Landscape preservation under post‐European settlement alluvium in the south‐eastern Australian tablelands, inferred from portable OSL reader data

Human land‐use changes leading to widespread erosion and gully incision have been well studied, but the effects that erosion and sediment mixing, which accompany the deposition of post‐(European) settlement alluvium (PSA), have in valley bottoms and wetlands receive considerably less attention. PSA overlying pre‐disturbance swampy meadow (SM) wetland sediments is commonly exposed along incised stream channel gully walls throughout the south‐eastern Australian Tablelands, providing an ideal setting in which to assess and understand better how PSA deposition affects valley bottoms and the wetland environments that often occupy them. Portable optically stimulated luminescence (pOSL) reader data were measured on bulk sediment samples from SM‐PSA stratigraphies at 16 locations throughout the south‐eastern Australian Tablelands to assess the effects of erosion and sediment mixing at the SM‐PSA boundary. Trends of pOSL data with depth at each profile were used in conjunction with visual profile descriptions to identify the stratigraphic boundary between SM and PSA sediment and to infer the degree of valley bottom erosion and sediment mixing during PSA deposition. At most sites, SM sediments experienced minimal, if any, disturbance during PSA deposition, and we refer to these as non‐eroded sites. Many sites, however, experienced a significant degree of erosion and sediment mixing – eroded sites – often corresponding to visually diffuse sedimentary boundaries between the two stratigraphic units. Our findings demonstrate that SM landscapes in the Tablelands can be preserved with minimal disturbance under PSA at non‐eroded sites and are preserved beneath a mixing zone at all eroded sites. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134129/1/esp3942.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134129/2/esp3942_am.pd

Speleological and environmental history of Lida Ajer cave, western Sumatra

Some of the earliest evidence for the presence of modern humans in rainforests has come from the fossil deposits of Lida Ajer in Sumatra. Two human teeth from this cave were estimated to be 73–63 thousand years old, which is significantly older than some estimates of modern human migration out of Africa based on genetic data. The deposits were interpreted as being associated with a rainforest environment based largely on the presence of abundant orangutan fossils. As well as the main fossil-bearing chamber, fossil-bearing passages are present below a sinkhole, although the relationship between the different fossil deposits has only been tenuously established. Here, we provide significant new sedimentological, geochronological and palaeoecological data aimed at reconstructing the speleological and environmental history of the cave and the clastic and fossil deposits therein. Our data suggest that the Lida Ajer fossils were deposited during Marine Isotope Stage 4, with fossils from the lower passages older than the main fossil chamber. Our use of stable carbon and oxygen isotope analyses of mammalian tooth enamel demonstrates that early humans probably occupied a closed-canopy forest very similar to those present in the region today, although the fossil orangutans may have occupied a slightly different niche. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Tropical forests in the deep human past’

Late Pleistocene mammalian assemblages of Southeast Asia: New dating, mortality profiles and evolution of the predator-prey relationships in an environmental context

Karstic sites have great potential for yielding data regarding changes in faunal communities in the Pleistocene of Southeast Asia. In this region, the majority of fossil-bearing deposits are karstic breccias, which generally demonstrate a complicated sedimentary history. While most of the mammalian assemblages recovered in these deposits are only composed of isolated teeth, their study remains essential for reconstructing paleoecology and paleoclimatology of the region. We analyzed the assemblages recovered in three mainland and two insular karstic sites: Tam Hang South and Nam Lot in northern Laos, Duoi U'Oi in northern Vietnam, Punung in central Java and Sibrambang in western Sumatra and obtained new chronologies for three of these sites so that their significance could be discussed within their correct chronological context. The resulting age ranges place the sites in MIS5 and M1S4. The comparative analysis of the faunas, in terms of taphonomy, taxonomic diversity and abundance, and mortality profiles (Cervus unicolor, Sus scrofa, Sus vittatus, rhinocerotids and Tapirus indicus), reveals marked differences in prey-predators (carnivores and/or humans) relationships in relation to habitat. The study of homininesbearing sites (Punung, Nam Lot, Duoi U'Oi) allows us to emphasize different interactions with large carnivores (felids, hyaenids, canids). (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

A reassessment of the early archaeological record at Leang Burung 2, a Late Pleistocene rock-shelter site on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi

This paper presents a reassessment of the archaeological record at Leang Burung 2, a key early human occupation site in the Late Pleistocene of Southeast Asia. Excavated originally by Ian Glover in 1975, this limestone rock-shelter in the Maros karsts of Sulawesi, Indonesia, has long held significance in our understanding of early human dispersals into \u27Wallacea\u27, the vast zone of oceanic islands between continental Asia and Australia. We present new stratigraphic information and dating evidence from Leang Burung 2 collected during the course of our excavations at this site in 2007 and 2011-13. Our findings suggest that the classic Late Pleistocene modern human occupation sequence identified previously at Leang Burung 2, and proposed to span around 31,000 to 19,000 conventional 14C years BP (~35-24 ka cal BP), may actually represent an amalgam of reworked archaeological materials. Sources for cultural materials of mixed ages comprise breccias from the rear wall of the rock-shelter-remnants of older, eroded deposits dated to 35-23 ka cal BP-and cultural remains of early Holocene antiquity. Below the upper levels affected by the mass loss of Late Pleistocene deposits, our deep-trench excavations uncovered evidence for an earlier hominin presence at the site. These findings include fossils of now-extinct proboscideans and other \u27megafauna\u27 in stratified context, as well as a cobble-based stone artifact technology comparable to that produced by late Middle Pleistocene hominins elsewhere on Sulawesi

A reassessment of the early archaeological record at Leang Burung 2, a Late Pleistocene rock-shelter site on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi

This paper presents a reassessment of the archaeological record at Leang Burung 2, a key early human occupation site in the Late Pleistocene of Southeast Asia. Excavated originally by Ian Glover in 1975, this limestone rock-shelter in the Maros karsts of Sulawesi, Indonesia, has long held significance in our understanding of early human dispersals into 'Wallacea', the vast zone of oceanic islands between continental Asia and Australia. We present new stratigraphic information and dating evidence from Leang Burung 2 collected during the course of our excavations at this site in 2007 and 2011-13. Our findings suggest that the classic Late Pleistocene modern human occupation sequence identified previously at Leang Burung 2, and proposed to span around 31,000 to 19,000 conventional 14C years BP (~35-24 ka cal BP), may actually represent an amalgam of reworked archaeological materials. Sources for cultural materials of mixed ages comprise breccias from the rear wall of the rock-shelter-remnants of older, eroded deposits dated to 35-23 ka cal BP-and cultural remains of early Holocene antiquity. Below the upper levels affected by the mass loss of Late Pleistocene deposits, our deep-trench excavations uncovered evidence for an earlier hominin presence at the site. These findings include fossils of now-extinct proboscideans and other 'megafauna' in stratified context, as well as a cobble-based stone artifact technology comparable to that produced by late Middle Pleistocene hominins elsewhere on Sulawesi

Reconstructing the Quaternary landscape evolution and climate history of western Flores: an environmental and chronological context for an archaeological site

The recent discovery of a late-surviving new human species, Homo floresiensis, in western Flores has accentuated our lack of understanding of the history of the genus Homo in Asia and of the environmental challenges that may have influenced these hominins. Western Flores contains a wealth of archaeological and palaeoanthropological material with far-reaching implications for human evolution and for Indonesian, Australian and world archaeology. But the interpretation of this evidence has been hindered by a limited Quaternary context and age control for complex stratigraphies in a region of great geological instability and widespread environmental change. Liang Bua in western Flores is a key site in the Indonesian archaeological record, providing evidence of cave occupation by Homo floresiensis and Homo sapiens, and human evolution and dispersal on the eastern side of Wallace’s Line. In this study, archaeologically-relevant information has been gleaned from an interdisciplinary approach to the analysis of this site, and has established the timing of key events, such as the first exposure of the cave and the nature of, and influences on, human occupation of the cave. This approach incorporated studies of landscape evolution, river terrace and cave development, sedimentology of cave sediments, palaeoclimate signals in speleothems, and a dating strategy utilising novel approaches to luminescence dating. The research reported here provides a chronological and environmental backdrop to the human occupation of Liang Bua. A maximum age of cave occupation is shown to correspond to the time of cave exposure (~190 ka), which also represents a minimum age for the human habitation of the area. In addition, this study has established an age range for the occupation of the cave by Homo floresiensis (95–11 ka), the time of the most intensive phases of occupation (74–61 and 17–11 ka), the depositional age of the holotype skeleton (36–14 ka), and the age of the oldest human skeletal remains found on Flores (95–74 ka). Through the integration of techniques, a framework for terrace development and landscape evolution has been developed to establish the Quaternary Westaway, setting in which the cave was formed and evolved. These techniques have also defined a sequence of geomorphological and sedimentological changes in the cave, enabling the reconstruction of the occupational environment. At least two zones of occupation have been identified: a zone established ~74–61 ka, and a later zone established ~18 ka. The environmental backdrop for the arrival and dispersal of humans throughout Indonesia has been established via a palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental analysis of speleothem records. These records contain evidence of multiple wet phases (110–98, 82–65, 49–39 and 17–5 ka) and a flourishing fauna. The timing of these wet phases correlate with evidence for channel and flowstone formation, episodic erosion events, and the most intensive periods of occupation in the cave. There is also evidence for a prolonged period of reduced rainfall (36–17 ka) in an organic-poor environment, the timing of which correlates with evidence of reduced erosion, pooling and less intense occupation. These correlations suggest that the occupational success of Homo floresiensis in this area was related to the contemporaneous environmental conditions, which, combined with the evidence for at least two volcanic events (one of which may have forced human migration), establish a link between hominids and their environment. The results of this research indicate the value of using an interdisciplinary approach to investigate and interpret archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. By providing an environmental and chronological context for important archaeological finds, we can develop a better understanding of the prehistory of Homo in Asia

Walking with hobbits: an insider\u27s view of the discovery at Liang Bua

Startling archaeological and palaeoanthropological discoveries tend to generate a wealth of responses from different social and professional groups. The recent discovery of a \u27hobbit\u27 generated a response from academic institutions, the media and the general public that was unexpected, but at the same time very indicative of how human beings perceive themselves. By reviewing how this find has impacted on these three groups, a mixture of emotions is revealed: disbelief, horror, intrigue and fascination. But can science, especially science in Indonesia, benefit from this period of intense scrutiny and interest brought about by the most important, albeit disputed, find of the last 100 years

Illuminating Southeast Asian Prehistory: New Archaeological and Paleoanthropological Frontiers for Luminescence Dating

Since the explorations of Alfred Russel Wallace and Eugene Dubois in the nineteenth century, Southeast Asia has been one of the world's focal points for studies of biogeography and biodiversity, human evolution and dispersal, environmental change, and the spread of culture, farming, and language. Yet despite its prominence, reliable chronologies are not available for many of the critical archaeological, evolutionary, and environmental turning points that have taken place in the region during the last 1.5 million years. In this paper, we discuss some of these chronological problems and describe how luminescence dating may help overcome them. "Luminescence dating" is a term that embraces the techniques of thermoluminescence (TL) and optical dating, which can be used to estimate the time elapsed since ubiquitous mineral grains, such as quartz and potassium feldspar, were last heated to a high temperature or were last exposed to sunlight. Luminescence methods have been successfully deployed at late Quaternary archaeological, paleoanthropological, and geological sites around the world, but not to any great extent in Southeast Asia. Here we describe the principles of TL and optical dating and some of the difficulties that are likely to arise in dating the volcanic minerals found throughout the region. We also outline several long-standing archaeological and paleoanthropological questions that are the subject of a current program of luminescence dating in Southeast Asia, and present recent dating results from Liang Bua in Indonesia and Bukit Bunuh in Malaysia. KEYWORDS: luminescence dating, archaeology, paleoanthropology, Quaternary, Southeast Asia, Liang Bua, Bukit Bunuh

"The Hobbit Hunter" A tribute to Mike Morwood

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Determining the burial age of the Ngandong palaeoanthropological site stratigraphy : an application of red thermoluminescence (RTL) dating methods

The Ngandong palaeoanthropological site in Central Java, Indonesia is located on an abandoned fluvial terrace 20 meters above the Solo River. The site is composed of sandy fluvial deposits ranging from two to four meters thick that contain two distinct stratigraphic layers rich in vertebrate fossils. Dutch Geological Survey excavations from 1931 to 1933 uncovered approximately 25,000 vertebrate fossils from these layers, including twelve crania and two tibiae that were identified as being from Homo erectus. Homo erectus fossils have been uncovered elsewhere along the Solo River at sites Sambungmacan and Trinil, but the Ngandong specimens have attracted special attention from paleoanthropologists because of their unique and seemingly modern cranial morphology. Recent (27-46 ka) ages have been measured from associated bovid tooth enamel via electron spin resonance (ESR) dating, but these ages have not been corroborated by other dating methods and the age relationship between the bovid and H. erectus fossils within the Ngandong assemblage is unknown. This study seeks to determine the minimum age of the Ngandong Homo erectus by dating the burial of the sandy fluvial deposits associated with the fossiliferous layers. Preliminary optically-stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of sands from Ngandong indicated poor natural signal response on the blue wavelength. Because the sands are sourced from the volcanic range in southern Java, the natural luminescence signal is strongest on the red wavelength; therefore, the red thermoluminescence (RTL) dating method with the dual-aliquot protocol is most accurate for determining the burial age of these sediments. Presented here are the challenges and results of dating the volcanic quartz from Ngandong with these methods.1 page(s