Revised direct radiocarbon dating of the Vindija G ₁ Upper Paleolithic Neandertals

Abstract

The 1998͞1999 direct dating of two Neandertal specimens from level G1 of Vindija Cave in Croatia to Ϸ28,000 and Ϸ29,000 radiocarbon ( 14 C) years ago has led to interpretations concerning the late survival of Neandertals in south-central Europe, patterns of interaction between Neandertals and in-dispersing early modern humans in Europe, and complex biocultural scenarios for the earlier phases of the Upper Paleolithic. Given improvements, particularly in sample pretreatment techniques for bone radiocarbon samples, especially ultrafiltration of collagen samples, these Vindija G 1 Neandertal fossils are redated to Ϸ32,000 -33,000 14 C years ago and possibly earlier. These results and the recent redating of a number of purportedly old modern human skeletal remains in Europe to younger time periods highlight the importance of fine chronological control when studying this biocultural time period and the tenuous nature of monolithic scenarios for the establishment of modern humans and earlier phases of the Upper Paleolithic in Europe.Aurignacian ͉ early modern humans ͉ Europe ͉ Late Pleistocene

The Neandertal lower right deciduous second molar from Trou de l'Abîme at Couvin, Belgium

“…This is probably one of the facts at the origin of numerous points of contention, notably regarding the passionate debate about the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in Europe (Zilhão et al, 2008;versus Mellars and Gravina, 2008), in which the chronological data are mainly obtained from 14 C dates, with subsequent complications with calibration (e.g., van der Plicht et al, 2004) and pollution (e.g., Higham et al, 2006;Krause et al, 2007). In this context, new excavations associated with careful examination of the stratigraphy and of the sedimentary dynamics should provide important elements to these debates.…”

Isotopic evidence for the diets of European Neanderthals and early modern humans

“…Since that study, there have been more isotopic studies of Neanderthals (5-9) and early modern humans (4,17,18). Importantly, we present here previously unrecorded isotopic data from an early modern human from the Peçstera cu Oase (4), which overlaps in time with the last Neanderthals (19), allowing us a direct comparison between Neanderthal and modern human diets when they were both present in Europe. Below, we summarize the current isotopic evidence for Neanderthal and modern human diets and suggest that the previously unrecorded data support our original inference that there was a shift in dietary spectra between the Neanderthals and early modern humans in Europe.…”

Direct dating of Neanderthal remains from the site of Vindija Cave and implications for the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition

“…The radiocarbon date for this sample could therefore include a higher molecular weight noncollagenous contaminant, possibly cross-linked to the collagen. On the basis of the potential problems associated with the small size of the redated samples and the potential for remaining contaminants, OxA-X-2089-06 was considered to be a minimum age (14). If the dates are even approximately correct, however, it makes them the most recent known Neanderthals.…”