Evidence of earliest human occurrence in Europe: the site of Pirro Nord (Southern Italy)

Arzarello, Marta; Marcolini, Federica; Pavia, Giulio; Pavia, Marco; Petronio, Carmelo; Petrucci, Mauro; Rook, Lorenzo; Sardella, Raffaele

doi:10.1007/s00114-006-0173-3

Cited by 189 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…It is not possible to compare this situation with that in other European sites of the same age where human presence has been recorded, such as Pirro Nord (Italy, ca. 1.6-1.4 Ma; Arzarello et al, 2007), Lézignan-le-Cèbe (France, 1.57 Ma; Crochet et al, 2009), Pont de Lavaud (France, 1.2-1.1 Ma; Despriée et al, 2006), Terre-des-Sablons (France, ca. 1.2 Ma; Despriée et al, 2010) and Kozarnika Cave (Bulgaria, ca.…”

Section: Iberian Late Villafranchian/early Galerian Carnivorans and Ementioning

confidence: 99%

Villafranchian large mammals from the Iberian Peninsula: paleobiogeography, paleoecology and dispersal events

Madurell‐Malapeira

Ros-Montoya²,

Espigares³

et al. 2014

Journal of Iberian Geology

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The Pleistocene of the Iberian Peninsula is currently a focus of intense paleontological, archaeological and geological research. To a large extent, these inquiries are intended to decipher the ecological factors that might have conditioned early Homo dispersals into the European continent during the late Early Pleistocene. In this respect, the research carried out during the last twenty years in several areas of the Iberian Peninsula (the Guadix-Baza Basin, the Sierra de Atapuerca, the Vallparadís Section and the Banyoles-Besalú Basin) have yielded a large amount of new significant data. Here we review such data and provide for the first time a comprehensive synthesis from a faunal, geological and paleoecological perspectives, by focusing on the relationship between paleoenvironmental conditions and early human dispersals during the late Early Pleistocene in the Iberian Peninsula. In particular, the Iberian fossil record of Early to Late Villafranchian large mammals is synthesized, on the basis of recent publications and unpublished data collected by the authors during the last five years, in order to provide the adequate faunal and paleocological framework for understanding the factors that limited or conditioned human dispersal events.Keywords: Mammals, Pliocene, Pleistocene, Villafranchian, Iberian Peninsula Resumen El Pleistoceno de la Península Ibérica es actualmente foco de intensa investigación paleontológica, arqueológica y geológica. En gran medida, estos trabajos están encaminados a descifrar los factores ecológicos que podrían haber condicionado las dispersiones de los Homo iniciales hacia Europa durante el Pleistoceno inferior. En este sentido, la investigación realizada durante los últimos veinte años en diversas zonas de la Península Ibérica (la Cuenca de Guadix-Baza, la Sierra de Atapuerca, la Sección de Vallparadís y la Cuenca de BanyolesBesalú) ha proporcionado una gran cantidad de nuevos datos significativos. Aquí revisamos estos datos y se proporciona por primera vez una síntesis exhaustiva desde una perspectiva paleontológica, paleoecológica y geológica, centrándonos en las relaciones entre las condiciones paleoambientales y las dispersiones de los primeros humanos en el Pleistoceno inferior de la Península Ibérica. Concretamente, se sintetiza el registro fósil ibérico de grandes mamíferos villafranquienses en base a publicaciones recientes y datos inéditos recopilados por los autores en los últimos cinco años, para así proporcionar el marco faunístico y paleoecológico adecuado para comprender los factores que limitaron o condicionaron los eventos de dispersión humana.

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Section: Iberian Late Villafranchian/early Galerian Carnivorans and Ementioning

confidence: 99%

Villafranchian large mammals from the Iberian Peninsula: paleobiogeography, paleoecology and dispersal events

Madurell‐Malapeira

Ros-Montoya²,

Espigares³

et al. 2014

Journal of Iberian Geology

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“…Descubiertos en los años 1980-1990, dichos yacimientos han proporcionado tanto fósiles humanos como testimonios de actividades humanas (industria lítica, marcas de corte sobre huesos), lo cual ha permitido retrasar la llegada del géne-ro Homo en Europa al Pleistoceno inferior. Además de estos yacimientos "históricos", considerados hoy como referentes, se descubrieron más recientemente otros con posibles trazas de ocupaciones humanas y cuyos primeros estudios refuerzan la hipótesis de una colonización antigua de Europa: Pirro Nord (Italia, Arzarello et al 2007), Lézignan-la-Cèbe (Francia, Crochet et al 2009), Lunery (Francia, Despriée et al 2007Despriée et al , 2010 y Kozarnika (Bulgaria, Guadelli et al 2005).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Datación por <i>ESR</i> del yacimiento arqueológico del Pleistoceno inferior de Vallparadís (Terrassa, Cataluña, España)

Duval¹,

Moreno²,

Shao³

et al. 2011

Trab. prehist.

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Excavated between 2005 and 2007, the site of Vallparadís (Terrassa, Spain) has given an abundant and diversified fauna associated with a rich Mode 1 industry. In order to complete the chronostratigraphic framework, we performed ESR and combined US-ESR dating applied to quartz grains extracted from sediments and fossil teeth, respectively. The results obtained are very significant, giving a weighted mean ESR age of 0.83 ± 0.13 Ma (2σ) for the reference archaeological level of the site (level 10) and another of 0.79 ± 0.23 Ma (2σ) for the archaeological level 12 of the Vallparadís sequence. These ESR results are in total agreement with the ones derived from biochronology and paleomagnetism. This whole dataset allows the elaboration of a reliable and consistent chronostratigraphic framework which chronologically places Vallparadís site in the late Early Pleistocene period, i.e. within a time range comprised between Jaramillo and Brunhes geomagnetic events. Consequently, as well as Gran Dolina-TD6 and Sima del Elefante- TE9 sites, in Atapuerca, Burgos, Vallparadís can be therefore considered as a key site for the study of early hominid settlements in Europe.

Excavado entre 2005 y 2007, el yacimiento de Vallparadís (Terrassa, España) ha aportado una fauna rica y diversa en asociación con un importante conjunto lítico de Modo 1. Con el objetivo de completar el marco cronoestratigráfico, se hicieron dataciones por los métodos de Resonancia Paramagnética Electrónica (Electron Spin Resonance, ESR) y ESR combinada con uranio-torio sobre algunas muestras de granos de cuarzo extraídos de sedimentos y dientes fósiles, respectivamente. Los resultados obtenidos son muy significativos, ofreciendo edades ESR promedias de 0,83 ± 0,13 Ma (2σ) para el nivel arqueológico de referencia del yacimiento (nivel 10) y de 0,79 ± 0,23 Ma (2σ) para el nivel arqueológico 12 de la secuencia de Vallparadís. Dichos resultados por ESR concuerdan con los obtenidos a partir de la biocronología y del paleomagnetismo. El yacimiento de Vallparadís dispone ahora de un marco cronoestratigráfico fiable y coherente, que permite situarlo cronológicamente a finales del Pleistoceno inferior, dentro de un rango temporal comprendido entre los eventos geomagnéticos de Jaramillo y Brunhes. Dicho yacimiento junto a los de Gran Dolina TD-6 y Sima del Elefante TE-9, en Atapuerca, Burgos, se posiciona como un yacimiento clave para el estudio de los primeros poblamientos humanos de Europa

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“…Lycaon lycaonoides (Kretzoi, 1938), Hystrix refossa Gervais, 1852, and Cercopithecidae Gray, 1821 of African origin, Th eropithecus Geoff roy, 1843 (Rook et al 2004;Rook & Sardella 2005) appear. During this temporal interval (1.3-1.6 Ma) in the quarries of Pirro Nord, the most ancient evidence of humans in Europe, testifi ed by lithic artefacts, were found (Arzarello et al 2007). …”

Section: The Villafranchian Mammal Agementioning

confidence: 93%

Biochronology and palaeoenvironmental changes from the Middle Pliocene to the Late Pleistocene in Central Italy

et al. 2011

Self Cite

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Paleoenvironmental variations that occurred in Italy from the Middle Pliocene to the Late Pleistocene are described. Th e number of large mammal species seems increased moderately, especially from the Galerian to the Late Aurelian biochronological units. On the contrary, the paleobotanical data show a decrease of the forest cover from the Middle Pliocene to the late Early Pleistocene and an increase of lands occupied by prairies and steppes. Th is change is also supported by the appearance of hypsodont taxa among mammals. Th e distribution of mammal faunas between the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian sides of Central Italy, during the Middle and Late Pleistocene, seems not to be infl uenced by climatic and environment diff erences. When the Adriatic data are more complete, it is possible, in fact, to observe a trend that is fairly close to that of the Tyrrhenian. Th e majority of megaherbivorous taxa has an Asian origin, and it can be hypothesized that in the interglacial phases, the Tosco-Emilian Apennines allowed the taxa coming from the northeast to enter and spread out into the more diversifi ed Tyrrhenian side, whereas during the glacial periods the

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Evidence of earliest human occurrence in Europe: the site of Pirro Nord (Southern Italy)

Cited by 189 publications

References 13 publications

Villafranchian large mammals from the Iberian Peninsula: paleobiogeography, paleoecology and dispersal events

Villafranchian large mammals from the Iberian Peninsula: paleobiogeography, paleoecology and dispersal events

Datación por <i>ESR</i> del yacimiento arqueológico del Pleistoceno inferior de Vallparadís (Terrassa, Cataluña, España)

Biochronology and palaeoenvironmental changes from the Middle Pliocene to the Late Pleistocene in Central Italy

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