Lateglacial and Holocene sandy aeolian sequences with palaeosol horizons located in different sedimentary zones in western-central Poland were analysed in order to establish their regional stratigraphical and palaeoenvironmental significance. Results of sedimentological, geomorphological and absolute dating methods from 3 representative profiles from an extraglacial zone (Leszczyca site), a glaciomarginal

Shell midden sites along the upper Gulf coast of Baja California contain abundant evidence of Indigenous subsistence practices and land use strategies reflecting the long history of local fisheries. Many of these sites contain well preserved faunal remains indicating people utilized a variety of littoral and marine habitats and exploited seasonal runs of the now endangered totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi)

Understanding the organisation of food production is vital for understanding ancient societies. Multiple factors may influence decision making, including the local environmental capacity of a given area and individual and cultural preferences. This study compares zooarchaeological data from sites across the length and breadth of the Holocene Near East with modelled patterns of land use. The goal is

At wave-dominated coasts it is common to find coastal barriers that might be in a progradational pattern and can compose sedimentary capes. Those prograding coastal barriers can be characterized by beach ridges or barrier spits, or even by a more complex pattern depending on the processes controlling their formation. In this study geomorphological mapping, topographic surveys, ground-penetrating radar

In the granitic part of the eastern Massif Central (France), the Gourd des Aillères (GDA) mire provides one of the only Late-Glacial and Early Holocene sequences with a continuous sedimentation since the Oldest Dryas around 16000 years calibrated Before Present (16 ka cal. BP). Bioclimatic and hydrological changes were reconstructed based on sedimentological parameters, as well as by the analyses of

This study aims to present new additional data regarding the relative sea-level (RSL) changes and the vertical ground movements (VGM) occurred in Campi Flegrei caldera since the Early Roman period (3rd century BC), commenting also on the accompanying changes of the coastal landscape and its implications in terms of human adaptation. The study area is located along the western sector of the Campi Flegrei

A perfectly preserved left felid hemimandible has been found in fluvial deposits of the Po River near Cremona (Northern Italy). The fossil, found in allochthonous position within an alluvial bar, corresponding in morphology and size at the hemimandible of modern and fossil lions. The bone, in excellent conditions, is characterized by the presence of all the teeth and shows a slight erosion of the condyle

Discussions on the relationships between human groups and the environment are recurring Archaeology topics around the world. In South America, there is a specific kind of archaeological site called “earthen mound”, locally known as “cerritos de indios” that is ethnically linked to the Charrua and Minuano groups. They mainly cover southernmost Brazil (state of Rio Grande do Sul), Uruguay, and northeast

Though hundreds of caves are known across Mongolia, few have been subject to systematic, interdisciplinary archaeological surveys and excavations to understand Late Pleistocene and Holocene environments. Previous cave excavations in Mongolia have demonstrated their potential for preservation of archaeological and biological material, including Palaeolithic assemblages and Holocene archaeology, particularly

The northern Bohemian sandstone region brings an exceptionally rich record of Mesolithic settlement, particularly in the form of fireplaces as key structures to be studied when addressing cooking and consumption practices. A large number of different fireplace structures – including kettle-shaped pits and surface or sunken fireplaces, some lined with stones – can be interpreted in terms of performing

This paper presents results of morphological and petrological analyses of ground stone tool assemblage acquired from late Bronze Age settlement site at Niemczańska, Wrocław, Poland. The collection of six tools is functionally and petrologically diverse but comparable in terms of physical and mechanical properties, i.e. hardness and wear resistance. Exclusively hard and quartz-rich rocks were selected

We present and model new radiocarbon data for the Neolithic marshes of Marais de Saint-Gond Marne in France. We then provide the first radiocarbon-based synthesis of human activity in this region. The earliest flint mine pits dug in France were dated to between 7518 and 7356 cal BC (95% probability) in the Mesolithic period. A Neolithic sequence of activity has been reconstructed in detail for the

Many stone artifacts and Paleolithic sites can be found in Hanjiang River Valley, which is an important area of human activities. In particular, the discovery of flint artifacts has greatly enriched the understanding of the technical diversity of stone artifacts in this area. However, the lack of age data also hindered the follow-up research. On this basis, we investigated and excavated two Paleolithic

This paper communicates the results of a detailed use-wear analysis of flint tools from Unit III of Nesher Ramla, central Israel, an open-air Middle Paleolithic site, dated to Marine Isotope Stage 5. The analyzed sample consists of 966 artifacts that represent major techno-typological categories; scrapers, tools with a lateral tranchet blow, naturally backed knives and other Middle Paleolithic artifact

Overriding the underthrusting Indian plate along the low angle detachment surface of the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT), the entire Himalayan wedge, consisting of several allochthonous and autochthonous sheets is actively deforming due to ongoing India-Asia convergence. However, the information on active tectonics of autochthonous sheets exposed in tectonic windows has often been eluded due to lack of

Research has shown that fluvial systems exhibit a rapid response to extreme events, such as floods or climate-tectonic interplay, the evidence of which is recorded in fluvial sediments. This article provides new data and insights into the reconstruction of the Anthemountas River depositional environment. The study was conducted with granulometric analysis and with the lithostratigraphic and chronostratigraphic

We report new rock magnetic results from a cave in the “Sierra de Atapuerca” (Burgos, North of Spain), that is one of the most important archaeological and palaeontological sites of Lower to Middle Pleistocene in Europe. Our samples are taken in cave sediments of Gran Dolina Cave. Rock magnetic analyses allowed us to determine changes in grain size, composition, and concentration in both cave-entrance

In the region of 20 newly-found fossil lakes in the Garwolin Plain (Central Poland), formed during the Eemian interglacial (MIS 5e), the Kozłów site is considered one of the longest examples of sequences of palaeolake deposits. Pollen investigations have revealed an entire Eemian interglacial (MIS 5e) with a very long hornbeam phase. Repeated coring allowed for high-resolution pollen and diatom analysis

We summarize proxy evidence for stadial/interstadial variability recorded in sediments of three Great Basin lakes – Owens, Mono, and Pyramid. These lakes lie along the eastern margin of the Sierra Nevada Ice Sheet and record environmental variability associated with it. We have applied new paleomagnetic secular variation measurements (PSV) to more carefully date the lake environmental variability.

Located in the eastern Carpathian Basin, a substantial part of the Banat region is characterized by wide undulating plains in which numerous prehistoric sites have been found, from Early Neolithic settlements to some of the largest known Late Bronze Age fortifications in Europe such as Corneşti-Iarcuri. Since palynological archives have proven to be extremely rare, respective studies used to concentrate

In recent years, the area of Dali Lake has shrunk significantly, resulting in extremely serious ecological and environmental problems. Combining records from lake sediments and ancient shorelines is effective for investigating paleolake evolution and predicating the lake life trend. This study explored the lake area evolution of Dali Lake using remote sensing images and optical stimulated luminescence

Palaeoecological reconstruction was carried out at Lake Hazar in eastern Turkey from 3.2 cal ka BP to ~510 cal years BP. To evaluate vegetation and climate changes, palynological and grain size analysis were performed by comparing geochemical data, magnetic susceptibility (MS), and Total Organic Carbon (TOC). A lake level reconstruction has been done by palynological data, indicating local environmental

Understanding the sources areas and transport mechanisms of pollen grains is important for reconstructing vegetation and climate from fossil pollen data. We studied the modern pollen assemblages of 28 surface samples from different geomorphic units (mountains, the central basin, and the riverine zone) in the Yinchuan Basin in China. Our aim was to compare the characteristics of the pollen assemblages

The dispersal processes of anatomically modern humans in Asia during the late Middle to early Upper Paleolithic periods have been a focus of intensive research in recent years through interdisciplinary approaches including genetic, paleoanthropological, and archeological studies. However, sparse datasets, often only available from limited time-space contexts have not produced a satisfactory picture

Rio graben is a region of significant stratigraphic and palaeontological interest where several environmental changes have been recorded during the Quaternary. These changes are a result of active tectonism, related to the well-known rifting process that has been occurring in the geotectonic region of the Corinth-Patras Rift, as well as of the influence of continuous eustatic and climatic changes.

The article scrutinizes stratigraphy, morphology, and origin of the terraced underwater slope of the Sambian Peninsula next to the Taran Cape, the SE Baltic Sea, using a combination of multi-beam and single-beam bathymetry, side-scan sonar survey, CHIRP, single-channel seismoacoustic data, and sediment grain-size results. The underwater slope and its minor landforms were formed by changes of a relative

The ongoing changes affecting Lake Urmia (NW Iran) are revealed by the lake water level decrease (∼7 m in the last 20 yr) that was attributed to natural and anthropogenic causes but the exact impact of these factors on the state of the lake is still not identified. Indeed, lack of detailed record of environmental evolution of the lake in the past limits the understanding of actual and future processes

In low latitude regions, due to impact of abrupt climate change/human interference, significant changes in vegetation, particularly the destruction of the highly fragile mangrove ecosystem has been noticed in different tropical areas of the world. In this study, a sediment core collected from the Kali Estuary has been used to determine the vegetation distribution of the Western Ghats since the late

The nearly complete skull of a raven (Aves, Corvidae) is reported from middle Pleistocene sediments (∼450–580 ka) of Jinyuan Cave near the city of Dalian on the Liaodong Peninsula of Liaoning Province, China. The new fossil closely resembles that of the Common Raven (Corvus corax), a species with a Holarctic extant distribution. It is one of the relatively few fossil corvids known from China, and the

The considerable intensification of human activity in the second and first centuries BC in Central Europe was related to the sudden appearance of a network of large fortified towns, which are known as oppida. Bibracte was one of the most important oppida in France, but knowledge about the evolution of its hinterland is still incomplete. This article addresses the evolution of the landscape surrounding

The shoreline of Gujarat in western coast of India has remained exposed to tsunamis and storm surges in past from distant to regional sources and processes. The catalogue of past tsunami and storm events whose geological signatures have been archived in the coastal records, often hints at frequency, magnitude and recurrence. In present work, we compile all possible signatures of palaeo-extreme wave

The present paper deals with the historical evolution of the northern Bay of Cádiz (SW Spain) between the last eustatic maximum (6.5 ka BP) and the present day, by means of a series of independent proxies. The zone is constituted by the tidal estuary of the Guadalete River, filled with saltmarsh sediments during the late Holocene, due to the sheltering of the zone by a confining outer sandy barrier

Marine reservoir effects (MRE) have the potential to increase the dating uncertainty of humans incorporating marine resources into their diets. Here we attempt a novel dental wiggle-match model to reduce dating uncertainty of seven individuals from the Resmo megalithic tomb (Öland, Sweden) and to test whether this model can be used to calculate MRE from a single tooth. Previous stable isotope ratio

While abundant evidence for the use of fire has been identified for the Paleolithic period in the Levant, little evidence has come from open-air sites. This scarcity has brought into question the preservation potential of fragile fire remains at this type of site, which is normally exposed to wind deflation and fluvial erosion, and whether or not fire was used at all. A recently discovered site inside

The Bulgarian prehistoric sequence is characterized by the use of particular raw materials in distinct ‘cultural’ contexts. The Karanovo I and II stages of the Early Neolithic (part of a supra-regional technocomplex in the Balkans) are recognisable by formal toolkits made of Balkan flint. The Chalcolithic period is famous for its superblades made of high-quality Ludogorie flint, which also attain a

Pedogenic carbonates are considered important indicators of past climatic changes. Their formation is due to calcite accumulation through evaporation processes in arid or semi-arid regions. Over time, secondary carbonate accumulation results in the development of calcic and petrocalcic horizons in soil profiles. In this study, we conducted an analysis of pedogenic carbonates as records of paleoenvironmental

Mineral grains from proglacial and supraglacial sedimentary settings in central south-eastern Iceland are considered in this study and analysed with the use of scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques. By applying this, it is attempted to answer the key research question of whether quartz grains that come from a glacial-related sedimentary environment are indeed of glacial origin. The study also

Maloti-Drakensberg environments are highly localised, susceptible to changes in regional weather patterns and, through marked variations of topography, prone to imposing differing conditions even within relatively small areas. The resulting ‘archipelago’ of ecosystems, with often correspondingly specialised endemics, poses an observational challenge to research and governance institutions inclined

Studies of the morphotypes, production and preservation of phytoliths in soils provide a theoretical basis for paleovegetation reconstruction. However, there is a lack of systematic studies of the phytoliths of woody plants in the warm temperate humid zones, which greatly limits the application of phytoliths in paleovegetation reconstruction in this environmental context. In this study we analyzed

Alternating conditions from cold to warm periods since the Late Glacial provided a significant contrast for future hydroclimatic variation, as did the corresponding variation in vegetation. To predict the potential variability in C3/C4 biomass under future warmer climatic conditions, we determined the current spatiotemporal distribution of C3 and C4 vegetation by estimating the variability of δ13Corg

The paper presents new data on brackish-water Upper Pliocene and Lower Pleistocene deposits that were studied in the Demirkent (Kars) and Pekecik (Erzurum) sections, NE Turkey. The Demirkent section is situated in the southwestern slope of the Shirak Late Cenozoic intermontane basin near the Turkish-Armenian border. The Pekecik section is situated to the SW of the Demirkent in the southwestern slope

The lake sediments received significant wide attention for archiving paleoclimate and paleo sea-level variability during late Quaternary period. It has also been extensively used to disentangle the interrelationships existing among the regional and the global climate systems. In the present study, the applicability of lake sediments has been the major impetus to delineate the mid-late Holocene climate

Srednaya Akhtuba outcrop provides a detailed record of the Late Pleistocene continental and marine deposits and paleosols from MIS5 to MIS1. The MIS5 chronozone is presented by a continuous pedosedimentary sequence with three well-developed paleosols. The paper is based on the study of depositional environment and pedostratigraphy, with OSL chronological framework and precise altitude references. Field

Piggyback basins are common and well-studied features of thrust belts, but they are also known to form in front of advancing ice sheets. However, these glacitectonically developed basins and their syn-glacitectonic fillings have so far received little attention. Here, we present a detailed study of a cliff section on Jasmund peninsula, SW Baltic Sea, where syn-kinematic deposits of Late Weichselian

This Special Issue brings together fourteen articles that present new methods, ideas, and approaches in the study of coastal prehistory with examples drawn from the Americas, Australia, Europe, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa. In this introductory overview, we set out the rationale for combining articles on shell middens and submerged landscapes and the underlying logic of the order in which we have

Kazakhstan, which connects the Altai mountains and Caucasus area of Uzbekistan, is an indispensable region in arguments about the diffusion and settlement of Homo sapiens in Asia. Upper Palaeolithic culture in eastern Kazakhstan and the northern Altai developed together. Nevertheless, reliable chronologic data from archaeological sites in these regions, necessary for understanding diffusion of Homo

We carried out sedimentological and mineral magnetic studies on a ∼60 m long core recovered from the central part of the Great Rann of Kachchh (GRK), a marginal marine basin, located on the western continental margin of India to understand the Holocene paleoenvironmental changes. We critically analysed the sedimentation pattern, sediment characteristics along with paleoclimatic signatures of global

Major-element geochemistry from two Cores MD05-2899 and MD05-2901 off central Vietnam in the lower continental slope of the western South China Sea is investigated to reconstruct a history of terrigenous sediment variations and East Asian monsoon evolution during the last glacial-interglacial cycle. The results suggest that the Pearl River can play a more important role in contributing terrigenous

Paleoclimatic reconstruction is critical for understanding present-day climate and for testing models that are currently used to predict future climatic changes. Different climatic conditions produce different clay minerals that can be recorded in geological archives providing insights into past weathering scenarios. However, in southern South America, scarce information is available from clay mineral

The study presents three sedimentary profiles from Tarimba cave in central Brazil. The data allow constraining the late Quaternary sedimentary evolution of cave systems in the region. A multi-techniques approach was used to characterize sediment texture (grain size and circularity index), mineralogical composition (X-Ray Diffraction), chemical composition (ICP-OES) and deposition ages (Optically Stimulated

Quantitative paleoclimate reconstructions based on biological fossils over glacial-interglacial timescales are a major source of information on long-term climate variability. However, such reconstructions can present major methodological challenges, as calibration methods based on modern climatic and biological patterns may yield biased results, especially when data are particularly sensitive to the

Aeolian deposits, widely distributed in the Qinghai Lake area, provide independently palaeoclimatic information. Herein we report the detailed investigation results of Gangcha (GC) and Reshui (RS) sections, located at the northern Qinghai Lake area. The chemical index of alteration (CIA) and Al2O3–(CaO*+Na2O)–K2O (A−CN–K) ternary diagram suggest that most of the sediments experienced the degree of

Loess sequences provide some of the most important continental records of climatic change, and various pedogenesis proxies from Chinese loess deposits have provided humidity records for the Miocene through Holocene. Amongst these proxies, magnetic properties have often been used to reconstruct paleoprecipitation; however, an increasing number of studies have recognized that magnetic records from loess

The article presents a description of a new species of the genus Praesinomegaceros from the Early Pleistocene of Pabbi Hills (Upper Siwaliks) in Pakistan. This is a first record of Praesinomegaceros in the geological past of the Indian Subcontinent. Unlike Praesinomegaceros from the Late Miocene of Central Asia, the Siwalik form is characterized by the loss of basal tine palmation and diminished number

Recent research on Later Stone Age (LSA) San rock art in southern Africa has unveiled some of the paint recipes the artists employed. However, these discoveries still need to be linked to human activities in or near the rock shelters where the paintings were made. In this paper, we report characterization and dating results from the catchment of the Metolong Dam, Phuthiatsana Valley, Lesotho. A total

Bladelets and microliths have been recognized as key parts of the late prehistoric cultural dynamics on a global scale and recently discussed in relation to the range expansion of Homo sapiens in the late Pleistocene. This paper focuses on some of the current issues on bladelet technology in the Levant, including 1) the occurrences of bladelets in the Late Middle Paleolithic (LMP) and Initial Upper

When considering the pan-African process of human evolution in the Pleistocene it is important to review our understanding of climate on a regional scale, including heterogeneity due to regional variability in the relative strengths of forcing mechanisms. Research in the Kuruman Hills at the southern edge of the Kalahari in South Africa has recently provided new insights into the complexity and distinctiveness

In this study we investigate the timing and nature of moisture availability in the Late Holocene by examining a multiproxy paleoenvironmental record from Kathu Pan at the southern edge of the Kalahari. In a region where organic proxy records are scarce, Kathu Pan provides a unique record of changes in past environmental conditions. Pollen, spore, charcoal, and stable isotope records were obtained from