Un nouveau faciès lamellaire du début du Paléolithique supérieur dans les Balkans

Après Bacho Kiro et Temnata, la grotte de Kozarnika est la troisième grande séquence pléistocène récemment établie dans la région de l‘est des Balkans. La fouille, menée dans le cadre d’une coopération entre l’Académie bulgare des sciences – Institut d’Archéologie à Sofia et UMR 5199 du CNRS, PACEA - Université Bordeaux 1, a permis la découverte d’une séquence, datant du Paléolithique inférieur (non Acheuléen), Paléolithique moyen (Moustérien - Levallois) et du Paléolithique supérieur, daté entre 39 et 11 Ka BP (Guadelli et al. 2005). Le niveau VII, localisé à la base du Paléolithique supérieur, daté entre 39 et 36 Ka BP a livré une industrie lithique à débitage et outillage lamellaire, inédite à l’échelle régionale. Cet outillage est composé de pièces à dos et à retouche fine, abrupte, et semi-abrupte, parfois bilatérale directe appointant ou alterne. Dénommée “ Kozarnikien ” en attente d’études plus complètes, cette industrie présente des analogies dans la composante lamellaire tant avec l’Ahmarien ancien du Levant qu’avec certains ensembles de proto-Aurignacien au sud de l’Europe. En l’absence d’autres éléments caractéristiques de l’Aurignacien typique, cette industrie montre des tendances technologiques et typologiques dont on trouve la continuité dans les niveaux sus-jacents gravettiens de la séquence. Le Kozarnikien peut donc représenter une étape précoce de formation de technocomplexe lamellaire à pièces à dos. Le Kozarnikien suggère aussi qu’on ne peut plus soutenir le rôle exclusif de l’Aurignacien dans le passage du moustérien européen au Paléolithique supérieur. Il devient de plus en plus évident qu’au tout début de cette transformation, ont été engagées des traditions culturelles différentes et précédant l’Aurignacien.With Bacho Kiro and Temnata, Kozranika cave is the third major pleistocene sequence recently investigated in the Eastern Balkans. Excavations, conducted in collaboration of the Bulgarian Academy of sciences-National Institute of Archaeology at Sofia and the University of Bordeaux 1- Institute of Prehistory and Quaternary Geology –CNRS, PACEA, UMR 5199, revealed a sequence starting with non-Acheulean Lower Palaeolithic (LP), Levaloisian Moustérian Middle Palaeolithic (MP) and Upper Palaeolithic(UP) dated between 39 Ky BP and 11 Ky BP (Guadelli et al. 2005). Level VII, at the base of the UP (39-36 Ky BP) contains an assemblage locally unknown, characterized by a bladelet technology and tools made on bladelets: regular backed pieces and bladelets with thin, abrupt or semi-abrupt, often bilateral convergent or alternate retouch. Named temporarily “ Kozarnikian ” awaiting for further studies, this assemblage shows some analogies with the archaic Ahmarian from Levant and South-European Proto-Aurignacian as well. Given the lack of diagnostic artefacts of typical Aurignacian, this assemblage shows technological and typological tendencies observed in the overlaying Gravettian industries. The Kozarnikian might be considered as a possible precursor of technocomplexes with bladelet technology and backed pieces and thus,suggesting that the role of Aurignacian in transition between the European Mousterian and the UP is not unique nor exclusive. It becomes more and more obvious that, at the beginning of this transformation, preceding the Aurignacian, different cultural traditions where involved

Subarctic climate for the earliest Homo sapiens in Europe

Acknowledgments The re-excavation of Bacho Kiro Cave was jointly conducted by the National Institute of Archaeology with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia and the Department of Human Evolution at the MPI-EVA. We would like to thank the National Museum of Natural History (Sofia), the Archaeology Department at the New Bulgarian University (Sofia), the Regional Museum of History in Gabrovo, and the History Museum in Dryanovo for assistance on this project and the opportunity to study the Bacho Kiro Cave faunal material. We would like to thank M. Trost, S. Hesse, M. Kaniecki, and P. Dittmann (MPI-EVA) for technical assistance during stable isotope sample preparation. S. Steinbrenner is thanked for technical assistance with TC/EA-IRMS maintenance. Thanks are also due to H. Temming and U. Schwarz (MPI-EVA) for the production of microCT scans and replicas of the sample materials. We would also like to acknowledge the assistance of to D. Veres with taking OSL samples. Last but not least we would like to thank the handling editor, S. Ortman, as well as three anonymous reviewers for their thoughtful comments that greatly improved this manuscript. Funding: The field work was financed by the Max Planck Society. The stable isotope work was funded by the Max Planck Society as part of S.P.’s doctoral project. S.P. was supported by the Max Planck Society and the University of Aberdeen. K.B. was supported by a Philip Leverhulme Prize from The Leverhulme Trust (PLP-2019-284). N.B.’s work was supported as part of a grant by the German Research Foundation (“PALÄODIET” Project 378496604). V.A. was supported by a grant from the Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal (IF/01157/2015/CP1308/CT0002). Author contributions: The study was devised by S.P., K.B., S.P.M., J.-J.H., and T.T. Archaeological excavation was undertaken by N.S. and T.T. in collaboration with Z.R. and S.P.M. who all contributed contextual information. V.A. collected sedimentological data at the site and untertook micromorphological investigations that provided information on site formation for this study. Zooarchaeological and paleontological analyses were performed by G.M.S. and R.S. OSL dating was carried out by T.L. Radiocarbon dating and recalibration of radiocarbon dates were conducted by H.F. MC-ICPMS analysis was conducted by N.B. and S.P. Sampling, sample processing for oxygen and strontium stable isotope analysis, and TC/EA-IRMS analysis were carried out by S.P. Code and data analyses were written and conducted by S.P. N.-H.T. consulted on statistical analysis and coding. S.P. wrote the paper with input from all authors. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Data and materials availability: All data needed to evaluate the conclusions in the paper are present in the paper and/or the Supplementary Materials.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Identifying the unidentified fauna enhances insights into hominin subsistence strategies during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition

Understanding Palaeolithic hominin subsistence strategies requires the comprehensive taxonomic identification of faunal remains. The high fragmentation of Late Pleistocene faunal assemblages often prevents proper taxonomic identification based on bone morphology. It has been assumed that the morphologically unidentifiable component of the faunal assemblage would reflect the taxonomic abundances of the morphologically identified portion. In this study, we analyse three faunal datasets covering the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition (MUPT) at Bacho Kiro Cave (Bulgaria) and Les Cottés and La Ferrassie (France) with the application of collagen type I peptide mass fingerprinting (ZooMS). Our results emphasise that the fragmented component of Palaeolithic bone assemblages can differ significantly from the morphologically identifiable component. We obtain contrasting identification rates between taxa resulting in an overrepresentation of morphologically identified reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and an underrepresentation of aurochs/bison (Bos/Bison) and horse/European ass (Equus) at Les Cottés and La Ferrassie. Together with an increase in the relative diversity of the faunal composition, these results have implications for the interpretation of subsistence strategies during a period of possible interaction between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens in Europe. Furthermore, shifts in faunal community composition and in carnivore activity suggest a change in the interaction between humans and carnivores across the MUPT and indicate a possible difference in site use between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. The combined use of traditional and biomolecular methods allows (zoo)archaeologists to tackle some of the methodological limits commonly faced during the morphological assessment of Palaeolithic bone assemblages

Les débuts du Paléolithique supérieur dans l'Est des Balkans. Réflexion à partir de l'étude taphonomique et techno-économique des ensembles lithiques des sites de Bacho Kiro (couche 11), Temnata (couches VI et 4) et Kozarnika (niveau VII)

The subject of this work, “The debut of the Upper Paleolithic in the East Balkans: A taphonomic and techoeconomic analysis of Bacho Kiro (level 11), Temnata (levels VI and 4) and Kozarnika (layer VII)”, presents a thorough documentation and critical analysis of these three important sites located in northern Bulgaria. The archaeological assemblages studied, dated by 14C to between 45 and 32 kyr, have been at the core of discussions concerning the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition which witnessed the disappearance of the Neanderthals and the dispersal of the first anatomically modern humans into Europe. Situated between the Near East and Europe, these Balkan sites would have played a crucial role in the passage of these early anatomically modern human groups into western Europe. Furthermore, these sites are often interpreted as representing the oldest manifestations of the Aurignacian (Bacho-Kirian), a techno-complex traditionally associated with the arrival of early modern humans and considered as the first Upper Paleolithic techno-complex whose distinct character would have been established ‘on route' towards the west. The aim of this study is to test this model, accepted by many researchers for over 20 years, based on a consideration of new evidence and a thorough re-analysis of relevant older material. An integration of the lithic assemblages from Bacho Kiro and Temnata as part of the technological innovations and marked variability of the end of the Central European and Near Eastern Middle Paleolithic is favored over their traditional association or attribution with or to the ‘Aurignacian'. The third site considered within the framework of this study, and still in the course of excavation, has produced a novel bladelet industry previously unknown in the Balkan region. This industry, known as the Kozarnikian ancien and up until recently consider more readily comparable with the Gravettian, strongly differs from Bacho Kiro and Temnata, most notably in the production of bladelets intended to be employed in long-distance hunting. The techno-economic characteristics of this novel assemblage demonstrates that the Kozarnikien ancien ought to be integrated as an element of variability seen in the oldest bladelet industries which developed in south-western Eurasia between 38 000 and 36 000 BP, most notably the Ahmarian of the Near East and the proto-Aurignacian of southwest Europe.Taking into account the available evidence, this study, in the first case, demonstrates that the origin of the Aurignacian, if such a concept, generally speaking, can be said to truly corresponds to anthropological reality, is probably not in the Balkans, and, secondly, that the Middle Paleolithic of the Balkans demonstrates tendencies which indicate an autonomous development of the Upper Paleolithic in the region.Ce travail de thèse intitulé : « Les débuts du Paléolithique supérieur dans l'Est de Balkans. Réflexion à partir des études taphonomique et techno-économique des ensembles lithiques des sites de Bacho Kiro (couche 11), Temnata (couches VI et 4) et Kozarnika (niveau VII) » consiste en un bilan documentaire et une critique concernant les industries lithiques des trois gisements de référence, situés sur le territoire actuel de la Bulgarie du Nord. Les ensembles archéologiques étudiés, datés par 14C entre 45 000 et 31 000 BP, sont au coeur des discussions concernant la transition du Paléolithique moyen au Paléolithique supérieur, qui voit la disparition des Néandertaliens et l'apparition des premiers Hommes anatomiquement modernes en Europe. Localisés entre le Proche-Orient et l'Europe, les sites balkaniques jouissent d'une position privilégiée dans les voies de passages qu'ont pu emprunter les Hommes anatomiquement modernes dans leur peuplement de l'Eurasie. De plus, ces sites ont souvent été interprétés comme les plus anciennes manifestations de l'Aurignacien (le « Bachokirien »), habituellement associé à l'arrivée de l'Homme moderne, premier technocomplexe du Paléolithique supérieur, dont les caractères auraient ainsi été acquis « au cours de la route » vers l'ouest. Ce modèle est accepté par de nombreux archéologues depuis plus de 20 ans. Cette thèse a consisté à le tester. L'attribution culturelle des ensembles lithiques de Bacho Kiro et de Temnata à la mouvance aurignacienne a été remise en cause, au profit d'un rattachement aux traditions techniques innovantes et hautement variables de la fin du Paléolithique moyen centre européen et proche oriental. Le troisième site étudié, en cours de fouille a livré une industrie inédite à l'échelle régionale. Cette industrie, appelée « Kozarnikien ancien », et jusqu'à présent rapprochée plutôt du Gravettien, se caractérise par la production des armatures lamellaires destinée à la chasse à longue distance. Ses caractéristiques technoéconomiques montrent que le Kozarnikien ancien s'intègre comme un élément de la variabilité des plus anciennes industries lamellaires qui se développent dans le Sud-Ouest de l'Eurasie entre 38 000 et 36 000 BP, comme notamment l'Ahmarien ancien et l'Aurignacien archaïque du pourtour méditerranéen. Compte tenu des données disponibles, ces résultats montrent que d'une part l'origine de l'Aurignacien, si ce concept correspond vraiment à une réalité anthropologique au sens large, n'est probablement pas balkanique, et que d'autre part, le Paléolithique moyen dans cette région montre des tendances à un développement autonome vers le Paléolithique supérieur

Les débuts du Paléolithique supérieur dans l'Est des Balkans (Réflexion à partir de l'étude taphonomique et techno-économique des ensembles lithiques des sites de Bacho Kiro (couche 11), Temnata (couches VI et 4) et Kozarnika (niveau VII))

Ce travail de thèse intitulé: Les débuts du Paléolithique supérieur dans l Est de Balkans. Réflexion à partir des études taphonomique et techno-économique des ensembles lithiques des sites de Bacho Kiro (couche 11), Temnata (couches VI et 4) et Kozarnika (niveau VII) consiste en un bilan documentaire et une critique concernant les industries lithiques des trois gisements de référence, situés sur le territoire actuel de la Bulgarie du Nord. Les ensembles archéologiques étudiés, datés par 14C entre 45 000 et 31 000 BP, sont au cœur des discussions concernant la transition du Paléolithique moyen au Paléolithique supérieur, qui voit la disparition des Néandertaliens et l apparition des premiers Hommes anatomiquement modernes en Europe. Localisés entre le Proche-Orient et l Europe, les sites balkaniques jouissent d une position privilégiée dans les voies de passages qu ont pu emprunter les Hommes anatomiquement modernes dans leur peuplement de l Eurasie. De plus, ces sites ont souvent été interprétés comme les plus anciennes manifestations de l Aurignacien (le Bachokirien ), habituellement associé à l arrivée de l Homme moderne, premier technocomplexe du Paléolithique supérieur, dont les caractères auraient ainsi été acquis au cours de la route vers l ouest. Ce modèle est accepté par de nombreux archéologues depuis plus de 20 ans. Cette thèse a consisté à le tester. L attribution culturelle des ensembles lithiques de Bacho Kiro et de Temnata à la mouvance aurignacienne a été remise en cause, au profit d un rattachement aux traditions techniques innovantes et hautement variables de la fin du Paléolithique moyen centre européen et proche oriental. Le troisième site étudié, en cours de fouille a livré une industrie inédite à l échelle régionale. Cette industrie, appelée Kozarnikien ancien , et jusqu à présent rapprochée plutôt du Gravettien, se caractérise par la production des armatures lamellaires destinée à la chasse à longue distance. Ses caractéristiques techno-économiques montrent que le Kozarnikien ancien s intègre comme un élément de la variabilité des plus anciennes industries lamellaires qui se développent dans le Sud-Ouest de l Eurasie entre 38 000 et 36 000 BP, comme notamment l Ahmarien ancien et l Aurignacien archaïque du pourtour méditerranéen. Compte tenu des données disponibles, ces résultats montrent que d une part l origine de l Aurignacien, si ce concept correspond vraiment à une réalité anthropologique au sens large, n est probablement pas balkanique, et que d autre part, le Paléolithique moyen dans cette région montre des tendances à un développement autonome vers le Paléolithique supérieur.BORDEAUX1-BU Sciences-Talence (335222101) / SudocSudocFranceF

Le Paléolithique en Bulgarie.

Invité par l'Association le Chaînon Manquan

Early evidence of San material culture represented by organic artifacts from Border Cave, South Africa

International audienceRecent archaeological discoveries have revealed that pigment use, beads, engravings, and sophisticated stone and bone tools were already present in southern Africa 75,000 y ago. Many of these artifacts disappeared by 60,000 y ago, suggesting that modern behavior appeared in the past and was subsequently lost before becoming firmly established. Most archaeologists think that San hunter-gatherer cultural adaptation emerged 20,000 y ago. However, reanalysis of organic artifacts from Border Cave, South Africa, shows that the Early Later Stone Age inhabitants of this cave used notched bones for notational purposes, wooden digging sticks, bone awls, and bone points similar to those used by San as arrowheads. A point is decorated with a spiral groove filled with red ochre, which closely parallels similar marks that San make to identify their arrowheads when hunting. A mixture of beeswax, Euphorbia resin, and possibly egg, wrapped in vegetal fibers, dated to similar to 40,000 BP, may have been used for hafting. Ornaments include marine shell beads and ostrich eggshell beads, directly dated to similar to 42,000 BP. A digging stick, dated to similar to 39,000 BP, is made of Flueggea virosa. A wooden poison applicator, dated to similar to 24,000 BP, retains residues with ricinoleic acid, derived from poisonous castor beans. Reappraisal of radiocarbon age estimates through Bayesian modeling, and the identification of key elements of San material culture at Border Cave, places the emergence of modern hunter-gatherer adaptation, as we know it, to similar to 44,000 y ago

Early evidence of San material culture represented by organic artifacts from Border Cave, South Africa

Recent archaeological discoveries have revealed that pigment use, beads, engravings, and sophisticated stone and bone tools were already present in southern Africa 75,000 y ago. Many of these artifacts disappeared by 60,000 y ago, suggesting that modern behavior appeared in the past and was subsequently lost before becoming firmly established. Most archaeologists think that San hunter–gatherer cultural adaptation emerged 20,000 y ago. However, reanalysis of organic artifacts from Border Cave, South Africa, shows that the Early Later Stone Age inhabitants of this cave used notched bones for notational purposes, wooden digging sticks, bone awls, and bone points similar to those used by San as arrowheads. A point is decorated with a spiral groove filled with red ochre, which closely parallels similar marks that San make to identify their arrowheads when hunting. A mixture of beeswax, Euphorbia resin, and possibly egg, wrapped in vegetal fibers, dated to ∼40,000 BP, may have been used for hafting. Ornaments include marine shell beads and ostrich eggshell beads, directly dated to ∼42,000 BP. A digging stick, dated to ∼39,000 BP, is made of Flueggea virosa. A wooden poison applicator, dated to ∼24,000 BP, retains residues with ricinoleic acid, derived from poisonous castor beans. Reappraisal of radiocarbon age estimates through Bayesian modeling, and the identification of key elements of San material culture at Border Cave, places the emergence of modern hunter–gatherer adaptation, as we know it, to ∼44,000 y ago

Early evidence of San material culture represented by organic artifacts from Border Cave, South Africa

Recent archaeological discoveries have revealed that pigment use, beads, engravings, and sophisticated stone and bone tools were already present in southern Africa 75,000 y ago. Many of these artifacts disappeared by 60,000 y ago, suggesting that modern behavior appeared in the past and was subsequently lost before becoming firmly established. Most archaeologists think that San hunter–gatherer cultural adaptation emerged 20,000 y ago. However, reanalysis of organic artifacts from Border Cave, South Africa, shows that the Early Later Stone Age inhabitants of this cave used notched bones for notational purposes, wooden digging sticks, bone awls, and bone points similar to those used by San as arrowheads. A point is decorated with a spiral groove filled with red ochre, which closely parallels similar marks that San make to identify their arrowheads when hunting. A mixture of beeswax, Euphorbia resin, and possibly egg, wrapped in vegetal fibers, dated to ∼40,000 BP, may have been used for hafting. Ornaments include marine shell beads and ostrich eggshell beads, directly dated to ∼42,000 BP. A digging stick, dated to ∼39,000 BP, is made of Flueggea virosa. A wooden poison applicator, dated to ∼24,000 BP, retains residues with ricinoleic acid, derived from poisonous castor beans. Reappraisal of radiocarbon age estimates through Bayesian modeling, and the identification of key elements of San material culture at Border Cave, places the emergence of modern hunter–gatherer adaptation, as we know it, to ∼44,000 y ago

The effect of eraser sampling for proteomic analysis on Palaeolithic bone surface microtopography

Bone surface modifications are crucial for understanding human subsistence and dietary behaviour, and can inform about the techniques employed in the production and use of bone tools. Permission to destructively sample such unique artefacts is not always granted. The recent development of non-destructive proteomic extraction techniques has provided some alternatives for the analysis of rare and culturally significant artefacts, including bone tools and personal ornaments. The Eraser Extraction Method (EEM), first developed for ZooMS analysis of parchment, has recently been applied to bone and ivory specimens. To test the potential impact of the EEM on ancient bone surfaces, we analyse six anthropogenically modified Palaeolithic bone specimens from Bacho Kiro Cave (Bulgaria) through a controlled sampling experiment using qualitative and 3D quantitative microscopy. Although the overall bone topography is generally preserved, our findings demonstrate a slight flattening of the microtopography alongside the formation of micro-striations associated with the use of the eraser for all bone specimens. Such modifications are similar to ancient use-wear traces. We therefore consider the EEM a destructive sampling approach for Palaeolithic bone surfaces. Together with low ZooMS success rates in some of the reported studies, the EEM might not be a suitable approach to taxonomically identify Pleistocene bone specimens