Geoarchaeological investigations at Studenoe,an Upper Paleolithic site in the Transbaikal Region,Russia

In 1998, geoarchaeological research was carried out at the Upper Paleolithic site of Studenoe in the Transbaikal Region of Russia. The site is divided into three loci situated on two terraces overlooking the Chikoi River. Alluvial sediments beneath the oldest terrace (T₂) consist of two depositional units. Radiocarbon ages indicate that aggradation of the T₂ fill began before 18,000 yr B.P. Alluvial sediments beneath the lower terrace (T₁) range in age from 13,000 to 10,000 yr B.P. and are divided into three depositional units. Both terraces are overlain by Holocene colluvium. Archaeological materials at Studenoe 1/1, 1/2, and 2 include dwellings, hearths, and thousands of bone and stone artifacts assigned to the late Upper Paleolithic through the Bronze Age. Evidence of microblade technology is present in all components of the site. Material from recent excavations of Paleolithic levels in the T₂ fill at Studenoe includes mobiliary art, bone needles, and a large dwelling with four hearth features. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Taxonomic analysis of the Quaternary archaeofauna found at The Lapa do Santo site,Lagoa Santa region,Brazil

The Lapa do Santo archaeological site, located in the Lagoa Santa region, Brazil, represents an important hunter-gatherer occupation dated from the Early and Middle Holocene. Prior studies of archaeofauna dating to this period are few and most of them only provide basic faunal identification with limited information on taphonomic processes. The main goal of this study is to identify the archaeofauna, record the taphonomic processes, and make inferences about its natural (interpreted as the death of the animal in the rockshelter area due to natural causes or due to predation) or anthropic origins. No extinct species (including megamastofauna) were identified. Taxonomic analysis indicated that most faunal remains consist of taxa that may be of mixed origin (natural or anthropic), such as microvertebrates and carnivorous mammals. The Cervidae are the main vertebrate family found in the studied material and these are likely the result of hunting. The Cervidae Ozotoceros support the presence of a fauna that is typical of savannah environments, although the assemblage contains mostly generalist fauna that can thrive in a variety of environments. Very few remains showed clear evidence for taphonomic processes related to human interaction, such as burnt bones.     

Magnetic properties as indicators of pedogenic and pyrogenic processes at the Upper Paleolithic site of Kostenki 14

In geoarchaeological studies, there is an issue with distinguishing between natural and anthropogenic signals in pedological paleoarchives. With the pedostratigraphy of the Upper Paleolithic site of Kostenki 14, this issue is reflected by problems with the determination of features of pedogenic and pyrogenic processes. This issue was addressed by means of a thorough analysis of the magnetic properties of paleosols accompanied by micromorphological observations. Most of the humic samples were shown to be a result of pedogenesis, but two samples (a Paleolithic hearth sample and a sample from paleosol IIc) had features of intensely burnt material. The difference in the typical intensity of large-scale (natural or human-induced) and local-scale anthropogenic fire allowed for suggesting that the magnetic properties of the burnt sample were the result of an anthropogenically controlled fire event, that is, a hearth. This study shows that the magnetic properties of paleosols can be used to differentiate anthropogenic activity, in particular—burning, from pedogenic processes. This indicator is especially helpful in finding disturbed combustion features when the hearth structure is lost. This methodology used to demonstrate the local human-induced pyrogenic effect at the Upper Paleolithic site can contribute to the discussion of the niche construction effect of human activities in the Pleistocene.     

A microfaunal and sedimentary record of environmental change within the late Holocene sediments of Boca do Rio (Algarve,Portugal)

The foraminifera and ostracods observed in a late Holocene sedimentary sequence within a fluvial valley at Boca do Rio in the coastal zone of the western Algarve, Portugal, reveal a general, though not smooth transition from marine to fluvial conditions. The relative influence of these two environments appears to depend on the degree of permeability of the barrier system at the coast. Optically stimulated luminescence dates and palaeoecological information obtained from the sequence suggest that barrier formation may be related to changes in climate and/or patterns of ocean current circulation. An unusual deposit rich in sand and gravel found within the otherwise mud-dominated sequence has been dated at AD 1801 ± 76 years. This deposit contains foraminifera and ostracods which indicate marine conditions, and which contrast markedly with the brackish-water, estuarine assemblages found in the mud deposits. The rapid transition in the foraminifera and ostracod assemblages indicates a short-lived coastal flooding, which may represent the tsunami associated with the Lisbon earthquake of AD 1755. The variations in the foraminifera and ostracod assemblages also suggest subsidence during the earthquake, with uplift having occurred in the period since then.     

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of quartzite cobbles from the Tapada do Montinho archaeological site (east‐central Portugal)

The burial age of an alluvially deposited cobble pavement at the Tapada do Montinho archaeological site (east‐central Portugal) is investigated using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. Measurements on the cobbles (quartzite clasts) were carried out on intact slices and large aliquots (～8 mm) of quartz grains (63–300 μm), both recovered from the outer 1.5‐mm surface of the cobbles. The recycling ratio, recuperation and dose‐recovery tests show that the single‐aliquot regenerative‐dose (SAR) protocol is applicable to both rock slices and quartz grains; both have similar luminescence characteristics. The variation in the natural OSL signal with depth below the cobble surface using intact slices from two different cobbles shows that both were bleached to a depth of at least ～2 mm before deposition. A model of the variation of dose with depth fitted to data from one of the cobbles gives a burial age of ～19 ka and also predicts the dose‐depth variation at the time of deposition. Ages based on rock slices suggest that one cobble surface, and the inner parts of two other cobbles experienced a resetting event at ～45 ka, consistent with the age control. However, the surfaces of the other cobbles all record light‐exposure events in the range 26 to 14 ka, suggesting that some of the cobbles were exposed to daylight perhaps more than once in this period. Given the shallow burial depth and unexpectedly young ages of the surrounding and overlying finer‐grained sediment, it is suggested that phases of light exposure following surficial erosion are probably responsible for this underestimate. Nevertheless, it is remarkable that we can identify and quantify four events (two light exposures of different durations and two sequential burial periods) in the dose record contained within a single clast, and this suggests that the luminescence dating of rock surfaces may prove, in the future, to be at least as important as sand/silt sediment dating.     

Geoarchaeological investigations at the upper Paleolithic site of Kamihoronai‐Moi,Hokkaido, Japan

In order to better understand modern human behavioral variability in Hokkaido, Japan, we consider the geoarchaeology of the Kamihoronai‐Moi site in terms of its geochronology, stratigraphy, depositional environments, and post‐depositional disturbances. A Paleolithic component is stratigraphically situated between the Eniwa‐a (15,000–17,000 ¹⁴C yr B.P.) and the Tarumae‐d (8000–9000 ¹⁴C yr B.P.) tephras. Moreover, six AMS ¹⁴C ages on charcoal from a Pleistocene‐aged hearth feature are between 14,400 and 14,800 ¹⁴C yr B.P. Quantitative examinations of patterns in artifact distributions show a low degree of vertical and horizontal displacement of chipped‐stone artifacts, suggesting that post‐depositional movement of the cultural material was insufficient to disrupt the original pattern of artifact distribution. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Geoarchaeological and Bioarchaeological Studies at Mira,an Early Upper Paleolithic Site in the Lower Dnepr Valley,Ukraine

New geoarchaeological and bioarcheological research was undertaken at the open‐air site of Mira, which is buried in deposits of the Second Terrace of the Dnepr River, roughly 15 km downstream from the city of Zaporozhye in Ukraine. Previous excavation of the site revealed two occupation layers dating to ∼32,000 cal BP. The lower layer (II/2) yielded bladelets similar to those of the early Gravettian, while the upper layer (I) contained traces of an artificial shelter and hundreds of bones and teeth of horse (Equus latipes). Mira represents the only firmly dated early Upper Paleolithic (EUP) site in the Dnepr Basin, and occupies a unique topographic setting for the EUP near the center of the broad floodplain of the Dnepr River. The site was visited during a period of floodplain stability, characterized by overbank deposition and weak soil formation under cool climate conditions. Mira was used as a long‐term camp, but also was the locus of large‐mammal carcass processing associated with a nearby kill of a group of horses (Layer I).     

Identification of the last glacial maximum in the Upper Paleolithic of Portugal using magnetic susceptibility measurements of Caldeirão Cave sediments

We have sampled Upper and Middle Paleolithic sediments in Caldeirão Cave, Portugal, for paleoclimatic analysis. This work involved measuring magnetic susceptibility (MS) on continuous vertical profiles of a series of ∼8 cc sediment samples, and using the MS data as a paleoclimate proxy. Previous work has shown that caves can be ideal recorders of paleoclimatic variations because they are protected environments. Pedogenesis outside the cave during time of cool climate produces sediments with low MS magnitudes, while warmer climates yield higher MS magnitudes. Eroded soils collect in caves in sediment sequences where futher pedogenesis and biological disturbance is minimal. Continuously sampled profiles of those sediments found in an archaeological context then allow paleoclimatic estimates for all archaeological levels. Results of our work here include identification of the last glacial maximum, at ca. 24,000–22,000 B.P. (calibrated), defined by very low MS values found in basal Solutrean levels in the cave. Distinctive ca. 2500 year Neo-glacial cycles, defined by the MS data within the Early Upper Paleolithic and Solutrean, are consistent with published ¹⁴C duration estimates for the Upper Paleolithic in Caldeirão Cave. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Stratigraphy and formation processes of the Upper Pleistocene deposit at Gruta da Oliveira,Almonda karstic system,Torres Novas,Portugal

Gruta da Oliveira is a cave located in the Almonda karstic system in central Portugal. Its Upper Pleistocene fill is made up of gravitational sediments with varied biogenic and anthropogenic inputs. The archaeological sequence (35–70 ka) is fairly homogeneous, reflecting a predominantly moist climatic context modulated by millennial‐scale variations. Human occupation was almost continuous throughout. In the richer archaeological layers (8–14), the anthropogenic components are in primary position, and post‐depositional processes are restricted, although penecontemporaneous biological activity—such as hyena scavenging—overprinted the record. In layers 15–19, the excavated area corresponds to the footslope of a talus, where accumulation proceeded mainly through runoff and where the lithics and bones derive from occupations situated ca. 5m outward. The base of the deposit is >2m from the current base of the excavation, suggesting that Oxygen Isotope Stage (OIS)‐4 and OIS‐5 sediments underlay the deposit already exposed. This study confirms the archaeological integrity of the Mousterian assemblages found in the different layers, and, given the dates for layer 8, supports the hypothesis that Neanderthals survived in western Iberia until at least 35,000–38,000 calendar years ago. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Perched lobe formation in the Gulf of Cadiz: Interactions between gravity processes and contour currents (Algarve Margin, Southern Portugal)

The Gulf of Cadiz is swept by the strong saline Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW). On the Algarve Margin (South Portugal), this current has constructed fine-grained contourite drifts. This margin is dissected by the Portimao Canyon and three short channels that only incise the upper slope, and are absent on a terrace located at mid-slope depths along the Algarve Margin. High-resolution seismic profiles and sediment cores highlight the original architecture of the sedimentary deposits on this terrace. Coarse-grained lenticular chaotic bodies formed during major relative sea-level lowstands are intercalated within the drift. The lobate shape and sandy nature of the lenticular chaotic bodies and their location at the mouths of the three short channels suggest they are gravity-generated deposits that are perched on the middle continental slope.In the Gulf of Cadiz, the interaction between contour current and gravity processes is strongly controlled by climatic variations and relative sea-level changes during the late Quaternary. During cold periods when sea-level was low, erosion intensified on the continental shelf and the deepest part of MOW was active. Sediment was transported downslope through the channels and deposited on sedimentary lobes perched on the mid-slope terrace. During warm periods when relative sea-level was high, the supply of sediment from the shelf was shut off and the shallowest part of MOW was more active. Contourite drifts fill the channels and bury the sandy lobes.     

伊拉克艾哈代布油田上白垩统Khasib组生物扰动对储层非均质性的影响

生物扰动可改变碳酸盐岩原始沉积组构,影响后期成岩作用,导致生物潜穴与基质间存在物性差异,进而增强碳酸盐岩储层的非均质性.在大量岩心、薄片观察和点渗透率等多种资料分析的基础上,对伊拉克艾哈代布油田上白垩统Khasib组Kh2段生物扰动遗迹组构类型及其对储层非均质性的影响开展研究.结果表明:①Kh2段发育海生迹(Thala...     

Geomorphic and pedogenic evidence for bioturbation of artifacts at a multicomponent site in Licking County,Ohio, U.S.A.

The distribution of artifacts at the multi-component (Paleoindian through Middle Woodland) Munson Springs site (33Li251) is best explained by downward migration of objects through bioturbation processes rather than by a vertical sequence of occupation surfaces through a period of sediment accretion. At the noncultivated, 1800 m², footslope site, the distribution of glacial diamict, loess, and drift- and bedrock-derived colluvium indicate widespread slope erosion during the late-glacial period with general backslope and footslope stability during the Holocene. Diagnostic Paleoindian artifacts were recovered from a BE soil horizon lying directly below fill material of a small (8 × 10 m) Early Woodland mound. Based on soil fine clay distribution, these artifacts lay about 30 cm below the premound land surface. Woodland artifacts are concentrated at depths of 10–20 cm immediately down slope from the mound. Soil horizonation and total and fine clay distributions within footslope profiles indicate no significant sediment accretion through the period of soil genesis and prehistoric site occupation. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Protection areas of the São Pedro do Sul Spa, Portugal

This paper presents a case study of the protection areas of one of the Portugal's most important spas. According to its chemical composition this thermal mineral water is rich in bicarbonate, sodium, carbonate, fluor and sulfate. The therapeutic indications are mainly illnesses related to rheumatism and respiratory system. As a complement the thermal mineral water is also used for geothermal purposes, as in the heating of greenhouses for the production of Bananas and Ananas. The study presents geological and hydrogeological characterization of the area and its vulnerability to pollution and the physical and chemical characterization of the thermal mineral water. Finally, in accordance with the Portuguese legislation, the protection areas are defined: for immediate, intermediate and distant zones. The criteria and other aspects that led to their definition are also presented.     

Biofacies analysis of Upper Jurassic marginally marine environments of Portugal,I. The carbonate-dominated facies at Cabo Espichel,Estremadura

The Upper Kimmeridgian to Upper Portlandian sequence at Cabo Espichel (Estremadura, Portugal) consists of a succession of neritic carbonates with intercalations of clastic sediments which range from marls to conglomerates. Eight major facies types could be distinguished based on their macrofauna, microfauna, trace fossils, sedimentary structures, and microfacies. They range from generally very shallow subtidal nodular biomicrites, coral biostromes, and intertidal algal laminites to prodelta silts and marls, fluviatile conglomerates and alluvial red beds.These facies are thought to have been deposited on a very protected, but very shallow inner shelf which was separated from the open sea by a series of diapir ridges in the form of swells or island chains. This extensive lagoon was generally subject to minor salinity fluctuations due to, either freshwater influx from the land, or heavy seasonal rainfall. Periodic uplift of the Hercynian basement in the east caused increased erosion of the land mass and short-time progradation of the continental facies towards the west, before marine sedimentation, due to a fairly high rate of subsidence, resumed.

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Zusammenfassung Das das Oberkimmeridge bis Oberportland umfassende Profil des Cabo Espichel (Estremadura, Portugal) besteht aus einer Wechselfolge von neritischen Kalken uncl klastischen, mergeligen bis konglomeratischen Sedimenten. Die Untersuchung der Makrofauna, Mikrofauna, Spurenfossilien, Sedimentstrukturen und Mikrofazies erlaubt die Unterscheidung von acht Hauptfaziestypen. Sie reichen von knolligen Biomikriten des sehr flachen Subtidals über Korallenbiostrome, intertidale Algenlaminite bis zu Silten und Mergeln des Prodeltabereiches, fluviatilen Konglomeraten und alluvialen Red Bed-Sedimenten.Es wird angenommen, daß sich diese Fazies in einem sehr geschützten und gleichzeitig sehr flachen Innenschelf gebildet haben, der vom offenen Meer durch eine Reihe von Diapir-Rücken in Form von Schwellenoder Insel-Ketten abgetrennt war. Diese ausgedehnte Lagune zeigte etwas schwankende Salinität, die entweder durch Süßwasserzufluß vom Festland oder durch jahreszeitlich bedingte starke Niederschläge verursacht wurde. Periodische Hebungen des herzynischen Kristallinsockels im Osten führten zu verstärkter Abtragung von festländischem Material und kurzzeitigen Vorstößen der kontinentalen Fazies nach Westen, die aufgrund relativ hoher Subsidenz bald wieder von mariner Sedimentation abgelöst wurden.

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Résumé Le profil du Cabo Espichel (Estramadure, Portugal) comportant la série allant du Kimmeridgien supérieur au Portlandien supérieur, consiste en une alternance de calcaires néritiques et de sédiments clastiques, marneux à conglomératiques. Des recherches portant sur la microfaune et la macrofaune, les fossiles en traces, les structures sédimentaires et les microfacies ont permis la distinction de 8 facies principaux. Ceux-ci vont depuis des biomicrites nodulaires de régions subtidales très plates, à des silts et marnes prodeltaÏques, conglomerats fluviatiles et sèdiments rouges alluviaux, en passant par des biostromes coralliens et des laminites algaires intertidales. Il en est déduit que ces facies se sont formés dans un shelf interne à la fois très protégé et très plat qui était séparé de la mer ouverte par une série de rides diapiriques sous forme de seuils et de chaÎnes d'Îles. Cette vaste lagune montrait une salinité quelque peu changeante provenant soit de l'apport continental d'eaux douces, soit de fortes chutes pluviométriques saisonnières. Des soulèvements périodiques du socle cristallin hercynien à l'est conduisirent à une érosion renforcée du matériau continental et à une avancée momentanée du facies continental vers l'ouest qui, par suite d'une subsidence relativement forte a fait rapidement place à une sédimentation marine.

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汉江上游全新世特大古洪水事件光释光测年研究

古洪水事件对中国古代文明的演变进程产生过重大影响,古洪水水文学研究是全球变化研究的前沿课题.通过野外深入考察,在汉江上游河谷阶地上,发现典型的全新世剖面中赋存古洪水滞流沉积层,记录了古洪水事件的气候水文信息.选择三个剖面系统采样,应用SAR法的Post-IR OSL技术对样品进行测年研究,获得了14个OSL年龄数据.结合样品的粒度成分和磁化率等气候替代指标测定分析,获得了全新世洪水事件与气候变化关系的记录.证明在距今9.5~8.5 ka和3.2~2.8 ka前,汉江上游经历了2个特大洪水期.该流域黄土—古土壤剖面记录了全新世早期气温回升增湿的气候,由于大气波动失稳,出现了9~8 ka前的全球降温事件;中期土壤成壤强烈,记录了温暖湿润的气候;晚期形成的现代黄土和表土层,记录了相对干旱的气候.由此揭示了在全新世早期气候波动失稳和中期向晚期过渡的气候转折时期,气候变化剧烈,降水变率增大,是导致特大古洪水事件频发的主要原因,这也是该区域气候水文事件对全球气候变化响应规律的具体表现.     

Upper Pleistocene stratigraphy at the Medininkai site, eastern Lithuania: a continuous record of the Eemian-Weichselian sequence

Eemian—Weichselian sequences, located outside the maximum limit of the Late Weichselian ice sheet, provide excellent opportunities for the discovery of continuous sedimentary records encompassing the whole Last Interglacial/Glacial cycle. Such a sequence is recorded in a borehole (117P) through the succession in a small kettlehole lake located at Medininkai, eastern Lithuania. The succession consists of peat, gyttja and silt deposited on top of a Saalian till. Pollen and plant macrofossil analysis, lithological analysis, U/Th dating and mineral magnetic measurements on the sediments have allowed 19 lithostratigraphic units and 16 local pollen assemblage zones (LPAZ) to be identified. The palaeocarpological record reveals a clear transition from the Saalian Glacial to the Weichselian stadial and interstadial phases. The mineral magnetic parameters suggest a good correlation between the concentration of magnetic minerals and stadial and interstadial periods. The Merkine (Eemian) Interglacial and two Early Weichselian Interstadials, Jonionys 1 (Brörup) and Jonionys 2 (Odderade), separated by cryomers, are identified. Intervals interpreted as analogous to the Middle Weichselian Denekamp and Hengelo interstadials are also recognized on the basis of pollen assemblages. The results show alternating periglacial and interstadial palaeoenvironments in Lithuania during the Early and Middle Weichselian and are of importance for Late Pleistocene palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the Baltic area as a whole.     

Lithic assemblage from the Jingshuiwan Paleolithic site of the early Late Pleistocene in the Three Gorges,China

The Jingshuiwan Paleolithic site lies in the second terrace of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River and has a complete geomorphological section. Archaeological materials from early Late Pleistocene fluvial deposits of silt and sand are dated by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to ca. 70 ka. The stone assemblage from layer 7 includes retouched tools (118), cores (304), flakes (281), flake fragments (101), stone hammers (four) and chunks (102). Artifacts were made from lithic sources locally available from the former riverbed. The main type used was silicarenite; quartzite, hypabyssal intrusive rock, extrusive rock and volcanic breccia were also used. The principal flaking technique was direct hammer percussion without prepared striking platforms. Major blanks for tool fabrication were complete flakes (67.0%), followed by cores and incomplete flakes. Most tools were large. Chopper-chopping tools and scrapers were the dominant tool types, followed by points and notches. Modified tools were mostly retouched unifacially on the surface of blanks by direct hammer percussion. Jingshuiwan provides evidence that South China was occupied during MIS 4. Because of the similarity of the stone tool assemblage with earlier ones associated with Homo erectus, it may also provide indirect evidence that H. erectus persisted into the early Late Pleistocene.     

连续与断裂:重新认识下川遗址在中国旧石器文化研究上的意义

2014~2017年,北京师范大学历史学院和山西省考古研究院组织联合考古队,对下川遗址富益河圪梁地点、小白桦圪梁地点、牛路地点、水井背地点、流水腰地点进行了考古发掘。确认下川遗址包含了旧石器中期简单石核-石片文化（大约相当于MIS5）、旧石器晚期早段简单石核-石片文化（4.4~3.0万年）、旧石器晚期中段石叶-细石叶文化（2.7~2.5万年）和旧石器晚期晚段石叶-细石叶文化（1.7~1.6万年）共4个文化发展阶段。经历了3次文化转变,即从旧石器中期向晚期的转变;简单的石核-石片技术向石叶-细石叶技术的转变以及末次冰盛期前后石叶-细石叶技术的变化;在这些转变过程中,并没有表现出完全、持续的连续性;无论在时间上还是技术上,都存在明显的断裂现象;深入研究这些现象,将为中国北方现代人出现和演化提供新的解释。

     

OSL dating of the Middle Palaeolithic Hotel California site,Sierra de Atapuerca,north‐central Spain

In this study we present optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating results obtained at one of the most important open‐air Middle Palaeolithic sites in the Sierra de Atapuerca foothills – Hotel California. We also assess the possibility of obtaining extended‐range OSL chronologies for a nearby Middle Pleistocene fluvial deposit using several novel methods, namely OSL dating of individual quartz ‘supergrains’, multi‐grain aliquot thermally transferred OSL (TT‐OSL) dating and the first application of a single‐grain TT‐OSL dating procedure. Four single‐grain OSL ages constrain the Middle Palaeolithic occupation of Hotel California to between 71±6 and 48±3 ka. The Hotel California single‐grain equivalent dose (D_e) distributions are highly overdispersed and contain several dose populations, which are probably attributable to post‐depositional sediment mixing, partial bleaching and intrinsic scatter. The reliability of multi‐grain aliquot OSL dating is compromised by the complex underlying D_e dispersion affecting these samples, as well as by biasing multi‐grain averaging effects. Extended‐range OSL and TT‐OSL chronologies for the nearby Pico River terrace are consistent with each other and with broad independent age control. These experimental approaches yield a weighted average age of 348±16 ka for terrace T_A9 of the Arlanzón River sequence. Our results highlight the benefits of comparing ages obtained using several OSL methodologies to improve the robustness of luminescence chronologies. They also demonstrate the potential that single‐grain OSL techniques offer for establishing improved age constraints on the many other Middle Palaeolithic sites found at Atapuerca and elsewhere across north‐central Spain.