Editorial: Chronology, palaeoenvironments and subsistence in the Acheulean of western Europe

Abstract

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A 1 Ma sea surface temperature record from the North Atlantic and its implications for the early human occupation of Britain

“…With respect to early human occupation, the period MIS 15-13 is one of the most significant intervals as it is associated with; 1) a proliferation in the number of archaeological sites found in northwest Europe, and 2) the widespread adoption of Mode II technologies (Hosfield, 2011;Candy et al, 2015; and see Schreve et al 2015 and references therein). This is not just true for the British Isles but also for much of western and central Europe north of the Alps (See Schreve et al, 2015). It is also an important interval in the SST history of the northeast Atlantic as it is a period of uniquely prolonged warmth (see Figure 6) with moderate sea level changes.…”

Fluvial deposits as an archive of early human activity: Progress during the 20 years of the Fluvial Archives Group

“…Northern v. Southern Europe: hominins, technical behaviour, chronological and environmental contexts'. Aspects of that review of particular relevance to this present overview were published in a special issue of Journal of Quaternary Science (Schreve et al, 2015), while more technological topics in relation to handaxe form and manufacture have appeared in Quaternary International (Moncel and Schreve, 2016). Schreve et al (2015) summarized thinking in relation to the chronology and palaeoenvironments of the European hominins associated with handaxe making, with emphasis on patterns of occupation and behaviour, offering a view of the origin and dispersal of the Acheulian, from Africa through (western) Asia to Europe.…”

“…Aspects of that review of particular relevance to this present overview were published in a special issue of Journal of Quaternary Science (Schreve et al, 2015), while more technological topics in relation to handaxe form and manufacture have appeared in Quaternary International (Moncel and Schreve, 2016). Schreve et al (2015) summarized thinking in relation to the chronology and palaeoenvironments of the European hominins associated with handaxe making, with emphasis on patterns of occupation and behaviour, offering a view of the origin and dispersal of the Acheulian, from Africa through (western) Asia to Europe. The output from the Paris conference, given its theme, is of course concentrated on the 'Atlantic side' of the separation between western Europe, with its 'Mode 2' (sensu Clarke, 1969) handaxe industries, and eastern Europe, where such forms are lacking (Mode 1).…”

“…The Southern Caune de l'Arago record is one example among the earliest evidence for bifacial technology, albeit in a cave context (Barsky and Lumley, 2010;Falgu eres et al, 2015). New fieldwork and research projects on Menez-Dregan, La Grande Vall ee, Terra Amata, Ald ene, Prince Cave and Lazaret, among others, in addition to the sites in fluvial contexts, have further enriched the post-MIS 12 corpus (De Lumley, 2009;Herisson et al, 2012;Moncel et al, 2012Moncel et al, , 2015Moncel et al, , 2016cBaena et al, 2014;Ravon et al, 2015;Rossoni-Notter et al, 2015;Schreve et al, 2015;Viallet, 2015;Voinchet et al, 2015). Between MIS 11 and 9, new appearances suggest the imminent onset of behavioural changes that are seen to have occurred between MIS 9 and 7 (Early Middle Palaeolithic) with, for example, new core technologies such as Levallois, and new subsistence strategies and land-use patterns (Herisson et al, 2016;Moigne et al, 2015).…”

“…The origins of Lower Palaeolithic archaeology in NW Europe, particularly Britain and France, was predicated by the occurrence there of handaxes of the Acheulian industry, whereas further into the heart of Europe contemporaneous tool-making had relied on smaller-sized, more impoverished raw material and thus the artefact record, flakes and cores of Clarke's (1969) 'Mode 1' technology, is less conspicuous. Handaxe industries (Clarke's 'Mode 2) also occur in Iberia, North Africa and the Levant, where their appearance was evidently earlier and perhaps part of a south-to-north spread of technology (see Schreve et al, 2015 for a recent review and source of references). In India and the wider S & E of Africa, Acheulian industries are perhaps largely separate from and of greater antiquity than those in Europe (see below), whereas the Mode 1 industries are globally more widespread and probably of the greatest longevity (e.g.…”