New data for the Early Upper Paleolithic of Kostenki (Russia)

Abstract

Several questions remain regarding the timing and nature of the Neanderthal-anatomically modern human (AMH) transition in Europe. The situation in Eastern Europe is generally less clear due to the relatively few sites and a dearth of reliable radiocarbon dates. Claims have been made for both notably early AMH and notably late Neanderthal presence, as well as for early AMH (Aurignacian) dispersal into the region from Central/Western Europe. The Kostenki-Borshchevo complex (European Russia) of Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP) sites offers high-quality data to address these questions.Here we revise the chronology and cultural status of the key sites of Kostenki 17 and Kostenki 14. The Kostenki 17/II lithic assemblage shares important features with Proto-Aurignacian material, strengthening an association with AMHs. New radiocarbon dates for Kostenki 17/II of ~41-40 ka cal BP agree with new dates for the recently excavated Kostenki 14/IVw, which shows some similarities to Kostenki 17/II. Dates of ≥41 ka cal BP from other Kostenki sites cannot be linked to diagnostic archaeological material, and therefore cannot be argued to date AMH occupation. Kostenki 14's Layer in Volcanic Ash assemblage, on the other hand, compares to Early Aurignacian material. New radiocarbon dates targeting diagnostic lithics date to 39-37 ka cal BP. Overall, Kostenki's early EUP is in good agreement with the archaeological record further west. Our results are therefore consistent with models predicting interregional penecontemporaneity of diagnostic EUP assemblages. Most importantly, our work highlights ongoing challenges for reliably radiocarbon dating the period. Dates for Kostenki 14 agreed with the samples' chronostratigraphic positions, but standard pre-treatment methods consistently produced incorrect ages for Kostenki 17/II. Extraction of hydroxyproline from bone collagen using prep-HPLC, however, yielded results consistent with the samples' chronostratigraphic position and with the layer's archaeological contents. This suggests that for some sites compound-specific techniques are required to build reliable radiocarbon chronologies.

Aspects of human physical and behavioural evolution during the last 1 million years

“…The picture is convoluted further by the fact that the makers of other transitional industries from north-western, central and south-eastern Europe and Russia, such as the Lincombian-Ranisian-Jerzmanowician (LRJ), Bohunician, Bachokirian, Szeletian and Streleskayan remain unknown (Dinnis et al, 2019). They could feasibly be made by late Neanderthals or H. sapiens (Flas, 2011;Villa and Roebroeks, 2014;Hublin, 2015).…”

The early Aurignacian dispersal of modern humans into westernmost Eurasia

“…Plots of lithic artifacts along with radiocarbon-dated bone samples from Lapa do Picareiro: (A) X-axis profile of the cave, perpendicular to the central axis, (B) Y-axis profile of the cave, lengthwise from front to back.∼41.9 to 41.1 ka cal BP (terminus post quem or earliest possible date) and 39.4 to 38.1 ka cal BP (terminus ante quem or latest possible date). Thus, the assemblage falls within most of the Proto-Aurignacian and entirely within the Early-Aurignacian time frame in Europe(11,47,48). The artifact deposition likely took place during the Greenland Stadial (GS)-9 climate…”

House of cards: cultural taxonomy and the study of the European Upper Palaeolithic

“…The widespread application of the system originally developed for Aquitanian material has facilitated the recognition of broad-scale similarity among early and mid Upper Palaeolithic assemblages across Europe. The distribution of assemblages described as Aurignacian and Gravettian, for example, extends across the entire continent from Iberia to Russia (Teyssandier 2006;Noiret 2013;Dinnis et al 2019). The situation is rather different for the late Upper Palaeolithic, with Epigravettian assemblages described in the east and south of Europe, and Badegoulian and Magdalenian assemblages in the west (Maier 2015;Naudinot et al 2017).…”