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2016 | Book

Paleoanthropology in Greece: Recent Findings and Interpretations Read chapter Read first chapter

Paleoanthropology of the Balkans and Anatolia

Human Evolution and its Context

Editors: Katerina Harvati, Mirjana Roksandic

Publisher: Springer Netherlands

Book Series : Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik"

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About this book

This edited volume systematically reviews the evidence for early human presence in one of the most relevant geographic regions of Europe - the Balkans and Anatolia, an area that has been crucial in shaping the course of human evolution in Europe, but whose paleoanthropological record is poorly known. The primary aim of this book is to showcase new paleoanthropological (human paleontological and paleolithic) research conducted in the region.
The volume is organized into three sections. The first one deals with the human fossil record from Greece, the Central Balkans, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. The second section presents the paleolithic record of the same countries. In the third part, the authors provide a synthesis of current paleoenvironmental evidence for the Balkans. Chapters summarize and systematize the available human fossil evidence, examine their context, and place them within the framework of our understanding of human evolution in Europe and beyond, as well as present new analyses of existing human fossils. This book will be of interest to professionals, upper undergraduate and graduate students in paleoanthropology, human paleontology and paleolithic archaeology and in a variety of related fields, including human variation and adaptation, paleontology and biogeography. It will also be appropriate as a reference book for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on human evolution and European paleoanthropology.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter

The Human Fossil Record

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. Paleoanthropology in Greece: Recent Findings and Interpretations
Abstract
Greece lies at the crossroads between Europe, Asia, and Africa, and represents a logical gateway through which early human populations might have repeatedly passed on the way to and from Europe. It also represents one of the three European Mediterranean peninsulas which acted as a refugium for fauna, flora and, very likely, human populations during glacial times. Evidence from this region is therefore essential in order to test hypotheses about the course of human evolution in Europe. Despite the importance of the region, paleoanthropological research has until recently been relatively neglected. In recent years, however, renewed research efforts have produced new human fossils from Greece, recovered from excavated contexts. This chapter reviews the Greek human fossil evidence in the context of broader questions in European paleoanthropology.
Katerina Harvati
Chapter 2. The Role of the Central Balkans in the Peopling of Europe: Paleoanthropological Evidence
Abstract
The paucity of fossil human remains from the Central Balkans represents a very serious lacuna in our understanding of human evolution in the Pleistocene of Europe, which is—as a result—strongly influenced by the material from the better researched parts of the continent further to the west of the Balkans. The scant fossil record from the Central Balkans suffers from a lack of archaeological/geological context, and with the exception of the Balanica hominin (BH-1) has no associated chronological data. In this chapter, I present all of the purported Pleistocene specimens currently known from the area and discuss their possible affinities.
Mirjana Roksandic
Chapter 3. The Importance of Croatian Pleistocene Hominin Finds in the Study of Human Evolution
Abstract
In this chapter, we discuss Croatian sites that have yielded human skeletal remains from the Pleistocene. These include the well-known Neandertal localities Hušnjakovo (at Krapina) and Vindija cave, as well as the Late Upper Paleolithic hominin fossil site Šandalja II cave in Istria. The Krapina site played an important role in the historical development of paleoanthropology and is still the Neandertal site with the largest known minimum number of skeletal individuals to date. Finds from Vindija cave belong to one of the latest Neandertal groups in Europe and provide data for the study of both their behavioral, as well as biological characteristics (including genomics studies). The Šandalja II cave in Istria is the only site in Croatia with direct association of human skeletal finds and the late Paleolithic, an Epigravettian industry, providing us with data on the anatomy and behavior of the Late Paleolithic inhabitants of this region.
Ivor Janković, James C. M. Ahern, Ivor Karavanić, Fred H. Smith
Chapter 4. The Human Fossil Record from Romania: Early Upper Paleolithic European Mandibles and Neanderthal Admixture
Abstract
The hominin fossil record of Romania comprises some of the earliest and best preserved early modern humans in Europe. As such, these fossils play an important role in our understanding of the timing of the modern human arrival in Europe, their local evolution, and their potential interactions with Neanderthal populations. In this chapter, we briefly review the Romanian human fossil record and present new 3D geometric morphometric analyses of the mandibular remains from Oase and Muierii. Our findings are discussed in the context of admixture between Neanderthals and modern humans and in light of paleogenetic results (Fu et al. 2015) indicating recent Neanderthal ancestry for Oase 1.
Katerina Harvati, Mirjana Roksandic
Chapter 5. The Human Fossil Record of Bulgaria and the Formulation of Biogeographic Hypotheses
Abstract
The location of Bulgaria on the Balkan Peninsula makes it potentially important for evaluating biogeographic hypotheses related to human evolution. The country lies at the crossroads of Europe and Asia Minor and constitutes a key portion of one of the possible dispersal pathways that hominin populations would have employed as they entered and left Europe during the Pleistocene. Unfortunately, the Pleistocene human fossil record of Bulgaria is sparse, and perhaps more importantly, the specific biogeographic hypotheses that human fossil discoveries might address could be more fully articulated. In this chapter, we review the fossil hominins currently known from Bulgaria and discuss the framing of biogeographic hypotheses.
David S. Strait, Caley M. Orr, Jamie Hodgkins, Nikolai Spassov, Maria Gurova, Christopher Miller, Tsanko Tzankov
Chapter 6. The Human Fossil Record from Turkey
Abstract
The timing and route of early human dispersals out of the African continent are among the most important issues currently discussed in paleoanthropology. Several questions arise concerning both early and later dispersals: When did migration events happen? From which populations did these dispersing hominins stem? Which routes did they use? One of the likely dispersal corridors passes through Turkey, which is situated between three continents and therefore can be seen as an important bridge between them. Despite its geographic position, paleoanthropological research in Turkey has been limited, and the known fossil human record from this region is small. Although most of the known fossil human remains were found during early investigations, in the last decade new finds have further highlighted the region’s potential for paleoanthropological research. This chapter reviews the human fossil record from Turkey, and presents the results of a preliminary geometric morphometric study of the Kocabaş hominin, the oldest and most important fossil human specimen known from the country.
Ahmet İhsan Aytek, Katerina Harvati

The Archaeological Record

Frontmatter
Chapter 7. The Middle and Upper Paleolithic on the Western Coast of the Mani Peninsula (Southern Greece)
Abstract
Along the western coast of the Mani peninsula (S. Greece) numerous caves with Upper Pleistocene and Early Holocene deposits, preserving cultural remains from the Middle Paleolithic to the end of the Neolithic, form an important group of archaeological sites located in a restricted geographic area. Excavations have been carried out in seven of these caves. The excavation of Kalamakia yielded data about the Middle Paleolithic, while the other six caves have yielded remains of all Upper Paleolithic phases. Of particular interest is the discovery of transitional Middle-Upper Paleolithic layers in Kolominitsa cave. Although preliminary, this evidence demonstrates the importance of systematic research on a regional scale through the comparative study of neighboring and contemporaneous sites. Finally, these sites enable us to date the arrival of anatomically modern humans in this area and to study subsequent ecological and cultural changes.
Andreas Darlas, Eleni Psathi
Chapter 8. The Acheulian Site at Rodafnidia, Lisvori, on Lesbos, Greece: 2010–2012
Abstract
Rodafnidia is an Acheulian site on Lesbos Island, in the north-east Aegean Sea. This chapter presents the model that guided Paleolithic investigations on the island, the history of research, and the results of the 2012 expedition of systematic work in the field, which consisted of surface survey and excavation. The typology and technology of lithic artifacts from the surface and the uppermost Unit 1, as well as the first cluster of luminescence dates, firmly place the early component of the site in the Middle Pleistocene. The Acheulian industry derives from fluvio-lacustrine deposits at a locale with abundant fresh-water and lithic resources. Situated in the north-east Mediterranean Basin, an area where research on early hominin prehistory is intensifying, Rodafnidia holds the potential to contribute to Eurasian Lower Paleolithic archaeology and fill the gap in our understanding of early hominin presence and activity where Asia meets Europe.
Nena Galanidou, Constantin Athanassas, James Cole, Giorgos Iliopoulos, Athanasios Katerinopoulos, Andreas Magganas, John McNabb
Chapter 9. Technological Changes and Population Movements in the Late Lower and Early Middle Paleolithic of the Central Balkans
Abstract
Recent archaeological investigations have enabled preliminary insight into the Lower to Middle Paleolithic transition in the Central Balkans. Industries containing tools made from pebbles and flakes, within which Levallois artifacts were present to a lesser (Kosovska Kosa) or greater (Samaila) extent, have been encountered at the sites in the Zapadna Morava valley. The Charentian, likely dating to the Middle Pleistocene (possibly MIS 7) on the basis of microfaunal remains, has been reported in Velika and Mala Balanica in Sićevo. With regard to later (MIS 5–4) industries, assemblages of Typical Mousterian (Crvena Stijena, Hadži Prodanova cave), Charentian (Pešturina) and assemblages where Taubachian–Charentian component, Charentian elements, and backed bifaces are combined (Petrovaradin fortress) are encountered in the Central Balkans. After examining all available data, we propose the hypothesis that in addition to climatic, ecological, and behavioral factors, demographic factors also probably had considerable impact on the variability of lithic assemblages. Migrations and cultural transmission could have resulted in the appearance of Near Eastern elements in the Central Balkans as well as Balkan elements in the Near East. The homogeneity and/or variability of industries could be considerably influenced by the degree of isolation of human groups living in this region.
Dušan Mihailović, Katarina Bogićević
Chapter 10. Recent Research on the Croatian Middle/Upper Paleolithic Interface in the Context of Central and Southeast Europe
Abstract
This chapter presents some new data on, and interpretations of the Croatian Middle and Early Upper Paleolithic. Alternative interpretations of the Middle/Upper Paleolithic interface in Vindija cave (situated in the Zagorje region of northwestern Croatia) are reported, together with preliminary results of research on the early Upper Paleolithic site of Bukovac pećina (situated in the region of Gorski kotar), and the late Dalmatian Middle Paleolithic sites of Mujina pećina, Velika pećina in Kličevica and Kaštel Štafilić—Resnik. The archaeological assemblage (Mousterian industry) and the results of chronometric dating make the sequences of these Dalmatian sites contemporary with late Neandertals and with the earliest known anatomically modern human groups in Europe. This recent research greatly contributes to our understanding of the distribution of Neandertals and the complexity of the Middle/Upper Paleolithic interface.
Ivor Karavanić, Rajna Šošić-Klindžić, James C. M. Ahern, Natalija Čondić, Ivor Janković, Krunoslav Zubčić, Fred H. Smith
Chapter 11. The Lower Paleolithic of Romania Revisited: New Evidence from the Site of Dealul Guran
Abstract
Southeastern Europe represents a key area in investigating hominin dispersals during the Pleistocene. However, the understanding of these phenomena is hampered by the scarcity of data, especially for the Lower and Middle Pleistocene. The discoveries from Romania assigned to these periods (either credited as in situ or from disturbed contexts) are rather doubtful. After reviewing the state of the art, our paper presents the site of Dealul Guran, discovered in 2010 during a systematic survey carried out in the province of Dobrogea, southeastern Romania. The site is a collapsed rockshelter located on a limestone hill, very rich in flint nodules. Three archaeological layers were identified, and absolute ages indicate that the two oldest archaeological units correspond to an OIS 11 occupation of the site. The assemblages consist mostly of cortical flakes and there are many tested blocks from these units, likely reflecting flint quarrying activities.
Adrian Doboş, Radu Iovita
Chapter 12. A Route Through the Balkans and Implications for the Earliest Settlement of Europe
Abstract
Traces of settlement possibly dating to the Lower Paleolithic have recently been discovered in Bulgaria, including Kozarnika cave and surface sites from the Rhodope Mountains. Chopping tools, cores, flakes, and other stone tools are present in some flint assemblages. In rare cases, bifacial forms have been found. Based on their biostratigraphic position, the assemblages from Kozarnika are estimated to date from the period ranging between 1.6 Ma and 400 ka (Sirakov et al. 2010). This suggested dating is discussed here. The age of the surface sites in the Rhodope Mountains is estimated on the basis of the typo-technological characteristics and the stratigraphic location of the artifacts. The surface sites in the Western Rhodopes may date from the Middle Pleistocene, while the surface sites in the Eastern Rhodopes might be even older. The results of the research on Lower Paleolithic sites in Bulgaria are discussed in the framework of hypothesized repeated waves of dispersal towards Europe.
Stefanka Ivanova
Chapter 13. The Lower Paleolithic in Turkey: Anatolia and Hominin Dispersals Out of Africa
Abstract
Modern-day Turkey covers a vast area and includes many different ecological regions. Based on its geographic position, the Asian portion of Turkey, Anatolia, is accepted as a major route of early hominin dispersals. While it represents a reasonably direct route, Anatolia should not be conceptualized as a convenient land bridge for hominins originating in Africa, one that could be traversed without anatomical and/or technological adaptations. The available data show, at minimum, the presence of hominins in Anatolia at various times in the Pleistocene and the presence of various lithic traditions in the region. These are not sufficient for clarifying Anatolia’s role as a passage in the earliest occupations of Eastern Europe, and theories suggesting Anatolia as a major hominin dispersal route must remain preliminary.
Berkay Dinçer
Chapter 14. Technological Variability of the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic Transition: Examples from the Balkans and Neighbouring Regions
Abstract
This chapter attempts to track the technological variability, innovations, and changes in lithic technologies that occurred in several regions of the Balkans and its neighbouring areas during the late Middle and Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP). A diversity of knapping methods and techniques has been recorded by analysing debitage, reduction sequences, and refitting data of selected key assemblages. The Middle Paleolithic (MP) technological structure appears to include a series of independent methods of blank production: Levallois, non-Levallois, and the volumetric laminar production. Similarly, the EUP technological structure also follows several models: (a) exclusive/dominant Upper Paleolithic (UP) laminar strategies; (b) a combination of UP strategies with different MP technologies; and (c) a fusion in one reduction sequence of volumetric blade and “flat” Levallois point concepts. Originally identified by refitting, the latter innovative model is central to understanding the marked technological transition and the emergence of the UP technological package.
Valéry Sitlivy

Paleoenvironments, Biogeography and Chronology

Frontmatter
Chapter 15. The Plio-Pleistocene Large Mammal Record of Greece: Implications for Early Human Dispersals into Europe
Abstract
Extensive fieldwork and detailed studies during the last three decades have enriched our understanding of the Plio-Pleistocene large mammal record of Greece. While the unearthed material is abundant, it is not evenly distributed throughout the Plio-Pleistocene; therefore, there are time intervals in this period for which the known large mammal fauna is limited and our knowledge is poor. The Greek Plio-Pleistocene large mammal record reveals a paleoenvironmental transition from open woodlands in late Pliocene, to savannah-like landscape during the early Pleistocene, and to open grasslands during the late early Pleistocene. During this environmental shift, several taxa arrived in Greece in their westward expansion, whereas others made their last European appearance. The arrival of Homo in Europe is discussed in relation to the Greek faunal record. The available data cannot clearly distinguish between an African or an Asian origin, but the latter is supported by more evidence.
George D. Koufos, Dimitris S. Kostopoulos
Chapter 16. Southeastern Europe as a Route for the Earliest Dispersal of Homo Toward Europe: Ecological Conditions and the Timing of the First Human Occupation of Europe
Abstract
In recent years, an increasing number of discoveries have supported the idea that human occupation of Europe took place earlier than expected, during the Villafranchian and significantly predating 1 Ma. Two hypotheses of dispersal toward Europe seem possible: (1) A direct dispersal from Africa with the earliest possible time frame being ca. 2.0–1.95 Ma; (2) A more recent dispersal, possibly from secondary nuclei of speciation in Asia Minor-Caucasus. The earliest “well documented” wave of Homo dispersal is probably related to the late Villafranchian/Epivillafranchian boundary, at ca. 1.3–1.2 Ma. Two routes of dispersal were possible: via the Bosphorus, or by a circuitous route around the Black Sea basin along the northern peri-Pontic coast. The time of the earliest human appearance in Europe could be related to conditions of increasing aridification and to a domination of open/mosaic landscapes, which roughly correspond to the ecological conditions experienced by African early Homo. The early Homo populations in Europe were likely not adapted to harsh climates and may have occupied only the southern-most areas of the continent.
Nikolai Spassov
Chapter 17. Small Mammals in the Plio/Pleistocene Sediments of Greece
Abstract
Small mammals represent an important source of biostratigraphic and ecological information at Plio/Pleistocene localities. In this paper, we provide an overview of small mammals from Pliocene and Pleistocene sites in Greece, present fossil rodent and insectivore faunal assemblages and their chronology for select loci, and discuss the applicability of Paleomagnetism and Mammal Neogene (MN) zonation for Greek assemblages. Comparisons and contrasts between the faunas of various sites are attempted in order to trace paleoenvironmental and ecotone changes during each period. Small mammal faunas have been studied at only a few archaeological/anthropogenic Pleistocene sites in Greece, and therefore most of the sites mentioned here bear only paleontological information. Our overview, however, demonstrates that small mammals can be an excellent source of supplementary information for the interpretation of archaeological sites.
Constantin S. Doukas, Katerina Papayianni
Chapter 18. On the Spatio-Temporal Distribution of Mediterranean Lower Paleolithic Sites: A Geoarchaeological Perspective
Abstract
Lower Paleolithic evidence from the Mediterranean region holds a prominent position in discussions about the earliest peopling of Europe. Most studies examining patterns of human occupation focus on purported behavioral capacity, habitat preference, and environmental tolerance of different hominins. This chapter employs a geoarchaeological perspective through the examination of landscape dynamics as a complementary approach. In this context, Lower Paleolithic records of the Mediterranean and the Balkans are reviewed with an emphasis on the geomorphological settings of the best-studied sites. Since most of the oldest, well dated and primary-context material occurs in open-air sites situated in basins, the last part of the chapter explores how basin dynamics could have conditioned the preservation and accessibility of artifact-bearing strata. Spain, Italy, and Greece are used as case-studies and a conceptual model is proposed as a means to assess possible patterned relationships of site locations. A “basin model” offers a working hypothesis for evaluating site distributions and outlines first steps towards a geosciences-based methodology, which can be used to locate new sites.
Vangelis Tourloukis
Backmatter
Metadata
Title
Paleoanthropology of the Balkans and Anatolia
Editors
Katerina Harvati
Mirjana Roksandic
Copyright Year
2016
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Electronic ISBN
978-94-024-0874-4
Print ISBN
978-94-024-0873-7
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-0874-4