Early invaders - Farmers, the granary weevil and other uninvited guests in the Neolithic

The Neolithic and the spread of agriculture saw several introductions of insect species associated with the environments and activities of the first farmers. Fossil insect research from the Neolithic lake settlement of Dispilio in Macedonia, northern Greece, provides evidence for the early European introduction of a flightless weevil, the granary weevil, Sitophilus granarius, which has since become cosmopolitan and one of the most important pests of stored cereals. The records of the granary weevil from the Middle Neolithic in northern Greece illuminate the significance of surplus storage for the spread of agriculture. The granary weevil and the house fly, Musca domestica were also introduced in the Neolithic of central Europe, with the expansion of Linear Band Keramik (LBK) culture groups. This paper reviews Neolithic insect introductions in Europe, including storage pests, discusses their distribution during different periods and the reasons behind the trends observed. Storage farming may be differentiated from pastoral farming on the basis of insect introductions arriving with incoming agricultural groups

Contacts in the last 90,000 years over the Strait of Gibraltar evidenced by genetic analysis of wild boar (Sus scrofa)

[EN] Contacts across the Strait of Gibraltar in the Pleistocene have been studied in different research papers, which have demonstrated that this apparent barrier has been permeable to human and fauna movements in both directions. Our study, based on the genetic analysis of wild boar (Sus scrofa), suggests that there has been contact between Africa and Europe through the Strait of Gibraltar in the Late Pleistocene (at least in the last 90,000 years), as shown by the partial analysis of mitochondrial DNA. Cytochrome b and the control region from North African wild boar indicate a close relationship with European wild boar, and even some specimens belong to a common haplotype in Europe. The analyses suggest the transformation of the wild boar phylogeography in North Africa by the emergence of a natural communication route in times when sea levels fell due to climatic changes, and possibly through human action, since contacts coincide with both the Last Glacial period and the increasing human dispersion via the strait.This study was supported by The Emirates Centre for Wildlife Propagation (Morocco). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Soria-Boix, C.; Donat-Torres, MP.; Urios, V. (2017). Contacts in the last 90,000 years over the Strait of Gibraltar evidenced by genetic analysis of wild boar (Sus scrofa). PLoS ONE. 12(7). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181929S12

Late Quaternary sea-level change and early human societies in the central and eastern Mediterranean Basin : an interdisciplinary review

This article reviews key data and debates focused on relative sea-level changes since the Last Interglacial (approximately the last 132,000 years) in the Mediterranean Basin, and their implications for past human populations. Geological and geomorphological landscape studies are critical to archaeology. Coastal regions provide a wide range of resources to the populations that inhabit them. Coastal landscapes are increasingly the focus of scholarly discussions from the earliest exploitation of littoral resources and early hominin cognition, to the inundation of the earliest permanently settled fishing villages and eventually, formative centres of urbanisation. In the Mediterranean, these would become hubs of maritime transportation that gave rise to the roots of modern seaborne trade. As such, this article represents an original review of both the geo-scientific and archaeological data that specifically relate to sea-level changes and resulting impacts on both physical and cultural landscapes from the Palaeolithic until the emergence of the Classical periods. Our review highlights that the interdisciplinary links between coastal archaeology, geomorphology and sea-level changes are important to explain environmental impacts on coastal human societies and human migration. We review geological indicators of sea level and outline how archaeological features are commonly used as proxies for measuring past sea levels, both gradual changes and catastrophic events. We argue that coastal archaeologists should, as a part of their analyses, incorporate important sea-level concepts, such as indicative meaning. The interpretation of the indicative meaning of Roman fishtanks, for example, plays a critical role in reconstructions of late Holocene Mediterranean sea levels. We identify avenues for future work, which include the consideration of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) in addition to coastal tectonics to explain vertical movements of coastlines, more research on Palaeolithic island colonisation, broadening of Palaeolithic studies to include materials from the entire coastal landscape and not just coastal resources, a focus on rescue of archaeological sites under threat by coastal change, and expansion of underwater archaeological explorations in combination with submarine geomorphology. This article presents a collaborative synthesis of data, some of which have been collected and analysed by the authors, as the MEDFLOOD (MEDiterranean sea-level change and projection for future FLOODing) community, and highlights key sites, data, concepts and ongoing debates

Black Fish Bones in Waterlogged Deposits: The Case of the Neolithic Lake Settlement of Dispilio, Greece

The identification of burnt bones in archaeological sites is important as it provides evidence of human-processing activities and fire-related episodes. Past zooarchaeological analyses of burnt fish and mammal bones were mostly based on macroscopic features, such as bone color and structure, and microscopic features, such as crystallinity. Such studies, however, have shown that black coloring of bones can be caused not only by burning, but also by natural mineral staining. Therefore, it is essential to develop analytical techniques for the identification of burnt bones. This paper presents preliminary results from an interdisciplinary study on the possible causes of the «black-colored bones» recovered at the Neolithic lakeside settlement of Dispilio, Greece (5500–3500 B.C.). The frequent occurrence of charcoal and burnt cultural remains in the lower layers of the deposit suggested that the first village was destroyed by fire, followed by a period of site abandonment. Nevertheless, although fish bones are often reddish/ black in color in archaeological deposits, macroscopic examination of these remains suggested that less than 6% were burnt and that their coloring was caused by waterlogged depositional conditions. These observations are of great significance in reassessing the nature of the so-called «destruction level». Selected fish bones were examined through Optical and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Microanalysis (EDXA), and Infrared Spectroscopy (IR). The alterations observed on fish bone histology, mineralogy, chemistry, and crystallinity due to diagenesis and/or possible burning are presented and their correlation to the archaeological context discussed.La identificación de huesos quemados en yacimientos arqueológicos es importante por proporcionar evidencia tanto sobre actividades humanas de procesado como de episodios de incendio. Análisis zooarqueológicos previos sobre huesos quemados de peces y mamíferos se concentraron sobre todo en rasgos macroscópicos como el color y la estructura y rasgos microscópicos como la cristalización. Tales estudios, no obstante, demuestran que las coloraciones negras en los huesos pueden no solo ser debidas a termo-alteraciones sino también a tinciones minerales. Es por ello esencial desarrollar técnicas analíticas para la identificación de huesos quemados. Este trabajo presenta los resultados preliminares de un estudio interdisciplinar sobre las posibles causas de los «huesos negros» recuperados en el asentamiento lacustre neolítico de Dispilio, Grecia (5.500-3.500 a.C.). La frecuencia de carbones y restos culturales quemados en las capas más bajas del depósito sugieren que la primera ocupación fue destruida por el fuego y seguida por un periodo de abandono. No obstante y aunque con frecuencia los huesos de peces son de un color negro-rojizo, el examen macroscópico de estos restos apunta a que menos del 6% se encontraban quemados y que su coloración era debida a las condiciones del depósito saturado en agua. Estas observaciones son de gran importancia para valorar la naturaleza del llamado «nivel de destrucción». Los huesos de peces seleccionados fueron examinados a través de microscopia óptica y de barrido (SEM), microanálisis radiográficos (EDXA) y espectroscopia de infrarrojos (IR). Las alteraciones observadas en la histología, mineralogía, química y cristalografía debidas a la diagénesis y/o a posibles alteraciones, se presentan y valoran en función del contexto arqueológico