Description: Publication date: Available online 20 December 2014 Source: Quaternary International Author(s): Andrzej Wiśniewski , Tomasz Płonka , Zdzisław Jary , Lenka Lisa , Andrzej Traczyk , Bernadeta Kufel-Diakowska , Jerzy Raczyk , Aleš Bajer Previous studies on the Gravettian in Central Europe did not pay much attention to the issue of the marginal areas' occupation, because the main research interest was placed on analysis of remains from the area of classic refugia, the middle Danube valley or southern Moravia. Consequently, little is known about the mechanisms associated with occupation of areas located to the north of the Carpathians and the Sudetes, both in terms of chronology as well as system of mobility. The results of excavations at the open-air site in Henryków (SW Poland), presented in this paper, indicate that attempts of exploitation of upland territories located to the north of the mountain chains, started very early, i.e. in the so-called Early Gravettian period. This is indicated by radiocarbon dating of charcoal samples (28.5–31.5 ka BP) from the site. These dates were confirmed by dating of mineral deposits using the OSL method (ca. 29 ka). Based on geoarchaeological studies, the period of human stay at the Henryków site plausibly associated with development of the soil complex of the Komorniki (L1S1, Stillfried B/Lohner Boden type). Archaeological data indicate that the stay was linked with hunting practices. The features of the Henryków site, typical for marginal occupation, suggest that during the visit tool kits were reconstructed, stocks were replenished and fire was used. The dataset suggests that traces from Henryków should be treated as a result of pioneering expeditions. This mobility probably never had a more stable character, as in the later period of the Gravettian complex development.

Description: Publication date: Available online 21 December 2014 Source: Quaternary International Author(s): Tammy M. Rittenour , Larry L. Coats , Duncan Metcalfe Range Creek in east-central Utah hosts a unique abundance of Fremont-aged archaeological sites. Although good age control is available for cultural artifacts and sites, radiocarbon ages from alluvial sequences along the valley floor have generally produced age overestimates. In order to provide an alternative dating technique and test the reliability of the radiocarbon results, samples for single-grain quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating were collected from three alluvial profiles where 18 radiocarbon samples of charcoal and aggregated pollen had been analyzed. While AMS radiocarbon age results were more precise, the single-grain OSL ages were stratigraphically consistent and suggest radiocarbon age overestimation of up to 2–6 ka, with the greatest divergence observed in the results from aggregated pollen samples. OSL results and geochemical analyses suggest that hydrocarbon contamination may have affected the accuracy of the radiocarbon results; age overestimates are likely due to contribution from oil-shale deposits within the catchment. OSL and stratigraphic results suggest fluvial deposition began prior to 0.88 ka (AD 1130) at the site. Floodplain aggradation continued by conformable deposition of tabular flood packages, commonly capped with charcoal and ash-rich sediments, until interrupted by channel (arroyo?) entrenchment prior to 0.34 ka (AD 1670). Sandy flood packages filled this channel and re-aggradation continued until historic arroyo entrenchment of Range Creek in the late AD 1800's. OSL age constraints indicate that the alluvial sediments at the study sites were deposited during and immediately following Fremont occupation of Range Creek at AD 1000–1200 and may contain valuable archives of environmental conditions leading up to and following the abandonment of Fremont peoples from the region. Moreover, OSL results point to the importance of the use of multiple chronometers to date alluvial deposits, as the radiocarbon chronology alone would suggest that the study sites contained pre-Fremont-aged deposits and may lead to the misinterpretation of associated cultural and environmental records.

Description: Publication date: Available online 19 December 2014 Source: Quaternary International Author(s): Peter C. Vos , Frans P.M. Bunnik , Kim M. Cohen , Holger Cremer This study presents the geogenetic approach to detect presently drowned archaeological sites in the transgressive palaeoenvironment of the Holocene Rhine-Meuse delta. A staged and practical approach is advocated in which subsurface archaeological predictions are based on geological mapping and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the underwater location. The study area is located in the Maasvlakte harbour extension of the Port of Rotterdam, formerly a part of the southern North Sea. Prior to construction works, it was suggested that dredging of the new harbour (Yangtzehaven) would disturb the subsurface stratigraphy to around −21 m below present mean sea level, a zone which is known to contain archaeological remains. The staged approach makes use of geological data starting from a conceptual model that indicates the depths of layers that could be rich in Upper Palaeolithic/early Mesolithic artefacts. This initial model is used to determine the strategy of the subsequent phases of investigation, such as whether to proceed with dredging as part of the engineering work, down to 17 m water depth, to remove the upper (younger) sands and thereby improve the opportunities for underwater survey of fluvio-deltaic layers of Mesolithic age. Following the development of the initial site model, a full-area investigation was carried out using geophysics and coring, the latter providing material for palaeoenvironmental analysis. This allowed the reconstruction of the long-drowned former landscape, which included inland dune areas and local drainage systems and provided the physiographic context for the geoprospection of Mesolithic archeology. This predictive modeling identified two areas in the harbour for detailed investigation, again employing geophysics and coring at higher resolutions, allowing fine tuning of the palaeolandscape models at the localities of presumed highest archeological potential. Cores from one of the selected areas, an inland dune area within the Early Holocene wetland region, yielded in-situ evidence of Mesolithic occupation of this site in what is now the southern North Sea. These finds and the palaeolandscape context created with the data from the prospection phases were critical in the decision to undertake an underwater archaeological excavation using a large, boat-mounted grab sampling system. This paper provides an account of the geological and palaeoenvironmental work undertaken in the prospective phases leading up to the discovery of the site, highlighting the importance of the staged geogenetic approach for informing sampling strategies and securing high-quality information on landscape contexts, which in turn, informed archaeological decision-making and geoprospection strategies. Such an approach has wider generic application for palaeolandscape reconstruction and mapping at regional scales.

Description: Publication date: Available online 20 December 2014 Source: Quaternary International Author(s): Changchun Xu , Jie Zhao , Jiaxiu Li , Shentong Gao , Rongpan Zhou , Huizhi Liu , Yapeng Chen Based on the long-term trends analysis of five meteorological parameters (temperature, precipitation, wind speed, sunshine duration and relative humidity) in the four chosen stations of different settings, this paper attempts to reveal the characteristics of climate change in Urumqi City during 1960–2013. Our analytical results showed that both the temperature and precipitation in the Urumqi City have increased significantly since the middle 1980s. Autumn was the season when the temperature increased most drastically, and winter was the season when the precipitation increased most drastically. The average minimum temperature increased faster than the average maximum temperature, thus resulting in greatly reduced diurnal and annual temperature ranges. The wind speed was weakening significantly since the middle 1980s. The sunshine duration did not display any geographic coherence or consistency among different stations. The relative humidity has maintained more or less a constant, meaning that the absolute amount of water vapor has been increased under warming conditions. Comparatively, the Urumqi station (i.e., the urbanized area) had the most pronounced changes in temperature, precipitation and sunshine duration and the most pronounced changes were possibly due to the combined effects of natural and anthropogenic factors. Climate change in the mountainous area was synchronous with that in the plain area and the underlying surfaces and topographies, together with degrees of human activities, distinguished the regional climatic responses to global warming.

Description: Publication date: 12 January 2015 Source: Quaternary International, Volume 355 Author(s): Natalia Leonova , Sergey Nesmeyanov , Ekaterina Vinogradova , Olga Voeykova In this article, the methodical and practical problems of creating reconstructions of the subsistence practices and settlement systems for Lowland Upper Paleolithic sites are discussed. Sites of the Kamennaya Balka district are located in small valleys on the right bank of the Lower Don River near its mouth. The environment of the area of the archaeological sites was investigated with combined geological-geomorphological, pedological, paleozoological, and pollen methods. The paleolandscapes and paleоgeographic reconstructions of the main stages of the relief and landscape development of the sites area as the mutual features of the subsistence strategies in this region for the period of 17,000–14,000 BP are described. The complex of paleoecological research of the Kamennaya Balka clearly show that the “steppe zone” did not exist as a single entity, but it was divided into numerous separate loci with their specific features of occupation and cultural adaptations. Our investigations gave a principally different picture of vegetation and climate. During three periods of settlement at the Kamennaya Balka II, paleoecological conditions changed but in a general way remained favourable.

Description: Publication date: Available online 19 December 2014 Source: Quaternary International Author(s): Federico L. Scartascini , Margarita Sáez , Alejandra V. Volpedo This article presents the preliminary results of a seasonality study on Micropogonias furnieri otoliths from the northern coast of the San Matías Gulf, Río Negro, Argentina. First, we analyze modern M. furnieri otoliths from a reference collection, which provides a necessary framework for assessing the viability of the method. Data from the modern reference collection comprise more than 360 otolith section cuts from fish with known capture dates that span a whole year. Second, we analyze otolith section cuts from zooarchaeological fish remains, a total of 61 samples, collected from different archaeological sites along the northern coast of the San Matías Gulf, Patagonia, Argentina. Using data from the two analyses, we generate a strong macro-regional model of seasonality. A comparison between the modern and ancient otoliths also provides insights into the seasonality of human occupation and M. furnieri exploitation along the Northern Río Negro coastline from the mid-to late Holocene. Our data show that M. furnieri fishing activities in the area primarily took place between November and January. Application of our method demonstrates its advantages and limitations for more general application in a wider range of archaeological studies.

Description: Publication date: Available online 18 December 2014 Source: Quaternary International Author(s): Feng Chen , Yu-jiang Yuan , Shu-long Yu , Tong-wen Zhang , Hua-ming Shang , Rui-bo Zhang , Li Qin , Zi-ang Fan A tree-ring width chronology developed from a site of Larix sibirica at the eastern end of Tien Shan was employed to study the drought variability of east Xinjiang. The drought reconstruction spanning 1785–2009 was developed by calibrating tree-ring data with standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration index (SPEI), an index indicating regional moisture conditions. The SPEI reconstruction accounted for 45.8% of actual October–August SPEI variance during their common period (1957–2009). Wet periods with SPEI above the 225–year mean occurred around 1785–1799, 1821–1833, 1842–1858, 1864–1873, 1887–1898, 1905–1925, 1937–1948, 1954–1962, 1969–1983 and 1991–1993, while dry periods (SPEI below the mean) occurred in 1800–1820, 1834–1841, 1859–1863, 1874–1886, 1899–1904, 1926–1936, 1949–1953, 1963–1968, 1984–1990 and 1994–2009. There was an aridity aggravation trend since the mid-1980s in east Xinjiang. Our results also suggest that east Xinjiang was influenced by the interactions between the Asian monsoon and the Westerlies circulations.

Description: Publication date: Available online 18 December 2014 Source: Quaternary International Author(s): Bianca Batista da Costa Spalding , Maria Luisa Lorscheitter The palynology of the last 34,000 years was determined for a sedimentary profile from a bog in São Francisco de Paula, Rio Grande do Sul Eastern Plateau, using radiocarbon dates (profile: 29°19′05″S, 50°08′18″W). This is a rare older palynological sequence studied in the Quaternary of southern Brazil. Between 34,300 and 28,000 BP, the records suggest a cold and semi-arid climate, with rarefied vegetation that was dominated by sparse grassland, the Araucaria forest probably in refuges. Between 28,000 and 23,500 BP, a cold and humid climate was clearly detected at the last glacial stage. The vegetation generally developed with a grassland dominion, and a water reservoir was in the study site. Between 23,500 and 12,000 BP, cold and semi-arid climate promoted the reduction of grassland, and the local water reservoir began to be filled by sediment. Between 12,000 and 10,000 BP, the rise in temperature and humidity resulted in the development of regional vegetation, and the Araucaria forest probably expanded a little from the refuges. Herbaceous marsh dominated the study site. Between 10,000 and 7500 BP, an elevated temperature and dry conditions promoted a general decrease in vegetation cover. Between 7500 and 3000 BP, a progressive increase in humidity permitted the development of local and regional vegetation and the arborous pioneers migrated from the refuges, with the expansion of forest taxa, such as Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze. There was the beginning and expansion of the bogs from 6000 BP onward. The grassland decreased after 4000 BP probably due to the forest cover. The records indicate a high regional humidity after 3000 BP, which is favorable to Araucaria forest. However, the temperature elevation during this phase probably reduced the reproductive capacity of the Araucaria forest taxa, resulting in a lower rate of expansion on the grassland. The same factor probably reduced the regional bogs from 2000 BP onward.

Description: Publication date: Available online 18 December 2014 Source: Quaternary International Author(s): Lydia Mackenzie , Patrick Moss A late Quaternary pollen and charcoal record from Hazards Lagoon on the east coast of Tasmania provides a continuous record of vegetation and climate change. The pollen record shows an Epacridaceae and Poaceae dominated grassland community replaced dry sclerophyll forest during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM ∼22–18 cal ka BP). Eucalyptus and Casuarinaceae increased from the beginning of the deglacial period (∼18–12 cal ka BP) indicating early warming on the east coast of Tasmania. Abundant Myriophyllum and sedimentary characteristics indicate Hazards Lagoon was a permanent source of water throughout the LGM and until 16 cal ka BP suggesting either increased precipitation and/or decreased evaporation rates. A positive moisture balance throughout the LGM contrasts with records from the west coast of Tasmania and parts of mainland Australia. Fire was suppressed at the site until 14 cal ka BP, corresponding with reduced woody vegetation and a positive moisture balance. Dry sclerophyll forest established during the deglacial period, remaining stable throughout the Holocene. A coastal vegetation community developed in response to sea-level rise, characterised by abundant Eucalyptus pollen and increasing values of Casuarinaceae. By the mid-Holocene, the Hazards Lagoon pollen record is typical of a Tasmanian coastal site dominated by Casuarinaceae. This research highlights the need for spatially diverse studies throughout the Southern Hemisphere to identify drivers of environmental change during the late Quaternary.

Description: Publication date: Available online 18 December 2014 Source: Quaternary International Author(s): Atilio Francisco J. Zangrando , Angélica M. Tivoli This paper presents a review of the zooarchaeological representations of birds and fish in coastal archaeological sites of southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego (47°–55°S). The spatial and temporal variations of this faunal record are assessed in order to understand their contribution in human subsistence in different geographic and cultural settings between 6500 and 100 BP. Spatially, the importance of birds and fish in human subsistence was similar between the Pacific and Atlantic coasts along the Holocene, although differences in taxonomic compositions of bird bone assemblages are observed among regions. Temporally, the analysis suggests an increase in bird hunting in the considered area in the last 3000 years, while an intensification of fishing activities can be proposed for the archipelagic area for that time period.