Where the Grass is Greener — Large-Scale Phenological Patterns and Their Explanatory Potential for the Distribution of Paleolithic Hunter-Gatherers in Europe

Abstract

A unique property of the Paleolithic record is the possibility to observe human societies in large areas and over long periods of time. At these large spatial and temporal scales, a number of interesting phenomena can be observed, such as dynamics in the distribution of populations in relation to equally large-scale environmental patterns. In this paper, we focus on phenological patterns of vegetation and discuss their explanatory potential for differences in site densities in different periods and parts of Europe. In particular, we present a case-transferable approach to diachronically estimate the timing of the vegetation period and resulting phenological gradients. We discuss results for two complementary case studies. First, we look at the Aurignacian in Western and Central Europe, a period of dynamic population dispersal in a topographically heterogeneous region. Second, we focus on the Middle and Late Upper Paleolithic in the East European Plain, a period after the arrival of anatomically modern humans in a topographically rather uniform area. We visualize phenological trajectories and boundaries otherwise invisible in the archaeological record with certain explanatory potential for the observed archaeological patterns. Importantly, we do not intend to reconstruct specific plant communities or dispersal routes of animals or humans. Rather, we aim at highlighting gradients which in themselves and on small temporal scales might be comparatively weak, but over the course of millennia may potentially influence the distribution of animal biomass and human populations by biasing the aggregate of at times opposing actions of individuals towards particular directions.

Seasonal climate variations during Marine Isotope Stages 3 and 2 inferred from high‐resolution oxygen isotope ratios in horse tooth enamel from Lower Austria

“…The greening of the landscape, in turn, is a major incentive for movement in migratory herbivorous animals (Merkle et al, 2016). Phenological gradients in vegetation as well as migratory trajectories and the resulting large-scale distribution patterns of animal biomass create pull factors for human hunter-gatherers that differ strongly between stadial and interstadial conditions (Maier et al, 2023). Isotope data as presented in this study are crucial for a better understanding of these mediated chains of cause and effect and for refining the spatial resolution of the observations.…”

“…This alternation from cooler to warmer climatic periods had a significant impact on the population density and distribution of potential prey species for Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers. Since Palaeolithic human land-use is closely related to the occurrence of animal food resources, it also depends strongly on the underlying climatic situation and phenological patterns (D'Errico andSánchez-Goñi, 2003, Finlayson, 2004;Maier et al, 2023). The methods used to reconstruct the palaeoclimate are generally based on proxies such as sediment analyses (Brauer, 2004), pollen spectra (Chevalier et al, 2020) or mammal assemblages (Fernández and Peláez-Campomanes, 2005).…”