Experience based reading of Pleistocene human footprints in Pech-Merle

Pastoors, Andreas; Lenssen-Erz, Tilman; Breuckmann, Bernd; Ciqae, Tsamkxao; Kxunta, Ui; Rieke‐Zapp, Dirk; Thao, Thui

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2016.02.056

Cited by 28 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Our study also confirms that very young children actively participated in the activities of the Upper Palaeolithic populations, even in seemingly dangerous tasks, such as the deep exploration of the cave environment lit only with torches. As recently suggested for other European caves (Pastoors et al, 2015; Pastoors et al, 2017; Ledoux et al, 2017) the ‘Grotta della Bàsura’ site strongly supports the hypothesis that the cave exploration in Upper Paleolithic was carried out by groups of heterogeneous age and gender.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

A multidisciplinary approach to a unique palaeolithic human ichnological record from Italy (Bàsura Cave)

Romano

Citton

Salvador

et al. 2019

eLife

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Based on the integration of laser scans, sedimentology, geochemistry, archeobotany, geometric morphometrics and photogrammetry, here we present evidence testifying that a Palaeolithic group of people explored a deep cave in northern Italy about 14 ky cal. BP. Ichnological data enable us to shed light on individual and group level behavior, social relationship, and mode of exploration of the uneven terrain. Five individuals, two adults, an adolescent and two children, entered the cave barefoot and illuminated the way with a bunch of wooden sticks. Traces of crawling locomotion are documented for the first time in the global human ichnological record. Anatomical details recognizable in the crawling traces show that no clothing was present between limbs and the trampled sediments. Our study demonstrates that very young children (the youngest about 3 years old) were active members of the Upper Palaeolithic populations, even in apparently dangerous and social activities.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

A multidisciplinary approach to a unique palaeolithic human ichnological record from Italy (Bàsura Cave)

Romano

Citton

Salvador

et al. 2019

eLife

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Our study also confirms that very young children were active members during the activities of the Upper Palaeolithic populations, even in seemingly dangerous tasks, such as the deep exploration of the cave environment lit only with torches. As recently suggested for other European caves (Pastoors et al, 2015(Pastoors et al, , 2017Ledoux et al, 2017) the 'Grotta della Bàsura' site strongly supports the hypothesis that the cave exploration in Upper Paleolithic was carried out by heterogeneous groups.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

A multidisciplinary approach to a unique Palaeolithic human ichnological record from Italy (Bàsura Cave)

Romano

Citton

Salvador

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Based on the integration of laser scan, sedimentology, geochemistry, archeobotany, geometric morphometrics and photogrammetry, here we present evidence testifying a Palaeolithic group that explored a deep cave in northern Italy about 14 ky cal. BP. Ichnological data enable us to shed light on individual and group level behavior, social relationship and mode of exploration of the highly uneven environment. Five individuals, two adults, an adolescent and two children, entered the cave barefoot and with a set of wood chips to illuminate the way. Traces of crawling locomotion are documented for the first time in the global human ichnological record. The anatomic details recognizable in the crawling traces show that no garment was interposed between the limb and the trampled sediments. Our study demonstrate that very young children (the youngest less than three years old) were active members in the Upper Palaeolithic populations, even in seemingly dangerous activities and social ones.

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“…Footprints have previously provided biological profile information on hominins from Laetoli, Tanzania (3 My BP; [15]); Ileret, Kenya (1.5 My BP; [16]); and Happisburgh, United Kingdom (1 My BP; [17]). More recent prehistoric human footprints were also studied in the cave of Pech-Merle, France [4]; in Willandra Lakes, Australia (13 to 23 ky BP; [18]); in Acahualinca, Nicaragua (4th millennium BCE; [19]); and in Jaguar Cave, Tennessee (3rd millennium BCE; [20]). However, the present work seems to be innovative in systematically estimating biological profile variables from footprints and shoeprints of Roman archaeological context.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Handprints and footprints are examples of this. In the archaeological context, these marks can suggest the profile of individuals involved in prehistoric art, for example [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological Profile Estimation Based on Footprints and Shoeprints from Bracara Augusta Figlinae (Brick Workshops)

Marado

Ribeiro

2018

Heritage

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Biological profile estimation is an important task of biological and forensic anthropologists. This includes sex, age, ancestry, and body morphology. In bioarchaeology, the biological profile is useful to analyze paleodemography, secular trends, paleopathology, and genetic processes, for example. Foot dimensions, footprints, and shoeprints can vary according to stature, age, sex, and body weight. The objective is to estimate these parameters in possible laterarii (brickworkers) from five footprints and seven shoeprints found in Roman bricks from Bracara Augusta. Estimation methods were applied to footprint and shoeprint measurements concerning foot length, foot breath, heel breadth, and length from heel to each finger. Three non-adult individuals were aged 1 to 4/5 years and were between 79.7 and 112.5 cm (±7.7 cm) tall. Five adults were likely female individuals, with statures between 144.2 and 159.9 cm. Methods were selected from samples preferably biologically similar to Portuguese people. This pioneer analysis provides biological insight on the Bracara Augusta laterarii and the population inhabiting Northwestern Iberia during Roman times. As a result of taphonomic constraints (cremation, soil acidity, and humidity), coeval osteological materials are hardly recovered, which further increases the relevance of this approach. Future research on methods based on Portuguese foot dimensions is essential.

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Experience based reading of Pleistocene human footprints in Pech-Merle

Cited by 28 publications

References 27 publications

A multidisciplinary approach to a unique palaeolithic human ichnological record from Italy (Bàsura Cave)

A multidisciplinary approach to a unique palaeolithic human ichnological record from Italy (Bàsura Cave)

A multidisciplinary approach to a unique Palaeolithic human ichnological record from Italy (Bàsura Cave)

Biological Profile Estimation Based on Footprints and Shoeprints from Bracara Augusta Figlinae (Brick Workshops)

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