Description: Publication date: Available online 17 December 2014 Source: Quaternary International Author(s): A. Tarriño , I. Elorrieta , M. García-Rojas Currently, investigations about siliceous resources exploited during prehistoric times in the Cantabrian Mountain and Western Pyrenees are still scarce and, generally, they did not employ methods which go deeply into the provenance characteristics. A review of the studies of lithic resource exploitation offered by historiography indicates that the theme has been examined in a generalized way in most cases. A model with a clear difference between the Eastern and Western territory of the Cantabrian Coast was created: an area with flint and an area without flint. This model needs to be qualified, because in recent years siliceous outcrops have been discovered in zones of the Western Cantabrian Mountains (Asturias). Information from the investigations in the Cantabrian Mountains, Basque-Cantabrian Basin, and Western Pyrenees indicates diverse patterns. There is a preference for lithic raw material found near the occupations, together with the inclusion of exotic or distant flints, always of good quality, to a greater or lesser extent, according to the chronological periods and the geographical location.

Description: Publication date: Available online 16 December 2014 Source: Quaternary International Author(s): M.N. Zheltova The main objective of this paper is to present the materials of the Upper Paleolithic site of Kostenki 4. Despite the fact that the site is situated in the easternmost part of the Gravettian area, neither its dwelling constructions nor stone industry show much similarity to the so-called East Gravettian assemblages, such as those of the Kostenki-Avdeevo group. The evidence that has been accumulating in recent years makes it possible to look at the site in a new light, to better understand its place in a wider cultural context.

Description: Publication date: Available online 16 December 2014 Source: Quaternary International Author(s): Verónica B. Aldazabal , Emilio O. Eugenio Archaeological investigations carried out in the area of San Blas Bay revealed a great number of surface concentrations of shells, lithic artifacts and in lesser amount, ceramic remains. These places have been occupied by hunter–gatherers from the middle Holocene to recent times. In some cases, cultural materials and combustion structures have been reported in stratigraphic position. In this paper, we present the analysis of a hearth in a cup shape structure located in a sand aeolian deposit, in the La Serranita archaeological site, dated from 5300 BP, compared with another hearth from Las Olas 5 site, dated from 500 BP. The aim is to infer the activities that could be carried out in relation to the combustion structures, by physical–chemical analysis of sediments, and by identifying and quantifying the microremains. An attempt is made to determine the intensity of use of the fire structures.

Description: Publication date: Available online 17 December 2014 Source: Quaternary International Author(s): Tamara Cruz-y-Cruz , Guadalupe Sánchez , Sergey Sedov , Alejando Terrazas-Mata , Elizabeth Solleiro-Rebolledo , Rosa Elena Tovar-Liceaga , John Carpenter In Sonora, northwest Mexico, we have recognized the existence of paleosol units of Late Pleistocene/Early and Middle Holocene age (13,000 to 4,250 Cal years BP) at several archaeological sites with Paleo-indian occupations (e.g. La Playa, Fin del Mundo, El Bajio, El Aigame and El Arenoso). The few paleoenviromental reconstructions from the region indicate that the end of the Pleistocene was dominated by temperate climate that promoted the establishment of the first people in coexistence and interaction with the Pleistocene megafauna. The study of the spatial distribution of various soil units developed during late Pleistocene in the region provides information about local environmental settings of the initial peopling of Sonora. Several pedosedimentary sequences were analyzed in the different parts of Sonora, the age control in which was provided by archaeological and paleontological findings and/or by the radiocarbon dating of carbonates and paleosol humus. Two trends of the Late Pleistocene pedogenesis have been identified. The profiles located in the south, center and north of the state are dominated by red soils (earlier referred as Big Red in the archaeological literature) whose characteristics are represented by the Red San Rafael Paleosol (SRP). The properties of SRP in the lower part of the profile (rubification, clay accumulation, hig magnetic susceptibility, illuvial carbonates, and redoximorphic features) are indicative of a more humid environment. Above them is a late Holocene polycyclic sequence of soils with morphological characteristics displaying a more incipient development. In contrast with the sequence described above, El Arenoso, north of Caborca, show a sequence of gray soils. Two paleosols were formed in alluvial sediments. At the Cantera profile (CTP) and El Arenoso profile (ARP) paleosols are represented by Bgk horizons and evidence of weathering and clay neoformation, redoximorphic processes and illuvial accumulation of carbonates. We explain the differences of north-western profiles by specific geomorphic conditions which imply limited soil drainage and the possibility of over-wetting. These processes indicate alternating a humid environment (weathering, rubification, clay formation and redoximorphic processes); and dry periods (carbonates accumulation). Despite regional differences of the late Pleistocene paleosols, the comparison with the Holocene soils demonstrates clear trends towards desertification in the region. The first people that inhabited Sonora during the late Pleistocene found a more temperate and wetter climate than they encountered further to the north, but subsequent generations witnessed a rapid desiccation of the region with the formation of the Sonoran Desert in the early Holocene.

Description: Publication date: Available online 16 December 2014 Source: Quaternary International Author(s): Praveen K. Mishra , A. Anoop , G. Schettler , Sushma Prasad , A. Jehangir , P. Menzel , R. Naumann , A.R. Yousuf , N. Basavaiah , K. Deenadayalan , M.G. Wiesner , B. Gaye We present the results of our investigations on the radiocarbon dated core sediments from the Lake Tso Moriri, NW Himalaya aimed at reconstructing palaeohydrological changes in this climatically sensitive region. Based on the detailed geochemical, mineralogical and sedimentological analysis, we recognise several short-term fluctuations superimposed upon seven major palaeohydrological stages identified in this lake since ∼26 cal ka. Stage I (>20.2 cal ka): shallow lake characterised by input of coarse-grained detrital sediments; Stage II (20.2–16.4 cal ka): lake deepening and intensification of this trend ca. 18 cal ka; Stage III (16.4–11.2 cal ka): rising lake levels with a short term wet phase (13.1–11.7 cal ka); Stage IV (11.2–8.5 cal ka): early Holocene hydrological maxima and highest lake levels inferred to have resulted from early Holocene Indian monsoon intensification, as records from central Asia indicate weaker westerlies during this interval; Stage V (8.5–5.5 cal ka): mid-Holocene climate deterioration; Stage VI (5.5–2.7 cal ka): progressive lowering of lake level; Stage VII (2.7–0 cal ka): onset of modern conditions. The reconstructed hydrological variability in Lake Tso Moriri is governed by temperature changes (meltwater inflow) and monsoon precipitation (increased runoff). A regional comparison shows considerable differences with other palaeorecords from peninsular India during late Holocene.

Description: Publication date: Available online 13 December 2014 Source: Quaternary International Author(s): Luca Bellucci , Raffaele Sardella Recent fieldwork in the Coste San Giacomo site (Early Pleistocene – Gelasian; central Italy) led us to discover new fossils of the Antilopini bovids Gazella borbonica and Gazellospira torticornis that are presented and discussed in this paper. These taxa have important palaeoenvironmental and biochronological significance during the Early Pleistocene. They were the last Antilopinae that inhabited the Italian peninsula, characterizing the middle Villafranchian large mammal assemblages living in arid and open environments. Gazella is one of the most diverse and widespread genus among Antilopinae subfamily, living today in Africa and in Asia. G . borbonica was the last species that inhabited Europe. In the Italian peninsula, it has been found in three sites: Montopoli, Dianella and Coste San Giacomo. The spiral horn-cored G . torticornis , larger in size than G . borbonica , has been found in the Italian sites of Montecarlo and Coste San Giacomo. Here, we present the study of the Italian record, based in particular on the horn cores. Finally, this material is compared with the remains coming from the coeval European localities.

Description: Publication date: Available online 13 December 2014 Source: Quaternary International Author(s): Bruce M. Albert A multi-proxy record of palynological, sedimentological, archaeological and carbon isotopic data of alluvial sites in the Upper Nazas basin (Arroyo Grande, Durango, 1855 m amsl) and the Parras basin (El Molino, Coahuila, 1245 m amsl) is introduced, describing environmental changes across a short grassland-desert ecotone from the eastern margins of the Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO). These sites reconstruct Holocene vegetation history in semi-arid North-Central Mexico and integrate fluvial geomorphology and palynology data. In particular, pollen data links a rise of xeric flora with higher-energy deposition and increased erosion in upland basins of the eastern SMO. According to archaeological finds at examined sites, human occupation is linked to mesic or afforested conditions. However, limitations of carbon isotope data for environmental historical reconstruction are indicated by somewhat stable values at Arroyo Grande, Durango especially, while pollen sites show a replacement of short-grasses and park woodlands by a more xeric flora at higher elevations, with a development of Chihuahuan Desert flora at low elevations (El Molino, Coahuila). Vegetation reconstructions are supported by pollen analog data collected from the Cuatro Cienegas region in Coahuila, Mexico.

Description: Publication date: Available online 13 December 2014 Source: Quaternary International Author(s): Buda Su , Mingjin Zhan , Jianqing Zhai , Yanjun Wang , Thomas Fischer Severe haze, which threatens human health and the economic development, occurs more and more frequently in China. For more than 60 days in 2013, severe haze covered nearly all the eastern and southern parts of China, in particular the Beijing–Hebei–Henan region, the Shanghai–Nanjing–Hangzhou region, and the Guangdong–Guangxi region. Based on observed haze data from 181 ground based meteorological stations and reanalysis data from NCEP for the period from 1961 to 2013, a statistical analysis on spatio-temporal changes in haze days and their relationship with meteorological parameters in China has been conducted. Due to high interests and quantitative details, Beijing, Nanjing, and Guangzhou are chosen to represent the typical haze-affected megacities located in the three identified regions. The research results reveal that the frequency of haze days has persistently increased in Nanjing and Guangzhou since 1961, while Beijing experienced an upward trend since 2000. An abrupt change point in the annual number of haze days in China is found for the year 2000, since then the frequency of haze days increased significantly. The analysis also shows that the probability of rainless days and windless days to occur before or at a haze day ranges between 80% and 90%. Furthermore, the frequency of haze days shows a strong positive correlation with the frequency of windless days and rainless days. The time series of both meteorological indicators have shown steady increasing trends since 1961. Next to industrial emissions, windless days and rainless days can be attributed to be the major climate factors related to the worsening of the haze events in China. This relation is underlined by the atmospheric circulation pattern, which were dominated by a weaker than usual cold wave over China in December 2013. This pressure system led to warm-dry weather conditions and enabled inversions, and hence supported the formation of more than average haze days.

Description: Publication date: Available online 13 December 2014 Source: Quaternary International Author(s): M. Jain , J.P. Buylaert , K.J. Thomsen , A.S. Murray We give a theoretical overview of non-fading infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signals in feldspars, followed by intercomparison of potential methods on some sediment extracts. We observe that a more stringent thermal wash on its own is not effective in obtaining a more stable signal, suggesting that the higher the stimulation temperature in post IR-IRSL methods, the greater the ability to access distant electron hole pairs. We further find that the delayed off-time signal in time-resolved IRSL has immense potential for sampling non-fading signal and should be explored further; this signal also appears to be well reset in nature and avoids unwanted thermal transfer effects in comparison to the post IR-IRSL signal measured at 290 °C.

Description: Publication date: Available online 13 December 2014 Source: Quaternary International Author(s): E. Roquero , P.G. Silva , J.L. Goy , C. Zazo , J. Massana Soil development in central Spain was studied through analysis of soil chronosequences from Tagus and Duero river valley terrace systems, evolved under similar Mediterranean climatic conditions throughout the Pleistocene. The most complete soil–terrace sequence, representative for our study, developed in the Tagus valley (Aranjuez–Toledo–Talavera sector). We present soil textural data for argillic horizons developed in Late to Early Pleistocene soils from five valleys. We derive soil development indices from clay and silt content and thickness of argillic horizons. Global clay content (GCC), clay content (CC) and clay/silt ratio (C/Si ratio), numerical indices related to clay illuviation, reflect soil evolution, explored by multiple regression of soil–terrace height and soil–age. Relative terrace heights above present river thalwegs (i.e. +100 m) were transformed to ages with a “height–age transfer function” on the basis of preliminary statistical geochronological analyses for central Spain. The height–age transfer function, a 3rd order polynomial ( R 2  = 0.90), based on 60 published numerical ages and paleomagnetic data for terrace sequences:describes the overall trend of valley downcutting for the last c. 2 Ma in central Spain. It assigns numerical ages to terrace levels at different relative elevations; and gives an estimate of standardized ages for the related soils. The explored age–soil relationships, logarithmic functions ( R 2  > 0.80), are sensitive to parent material clay content (corresponding to geology of river catchments) for most soil indices. Only the clay/silt ratio minimizes this sensitivity, and can thus be used for regional approaches (Tagus and Duero basins; central Spain) whereas the CC index is applicable only to individual river valleys or different river valleys with similar catchment geology (i.e. Tagus Basin). The C/Si ratio illustrates the logarithmic trend of weathering of soil particles into clay over time, the generation of soil textural balances sustaining illuviation processes, and therefore provides an estimate of “soil ageing”, for the implementation of soil chronofunctions for regional analysis of river valleys evolving in similar climatic conditions and with similar base-level history.