The dynamics of bioresources and activity of the paleolithic man, using the example of northwestern Altai Mountains

Long-term studies of living and fossil mammals of the Altai Mountains (= Gornyi Altai) revealed the pattern of the dynamics of small mammal communities in this region in the second half of the Pleistocene, in the Holocene, and the present time. The fossil fauna of the Anui River valley differs significantly from the modern one. The Pleistocene fauna of Paleolithic sites reflects a considerably more diverse biotopic situation and high landscape diversity compared with the present time. This diversity depended on a stronger role in the communities of steppe and highland elements. The influence of Paleolithic man on Late Pleistocene populations of ungulates and large predators is detected.     

Paleolithic Man of Denisova Cave and Zoogeography of Pleistocene Mammals of Northwestern Altai

Mammal population of the northwestern Altai included residents, autochthonous species, cosmopolitans, and migrants. The last clearly indicate biogeographical relationships of the biota of the Altai Mountains in the Pleistocene. Most of them penetrated into the Altai from the south. The majority of ungulates and rodents migrated from Central Asia. Yak, red dog, and snow leopard came from the Himalayas, Pamir, and Tien Shan. The natural environment of the Altai Mountains in the Pleistocene enabled migrations of these mammals from the south to north. The same opportunity was true of the ancient man. It is possible to assume that humans migrated from southeastern Asia and Indochina along the eastern foothills of the Himalayas and Nan Shan Mountains to the northwest, to the Zaisan Depression and Altai. This resulted in inevitable exchange of gene material of Paleolithic human populations of southeastern Asia and the Altai.     

秦岭汉江流域新发现旧石器遗址的地层与释光年代

汉江流域旧石器时代文化遗存丰富,南方砾石石器工业和北方小石片石器工业类型的遗存并存,对研究中国南北旧石器文化交流和发展演化具有重要的意义。2016-2018年夏天,我们在汉江流域进行野外调查,新发现十个含更新世晚期旧石器遗存的地点,利用热转移光释光（TT-OSL）方法对各遗址的地层进行了测年。测年结果表明,这几处旧石器地点的古人类活动主要发生在距今20-5万年之间,涵盖了L₂、S₁和L₁三个阶段,与之前汉江流域第二级阶地发现的旧石器遗址年代基本一致。新发现的十个旧石器地点丰富了汉水流域旧石器遗存,为进一步研究该区域古人类旧石器遗址年代学和石器技术提供了新的材料。     

早、中更新世中国古人类年代序列与区域演化特征

我国早、中更新世古人类和旧石器遗址蕴含着丰富的早期人类活动和生存环境的背景信息,建立精确的遗址年代序列是分析古人类活动的基础。近二十年来,旧石器时代考古和测年研究为建立我国早期人类活动的年代框架提供了丰富的材料。本文分析了目前我国已发表的95个有独立测年数据的早、中更新世遗址,将其纳入黄土-古土壤年代框架,初步建立自200多万年至末次间冰期的古人类活动年代序列,根据它们的时空分布,进一步阐释了古人类在不同区域活动强度演变的时空特征。总体来看,这些遗址在泥河湾-周口店、秦岭山地、长江下游及长江流域以南(南方)四大区域呈现出聚集分布的特征;区域古人类活动强度主要表现在从早更新世的泥河湾-周口店、中更新世的秦岭山地、到中更新世晚期的长江中下游和南方区域的时空序列上。此外,仍有较多已发掘遗址缺少年代研究或存在测年问题,今后需要加强遗址的精确测年研究。     

秦岭南麓汉水上游旧石器考古研究现状与契机

位于北纬33°上下、秦岭南麓的汉水上游是北半球同纬度地带自然生态系统最复杂、动植物资源丰富、适于早期人类生存的地区,也是我国古人类和旧石器遗存发现较早、遗址密集和研究较为深入的区域之一。上世纪70~80年代以来,汉水上游干支流地区发现的古人类和旧石器遗址数以百计,其丰富的古人类和动物化石资源以及旧石器文化遗存对研究早期人类迁徙与演化、环境适应、石器工业技术和南北旧石器文化交流具有十分重要的价值,在我国古人类和旧石器考古研究中占据着极为重要的位置。本文在对汉水上游汉中盆地和安康盆地旧石器遗址相关调查研究现状详细梳理的基础上,兼及丹江口库区周边古人类和旧石器遗址调查、发掘和研究的收获,结合本研究团队数年来在该区域研究工作的进展状况与面临的问题,讨论了汉水上游地区的古人类和旧石器考古研究工作收获及存在的问题,并对未来研究工作的重点和方向给予前瞻。     

Late Pleistocene human remains from Wezmeh Cave, western Iran

Paleontological analysis of remains from Wezmeh Cave in western Iran have yielded a Holocene Chalcolithic archeological assemblage, a rich Late Pleistocene carnivore faunal assemblage, and an isolated unerupted human maxillary premolar (P(3) or possibly P(4)). Species representation and U-series dating of faunal teeth place the carnivore assemblage during oxygen isotope stages (OIS) 3 and 2, and noninvasive gamma spectrometry dating of the human premolar places it at least as old as early OIS 2. The human premolar crown morphology is not diagnostic of late archaic versus early modern human affinities, but its buccolingual diameter places it at the upper limits of Late Pleistocene human P(3) and P(4) dimensions and separate from a terminal Pleistocene regional sample. Wezmeh Cave therefore provides additional Paleolithic human remains from the Zagros Mountains and further documents Late Pleistocene human association with otherwise carnivore-dominated cave assemblages.     

海南省昌江发现旧石器

2006年6月,在海南省大广坝水利工程的文物调查中,笔者等在昌江黎族自治县七差乡南阳溪第2级阶地里发现石制品。石制品共计4件;其中,3件出自阶地上部的黄色黏土层中,包括1件石核和2件砍砸器;另1件石核,采集于地表。根据阶地堆积物和器物类型初步判断,石制品的时代为旧石器时代晚期。     

The fossil palynoflora,geological age,and climatostratigraphy of the earliest deposits of the Karama site (Early Paleolithic,Altai Mountains)

The results of palynological analysis of the Early Paleolithic Karama site (northeastern Altai Mountains) are presented. The Karama site is among the most unique and ancient archeological sites of Eurasia. Detailed palynological study has refined the geological age of the sediments that enclose pebble industry artifacts. The landscape and climatic conditions of Early Paleolithic man are reconstructed. A detailed characterization of the changes in the flora and vegetation that occurred during the most ancient Neo-Pleistocene interglacials and glacials is provided.     

晋西南旧石器考古学研究现状及其展望

晋西南古称河东,位于汾渭地堑中部,包括临汾盆地、运城盆地以及中条山南麓黄河沿岸。这里自古就是中华民族文明重要发祥地,也是研究人类起源、发展、演化的重要地区。20世纪50年代以来,考古工作者在山西地堑发现了300余处旧石器时代遗址和地点。这些发现业已证明晋西南的临汾、运城以及中条山南麓黄河沿岸,从早更新世初期直到更新世结束一直有人类在这片土地上繁衍生息。其中西侯度遗址、匼河遗址群、丁村遗址群、下川遗址群、柿子滩遗址群,代表了东亚旧石器时代人类200万年以来从能人→直立人→早期智人→晚期智人各个不同发展阶段一个完整的演化历程。因此,这里成为中国大陆一个非常重要的远古人类演化场。本文试图通过对这一区域旧石器考古的回顾,找出我们工作中的不足以及需要努力的方向,并向本地区考古学研究的开拓者贾兰坡、王建、王择义等老一辈考古学家致敬。     

Les plus anciennes industries paléolithiques en Russie

Early Paleolithic sites (Oldowan and Acheulian) in the European part of Russia are concentrated in the southern part of the Russian plain, in the piedmont of the Caucasus and in the North Caucasus, south from 50 N latitude. The Taman Paleolithic complex (sites of Bogatyri/Sinyaya Balka, Rodniki 1 and 2, Kermek; and localities of Tsymbal, Lisy and Peresyp), Akushin Paleolithic complex in Central Dagestan (sites of Aynikab 1, Mukhkay 1 and 2) and complex of sites in Maritime Dagestan (sites of Rubas 1, Darvagchay 1, Darvagchay-Zaliv 1 and 4) are discovered and studied. The initial human settlement of southern Russia began about 2 Ma and went through the Caucasian isthmus along the western shore of the Caspian Sea. The most ancient Homo of the first wave of settlement from the African ancestral homeland was able to reach the Caucasus and the southern part of the Russian plain by 2 Ma, as confirmed by the Liventsovka locality in the city of Rostov-on-Don. The Acheulian is represented by stratified sites of the Early Acheulian on the territory of Dagestan. At present, it can be argued that the territory of southern Russia was part of the area of initial human settlement from Africa. It is more difficult to estimate the time and ways of the initial human settlement of Northern Asia. The few sites attributed to the Lower Paleolithic are, for the most part, geologically unconnected or are questioned as to the authenticity of the artifacts. The only clearly stratified Middle Pleistocene site, Karama in the Altai, delivered a pebble tool industry. In addition, the finds of bifaces in Tuva, near the Mongolian border mark the northern limit of the distribution of the Acheulian in Asia.     

2004年新疆旧石器考古调查简报

2004年5-6月,中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所和新疆文物考古研究所联合组队,在新疆北部和中部进行了旧石器时代考古调查。发现24个石器地点和数千件石制品,采集和试掘出500余件石制品;绝大多数石制品来自于地表,少数出自原生地层。石制品类型多样,包括普通石核与石片、棱柱状石核、石叶、两面器、细石叶石核、细石叶、勒瓦娄哇石核与石片等;原料种类多样,尺寸、形态、技术变异大。从技术与类型判断,这些不同地点的文化材料时代跨度较大,较早的可能属旧石器时代晚期之初,甚至旧石器时代中期,较晚的则可能属于新石器时代早中期。较早阶段的石制品组合与中亚、西伯利亚阿尔泰地区同期遗址的文化面貌有相似之处,也与我国水洞沟遗址的石叶遗存有一定联系。骆驼石遗址及其丰富的勒瓦娄哇制品及大型石叶制品是本次调查的最大收获。本次调查的成果表明,新疆地区在旧石器时代晚期是人类迁徙和生存演化的活跃地带,留下丰富的文化遗存,对研究当时人类技术、文化特点和适应生存能力提供了重要材料与信息;很多地点具有与欧洲、俄罗斯阿尔泰地区旧石器时代中、晚期相似的文化遗存,对研究当时欧亚大陆古人群的迁徙、融合和文化交流具有重要价值;该地区具有发现更多、更重要的旧石器时代遗址并开展深入的考古发掘与研究的巨大潜力。     

船帆洞旧石器遗址洞穴形成过程与地层划分

本文根据最近发掘所获资料,对万寿岩山船帆洞旧石器时代晚期遗址洞穴的形成过程、洞内地层划分以及与洞外沉积物关系等问题进行初步探讨。提出:船帆洞洞穴的发育明显与区域性断裂及岩体的剪切节理有关;洞内经历数次堆积和冲刷;依岩性、地层关系和哺乳动物化石组合,洞内堆积物可分为Ⅰ(中更新世晚期)、Ⅱ(晚更新世早期)、Ⅲ(晚更新世晚期)和Ⅳ(全新世)4个地层单元。     

Nouveau site Paléolithique supérieur ancien au nord de l’Asie Centrale

In this paper we present the results of two years (2016 and 2017) excavations at new stratified Upper Paleolithic site of Ushbulak, situated in Shiliktinskaia Valley, Eastern Kazakhstan. There are eight lithological layers, which contain the archaeological material from Holocene to Initial Upper Paleolithic. The most significant number of artifacts was discovered in the layers 6 and 7. The debitage assemblages from these layers represent primary knapping oriented towards blade production by parallel uni- and bidirectional methods of volumetric core reduction. The tool assemblage includes several types, such as end-scrappers, burins on blades, truncated-faceted pieces, and points with basal trimming, bitruncated blades and burin-cores. These features together with a date 45.249–44.012 cal.BP from layer 6 allow us to attribute these two layers 6 and 7 to the Initial Upper Paleolithic and to consider Eastern Kazakhstan as a region between synchronous sites of the Initial Upper Paleolithic in Altai Mountains, Dzungaria and Mongolia.     

丹江口库区旧石器遗址的年代与石器技术的演进

丹江口库区位于东秦岭南麓,是连接我国南北文化的重要地带,本文全面梳理了该地区目前已发掘的旧石器遗址,重新厘定了遗址的年代。结合年代和石制品特征,本文得到以下几点认识：1）该地区文化发展可以被划分为三个阶段：阶段1（相当于MIS 27～MIS 8）石器工业为石核-石片类型,阶段2（相当于MIS 7～MIS 3c）出现了大型切割石器组合,阶段3（约晚于MIS 3b）以小型石片石器为特征;2）在文化阶段性发展的同时,石核-石片技术一直贯穿于本地区的更新世期间,体现了区域文化发展的连续性;3）丹江下游石器技术在形成过程中受到了来自华北和秦岭地区的文化辐射,显示出融合性的技术特征;4)100～50 ka BP期间,丹江口库区汉水上游的现代人石器工业中可能包含了大型切割石器组合。     

Bats as an indicator of human activity in the paleolithic, using the example of denisova cave, northwestern Altai

Landscape and climatic changes in northwestern Altai at the end of the Middle Pleistocene were accompanied by a transformation in the taxonomic composition of the bat community and abundance of some species. The dynamics of the bat community is very important for the study of the activity of Paleolithic man. The high sensitivity of bats to human disturbance allowed the time of colonization and nature of usage of Denisova cave by humans to be recognized. In this respect, bats are a very important indicator of events in the surrounding ecosystem.     

广西布兵盆地河流阶地新发现的史前石器遗址

本文是2000年以来广西布兵盆地第四纪石器遗址的调查报告。布兵盆地是一个小型的断陷溶蚀盆地,发育南方典型的卡斯特地貌,洞穴众多并保存大量堆积物。盆地内发育2条小河,自西南向东北穿过盆地汇入右江,阶地广泛分布在盆地内部,可以确认的有4级阶地。旧石器在布兵盆地的第二至第四级河流阶地堆积物中均有发现,时代涵盖中更新世到晚更新世的多个阶段,一级阶地的后缘有新石器时代的遗物。布兵盆地的石器属于中国南方的砾石工业,石器文化包含旧石器时代早期的两面打制技术和旧石器时代晚期的以石片为主的加工技术。这些遗址的进一步综合研究,将对了解华南早期人类石器文化的起源和演化提供重要的科学依据。     

山西省平陆地区旧石器调查报告

山西省平陆县处于黄河中下游之交处,位于运城盆地南部,是古人类生存的重要地带。2018年3月-10月在平陆县开展的考古调查,复查确认和新发现旧石器时代地点共10处,采集石制品共45件。采集的大多石制品个体较小;原料以石英为主;打片方法以锤击法和砸击法为主;石制品类型包括石核、石片、断块和石器等,其中石器类型只见刮削器。据地层和石制品特征推测,这些地点主要属于中更新世晚期和晚更新世。平陆石工业体现了"石核—石片"技术从中更新世至晚更新世的继承和发展,为更深入探讨平陆及周边地区人群的扩散和演化提供了地层依据和实物资料。     

陕西长武发现的旧石器时代中期文化遗物

根据地层层位,长武窑头沟遗址的地质时代应为晚更新世的初期;与同时代的丁村遗址相比较,两者在地理分布上和文化内涵上均不相同;因此,在旧石器时代中期华北可能有两种或更多的文化类型;本文所述的泾渭文化与水洞沟文化可能有更密切的渊源关系。     

Recent work on the Paleolithic of Central Asia

Central Asia has played an important role in Paleolithic archeology since the discovery of Teshik-Tash in 1938. Since the 1970s, attention has turned to Lower Paleolithic studies following the important discoveries at Kul'dara and other deeply stratified loess sites in southern Tajikistan. The sites, dated to as early as 800,000 years ago, are not the earliest evidence of hominids in Asia, but they do reflect early adaptations to arid mid-latitude environments. The stone-tool industries from these early sites are composed of pebble and flake implements; they do not include bifaces. Along with the archeological material in the loess is an impressive paleoenvironmental record with good chronological control. In other parts of Central Asia, there are reported elements of the Acheulean technocomplex at sites such as Sel'ungur and Yangadazha, but that claim cannot be substantiated. In the Upper Pleistocene, important research questions include the extent and meaning of Middle Paleolithic variability, the relation of Middle to Upper Paleolithic cultures, and the effect of glacial or interglacial climatic oscillations on Paleolithic settlement and adaptation.     

Lower Paleolithic hominin ecology at the fringe of the desert: Faunal remains from Bizat Ruhama and Nahal Hesi, Northern Negev, Israel

The Southern Levant is a pivotal area for the study of hominin paleoecology during the Lower Paleolithic, because of its location on the out-of-Africa dispersal route and its significant ecological diversity. Important information has been gained by archaeofaunal studies, which usually reveal that exploitation of diverse Mediterranean environments with woodlands, marshes and lake margins, represents a dominant subsistence strategy for Lower Paleolithic hominins. Here, we present new taxonomic and taphonomic data from two sites in the southern coastal plain of the Southern Levant, at the fringe of the Negev Desert: Bizat Ruhama (Early Pleistocene) and Nahal Hesi (Middle Pleistocene). The sites preserve anthropogenic faunas, with the former signaling a marrow-exploitation strategy, perhaps related to scavenging from carnivore kills, and the latter showing evidence for primary access to fleshed ungulate carcasses. The species composition of these Northern Negev sites is unique for the Levantine Lower Paleolithic in that these sites lack typical woodland and riparian species, probably indicating an open, relatively uniform environment with patchy water sources and trees, much like this semiarid region today. Bizat Ruhama and Nahal Hesi are among the only Levantine Lower Paleolithic faunas associated with such a setting, thereby widening the known spectrum of environments exploited by hominins in the region. It is suggested that the two sites, coupled with the nearby Late Pleistocene evidence, reflect a largely stable semiarid environment on the northwestern fringe of the Negev Desert throughout much of the Pleistocene.