Aggiornamento 22/06/2025

New paleoecological insights for the Late Pleistocene Neanderthal mountain occurrence at Buena Pinta Cave (Iberian Central System, Pinilla-del-Valle, Madrid, Spain), di H. A. Blain et alii, "Quaternary Science Reviews", volume 362, 15 august 2025, 109355 - open access -

The Late Pleistocene sequence from the archaeological site of the Buena Pinta Cave (Pinilla del Valle, Madrid) has furnished the following ectothermic vertebrates: Salmo trutta, Alytes gr. A. obstetricans-almogavarii, Pelobates cultripes, Bufo spinosus, Epidalea calamita, Pelophylax perezi, Rana iberica, Testudines indet., Timon lepidus, Lacertidae indet. (large- and medium-sized), Anguis fragilis, Natrix maura, Coronella cf. C. austriaca, Colubridae/Psammophiidae indet., and Vipera cf. V. latastei. All these taxa are currently present in central Iberian Peninsula, with representation in the Lozoya Valley or its closest surrounding areas. The amphibians and reptiles suggest a quite similar to a much warmer climate (from +1.0 to +3.5 °C) than the present one, with a higher difference about modern values during the coldest month than during the warmest month. (...)

Unravelling the formation processes and depositional histories of the Middle Palaeolithic Ararat-1 Cave, Armenia: A multiscalar and multiproxy geoarchaeological approach, di I. A. K. Oikonomou et alii, "Quaternary Science Reviews", volume 361, 1 august 2025, 109405 - open access -

The sedimentary sequence of Ararat-1 Cave encapsulates an intricate depositional archive (Marine Isotope Stage 3), crucial for our understanding of the Middle Palaeolithic in the Armenian Highlands and beyond. The study of this record is accomplished through the use of a multi-proxy geoarchaeological framework of analysis, incorporating stratigraphical, micromorphological, sedimentological, mineralogical, chemical, magnetic, micro-archaeological and geochronological methods. These analyses demonstrate the predominance of geogenic processes, including rockfalls, grain and debris flows, interbedded with aeolian sedimentation, as well as localised pyroclastic material in-wash events. Post-depositional alterations are primarily linked to intense bioturbation, as well as minimal karst-induced cementation and minor phosphate diagenesis. (...)

Vegetation and climate changes during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in the southwestern Mediterranean: What happened to the last Neanderthals during Heinrich stadial 4?, di L. Charton et alii, "Quaternary Science Reviews", volume 359, 1 july 2025, 109345 - open access -

During the last glacial period, and particularly Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3, dated 60–27 ka), various abrupt and arid climate episodes impacted the northern hemisphere. These are known as Heinrich Stadials and are linked with major iceberg discharged in the North Atlantic. Heinrich Stadial 4 (HS4), one of the strongest of these events occurring around 39 ka BP, has raised numerous debates regarding its potential impact on the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition (MUPT) and Neanderthal extinction, especially in the Iberian Peninsula where late persistence of Neanderthals has been claimed beyond 40 ka BP. (...)

Widespread evidence of Middle Stone Age (MSA) presence in Equatorial Guinea (West-Central Atlantic Africa), di A. Rosas et alii, "Quaternary International", volumes 736–737, 1 july 2025, 109849 - open access -

Understanding the evolutionary history of humans in the rainforest ecosystems of West Central Africa remains a challenge, despite the region's significance for understanding both the biological and cultural history of Homo sapiens. The relative scarcity of archaeological and chronological references in African rainforests further complicates their integration into a broader evolutionary framework. Since 2014, 11 archaeo-paleontological campaigns have been conducted in Equatorial Guinea to uncover evidence of early human settlements in West Central Africa. These surveys identified 449 Quaternary outcrops, 50 of which yielded Paleolithic stone tools. Technological analysis reveals recurring patterns in Equatorial Guinea, particularly the widespread use of centripetal flaking techniques, either bifacial or unifacial, for flake production. (...)

A long chronology for the British Late Middle Palaeolithic: MIS 5–MIS 3 occupation at Great Pan Farm (Isle of Wight, England), di A. Shaw, J. Dobbie, P. Toms, J. Wood, "Quaternary International", volumes 736–737, 1 july 2025, 109846

Human occupation of Britain during the Late Middle Palaeolithic (LMP) has been characterised as spanning a duration of only ten to fifteen thousand years between ~50 and 37 ka BP during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 and preceded with a period of human absence, potentially stretching from ~165 to 130 Ka BP (MIS 6). New investigations at Great Pan Farm, Isle of Wight challenge this ‘short chronology’ for the LMP. Research, including lithostratigraphic revision, archaeological analysis and luminescence dating of sediments containing archaeology demonstrates two periods of human activity at the site. The earliest occurred during MIS 5 (115–84 Ka BP) and adds to more limited evidence from Dartford, Kent. (...)

Cranial vault thickness, its internal organization, and its relationship with endocranial shape in Neanderthals and modern humans, di S. Natahi, S. Neubauer, Z. J. Tsegai, J. J. Hublin, P. Gunz, "Journal of Human Evolution", volume 204, july 2025, 103683 - open access -

Compared to the more elongated crania of Neanderthals, modern humans have a rounder, more globular cranial vault. The factors contributing to this globular cranial and endocranial morphology remain poorly understood. Cranial vault thickness (CVT) plays a role in shaping the braincase. It has been proposed that CVT variation in hominins reflects distinct stimuli influencing the cranial vault layers to different degrees. We aim to determine to what extent CVT differences could explain the well-documented endocranial shape differences between modern humans and Neanderthals. Additionally, we quantify the contributions of each cranial vault layer—the inner and outer tables and the diploë—to elucidate the processes driving CVT variation. (...)

Uniform, circular, and shallow enamel pitting in hominins: Prevalence, morphological associations, and potential taxonomic significance, di I. Towle et alii, "Journal of Human Evolution", volume 204, july 2025, 103703 - open access -

This study explores a particular form of enamel pitting originally identified in Paranthropus robustus. We call this uniform, circular, and shallow (UCS) pitting to distinguish it from more irregular and nonuniform defects often associated with enamel hypoplasia. We pose the hypothesis that UCS pitting is unique to the genus Paranthropus. We test this by investigating hominin dental remains from the ca. 3.4 Ma to ca. 1.1 Ma fossiliferous sequence at Omo, Ethiopia (n = 76) to look for evidence of UCS pitting in an assemblage that includes at least three hominin genera (Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and Homo). We also examine the correlation between UCS pitting, tooth size, enamel thickness, and cusp proportions in samples from both eastern Africa (Omo) and southern Africa (Drimolen Main Quarry ~2.04–1.95 Ma, Swartkrans ~1.9–1.4 Ma, and Kromdraai ~1.95–1.78 Ma). (...)

Virtual reconstruction and geometric morphometric analysis of the Kocabaş fossil hominin from Turkey and implications for taxonomy and evolutionary significance: A commentary on Mori et al. (2024), di A. Vialet et alii, "Journal of Human Evolution", volume 204, july 2025, 103691

The Kocabaş fossil hominin consists of a fragmentary skull made up of three fragments: a right part of the frontal bone including the lateral part of the supraorbital torus, a lateral part of the left part of the frontal bone still in connection with a small piece of the left parietal, and a rather similar fragment of the right parietal bone. It was discovered in 2002 in the Denizli Basin (S-W Turkey) during quarrying activities. Attributed to Homo erectus in the first description (Kappelman et al., 2008), this assumption was confirmed by the studies that we have been carrying out for over 10 years (Vialet et al., 2012, 2014, 2018). In their article, Mori et al. (2024) described a new reconstruction of this fossil and detailed three-dimensional geometric morphometric analyses. (...)

On the Mousterian origin of bone-tipped hunting weapons in Europe: Evidence from Mezmaiskaya Cave, North Caucasus, di L. V. Golovanova et alii, "Journal of Archaeological Science", volume 179, july 2025, 106223

This paper presents a detailed analysis of a unique pointy bone artefact produced by Neanderthals, which was found in 2003 in a Middle Paleolithic layer dated c. 80–70 ka at Mezmaiskaya Cave in the Caucasus. The definition and interpretation of anthropic traces related to technological modifications and functional use of the bone tool were analyzed using stereoscopic and metallographic microscopes, high-resolution digital microscopy, and microfocus computed tomography. Research of a bitumen residue preserved on the specimen was done using Fourier-transform infrared microscopy and spectroscopy, and crystal-optical microscopy. (...)

Thermal constraints on Middle Pleistocene hominin brain evolution and cognition, di R. I. M. Dunbar, "Journal of Archaeological Science", volume 179, july 2025, 106226 - open access -

High latitude habitats are subject to thermally-driven energetic constraints that make their occupation challenging. This is likely to have had a particularly significant impact on energy-expensive tissue like the brain, especially during periods of lower global temperatures during the Mid-Pleistocene Ice Ages. I analyse data on endocranial volumes for archaic humans (Homo heidelbergensis, H. neanderthalensis and allies) to show (1) that cranial volumes were typically smaller at high latitudes than in the tropics and (2) that they declined during cold phases and increased during warm phases of the Middle Pleistocene Ice Ages. (...)

Art in red: New dates for paintings in the Cave of Altamira, Santillana del Mar, Spain, di Q. Shao et alii, "Journal of Archaeological Science", volume 179, july 2025, 106235

La cueva de Altamira es un enclave declarado Patrimonio Mundial por UNESCO, famoso por sus pinturas y grabados prehistóricos. Aunque el arte rupestre de la cueva de Altamira fue descubierto hace más de 140 años, su evolución cronológica aún no está plenamente definida (Heras, Montes y Lasheras, 2013). Las anteriores dataciones por radiocarbono del pigmento negro de alguna de sus pinturas, sugerían una edad magdaleniense para ellas, mientras que las dataciones por series de uranio de costras carbonatadas indicaban que algunas de las figuras pintadas en rojo pueden atribuirse al periodo Auriñaciense (PIKE et al., 2012; García et al., 2013). (...)

European Large Flake Acheulean on Flint: The Transfesa Site in the Manzanares Valley (Madrid, Spain), di J. A. Martos, S. Rubio-Jara, A. Pérez-González, J. Panera, "Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology", volume 8, issue 1, december 2025, article number 20, 20 June 2025 - open access -

The Acheulean of the Iberian Peninsula and southern France share some of the technological characteristics that define the African Acheulean, such as the configuration of handaxes, cleavers and picks, mainly using flakes as supports. The existence of large flake Acheulean lithic assemblages in the middle terraces of all the fluvial valleys of the Atlantic watershed of the Iberian Peninsula allows dating the early expansion of this technocomplex c. MIS 13–11. This paper presents the first techno-morphological and typological analysis of the lithic series of the Transfesa site. The purpose of this study is to confirm the description of the collection and its morphological characteristics to the Acheulean. Flint is the predominant raw material, whereas the presence of quartzite is anecdotic. (...)

MIS3 – MIS2 transition based on small mammal faunas from Palaeolithic sites in the centre of the East European Plain, di A. K. Markova, A. Yu. Puzachenko, "Quaternary International", volumes 733–734, 15 june 2025, 109830

Palaeontological methods, including the study of fossil small mammals (Lagomorpha, Rodents, Eulipotyphla), are instructive for paleoenvironmental reconstructions. This paper presents results of fossil small mammals' investigation in cultural layers of six Late Pleistocene sites related to Middle and Upper Palaeolithic. In addition to prehistoric sites at Betovo, Khotylevo 2, Eliseevichi 2, Yudinovo, Novgorod Severskaya, and Byki 7, we analyse two synchronous Late Pleistocene natural faunal localities in Arapovichi and Troitsa 2, all in the centre East European Plain. The main aim of this paper is to reconstruct the transition of the regional small mammal fauna from the end of MIS 3 (the so-called Bryansk = Denekamp Interstadial) to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) of Marine Isotope stage 2 (MIS2) (~32–17 ka BP). (...)

Expansion of forest cover and coeval shifts in Later Stone Age land-use at Taforalt and Rhafas Caves, Morocco, as inferred from carbon isotopes in ungulate tooth enamel, di K. B. Worthey et alii, 12 june 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0325691 - open access -

Later Stone Age (Iberomaurusian) hunter-gatherer groups in northwestern Africa appear to have experienced a major reorganization of land-use strategies and settlement dynamics around 15–13 cal ka BP, which broadly corresponds to the globally recognized Greenland Interstadial 1 (Bølling-Allerød) climate interval. However, our understanding of the local impacts of this interval on environments in Morocco is incomplete, as is our understanding of the strength of the relationship, if any, between paleoenvironmental change and human behavior in the Moroccan Later Stone Age. This paper reconstructs changes through time in local forest canopy cover during the Later Stone Age around the archaeological cave sites of Taforalt and Rhafas (northeastern Morocco), using stable isotopes of carbon in ungulate tooth enamel. (...)

Buca della Iena and Grotta del Capriolo: New chronological, lithic, and faunal analyses of two late Mousterian sites in Central Italy, di J. Gennai et alii, 11 june 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0315876 - open access -

New radiocarbon, lithic, faunal, and documentary analyses of two sites, Buca della Iena and Grotta del Capriolo, located in Tuscany (Central Italy) and excavated in the late 1960s’, are presented. The new analyses significance will be evaluated within the late Neanderthal occupation in the northwestern Italian peninsula and provide insights into their demise. Reassessment of stratigraphical and fieldwork documentation identified areas of stratigraphic reliability, supporting robust interpretations. Radiocarbon dating reveals broadly contemporaneous occupations at both sites between 50–40 ka cal BP, with Buca della Iena showing occupation from approximately 47 to 42.5 ka cal BP. Lithic analyses demonstrate the consistent application of the same chaîne opératoire across both sites. (...)

Agent-based simulations reveal the possibility of multiple rapid northern routes for the second Neanderthal dispersal from Western to Eastern Eurasia, di E. Coco, R. Iovita, 9 june 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0325693 - open access -

Genetic and archaeological evidence imply a second major movement of Neanderthals from Western to Central and Eastern Eurasia sometime in the Late Pleistocene. The genetic data suggest a date of 120−80 ka for the dispersal and the archaeological record provides an earliest date of arrival in the Altai by ca. 60 ka. Because the number of archaeological sites linking the two regions is very small, the exact route taken and its timing have been the matter of considerable debate. In particular, climate change in this period modified landscapes considerably, changing the cost of moving in different directions. Here, we apply agent-based least-cost path simulations for the first time to Neanderthals, showing that they most likely took a northern route through the Urals and southern Siberia under all climate scenarios. Agents leaving either the southern or the northern Caucasus Mountains reach the Altai in less than 2000 years during two time windows when the climate was mild, in MIS 5e (the Last Interglacial) and in MIS 3. (...)

An empirically-based scenario for the evolution of cultural transmission in the human lineage during the last 3.3 million years, di I. Colagè, F. d’Errico, 4 june 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0325059 - open access -

Humans accumulate an ever-growing body of knowledge that far exceeds the capacity of any single individual or generation. Social learning and transmission are essential for this process. However, how cultural transmission strategies evolved in our lineage remains unclear. Here we assess the transmission strategies needed to ensure the perpetuation across generations of 103 cultural traits that emerged in the Paleolithic. Our study provides a novel approach to assessing the transmission behaviors implicated in Paleolithic cultural traits and the evolution of cultural transmission over the last 3.3 million years. The results identify trends in the evolution of cultural transmission and reveal a coevolutionary dynamic between the emergence of novel cultural traits and the complexification of transmission strategies. While effective means of overt explanation, perhaps associating gesture and verbal expression, were already present at least 600,000 years ago, the period between 200,000 and 100,000 years ago appears as a crucial tipping point for the emergence of modern language. (...)

Multivariate analyses of Aurignacian and Gravettian personal ornaments support cultural continuity in the Early Upper Palaeolithic, di F. d’Errico et alii, 4 june 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323148 - open access -

raditionally, lithic artefacts have served as the principal proxy for the definition of archaeological cultures in the Upper Paleolithic. However, the culture-historical framework in use, constructed unsystematically and shaped by regional research traditions, features a number of widely acknowledged drawbacks. Here we use personal ornaments to explore the nature of Early Upper Paleolithic cultural entities and establish to what extent they represent distinct or evolving cultural adaptations. We present an analysis of an updated georeferenced dataset composed of personal ornaments coming from two key successive Upper Paleolithic technocomplexes, the Aurignacian (42–34,000 years ago) and the Gravettian (34–24,000 years ago). Using a range of multivariate statistics, we demonstrate that, at both European and regional scales, people belonging to these technocomplexes wore similar personal ornaments, though fully-shaped personal ornaments appear more different between technocomplexes. (...)

Virtual Analysis of a Concretioned Skullcap From S'Omu e S'Orku, an Early Holocene Mesolithic Site of Sardinia, di G. Oxilia, M. Mussi, D. Chiriu, F. A. Pisu, E. Marini, R. T. Melis, "American Journal of Biological Anthropology", volume 187, issue 2, june 2025, e70065

The study focuses on the analysis of the SOMK1 skullcap, a Mesolithic human remain from Sardinia encased in a thick concretion. The aim is to address the challenges presented by the concretion, which prevents direct examination, in order to explore the individual's biological and cultural relevance, duly contextualized within a broader population dynamic. The SOMK1 skullcap was examined using a combination of chemical and digital techniques. The chemical analyses revealed that the red concretion encasing the skullcap was hematite-based and of cultural origin, thus preventing its removal. Computed tomography (CT) scans were used to virtually draw out and reconstruct the skullcap, enabling a detailed morphological analysis, as well as linear and geometric morphometric measurements. (...)

Enamel Thickness in Atapuerca Homo antecessor and Sima de Los Huesos Permanent Premolars, di L. Martín-Francés et alii, "American Journal of Biological Anthropology", volume 187, issue 2, june 2025,e70068

This study investigates premolar tissue proportions in the Atapuerca hominins to assess whether Homo antecessor (TD6) and Sima de los Huesos (SH) specimens exhibit thick or thin enamel, and whether relative enamel thickness is linked to tooth size reduction or enamel–dentine junction (EDJ) complexity. It also examines intrapopulation variability and provides new comparative data. (...)

More than a fingerprint on a pebble: A pigment-marked object from San Lázaro rock-shelter in the context of Neanderthal symbolic behavior, di D. Álvarez-Alonso et alii, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 6, june 2025, article number 131 - open access -

The pebble discovered in the San Lázaro rock-shelter (Segovia, Central Spain) is the oldest known non-utilitarian object with a fingerprint made in Europe. Its morphology and the strategic position of an ocher dot, where a dermatoglyphic image has been detected, may be evidence of symbolic behavior. This object contributes to our understanding of Neanderthals’ capacity for abstraction, suggesting that it could represent one of the earliest human facial symbolizations in Prehistory. All the analyses carried out suggest an intentional effort to transport and paint the pebble for non-utilitarian purposes, suggesting that it is indeed the work of Neanderthals. (...)

Changes in lithic raw material and technological management during the Mesolithic: a view from El Mazo (Northern Iberia), di D. Herrero-Alonso et alii, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 6, june 2025, article number 127 - open access -

This study investigates the lithic industry at the Mesolithic shell midden site of El Mazo (Andrín, Asturias), on the Asturian coastline in Northern Iberia, focusing on resource management, production strategies, and mobility patterns of the last hunter-gatherer-fishers. El Mazo provides a unique opportunity to examine lithic resource use across the Early-Middle Holocene transition, with a particular emphasis on the dynamic of the 8.2 ka climate event. Raw material analysis reveals that most lithic resources originated locally (< 30 km), although some were transported from distances exceeding 250 km, indicating extensive mobility and exchange networks. Technological trends (bladelet production) and typological changes in microliths (backed points and geometric forms) across the extensive stratigraphy connect this sequence to broader Mesolithic developments in both Iberian and European contexts. (...)

Silcrete use and heat treatment in the middle stone age at Nelson Bay cave, South Africa, di S. E. Watson, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 6, june 2025, article number 126

The heat treatment of lithic raw materials to modify their physical properties was a major technological innovation of the Middle Stone Age (MSA) and was present by at least ~ 130 ka in southern Africa. Most research on the heat treatment of silcrete in MSA lithic technology have come from sites in western South Africa. Less data is available about the context in which silcrete was acquired and modified along the southern coast, raising questions regarding how widespread the heat treatment of silcrete was in the MSA. (...)

Magdalenian environments and ecosystems of the northern Alpine foreland: the case of Gnirshöhle and Petersfels, di T. Panagiotopoulou et alii, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 6, june 2025, article number 125 - open access -

After the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM: ~ 26.5–19.0 ka cal BP), large-scale warming resulted in glacial retreat and climatic amelioration, prompting changes to local and regional ecosystems across Eurasia during the Late Glacial. Consequently, Magdalenian hunter-gatherers reoccupied parts of Central Europe that were mostly devoid of humans during the LGM. Petersfels and Gnirshöhle (~ 17.0–13.0 ka cal BP), two Magdalenian cave sites in the Hegau Jura of southwestern Germany, preserve the later stages of this recolonization and serve as archives of paleoenvironmental data. In this study, we examine carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) stable isotopes in horse (Equus ferus) and bovine (Bos/Bison sp.) tooth enamel carbonate from both sites to investigate the microenvironment of the northern Alpine foreland. (...)

Correction to: Birds from the oven: the Middle Palaeolithic avifauna of Tabun Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel, di L. Amos, R. Yeshurun, M. Weinstein‑Evron, R. Shimelmitz, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 6, june 2025

"Journal of Human Evolution", volume 203, June 2025:

- Serial reconstruction of Hominini manual phalanges, di M. López-Cano, M. Bastir

- The effects of carnivore diversity on scavenging opportunities and hominin range expansion during Out of Africa I, di R. Coil

- Ecomorphology in Kenya's Koobi Fora Formation: Reconstructing Early Pleistocene hominin paleoenvironments with 3D geometric morphometric analyses of bovid metapodials, di M. Malherbe et alii

- The adaptive function of the human ankle joint complex during walking on uneven terrains with implications for hominin locomotion, di Z. M. Apolito, K. G. Palmisano, N. B. Holowka

- New insights into the Neanderthal pelvis morphology based on a partial os coxae from El Sidrón (Asturias, Spain), di N. Torres-Tamayo

- A phylogenetic perspective on the evolution of early hominin foot morphology, di Y. Sekhavati, T. Cody Prang, D. Strait

Late Paleolithic whale bone tools reveal human and whale ecology in the Bay of Biscay, di K. McGrath et alii, "Nature Communications", volume 16, article number: 4646 (2025), 27 may 2025 - open access -

Reconstructing how prehistoric humans used the products obtained from large cetaceans is challenging, but key to understand the history of early human coastal adaptations. Here we report the multiproxy analysis (ZooMS, radiocarbon, stable isotopes) of worked objects made of whale bone, and unworked whale bone fragments, found at Upper Paleolithic sites (Magdalenian) around the Bay of Biscay. Taxonomic identification using ZooMS reveals at least five species of large whales, expanding the range of known taxa whose products were utilized by humans in this period. Radiocarbon places the use of whale products ca. 20–14 ka cal BP, with a maximum diffusion and diversity at 17.5–16 ka cal BP, making it the oldest evidence of whale-bone working to our knowledge (...)

Les Homo sapiens traversaient régulièrement les Pyrénées pendant la période glaciaire, 26 mai 2025

Montlleó : un lieu de passage entre France et Espagne depuis au moins 35000 ans! Les chasseurs-cueilleurs utilisaient des corridors naturels pour aller de part et d’autre des Pyrénées. Ils transportaient et échangeaient différents artefacts et outils: coquillages, silex…
Ce site archéologique découvert en 1999, est situé au cœur des Pyrénées catalanes, à quelques 1 144 mètres d’altitude, dans le Coll de Saig sur la commune de Prats i Sansor. C’est l’un des cols les plus adaptés au passage des paléolithiques à travers les Pyrénées. Il apparaît donc, que même à l’époque glaciaire, lorsque les glaciers recouvraient une grande partie du paysage, la vallée de la Cerdagne était praticable. (...)

Who were the ancient Denisovans? Fossils reveal secrets about the mysterious humans, di M. Marshall, 20 may 2025

In 2008, archaeologists working in Denisova Cave in southern Siberia, Russia, uncovered a tiny bone: the tip of the little finger of an ancient human that lived there tens of thousands of years ago. The fragment didn’t seem remarkable, but it was well preserved, giving researchers hope that it harboured intact DNA. A team of geneticists led by Johannes Krause at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, removed 30 milligrams of bone and managed to extract enough intact DNA to analyse it. They were able to sequence the entire mitochondrial genome — and were shocked by what they found. The DNA did not match that of modern humans, or of Neanderthals, the other likely candidate1. It was a new population, which they dubbed the Denisovans, after the cave. (...)

The Middle Stone Age fauna from the DC member of Cave 1B at Klasies River main site, South Africa: Animal exploitation during the MSA II, di R. Ratshinanga, S. Wurz, S. Badenhorst, "Quaternary International", volume 729, 15 may 2025, 109781 - open access -

Klasies River main site (KRM) is a prominent Middle Stone Age (MSA) site located on the southern Cape coast in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. This contribution discusses the animal remains from the DC member in Cave 1B not reported on before. These animals fall within MSA II (Mossel Bay) techno-complex that, at KRM, dates from before 110 to 78ka. Despite heavy fragmentation, the fauna from this period shows a variety of taxa, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and molluscs. The most common taxa in the sample include indeterminate medium and small mammals, tortoises, indeterminate small birds, Cape fur seals, and indeterminate Bovid I and II's. (...)

A rediscovered fossil hominin fragment from Gombore IB, an early Pleistocene site of Melka Kunture (Upper Awash, Etiopia), di M. Rubini, A. Gozzi, F. Altamura, F. Spanò, P. Zaio, "Quaternary International", volume 729, 15 may 2025, 109792

The Gombore gully of Melka Kunture is located in the upper Awash Valley of Ethiopia. In the Lower Acheulean layer of Gombore IB, dated to 1.7 million years ago, a well-preserved distal portion of a left humerus was discovered in 1976. Additionally, a proximal fragment of a left humerus was discovered from the same site in 1973; however, it was not initially recognized as belonging to a hominin during excavations. This latter specimen, which was only recently identified within the Gombore I collection, is analyzed here. It is attributed to the middle proximal segment of the bone. The bone presents a significant cortical thickness together with a reduced medullary cavity. Subjected to tomographic examination, it revealed a concentrated cortical structure denoting a young individual. (...)

Phalangeal cortical bone distribution reveals different dexterous and climbing behaviors in Australopithecus sediba and Homo naledi, di S. M. Syeda et alii, "Science Advances", 14 may 2025, volume 11, issue 20 - open access -

The evolution of the human hand is marked by a transition from a hand primarily used for locomotion to one primarily used for dexterous manipulation. The hand skeletons of Plio-Pleistocene hominins have different mosaics of human-like features associated with enhanced dexterity and ape-like features associated with locomotor hand use. However, the functional relevance of the ape-like features is debated, particularly due to a lack of complete and associated hand remains. Here, we investigate the internal phalangeal cortical structure of the nearly complete Australopithecus sediba MH2 hand and Homo naledi hand 1 to provide both insight into the manual behaviors of these fossil hominins and functional clarity regarding the mosaic features found within their hands. (...)

Direct evidence for processing Isatis tinctoria L., a non-nutritional plant, 32–34,000 years ago, di L. Longo et alii, 9 may 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0321262 - open access -

Recovering evidence for the intentional use of plants in the Palaeolithic is challenging due to their perishable nature as, unlike chipped stone or bone artefacts, plant remains are rarely preserved. This has created a paradigm for the Palaeolithic in which plants seldom feature, resulting in a partial and skewed perspective; in fact, plants were as essential to human life then as they are today. Here, we combine morphological and spectroscopic analyses (µ-Raman, µ-FTIR) to provide robust multiscale physical and biomolecular evidence for the deliberate pounding and grinding of Isatis tinctoria L. leaves 34–32,000 years ago. The leaf epidermis fragments were found entrapped in the topography of the used surface of unmodified pebbles, in association with use-wear traces. (...)

Revised age for Schöningen hunting spears indicates intensification of Neanderthal cooperative behavior around 200,000 years ago, di J. M. Hutson et alii, "Science Advances", 9 may 2025, volume 11, issue 19 - open access -

The Schöningen 13II-4 archaeological site in Germany holds title to the most complete Paleolithic wooden hunting spears ever discovered, yet its age has never been properly settled. Initial estimates placed the site at around 400,000 years; this age was later revised to roughly 300,000 years. Here, we report age estimates for the “Spear Horizon” based on amino acid geochronology of fossils obtained directly from the find-bearing deposits. Together with a reassessment of regional Middle Pleistocene chronostratigraphy, these data place the Schöningen spears at ~200,000 years. This revised age positions the Spear Horizon alongside other sites that collectively record a shift toward communal hunting strategies. The Schöningen archaeological record exemplifies this behavioral transformation that arose within the increasingly complex social environments of Middle Paleolithic Neanderthals. (...)

"L'Anthropologie", Préhistoire du Kazakhstan, april–june 2025:

- Le Kazakhstan avant l’Histoire: mythe ou réalité?, di Evgeniya A. Osipova, Talgat B. Mamirov

- Les premières traces de l'activité humaine du Paléolithique inférieur au Kazakhstan central, di V. S. Voloshin

- Découverte des sites paléolithiques dans les régions intramontagneuses du Tian-Shan septentrional (Kazakhstan du Sud-est), di D. V. Ozherelyev, T. B. Mamirov, R. N. Aminova, K. A. Eskendirov, A. I. Ferapontov

- Paléolithique supérieur ancien des piémonts du Tian-Shan septentrional (Kazakhstan du Sud-est). Dernières découvertes et état de la recherche, di D. V. Ozherelyev, T. B. Mamirov

- Rôle de l’Asie centrale dans la dispersion des industries du Micoquien/KMG en Eurasie, di A. K. Otcherednoy et alii

- Dynamique culturelle des industries lithiques du site Paléolithique supérieur de Rakhat (Tian-Shan septentrional), di D. V. Ozherelyev, T. B. Mamirov

"PaleoAnthropology", volume 2025, issue 1:

- Occupation Duration and Identification of Technological Traditions: Insights from the Late Middle Paleolithic Site of Nahal Dimona 24 in the Negev Desert, Israel, di M. Oron, N. Porat, E. Hovers

- Growing Pains: Opportunities to Adjust Phenotypic Trajectories in Childhood and Adolescence Complicate Studies of Developmental Plasticity in Late Homo, di C. McPherson

- Microtomographic Archive of Hominin Fossils from the Swartkrans Formation, South Africa (1948-1967), di M. Skinner, M. Imbrasas, R. Martin, M. Tawane, J. J. Hublin, T. Rayne Pickering, D. de Ruiter

- Does Early Homo Dental Variation Follow a Neutral Pattern of Divergence?, di L. Del Giacco, L. Schroeder

- No Geoarchaeological Evidence for Deliberate Burial by Homo naledi. On Best Practice for Geochemical Studies in Archaeology and Paleoanthropology, di K. Foecke, A. Queffelec, R. Pickering

- Flakes, Feelings, and Finesse: Experiential Studies of Skill Acquisition in Novice Knappers, di K. Akhilesh et alii

Scales of toolstone transport in the Armenian Highlands during MIS 3: The contribution of Ararat-1 Cave (Ararat Depression) to reconstructing opportunities for social interactions, di E. Frahm, D. Nora, B. Gasparyan, A. Petrosyan, A. Malinsky-Buller, "Quaternary Science Reviews", volume 357, 1 june 2025, 109324 - open access -

Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3, ranging from around 57,000 to 29,000 years ago, is a period of significant archaeological interest due to notable transitions in lithic technology and hominin populations. In Europe, this time saw the replacement of Middle Palaeolithic (MP) technologies associated with Neanderthals by Upper Palaeolithic (UP) technologies linked to anatomically modern humans (AMHs). This technological shift is conventionally attributed to a demographic turnover; however, the timing of this transition varied regionally. The presence of Neanderthals and AMHs in the Levant, western Europe, and elsewhere over extended periods complicates the narrative, suggesting asynchronous and regionally diverse associations of hominin species and lithic technologies. (...)

Late Mid-Pleistocene hominin fire control inferred from sooty speleothem analysis, di S. Vandevelde et alii, "Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory", volume 32, issue 2, june 2025, article number 40

The origin of fire control is considered a major turning point in human evolution and remains a highly debated albeit central subject in archaeology. Studying paleo-fires is challenging because of taphonomic phenomena that alter combustion structures and hinder the identification of the oldest hearths. Moreover, hearths do not record all fire events and do not provide a chronological record of fire. In contrast, speleothems, carbonated cave deposits, can preserve evidence of ancient fires, including soot traces, and these features can be dated directly using radiometric methods. Orgnac 3, an important archaeological sequence in Western Europe, provides a case study on the origins of habitual fire use in this region during the transition between the Lower and Middle Paleolithic. This paper presents the first documented record of over 20 fire events at this ancient site. (...)

The Role of Palaeolithic Cave-Art: Estimating Social Investment in Symbolic Expressions Through the Making Cost, di D. Garate, "Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory", volume 32, issue 2, june 2025, article number 39 - open access -

The symbolic expression, due to its social and cultural potential, should make a decisive contribution to the reconstruction of Palaeolithic social systems. Paradoxically, the limitations of the traditional study methods do not facilitate the exploitation of this possibility. In this article, we have presented an initial proposal to approach the study of visual rock art from a different perspective, focused in the calculation of the resources invested in the creation of rock art. This allows us to relate it directly to the societies that produced it and the implications it may have had on them. Furthermore, the use of cutting-edge technologies in this approach enables an exhaustive reconstruction of such processes and, ultimately, an objective, quantifiable, and global replicable system to calculate the exact minimum costs and social investment in Palaeolithic art. (...)

The Skills of Handaxe Making: Quantifying and Explaining Variability in 3D Sinuosity and Bifacial Asymmetry, di A. Muller, G. Sharon, L. Grosman, "Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory", volume 32, issue 2, june 2025, article number 35 - open access -

Observations about handaxe techno-morphology, like their symmetry, refinement, and fine edges have long been used to reconstruct the evolution of hominin cognition, skills, and technological decision making. However, these interpretations about the cognitive and technical abilities of Acheulean hominins often rely on the most ‘beautiful’ or supposedly ‘archetypical’ looking handaxes. But how often do these finely made handaxes actually occur in assemblages and how can we identify handaxes that were more skillfully made than others? Instead of seeking to estimate the skill level of individual past knappers, a trait that is oftentimes obscured in the archaeological record, we approach the question of knapping skill from the other direction. We instead ask how much skill was required to manufacture a handaxe? We explore, not the skill level of a handaxe’s maker, but how skillfully an individual handaxe was made. (...)

Finding your strong points: exploring the design and resilience of barbed composite weapons, di L. Tydgadt, V. Rots, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 5, may 2025, article number 112

Laterally hafted projectiles have long been of interest in archaeology. While evidence of composite tools with organic shafts and stone barbs appears in Europe as early as the Gravettian, some scholars trace their origins to the early Upper Paleolithic, particularly with Protoaurignacian bladelets. However, the identification of lateral stone elements remains methodologically challenging, and a comprehensive interpretative framework is still under development. Experiments on lateral projectiles focus on diverse research objectives and protocols vary, complicating consensus on the identification of lateral insets, especially in the absence of their organic counterparts. In most experiments, the fragility of lateral hafting systems often leads to detachment of insets upon impact, preventing the formation of characteristic wear and complicating diagnostic analysis. (...)

The human entry in Sicily: new archaeological and paleoenvironmental evidence from San Teodoro cave (Acquedolci, Messina), di V. Forgia et alii, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 5, may 2025, article number 109 - open access -

The timing of the earliest peopling of Sicily and, to a wider level, of human mobility in the Mediterranean basin after the Last Glacial Maximum is enriched by the recent discovery of an archaeological record dated back to 16,5 ka cal BP from San Teodoro cave (Acquedolci, Messina). We present the results of a new archaeological campaign inside the grotto, where we were able to identify a layer related to the initial stage of human occupation. The excavation yielded lithic and faunal remains and the first systematic collection of wood charcoal for the archaeobotanical analysis. The new data offer a snapshot on the site and on the daily activities of the hunter-gatherers in their palaeoenvironmental context. The peri-coastal area surrounding San Teodoro appears to have played a role as a glacial refuge, allowing for the development and survival of temperate tree species. (...)

The evolution of European cranial morphology: From the Upper Paleolithic to the Late Eneolithic steppe invasions, di P. Grasgruber, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 5, may 2025, article number 108 - open access -

The purpose of this work was a comprehensive overview of the development of cranial morphology in prehistoric Europe, spanning the period from the Upper Paleolithic to the genetic turnovers associated with the Indo-European migrations from the East European steppes (~ 2000 cal. BC). A total of 103 prehistoric samples with > 3900 male skulls were divided into six periods and statistically compared using 22 cranial values (11 raw craniometric measurements and 11 indices). This analysis shows that the Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods were characterized by a predominance of robust, broad-faced morphology that was changing only slowly over time. As late as after the onset of the Neolithic (6000 cal. BC) did morphological diversity increase in the form of the more gracile, narrow-faced crania of Anatolian farmers. (...)

Controlling Levallois: the effect of hammer angle of blow on Levallois flake morphology and fracture trajectory, di S. C. Lin, M. McNaughton, A. Innes, C. Barroso-Medina, C. Clarkson, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 5, may 2025, article number 107 - open access -

Discussions of the Levallois method typically focus on the preparation of the core surface geometry as the primary factor in determining the characteristics of Levallois products. While some studies have acknowledged the role of knapping gestures, there is still limited empirical investigation into how different force application parameters influence the formation of these flakes. This study presents the results from a set of controlled experiments designed to assess the effect of hammer striking angle on the morphology and fracture trajectory of preferential Levallois flakes. By using standardised glass cores with surface morphologies that replicate those of a flintknapped Levallois core, the findings show that variations in the hammer angle of blow significantly alter the direction of fracture propagation through the core. (...)

Mixed sites: assessing carnivore, Neanderthal, and abiotic agency at Buena Pinta Cave (Pinilla del Valle, Madrid, Spain), di C. Mielgo et alii, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 5, may 2025, article number 101 - open access -

Understanding taphonomic processes is essential for reconstructing past environmental dynamics and interpreting mixed sites, where successive occupations by different biological agents have occurred and, in many cases, have been modified by post-depositional processes. Such is the case in the western part of Buena Pinta Cave (Pinilla del Valle, Madrid). In this study, three Units with different taphonomic histories were analysed. Unit 32 A contains fossil remains that were incorporated by low-energy water currents during the cave's opening. (...)

Lithic use-wear analysis of Lupemban Middle Stone Age core-axes from Kalambo Falls, Zambia, di N. Taylor, L. S. Barham, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 5, may 2025, article number 99

The evolutionary significance of the regional Middle Stone Age (MSA) Lupemban industry is explored by applying macroscopic lithic use-wear analysis to a securely stratified sample of core-axes from Kalambo Falls (Zambia). Radiometrically dated to ~ 265 ka BP (Twin Rivers, Zambia), the Lupemban is associated with the first sustained hominin settlement of the Central African woodland and rainforest belt. In this context, the development of sophisticated composite technologies bears directly on longstanding debates about the origins of behavioural and cognitive complexity in early Homo sapiens. The composite heavy-duty woodworking function historically proposed for Lupemban core-axes is a testable hypothesis that bridges the issues of hafting and woodland resource exploitation, which together underpin the industry’s purported evolutionary significance. Kalambo Falls provides the only stratified sample of Lupemban implements from Central Africa. (...)

Prey choice and changes in site occupation intensity during the Middle and Upper Paleolithic at Ghar-e Boof (southern Zagros Mountains, Iran), di M. Mata-González, B. M. Starkovich, M. Zeidi, N. J. Conard, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 5, may 2025, article number 95 - open access -

Ghar-e Boof represents an exceptional Paleolithic site in the southern Zagros Mountains. Due to its long Late Pleistocene sequence that spans from ca. 81 ka until the Epipaleolithic, the site offers a unique opportunity to investigate long-term hominin behavioral patterns on a local scale. In this paper, we examine diachronic trends in prey choice and site occupation intensity during the Middle Paleolithic (MP) through early Upper Paleolithic (UP) at Ghar-e Boof as determined from zooarchaeological data, find densities, accumulation rates, and frequencies of retouched tools. To better understand foraging conditions, variation (or the lack thereof) in species representation and relative abundances are analyzed following the prey choice model of optimal foraging theory. Based on energetic return rates and procurement costs, we distinguish between high-ranked (large and small, slow-moving game) and low-ranked (small-bodied or small, fast-moving game) resources. (...)

"Journal of Human Evolution", volume 202, may 2025:

- Human midfacial growth pattern differs from that of Neanderthals and chimpanzees, di A. Schuh et alii

- Palaeoecology of the Pliocene large carnivore guild at Hadar, Lower Awash Valley, Ethiopia, di J. R. Robinson et alii

- The Marine Isotope Stage 5 (~105 ka) lithic assemblage from Ga-Mohana Hill North Rockshelter and insights into social transmission across the Kalahari Basin and its environs, di P. Chiwara-Maenzanise, B. J. Schoville, Y. Sahle, J. Wilkins

- Aurignacian groups at Isturitz (France) adapted to a shifting environment upon their arrival in Western Europe ~42,000 years ago, di E. Berlioz et alii

- Re-evaluating Omo 105-7, a provisional hominin last lumbar vertebra from the Lower Omo Basin (Plio-Pleistocene) of Ethiopia, di X. Wang, M. R. Meyer, S. A. Williams

- A fresh look at an iconic human fossil: Virtual reconstruction of the KNM-WT 15000 cranium, di K. L. Baab

Facial approximation of a Late Pleistocene human fossil in the Yahuai Cave, southern China, di W. Shui et alii, "Journal of Archaeological Science", volume 177, may 2025, 106180

An almost complete human cranium, alongside a partial mandible dating to approximately 16,000 BP, was discovered in the Yahuai (YH) Cave in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern China. The estimation of facial appearance has captivated both the academic community and the general public, potentially influencing perceptions of the characteristics and evolutionary history of Homo sapiens. The aim of this research was to explore a computerized method integrating geometric morphometrics and three-dimensional (3D) computer graphics to: 1) examine the morphological variations of the YH skull in comparison to contemporary humans; 2) estimate 3D facial appearance using various facial soft tissue thickness depths and the facial morphology of contemporary humans; and 3) capture morphological variations in the approximated face to provide insights into the facial traits of the Late Pleistocene individual. (...)

Marked regionalism during the Last Glacial across the Italian Peninsula: Evidence from the large mammal assemblage of Santa Maria di Agnano (Apulia, southern Italy), di B. Mecozzi, P. Magniez, D. Coppola, D. Borić, H. Baills, "Quaternary International", volume 728, 1 may 2025, 109767 - open access -

In this study, we present the mammal sample collected from Stratigraphic Unit 8 of the external excavation area of Grotta di Santa Maria di Agnano (Apulia, southern Italy). The material was collected during the 2011, 2015, and 2016 excavation seasons and it is described here for the first time. In this level, lithic tools consistent with the Gravettian techno-complex have been identified. Grotta di Santa Maria di Agnano is renowned for the Upper Palaeolithic burials, Ostuni 1 and Ostuni 2, found inside the cave and dated between 29,495–28,766 years cal BP and 27,809–27375 years cal BP. (...)

Highland settling in the Early Mesolithic. Insight from the record of Cima Dodici open-air sites, Venetian pre-Alps (Italy), di R. Discosti, D. Visentin, F. Badino, M. Peresani, "Quaternary International", volume 727, 30 april 2025, 109756

Large areas of the Italian Alps were home to early Holocene hunter-gatherers, who exploited the highlands seasonally throughout the entire Mesolithic period. This is evident on the southern slope of Cima Dodici, a peak located along the northernmost fringe of the Asiago Plateau, where sites are distributed between 2000 and 2100 m of elevation, representing a unique context for investigating Mesolithic settlement patterns at the onset of Holocene. This work integrates previous excavation data, re-evaluation of surface collections, and the analysis of the spatial distribution of lithic assemblages from two excavated sites, providing an updated framework for understanding the sites and their main characteristics. (...)

The earliest human face of Western Europe, di R. Huguet et alii, "Nature", volume 640, numero 8059, 17 aprile 2025, pages 707–713

Who the first inhabitants of Western Europe were, what their physical characteristics were, and when and where they lived are some of the pending questions in the study of the settlement of Eurasia during the Early Pleistocene epoch. The available palaeoanthropological information from Western Europe is limited and confined to the Iberian Peninsula. Here we present most of the midface of a hominin found at the TE7 level of the Sima del Elefante site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain), dated to between 1.4 million and 1.1 million years ago. This fossil (ATE7-1) represents the earliest human face of Western Europe identified thus far. Most of the morphological features of the midface of this hominin are primitive for the Homo clade and they do not display the modern-like aspect exhibited by Homo antecessor found at the neighbouring Gran Dolina site, also in the Sierra de Atapuerca, and dated to between 900,000 and 800,000 years ago. (...)

A male Denisovan mandible from Pleistocene Taiwan, di T. Tsutaya et alii, "Science", volume 388, issue 6743, 11 apr 2025, pp. 176-180

Denisovans are an extinct hominin group defined by ancient genomes of Middle to Late Pleistocene fossils from southern Siberia. Although genomic evidence suggests their widespread distribution throughout eastern Asia and possibly Oceania, so far only a few fossils from the Altai and Tibet are confidently identified molecularly as Denisovan. We identified a hominin mandible (Penghu 1) from Taiwan (10,000 to 70,000 years ago or 130,000 to 190,000 years ago) as belonging to a male Denisovan by applying ancient protein analysis. We retrieved 4241 amino acid residues and identified two Denisovan-specific variants. (...)

Humans in Africa’s wet tropical forests 150 thousand years ago, di E. Ben Arous et alii, "Nature", volume 640, numero 8058, 10 aprile 2025, pages 402–407 - open acccess -

Humans emerged across Africa shortly before 300 thousand years ago (ka)1,2,3. Although this pan-African evolutionary process implicates diverse environments in the human story, the role of tropical forests remains poorly understood. Here we report a clear association between late Middle Pleistocene material culture and a wet tropical forest in southern Côte d’Ivoire, a region of present-day rainforest. Twinned optically stimulated luminescence and electron spin resonance dating methods constrain the onset of human occupations at Bété I to around 150 ka, linking them with Homo sapiens. Plant wax biomarker, stable isotope, phytolith and pollen analyses of associated sediments all point to a wet forest environment. The results represent the oldest yet known clear association between humans and this habitat type. The secure attribution of stone tool assemblages with the wet forest environment demonstrates that Africa’s forests were not a major ecological barrier for H. sapiens as early as around 150 ka.(...)

Quina lithic technology indicates diverse Late Pleistocene human dynamics in East Asia, di Q. J. Ruan et alii, "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences", 8 april 2025, vol. 122, no. 14, e2418029122

Neanderthal adaptation to Marine Isotope Stage 4 cold environments in Europe is reflected by subsistence behaviors and material culture, among which the Quina system of lithic production stands out being easily distinguishable from others. Quina industries are currently confined to European and western Asian countries. Hence, their discovery far outside Western Eurasia challenges the current scenario. The Quina technological system identified in Southwest China, dated to ~55 ka, is culturally in the European range, which challenges popular view that there is no “Middle Paleolithic” in this region and reveals a diversity of technology in the Chinese Middle Paleolithic. Our study further deepens the understanding of biocultural dynamics of Homo sapiens, Denisovans, and possibly other hominins in the Late Pleistocene of East Asia (...)

Systematic bone tool production at 1.5 million years ago, di I. de la Torre, L. Doyon, A. Benito-Calvo, R. Mora, I. Mwakyoma, J. K. Njau, R. F. Peters, A. Theodoropoulou, F. d’Errico, "Nature", volume 640, numero 8057, 3 aprile 2025, pages 130–134 - open access -

Recent evidence indicates that the emergence of stone tool technology occurred before the appearance of the genus Homo and may potentially be traced back deep into the primate evolutionary line. Conversely, osseous technologies are apparently exclusive of later hominins from approximately 2 million years ago (Ma), whereas the earliest systematic production of bone tools is currently restricted to European Acheulean sites 400–250 thousand years ago. Here we document an assemblage of bone tools shaped by knapping found within a single stratigraphic horizon at Olduvai Gorge dated to 1.5 Ma. Large mammal limb bone fragments, mostly from hippopotamus and elephant, were shaped to produce various tools, including massive elongated implements. Before our discovery, bone artefact production in pre-Middle Stone Age African contexts was widely considered as episodic, expedient and unrepresentative of early Homo toolkits. (...)

Understanding the Origin of Superficial Bone Changes in Qafzeh 9 Skull (Middle Paleolithic, Southwestern Asia): Contribution of Three-Dimensional Imaging, di D. Coutinho-Nogueira, H. Coqueugniot, A. M. Tillier, "American Journal of Biological Anthropology", volume 186, issue 4, april 2025, e70051

Deciphering the origins of bone alterations is crucial in paleoanthropology for understanding biological variation and distinguishing between taphonomy, normal anatomy, growth-related changes, and pathological conditions. Qafzeh 9, an early anatomically modern human from Lower Galilee, exhibits three alterations on its frontal bone: a circular lacuna, two parallel grooves, and a flattening near the superior temporal line. Micro-CT images and 3D reconstructions complement macroscopic observations to determine the etiologies of these features. Our analysis reveals that one of them, the flattening near the superior temporal line, is associated with changes in the diploë. (...)

Evidence of Middle Palaeolithic human occupation in south-central Oman, di D. Chlachula et alii, "Antiquity", volume 99, issue 404, april 2025, e9

Debate surrounds the early peopling of the Arabian Peninsula. The first evidence of the Levallois lithic technology in the Huqf area of south-eastern Arabia now extends the Middle Palaeolithic record of hominin activity into central Oman and helps to diversify the picture of Arabian prehistory. (...)

Birds from the oven: the Middle Palaeolithic avifauna of Tabun Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel, di L. Amos, R. Yeshurun, M. Weinstein-Evron, R. Shimelmitz, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 4, april 2025, article number 90 - open access -

The long Middle Palaeolithic sequence of Tabun Cave covers a vital time of human dispersal across the Levant, both from Africa and from Europe. The sequence contains two of the human morphotypes found in the Levant during this period, most usually assigned to Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans, providing a unique opportunity to investigate whether there are behavioural differences between the two human groups. We approach this through the bird remains that offer a novel proxy to examine changes in the palaeoenvironment and potentially, human subsistence at Mount Carmel during the Middle Palaeolithic. We present the first systematic account of avian remains from Tabun layers C and B, along with a detailed taphonomic study. We identified 47 avian species from 27 stratified samples at Tabun Cave, including game birds, diurnal and nocturnal raptors, waterbirds, pigeons, and small songbirds. (...)

Quantifying Levallois: a 3D geometric morphometric approach to Nubian technology, di E. Hallinan, J. Cascalheira, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 4, april 2025, article number 88 - open access -

Levallois technology, a hallmark of Middle Palaeolithic stone tool manufacture, involves sophisticated core reduction strategies that have major implications for understanding human cognitive and technological evolution. However, traditional methods of analysing Levallois cores often fail to capture the nuanced variability in their morphology. This study introduces a novel application of three-dimensional geometric morphometrics (GM) to quantify the shape variability of Nubian Levallois cores from the Nile Valley and Dhofar regions. By employing this technique, we analysed core surfaces and preferential scar shapes, identifying distinct regional and technological patterns. (...)

Tools on shell at Moscerini Cave (central Italy) and MIS 5 sea level highstands: a critical insight into the modern behavior of a non-sapiens human species, di F. Marra, F. Santaniello, S. Grimaldi, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 4, april 2025, article number 86 - open access -

This work analyzes the evidence of Neanderthal frequentation at Moscerini cave (central Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) based on the quantity and on the typology of tools produced on marine shells of Callista chione in comparison with the varying environmental and climatic context linked with the glacial/deglacial phases and the associated sea level oscillations during MIS 5. Thanks to the reconstruction of the paleo-coastline position in the interval 125—100 kya achieved by the recent chronostratigraphic study of Guattari, Capre and Moscerini caves and of the marine terraces along the coast between Cape Circeo and Anzio, we show the direct correspondence of the production of tools on shell with the timespans in which the cave entrance opened on the beach, directly. (...)

Carrying capacity and meat availability for the Neanderthal groups in the upper valley of the Lozoya River (Madrid, Spain): a key region for the study of their ecosystems in Central Iberia, di L. Molino et alii, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 4, april 2025, article number 84 - open access -

Located in the upper valley of the Lozoya River, Cueva del Camino (Madrid, Spain) is one of the richest Early Pleistocene paleontological sites in the Iberian Peninsula. The results of the work carried out over the last three decades have led to the interpretation of the site as a hyena den with intermittent human presence. The faunal assemblage of layer 05 of Cueva del Camino dates to about 90 ka (MIS 5c) and includes small, medium, and large mammals. The presence of lithic industry and Neanderthal remains provide valuable insights into the strategies of past human groups in their access to animal resources. This study aims to determine the ecological conditions and availability of meat resources in the large mammal paleocommunity of Cueva del Camino by estimating carrying capacity (CC) and meat availability (TAB) in the upper valley of the Lozoya River. (...)

Provenance analysis of rock crystal artefacts from Palaeolithic sites in Moravia (East Central Europe) – a comparative extended approach, di M. Slobodník, A. Přichystal, P. Gadas, M. Kontár, K. Slavíček, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 4, april 2025, article number 77 - open access -

The Bohemian Massif and the Alps are regions that are generally known for their rock crystal artefacts and the study thereof. The most important archaeological findspots in the Czech Republic are the Palaeolithic sites at Nová Dědina (East Moravia) and in Žitný Cave (Moravian Karst), which yielded numerous rock crystal artefacts. The study of fluid inclusions as sensitive objects reflecting the conditions of their formation was included in the research. Subsequently, natural sites with the occurrence of rock crystals were selected as potential extraction sites, and a comparative study was carried out. The methodological approach has been completed using microthermometry, Raman spectrometry, EPMA and stable isotopic studies of oxygen. (...)

Controlled comparative tensile tests of backed versus non-backed edges’ adhesion: Inferences into stone tool functional properties, di M. Wilson et alii, "Archaeometry", volume 67, issue 2, april 2025, pages 267-283 - open access -

Backing is a procedure for retouching a stone tool edge to an angle of or near 90°. Archaeologists have recorded backed lithic specimens in the Pleistocene and Holocene around the world. One prominent hypothesis for the occurrence of backing is that it increases a stone tool's adhesion relative to what it would have otherwise been with unmodified, sharp edges. We conducted a highly controlled semi-static tensile test in which we assessed lithic specimens that possessed both a backed and a non-backed edge, opposing each other. We hafted each specimen's backed and non-backed edges to wood, and the bi-hafted stone implement was then pulled apart using an Universal Instron Materials Tester, allowing for a direct ‘head-to-head’ comparison of the two edge types’ adhesive properties. Our tensile test results suggested no significant difference between backed and non-backed edges in terms of adhesion, which does not support the hypothesis that backing increases a lithic specimen's adhesion. (...)

Direct Effects of Bipedalism on Early Hominin Fetuses Stimulated Later Musical and Linguistic Evolution, di M. Larsson, D. Falk, "Current Anthropology", volume 66, number 2, april 2025

We hypothesize that auditory and motor entrainment evolved in early hominin fetuses in direct response to their mothers’ bipedal footsteps and, later, contributed to the evolution of music and language via two related processes. First, selection for bipedalism transformed feet from grasping into weight-bearing organs, which negatively affected infants’ ability to cling to their mothers, provoking the emergence of novel affective vocal exchanges between mothers and infants that became building blocks for the emergence of motherese. Second, the derived ability to entrain movements to sound was incorporated during the prehistoric emergence of wide-ranging rhythmic behaviors such as synchronized chanting of nonlexical vocables and coordinated rhythmic clapping and stomping, which became instrumental during the more recent evolution of music. (...)

"Journal of Human Evolution", volume 201, april 2025:

- First articulating os coxae, femur, and tibia of a small adult Paranthropus robustus from Member 1 (Hanging Remnant) of the Swartkrans Formation, South Africa, di T. Rayne Pickering et alii

- Facial morphologies of Middle Pleistocene Europe: Morphological mosaicism and the evolution of Homo neanderthalensis, di S. Topsø Olsen, S. White

- Morphological variation of the Australopithecus afarensis maxilla, di H. Hanegraef, F. Spoor

The early Acheulean site of Gombore I level B (Melka Kunture, Ethiopia): Archaeological assemblage integrity and spatial distribution patterns, di E. Méndez-Quintas, R. T. Melis, P. Bello Alonso, "Quaternary International", volume 723, april 2025, 109709

The Gombore I, Level B (Gombore IB) site at Melka Kunture, Ethiopia, is a significant Early Acheulean site that provides valuable insights into hominin behaviour. This study examines the integrity and spatial patterns of the Gombore IB archaeological record to differentiate between anthropogenic activities and natural sedimentary processes. Taphonomic analyses of the stone tools reveal extensive surface disturbance, but no evidence of significant sedimentary size sorting. Orientation analyses of artefacts, bones, and unmodified clasts indicate anisotropic distributions consistent with fluvial reorganisation. (...)

The Upper Sedimentary Sequence of Grotta di Fumane, Northern Italy: A Micromorphological Approach to Study Imprints of Human Occupation and Paleoclimate Change, di M. Kehl, D. Marcazzan, C. E. Miller, A. Falcucci, R. Duches, M. Peresani, "Geoarchaeology", volume 40, issue 2, march/april 2025, e70000 - open access -

Fumane Cave contains a sequence of natural and anthropogenic deposits documenting key transitions in the Paleolithic of Northern Italy. Open questions remain concerning the stratigraphic integrity, the formation processes, postdepositional alterations, and paleoclimatic implications of the sedimentary record. We examine these aspects through an extensive investigation based on field descriptions and micromorphological analysis of thin sections sampled during the last 25 years of excavations. Major components of the sediments are carbonate sands and limestone rubble originating from the physical breakdown of the cave roof and walls. Limited amounts of mica and quartz grains attest to weak eolian inputs. Sediments contain anthropogenic features and variable amounts of charcoal, bone, and lithic artifacts reflecting different uses of the site. Cryoturbation features observed in the field suggest an increased intensity of frost mainly after the accumulation of unit A2. (...)

Burning, Cleaning, Dumping, and Dissolution: Site Formation Processes and Stratigraphy of Pre-110,000-Year-Old MSA l Deposits in Cave 1, Klasies River Main Site, South Africa, di P. Morrissey, S. Wurz, B. Ligouis, S. M. Mentzer, "Geoarchaeology", volume 40, issue 2, march/april 2025, e70005 - open access -

Understanding the formation and stratigraphy of sequences in southern African Middle Stone Age (MSA) sites is vital for contextualizing evidence for the evolution of modern human behaviors and cognition. Deposits at these sites often have complex formation histories, typically involving a range of anthropogenic, geogenic, and biogenic depositional and post-depositional processes, and micro-laminated deposits are common. Consequently, archaeological micromorphology and related micro-analyses are now routinely a major component of MSA geoarchaeological research in the region. In the past few decades, microscale studies of the formation of anthropogenic features and deposits at MSA sites have begun to provide important behavioral information, including evidence for varying occupational intensities and the structuring and maintenance of living spaces. Here, a microscale geoarchaeological approach is applied to deposits dating to the MSA I cultural phase (> 110 ka) in the Cave 1 Witness Baulk. (...)

Fire Use During the Last Glacial Maximum: Evidence From the Epigravettian at Korman' 9, Middle Dniester Valley, Ukraine, di W. Chase Murphree et alii, "Geoarchaeology", volume 40, issue 2, march/april 2025, e70006 - open access -

The Last Glacial maximum (LGM), spanning from 26.5 to 19 thousand years before present (ka bp), is a period of extreme climatic degradation associated with reduced biomass production and resource stress throughout Eurasia. Arguably, one of the most fundamental tools for human survival during this cold and arid period was the ability to create, maintain and use fire. While fire is widely considered a ubiquitous tool in modern human behaviour, there are surprisingly few well-described combustion features during the LGM in Europe. In this paper, we provide high-resolution geoarchaeological research into three combustion features associated with Epigravettian occupations at the site of Korman' 9 (Ukraine) with ages falling in the LGM. Our results show distinct variations in the size and structure of the combustion features, potentially indicating multiple occupations within the same layer or reflect differences in site organization or function during a single occupation. (...)

Genetic study reveals hidden chapter in human evolution, 18 march 2025

Using advanced analysis based on full genome sequences, researchers from the University of Cambridge have found evidence that modern humans are the result of a genetic mixing event between two ancient populations that diverged around 1.5 million years ago. About 300,000 years ago, these groups came back together, with one group contributing 80% of the genetic makeup of modern humans and the other contributing 20%. For the last two decades, the prevailing view in human evolutionary genetics has been that Homo sapiens first appeared in Africa around 200,000 to 300,000 years ago, and descended from a single lineage. However, these latest results, reported in the journal Nature Genetics, suggest a more complex story. (...)

When did human language emerge?, 18 march 2025

Our species, Homo sapiens, is about 230,000 years old. Estimates of when language originated vary widely, based on different forms of evidence, from fossils to cultural artifacts. The authors of the new analysis took a different approach. They reasoned that since all human languages likely have a common origin -- as the researchers strongly think -- the key question is how far back in time regional groups began spreading around the world. "The logic is very simple," says Shigeru Miyagawa, an MIT professor and co-author of a new paper summarizing the results. "Every population branching across the globe has human language, and all languages are related." Based on what the genomics data indicate about the geographic divergence of early human populations, he adds, "I think we can say with a fair amount of certainty that the first split occurred about 135,000 years ago, so human language capacity must have been present by then, or before." The paper, "Linguistic capacity was present in the Homo sapiens population 135 thousand years ago," appears in Frontiers in Psychology. (...)

The large lithic assemblage of Gombore I, level B (Melka Kunture, Ethiopia) and the early Acheulean technology in East Africa, di E. Méndez-Quintas, A. Serodio Domínguez, M. Mussi, "Quaternary International", volume 722, 15 march 2025, 109685

The emergence of the Acheulean is a central topic in human evolution research. Current data suggest that this process began around 2.0 million years ago in the upper Awash River basin, specifically on the Ethiopian plateau, in the region of Melka Kunture. There are so far few known sites of the early stages of development of this technocomplex, most of which are restricted to East Africa. Although some of the major milestones in Acheulean stone tool innovations are reasonably well understood, detailed information on the technological characteristics of these early assemblages remains sparse. Most of the evidence is surface materials collected in small numbers. (...)

Isotopic insights into mammalian diets and local vegetation cover during the Oldowan-Acheulean transition at Garba IV and Gombore I (Melka Kunture, Upper Awash Valley, Ethiopia), di G. Briatico, "Quaternary International", volume 722, 15 march 2025, 109707

The archaeological assemblage of Melka Kunture (MK) demonstrates that the Ethiopian Highlands in eastern Africa, along with its high-elevation paleoenvironment, is pivotal for understanding early hominins’ behavior and technological advances. Two localities within the MK site-complex, namely Garba IV and Gombore I, yielded Oldowan lithic tools at ~2 million years ago (Ma) and the earliest known Acheulian artifacts at 1.95 Ma, associated with Homo erectus remains, as well as evidence of paleofauna and paleoflora. Previous palynological studies suggest that, when H. erectus first produced Oldowan and later Acheulean artifacts, the vegetation consisted of the Dry evergreen Afromontane Forest and Grassland Complex (DAF) type, with changes in the proportions of open and wooded environments over time. (...)

First burials: Neanderthal and Homo sapiens interactions in the Mid-Middle Palaeolithic Levant

A new discovery at Tinshemet Cave in central Israel is reshaping our understanding of human interactions during the Middle Palaeolithic (MP) period in the Near East. The cave, remarkable for its wealth of archaeological and anthropological findings, has revealed several human burials—the first mid-MP burials unearthed in over fifty years. This research, published in Nature Human Behaviour, marks the first publication on Tinshemet Cave and presents compelling evidence that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens in the region not only coexisted but also shared aspects of daily life, technology, and burial customs. These findings underscore the complexity of their interactions and hint at a more intertwined relationship than previously assumed. (...)

"Journal of Human Evolution", volume 200, march 2025:

- Taxonomic revision of the SK 15 mandible based on bone and tooth structural organization, di C. Zanolli et alii

- Acetabular orientation, pelvic shape, and the evolution of hominin bipedality, di A. B. Lawrence, A. S. Hammond, C. V. Ward

- New modern and Pleistocene fossil micromammal assemblages from Swartkrans, South Africa: Paleobiodiversity, taphonomic, and environmental context, di P. Linchamps et alii

- Paleoenvironments at the Homo erectus type locality of Trinil (Java, Indonesia): The artiodactyl evidence, di B. Gruwier, K. Kovarovic

- A reanalysis of the Taung endocranial surface: Comparison with large samples of living hominids, di S. Hurst et alii

Strøby Egede, Vedbæk-Bøgebakken and Relationships among Scandinavian Mesolithic Skeletal Material, di J. Babb et alii, "Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society", volume 90, december 2024 - open access -

This paper derives from new work on Mesolithic human skeletal material from Strøby Egede, a near coastal site in eastern Sjælland, with two foci. The first confirms sex identifications from original work carried out in 1986. The second, and central focus, re-examines comments by one of us (CM) based on work in 1992, and a new statistical analysis including data from the two Strøby Egede adults. In 1998 it was suggested that the Strøby Egede sample more closely resembled Skateholm, on the coast of Skåne in southern Sweden, than Vedbæk-Bøgebakken on Sjælland, fitting lithic patterns noted earlier by Vang Petersen. (...)

Fishing with Stationary Wooden Structures in Stone Age Denmark: New Evidence from Syltholm Fjord, Southern Lolland, di S. Koivisto et alii, "Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society", volume 90, december 2024 - open access -

An abundance and diverse range of prehistoric fishing practices was revealed during excavations between 2012 and 2022 at the construction site of the Femern Belt Tunnel, linking the islands of Lolland (Denmark) and Femern (Germany). The waterlogged parts of the prehistoric Syltholm Fjord yielded well preserved organic materials, including the remains of wooden fish traps and weirs, and numerous vertical stakes and posts driven into the former seabed – evidence of long term fishing practices using stationary wooden structures from the Mesolithic to the Bronze Age (c. 4700–900 cal BC). Here, we present the results of a detailed study on these stationary wooden fishing structures, making this the most comprehensive and detailed description of prehistoric passive fishing practices in Syltholm Fjord to date. (...)

Time and Change in Mesolithic Britain c. 9800–3600 cal BC, di C. Conneller, S. Griffiths, "Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society", volume 90, december 2024 - open access -

The Mesolithic has been characterised as temporally homogeneous: a period of stagnation or degeneration with hunter-gatherers focused on routine economic practices in an endlessly repeating seasonal round. Characterisation of the Mesolithic as timeless and unchanging derives in part from our current poor internal chronological resolution, which appears even more acute given the recent ground-breaking advances for chronological precision in adjacent time periods. However, these tendencies are exacerbated by a focus in Mesolithic studies on an outdated and simplified bipartite typological framework for the period, linked to a small number of well-preserved sites that come to stand for human lifeways across millennia. (...)

- Reassessment of the Lithic Assemblage from Layer 6 of Mugharet el’Aliya, Morocco: Site Use and Mobility Patterns During the Middle Stone Age, di I. Sánchez-Morales

- Ice Age Apparel—Changing Prey Patterns Towards the Last Glacial Maximum and the Role of Reindeer Fur for Clothing at Kammern-Grubgraben, di K. Pasda et alii

- Robberg Lithic Technology from Knysna Eastern Heads Cave 1, di S. E. Watson et alii

- New Insights on an Old Excavation: Re-visiting the Late Middle Palaeolithic Site of Far’ah II, North-western Negev, Israel, di M. Goder-Goldberger et alii

- Archaeomagnetic Tools Applied to the Study of Middle Palaeolithic Hearths: The Level R (ca. 60 ka BP) at Abric Romaní (NE Iberian Peninsula), di J. del Río et alii

- New Upper Palaeolithic Rock Art Complex in the Tejo Valley, Central Portugal, di T. Pereira et alii

Middle Palaeolithic in the South of Albania: perspectives from the study of the lithic industry of Istraishta site, di R. Ruka, M. Bassetti, S. Bertola, D. Delpiano, I. Gjipali, M. Peresani, "Alpine and Mediterranean Quaternary", vol. 38, no. 1 (2025) - open access -

Neanderthal groups developed different models of mobility and exploitation of resources across their territory: these differences can be linked to various knapping methods and are probably related to adaptative strategies and responses at many ecological and cultural levels. Neanderthals associated with Discoid knapping are known to depend on a context-specific, not planned exploitation of lithic raw materials for daily food procurement and be more mobile than others using different technologies. However, we have no defined data for most of the geographical contexts where this technocomplex was found. This study presents the open-air site of Istraishta, where the Mousterian is characterized by the Discoid technology applied to the reduction of pebbles, thin plates and flakes. (...)

Temporal patterns in Mesolithic activity at Duvensee, Germany, di J. Kleijne et alii, "Quaternary Science Reviews", volume 353, 1 april 2025, 109230

The Duvensee peat bog is one of the best-known prehistoric landscapes in northern Europe, with hunter-gatherer activities located on small islands on the western edge of an Early Holocene lake. Excellent organic preservation, precise excavation, and rigorous radiocarbon sample selection permit the application of Bayesian chronological modelling. Over 250 radiocarbon results date a dozen Mesolithic sites to an extended period between the 9th and 7th millennia BCE. Each site may only have been used briefly – perhaps only for a single season in some cases – but some were used repeatedly over the course of decades or even centuries. (...)

Human consumption of carnivorans during Prehistory. The case of the Iberian Peninsula, di J. López-Parés, I. Cáceres, "Quaternary Science Reviews", volume 352, 15 march 2025, 109205

Zooarchaeological evidence of the consumption of carnivorans (order Carnivora) by Palaeolithic and Epipalaeolithic/Mesolithic humans on the Iberian Peninsula is scarce, but it is still significant enough to be studied as a phenomenon on its own. In this work, we conduct an updated and comprehensive review of the data on the human butchering and consumption of carnivorans in pre-Neolithic Prehistory on the Iberian Peninsula. Chronologically, the evidence spans from the time of Homo antecessor (950-800 Ka BP) to the Epipalaeolithic/Mesolithic-Neolithic transition (6-5 Ka BP) and includes a wide taxonomical variety of carnivorans: canids, mustelids, ursids, pinnipeds, felids and hyenids. We propose several alternative interpretations regarding why the hunter-gatherers of the Iberian Peninsula hunted and consumed these animals based on ethnographical data from recent human communities that still engage in these practices. (...)

Bevel-ended bone artefacts from Pulli, Estonia: Early Mesolithic debarking tools?, di G. Osipowicz, L. Lõugas, H. Luik, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 3, march 2025

This paper reports the results of the first attempt of traceological studies (technological and functional) of bone products from the unique Early Mesolithic site of Pulli, Estonia. The analysis covered a group of specific tools made primarily from elk’s metapodial bones, referred to as Pulli-type bevel-ended tools. Through microscopic studies, the complete biography of these artefacts was reconstructed, considering all stages of their production and the phases of use and abandonment. (...)

Solving the puzzle of neanderthal occupations: a reassessment of temporal indicators of occupation duration, di V. Lubrano, A. Rufà, R. Blasco, F. Rivals, J. Rosell,  "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 3, march 2025  - open access -

The identification of the duration of Neanderthal occupations is a tricky topic by the palimpsest nature of archaeological assemblages. This study explores the challenges associated with distinguishing between long and short-term occupations, using qualitative and quantitative data from relevant archaeological sites in the Late Middle Palaeolithic in Spain and south-eastern France. We highlight the proposed occupation models and their specific characteristics, considering the heterogeneity of archaeological evidence and the limitations of current methodologies. (...)

Archaeology, chronology, and sedimentological context of the youngest Middle Palaeolithic assemblage from Jebel Faya, United Arab Emirates, di K. Bretzke, F. Preusser, K. Raith, G. Preston, S. Kim, S. Jasim, E. Yousif, A. G. Parker, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 3, march 2025  - open access -

Due to the scarcity of stratified and well-dated archaeological horizons, diachronic as well as spatial patterns of Pleistocene lithic traditions are not very well understood in Arabia. To contribute to this topic, we present new archaeological, sedimentological and chronological data from archaeological horizon II (AH II), the stratigraphically youngest Middle Palaeolithic assemblage at Jebel Faya, Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Results of optically stimulated luminescence dating reveal that AH II was deposited about 80 ka ago at the end of Marine Isotope Stage 5 (MIS 5). The lithic assemblage shows a preference for elongated flakes and blades produced predominantly by bidirectional methods, both Levallois and non-Levallois. The few tools feature simple retouch often forming denticulated edges. (...)

Personal ornament in transition. Final Paleolithic – Mesolithic data from the Iberian Mediterranean Region (16.5 – 7 ky cal. BP), di Begonya Soler Mayor et alii,  "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 3, march 2025  - open access -

The present study aims at a better understanding of personal ornaments during the Late Paleolithic and Mesolithic transitions. The approach consists of a combination of the shell beads and pendants from Santa Maira (Alacant) and the information from the Mediterranean façade of the Iberian Peninsula, including the Ebro valley, allowing a systematic evaluation of species richness from a spatio-temporal perspective. An assessment of access to the source and its impact on diversity was also carried out. (...)

Comparative Context of Hard-Tissue Sexual Dimorphism in Early Hominins: Implications for Alpha Taxonomy, di K. L. Balolia, B. Wood, "Evolutionary Anthropology", volume 34, issue 1, march 2025, e22052 - open access -

Sexual dimorphism is one of the main factors confounding attempts to generate sound alpha taxonomic hypotheses in the early hominin fossil record. To better understand how between-sex variation may confound alpha taxonomic assessments, we consider some of the factors that drive hard-tissue sexual dimorphism in extant primates. We review the socioecological correlates of body size sexual dimorphism, how sexual selection may be associated with craniofacial sexual dimorphism in the context of visual signaling, and how sex-specific patterns of growth and development in primates contribute to intra-specific variation. (...)

Birth of Paranthropus, di B. Wood, D. Biggs, "Evolutionary Anthropology", volume 34, issue 1, march 2025, e70000 - open access -

Robert Broom, who is best known among vertebrate paleontologists for his research on mammal-like reptiles, was drawn into paleoanthropology because of his defense of Raymond Dart's interpretation of the Taung infant skull. Our contribution documents Robert Broom's background, his life and career, and how he became directly involved with human origins research in South Africa in the second and third decades of the 20thC. It focuses on the circumstances surrounding Broom's interest in what was being recovered at Sterkfontein, how Broom “discovered” the site of Kromdraai, and the fossil evidence that led to his 1938 paper announcing the discovery of a new hominin genus and species, Paranthropus robustus. (...)

Archaeological and Experimental Lithic Microwear Classification Through 2D Textural Analysis and Machine Learning, di P. Sferrazza, "Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory", volume 32, issue 1, march 2025, article number 31 - open access -

The paper focuses on introducing 2D texture analysis as a quantitative method for functional analysis in archaeology. The paper aims to demonstrate the validity of this method for quantifying use-wear analysis and to evaluate different processing, extraction, and classification techniques. The method presented relies on five techniques of quantitative feature extraction from photographic images and nine classification techniques through machine learning algorithms. After creating a training dataset with experimental traces, machine learning models were validated through experimental and archaeological image classification. (...)

Evidence for discrete ochre exploitation 35,000 years ago in West Africa, di L. Dayet et alii, "Journal of Archaeological Science", volume 175, march 2025, 106150 - open access -

Despite new impetus for Late Pleistocene research in West Africa, little is known about the range of Middle Stone Age behaviours in this region. Yet, the multiplicity of Middle Stone Age lithic technologies testifies to significant behavioural and demographic dynamics, marked by innovation and adaptability. Here, we present the first in-depth analysis of ochre remains in West Africa. New data from Toumboura III site, eastern Senegal, dated between 40 ± 3 and 30 ± 3 ka, point towards the use of ochre pieces as part of an occasional and specialized ochre crushing activity, probably dedicated to the production of powders, as well as the use of ochre sticks. (...)

Stone disc production at Pincevent (France) reveals versatile uses of colouring materials in the Late Magdalenian, di C. Peschaux et alii, "Journal of Archaeological Science", volume 175, march 2025, 106152 - open access -

Level IV0 at Pincevent, dating from the Late Magdalenian (15-14 ka cal BP), has revealed a singular assemblage of more than 400 artefacts in colouring materials, including a unique series of perforated discs. This unusual occurrence of shaped colouring materials extends the diversity of uses and functions of these mineral resources. Using a combination of non-invasive petrographic analysis and detailed study of traces of anthropogenic modifications, we identified the nature, provenance and petrophysical properties of the rocks used, as well as the techniques employed to work them and their possible uses. (...)

Reliability and validity in determining the relative chronology between neighbouring scars on flint artefacts, di M. Kot, J. Tyszkiewicz, M. Leloch, N. Gryczewska, S. Miller, "Journal of Archaeological Science", volume 175, march 2025, 106156 - open access -

We aimed to experimentally test the credibility of the diacritic analysis, which is one of the methods used to study lithic knapping technology. A series of blind tests conducted by lithic experts and students on experimentally knapped artefacts were used to estimate the reliability and validity of the method. The estimated average error rate was 21%, although it was smaller among the experts in the method (15%) and higher (25%) for the beginners. (...)

Knysna Eastern Heads Cave 1 – Stratigraphy, chronology, and archaeological find density from MIS 3 to MIS 1 on the edge of the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain (south coast, South Africa), di N. E. Cleghorn, X. Villagran, R. B. K. Saktura, Z. Jacobs, "Quaternary Science Reviews", volume 351, 1 march 2025, 109180

Knysna Eastern Heads Cave 1 (KEH-1), a south-facing archaeological site on the southern coast of South Africa preserves the first record directly relevant to the lives and environments of people living on the edge of the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain (PAP) from later Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 after ~45 thousand years ago (ka) and continuing throughout the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 26.5–19 ka). This stratified deposit dated from at least ~45 ka until ~15 ka (modelled ages), includes periods of intensive site use by human forager populations from ~34 ka to ~19 ka and during the Holocene. Here we present a synthesis of the stratigraphy, chronology, and archaeological find distribution, including estimates of relative find density over time. (...)

Reassessing the Middle Palaeolithic lithic technology of Grotta Romanelli (Lecce, southern Italy), di B. Muttillo, R. Gallotti, L. Forti, G. Lembo, I. Mazzini, P. Pieruccini, R. Sardella, "Quaternary International", volume 721, 1 march 2025, 109686 - open access -

Located in the southernmost part of the Italian Peninsula, specifically the Salento area in the Apulia region, Grotta Romanelli (Lecce) is one of Italy's most significant Palaeolithic sites. It shows evidence of human occupation from the Middle to the late Upper Palaeolithic. This study presents a re-analysis of historical lithic collections and also includes a new analysis of artefacts from recent excavations within Middle Palaeolithic Inside Stratigraphic Unit 3 (ISU3). This unit, formerly referred to as level G or “terre rosse”, is dated to at least the MIS 5 interglacial period. Our findings offer a revised perspective on past interpretations of Grotta Romanelli's Middle Palaeolithic lithic industry. Interpretations of this industry have varied over time, especially regarding the presence of Levallois core technology — an important cultural and chronological marker. (...)

The volcanic rock spheres of Melka Kunture (Upper Awash, Ethiopia) at Gombore IB and later Acheulean sites, di M. Mussi, "Quaternary International", volume 721, 1 march 2025, 109681

Rock spheres have been discovered at several prehistoric sites of Melka Kunture in the volcanic surroundings of the Upper Awash in the Ethiopian highlands. The paper describes those found at eight Acheulean sites spanning more than one million years, from Gombore IB (1.7 Ma or earlier) to Garba I (0.6 Ma), providing detailed metrical information. Contrarily to those from other Pleistocene localities, the spheres of Melka Kunture are not the endproduct or byproduct of anthropic activity, but rather carefully selected natural shapes of volcanic origin, i.e. lavas and accretionary lapilli. (...)

Climate change in Europe between 90 and 50 kyr BP and Neanderthal territorial habitability, di A. Degioanni, S. Cabut, S. Condemi, R. S. Smith, 26 february 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0308690 - open access -

After having lived as the dominant human species in Europe for over 200 kyr, Homo neanderthalensis (the Neanderthals) disappeared around 40 kyr BP (Before Present) Higham T (2014). Competition with Homo sapiens, who arrived in Europe around the same time, is often invoked to explain this extinction. Others have argued that climate change may have reduced the living space of this population making its disappearance more rapid. In order to test the climate change hypothesis we modelled the Neanderthals’ ecological niches in Europe between 90 and 50 kyr BP through paleoenvironmental reconstructions and Eco-Cultural Niche Modelling. We selected five environmental variables (orographic height, mean annual precipitation, mean temperature of the coldest month, carrying capacity and friction, see below) from climate model simulations of 5 periods between 90 and 50 kyr BP in Europe. We used Structural Similarity (SSIM) index to compare the probability maps of suitable niches to Neanderthals performed by Maxent. (...)

Earliest modern human genomes constrain timing of Neanderthal admixture, di A. P. Sümer et alii, "Nature", volume 638, numero 8051, 20 febbraio 2025, pp. 711–717 - open access -

Modern humans arrived in Europe more than 45,000 years ago, overlapping at least 5,000 years with Neanderthals. Limited genomic data from these early modern humans have shown that at least two genetically distinct groups inhabited Europe, represented by Zlatý kůň, Czechia and Bacho Kiro, Bulgaria. Here we deepen our understanding of early modern humans by analysing one high-coverage genome and five low-coverage genomes from approximately 45,000-year-old remains from Ilsenhöhle in Ranis, Germany, and a further high-coverage genome from Zlatý kůň. We show that distant familial relationships link the Ranis and Zlatý kůň individuals and that they were part of the same small, isolated population that represents the deepest known split from the Out-of-Africa lineage. Ranis genomes harbour Neanderthal segments that originate from a single admixture event shared with all non-Africans that we date to approximately 45,000–49,000 years ago. This implies that ancestors of all non-Africans sequenced so far resided in a common population at this time, and further suggests that modern human remains older than 50,000 years from outside Africa represent different non-African populations. (...)

Semicircular canals shed light on bottleneck events in the evolution of the Neanderthal clade, di A. Urciuoli, I. Martínez, R. Quam, J. Luis Arsuaga, B. A. Keeling, J. Diez-Valero, M. Conde-Valverde, "Nature Communications", volume 16, article number: 972 (2025), 20 february 2025 - open access -

Revealing the evolutionary processes which resulted in the derived morphologies that characterize the Neanderthal clade has been an important task for paleoanthropologists. One critical method to quantify evolutionary changes in the morphology of hominin populations is through evaluating morphological phenotypic diversity (i.e., disparity) in phylogenetically informative bones as a close proxy to neutral evolutionary processes. The goal of this study is to quantify the degree of disparity in the Neanderthal clade. We hypothesize that a reduction in bony labyrinth disparity is indicative of the underlying genetic variation resulting from bottleneck events. (...)

Flake production: A universal by-product of primate stone percussion, di T. Proffitt, P. de Sousa Medeiros, W. Pereira Martins, L. V. Luncz, "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences", 18 february 2025, vol. 122, no. 7, e2420067122 - open access -

The evolution of stone tool technology marks a significant milestone in hominin development, enabling early humans to manipulate their environments. The oldest known evidence, dating to 3.3 Ma, indicates a combination of percussive and flake production activities. Studying the archaeological signature of percussive stone tool use in living primate provides a potential analog to the origin of stone flake technology in the hominin lineage. Here, we present a yellow-breasted capuchin (Sapajus xanthosternos) stone tool assemblage from Fazenda Matos, Brazil, to explore the variability of the material signatures associated with percussive tool use. Our analysis of this record demonstrates many archaeological features previously associated with intentional flake production. (...)

Human subsistence in a montane ecotone habitat during the Lower Magdalenian c. 19,000–18,000 years ago: The case of El Mirón cave (Cantabria, Spain), di J. M. Geiling, A. B. Marín-Arroyo, L. Guy Straus, M. R. González Morales, "Quaternary Science Reviews", volume 350, 15 february 2025, 109133

We reconstruct the subsistence strategies of foragers during the Cantabrian Lower Magdalenian (19.3–18ka cal BP) based on an extensive archaeofaunal assemblage from El Mirón Cave. The cave, situated in the montane interior of northern Atlantic Iberia, likely served as a repeatedly occupied, long-term residential base camp for mobile hunter-gatherers in the post-LGM period. The exploitation of ungulates was intensive and versatile, as evidenced by skinning, disarticulation, filleting cut marks, and impact marks on cancellous and long bones (for extraction of grease and marrow) from Spanish ibex and red deer. (...)

Tracing the transfers of raw materials in the Gravettian of Moravia and Silesia, di  M. Moník, Z. Nerudová, M. Novák, A. Přichystal, F. Gregar, P. Hamrozi, T. Pluháček, "Quaternary International", volume 719, 15 february 2025, 109665

In order to reconstruct the procurement pattern of lithics in the Moravian/Silesian Gravettian culture and to make a comparison with neighbouring areas, raw material analysis from five Gravettian sites in Moravia/Silesia (Czech Republic) was carried out using stereomicroscopy and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). In Moravia, the characteristic raw material economy of the Gravettian was the import of fine-grained cherts and erratic flints from northern Moravia (and Silesia) or Southern Poland. However, radiolarites from the Pieniny Klippen Belt (present-day Slovakia and Poland) were also used and complemented on sites under the Pavlovské vrchy Hills by local (gravel) materials. (...)

Fauna from the early Acheulean site of Gombore IB, Melka Kunture, upper Awash, Ethiopia: Systematics and paleoecology, di D. Geraads, "Quaternary International", volume 719, 15 february 2025, 109672

The fauna from the Early Acheulean site of Gombore IB is relatively abundant but quite fragmented. As in the other sites of Melka Kunture, it is dominated by hippos and alcelaphin bovids, followed by equids. Suids are rare, and all other taxa (i.e., rhinos, giraffids, tragelaphins, primates) are virtually absent. In spite of the presence of forested areas nearby, the taphocenosis sampled an open-country faunal assemblage. The fauna resembles that of the nearby site of Garba IVD, but exact contemporaneity is unlikely. (...)

Out of Africa: celebrating 100 years of human-origins research, Editorial, "Nature", volume 638, numero 8049, 6 febbraio 2025

On 7 February 1925, Nature published an article about a curious fossil unearthed in South Africa. ‘Australopithecus africanus: The Man-Ape of South Africa’ had been sent in by Australian palaeoanthropologist Raymond Dart, who was then at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. In his memoirs, Adventures with the Missing Link (1959), Dart notes that he was dressing for a wedding when he was distracted by the delivery of two large boxes of rocks, containing the face of Australopithecus and the braincast (known as an endocast) — an internal cast of the braincase formed from sediment — that fitted into the skull, like a ball in a baseball pitcher’s mitt.
The specimens’ site of origin — a lime-works and adjacent farmland in Taung, South Africa — was already known as a source of monkey fossils. A humanlike skull2 had also been found in 1921 at a mine near Broken Hill in what is now Kabwe, Zambia. In The Descent of Man (1871), Charles Darwin had predicted that the roots of the human lineage lay in Africa. Although Australopithecus had its antecedents, Dart’s discovery was the start of a century-long journey of discovery that has confirmed Darwin’s prediction. (...)

‘Taung Child’ fossil offers clues about the evolution of childhood, di D. Falk, "Nature", volume 638, numero 8049, 6 febbraio 2025

In November 1924 — on the day they were hosting a wedding at their Johannesburg home in South Africa — Australian anatomist and physician Raymond Dart and his wife Dora noticed two men staggering up the drive with two large boxes. According to Dart’s memoirs, written decades later1, Dora had bemoaned the fact that the fossils Dart had been expecting had arrived on this day “of all days”. She had begged him not to “go delving in all that rubble until the wedding [was] over and everybody [had] left”. In just a few weeks — astonishingly — Dart was able to use this one individual to surmise the broad course of human evolution as we understand it today. Previous evidence for human ancestry made use of fossils that bore a closer resemblance to modern humans. (...)

New insights of cultural cannibalism amongst Magdalenian groups at Maszycka Cave, Poland, di F. Marginedas et alii, "Scientific Reports", volume 15, article number: 2351 (2025), 06 february 2025 - open access -

The manipulation of human corpses started to become commonplace during the Upper Paleolithic. This well-documented behavior among Magdalenian peoples consists of perimortem manipulation and the removal of soft tissues and has been understood as forming part of the cultural repertoire of mortuary actions. The study of these practices has given rise to several interpretations with the consumption of human flesh (cannibalism) occupying a central position. The human assemblage of Maszycka Cave (18,000 cal. BP) is part of this ongoing debate. Although initial research in the 1990s suggested cannibalism, more recent studies challenge this interpretation arguing that the low incidence of human activity rule out the likelihood of processing for the purpose of consumption and proposing skull selection as a funerary practice. (...)

Palaeoenvironmental, stratigraphic and geochronological study of the coastal site of Dalani i Vogël (Vlora, Albania): new evidence for late Neanderthal occupation and prehistoric archaeology, di F. Badino et alii, "Quaternary Science Reviews", volume 349, 1 february 2025, 109111

The Balkan Peninsula is a key biogeographical region in Southern Europe, which acted as a refugium for late Pleistocene flora and fauna during cold spells and favoured the survival of Neanderthals and the migration of modern human populations. This study focuses on the site of Dalani i Vogël (DIV), selected from a cluster of open-air coastal sites north of Vlora (Triporti-Portonovo area, Albania), where lithic artefacts have been related to a multi-layered profile exposed by sea erosion. We sampled the DIV sequence for geochronological analyses (OSL and 14C), magnetic susceptibility, sedimentary proxies [Loss On Ignition (LOI) steps, calcimetry, nutrients], microstratigraphy, micropaleontology and microbotanical analyses. This exploratory multi-proxy study reveals a long sequence spanning the last 43,000 years, i.e., the period from MIS 3 to 1. (...)

Corrigendum to “Changes in pollen and small mammal spectrum compositions and in human-landscape relationships during the last 40,000 years of the Pleistocene in El Mirón Cave, Cantabrian Spain” [Quatern. Int. 713 (2024) 109569 1–18], di M. J. Iriarte-Chiapusso et alii, "Quaternary International", volume 718, 1 february 2025, 109634

The authors regret that Table 1, Table 2 are inverted. Table 1 (Iriarte-Chiapusso et al., 2024: 8) has the correct table caption: Chrono-cultural sequence of El Mirón (Hopkins et al., 2021), but the table below the table caption corresponds to the small mammals identified in the sequence distributed by levels. In Table 2 (Iriarte-Chiapusso et al., 2024: 10) the opposite occurs. The table caption is correct: Minimum number of individuals (MNI) of the small mammals identified in the sequence of El Mirón Cave, distributed by levels, but the table below is the one that describes the chrono-cultural sequence of El Mirón. (...)

How Neandertal DNA may affect the way we think, di E. L. Casanova, F. A. Feltus, february 2025, volume 332, Issue 2

When Neandertals were first discovered nearly 170 years ago, the conceptual gap between their lineage and that of modern humans seemed vast. Initially scientists prejudicially believed that the Neandertals were primitive brutes hardly more intelligent than apes and that their lack of advanced thinking had doomed them to extinction. Since that time, researchers have amassed evidence that they shared many of the cognitive abilities once considered unique to our species, Homo sapiens. They made complex tools, produced staples such as flour, treated their ailments with plant-based medicines, used symbols to communicate and engaged in ritual treatment of their dead. (...)

Prehistoric communities in the Bayuda Desert, Sudan, di H. Paner et alii, "Antiquity", volume 99, issue 403, february 2025, e1

Large-scale field research is providing extensive data on the prehistoric settlement history of the Bayuda Desert in Sudan. The authors briefly examine notable outputs from the project, including some of the more than 100 radiocarbon dates that permit a more nuanced understanding of the chronology of settlement pattern changes. (...)

Butchery activities associated with member 5 at Sterkfontein, South Africa, di R. Hanon, A. Val, R. Sambo, D. Stratford, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 2, february 2025 - open access -

The origin of animal tissue consumption within the hominin lineage remains a central question in palaeoanthropology and taphonomy. This question is mostly addressed through the study of bone surface modifications (e.g., butchery marks) observed on fossils from East African sites. Albeit somewhat overlooked compared to East Africa, South Africa provides an additional body of evidence regarding the evolution of hominin behaviours. Here, we provide a comprehensive description and analysis of a butchered bone assemblage from the Sterkfontein Name Chamber and Member 5 East Oldowan infill in South Africa, dated conservatively to between 1.4 and 2.18 Ma. Based on the anatomical location and morphology of the bone surface modifications, we demonstrate that hominins using Oldowan tools were capable of performing a complete butchery sequence that included skinning, disarticulation, defleshing and marrow extraction. (...)

Early Upper Palaeolithic marine mollusc exploitation at Riparo Bombrini (Balzi Rossi, Italy): shellfish consumption and ornament production, di S. Gazzo, E. Cristiani, F. Negrino, J. Riel-Salvatore, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 2, february 2025 - open access -

This research explores the modes of exploitation of marine molluscs at Riparo Bombrini (Ventimiglia, north-west Italy) during the Protoaurignacian and the Early Aurignacian. Our results prove that Early Modern Humans who inhabited the rockshelter extensively exploited marine malacofauna for both dietary purposes and ornament production, offering new insights into human adaptation to coastal environments during the early phases of the Upper Palaeolithic along the Mediterranean coast. Combining taxonomy and taphonomy, we identified five main categories of shell remains within the assemblage: edible specimens, shell beads, non-worked ornamental shells, accidental introductions, and potential ornamental shells. A total of 91 perforated gastropods were recovered during the excavations of the Early Upper Palaeolithic layers. (...)

Setbacks in the use of a handaxe: lithic investment and seasonality in the Early Acheulean, di J. Clark, G. J. Linares-Matás, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 2, february 2025 - open access -

From their first appearance in the archaeological record, the varying degree of biface presence in individual assemblages has long been a notable aspect of discussions surrounding the nature of the Early Acheulean. These debates have largely focused on the relative influence of random processes, site formation dynamics, raw material constraints, biological and/or cultural groupings, and differences in ecology and activity. Here, we collate published technological information from Early Acheulean assemblages 1.8–1.2 Ma, attempting to document patterns of wider inter-assemblage variability, and focus on the potential role of seasonality in structuring some of this variation. We suggest that there are relationships between a number of lithic variables in the Early Acheulean that are a reflection of consistent activity variants and patterns of landscape use, and that these variables account for discrete clusters of sites according to shared technological bases. (...)

Exploring the Middle Stone Age lithic technology at DGS, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, di I. Solano-Megías et alii, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 2, february 2025 - open access -

Olduvai Gorge, nestled between the East African Rift Valley and the Mozambique Belt, is key to understanding human evolution. Even though extensive archaeological and palaeoanthropological findings have been unearthed here since the 1930s, the Middle Stone Age in this area has nonetheless received less attention than the Oldowan or the Acheulean. This paper presents the lithic technology analysis of Dorothy Garrod Site (DGS), a newly-documented MSA site located at the junction of the main gorge and the side gorge at Olduvai. DGS provides valuable additional knowledge to our understanding of the MSA groups that inhabited the region, offering insights into the mobility and settlement patterns of human groups in East Africa during MIS 4. This study focuses on the techno-typological characterization of the DGS lithic assemblage through an analysis of the raw material management strategies and knapping methods employed. (...)

Did Homo erectus Have Language? The Seafaring Inference, di R. Botha, "Cambridge Archaeological Journal", volume 35, issue 1, february 2025, pp. 21-37 - open access -

Various authors have claimed over the years that Homo erectus had language. Since there is no direct evidence about the matter, this claim represents the conclusion of a multi-step composite inference drawn from putative non-linguistic attributes of the species. Three maritime behaviours are central among these attributes: crossing open seas to get to insular islands such as Flores in the Indian ocean and Crete in the Mediterranean; building complex watercraft for the crossings; and undertaking navigation in making the crossings. Dubbing it the ‘Seafaring Inference’, the present article reconstructs and appraises the way in which Barham and Everett use the Seafaring Inference to build a case for the claim that Homo erectus had language. (...)

Evaluating the Evidence for Lunar Calendars in Upper Palaeolithic Parietal Art, di A. Nowell, P. Bahn, J. L. Le Quellec, "Cambridge Archaeological Journal", volume 35, issue 1, february 2025, pp. 38-55 - open access -

In this paper, we examine the lunar calendar interpretation to evaluate whether it is a viable explanation for the production of Upper Palaeolithic parietal art. We consider in detail the history of this approach, focusing on recently published variations on this interpretation. We then discuss the scientific method and whether these recent studies are designed to address the research questions necessary to test a lunar calendar hypothesis. More broadly, we explore challenges related to inferring meaning in art of the deep past, the use of secondary sources and selecting appropriate ethnographic analogies. (...)

Historical Dimensions of Rock Art: Perspectives from ‘Peripheries’, di M. Cruz Berrocal, D. Gárate, "Cambridge Archaeological Journal", volume 35, issue 1, february 2025, pp. 56-69 - open access -

Research on rock art around the world takes for granted the premise that rock art, as a product of the Upper Palaeolithic symbolic revolution, is a natural behavioral expression of Homo sapiens, essentially reflecting new cognitive abilities and intellectual capacity of modern humans. New discoveries of Late Pleistocene rock art in Southeast Asia as well as recent dates of Neandertal rock art are also framed in this light. We contend in this paper that, contrary to this essentialist non-interpretation, rock art is a historical product. Most human groups have not made rock art. (...)

The Earliest Taphonomic Evidence of Rabbit Exploitation by Humans in the Northwestern Mediterranean at Terra Amata (Nice, France), di J. S. Meier, K. El Guennouni, P. Valensi, A. M. Moigne, E. Morin, "Current Anthropology", volume 66, number 1, february 2025

Recent taphonomic research has sparked new debates about the breadth and scale of early hominin exploitation of small game animals, including rabbits and other small-bodied, fast taxa. In this article, we present a detailed assessment of the earliest evidence of the hunting and use of leporids by an early human community in the northwestern Mediterranean region, at the site of Terra Amata (Nice, France). Taphonomic reanalysis sheds new light on the potential agent(s) responsible for the accumulation of many remains of rabbits in five stratigraphic units that contain evidence of human occupation. (...)

Insufficient Evidence for a Severe Bottleneck in Humans During the Early to Middle Pleistocene Transition, di T. Cousins, A. Durvasula, "Molecular Biology and Evolution", volume 42, issue 2, february 2025, msaf041 - open access -

A recently proposed model suggests a severe bottleneck in the panmictic ancestral population of modern humans during the Early to Middle Pleistocene transition. Here, we show this model provides a worse fit to the data than a panmictic model without the bottleneck. (...)

Palaeolithic map engraved for staging water flows in a Paris Basin shelter, di M. Thiry, A. Milnes, "Oxford Journal of Archaeology", volume 44, issue 1, february 2025, pages 2-26

The Ségognole 3 shelter lies within a quartzitic sandstone megaclast in a lag deposit in the Paris Basin. It displays a female sexual configuration associated with a horse engraving, stylistically attributed to the Upper Palaeolithic. Recent studies have demonstrated that modifications to the natural features of the shelter had been undertaken to cause water to flow through what is seen as the vulva. New investigations reported here describe additional modifications to natural features in the shelter to direct rainwater infiltration to a network of channels engraved onto the shelter floor to form a functioning representation of watercourses. (...)

The biography of a fragment. A late mesolithic antler object from the strandvägen site, south central Sweden, di L. Larsson, F. Molin, "Oxford Journal of Archaeology", volume 44, Issue 1, february 2025, pages 40-56 - open access -

When investigating a settlement dated to the late Mesolithic, c.5500 cal BC, at Strandvägen in south-central Sweden, an extensive assemblage of implements made of bone and antler was found. Among these finds was a richly decorated antler piece, likely part of an antler axe. Originally it was equipped with shallow ornamentation that was later removed and replaced by a second deeper motif of longitudinal bands with filling, occurring in three distinct zones. The degrees of precision shown, manners of execution and motif selection in the later set of decorations suggest that more than one person carried it out. Subsequently, the axe was broken and transformed into another tool, probably a harpoon, which eventually also became fragmented. Finally, the remaining part was deliberately deposited among other selected finds on a stone platform in the river just off the shoreline of the settlement. (...)

Lower Palaeolithic small flake prehension: Use-wear and residue analyses reveal hominin grasping potential at late Acheulean sites in Israel and Italy, di F. Marinelli, S. Nunziante-Cesaro, R. Barkai, C. Lemorini, "Journal of Quaternary Science", volume 40, issue 2, february 2025, pages 332-354 - open access -

There is currently substantial debate over the use of prehension or hafting of tools by hominins. Many studies have been carried out to understand the prehension and hafting of hominin tools through experiments and through study of the anatomy and muscle system of both non-human primates and humans. This paper discusses the results of the analyses of macro-traces and micro-residues of prehension found on small flakes from the late Acheulean sites of Revadim (Israel), Jaljulia (Israel) and Fontana Ranuccio (Italy). Small flakes are ubiquitous in many Late Lower Palaeolithic sites where they were used for various activities, including butchering. (...)

"Journal of Human Evolution", volume 199, february 2025:

- Shanidar 3 ‘rings the bell’: Virtual ribcage reconstruction and its implications for understanding the Neanderthal bauplan, di J. M. López-Rey, D. García-Martínez, M. Bastir

- Divergent otolithic systems in the inner ear of Paranthropus robustus and Australopithecus africanus, di C. M. Smith et alii

- Stone selection by wild chimpanzees shares patterns with Oldowan hominins, di D. R. Braun et alii

- Contextualizing the Upper Paleolithic of the Armenian Highlands: New data from Solak-1, central Armenia, di T. Z. Kovach et alii

- The Grotte du Bison Neandertals (Arcy-sur-Cure, France), di J. Henrion et alii

- Interpreting statistical significance in hominin dimorphism: Power and Type I error rates for resampling tests of univariate and missing-data multivariate size dimorphism estimation methods in the fossil record, di A. D. Gordon

A provenance investigation on Middle–Upper Paleolithic chipped chert tools from North Bosnia, di C. Petros, R. Tonko, P. Ivana, "Geoarchaeology", volume 40, issue 1, january/february 2025, e22020 - open access -

This study presents the results of a provenance study on Middle–Upper Paleolithic chert tools from North Bosnia. It is part of a larger geoarchaeological research dedicated to using interdisciplinary methodologies to collate and review the known Middle–Upper Paleolithic archaeological record of North Bosnia. Chert is a raw material commonly used in prehistory for tool crafting and this region is known to have abundant geological sources. However, there is a lack of detailed data, especially regarding the geochemical characteristics and composition of these sources. The Middle-Upper Paleolithic lithic assemblages found in North Bosnia are dominated by chert and there is an untested theory suggesting the exploitation of local sources. (...)

Examining the distribution of Middle Paleolithic Nubian cores relative to chert quality in southern (Nejd, Dhofar) and south-central (Duqm, Al Wusta) Oman, di M. I. Eren et alii, "Geoarchaeology", volume 40, issue 1, january/february 2025, e22019 - open access -

Lithic raw material properties are often invoked to explain the presence, absence, form, or ontogeny of Paleolithic stone tools. Here, we explore whether the frequency of the Middle Paleolithic Nubian core form and core-reduction systems co-varies with toolstone quality in two neighboring regions in Oman: the southern region of Nejd, Dhofar, and the south-central region of Duqm, Al Wusta. Specifically, we predicted that if raw material differences were influencing the distribution of Nubian cores, the chert would be of higher quality in the southern region, where Nubian cores were frequent, and of lower quality in the south-central region, where they were scarce. We tested this prediction by collecting 124 chert samples from 22 outcrops and then quantitatively assessed two geochemical variables that are widely thought to influence knapping: impurity amount and silica content. (...)

Site Formation Processes at Tinshemet Cave, Israel: Micro-Stratigraphy, Fire Use, and Cementation, di P. García, Y. Zaidner, C. Nicosia, R. Shahack-Gross, "Geoarchaeology", volume 40, issue 1, january/february 2025, e22023 - open access -

Recent excavations at the Middle Paleolithic site of Tinshemet Cave, Israel, showcase hominin burials and associated material culture that uniquely provide new information on hominin behavior in the south Levant around 120–100 ky ago. This study presents the site's stratigraphy in association with findings from sediment micromorphological analyses, shedding light on natural and anthropogenic site formation processes as well as human activities. Results indicate that two main types of sediment have been deposited—wood ash and reworked Terra Rossa soil—mixed to various degrees across the stratigraphic units. Hominin occupation started shortly after a partial roof collapse, intermittent with carnivore presence (Unit C). (...)

The Mesolithic Hunter–Gatherer Camp Site at Sammakko in Norrbotten, Northernmost Sweden—Archeological Finds and Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction, di P. Möller et alii, "Geoarchaeology", volume 40, issue 1, january/february 2025, e22030 - open access -

A small Mesolithic camp site near Sammakko in northernmost Sweden has been identified through its abundance of burnt bone and quartz refuse from stone tool manufacturing/maintenance. Radiocarbon dating places hunter–gatherer activity here around 8900 years ago, 1800 years later than the oldest known settlement in Norrbotten, the Aareavaara site. Sediment stratigraphy in nearby lake basins suggests that the final melting of stagnant ice, trapped in the undulating Veiki-moraine landscape, occurred around 9200 years ago. Initially, after deglaciation, the area was covered with arctic heath, transitioning to an open birch forest by 9100 years ago. At the time of the Sammakko settlers, it was an open birch forest with elements of pine, and various dwarf shrubs, including dwarf birch, willow, and juniper. Grasses, sedges, and various herbs in the semi-open grounds were also common. (...)

Lower Palaeolithic Site Kamianka in Eastern Ukraine: Geoarchaeological Assessments, di V. N. Stepanchuk, Y. M. Veklych, "Geoarchaeology", volume 40, issue 1, january/february 2025, e22036

The paper presents an initial attempt to assess ancient findings in Eastern Ukraine through a synthesis of archaeological and geomorphological data. It focuses on a newly discovered Lower Palaeolithic site on a valley slope of a right-bank tributary of the Seversky Donets River, cutting into the Jarkiv stage terrace (Pliocene) of the Ukrainian stratigraphic scale. Flint, quartzite, quartz flakes, and modified pebbles were found in the clastic material from the upper cover layer. The artefacts date from 2.6 to 0.6 Ma, corresponding to the interval between the boundary separating Bogdanivka and Beregove stages (i.e., Reuverian and Tiglian, respectively) and the Lubny (Cromerian) stage. A new terrace analysis method identified the lower boundary near the Pliocene-Quaternary transition, with the upper boundary based on regional archaeological analogies. (...)

L’iconographie anthropomorphe dans l’art rupestre et pariétal d’Eurasie à l’Holocène: un panorama ordonnéAnthropomorphic iconography in the rock and cave art of Eurasia in the Holocene: An organized overview, di J. Masson Mourey, "L'Anthropologie", volume 129, issue 1, january–march 2025, 103345

L’art rupestre et pariétal postglaciaire du supercontinent eurasiatique accorde généralement une place non négligeable aux anthropomorphes, c’est-à-dire à la représentation du corps humain dans divers états. L’article est conçu comme un bref tour d’horizon de ces images particulières dont il est proposé ici une typologie thématique quadripartite. (...)

Sentient beings? Rethinking the meaning of stone in mesolithic burials and beyond, di A. Little, "World Archaeology", 24 january 2025, doi: doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2024.2444371 - open access -

Considerable attention has been given to the skeletal remains and personal ornaments from Mesolithic funerary contexts. Relatively less analytical attention, however, has been given to lithic objects frequently found in the same graves. As a result, understandings of grave goods and the broader ontological frameworks surrounding Mesolithic mortuary practices can be argued to be incomplete. A partial picture is perhaps why we have struggled to move beyond monolithic accounts of grave goods as status items. In this paper, I draw on empirical evidence for lithics playing diverse roles in funerary rites and rituals. Connections between stone objects and human bodies are drawn from funerary and other contexts to argue that, rather than being simply inanimate and utilitarian, some stone tools were perceived as living entities. Taking this new ontological perspective enables a radical rethink of the meaning of lithic artefacts in Mesolithic burials and beyond. (...)

Rapid change in red cell blood group systems after the main Out of Africa of Homo sapiens, di S. Mazières, S. Condemi, W. El Nemer, J. Chiaroni, "Scientific Reports", volume 15, article number: 1597 (2025), 23 january 2025 - open access -

Despite the advances in paleogenomics, red cell blood group systems in ancient human populations remain scarcely known. Pioneer attempts showed that Neandertal and Denisova, two archaic hominid populations inhabiting Eurasia, expressed blood groups currently found in sub-Saharans and a rare “rhesus”, part of which is found in Oceanians. Herein we fully pictured the blood group genetic diversity of 22 Homo sapiens and 14 Neandertals from Eurasia living between 120,000 and 20,000 years before present (yBP). From the ABO, Rh, Kell, Duffy, Kidd, MNS, Diego, H, secretor and Indian systems, we noted that the blood group allele diversity in the Neandertals remained unchanged since 120,000 yBP, while H. sapiens conquered Eurasia with blood group alleles presently exclusive to non-African populations, suggesting they may have differentiated right after the Out of Africa, between 70,000 and 45,000 yBP. (...)

Starch-rich plant foods 780,000 y ago: Evidence from Acheulian percussive stone tools, di H. Ahituv et alii, "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences", 21 january 2025, vol. 122, no. 3, e2418661121

In contrast to animal foods, wild plants often require long, multistep processing techniques that involve significant cognitive skills and advanced toolkits to perform. These costs are thought to have hindered how hominins used these foods and delayed their adoption into our diets. Through the analysis of starch grains preserved on basalt anvils and percussors, we demonstrate that a wide variety of plants were processed by Middle Pleistocene hominins at the site of Gesher Benot Ya’aqov in Israel, at least 780,000 y ago. (...)

Hominin presence in Eurasia by at least 1.95 million years ago, di S. C. Curran et alii, "Nature Communications", volume 16, article number: 836 (2025), 20 january 2025 - open access -

The timing of the initial dispersal of hominins into Eurasia is unclear. Current evidence indicates hominins were present at Dmanisi, Georgia by 1.8 million years ago (Ma), but other ephemeral traces of hominins across Eurasia predate Dmanisi. However, no hominin remains have been definitively described from Europe until ~1.4 Ma. Here we present evidence of hominin activity at the site of Grăunceanu, Romania in the form of multiple cut-marked bones. Biostratigraphic and high-resolution U-Pb age estimates suggest Grăunceanu is > 1.95 Ma, making this site one of the best-dated early hominin localities in Europe. Environmental reconstructions based on isotopic analyzes of horse dentition suggest Grăunceanu would have been relatively temperate and seasonal, demonstrating a wide habitat tolerance in even the earliest hominins in Eurasia. (...)

Australopithecus at Sterkfontein did not consume substantial mammalian meat, di T. Lüdecke et alii, "Science", vol 387, issue 6731, 17 january 2025, pp. 309-314

Incorporation of animal-based foods into early hominin diets has been hypothesized to be a major catalyst of many important evolutionary events, including brain expansion. However, direct evidence of the onset and evolution of animal resource consumption in hominins remains elusive. The nitrogen-15 to nitrogen-14 ratio of collagen provides trophic information about individuals in modern and geologically recent ecosystems (<200,000 years ago), but diagenetic loss of this organic matter precludes studies of greater age. (...)

Evolution: Early humans adapted to extreme desert conditions over one million years ago, 16 january 2025

Homo erectus was able to adapt to and survive in desert-like environments at least 1.2 million years ago, according to a paper published in Communications Earth & Environment. The findings suggest that behavioural adaptations included returning repeatedly over thousands of years to specific rivers and ponds for fresh water, and the development of specialised tools. The authors propose that this capability to adapt may have led to the expansion of H. erectus’ geographic range. There has been significant debate over when early hominins acquired the adaptability to survive in extreme environments, such as deserts or rainforests. Previous research has frequently concluded that only Homo sapiens were able to adapt to such environments. Julio Mercader, Paul Durkin, and colleagues collected archaeological, geological, and palaeoclimatic data at Engaji Nanyori in Oldupai Gorge, Tanzania — a key early hominin archaeological site. The authors report that between approximately 1.2 million and 1 million years ago, semi-desert conditions persisted in the area with characteristic plant life evident. (...)

Climate frameworks for the Middle Stone Age and Later Stone Age in Northwest Africa, di S. Boisard, C. D. Wren, L. Timbrell, A. Burke, "Quaternary International", volume 716, 15 january 2025, 109593 - open access -

This paper examines climate conditions in Northwest Africa for Marine Isotope Stage 4, 3, and 2 (71,000–11,000 years ago) and their impact on the distribution of potential suitable areas on a regional scale. The analysis uses climate simulations to model: 1) the geographical extent and variability of macro-refugia based on ethnographic data; and 2) the frequency of suitable areas based on climate ranges obtained at dated archaeological occupations. The results include the production of maps of MSA and LSA site distribution, and annual precipitation and temperature values for each dated human occupation. (...)

Exploring early Acheulian technological decision-making: A controlled experimental approach to raw material selection for percussive artifacts in Melka Wakena, Ethiopia, di E. Paixão, T. Gossa, W. Gneisinger, J. Marreiros, S. Tholen, I. Calandra, E. Hovers, 9 january 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0314039 - open access -

The evolution of human behaviour is marked by key decision-making processes reflected in technological variability in the early archaeological record. As part of the technological system, differences in raw material quality directly affect the way that humans produce, design and use stone tools. The selection, procurement and use of various raw materials requires decision-making to evaluate multiple factors such as suitability to produce and design tools, but also the materials’ efficiency and durability in performing a given task. Therefore, characterizing the physical properties of various lithic raw materials is crucial for exploring changes in human interactions with their natural environment through time and space and for understanding their technological behaviour. In this paper, we present the first step in an ongoing program designed to understand the decision-making criteria involved in the use of raw materials by the early Acheulian tool-makers at the Melka Wakena (MW) site-complex, located on the Ethiopian highlands. (...)

A sedimentary ancient DNA perspective on human and carnivore persistence through the Late Pleistocene in El Mirón Cave, Spain, di P. Gelabert et alii, "Nature Communications", volume 16, article number: 107 (2025), 02 January 2025 - open access -

Caves are primary sites for studying human and animal subsistence patterns and genetic ancestry throughout the Palaeolithic. Iberia served as a critical human and animal refugium in Europe during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), 26.5 to 19 thousand years before the present (cal kya). Therefore, it is a key location for understanding human and animal population dynamics during this event. We recover and analyse sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) data from the lower archaeological stratigraphic sequence of El Mirón Cave (Cantabria, Spain), encompassing the Late Mousterian period, associated with Neanderthals, and the Gravettian (c. 31.5 cal kya), Solutrean (c. 24.5–22 cal kya), and Initial Magdalenian (d. 21–20.5 cal kya) periods, associated with anatomically modern humans. (...)

Peopling of the Americas: A new approach to assessing dental morphological variation in Asian and Native American populations, di G. R. Scott et alii, "American Journal of Biological Anthropology", volume 186, issue 1, january 2025, e24878

All Native American groups have a similar degree of morphological affinity to East Asia, as 10%–15% are classified as East Asian. East Asians are classified as Native American in 30% of cases. Individuals in the Western Hemisphere are decreasingly classified as Arctic the farther south they are located. Equivalent levels of classification as East Asian across all Native American groups suggests one divergence between East Asians and the population ancestral to all Native Americans. Non-arctic Native American groups are derived from the Arctic population, which represents the Native American founder group. (...)

The use of shaped stone balls to extract marrow: a matter of skill? Experimental- traceological approach, di E. Assaf, S. Díaz Pérez, E. Bruner, C. Torres, R. Blasco, J. Rosell, J. Baena Preysler, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 1, january 2025 - open access -

Technological skills associated with the Paleolithic culture have been explored extensively in recent years, with regard to the production of stone tools. Aspects of skill related to the use of these tools, however, have yet to be comprehensively explored. In this paper, we use a combined experimental-traceological approach to explore aspects of skill in the use of Lower Paleolithic (LP) shaped stone balls (SSBs) as percussion tools for marrow extraction. We examine the effect of skill, or lack thereof, on the accumulation of distinctive use wear traces upon these implements, while also considering handling, grip, and body posture of skilled versus unskilled participants in our experiment. In addition, we investigate possible indicative morphologies attesting to skill level on the processed bones. (...)

Incised stone artefacts from the Levantine Middle Palaeolithic and human behavioural complexity, di M. Goder-Goldberger, J. Marreiros, E. Paixão, E. Hovers, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 1, january 2025 - open access -

In recent years, archaeological research has demonstrated the presence of abstract non-utilitarian behaviour amongst palaeolithic hominins, fuelling discussions concerning the origin and implications of such complex behaviours. A key component in these discussions is the aesthetic and symbolic character of intentionally incised artefacts. In this study, we emphasize the geometry of the incisions as clues to intentionality. Using 3D surface analysis, we characterised incisions found on a Levallois core from Manot cave, and on a flake and retouched blade from Amud cave. In addition, we applied the same methodology to the previously published engraved Levallois core from Qafzeh and the plaquette from Quneitra. The incisions on the Manot, Qafzeh and Quneitra artefacts show similar geometric characteristics. (...)

AutoZooMS: Integrating robotics into high-throughput ZooMS for the species identification of palaeontological remains at Grotte Mandrin, France, di E. M. Oldfield, M. S. Dunstan, M. Pal Chowdhury, L. Slimak, M. Buckley, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 1, january 2025 - open access -

As the vast majority of excavated palaeontological skeletal remains are fragmentary to the extent that they cannot be identified by morphological analysis alone, various molecular methods have been considered to retrieve information from an otherwise underutilised resource. The introduction of collagen fingerprinting, known as Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS), has become one of the most popular approaches to improve taxonomic data yields from fragmentary bone. However, manual laboratory work remains a barrier to the analysis of larger sample numbers. Here we test the incorporation of liquid-handling robots to further develop ZooMS into a more automated technique using samples excavated from Grotte Mandrin, France. (...)

Was fire use a cultural trait of the Gravettian? New micro-archaeological data from Fuente del Salín cave (Val de San Vicente, Cantabria), di G. Alzate-Casallas, M. A. Sánchez-Carro, A. Barbieri, M. R. González-Morales, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 17, issue 1, january 2025 - open access -

Micro-archaeological data from sites located in central and eastern Europe show that, in comparison with other Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers, Gravettian foragers used fire more intensively and for a wider range of purposes. At these sites, this shift in pyrotechnology overlaps with the onset of periglacial conditions. Gravettian occupations of non-periglacial regions have been poorly investigated with micro-archaeological methods, and it remains to be further demonstrated whether these foragers also made a similar intensive and multipurpose use of fire. To further investigate this topic, we studied the sequence preserved at the cave of Fuente del Salín, in Cantabria, where previous excavations unearthed potential fire residues of Gravettian age. (...)

Evidence for the oldest Middle Palaeolithic cave occupation in the Romanian Carpathians, di C. Schmidt et alii, "Journal of Quaternary Science", volume 40, issue 1, january 2025, pages 22-35 - open access -

The Middle and Upper Palaeolithic sites in the Carpathians and Danube lowlands constitute key contexts for tracing the dispersal of Homo sapiens into central-western Europe and the replacement of Homo neanderthalensis. Surprisingly, the Romanian archaeological inventory lacks transitional technologies and only a few sites have been systematically excavated and numerically dated, explaining the incomplete understanding of the Middle Palaeolithic and hence Neanderthal population dynamics. Here we present new age constraints for the Abri 122/1200 and Peștera Mare caves in the Romanian Carpathians, obtained by radiocarbon dating of charcoal and bone and by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of cave sediments. (...)

A multimethod analysis for tracing Gravettian red ochre provenance at Arene Candide Cave (NW Italy), di I. Rellini, G. Martino, R. Cabella, E. Sessa, R. Maggi, J. Riel-Salvatore, volume 40, issue 1, january 2025, pages 36-52 - open access -

Arene Candide Cave, a key site for Western Mediterranean prehistory, is famous for the discovery of the richly adorned Mid–Upper Palaeolithic burial of the ‘Young Prince’ and for its use as a burial site at the end of the Pleistocene (Late Epigravettian). In both contexts, red ochre was a conspicuous element of the burial practices. Unfortunately, few provenance studies and analytical data are available for the pigments recovered in the cave. Likewise, the geographical and geological origins of these colouring materials, which are naturally abundant in the Liguro-Provençal Arc, have received little to no attention despite their technical and symbolic value. (...)

Hominin fossil inventory: Quantification and comparison of discrete regional and element representation among early African fossil hominins prior to the emergence of Homo erectus, di R. T. McRae, B. Wood, "Journal of Human Evolution", volume 198, january 2025, 103615

For all but the past few hundred thousand years, skeletal and dental morphology is the only evidence we have of our extinct ancestors and close hominin relatives. With a few exceptions, most lists of early hominin fossils have been assembled for single sites, formations, or taxa, with little attention paid to how different regions of the skeleton contribute to taxon hypodigms. We recognize there are different ways to divide up the hominin fossil record into taxa, but here, we present an inventory of the fossil evidence for the hypodigms of 14 early African hominin taxa that predate the emergence of Homo erectus. (...)

An assessment of puberty status in adolescents from the European Upper Paleolithic, di M. E. Lewis et alii, "Journal of Human Evolution", volume 198, january 2025, 103577 - open access -

Childhood and adolescence are two life-history stages that are either unique to humans, or significantly expanded in the human life course relative to other primates. While recent studies have deepened our knowledge of childhood in the Upper Paleolithic, adolescence in this period remains understudied. Here, we use bioarchaeological maturational markers to estimate puberty status of 13 Upper Paleolithic adolescents from sites in Russia, Czechia, and Italy (...)

Postcranial evidence does not support habitual bipedalism in Sahelanthropus tchadensis: A reply to Daver et al. (2022), di M. Cazenave et alii, "Journal of Human Evolution", volume 198, january 2025, 103557

In TM 266-01-63, although the base of the neck is preserved for only ca. 15 mm (Daver et al., 2022: Supplementary Note 2), Macchiarelli et al. (2020: SOM Fig. S1) concluded that the preserved morphology was consistent with a neck-shaft angle for TM 266-01-063 of between 138° and 146°, with a conservative estimate of >135° (Macchiarelli et al., 2020: 5, table 1). Although Daver et al. (2022) did not consider the neck-shaft angle, their high-quality images of TM 266-01-063 allowed us to (...)

Mapping lateral stratigraphy at Palaeolithic surface sites: A case study from Dhofar, Oman, di J. I. Rose et alii, "Journal of Archaeological Science", volume 173, january 2025, 106117 - open access -

Open-air accumulations of chipped stone debris are a common feature in arid landscapes, yet despite their prevalence, such archives are often dismissed as uninformative or unreliable. In the canyonlands of Dhofar, southern Oman, lithic surface scatters are nearly ubiquitous, including extensive, multi-component workshops associated with chert outcrops. These sites typically display chronologically diagnostic features that correspond to distinct taphonomic states, which in turn appear linked to spatial distribution, with more heavily weathered artifacts often found farther from the chert outcrops. (...)

"Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology", volume 8, issue 1, december 2025 (21 dicembre 2024-15 febbraio):

- A First Look at the Gravettian Open-Air Site Ollersdorf-Heidenberg (Austria): Recent Fieldwork and First Results on Stratigraphy, Chronology, Organic Preservation and Combustion Activity, di M. D. Bosch et alii

- In Search of the Origins of Distance Hunting—The Use and Misuse of Tip Cross-sectional Geometry of Wooden Spears, di D. Leder, A. Milks

- Within and Beyond: Chert Procurement Patterns During The Upper Palaeolithic in Southwesternmost Iberia, di J. Belmiro et alii

- Unravelling the Development of Large Flake Technology During the Early Acheulean: The Evidence from Simbiro Gully at Melka Kunture (Upper Awash, Ethiopia), di E. Méndez-Quintas, M. Mussi

- Probable Use of Labrets Among the Mid Upper Paleolithic Pavlovian Peoples of Central Europe, di J. C. Willman

- Revisited and Revalorised: Technological and Refitting Studies at the Middle Stone Age Open-Air Knapping Site Jojosi 1 (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa), di G. H. Dietrich Möller et alii

- Nubian Levallois Cores from MIS 5 Alluvial Terraces in the Negev Desert: New Insights into the Middle Paleolithic in the Arid Regions of the Southern Levant, di M. Oron et alii

- The Uluzzian and Châtelperronian: No Technological Affinity in a Shared Chronological Framework, di G. Marciani et alii

- Refitting the Context: A Reconsideration of Cultural Change among Early Homo sapiens at Fumane Cave through Blade Break Connections, Spatial Taphonomy, and Lithic Technology, di A. Falcucci et alii

- Bone Refits and Implications for the Reconstruction of a Late Middle Palaeolithic Context: Unit A9 of Fumane Cave, di M. Modolo et alii