The Orce region, which is known in the literature as the Spanish Olduvai, has one of the best Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene continental paleobiological records of Europe. It is situated in the northeastern sector of the intramontane Guadix-Baza Basin (Granada, Andalusia, southern Spain). Here we describe a new fossil hominin tooth from the site of Barranco León, dated to ~1.4 Ma by a combination of Electron Spin Resonance (ESR), paleomagnetic and biochronologic methods. This is, at the moment, the oldest human remain from Western Europe.
The Koh Ta Meas site, near Angkor, Cambodia, has revealed a partially excavated Bronze Age necropolis (2870 BP +/-60) comprising 27 burials. The aim of this study is to shed light on the earliest inhabitants known to date in the Angkor region and to gain further knowledge on Early Bronze Age populations in Southeast Asia. The burials of some individuals, probably wrapped in matting, the type of funeral artefacts or the presence of pig skulls suggest sophisticated mortuary rituals and evoke other Southeast Asian sites. Analyses of the skeletal remains show that the sample individuals are characterized by a short stature and gracile bones. As expected given the poor bone preservation, we found very little significant evidence of pathology, including infections and trauma. The dental health pattern at Koh Ta Meas is generally good and consistent with the consumption of rice, and may suggest a gendered division of activities. Comparisons between this small group and Iron Age series from the region indicate a possible decline in dental health with the intensification of rice agriculture. An interesting pattern of intentional tooth ablation identified at Koh Ta Meas confirms the cultural continuity in the Pre-Angkorian region, as suggested by the archaeological evidence. As in other Southeast Asian skeletal samples, the health profile of the earliest inhabitants of Angkor is generally good and consistent with the adoption of rice agriculture during the Bronze Age.Keywords Bioarchaeology · Cambodia · Protohistory · Burial archaeology · Palaeopathology Résumé La fouille du site de Koh Ta Meas (Angkor, Cambodge) a révélé une nécropole partielle de l'âge du Bronze (2870 BP +/-60) comprenant 27 sépultures. Le but de cette étude est de dévoiler les plus anciens habitants connus à ce jour dans la région d'Angkor et d'accroître la connaissance des populations du Bronze ancien en Asie du Sud-Est. Les sépultures de certains individus, probablement enveloppés dans une natte, le type d'objets funéraires ou la présence de crânes de porc, suggèrent des rituels funéraires sophistiqués, évoquant d'autres sites en Asie du Sud-Est. L'analyse des ossements montre que l'échantillon se caractérise par une petite taille et des os graciles. Les os étant mal conservés, très peu de pathologies importantes -infections, trauma -ont été recensées. Le profil de santé dentaire, en général bon à Koh Ta Meas, est en accord avec la consommation de riz, et suggère une répartition sexuelle des activités. La comparaison de ce petit groupe avec des séries de l'Age du Fer de la région indique une dégradation possible de la santé dentaire avec l'intensification de la riziculture. L'identification d'ablations dentaires à Koh Ta Meas confirme la continuité culturelle suggérée par les artéfacts archéologiques du territoire préangkorien. Comme les autres populations d'Asie du Sud-Est, les premiers habitants d'Angkor ont bénéficié d'un état de santé relativement bon, cohérent avec l'adoption de la riziculture pendant la période du bronze.
Objectives: We provide the description and comparative analysis of six new teeth from the site of La Ferrassie. Our goal is to discuss their taxonomic attribution, and to provide an updated inventory of Neandertal and modern human remains from La Ferrassie in their associated archeological context. Materials and methods:We use external and internal anatomy, classic morphometrics, and geometric morphometrics. The teeth from La Ferrassie are compared to several samples of contemporary Neandertals and upper Paleolithic modern humans and to recent modern humans.Results: Three specimens are classified as Neandertals, two as modern humans, and one remains unclassified.Discussion: Based on the previously known fossil samples and the new teeth reported here, there are currently a minimum of four adult and five immature Neandertal individuals coming from the "Grand Abri" and a minimum of two modern human adult individuals: one from "Grand Abri" and one from "Grotte." It is noteworthy that the spatial distribution of the recovered Neandertal remains is not restricted to the area where the LF1-LF 8 were found but now covers the full extension of the excavated area. Moreover, while both Neandertal and modern human occupations have yielded isolated human remains, the partial-to-complete skeletons only belong to Neandertals. These considerations open new perspectives for the understanding of the occupation and use of the La Ferrassie site. K E Y W O R D S anatomically modern humans/Homo sapiens, enamel-dentine junction, microtomography, Neandertal, patrimonial collections, Pleistocene/Paleolithic
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