Using cryptotephra to link Neanderthal and AMH Middle Paleolithic sites in NW Italy
Establishing robust and reliable chronologies at archaeological sites is essential for understanding the sequence and timing of past events. At Middle and Upper Paleolithic sites like Arma Veirana and Riparo Bombrini, robust chronologies are especially important for answering questions regarding the...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Other Authors: | , |
Format: | Conference Object |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Romanian Academy
2018
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/11567/935232 |
id |
ftunivgenova:oai:iris.unige.it:11567/935232 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivgenova:oai:iris.unige.it:11567/935232 2024-01-28T10:06:48+01:00 Using cryptotephra to link Neanderthal and AMH Middle Paleolithic sites in NW Italy Hirniak, Jayde Smith, Eugene Johnsen, Racheal Fitch, Shelby Orr, Caley Strait, David Ren, Minghua Miller, CHRISTOPHER E. Negrino, Fabio RIEL-SALVATORE, Julien Peresani, Marco Benazzi, Stefano GRAVEL-MIGUEL, Claudine Marean, Curtis Hodgkins, Jamie Hambach U., Veres D. Hirniak, Jayde Smith, Eugene Johnsen, Racheal Fitch, Shelby Orr, Caley Strait, David Ren, Minghua Miller, CHRISTOPHER E. Negrino, Fabio RIEL-SALVATORE, Julien Peresani, Marco Benazzi, Stefano GRAVEL-MIGUEL, Claudine Marean, Curti Hodgkins, Jamie 2018 STAMPA http://hdl.handle.net/11567/935232 eng eng Romanian Academy country:ROU place:Bucarest ispartofbook:Crossing New Frontiers - INTAV International Field Conference on Tephrochronology. Tephra Hunt in Transylvania. INTAV International Field Conference on Tephrochronology firstpage:113 lastpage:114 numberofpages:2 http://hdl.handle.net/11567/935232 info:eu-repo/semantics/conferenceObject 2018 ftunivgenova 2024-01-03T17:57:38Z Establishing robust and reliable chronologies at archaeological sites is essential for understanding the sequence and timing of past events. At Middle and Upper Paleolithic sites like Arma Veirana and Riparo Bombrini, robust chronologies are especially important for answering questions regarding the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition in Europe. Arma Veirana is located in the Ligurian pre-Alps of northwest Italy and Riparo Bombrini is located along the Mediterranean coast, about 80 km away. Both sites have deposits that overlap in age and contain cultural industries attributed to Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans (AMH). Stratigraphic evidence suggests that Neanderthals may have been present at Arma Veirana while AMHs were present at Riparo Bombrini, making it an ideal area to understand the interactions and dynamics of these two species during a key transitional phase. Cryptotephra, also known as microscopic volcanic ash, were recently identified at Arma Veirana in a stratigraphic unit known as the Black Mousterian (BM). AMS radiocarbon dates of charcoal samples collected in the BM, range from 43,781 to 43,121 (68.2%) cal. Yr. BP. Because these dates are close to the measurement limit of radiocarbon, the presence of cryptotephra provides a way to test these existing dates as well as establish a precise isochron to correlate with other sites. Major element chemistry obtained by electron microprobe indicate that the shards found in the BM layers are high silica rhyolite (>75 wt. %) with FeO < 1 wt.%. Trace elements by LA-ICP-MS show depletions in Ba, Sr, and Eu and an enrichment in Th, U and Pb. Both major and trace chemistries show unique geochemical signatures and are rare for volcanoes in the central Mediterranean region. The source volcano is currently unknown; however, this unique chemistry eliminates volcanoes from Iceland, North America, Canaries or Azores, and Aeolian Islands. Potential source volcanoes are located in Turkey (Acigol Dagi Volcano), the Carpathian Mountains (Ciomadul ... Conference Object Iceland Università degli Studi di Genova: CINECA IRIS |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Università degli Studi di Genova: CINECA IRIS |
op_collection_id |
ftunivgenova |
language |
English |
description |
Establishing robust and reliable chronologies at archaeological sites is essential for understanding the sequence and timing of past events. At Middle and Upper Paleolithic sites like Arma Veirana and Riparo Bombrini, robust chronologies are especially important for answering questions regarding the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition in Europe. Arma Veirana is located in the Ligurian pre-Alps of northwest Italy and Riparo Bombrini is located along the Mediterranean coast, about 80 km away. Both sites have deposits that overlap in age and contain cultural industries attributed to Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans (AMH). Stratigraphic evidence suggests that Neanderthals may have been present at Arma Veirana while AMHs were present at Riparo Bombrini, making it an ideal area to understand the interactions and dynamics of these two species during a key transitional phase. Cryptotephra, also known as microscopic volcanic ash, were recently identified at Arma Veirana in a stratigraphic unit known as the Black Mousterian (BM). AMS radiocarbon dates of charcoal samples collected in the BM, range from 43,781 to 43,121 (68.2%) cal. Yr. BP. Because these dates are close to the measurement limit of radiocarbon, the presence of cryptotephra provides a way to test these existing dates as well as establish a precise isochron to correlate with other sites. Major element chemistry obtained by electron microprobe indicate that the shards found in the BM layers are high silica rhyolite (>75 wt. %) with FeO < 1 wt.%. Trace elements by LA-ICP-MS show depletions in Ba, Sr, and Eu and an enrichment in Th, U and Pb. Both major and trace chemistries show unique geochemical signatures and are rare for volcanoes in the central Mediterranean region. The source volcano is currently unknown; however, this unique chemistry eliminates volcanoes from Iceland, North America, Canaries or Azores, and Aeolian Islands. Potential source volcanoes are located in Turkey (Acigol Dagi Volcano), the Carpathian Mountains (Ciomadul ... |
author2 |
Hambach U., Veres D. Hirniak, Jayde Smith, Eugene Johnsen, Racheal Fitch, Shelby Orr, Caley Strait, David Ren, Minghua Miller, CHRISTOPHER E. Negrino, Fabio RIEL-SALVATORE, Julien Peresani, Marco Benazzi, Stefano GRAVEL-MIGUEL, Claudine Marean, Curti Hodgkins, Jamie |
format |
Conference Object |
author |
Hirniak, Jayde Smith, Eugene Johnsen, Racheal Fitch, Shelby Orr, Caley Strait, David Ren, Minghua Miller, CHRISTOPHER E. Negrino, Fabio RIEL-SALVATORE, Julien Peresani, Marco Benazzi, Stefano GRAVEL-MIGUEL, Claudine Marean, Curtis Hodgkins, Jamie |
spellingShingle |
Hirniak, Jayde Smith, Eugene Johnsen, Racheal Fitch, Shelby Orr, Caley Strait, David Ren, Minghua Miller, CHRISTOPHER E. Negrino, Fabio RIEL-SALVATORE, Julien Peresani, Marco Benazzi, Stefano GRAVEL-MIGUEL, Claudine Marean, Curtis Hodgkins, Jamie Using cryptotephra to link Neanderthal and AMH Middle Paleolithic sites in NW Italy |
author_facet |
Hirniak, Jayde Smith, Eugene Johnsen, Racheal Fitch, Shelby Orr, Caley Strait, David Ren, Minghua Miller, CHRISTOPHER E. Negrino, Fabio RIEL-SALVATORE, Julien Peresani, Marco Benazzi, Stefano GRAVEL-MIGUEL, Claudine Marean, Curtis Hodgkins, Jamie |
author_sort |
Hirniak, Jayde |
title |
Using cryptotephra to link Neanderthal and AMH Middle Paleolithic sites in NW Italy |
title_short |
Using cryptotephra to link Neanderthal and AMH Middle Paleolithic sites in NW Italy |
title_full |
Using cryptotephra to link Neanderthal and AMH Middle Paleolithic sites in NW Italy |
title_fullStr |
Using cryptotephra to link Neanderthal and AMH Middle Paleolithic sites in NW Italy |
title_full_unstemmed |
Using cryptotephra to link Neanderthal and AMH Middle Paleolithic sites in NW Italy |
title_sort |
using cryptotephra to link neanderthal and amh middle paleolithic sites in nw italy |
publisher |
Romanian Academy |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11567/935232 |
genre |
Iceland |
genre_facet |
Iceland |
op_relation |
ispartofbook:Crossing New Frontiers - INTAV International Field Conference on Tephrochronology. Tephra Hunt in Transylvania. INTAV International Field Conference on Tephrochronology firstpage:113 lastpage:114 numberofpages:2 http://hdl.handle.net/11567/935232 |
_version_ |
1789333927268188160 |