Papers by Jarod Hutson
Journal of Human Evolution, 2024
The Schöningen 13II-4 site is a marvel of Paleolithic archaeology. With the extraordinary preserv... more The Schöningen 13II-4 site is a marvel of Paleolithic archaeology. With the extraordinary preservation of complete wooden spears and butchered large mammal bones dating from the Middle Pleistocene, Schöningen maintains a prominent position in the halls of human origins worldwide. Here, we present the first analysis of the complete large mammal faunal assemblage from Schöningen 13II-4, drawing on multiple lines of zooarchaeological and taphonomic evidence to expose the full spectrum of hominin activities at the site—before, during, and after the hunt. Horse (Equus mosbachensis) remains dominate the assemblage and suggest a recurrent ambush hunting strategy along the margins of the Schöningen paleo-lake. In this regard, Schöningen 13II-4 provides the first undisputed evidence for hunting of a single prey species that can be studied from an in situ, open-air context. The Schöningen hominins likely relied on cooperative hunting strategy to target horse family groups, to the near exclusion of bachelor herds. Horse kills occurred during all seasons, implying a year-round presence of hominins on the Schöningen landscape. All portions of prey skeletons are represented in the assemblage, many complete and in semiarticulation, with little transport of skeletal parts away from the site. Butchery marks are abundant, and adult carcasses were processed more thoroughly than were juveniles. Numerous complete, unmodified bones indicated that lean meat and marrow were not always so highly prized, especially in events involving multiple kills when fat and animal hides may have received greater attention. The behaviors displayed at Schöningen continue to challenge our perceptions and models of past hominin lifeways, further cementing Schöningen's standing as the archetype for understanding hunting adaptations during the European Middle Pleistocene.
Journal of Human Evolution, 2021
The Middle Pleistocene Schöningen 13II-4 ‘Spear Horizon’ (Germany) is a key site for the study of... more The Middle Pleistocene Schöningen 13II-4 ‘Spear Horizon’ (Germany) is a key site for the study of human evolution, most notably for the discovery of Paleolithic wooden weaponry and evidence for developed hunting strategies. On the other hand, the ‘Spear Horizon’ offers an excellent opportunity to approach hominin spatial behavior, thanks to the richness of the archeological assemblage, its exceptional preservation, and the vast expanse of the excavated surface. Analyzing how space was used is essential for understanding hominin behavior at this unique open-air site and, from a wider perspective, for approaching how humans adapted to interglacial environments. In this article, we present an exhaustive spatial study of the complete Schöningen 13II-4 ‘Spear Horizon’ faunal assemblage and its archeological context, combining zooarcheology and spatial analysis through the extensive application of geographic information systems. Our results indicate the existence of different activity areas related to changes in the position of the shoreline due to fluctuations of water table levels of the Schöningen paleolake. These activity areas were likely used on a seasonal basis, whereas the spatial patterning observed in the distribution of faunal remains suggests a diversity of behavioral strategies in terms of intensity and/or duration of occupations. This study refines previous interpretations of the site and reconstructs human behavioral adaptations and the occupational changing lakeland environment during the Middle Pleistocene in Europe.
The Schöningen 13II-4 ‘Spear Horizon’ site is famous for the excellent preservation of 300,000-ye... more The Schöningen 13II-4 ‘Spear Horizon’ site is famous for the excellent preservation of 300,000-year-old Palaeolithic hunting weapons, including nine wooden spears and a lance, deposited on the shores of a former interglacial lake in association with a large assemblage of well-preserved and butchered animal bones, mainly from horse. Some bones show distinct areas of dark staining, thought to be derived from contact with decaying plant remains along the shores of the lake. It was decided to test this theory and try to determine experimentally where bone staining was most likely to occur on the littoral zone. Modern horse and cow bones were fastened along parallel transects at two locations and the installations were left for several months. Black stains appeared on some bones in the shallows, but not on bones deposited on permanently dry land or in deeper water. Within the 10 m wide band of bones in the main concentration at the Schöningen site, there is a high incidence of bone staining, indicating accumulation of finds along a shallow lake margin. By using GIS, additional clusters of stained bones in the eastern part of the site were revealed and may indicate shorelines when water levels in the lake were lower.
Quaternary International, 2018
Open-air and interior sites are not prominently featured among models of Middle Stone Age (MSA) s... more Open-air and interior sites are not prominently featured among models of Middle Stone Age (MSA) subsistence behavior in southern Africa. Thus, the current view of MSA subsistence reflects adaptations interpreted predominantly from coastal rockshelter locations. An attempt to address this gap is presented here with the analysis of the faunal assemblages from Bundu Farm and Pniel 6, two early MSA open-air sites located well within the interior of southern Africa in the Northern Cape, South Africa. Zooarchaeological and taphonomic signatures of the Bundu Farm assemblage suggest some primary access to animal carcasses, while the same measures imply secondary scavenging by early MSA hominins at Pniel 6. A number of other open-air interior sites include similarly ambiguous evidence for the role of hunting and/or scavenging in hominin subsistence during the MSA. Due to the lack of archaeological surveys directed at finding open-air sites and several taphonomic factors that disproportionately obscure indications of hominin behavior in open-air settings, the archaeological records between open-air interior sites and coastal rockshelter sites are fundamentally incomparable. From an ecological perspective, MSA subsistence was a product of behavioral adaptations to environmental factors and resource availability, the influences of which were likely different between interior and coastal ecosystems. Much like historical hunter-gathers of the region, MSA hominins inhabiting the more marginal environments within the southern African interior may have relied more heavily on gathered plant foods rather than hunting for subsistence.
Background: Ancient protein sequences are increasingly used to elucidate the phylogenetic relatio... more Background: Ancient protein sequences are increasingly used to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships between extinct and extant mammalian taxa. Here, we apply these recent developments to Middle Pleistocene bone specimens of the rhinoceros genus Stephanorhinus. No biomolecular sequence data is currently available for this genus, leaving phylogenetic hypotheses on its evolutionary relationships to extant and extinct rhinoceroses untested. Furthermore, recent phylogenies based on Rhinocerotidae (partial or complete) mitochondrial DNA sequences differ in the placement of the Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis). Therefore, studies utilising ancient protein sequences from Middle Pleistocene contexts have the potential to provide further insights into the phylogenetic relationships between extant and extinct species, including Stephanorhinus and Dicerorhinus. Methods: ZooMS screening (zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry) was performed on several Late and Middle Pleistocene specimens from the genus Stephanorhinus, subsequently followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to obtain ancient protein sequences from a Middle Pleistocene Stephanorhinus specimen. We performed parallel analysis on a Late Pleistocene woolly rhinoceros specimen and extant species of rhinoceroses, resulting in the availability of protein sequence data for five extant species and two extinct genera. Phylogenetic analysis additionally included all extant Perissodactyla genera (Equus, Tapirus), and was conducted using Bayesian (MrBayes) and maximum-likelihood (RAxML) methods. Results: Various ancient proteins were identified in both the Middle and Late Pleistocene rhinoceros samples. Protein degradation and proteome complexity are consistent with an endogenous origin of the identified proteins. Phylogenetic analysis of informative proteins resolved the Perissodactyla phylogeny in agreement
Journal of Archaeological Science 40(12): 4139-4149, 2013
Ungulates often gnaw on animal bones, antlers, horns, and ivory in order to maintain certain nutr... more Ungulates often gnaw on animal bones, antlers, horns, and ivory in order to maintain certain nutritional requirements. The resulting modifications to bones and other skeletal elements have been variously described and reported, but are largely absent from most taphonomic reference works. Previous accounts of such gnawing behaviors have been restricted to smaller ungulates. Here we provide detailed description of large ungulates gnawing on bones from similarly sized animals, namely giraffe, camel, and cattle, from Africa, Australia, and North America. Large ungulates will often select fresh bones for gnawing, but will also target dry and weathered bones. Surface modifications are variable, ranging from
tooth depressions, punctures, and grooves, to scooping out damage, polishing, and splintering. Similar features are prevalent in carnivore- and porcupine-gnawed bone assemblages, but the effects of large ungulate gnawing can be readily distinguished from those taphonomic agents. Ungulate gnawing may also vary in relation to body size, in that smaller ungulates impact skeletal elements differently than larger ungulates.
Waterholes in African savanna ecosystems are often locations of carnivore serial predation. At Ng... more Waterholes in African savanna ecosystems are often locations of carnivore serial predation. At Ngamo Pan, located in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, predators take advantage of natural and artificial waterholes to ambush prey, resulting in the a vast accumulation of large mammal bones across the local landscape. Lions are presumed responsible for many predation occurrences surrounding waterhole locations in Hwange National Park, but attributing prey deaths to a specific predator at Ngamo Pan can only be hypothesized, as most kills occur at night and have not been directly observed. Here I use several demographic measures of the prey population to evaluate the potential influence of various predators in the accumulation of the Ngamo Pan bone assemblage. Known predator preferences relative to prey body size and prey age are drawn from other African national parks and game reserves and used to gauge the impact of lions and other carnivores at Ngamo Pan. In terms of prey body size, the preferences of lions are overwhelmingly represented in the Ngamo Pan death assemblage. The abundance of wildebeest and zebra remains reflects the dependence of those species on waterhole locations even when lions are present. On the other hand, buffalo avoid waterholes in the presence of lions, leading to fewer predation occurrences at Ngamo Pan. Wildebeest and zebra age profiles do not conform to other known patterns of death generated by specific carnivores, but rather reflect the influences of multiple predators. These data on prey demographics, coupled with landscape and environmental data are important for understanding the dynamics and underlying mechanics of predator-prey relationships at Ngamo Pan. Such mechanisms are likely to be long-standing features of African savanna ecosystems, and can be useful in predicting predator-prey relationships in fossil bone assemblages from similar waterhole localities.
Here I present a neotaphonomic account of natural bone accumulations that have resulted from carn... more Here I present a neotaphonomic account of natural bone accumulations that have resulted from carnivore serial predation at Ngamo Pan, a vast complex of seasonal water holes located in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. Reconstructing the taphonomic histories of faunal assemblages from open-air archaeological sites is burdened with a host of interpretive complications, and this study is offered as a referential means for evaluating instances where stone tools and bone accumulations are associated in apparent archaeological contexts. While the presence of stone tools implies some involvement on the part of humans, open-air sites near water would also have served as prime locations for serial predation by large carnivores to ambush prey—a situation that, over time, can mimic archaeological bone accumulations. The taphonomic and zooarchaeological signatures of carnivore serial predation at Ngamo Pan show marked similarities with the open-air faunal accumulation from Kalkbank, a late Pleistocene site in Limpopo Province, South Africa, located along the margins of a relict pan. Many potential archaeological sites within the interior of southern Africa dating to the Middle Stone Age are known from open-air settings near permanent or ephemeral bodies of water, and the ability to decipher between hominin and non-hominin carnivore involvement with bone accumulations is paramount in determining the hunting and scavenging behaviors of our early ancestors. As much of our understanding of hominin subsistence during the Middle Stone Age is drawn from coastal cave locations, this study is intended to encourage a broadening of our perspective on the taphonomic histories of faunal accumulations dating to the Middle Stone Age by incorporating supplementary evidence provided by these open-air sites.
Previous accounts of the late Pleistocene Kalkbank faunal accumulation cited humans as the primar... more Previous accounts of the late Pleistocene Kalkbank faunal accumulation cited humans as the primary agent of accumulation. Here we present the first in-depth taphonomic analysis of the fauna. Revised interpretation based on surface modification and bone breakage patterns reflect an overwhelming carnivore presence at the site. The only indications of human involvement with the fauna were a few stone tools and three possible hammerstone percussion marks. Porcupine involvement with the assemblage was considerable, but appears to be secondary to carnivore predation. The site likely represents a serial predation site where carnivores regularly ambushed prey near the margins of an ancient pan. Published accounts of fossil predation hot spots are rare, and much of the available data on these sites originate from modern landscape studies. Evidence from the Kalkbank accumulation suggests that patterns seen at fossil predation hot spots may not conform to patterns observed in modern accumulations.
Book Chapters by Jarod Hutson
Human behavioural adaptations to interglacial lakeshore environments, 2020
The Schöningen 13II-4 "Spear Horizon" is among the most famous lakeshore archaeological sites dat... more The Schöningen 13II-4 "Spear Horizon" is among the most famous lakeshore archaeological sites dating from the Middle Pleistocene in Europe. Multiple well-crafted wooden spears recovered together with a large assemblage of butchered horse bones at Schöningen stimulated a new outlook of the behavioural capabilities of Palaeolithic hunters. Since these discoveries, a wealth of geological and palaeoecological data have been generated to reconstruct the wider Schöningen interglacial lakeshore environment. Yet, the underlying social and economic behaviours of Middle Pleistocene hominins reflected in the archaeological record itself have received less attention. To address these shortcomings, we began a comprehensive zooarchaeological and taphonomic analysis of the entire large mammalian assemblage from the Schöningen 13II-4 "Spear Horizon", with the goal of re-focusing attention to the "human component" of this important site. Here we present the preliminary results of our research.
The Schöningen 13II-4 "Spear Horizon" provides an unparalleled view of Middle Pleistocene hominin... more The Schöningen 13II-4 "Spear Horizon" provides an unparalleled view of Middle Pleistocene hominin technological and subsistence behaviours. The site preserves the remains of more than fifty butchered horses in addition to other large mammals, but the associated lithic assemblage is relatively small. As a complement to the lithic tools, Middle Pleistocene hominins at Schöningen used a variety of bone implements related to stone tool manufacture and maintenance. Here we describe a collection of metapodials from the Schöningen 13II-4 Spear Horizon interpreted as soft hammers. These bones bear consistent patterns of damage to the proximal and distal ends, indicating their repeated use in heavy percussive activities. We present the results of preliminary experimental studies aimed to better understand how and for what purposes these implements were used, and we conclude that the damage to the Schöningen metapodials is consistent with use in both stone working and bone breaking tasks. Based on the apparent lack of large stone cobbles in the lithic assemblage, the metapodial tools likely replaced hammerstones in the lithic chaîne opératoire and in processing bones for marrow. While it is clear that metacarpals and metatarsals were preferred over other bones for use as soft hammers, there is a relative lack of metapodials among the roughly 15,000 faunal remains in the entire assemblage. This pattern of skeletal part representation indicates that metapodials may have been transported away from the Schöningen 13II-4 site to be used at other locations across the landscape. Together with the well-known spears, these bone implements underscore the importance of non-lithic technologies for Middle Pleistocene hominins.
The origins of bone tool technology lie with the use of bones in lithic manufacture and maintenan... more The origins of bone tool technology lie with the use of bones in lithic manufacture and maintenance. Such behaviour extends as far back as a half million years, if not earlier, and continued until as recent as 5000 years ago. This volume examines in great detail the circumstances of these origins, particularly how these bone tools were integrated into the entire suite of emerging Palaeolithic technologies and how these cumulative innovations influenced hominin lifeways.
Clovis-era subsistence varied from site to site and region to region, but large mammals numerical... more Clovis-era subsistence varied from site to site and region to region, but large mammals numerically dominate at archaeological sites with food remains. Plant remains are extremely scarce in Clovis sites. The lack of specialized processing and storage technology suggests seeds and nuts were not prominent in the diet, as they became in later times. Sites dated to a possible proto-Clovis phase, 1,000–3,000 years older than the generally accepted age of Clovis, also contain mostly or exclusively large mammal remains. Many (perhaps most or all) of the largest animals were probably killed and butchered by Late Glacial foragers; they were not found dead and scavenged by people. Proboscidean carcass utilization by Clovis butchers was often
incomplete, because Clovis foraging bands were small in number, very mobile, and most likely could predict where to find vulnerable prey.
Edited Volumes by Jarod Hutson
![Research paper thumbnail of The Origins of Bone Tool Technologies [Full Text]
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This volume is a collection of papers from the conference titled “Retouching the Palaeolithic: Be... more This volume is a collection of papers from the conference titled “Retouching the Palaeolithic: Becoming Human and the Origins of Bone Tool Technology” held in October 2015 at Schloss Herrenhausen in Hannover, Germany. With major funding from the Volkswagen Foundation’s Symposia and Summer School initiative, the conference brought together an international group of scientists from an array of research backgrounds to explore the origins and development of bone tool technologies in prehistory, specifically retouchers, compressors and percussors used in various lithic knapping activities. The diverse conference attendance generated an assortment of perspectives on bone tool use covering western Europe to the Levant, from the Lower Palaeolithic to Neolithic times. Collectively, these papers provide an overview on how the integration of bone tools with other Palaeolithic technologies influenced human subsistence and other socio-economic behaviours over time and space. In the end, this volume is not just about bone tools. Rather, this compilation is intended to stimulate broader ideas on technology and innovation, for the ability and desire to create new tools truly lies at the core of what makes us human.
Thesis by Jarod Hutson
Prior to the onset of modern taphonomy in archaeology, associations between prehistoric stone too... more Prior to the onset of modern taphonomy in archaeology, associations between prehistoric stone tools and animal bones were often cited as ad hoc evidence for hunting and butchery, leading to the perception of our early hominin ancestors as carnivorous, killer apes. Over the past half-century, numerous experts have dedicated their research to unraveling the natural processes that create ancient bone assemblages; from life through death of the animals, to burial, excavation, and analysis. These efforts led to the awareness that man was not only a hunter, but also the hunted. This book employs many of these taphonomic methods in the analysis of the animal bones from Kalkbank. Despite the presence of Middle Stone Age tools, the bones at Kalkbank were not the spoils of prehistoric hunters, but the remains of carnivore kills—a serial predation site where carnivores routinely ambushed prey along the margins of a seasonal lake nearly 30 000 years ago. Along with a detailed account of the Kalkbank site itself, this book can be used by archaeology students and professionals alike as a practical guide to the taphonomic analysis of archaeological sites in South Africa and beyond.
Dissertation by Jarod Hutson
The purpose of this dissertation is to determine the agent(s) of accumulation for the fossil bon... more The purpose of this dissertation is to determine the agent(s) of accumulation for the fossil bone assemblages from Bundu Farm and Pniel 6, two Middle Stone Age (MSA), open-air archaeological sites located near seasonal bodies of water in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa. A primary goal is to further establish the relationship between the early MSA artifacts and faunal remains recovered from the sites, and to determine whether that association indicates hominin hunting or primary access to carcasses, or secondary scavenging from non-hominin carnivore kills and other natural death events. The wider objective is to expand our current understanding of hominin subsistence behaviors during this important period of human evolution, models of which are largely based on evidence inferred from coastal cave archaeological sites. For comparison, I detail the modern bone accumulations resulting from carnivore serial predation surrounding a complex of seasonal waterholes at Ngamo Pan, located in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. As both hominin and non-hominin carnivore influence is to be expected at open-air bone assemblages, the actualistic studies at Ngamo Pan provide baseline measures for which to determine the relative impacts of those agents of accumulation at Bundu Farm, Pniel 6, and other open-air archaeological sites.
The Bundu Farm pan site, dating to roughly 245 ka, preserved zooarchaeological and taphonomic features in the faunal assemblage indicative of early access to animal carcasses by early MSA hominins, followed by secondary scavenging by non-hominin carnivores. The faunal assemblage from the Pniel 6 riverine site, tentatively dated ∼243-300 ka, yielded evidence to suggest secondary scavenging by early MSA hominins from carnivore kills or other natural deaths. Similar to many MSA coastal cave sites, these open-air sites within the interior of southern Africa show variability among hominin subsistence behaviors, but patterns consistent with adaptations to more marginal grassland environments as opposed to the relatively more wet and productive coastal environments.
The open grassland expanse surrounding Ngamo Pan serves as fitting analog to interpret the processes of natural bone accumulation in these environments. The modern bone assemblages resulting from carnivore serial predation at Ngamo Pan included many of the same patterns shown at Bundu Farm and Pniel 6, thus there is a limited set of variables that can be used to distinguish between hominin and non-hominin carnivore bone accumulations at open-air archaeological sites. Analyses that can distinguish between the two agents of accumulation are mortality profiles, correlations between limb bone density and carnivore feeding behaviors, and hominin and non-hominin carnivore bone surface modifications. Measures that provide ambiguous results include site location and bone distribution, species representation, raw skeletal part representation, correlations with hunter-gatherer transport decisions, trampling and weathering damage, and bone breakage patterns
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Papers by Jarod Hutson
tooth depressions, punctures, and grooves, to scooping out damage, polishing, and splintering. Similar features are prevalent in carnivore- and porcupine-gnawed bone assemblages, but the effects of large ungulate gnawing can be readily distinguished from those taphonomic agents. Ungulate gnawing may also vary in relation to body size, in that smaller ungulates impact skeletal elements differently than larger ungulates.
Book Chapters by Jarod Hutson
incomplete, because Clovis foraging bands were small in number, very mobile, and most likely could predict where to find vulnerable prey.
Edited Volumes by Jarod Hutson
Thesis by Jarod Hutson
Dissertation by Jarod Hutson
The Bundu Farm pan site, dating to roughly 245 ka, preserved zooarchaeological and taphonomic features in the faunal assemblage indicative of early access to animal carcasses by early MSA hominins, followed by secondary scavenging by non-hominin carnivores. The faunal assemblage from the Pniel 6 riverine site, tentatively dated ∼243-300 ka, yielded evidence to suggest secondary scavenging by early MSA hominins from carnivore kills or other natural deaths. Similar to many MSA coastal cave sites, these open-air sites within the interior of southern Africa show variability among hominin subsistence behaviors, but patterns consistent with adaptations to more marginal grassland environments as opposed to the relatively more wet and productive coastal environments.
The open grassland expanse surrounding Ngamo Pan serves as fitting analog to interpret the processes of natural bone accumulation in these environments. The modern bone assemblages resulting from carnivore serial predation at Ngamo Pan included many of the same patterns shown at Bundu Farm and Pniel 6, thus there is a limited set of variables that can be used to distinguish between hominin and non-hominin carnivore bone accumulations at open-air archaeological sites. Analyses that can distinguish between the two agents of accumulation are mortality profiles, correlations between limb bone density and carnivore feeding behaviors, and hominin and non-hominin carnivore bone surface modifications. Measures that provide ambiguous results include site location and bone distribution, species representation, raw skeletal part representation, correlations with hunter-gatherer transport decisions, trampling and weathering damage, and bone breakage patterns
tooth depressions, punctures, and grooves, to scooping out damage, polishing, and splintering. Similar features are prevalent in carnivore- and porcupine-gnawed bone assemblages, but the effects of large ungulate gnawing can be readily distinguished from those taphonomic agents. Ungulate gnawing may also vary in relation to body size, in that smaller ungulates impact skeletal elements differently than larger ungulates.
incomplete, because Clovis foraging bands were small in number, very mobile, and most likely could predict where to find vulnerable prey.
The Bundu Farm pan site, dating to roughly 245 ka, preserved zooarchaeological and taphonomic features in the faunal assemblage indicative of early access to animal carcasses by early MSA hominins, followed by secondary scavenging by non-hominin carnivores. The faunal assemblage from the Pniel 6 riverine site, tentatively dated ∼243-300 ka, yielded evidence to suggest secondary scavenging by early MSA hominins from carnivore kills or other natural deaths. Similar to many MSA coastal cave sites, these open-air sites within the interior of southern Africa show variability among hominin subsistence behaviors, but patterns consistent with adaptations to more marginal grassland environments as opposed to the relatively more wet and productive coastal environments.
The open grassland expanse surrounding Ngamo Pan serves as fitting analog to interpret the processes of natural bone accumulation in these environments. The modern bone assemblages resulting from carnivore serial predation at Ngamo Pan included many of the same patterns shown at Bundu Farm and Pniel 6, thus there is a limited set of variables that can be used to distinguish between hominin and non-hominin carnivore bone accumulations at open-air archaeological sites. Analyses that can distinguish between the two agents of accumulation are mortality profiles, correlations between limb bone density and carnivore feeding behaviors, and hominin and non-hominin carnivore bone surface modifications. Measures that provide ambiguous results include site location and bone distribution, species representation, raw skeletal part representation, correlations with hunter-gatherer transport decisions, trampling and weathering damage, and bone breakage patterns
Bone breakage patterns and bone surface modifications offer clues to determine agents of accumulation at archeological sites. The Smithsonian's National Taphonomic Reference Collection (NTRC) provides comparative materials to help interpret taphonomic evidence in bone assemblages.
Together with a detailed archive of the wider palaeolandscape, these high-resolution taphonomic and spatial analyses form a holistic approach to contextualize Middle Pleistocene hominin behaviours at multiple scales. The warm, interglacial environment offered hominin groups a diverse assortment of resources. The wider lakeshore environment was likely a dominant feature on the landscape, supporting a wide array of vegetation and providing water for abundant herds of large game. At a local scale, Middle Pleistocene hominins took full advantage of this collection of resources to repeatedly ambush unsuspecting prey. While the initial interpretation of the Schöningen 13II-4 “Spear Horizon” must be amended to include multiple hunting episodes, the site continues to change the perceptions of Middle Pleistocene hominin behaviour.
Acknowledgements: This research project is a cooperation between MONREPOS Archaeological Research Centre and Museum for Human Behavioural Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz and Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege, and is financed by the DFG (GA6839/-1).
References:
[1] Thieme, H., 1997. Lower Palaeolithic hunting spears from Germany. Nature 385, 807-810.
[2] Behre, K.-E. (Ed.), 2012. The chronological setting of the Palaeolithic sites of Schöningen. Verlag des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums, Mainz
Bone retouchers are particularly intriguing in this regard, as they combine elements of both bone and stone tool technology, and hold great research potential for understanding the origins and development of bone tool use during the Palaeolithic. At the core of this issue is where and when our human ancestors began to use bones to create and modify stone tools. More importantly, we seek to better understand how and why prehistoric humans ceased to consider bones as a sterile by-product of the hunting and butchery process and began to recognize bone’s technological utility for making stone tools.
With these goals in mind, we are pleased to announce the international symposium, “Retouching the Palaeolithic: Becoming Human and the Origins of Bone Tool Technology.” Our intentions are to explore the circumstances under which these tools were integrated into the entire suite of emerging Palaeolithic technologies and how these cumulative innovations influenced human subsistence and other socio-economic adaptations across space and time. With this synthesis, we add an important dimension to the ways in which tool use defines what it means to be human.