etiopia)

Spatial analysis has been widely utilised by Italian archaeologists to obtain territorial information at an inter-site level, but only a few attempts have been made to study the organisation of Early Palaeolithic paleosurfaces. The application presented here concerns the spatial analysis of the Early Palaeolithic site of Garba IV (Melka Kunture, Ethiopia). The excavation of two levels (C and D) over an area of more than 100 square metres has produced several thousand stone tools and faunal remains, which make it possible to attribute the site to the Developed Oldowan period, dated to 1.5/1.4 m.y. The entire set of data, concerning both the taphonomy and the techno-typological study of the lithic and faunal remains from level D, have been inserted in a database system (Microsoft Access and Excel). The plans of the excavation were drawn using Autocad and subsequently imported into the software Maplnfo and associated to the database. The management of the spatial data has been organised in order to meet the following goals: 1) Visualisation of the position and concentration of all the remains of the paleosurface D; 2) possibility of selecting the different classes of lithic materials and faunal remains in order to elaborate plans according to different themes; 3) application of statistical and quantitative methods together with spatial analysis to the study of each square metre of paleosurface D. The statistical and quantitative approach to the study of the frequency and density of particular tool types and faunal remains permit the identification of numerous hidden structures, which are probably related to several functionally differentiated areas of this Oldowan paleosurface

Introduzione alla problematica del Paleolitico inferiore italiano

Il contributo fornisce spunti per una riflessione sulla problematica relativa al Paleolitico inferiore in Itali