Bitumen as a hafting material on Middle Palaeolithic artefacts

Boëda, Éric; Connan, Jacques; Dessort, Daniel; Muhesen, Sultan; Mercier, Norbert; Valladas, Hélène; Tisnerat, Nadine

doi:10.1038/380336a0

Cited by 202 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Neanderthals have capitate-to-MC 2 and capitate-to-MC 3 articulations that tend to have reduced MC 3 styloid process projection and parasagittally rather than obliquely oriented MC 2 capitate facets (18,19,26). Despite archeological evidence for occasional hafting of Neanderthal-associated Middle Paleolithic tools (32)(33)(34)(35), the above suite of features indicates that the Neanderthals probably did not use hafted tools that required the habitual use of oblique power grips. It may well be that an emphasis on woodworking, either with hand-held stone flakes or with flakes hafted into the distal rather than lateral aspects of handles, which were then held transversely across the palm of the hand, could account for many unique aspects of Neanderthal hand functional anatomy.…”

Section: Neanderthal and Upper Paleolithic Human Hand Functional Anatomymentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioral inferences from the Skhul/Qafzeh early modern human hand remains

Niewoehner

2001

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Two groups of humans are found in the Near East Ϸ100,000 years ago, the late archaic Neanderthals and the early modern Skhul͞ Qafzeh humans. Observations that Neanderthals were more heavily muscled, had stronger upper-limb bones, and possessed unusual shapes and orientations of some upper-limb joint complexes relative to the Skhul͞Qafzeh hominids, have led some researchers to conclude that significant between-group upperlimb-related behavioral differences must have been present, despite the association of the two groups with similar Middle Paleolithic archeological complexes. A three-dimensional morphometric analysis of the hand remains of the Skhul͞Qafzeh hominids, Neanderthals, early and late Upper Paleolithic humans, and Holocene humans supports the dichotomy. The Skhul͞Qafzeh carpometacarpal remains do not have any unique morphologies relative to the other fossil samples remains examined. However, in the functionally significant metacarpal 1 and 3 bases they resemble Upper Paleolithic humans, not Neanderthals. Furthermore, the Skhul͞Qafzeh sample differs significantly from the Neanderthals in many other aspects of hand functional anatomy. Given the correlations between changes in tool technologies and functional adaptations seen in the hands of Upper Paleolithic humans, it is concluded that the Skhul͞Qafzeh hand remains were adapted to Upper Paleolithic-like manipulative repertoires. These results support the inference of significant behavioral differences between Neanderthals and the Skhul͞Qafzeh hominids and indicate that a significant shift in human manipulative behaviors was associated with the earliest stages of the emergence of modern humans.

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Section: Neanderthal and Upper Paleolithic Human Hand Functional Anatomymentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioral inferences from the Skhul/Qafzeh early modern human hand remains

Niewoehner

2001

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…65-90 kya), provide some of the earliest evidence of abstract art, blade tools, barbed bone harpoon points and marine shell personal ornaments [22]. This era provides further evidence of composite tool use, such as hafting implements from 40 kya [23] and awls (see Hayden [24]) probably used in the production of sewn clothing. Sometime between 35 and 45 kya, there is a change in the archaeological records of our species, associated with more elaborate and standardized tool kits (blades, chisels, scrapers, points, knives, drills, borers, throwing sticks, needles); tools made from antler, ivory, and bone; raw materials transported over long distances; construction of elaborate shelters; creation of art and ornaments, ritualized burials, etc.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…A number of distinct hypotheses have been proposed concerning the cognitive capabilities, or social conditions, thought to be necessary for cumulative culture [29]. These explanations include a hypothesized critical dependency of cumulative culture on teaching, language or imitation [1,12], features of social structure that mitigate against the spread of superior solutions, including scrounging, the tendency of dominants to monopolize resources or a lack of attention to low-status inventors [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32], and very large social networks that may enhance cultural diversity and promote cumulative culture [33]. Tomasello [1,12,34] has argued that it is the high fidelity with which information is passed between humans, through our use of accurate imitation, language and teaching, that has uniquely led to cultural ratcheting.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transmission fidelity is the key to the build-up of cumulative culture

Lewis

Laland

2012

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

250

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Many animals have socially transmitted behavioural traditions, but human culture appears unique in that it is cumulative, i.e. human cultural traits increase in diversity and complexity over time. It is often suggested that high-fidelity cultural transmission is necessary for cumulative culture to occur through refinement, a process known as 'ratcheting', but this hypothesis has never been formally evaluated. We discuss processes of information transmission and loss of traits from a cognitive viewpoint alongside other cultural processes of novel invention (generation of entirely new traits), modification (refinement of existing traits) and combination (bringing together two established traits to generate a new trait). We develop a simple cultural transmission model that does not assume major evolutionary changes (e.g. in brain architecture) and show that small changes in the fidelity with which information is passed between individuals can lead to cumulative culture. In comparison, modification and combination have a lesser influence on, and novel invention appears unimportant to, the ratcheting process. Our findings support the idea that high-fidelity transmission is the key driver of human cumulative culture, and that progress in cumulative culture depends more on trait combination than novel invention or trait modification.

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“…For example, the Châtelperronian stone tools recovered from the site of St. Césaire are relatively small and exhibit retouched, blunt edges. To attain the kinetic energy necessary to penetrate bone, considerable acceleration, probably through hafting (17), would have been essential. Implications regarding the nature of the weaponry are complicated by the fact that the function of Châtelperronian implements is poorly understood and the preserved stone industry probably represents a small fraction of the actual in vivo spectrum of available tools.…”

Section: Behavioral Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for interpersonal violence in the St. Césaire Neanderthal

Zollikofer

León

Vandermeersch

et al. 2002

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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The St. Cé saire 1 Neanderthal skeleton of a young adult individual is unique in its association with Châ telperronian artifacts from a level dated to ca. 36,000 years ago. Computer-tomographic imaging and computer-assisted reconstruction of the skull revealed a healed fracture in the cranial vault. When paleopathological and forensic diagnostic standards are applied, the bony scar bears direct evidence for the impact of a sharp implement, which was presumably directed toward the individual during an act of interpersonal violence. These findings add to the evidence that Neanderthals used implements not only for hunting and food processing, but also in other behavioral contexts. It is hypothesized that the high intra-group damage potential inherent to weapons might have represented a major factor during the evolution of hominid social behavior.Châ telperronian ͉ paleopathology ͉ tool use ͉ trauma ͉ computer tomography T he St. Césaire 1 Neanderthal partial skeleton was discovered in 1979 at the site of La Roche à Pierrot (near the village of St. Césaire, Charente Maritime, France), a collapsed rock shelter comprising a sequence of Mousterian, Châtelperronian, and Aurignacian deposits (1). The skeleton was recovered from level E J0P (1), which contains a Châtelperronian assemblage thermoluminescence-dated to Ϸ36,000 years ago (2, 3). This ensemble represented the first direct evidence for the association of Neanderthals with Châtelperronian implements. Together with a similar association from the site of Arcy-sur-Cure (4), these finds spurred an intense and ongoing debate over the evolutionary, paleodemographic, and cultural relationships between local Neanderthal populations and the early modern human (EMH) newcomers during the early Upper Paleolithic in Europe.The St. Césaire 1 skeleton is fragmented and partially eroded, but the reconstructed craniomandibular and long bone diaphyseal morphology permitted significant inferences regarding the phyletic status and behavioral specializations of this individual. The craniomandibular morphology of the specimen largely corresponds to the ''classical'' Neanderthal type (5). Tooth microwear analysis suggests a meat-rich diet comparable to that of earlier Neanderthals and modern hunting societies (6). The morphology of the well-preserved right femoral shaft indicates Neanderthal-type hyperarctic body proportions, but crosssectional biomechanical analysis suggests locomotor patterns closer to those of EMH than of classic Neanderthals (7).Here we report on recently discovered paleopathological aspects of the morphology of the fossil. During computerassisted reconstruction of the skull, we detected a healed fracture in the cranial vault. When paleopathological diagnostic standards (8, 9) are applied, this bony scar bears direct evidence for the impact of a sharp implement, which may have been directed toward the individual during an act of interpersonal violence. We discuss the possible behavioral context of this evidence and its implications for hominid behavior during the ...

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Bitumen as a hafting material on Middle Palaeolithic artefacts

Cited by 202 publications

References 6 publications

Behavioral inferences from the Skhul/Qafzeh early modern human hand remains

Behavioral inferences from the Skhul/Qafzeh early modern human hand remains

Transmission fidelity is the key to the build-up of cumulative culture

Evidence for interpersonal violence in the St. Césaire Neanderthal

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