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Geosciences
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Pleistocene Hunter-Gatherers Geoarchaeology
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Pleistocene Hunter-Gatherers Geoarchaeology

A special issue of Geosciences (ISSN 2076-3263). This special issue belongs to the section "Sedimentology, Stratigraphy and Palaeontology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 9648

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Jesús F. Jordá Pardo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Palaeolithic Studies, Department of Prehistory and Archaeology, UNED, Ciudad Universitaria, Paseo Senda del Rey 7, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: geoarchaelogy; Quaternary geology; Quaternary chronostratigraphy; archaeological sites; archaeomalacology; radiocarbon; geological heritage

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to publish the results of your geoarchaeological investigations in this Special Issue of Geosciences, whose objective is to review recent geoarchaeological investigations on archaeological sites of the Pleistocene carried out on all continents. The volume attempts to collect work done on the widest possible diversity of geomorphological and geoarchaeological records domains (fills of caves and rock shelters, slope deposits, fluvial and coastal sedimentary series, arid zones, etc.) covering the Pleistocene series. The objective of the Special Issue is to give a global overview of the geoarchaeological records generated in the hunter–gatherer settlements and in their surrounding environments. On the other hand, those works that propose new methodologies, techniques, and work strategies in geoarcheology will be welcome to the Special Issue. Papers on chronological and chronostratigraphic aspects of the Pleistocene geoarchaeological record in which different dating systems are used will also be accepted. Finally, this issue is open to works on paleoclimatology and palaeogeography of environments with a human presence during the Pleistocene. With all this, we want to obtain a global vision of the geoarchaeological investigations that different teams with different perspectives are currently carrying out on the Pleistocene hunter–gatherer communities on a global scale, as well as advances that have occurred in recent years in the methods and techniques of geoarcheology.

Prof. Dr. Jesús F. Jordá Pardo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Geosciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Stratigraphy
  • Sedimentology
  • Micromorphology
  • Chronostratigraphy
  • Palaeoclimatology
  • Palaeogeography
  • Geological processes

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 10621 KiB  
Article
Geomorphology, Geoarchaeology, and Geochronology of the Upper Pleistocene Archaeological Site of El Olivo Cave (Llanera, Asturias, Northern Spain)
by Jesús F. Jordá Pardo, David Álvarez-Alonso, María de Andrés-Herrero, Daniel Ballesteros, Pilar Carral, Aitor Hevia-Carrillo, Jorge Sanjurjo, Santiago Giralt and Montserrat Jiménez-Sánchez
Geosciences 2023, 13(10), 301; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences13100301 - 07 Oct 2023
Viewed by 2179
Abstract
El Olivo Cave (Pruvia de Arriba, Llanera, Asturias, Spain) is a small karst cave located in the Aboño River basin and formed in the Cretaceous limestone of the Mesozoic cover of the Cantabrian Mountains (north of the Iberian Peninsula). It contains an important [...] Read more.
El Olivo Cave (Pruvia de Arriba, Llanera, Asturias, Spain) is a small karst cave located in the Aboño River basin and formed in the Cretaceous limestone of the Mesozoic cover of the Cantabrian Mountains (north of the Iberian Peninsula). It contains an important upper Pleistocene sedimentary, archaeological, and paleontological record, with abundant technological evidence and faunal remains. The archaeological record shows a first occupation that could correspond to the Middle Paleolithic and a second occupation in the Middle Magdalenian. The stratigraphic sequence inside and outside the cave was studied with geoarchaeological methodology. In this paper, the lithostratigraphic sequence is analyzed, and the data from the granulometric, mineralogical, edaphological, and radiometric analyses are presented. The results of these analyses enable an accurate interpretation of both the lithostratigraphy of the deposit and the processes responsible for its formation and subsequent evolution. The available numerical dates allow us to locate the first sedimentation episode in the cave in OIS 7a, in the Middle Pleistocene, the base of the outer fluvial sedimentation in the cold OIS 3a stage of the Upper Pleistocene and the Magdalenian occupation in the Last Glacial Maximum (OIS 2) at the end of the Late Pleistocene. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pleistocene Hunter-Gatherers Geoarchaeology)
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32 pages, 13479 KiB  
Article
Hominid Alluvial Corridor (HAC) of the Guadalquivir and Guadaíra River Valleys (Southern Spain): Geoarchaeological Functionality of the Middle Paleolithic Assemblages during the Upper Pleistocene
by Fernando Díaz del Olmo, José A. Caro Gómez, César Borja Barrera, José M. Recio Espejo, Rafael Cámara Artigas and Aránzazu Martínez Aguirre
Geosciences 2023, 13(7), 206; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences13070206 - 08 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1029
Abstract
This research addresses the geomorphological connectivity existing amid the piedmont’s karstic fillings (Sierra de Esparteros) and the Guadaíra and Guadalquivir Rivers’ alluvial terraces (SW of Spain), spotted with vestiges of human activities (Middle Palaeolithic). This study includes the analysis of 20 geoarchaeological sites [...] Read more.
This research addresses the geomorphological connectivity existing amid the piedmont’s karstic fillings (Sierra de Esparteros) and the Guadaíra and Guadalquivir Rivers’ alluvial terraces (SW of Spain), spotted with vestiges of human activities (Middle Palaeolithic). This study includes the analysis of 20 geoarchaeological sites and 28 lithic assemblages, with a total of 13,233 lithic pieces. Techno-typological and use–wear (SEM) analyses were conducted on these artifacts. Depending on the raw materials and the provenance of these lithic industries, two groups of assemblages were identified: one made of quartzite from the north, and another made of flint from the south. Two main geochronological periods were established (OSL and U/Th): (1) a short duration (MIS6/MIS5) and (2) a long duration (MIS5/MIS3). Techno-typological analysis showed three sorts of activities: (a) the provision and distribution of raw materials, (b) knapping, and (c) other activities that imply the use of a lithic workshop (LW), along with the settlement characteristics of habitual or recurrent (HS), temporary (TS), and indeterminate (IN). This geoarchaeological connectivity is called the “hominid alluvial corridor” (HAC). The underlined features are the geomorphological units, the continuum alluvial series, the raw material of the lithic industries as an indicator of provenance and transportation throughout the alluvial system, and the use–wear analysis of the tool-kit to interpret the functionality of the pieces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pleistocene Hunter-Gatherers Geoarchaeology)
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36 pages, 109424 KiB  
Article
A Multi-Method Approach for Deciphering Rockshelter Microstratigraphies—The Role of the Sodicho Rockshelter (SW Ethiopia) as a Geoarchaeological Archive
by Elena A. Hensel, Martin Kehl, Luisa Wöstehoff, Katharina Neumann, Ralf Vogelsang and Olaf Bubenzer
Geosciences 2022, 12(2), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences12020092 - 17 Feb 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2701
Abstract
The Sodicho Rockshelter in the southwestern Ethiopian Highlands presents a unique site that contains sediments of Upper Pleistocene and Holocene occupation phases of hunter-gatherer communities. Excavations and previous geoarchaeological research provided a first 14C chronostratigraphic framework for the last 27 ka cal [...] Read more.
The Sodicho Rockshelter in the southwestern Ethiopian Highlands presents a unique site that contains sediments of Upper Pleistocene and Holocene occupation phases of hunter-gatherer communities. Excavations and previous geoarchaeological research provided a first 14C chronostratigraphic framework for the last 27 ka cal BP, which supports the hypothesis of a potential environmental refugium during the Late Glacial Maximum (LGM, ~21 ± 2 ka). Nonetheless, it is necessary to extend the preliminary interpretation of stone tool assemblages, and the geoarchaeological analyses carried out so far to provide in-depth information on prehistoric human behavior at the site under changing climatic and environmental conditions. In this study, we reinvestigate the complex stratigraphy and the paleoclimatic context of Sodicho in order to expand the knowledge about site formation, post-depositional disturbances, weathering influences, and the anthropogenic impact on the sediment deposits. Micromorphological observations and the determination of active pedogenic oxides offered a more detailed look at the microstratigraphic record in relation to shifting moisture conditions during the African Humid Period (AHP, ~15 − 5 ka). Sediment alteration and reworking are connected to the influence of sheet flow, biological activity, and human impacts such as dumping activity and site maintenance. A comparison with black carbon (BC) analyses and a qualitative phytolith ratio (quantification of dark and light phytoliths) provided evidence for variations in human fire intensity. Our collaborative and multidisciplinary approach demonstrates how the complex formation of a rockshelter site in a tropical setting with changing climatic and anthropogenic impacts can be tackled. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pleistocene Hunter-Gatherers Geoarchaeology)
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17 pages, 7874 KiB  
Article
Micromorphological Study of Site Formation Processes at El Sidrón Cave (Asturias, Northern Spain): Encrustations over Neanderthal Bones
by Juan Carlos Cañaveras, Sergio Sánchez-Moral, Elsa Duarte, Gabriel Santos-Delgado, Pablo G. Silva, Soledad Cuezva, Ángel Fernández-Cortés, Javier Lario, María Concepción Muñoz-Cervera and Marco de la Rasilla
Geosciences 2021, 11(10), 413; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11100413 - 03 Oct 2021
Viewed by 2428
Abstract
El Sidrón Cave is an archaeological and anthropological reference site of the Neanderthal world. It shows singular activity related to cannibalisation, and all existing processes are relevant to explain the specific behaviour of the concerned individuals. This paper presents geoarchaeological data, primarily based [...] Read more.
El Sidrón Cave is an archaeological and anthropological reference site of the Neanderthal world. It shows singular activity related to cannibalisation, and all existing processes are relevant to explain the specific behaviour of the concerned individuals. This paper presents geoarchaeological data, primarily based on mineralogical and petrographic techniques, from an investigation of the nature of the encrustations or hard coatings that affect a large part of the Neanderthal bone remains and their relationship with the depositional and post-depositional processes at the archaeological site. Crusts and patina were found to be numerous and diverse, mainly composed of calcite and siliciclastic grains, with different proportions and textures. The analysis indicated different origins and scenarios from their initial post-mortem accumulation to the final deposit recovered during the archaeological work. The presence of micromorphological features, such as clotted-peloidal micrite, needle-fibre calcite (NFC) aggregates, clay coatings, iron–manganese impregnation, and/or adhered aeolian dust may indicate that a significant proportion of the remains were affected by subaerial conditions in a relatively short period of time in a shelter, cave entrance, or shallower level of the karstic system, prior to their accumulation in the Ossuary Gallery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pleistocene Hunter-Gatherers Geoarchaeology)
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