Deglacial landscapes and the Late Upper Palaeolithic of Switzerland

The presence of people in Switzerland in recently deglaciated landscapes after the Last Glacial Maximum represents human utilisation of newly available environments. Understanding these landscapes and the resources available to the people who exploited them is key to understanding not only Late Upper Palaeolithic settlement in Switzerland, but more broadly human behavioural ecology in newly inhabited environmental settings. By applying bone collagen stable isotope analysis (δ13C, δ15N and δ34S) to faunal remains from Late Upper Palaeolithic localities in Switzerland, we investigate animal ecology and environmental conditions during periods of human occupation. High and relatively uniform δ34S values indicate that landscapes north of the Jura Mountains provided comparatively stable environmental conditions, while lower and more variable δ34S values on the Swiss Plateau suggest a dynamic landscape with diverse hydrological and pedological conditions, potentially linked to regionally different patterns of permafrost thaw. This contrasts with the archaeological record that appears relatively uniform between the two regions, suggesting people were employing similar subsistence behaviours across a range of environmental settings. The pattern of change in δ15N across the deglacial period appears consistent between areas that remained ice-free throughout the LGM and those that were glaciated. Most notable is a period of exclusively low δ15N values between 15,200 and 14,800 cal. BP, which could relate a regional expansion of floral biomass in response to environmental change

Examination of Late Palaeolithic archaeological sites in northern Europe for the preservation of cryptotephra layers

We report the first major study of cryptotephra (non-visible volcanic ash layers) on Late Palaeolithic archaeological sites in northern Europe. Examination of 34 sites dating from the Last Termination reveals seven with identifiable cryptotephra layers. Preservation is observed in minerogenic and organic deposits, although tephra is more common in organic sediments. Cryptotephra layers normally occur stratigraphically above or below the archaeology. Nearby off-site palaeoclimate archives (peat bogs and lakes <0.3 km distant) were better locations for detecting tephra. However in most cases the archaeology can only be correlated indirectly with such cryptotephras. Patterns affecting the presence/absence of cryptotephra include geographic position of sites relative to the emitting volcanic centre; the influence of past atmospherics on the quantity, direction and patterns of cryptotephra transport; the nature and timing of local site sedimentation; sampling considerations and subsequent taphonomic processes. Overall, while tephrostratigraphy has the potential to improve significantly the chronology of such sites many limiting factors currently impacts the successful application

Neue Erkenntnisse zur Lebensweise in der späten Eiszeit aus dem Käsloch, der Kastelhöhle und der Rislisberghöhle

Betr. Höhlen in der Nordwestschweiz in den Gemeinden Hofstetten/Flüh, Himmelried, Brislac

The Magdalenian in Switzerland: re-colonization of a newly accessible landscape

During the last glacial maximum, Switzerland was almost entirely covered with ice. However, in the ice-free region situated less than 50 km north of the glaciers, human occupation is confirmed as early as23,000 cal BP. Numerous sedimentary sequences in lakes and mires have produced a wealth of proxy data indicating that environmental conditions improved rapidly after the melting of the glaciers that liberated the Swiss Plateau at least at c. 17,500 cal BP, offering severe but possible life conditions to plant, animal and human communities. Contrary to what has long been the prevailing opinion, Magdalenian recolonization of Switzerland did not start with the onset of the warming of Greenland Interstadial 1e, but well before. According to most of the recently obtained AMS dates, the Magdalenian occupation falls within the cold, treeless, environment of the Oldest Dryas period; it is even conceivable that it did not extend into Greenland Interstadial 1e. More than 50 sites, among which famous caves and rockshelters such as Kesslerloch and Schweizersbild, as well as large open-air campsites like Monruz and Moosbühl, have produced different techno-assemblages that find good comparisons in the rest of Europe. In contrast to the exploitation of mainly local and regional flint sources, the use of “exotic” ornamental/symbolic objects e fossil mollusks, amber and jet e shows widespread, multidirectional long-distance connections with the upper Danube basin, the Mainz basin, the Paris Basin, the Atlantic coast, the Mediterranean and even the Baltic regions

Neue Radiokarbondaten an Knochen, Zähnen und Geweih aus einigen Magdalénien-Fundstellen der Schweiz und ihre Bedeutung für die Stellung des Magdalénien innerhalb des Spätglazials

Betr. u.a. die Ausgrabungsstätte Moosbühl BE

Bilan des nouvelles études menées sur les occupations mésolithiques des abris-sous-roche de Berdorf-Kalekapp 2 (L)

Fouillée entre 1978 et 1984, le gisement de Berdorf-Kalekapp 2, qui n’avait jusqu’ici été publié que sommairement, fait actuellement l’objet ne nouvelles études en vue de la publication d’une monographie. La présente contribution dresse le bilan des connaissances nouvelles qui ont été acquises sur les occupations mésolithiques. La combinaison de l’analyse des restes végétaux carbonisés et des datations au radiocarbone situe ces occupations autour de 9000 BP, à la transition du Préboréal et du Boréal. Le spectre des microlithes dominé par des pointes à base non retouchée réalisées au moyen de la technique du microburin place les industries des trois niveaux d’occupation dans la phase d’émergence du courant culturel Beuronien

Valentin B. (2008) – Jalons pour une paléohistoire des derniers chasseurs (XIVe-VIe millénaires av. J.-C.)

Leesch Denise. Valentin B. (2008) – Jalons pour une paléohistoire des derniers chasseurs (XIVe-VIe millénaires av. J.-C.). In: Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française, tome 106, n°3, 2009. pp. 606-608

Valentin B. (2008) – Jalons pour une paléohistoire des derniers chasseurs (XIVe-VIe millénaires av. J.-C.)

Leesch Denise. Valentin B. (2008) – Jalons pour une paléohistoire des derniers chasseurs (XIVe-VIe millénaires av. J.-C.). In: Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française, tome 106, n°3, 2009. pp. 606-608