The temporal region and the supramastoid ridge in mesolithic skulls from Padina in the Iron Gate Gorge of the Danube

Studies of the morphological features of the temporal region of mesolithic skulls from Padina in the Iron Gate Gorge of the Danube revealed a very prominent and large supramastoid ridge which is the most striking feature in skulls of both sexes. Mastoid processes were larger in male skulls, but in 25% of the cases there was an overlap between the size of the processes in male and female specimens. The mastoid ridge was prominent in both sexes. The digastric fossa was always well defined in both sexes and in the two thirds of the skull specimens it was deep. The posterior root of the zygoma was prominent in all the skulls, but it was better developed in the male specimens. The parietotemporal suture in both sexes rises above the level of the pterion. There were no morphological or anthropometrical differences between the left and the right side of individual skulls outside the limits of natural asymmetry. All these morphological characteristics of the temporal region may help in racial and sexual diagnosis of the Mesolithic skulls from the Iron Gate Gorge.     

The supra-acetabular fossa and groove: a skeletal marker for Northwest European mesolithic populations

A nonmetric trait, known as the supra-acetabular fossa and groove, is described for European Upper Paleolithic and mesolithic populations. This morphological feature consists of a pit posterior or superior to the anterior-inferior iliac spine and an associated groove which arcs over the roof of the acetabulum. Presence of the trait seems to be primarily related to the origin of the reflected head of rectus femoris. The trait is variable in its expression, shows an increase in definition with age, and occurs equally in males and females. Although the trait is commonly found in pre-Upper Paleolithic hominids, it is extremely rare in the Upper Paleolithic, limited to a single occurrence in the Oberkassel 2 female. In the Mesolithic, except for two innominates from Vlasac (Yugoslavia), the trait is found only in NW European populations, especially Skateholm (Sweden) and Henriksholm-Bøgebakken (Denmark) where it occurs in more than 50% of the known pelves. Given the trait’s restricted geographic distribution and high occurrence in Skateholm and Henriksholm-Bøgebakken, it is suggested the supra-acetabular fossa and groove represents a skeletal marker for NW European Mesolithic populations. As such, it provides evidence for the development of social territories in the early Holocene.     

Early human disturbance of the natural environment recorded in annually laminated sediments of Lake Gosciaz,central Poland

Palynological records from the annually laminated sediments of Lake Gosciaz are presented for the period ca. 7600–3900 conventional B.P. Indications in percentage and influx diagrams of Mesolithic and Early Neolithic human impact on the natural environment around the lake are discussed and compared with the archaeological evidence. The first indications of human disturbance start at ca. 6700 B.P. and in the following period four disturbance phases with interruptions are distinguished. A relationship between the Elm Decline and an increasing thickness of annual sediment layers as a consequence of increased soil erosion is suggested. Some hitherto unrecognized or incompletely known microfossils are identified and figured, and their palaeoecological significance is discussed. The records of akinetes of Aphanizomenon probably indicate increasing eutrophication of the lake. Charred fragments of grass epidermis are possibly indicative of openings in the forest.     

Le Mésolithique. Continuité et développement métaphysique

The Mesolithic is a fascinating period, where ancient traditions are tilting towards a new paradigm. Many changes can be recognised without being able to establish a real split with the Palaeolithic. Far from being just a bridge towards the Neolithic, the Mesolithic is truly a new and stable metaphysical structure. In our article, we are interested in the structural mechanisms by which Palaeolithic metaphysics slides towards the Mesolithic, where the individual occupies a central role.     

Dwellings and workspaces at Strandvägen, 5600–5000 cal. BC

This paper describes identified workspaces and the manufacture of slotted bone points at the Late Mesolithic settlement Strandvägen in Motala, in eastern central Sweden. Several dwellings were documented, Dwelling 1 being typically round-oval in shape 9 × 5.5 meters, with a floor area covering 49.5 m². Radiocarbon dates fall between approximately 5600-5200 cal BC. A combined archaeological record, with lithics and bone artefacts as well as analyses of the osteological assemblage has shown that slotted bone tools with mounted lithic inserts have been produced adjacent of the dwelling. The spatial distribution of bone flakes, microblades, processed resin and slotted artefacts testify to a clearly and delimited craft area near the shoreline of the river Motala Ström. Analyses of the finds, e.g. birch bark resin and prepared bone preforms by direct percussion, also help in reconstructing the stages of manufacturing composite projectile points in this part of Eurasia.     

Identifying bipolar knapping in the Mesolithic site of Font del Ros (northeast Iberia)

Despite recent advances in the identification of bipolar knapping, its role in many sites is not well known. We propose to assess the significance of this technique in the context of changes that occur in the Mesolithic. A lithic assemblage was recovered from unit SG at Font del Ros (Catalunya, Spain) in which pitted stones, cores and products arising from bipolar reduction (flakes, fragments and splintered pieces) were identified. This study indicates that the bipolar technique is fundamental in the settlement. These results are key to defining the organization of Holocene hunter-gatherer subsistence in northeast Iberia.     

An 11400 year paleoecological history of a British chalk grassland

The first broad-based, paleoecological analysis of a sedimentary sequence on the British chalk, dating to the terminal Pleistocene, reveals a history of climatic, vegetational and faunal change. The past co-occurrence of currently allopatric species among molluscs, beetles and plants supports hypotheses of the impermanence of communities. Modern pollen rain data are utilized to refine the ecological interpretation of the fossil pollen data. The presence of the Windermere Interstadial (Allerod) and the Loch Lomond re-advance (Younger Dryas) are represented by decreased abundances of arboreal taxa and increased representation of cold grassland elements. Open grassland habitats appear to have been a continuous landscape element, at least locally, since the late-glacial period on the northern British chal Mands, although their species composition has changed greatly in the last 11400 yr.     

What is going on at the Molí del Salt site? A zooarchaeological approach to the last hunter-gatherers from South Catalonia

Abstract

Small game seems to have increased during the Upper Palaeolithic to the detriment of large game on the Iberian Peninsula. The economical and socio-cultural factors associated with this ecological shift represent a widely discussed topic. The present work attempts to elucidate the subsistence strategies occurring through the Late Pleistocene in Iberia using the example of the Molí del Salt (Tarragona, Spain), an archaeological site located in the NE of the Iberian Peninsula. The taphonomical analysis of faunal remains shows a high incidence of human activity on different taxonomical groups, although the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) stands out. This taxon presents cut-marks related to various processing activities (e.g. skinning and defleshing) and intentional bone breakage to access marrow. The abundance of specimens with human-induced damage enables us to make inferences regarding the procurement strategies and the occupational patterns at the site, where long and stable occupations seem to have occurred.     

The Iron Gates Mesolithic – a brief review of recent developments

The Iron Gates section of the Lower Danube valley along the border between Romania and Serbia has an unparalleled record of Mesolithic and Early Neolithic settlement spanning the period from ca. 12,700 to 5600 cal BC. Over 50 cave and open-air sites were identified during archaeological surveys in advance of dam construction in the 1960s and 1980s, and follow-up rescue excavations revealed numerous burials and architectural remains and produced rich inventories of faunal material and portable artifacts including artworks and ornaments of bone, shell and stone. Most sites are no longer accessible, submerged beneath the reservoirs created by the Iron Gates I and II dams. Since 1990, new excavations have been conducted at Aria Babi and Vlasac in Serbia, and Schela Cladovei in Romania, while detailed studies of the finds from both new and old excavations have been undertaken by researchers based in Romania, Serbia and the UK fueled by developments in archaeological science. In this paper, we review the main advances in knowledge of the Mesolithic and the transition to farming in the Iron Gates over the past 25 years, and especially the period since 2005. The paper is divided into sections dealing with chronology, mortuary practices, isotopic studies of subsistence and mobility patterns, and the nature and timing of the transition from Mesolithic to Neolithic in the Iron Gates region. The review concludes with a forward look at research in progress.