Topic Editors

School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
Prof. Dr. Dongju Zhang
Research School of Arid Environment and Climate, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

New Advances in Paleolithic Sites and Early Human Settlement

Abstract submission deadline
closed (31 March 2024)
Manuscript submission deadline
31 May 2024
Viewed by
3656

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

The goal of this Topic is to set out a series of papers on recent progress in Paleolithic sites and early human settlements in Eurasia from a multidisciplinary perspective. In recent years, some new hominin fossils and Paleolithic sites have been found and unearthed. Interdisciplinary research on these within the field of Paleolithic Studies has made many important advances, providing fresh data and information towards a more comprehensive understanding of the evolution and dispersal of early humans. These have included, for example, recovering Denisovan mitochondrial DNA from sediments deposited in Baishiya Cave on the Tibetan Plateau, optically stimulated luminescence dating of the earliest occupation at the Nwya Devu site of modern humans in the high-altitude hinterland Tibetan Plateau, and multimethod dating of the late arrival of anatomically modern humans in southern China. This multidisciplinary topic will collect recent developments in Paleolithic studies, including stone artifacts, the fossil record, palaeobiology, stratigraphy, taphonomy, chronology, ancient DNA, palaeoecology and palaeoenvironment. We hope that this multidisciplinary topic will further encourage interdisciplinary research on hominin fossils and Paleolithic sites in Eurasia and the other regions covered here.

Prof. Dr. John W. Olsen
Dr. Xuefeng Sun
Prof. Dr. Dongju Zhang
Dr. Junyi Ge
Topic Editors

Keywords

  • stone artifact
  • fossil record
  • stratigraphy
  • chronology
  • palaeoenvironment
  • multidisciplinary research

Participating Journals

Journal Name Impact Factor CiteScore Launched Year First Decision (median) APC
Heritage
heritage
1.7 2.8 2018 16.9 Days CHF 1600 Submit
Minerals
minerals
2.5 3.9 2011 18.7 Days CHF 2400 Submit
Quaternary
quaternary
2.3 3.6 2018 29.2 Days CHF 1600 Submit
Geosciences
geosciences
2.7 5.2 2011 23.6 Days CHF 1800 Submit
Land
land
3.9 3.7 2012 14.8 Days CHF 2600 Submit

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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21 pages, 2734 KiB  
Review
The Suitability of Prehistoric Human Settlements from the Perspective of the Residents
by Bo Tan, Chengbang An, Chao Lu, Lei Tang and Lai Jiang
Land 2023, 12(12), 2094; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12122094 - 22 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1262
Abstract
The study of the suitability of prehistoric human settlements (SPHE) can help us reproduce the process and characteristics of prehistoric human settlements, and is an important entry point for exploring the relationship between prehistoric humans and land. In this study, we discuss the [...] Read more.
The study of the suitability of prehistoric human settlements (SPHE) can help us reproduce the process and characteristics of prehistoric human settlements, and is an important entry point for exploring the relationship between prehistoric humans and land. In this study, we discuss the definition, compositional structure, evolutionary mechanism, and spatiotemporal representation of the suitability of prehistoric human settlements, and propose its main research lines and possible research contents. We believe that the suitability of prehistoric human settlement environments refers to the ability and process of natural and social environmental conditions to meet the needs of human survival within a certain spatial range centered on the settlement of prehistoric humans. Additionally, with the temporal and spatial evolution of humans, society, and nature, it shows local consistency and global gradual and continuous change characteristics, and the human settlement environment has a suitability hierarchy of natural original, livelihood, and living spaces nested step by step. We believe that we can adopt the main research line of prehistoric human settlement suitability system construction to conduct extensive experiments and demonstrations on the theoretical construction, the evolution of the environment and living process, the relationship and evaluation of prehistoric human needs, the transformation of the living environment, living adaptation theories and models, and value and limitation verification. Thus, a complete research system can be formed to explore the evolution of the prehistoric human–land relationship. Full article
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26 pages, 6701 KiB  
Review
Glacial–Interglacial Cycles and Early Human Evolution in China
by Zhenyu Qin and Xuefeng Sun
Land 2023, 12(9), 1683; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091683 - 28 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1723
Abstract
China is a crucial region for investigating the relationship between climate change and hominin evolution across diverse terrestrial ecosystems. With the continuous development of palaeoclimatology, chronology, and archaeology, the environmental and hominin record of the Early and Middle Pleistocene in China is steadily [...] Read more.
China is a crucial region for investigating the relationship between climate change and hominin evolution across diverse terrestrial ecosystems. With the continuous development of palaeoclimatology, chronology, and archaeology, the environmental and hominin record of the Early and Middle Pleistocene in China is steadily accumulating, shedding light on the effects of climate change on the distribution of early human settlements and population dynamics. However, the migration and dispersal of these early humans within long-term climate fluctuations and their underlying mechanisms remain to be clarified. Based on the spatial-temporal distribution of 95 Early to Middle Pleistocene archaeological sites in China, we found that intensified hominin activities gradually shifted southward under the influence of multiple glacial–interglacial cycles. The frequent bidirectional movements of these early humans between north and south were assumed as follows. During glacial periods, hominins living in North China migrated to southern areas, while inter-glacial periods witnessed the northward expansion of hominins inhabiting South China. Among all the potential driving mechanisms, we suggest that the available resources in terrestrial ecosystems may be the most fundamental factor. Combined with paleoenvironmental and archaeological records, we provide an Asian perspective for a better understanding of how the glacial–interglacial cycles shaped early human evolution. Full article
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