Demic and cultural diffusion in prehistoric Europe in the age of ancient genomes

Ancient genomes can help us detect prehistoric migrations, population contractions, and admixture among populations. Knowing the dynamics of demography is invaluable for understanding culture change in prehistory, particularly the roles played by demic and cultural diffusion in transformations of material cultures. Prehistoric Europe is a region where ancient genome analyses can help illuminate the interplay between demography and culture change. In Europe, there is more archeological evidence, in terms of detailed studies, radiometric dates, and explanatory hypotheses that can be evaluated, than in any other region of the world. Here I show some important ways that ancient genomes have given us insights into population movements in European prehistory. I also propose that studies might be increasingly focused on specific questions of culture change, for example in evaluating the makers of “transitional” industries as well as the origins of the Gravettian and spread of the Magdalenian. I also discuss genomic evidence supporting the large role that demic expansion has played in the Neolithization of Europe and the formation of the European population during the Bronze Age.     

宾福德的周口店埋藏学研究与旧石器考古学理论建构

本文回顾了1985年美国考古学家路易斯·宾福德访华的背景和产生的影响,认为这次中美旧石器考古合作的失败原因是两国学者之间在认识论和范式上的巨大差异。宾福德对周口店的埋藏学思考是立足于过程考古学中程理论和他自己的埋藏学探索的基础之上,并体现在他的《纽纳缪特民族考古学》和《骨骼：古代人类与现代之谜》两本著作中。宾福德中程理论和参考框架建设为我们提供了一种启示和借鉴,有助于中国旧石器考古学努力构建和完善自己的考古学理论框架。这种框架需要重视材料的分析和归纳,提出研究的问题和解决的办法,然后根据埋藏学和动物考古学排除遗址形成过程中的自然改造因素,提炼人类行为的信息。最后从民族考古学类比的参考框架来达到重建文化历史、人类生存方式和文化变迁的三大目标。     

云南鹤庆天华洞旧石器遗址石制品研究

天华洞旧石器遗址是金沙江中游地区财丰河流域旧石器地点群的代表性遗址之一。本文研究的材料来源于该遗址2010、2013和2016三年度的野外调查和试掘。天华洞遗址试掘位置为洞前缓坡区域,地层堆积可划分为5层,其中2-5层为遗址文化层,属红色亚黏土沉积。遗址文化层沉积结构稳定,年代数据分布在距今9.5-5万年之间。遗址共发现石制品1122件,以玄武岩为主要原料。石制品组合的内涵丰富,剥片技术和工具类型多样,一些特殊类型的石制品标本如预制石核、长石片、似-勒瓦娄哇石片、盘状石核石片、似-基纳型刮削器等代表了天华洞遗址石工业独特的技术文化面貌,也表现出西方旧石器时代中期文化的一些技术特点和因素。     

宁夏青铜峡鸽子山第15地点发掘报告

宁夏鸽子山遗址位于贺兰山西南余脉东侧的山前洪冲积扇前缘。2015年对第15地点的发掘面积约16m²。在约3m深的地层中共揭露3个原生文化层位。光释光测年数据显示第2层至第4层的时代跨度为0.12-12.3 ka,出土石制品共155件。其中第3层石制品最为丰富,共142件,石制品原料以石英岩和灰岩为主,类型主要有石片、石核和断块。石制品的基本信息显示该地区人类活动频度可能与环境变化与沙漠进退有紧密联系。     

柿子滩遗址第9地点出土的动物烧骨

柿子滩遗址第9地点（S9）位于山西省吉县柏山寺乡高楼河村黄河支流的清水河畔,西距黄河约7 km。从2000年发现至今,该遗址前后历经三次发掘,出土大量细石叶制品、动物化石、数件蚌制品、骨针及磨制石器等。本文重点对S9地点第4 层（12,575-11,600 cal. BP）及第5层（13,000 cal. BP）出土的动物遗存,尤其是其中测量尺寸在2cm以下的大量烧骨进行了埋藏学与动物考古学方面的观察和分析。研究结果显示,S9地点的烧骨是古人类烧烤猎物、维护遗址（甚至可能还包括以骨骼作燃料）等生存行为活动的文化残留。此外,S9地点出土烧骨的空间分布分析表明,古人类在上述行为活动之后,可能又将烧灼后的残存骨骼（与灰烬等）清理出火塘并堆放在其核心生活区的周边位置。     

Morphology of the interstitial cells of Cajal of the human ileum from foetal to neonatal life

The so-called interstitial cells of Cajal myenteric plexus (ICC-MP), interstitial cells of Cajal intramuscular (ICC-IM) and interstitial cells of Cajal deep muscular plexus (ICC-DMP) are the three types of ICC endowed within the intestinal muscle coat where they play different roles in gut motility. Studies on ICC ontogenesis showed ICC-MP in the human ileum by 7-9 weeks while information on ICC-IM and ICC-DMP in foetuses and newborns are not exhaustive. Functional recordings in the fasting state of prematurely born babies aged 28-37 weeks showed immature ileal motility. To gain more information on the time of appearance of the three ICC types in the human ileum and on the steps of the acquisition of mature features, we studied by c-kit immuno-histochemistry foetuses aged 17-27 weeks and newborns aged 36-41 weeks. In parallel, the maturative steps of enteric plexuses and muscle layers were immunohistochemically examined by using anti-neuron specific enolase (NSE), anti-S-100 and anti-alpha smooth muscle actin (alphaSMA) antibodies. The appearance and differentiation of all the ICC types were seen to occur in concomitance with those of the related nerve plexuses and muscle layers. ICC-MP appeared first, ICC-IM and ICC-DMP later and their differentiation was incomplete at birth. In conclusion, the ICC-MP, the intestinal pacemaker cells, in spite of absence of food intake, are already present during the foetal life and the ICC-IM appear by pre-term life, thus ensuring neurotransmission. The ICC-DMP and their related nerve plexus and smooth muscle cells, i.e. the intestinal stretch receptor, begin to differentiate at birth. These findings might help in predicting neonatal ileal motor behaviour and in interpreting the role of ICC abnormalities in the pathophysiology of intestinal motile disorders of neonates and young children.     

Morphological analysis of the neanderthal calotte from Ochtendung,Germany

In 1997 one of the authors (AvB) found three pieces of a calotte of a Neanderthal in a crater depression within the slag-cone volcanic-group called “Wannenköpfe” near the village of Ochtendung in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Three stone tools of the Mousterian culture were directly associated with the hominid fossil. The individual can be securely stratigraphically and absolutely chronologically placed within the early glacial phase of the second last glaciation, the Saale. A comparative-morphological analysis confirms earlier analyses that the remains were those of an adult male. The relatively old age establishes it as another important find of an early Neanderthal in Europe. In absolute years it dates roughly to the transitional time period of the latest EuropeanHomo erectus to the earliest Neanderthal. Morphological analysis confirms that the individual is close to a typical Neanderthal with also some additional erectoid characters. This observation supports the most widely accepted view that the Neanderthal of Europe evolved from an autochthonousHomo erectus group.     

Estimating the impact of prehistoric admixture on the genome of Europeans

We inferred past admixture processes in the European population from genetic diversity at eight loci, including autosomal, mitochondrial and Y-linked polymorphisms. Admixture coefficients were estimated from multilocus data, assuming that most current populations can be regarded as the result of a hybridization process among four or less potential parental populations. Two main components are apparent in the Europeans' genome, presumably corresponding to the contributions of the first, Paleolithic Europeans, and of the early, Neolithic farmers dispersing from the Near East. In addition, only a small fraction of the European alleles seems to come from North Africa, and a fourth component reflecting gene flow from Northern Asia is largely restricted to the northeast of the continent. The estimated Near Eastern contribution decreases as one moves from east to west, in agreement with the predictions of a model in which (Neolithic) immigrants from the Near East contributed a large share of the alleles in the genome of current Europeans. Several tests suggest that probable departures from the admixture models, due to factors such as choice of the putative parental populations and more complex demographic scenarios, may have affected our main estimates only to a limited extent.