A widely accepted model for the peopling of the Americas postulates a source population in the No... more A widely accepted model for the peopling of the Americas postulates a source population in the Northeast Asian maritime region, which includes northern Japan. The model is based on similarities in stone artifacts (stemmed points) found in North American sites dating as early as 15,000 years ago and those of comparable age in Japan and neighboring regions of Northeast Asia. Here we show, on the basis of data and analyses in biological anthropology, that the people who made stemmed points in northern Japan (labeled "Incipient Jomon" in the archaeological literature) represent an unlikely source population for the indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere.
Paleo-genomics has fundamentally altered the study of the human past, including the global disper... more Paleo-genomics has fundamentally altered the study of the human past, including the global dispersal of modern humans and the peopling of Eurasia, Australia, and the Western Hemisphere. This is due in large measure to methodological advances, such as high-throughput sequencing, which moved the field beyond the mtDNA and Y-DNA studies of the 1990s to whole-genome analyses, as well as successful extraction of ancient DNA (aDNA) from dated human remains throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere (i.e., where conditions permit long-term preservation of DNA).
Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. History, 2019
Авторы благодарят Национальный Научный Фонд, США (проект OPP-1421233) за поддержку совещания «Исс... more Авторы благодарят Национальный Научный Фонд, США (проект OPP-1421233) за поддержку совещания «Исследование генетики, палеоэкологии, археологии и антропологии миграций человека в Арктике», организованному в Университете Колорадо, Боулдер, штат Колорадо, США, в феврале 2016 г., благодаря которому возникла идея написания данной работы. Бесконечная благодарность за многолетнюю поддержку работ Владимира Питулько на Яно-Индигирской низменности, начиная с фонда Rock Foundation (Нью-Йорк, США). Владимир Питулько и Елена Павлова выражают благодарность Российскому Научному фонду за поддержку исследований на Янской стоянке в рамках проекта РНФ № 16-18-10265П-RNF.
The archaeological record of the early Upper Paleolithic on the central plain of Eastern Europe y... more The archaeological record of the early Upper Paleolithic on the central plain of Eastern Europe yields evidence for the repeated hunting of horses in small herds. Several major sites contain large bone beds that represent the butchered remains of a mare band. The bone beds are consistently associated with expedient tools, often made on local raw materials, that are typical of mass kill sites and carcass-processing areas in other settings (for example, North American Plains). Many of these sites may have been occupied by people related to the Aurignacian technocomplex, which otherwise is poorly represented on the central East European Plain, their industrial affiliation obscured by the profusion of expedient tools (often classified as Middle Paleolithic types) related to mass-processing of horse carcasses.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Did Beringian environments represent an ecological barrier to humans until less than 15 000 years... more Did Beringian environments represent an ecological barrier to humans until less than 15 000 years ago or was access to the Americas controlled by the spatial–temporal distribution of North American ice sheets? Beringian environments varied with respect to climate and biota, especially in the two major areas of exposed continental shelf. The East Siberian Arctic Shelf (‘Great Arctic Plain’ (GAP)) supported a dry steppe-tundra biome inhabited by a diverse large-mammal community, while the southern Bering-Chukchi Platform (‘Bering Land Bridge’ (BLB)) supported mesic tundra and probably a lower large-mammal biomass. A human population with west Eurasian roots occupied the GAP before the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and may have accessed mid-latitude North America via an interior ice-free corridor. Re-opening of the corridor less than 14 000 years ago indicates that the primary ancestors of living First Peoples, who already had spread widely in the Americas at this time, probably dispersed...
The open-air site of Shlyakh, located near Volgograd in southern Russia, contains two assemblages... more The open-air site of Shlyakh, located near Volgograd in southern Russia, contains two assemblages of stone artifacts assigned to the Middle Paleolithic. Most of the artifacts are buried in low-energy stream deposits and appear to be in primary context (i.e., they do not exhibit signs of stream transport). The lithic technology reflects an emphasis on blade production and Levallois products are present. The artifacts lie in sediments formed during and immediately following the Laschamp Paleomagnetic excursion (41.2 ± 1.6 ka); they underlie the Mono Lake excursion (34.2 ± 1.2 ka). Although the radiocarbon dating is broadly consistent with the paleomagnetic stratigraphy, the wide range of ages obtained on bone from the upper assemblage suggests that older materials may have been introduced to one or both cultural layers. The dating and contents of Shlyakh are discussed in the wider context of events in Europe during~50-40 ka. At this time, an Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) industry (Bohunician), characterized by Levallois blade technology and a high proportion of Upper Paleolithic tool types, is established in central Europe and on the southwest plain of eastern Europe. A different pattern is evident on the south-central plain, however, where the IUP is absent and a local "transitional unit" in the form of a Middle Paleolithic blade industry is represented at Shlyakh and other sites during 50-40 ka.
Previously, we addressed the problem of what variable(s) limited widespread human settlement of t... more Previously, we addressed the problem of what variable(s) limited widespread human settlement of the Americas before ~15 ka. We concluded that while non-modern human taxa (e. g., Neanderthals) probably did not inhabit high-latitude environments (due to cold climate and/ or low plant and animal productivity) and thus could not disperse in the Western Hemispherevia Beringia, modern humans likely were denied access to mid-latitude North America >15 ka by coastal and interior ice sheets. Here we reexamine the problem with respect to modern humans in light of a revised chronology for glaciers and sea level, new research in paleo-genomics, and some new archaeological discoveries. During 35–30 ka, a lineage with west Eurasian roots occupied the Great Arctic Plain and may have expanded into eastern arctic Beringia and mid-latitude North America via an ice-free corridor. An East Asian lineage associated with microblade technology occupied the Lena Basin during the LGM and expanded onto the...
ABSTRACTSamples of bone and teeth from the Middle Paleolithic open-air site of Rozhok I, located ... more ABSTRACTSamples of bone and teeth from the Middle Paleolithic open-air site of Rozhok I, located on the Gulf of Taganrog, were dated by radiocarbon (14C). We obtained 26 accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dates on a large sample of nonhuman bone and teeth recovered by N. D. Praslov during 1961–1962 from 5 of the 6 occupation horizons at Rozhok I. Two rigorous pretreatment methods were applied to the samples: ultra-filtration and XAD resin. The 14C ages from the uppermost two layers (Horizons 1 and 2) are infinite with the exception of one age near the limit of the 14C method. By contrast, the dates from Horizon 3 and the two lowermost layers (Horizons 5 and 6) are all finite ages and some are less than 45,000 BP (uncalibrated). While there is evidence of some post-depositional disturbance, there is no evidence of a stratigraphic reversal of the cultural layers. The simplest explanation for the pattern is that bones and teeth in the lower layers have been contaminated by groundwater...
A new analysis of vertebrate remains from the Mousterian open-air site of Il'skaya I was undertak... more A new analysis of vertebrate remains from the Mousterian open-air site of Il'skaya I was undertaken. The site is located near Krasnodar in the northern Caucasus. The fauna1 samples available to us were excavated in 1926,1928, and 1936-7, and comprise c. 1500 identifiable bones and teeth; mixture of remains from different stratigraphic levels significantly affects the results of the analysis. Steppe bison (Bisonpriscus) dominates the mammalian assemblage (92%), which also includes giant deer, horse, red deer, wolf, hyaena, mammoth, wild ass, corsac, bear, saiga, and dhole. Bird remains (rare for Mousterian open-air sites) include black vulture, magpie; and mallard. Bison is represented by virtually all skeletal parts, although isolated teeth are especially abundant; variations in skeletal-part frequencies primarily reflect weathering effects. Age profiles for bison, obtained from molar crown-height measurements, indicate the predominance of prime-age adults; both males and females appear to be represented, but estimation of sex ratio is problematic. The site was probably occupied during several seasons. The results are discussed within the context of general issues concerning Mousterian subsistence strategy.
A taphonomic study was conducted of large mammal remains from the Middle Pleistocene site of Treu... more A taphonomic study was conducted of large mammal remains from the Middle Pleistocene site of Treugol'naya Cave. The site is located at an elevation of 1500 m above sea level near the town of Pregradnaya in the northwestern Caucasus region of Russia, and was excavated by Doronichev (Doronichev, V.B., 2000. Lower paleolithic occupation of the northern Caucasus. ERAUL 92, 67-77.) between 1986 and 2000. Large mammal remains were identified by Baryshnikov (Baryshnikov, G.F., 1993. Krupnye mlekopitayushchie ashelskoi stoyanki v peshchere Treugol'naya na Severnom Kavkaze. Trudy Zoologicheskogo instituta RAN 249, 3-47), and reflect predominance of red deer (Cervus elaphus), bison (Bison schoetensacki), and cave bear (Spelaearctos deningeri). Less common taxa include goat (Capra sp.), wolf (Canis mosbachensis), rhinoceros (Stephanorhinus hundsheimensis) and horse (Equus altidens). Data were collected on weathering, breakage, surficial damage, skeletal-part frequencies, and age and season of death from the these remains, which are stored at the Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg. Analysis of the data revealed little evidence for accumulation of the large mammal remains by the hominid occupants of the cave. The carnivore remains probably represent natural mortality, while some of the ungulate remains were apparently accumulated by stream action. Most of the remaining ungulate remains were probably collected by carnivores.
Anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens) dispersed out of Africa roughly 120,000 years ago and a... more Anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens) dispersed out of Africa roughly 120,000 years ago and again after 75,000 years ago. The early dispersal was geographically restricted to the Arabian Peninsula, Levant, and possibly parts of southern Asia. The later dispersal was ultimately global in scope, including areas not previously occupied by Homo. One explanation for the contrast between the two out-of-Africa dispersals is that the modern humans who expanded into Eurasia 120,000 years ago lacked the functionally and structurally complex technology of recent hunter-gatherers. This technology, which includes, for example, mechanical projectiles, snares and traps, and sewn clothing, provides not only expanded dietary breadth and increased rates of foraging efficiency and success in places where plant and animal productivity is low, but protection from cold weather in places where winter temperatures are low. The absence of complex technology before 75,000 years ago also may explain why m...
A widely accepted model for the peopling of the Americas postulates a source population in the No... more A widely accepted model for the peopling of the Americas postulates a source population in the Northeast Asian maritime region, which includes northern Japan. The model is based on similarities in stone artifacts (stemmed points) found in North American sites dating as early as 15,000 years ago and those of comparable age in Japan and neighboring regions of Northeast Asia. Here we show, on the basis of data and analyses in biological anthropology, that the people who made stemmed points in northern Japan (labeled "Incipient Jomon" in the archaeological literature) represent an unlikely source population for the indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere.
Paleo-genomics has fundamentally altered the study of the human past, including the global disper... more Paleo-genomics has fundamentally altered the study of the human past, including the global dispersal of modern humans and the peopling of Eurasia, Australia, and the Western Hemisphere. This is due in large measure to methodological advances, such as high-throughput sequencing, which moved the field beyond the mtDNA and Y-DNA studies of the 1990s to whole-genome analyses, as well as successful extraction of ancient DNA (aDNA) from dated human remains throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere (i.e., where conditions permit long-term preservation of DNA).
Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. History, 2019
Авторы благодарят Национальный Научный Фонд, США (проект OPP-1421233) за поддержку совещания «Исс... more Авторы благодарят Национальный Научный Фонд, США (проект OPP-1421233) за поддержку совещания «Исследование генетики, палеоэкологии, археологии и антропологии миграций человека в Арктике», организованному в Университете Колорадо, Боулдер, штат Колорадо, США, в феврале 2016 г., благодаря которому возникла идея написания данной работы. Бесконечная благодарность за многолетнюю поддержку работ Владимира Питулько на Яно-Индигирской низменности, начиная с фонда Rock Foundation (Нью-Йорк, США). Владимир Питулько и Елена Павлова выражают благодарность Российскому Научному фонду за поддержку исследований на Янской стоянке в рамках проекта РНФ № 16-18-10265П-RNF.
The archaeological record of the early Upper Paleolithic on the central plain of Eastern Europe y... more The archaeological record of the early Upper Paleolithic on the central plain of Eastern Europe yields evidence for the repeated hunting of horses in small herds. Several major sites contain large bone beds that represent the butchered remains of a mare band. The bone beds are consistently associated with expedient tools, often made on local raw materials, that are typical of mass kill sites and carcass-processing areas in other settings (for example, North American Plains). Many of these sites may have been occupied by people related to the Aurignacian technocomplex, which otherwise is poorly represented on the central East European Plain, their industrial affiliation obscured by the profusion of expedient tools (often classified as Middle Paleolithic types) related to mass-processing of horse carcasses.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Did Beringian environments represent an ecological barrier to humans until less than 15 000 years... more Did Beringian environments represent an ecological barrier to humans until less than 15 000 years ago or was access to the Americas controlled by the spatial–temporal distribution of North American ice sheets? Beringian environments varied with respect to climate and biota, especially in the two major areas of exposed continental shelf. The East Siberian Arctic Shelf (‘Great Arctic Plain’ (GAP)) supported a dry steppe-tundra biome inhabited by a diverse large-mammal community, while the southern Bering-Chukchi Platform (‘Bering Land Bridge’ (BLB)) supported mesic tundra and probably a lower large-mammal biomass. A human population with west Eurasian roots occupied the GAP before the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and may have accessed mid-latitude North America via an interior ice-free corridor. Re-opening of the corridor less than 14 000 years ago indicates that the primary ancestors of living First Peoples, who already had spread widely in the Americas at this time, probably dispersed...
The open-air site of Shlyakh, located near Volgograd in southern Russia, contains two assemblages... more The open-air site of Shlyakh, located near Volgograd in southern Russia, contains two assemblages of stone artifacts assigned to the Middle Paleolithic. Most of the artifacts are buried in low-energy stream deposits and appear to be in primary context (i.e., they do not exhibit signs of stream transport). The lithic technology reflects an emphasis on blade production and Levallois products are present. The artifacts lie in sediments formed during and immediately following the Laschamp Paleomagnetic excursion (41.2 ± 1.6 ka); they underlie the Mono Lake excursion (34.2 ± 1.2 ka). Although the radiocarbon dating is broadly consistent with the paleomagnetic stratigraphy, the wide range of ages obtained on bone from the upper assemblage suggests that older materials may have been introduced to one or both cultural layers. The dating and contents of Shlyakh are discussed in the wider context of events in Europe during~50-40 ka. At this time, an Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) industry (Bohunician), characterized by Levallois blade technology and a high proportion of Upper Paleolithic tool types, is established in central Europe and on the southwest plain of eastern Europe. A different pattern is evident on the south-central plain, however, where the IUP is absent and a local "transitional unit" in the form of a Middle Paleolithic blade industry is represented at Shlyakh and other sites during 50-40 ka.
Previously, we addressed the problem of what variable(s) limited widespread human settlement of t... more Previously, we addressed the problem of what variable(s) limited widespread human settlement of the Americas before ~15 ka. We concluded that while non-modern human taxa (e. g., Neanderthals) probably did not inhabit high-latitude environments (due to cold climate and/ or low plant and animal productivity) and thus could not disperse in the Western Hemispherevia Beringia, modern humans likely were denied access to mid-latitude North America >15 ka by coastal and interior ice sheets. Here we reexamine the problem with respect to modern humans in light of a revised chronology for glaciers and sea level, new research in paleo-genomics, and some new archaeological discoveries. During 35–30 ka, a lineage with west Eurasian roots occupied the Great Arctic Plain and may have expanded into eastern arctic Beringia and mid-latitude North America via an ice-free corridor. An East Asian lineage associated with microblade technology occupied the Lena Basin during the LGM and expanded onto the...
ABSTRACTSamples of bone and teeth from the Middle Paleolithic open-air site of Rozhok I, located ... more ABSTRACTSamples of bone and teeth from the Middle Paleolithic open-air site of Rozhok I, located on the Gulf of Taganrog, were dated by radiocarbon (14C). We obtained 26 accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dates on a large sample of nonhuman bone and teeth recovered by N. D. Praslov during 1961–1962 from 5 of the 6 occupation horizons at Rozhok I. Two rigorous pretreatment methods were applied to the samples: ultra-filtration and XAD resin. The 14C ages from the uppermost two layers (Horizons 1 and 2) are infinite with the exception of one age near the limit of the 14C method. By contrast, the dates from Horizon 3 and the two lowermost layers (Horizons 5 and 6) are all finite ages and some are less than 45,000 BP (uncalibrated). While there is evidence of some post-depositional disturbance, there is no evidence of a stratigraphic reversal of the cultural layers. The simplest explanation for the pattern is that bones and teeth in the lower layers have been contaminated by groundwater...
A new analysis of vertebrate remains from the Mousterian open-air site of Il'skaya I was undertak... more A new analysis of vertebrate remains from the Mousterian open-air site of Il'skaya I was undertaken. The site is located near Krasnodar in the northern Caucasus. The fauna1 samples available to us were excavated in 1926,1928, and 1936-7, and comprise c. 1500 identifiable bones and teeth; mixture of remains from different stratigraphic levels significantly affects the results of the analysis. Steppe bison (Bisonpriscus) dominates the mammalian assemblage (92%), which also includes giant deer, horse, red deer, wolf, hyaena, mammoth, wild ass, corsac, bear, saiga, and dhole. Bird remains (rare for Mousterian open-air sites) include black vulture, magpie; and mallard. Bison is represented by virtually all skeletal parts, although isolated teeth are especially abundant; variations in skeletal-part frequencies primarily reflect weathering effects. Age profiles for bison, obtained from molar crown-height measurements, indicate the predominance of prime-age adults; both males and females appear to be represented, but estimation of sex ratio is problematic. The site was probably occupied during several seasons. The results are discussed within the context of general issues concerning Mousterian subsistence strategy.
A taphonomic study was conducted of large mammal remains from the Middle Pleistocene site of Treu... more A taphonomic study was conducted of large mammal remains from the Middle Pleistocene site of Treugol'naya Cave. The site is located at an elevation of 1500 m above sea level near the town of Pregradnaya in the northwestern Caucasus region of Russia, and was excavated by Doronichev (Doronichev, V.B., 2000. Lower paleolithic occupation of the northern Caucasus. ERAUL 92, 67-77.) between 1986 and 2000. Large mammal remains were identified by Baryshnikov (Baryshnikov, G.F., 1993. Krupnye mlekopitayushchie ashelskoi stoyanki v peshchere Treugol'naya na Severnom Kavkaze. Trudy Zoologicheskogo instituta RAN 249, 3-47), and reflect predominance of red deer (Cervus elaphus), bison (Bison schoetensacki), and cave bear (Spelaearctos deningeri). Less common taxa include goat (Capra sp.), wolf (Canis mosbachensis), rhinoceros (Stephanorhinus hundsheimensis) and horse (Equus altidens). Data were collected on weathering, breakage, surficial damage, skeletal-part frequencies, and age and season of death from the these remains, which are stored at the Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg. Analysis of the data revealed little evidence for accumulation of the large mammal remains by the hominid occupants of the cave. The carnivore remains probably represent natural mortality, while some of the ungulate remains were apparently accumulated by stream action. Most of the remaining ungulate remains were probably collected by carnivores.
Anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens) dispersed out of Africa roughly 120,000 years ago and a... more Anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens) dispersed out of Africa roughly 120,000 years ago and again after 75,000 years ago. The early dispersal was geographically restricted to the Arabian Peninsula, Levant, and possibly parts of southern Asia. The later dispersal was ultimately global in scope, including areas not previously occupied by Homo. One explanation for the contrast between the two out-of-Africa dispersals is that the modern humans who expanded into Eurasia 120,000 years ago lacked the functionally and structurally complex technology of recent hunter-gatherers. This technology, which includes, for example, mechanical projectiles, snares and traps, and sewn clothing, provides not only expanded dietary breadth and increased rates of foraging efficiency and success in places where plant and animal productivity is low, but protection from cold weather in places where winter temperatures are low. The absence of complex technology before 75,000 years ago also may explain why m...
Circular features made from mammoth bone are known from across Upper Palaeolithic Eastern Europe,... more Circular features made from mammoth bone are known from across Upper Palaeolithic Eastern Europe, and are widely identified as dwellings. The first systematic flotation programme of samples from a recently discovered feature at Kostenki 11 in Russia has yielded assemblages of charcoal, burnt bone and microlithic debitage. New radiocarbon dates provide the first coherent chronology for the site, revealing it to be one of the oldest such features on the Russian Plain. The authors discuss the implications for understanding the function of circular mammoth-bone features during the onset of the Last Glacial Maximum.
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Papers by John Hoffecker