The earliest evidence for anatomically modern humans in northwestern Europe

The earliest anatomically modern humans in Europe are thought to have appeared around 43,000-42,000 calendar years before present (43-42 kyr cal BP), by association with Aurignacian sites and lithic assemblages assumed to have been made by modern humans rather than by Neanderthals. However, the actual physical evidence for modern humans is extremely rare, and direct dates reach no farther back than about 41-39 kyr cal BP, leaving a gap. Here we show, using stratigraphic, chronological and archaeological data, that a fragment of human maxilla from the Kent's Cavern site, UK, dates to the earlier period. The maxilla (KC4), which was excavated in 1927, was initially diagnosed as Upper Palaeolithic modern human. In 1989, it was directly radiocarbon dated by accelerator mass spectrometry to 36.4-34.7 kyr cal BP. Using a Bayesian analysis of new ultrafiltered bone collagen dates in an ordered stratigraphic sequence at the site, we show that this date is a considerable underestimate. Instead, KC4 dates to 44.2-41.5 kyr cal BP. This makes it older than any other equivalently dated modern human specimen and directly contemporary with the latest European Neanderthals, thus making its taxonomic attribution crucial. We also show that in 13 dental traits KC4 possesses modern human rather than Neanderthal characteristics; three other traits show Neanderthal affinities and a further seven are ambiguous. KC4 therefore represents the oldest known anatomically modern human fossil in northwestern Europe, fills a key gap between the earliest dated Aurignacian remains and the earliest human skeletal remains, and demonstrates the wide and rapid dispersal of early modern humans across Europe more than 40 kyr ago.     

Plant microremains provide direct evidence for the functions of stone knives from the Lajia site,northwestern China

A large number of stone knives have been recovered from Neolithic archaeological sites in East Asia. However, direct evidence regarding the functions of the stone knives has been scarce, and hence, their functions have remained controversial. In this study, we recovered and analysed ancient starch grains and phytoliths from residues adhering to stone knives excavated from the Lajia site, Qinghai Province, northwest China, thus providing direct evidence for the functions of the knives. Our anal- yses were based on the following： （1） an assemblage of 278 identifiable starch grains, representing grains from the stems of foxtail millet （Setaria italica） and broomcorn millet （Panicum miliaceum） （65.1% of the total） and the stems of Hordeum and Triticum species （3.6 % of the total）, and （2） an assemblage of 361 identifiable phytoliths, the majority of which were from the stems and leaves of plants such as Panicoideae and related taxa （96 % of the total）. Our study demonstrates that one of the functions of the stone knives was the harvesting crops. In addition, a few starch grains from food legumes and roots （3.4 % of the total） indicate that the stone knives were also likely used to process, peel and cut some foods.     

Starch grain analysis reveals ancient diet at Kuahuqiao site, Zhejiang Province

Charred residues adhering to sherds of ceramic cooking vessels,pots (Fu),excavated from the Kuahuqiao site (8000-7000 cal a BP) in Zhejiang Province were examined using the method of starch grain analysis.Ancient starch grains were recovered from charred residues and were classified into 8 genera.Remains from rice (Oryza spp.),job's-tears (Coix chinesis T.),bean (Vigna spp.),acorn (Quercus spp.) as well as possibly buckeye tree (Aesculus chinensis B.) were identified.Other starch grains from unidentified pl...     

能量色散X荧光光谱和人工神经网络在甘肃新石器时代陶片分类研究中的应用

EDXRF spectromerty was applied to provenance studies of Neolitic Age(from 6000 BCto 2000 BC)pottery sherds excavated from Gansu Province in north-west China。Major and trace components analysis of te pottery specimen was carried out,and the artificial neural networks has been used to classift the trace com-ponent of these pottery。The results shown that pottery exchange had been existed during 3000 BC in ancient Gansu Province,China。     

Investigation of the ultrastructural characteristics of foxtail and broomcorn millet during carbonization and its application in archaeobotany

Fossilized caryopses (or grains) of foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) are important archaeobotanical materials for the study of early human agricultural activities.The morphology and ultrastructural characteristics of carbonized modern millets caryopses treated in a drying oven and burning in a field were investigated at different temperatures to study how fossilized millets are formed.The caryopses shrank gradually at temperatures below 200°C,and starch granules in the endosperm retained their crystalline structure.At 250°C the foxtail millet caryopses expanded,whereas the broomcorn millet caryopses were greatly deformed.At this temperature,the structure of the starch granules of both millets became amorphous.At 300°C the caryopses partially turned to ash and became porous,and the ultrastructure of the starch granules was transformed into alveolate cavities.Fossil caryopses from the prehistoric storage cellar at the Beiniu Site retained their crystalline structure and were formed by the dehydrating effect of carbonization,indicating that water molecules were not involved in the starch crystallization.The results of a field burning experiment demonstrated that the ultrastructure of carbonized caryopses placed on the ground under the fire was amorphous.The amorphous ultrastructure of the carbonized caryopses recovered from the archaeological layers is consistent with the expected structure of caryopses that have been carbonized at 250°C.Therefore,we suggest that the recovered caryopses were formed at about 250°C by baking rather than by burning in an open fire.     

A late Mesozoic high plateau in eastern China: Evidence from basalt vesicular paleoaltimetry

Eastern China is made of a number of large and small continental fragments throughout late Paleozoic and Mesozoic time,and is still the best natural laboratory for examining kinematic models of continent tectonics.The paleoelevation history of eastern China provides direct insight into the tectonic processes in China.Here we present basalt-vesicularity based estimates of the paleoaltimetry of the early Cretaceous basalts in northern East China,which indicate that the studied basalt units were at an elevation of more than 4 kilometers in late Mesozoic.Two vesicular basaltic rocks have been collected form bottom to top along the lava flow outcrop in eastern Inner Mongolia.After the digital precessing to the sample cross-sections,and taking advantage of the stereological conversion method to acquire the bubble size distributions,paleoelevation estimate was calculated for East China in the early Cretaceous.The results show that the elevation has been near 4700±750 m when the lava flows was cooling,implying that there were highland regions in the northern part of the East China Plateau during the early Cretaceous.Combined with other geological evidence,we conclude that there was a high plateau with elevation near 5000 m above sea level in Eastern China during the late Mesozoic.This ancient high plateau in eastern China was most likely formed by the collision of the north and south China blocks.     

The use of fire at Zhoukoudian： evidence from magneticsusceptibility and color measurements

In order to provide direct evidence for the use of fire by humans at Locality 1,Zhoukoudian,we examine the burnt and unburnt sediments of newly excavated area in Layer 4 by detailed measurements of magnetic susceptibility,color,and diffuse reflectance spectrum.Results show that the magnetic susceptibility and redness of the burnt sediments are remarkably higher than those of other areas on the same level:up to*22 times for magnetic susceptibility and*3 times for redness of those of the adjacent unburnt sediments.Fine-grained(superparamagnetic/stable single-domain)magnetite and hematite grains make dominant contributions to the distinctly high values of magnetic susceptibility and redness in the burnt sediments.Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy results show that the burnt sediments contain more hematite than those of other areas and localities 2 and 3.High-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements demonstrate that the burnt sediments have been heated above 700°C.Those changes in low-frequency magnetic susceptibility and redness are impossibly resulted from natural fires,thus most likely signaling the human activities of controlled use of fire.However,further work is needed to confirm whether or not these heat-affected sediments were produced in situ.     

Earliest date for milk use in the Near East and southeastern Europe linked to cattle herding

The domestication of cattle, sheep and goats had already taken place in the Near East by the eighth millennium bc. Although there would have been considerable economic and nutritional gains from using these animals for their milk and other products from living animals-that is, traction and wool-the first clear evidence for these appears much later, from the late fifth and fourth millennia bc. Hence, the timing and region in which milking was first practised remain unknown. Organic residues preserved in archaeological pottery have provided direct evidence for the use of milk in the fourth millennium in Britain, and in the sixth millennium in eastern Europe, based on the delta(13)C values of the major fatty acids of milk fat. Here we apply this approach to more than 2,200 pottery vessels from sites in the Near East and southeastern Europe dating from the fifth to the seventh millennia bc. We show that milk was in use by the seventh millennium; this is the earliest direct evidence to date. Milking was particularly important in northwestern Anatolia, pointing to regional differences linked with conditions more favourable to cattle compared to other regions, where sheep and goats were relatively common and milk use less important. The latter is supported by correlations between the fat type and animal bone evidence.     

福建北部天湖山全新世泥炭古气候记录的初步研究

通过对福建北部天湖山泥炭沉积记录的有机质含量和腐殖化度等多种环境代用指标的综合分析,在可靠14C测年技术的支持下,恢复了福建北部天湖山近10cal kyr BP以来的气候与环境演变过程.结果发现,泥炭有机含量和腐殖化度敏感地记录了研究区古气候变化信息,其低值指示气候相对暖湿,高值指示气候相对冷干.约10～4cal kyr BP泥炭有机质含量和腐殖化度较高,指示气候暖湿,是该区域水热组合状况最好;4cal kyr BP以来泥炭有机质含量和腐殖化度较低,指示气候相对干冷.细分千年尺度的气候变化阶段有待于测年精度的进一步提高.     

The record of cultivated rice from archaeobiological evidence in northwestern China 5000 years ago

Pollen, plant seeds and phytoliths from an AMS dated sediment profile at the Xishanping site indicate that the cultivation of rice might start no later than 5070 cal. a BP in the region of Tianshui, Gansu Province. It continued from 5070 to 4300 cal. a BP. This is so far the oldest and the most northwestern record of cultivated rice in Neolithic China, which extends the known region of prehistoric rice cultivation at least 2° longitude to the west. This finding provides important evidence for reconstructing the cultivation region of rice at 5000 a BP （an important time period）, and its spreading history in East Asia, during the Neolithic.     

新疆巴里坤湖9.0 cal ka BP以来沉积物地球化学元素分布特征与古气候环境演化

根据中国西北干旱区巴里坤湖BLK-1剖面沉积物的地化元素分析,采用SPSS因子分析法提取了对沉积环境变化敏感的地化元素和氧化物组分.在R、Q型因子分析的基础上,结合沉积物的硅铁铝率(SiO2/(Al2O3+Fe2O3))、淋失系数(SiO2/(MgO+K2O))、CaO/MgO以及腐殖化度等指标,提取出古气候环境信息.初步研究结果表明:近9.0 cal ka BP以来,巴里坤湖地区气候环境仍以干旱化为主,全新世期间出现过多次不同程度的干湿变化,经历了5个气候阶段:9.0—7.5 cal ka BP期间,气候干旱;7.5—5.8 cal ka BP期间,气候温暖湿润,为研究区全新世最佳适宜期;5.8—3.0 cal ka BP期间,气候干旱;3.0—1.0 cal ka BP期间,气候湿润;1.0—0 cal ka BP期间,气候干旱.     

Pollen-inferred vegetation and environmental changes since 16.7 ka BP at Balikun Lake,Xinjiang

A high-resolution fossil pollen record from the sedimentary cores of Balikun Lake, northwestern China, combined with modern surface pollen data, is used to reconstruct the history of vegetation and climatic change since 16.7 cal. ka BP. Fossil pollen assem-blages and lithology indicate that the study area was dominated by desert. The desert had extremely arid climate and lower effective moisture during 16.7–7.9 cal. ka BP, especially from 16.7 to 8.9 cal. ka BP when the lake maybe dried up. During 8.9–7.9 cal. ka BP, the environment gradually recovered in this area. It was then followed by the optimum period from 7.9 to 4.3 cal. Ka BP, when the effective moisture obviously increased. It was characterized by the typical desert-steppe/steppe vegetation and was accompanied with several patch-birch woodlands around the lake. After that, a short but extremely arid climatic event occurred during 4.3–3.8 cal. ka BP, and the vegetation quickly changed from desert-steppe/steppe to desert. It was a relatively optimum period from 3.8 to 0.53 cal. ka BP showing typical desert-steppe/meadow-steppe landscape. Since 0.53 cal. ka BP, the climate has shown signs of deteriorating again. Furthermore, regional comparison shows that the characteristics of climatic and environmental evolution in this area were clearly different from East Asia monsoonal area during the last 16.7 cal. ka BP. It was characterized by the arid climate during the late-glacial and early Holocene, and relatively wet during the mid-late Holocene.     

西山遗址陶器导热性能初探

用瞬态热丝法对西山遗址出土的泥质陶和搀砂陶进行了导热系数测试 .结果表明 ,搀砂陶的导热系数明显高于泥质陶 ,并且同种陶片内部的导热系数相差较小 .从而说明其时的制陶技术已经相当成熟 ,制陶工艺稳定并且古人已经有意识的根据陶器的不同用途 ,采用不同导热性能的原料配方来制作适用的陶器     

Mid-Holocene climate change in North China, and the effect on cultural development

In this study, to reconstruct the paleoclimatic history, pollen and oxygen isotope were analyzed on the 160 samples of a 2.7 m peat core from Taishizhuang, Huailai County, Hebei Province. Combining our data with other information of climate history and archaeology from this area, we found that there is a close linkage between cultural development and the mid-Holocene (6000-3000 cal. aBP) environment changes. The main results and conclusions are presented as the following: The climate during 5678-5400 cal. aBP was unstable and in general colder and drier than today. From 5400 to 4800 cal. aBP the climate was much warmer and wetter than before. The climate during 4800-4300 cal. aBP was persistently cold, with an exceptional cold event occurring at 4600-4300 cal. aBP. This cold event was recorded at several other localities in Northern China even the Northern Hemisphere and played an important role in the cultural development. After the cold event, there was a return to warmer conditions between 4200 and 3300 cal.aBP.     

临潼零口遗址新石器时代“圆陶片”的功用浅析

通过对临潼零口村遗址出土的新石器时代“圆陶片”的分析，结合以前对这种“圆陶片”的研究，从“圆陶片”可能为收割用生产工具、玩具、计数工具等三个方面进行了相关阐述，认为这种先前不为学术界所重视的小件陶器可能有多种用途，而不是简单地作为一种用途存在。     

Sea surface temperature record from the north of the East China Sea since late Holocene

Using the alkenone paleotemperature index U37^k, a high-resolution sea surface temperature （SST） record since 3600 a BP was reconstructed from the mud area in the north of the East China Sea. Combining with the grain size distribution curve of sensitive grain size group, which may reflect the East Asia Winter Monsoon activity, the palaeoenvironmental evolution cycle throughout the late Holocene in the area was obtained. The marine environment evolution during the last 3600 years displays a five-stage trend. （1） Temperature descending period from 0.85 cal. ka BP to present. The maximum temperature decrease amplitude is 2℃. The winter monsoon intensified and ＇Little Ice Age＇ were recorded in this period. （2） Warming period from 1.90 to 0.85 cal. ka BP. The mean temperature increase amplitude is 0.8℃. The Sui-Tang warming period was recorded at about 0.85--1.35 cal. ka BP and a prominent cooling event was recorded at 1.4 cal. ka BP in this period. （3） Temperature descending period from 2.55 to 1.90 cal. ka BP. Temperature cooling amplitude is 0.9℃. This period is coincident with an integrated temperature circle recorded in the Antarctic ice core, with the temperature changes from a slow cooling stage to a rapid warming stage. （4） Temperature comparatively stable with a little ascending period from 3.2 to 2.55 cal. ka BP. Temperature warming amplitude is 0.3℃. This period is coincident with the temperature fluctuant ascending period recorded in Antarctic ice core. （5） Temperature comparatively stable with little descending period from 3.6 to 3.2 cal. ka BP. This period corresponds with the temperature fluctuant cooling period recorded in Antarctic ice core. Basically, those five periods were coincident with the Antarctic ice core record. During the global cooling stage, the SST change in the continental shelf sea can be adjusted simultaneously.     

Environmental changes during early-middle Holocene from the sediment record of the Chaohu Lake,Anhui Province

A typical lake sediment core is obtained from the Chaohu Lake in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River,Anhui Province,China.The timing scale is constrained by AMS 14 C dating method.Climate proxies such as pollen and grain size in the core are analyzed to reconstruct the environment changes at this site approximately between 9870 and 2170 cal.a BP.The results indicate that at the research area, the climate in the early-middle Holocene had evolved through 3 stages.From 9870 to 6040 cal.a BP, proxy records show a warm and dry climate with low water levels after the late-glacial period.During this stage,cool and dry events occurred at about 8910 and 6060-6030 cal.a BP.Then,between 6040 and 4860 cal.a BP,the climate was humid and vegetation was more flourishing in the Chaohu Lake Valley.The Holocene Optimum occurred at 5840-5500 cal.a BP in the Chaohu Lake,showing the best condition of water and heat.Elm Decline occurred at the period of 5380-4930 cal.a BP.Since 4860 cal.a BP,the climate was warm and dry through 2170 cal.a BP as shown in both pollen spectrum and grain-size histories.Two obvious dry events occurred in 3760 and 2170 cal.a BP,respectively.At 2170 cal.a BP,the water level of the Chaohu Lake reached the lowest as the lakebed possibly exposed. Such lake sediment observations are consistent with the historical records in this area.     

The early Holocene optimum inferred from a hish-resolution pollen record of Husuansyan Maar Lake in southern China

A high-resolution pollen record of the past 13000 a from Huguangyan Maar Lake reveals the vegetation and environment changes in southern China during the Holocene. It shows that （i） pollen percentage of trees and shrubs reached 56% during the early Holocene （11600-7800 cal a BP）, of which the pollen percentage of tropical trees reached a maximum at 9500-8000 cal a BP, reflecting a hot and wet environment; （ii） during the mid-Holocene （7800-4200 cal a BP）, the pollen percentage of montane coniferous trees and herbs increased, while the percentage of tropical-subtropical trees decreased, indicating lower temperature and humidity; （iii） in the late Holocene spanning from 4200 to 350 cal a BP, the pollen percentage of herbs and montane conifer increased significantly, indicating a marked decrease of temperature and humidity. Our pollen data reveal that the time period 9500-8000 cal a BP in southern China represents a climatic optimum for the Holocene characterized by hot and wet conditions. This is consistent with the Holocene optimum found in lower latitude regions globally. We speculate that strong insolation might cause the northward migration of the ITCZ and subtropical summer monsoon front, which resulted in an early Holocene optimum in the Huguangyan area. The dry tendency and climate fluctuations of the middle and late Holocene could be associated with a decrease in solar insolation and frequent ENSO event.     

Vegetation and climate changes during the last 8660 cal. a BP in central Mongolia, based on a high-resolution pollen record from Lake Ugii Nuur

Based on modern pollen studies and reliable chronology of nine AMS 14C dates, a detailed history of vegetation and climate changes during the past 8660 cal. a BP was reconstructed by a high-resolution pollen record from Ugii Nuur in central Mongolia. Poaceae-steppe dominated the study area and the climate was mild and semi-humid before 7800 cal. a BP with a noticeable cool and humid interval at 8350―8250 cal. a BP. Xerophytic plant increased and the climate became warm and dry gradually since 7800 cal. a BP...