Bondi Cave and the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition in western Georgia (south Caucasus)

David Pleurdeau; Marie Hélène Moncel; Ron Pinhasi; Reuven Yeshurun; Tom Higham; Tamar Agapishvili; Maka Bokeria; Alexander Muskhelishvili; François Xavier Le Bourdonnec; Sébastien Nomade; Gérard Poupeau; Hervé Bocherens; Marine Frouin; Dominique Genty; Monique Pierre; Edwige Pons-Branchu; David Lordkipanidze; Nikoloz Tushabramishvili

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.06.003

Bondi Cave and the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition in western Georgia (south Caucasus)

David Pleurdeau, Marie Hélène Moncel, Ron Pinhasi, Reuven Yeshurun, Tom Higham, Tamar Agapishvili, Maka Bokeria, Alexander Muskhelishvili, François Xavier Le Bourdonnec, Sébastien Nomade, Gérard Poupeau, Hervé Bocherens, Marine Frouin, Dominique Genty, Monique Pierre, Edwige Pons-Branchu, David Lordkipanidze, Nikoloz Tushabramishvili

Department of Archaeology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The late Pleistocene expansion of anatomically modern humans (AMHs) into Eurasia and the concurrent demise of the Neanderthals appears to be a complex and regionally variable process. The southern Caucasus region, with its rich cave-sites, has recently provided important results regarding this process. In this paper we report on the results of fieldwork in Bondi Cave, Western Georgia, providing a new radiocarbon chronology, stratigraphic observations, analyses of lithic technology and provenance, faunal and floral remains as well as paleoenvironmental data. The cave includes Middle Palaeolithic (ca, 45,000 ka cal. BP) cultural horizons and a long Upper Palaeolithic sequence (ca. 40,000-27,000 cal. BP from layer V to IV). A modern human tooth was found in layer Vb. We estimate its age at 39,000-35,800 Cal BP (95.4%), based on the Bayesian age model we built. If the context of the tooth is reliable, as we think it is, this would make it the oldest morphologically modern human in the Caucasus. Upper Palaeolithic hunting of tur and bison, as well as the collection of various plants including flax is attested. Mobile Upper Palaeolithic foragers inhabited the cave in generally cold and dry periods, but a mosaic of environments, including forests and meadows, was nonetheless available to them. The archaeological sequence of Bondi and adjacent sites indicates a substantial time gap between the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic occupations, thus disproving Neanderthal-AMH interaction in this area and lending support to a replacement scenario in the southern Caucasus, assuming of course that the Early Upper Palaeolithic (EUP) is related to the arrival of AMHs.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	77-98
Number of pages	22
Journal	Quaternary Science Reviews
Volume	146
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.06.003
State	Published - 15 Aug 2016

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The radiocarbon dating, as well as funding for Higham and Frouin, was supported in part by the “PalaeoChron” project via the European Research Council (grant 324139 ). We are grateful to all staff at the Oxford Radioarbon Accelerator Unit (ORAU) for their careful analytical work. Thanks are due to S. Ali, B. Steinhilber, and C. Wißing for their technical assistance in bone stable isotope analysis in Tübingen.

Funding Information:
Fieldworks and analyses were financially supported by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs , the National Museum of Georgia, Tbilisi and the National Museum of Natural History . We wish to thank them for their support throughout this collaborative programme. Part of the dates were funded by the Science Foundation of Ireland (SFI) Research Frontiers Programme grant (Grant No. 08/RFP/EOB1478 ).

Funding Information:
EDXRF analyzes were conducted thanks to the funding offered by the “ LaScArBx research programme ” supported by the ANR ( ANR-10-LABX-52 ) and the “ Conseil Régional d’Aquitaine ”. Authors are grateful to the AGLAE team for providing all the support during PIXE analyzes.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords

C ages
Georgia
Lithic technology
Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition
Palaeoenvironment
South-Caucasus
Subsistence strategies

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Global and Planetary Change
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Archaeology
Archaeology
Geology

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10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.06.003

Cite this

Pleurdeau, D., Moncel, M. H., Pinhasi, R., Yeshurun, R., Higham, T., Agapishvili, T., Bokeria, M., Muskhelishvili, A., Le Bourdonnec, F. X., Nomade, S., Poupeau, G., Bocherens, H., Frouin, M., Genty, D., Pierre, M., Pons-Branchu, E., Lordkipanidze, D., & Tushabramishvili, N. (2016). Bondi Cave and the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition in western Georgia (south Caucasus). Quaternary Science Reviews, 146, 77-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.06.003

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title = "Bondi Cave and the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition in western Georgia (south Caucasus)",

abstract = "The late Pleistocene expansion of anatomically modern humans (AMHs) into Eurasia and the concurrent demise of the Neanderthals appears to be a complex and regionally variable process. The southern Caucasus region, with its rich cave-sites, has recently provided important results regarding this process. In this paper we report on the results of fieldwork in Bondi Cave, Western Georgia, providing a new radiocarbon chronology, stratigraphic observations, analyses of lithic technology and provenance, faunal and floral remains as well as paleoenvironmental data. The cave includes Middle Palaeolithic (ca, 45,000 ka cal. BP) cultural horizons and a long Upper Palaeolithic sequence (ca. 40,000-27,000 cal. BP from layer V to IV). A modern human tooth was found in layer Vb. We estimate its age at 39,000-35,800 Cal BP (95.4%), based on the Bayesian age model we built. If the context of the tooth is reliable, as we think it is, this would make it the oldest morphologically modern human in the Caucasus. Upper Palaeolithic hunting of tur and bison, as well as the collection of various plants including flax is attested. Mobile Upper Palaeolithic foragers inhabited the cave in generally cold and dry periods, but a mosaic of environments, including forests and meadows, was nonetheless available to them. The archaeological sequence of Bondi and adjacent sites indicates a substantial time gap between the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic occupations, thus disproving Neanderthal-AMH interaction in this area and lending support to a replacement scenario in the southern Caucasus, assuming of course that the Early Upper Palaeolithic (EUP) is related to the arrival of AMHs.",

keywords = "C ages, Georgia, Lithic technology, Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition, Palaeoenvironment, South-Caucasus, Subsistence strategies",

author = "David Pleurdeau and Moncel, {Marie H{\'e}l{\`e}ne} and Ron Pinhasi and Reuven Yeshurun and Tom Higham and Tamar Agapishvili and Maka Bokeria and Alexander Muskhelishvili and {Le Bourdonnec}, {Fran{\c c}ois Xavier} and S{\'e}bastien Nomade and G{\'e}rard Poupeau and Herv{\'e} Bocherens and Marine Frouin and Dominique Genty and Monique Pierre and Edwige Pons-Branchu and David Lordkipanidze and Nikoloz Tushabramishvili",

note = "Funding Information: The radiocarbon dating, as well as funding for Higham and Frouin, was supported in part by the “PalaeoChron” project via the European Research Council (grant 324139 ). We are grateful to all staff at the Oxford Radioarbon Accelerator Unit (ORAU) for their careful analytical work. Thanks are due to S. Ali, B. Steinhilber, and C. Wi{\ss}ing for their technical assistance in bone stable isotope analysis in T{\"u}bingen. Funding Information: Fieldworks and analyses were financially supported by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs , the National Museum of Georgia, Tbilisi and the National Museum of Natural History . We wish to thank them for their support throughout this collaborative programme. Part of the dates were funded by the Science Foundation of Ireland (SFI) Research Frontiers Programme grant (Grant No. 08/RFP/EOB1478 ). Funding Information: EDXRF analyzes were conducted thanks to the funding offered by the “ LaScArBx research programme ” supported by the ANR ( ANR-10-LABX-52 ) and the “ Conseil R{\'e}gional d{\textquoteright}Aquitaine ”. Authors are grateful to the AGLAE team for providing all the support during PIXE analyzes. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 Elsevier Ltd.",

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doi = "10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.06.003",

language = "English",

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Pleurdeau, D, Moncel, MH, Pinhasi, R, Yeshurun, R, Higham, T, Agapishvili, T, Bokeria, M, Muskhelishvili, A, Le Bourdonnec, FX, Nomade, S, Poupeau, G, Bocherens, H, Frouin, M, Genty, D, Pierre, M, Pons-Branchu, E, Lordkipanidze, D & Tushabramishvili, N 2016, 'Bondi Cave and the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition in western Georgia (south Caucasus)', Quaternary Science Reviews, vol. 146, pp. 77-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.06.003

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T1 - Bondi Cave and the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition in western Georgia (south Caucasus)

AU - Pleurdeau, David

AU - Moncel, Marie Hélène

AU - Pinhasi, Ron

AU - Yeshurun, Reuven

AU - Higham, Tom

AU - Agapishvili, Tamar

AU - Bokeria, Maka

AU - Muskhelishvili, Alexander

AU - Le Bourdonnec, François Xavier

AU - Nomade, Sébastien

AU - Poupeau, Gérard

AU - Bocherens, Hervé

AU - Frouin, Marine

AU - Genty, Dominique

AU - Pierre, Monique

AU - Pons-Branchu, Edwige

AU - Lordkipanidze, David

AU - Tushabramishvili, Nikoloz

N1 - Funding Information: The radiocarbon dating, as well as funding for Higham and Frouin, was supported in part by the “PalaeoChron” project via the European Research Council (grant 324139 ). We are grateful to all staff at the Oxford Radioarbon Accelerator Unit (ORAU) for their careful analytical work. Thanks are due to S. Ali, B. Steinhilber, and C. Wißing for their technical assistance in bone stable isotope analysis in Tübingen. Funding Information: Fieldworks and analyses were financially supported by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs , the National Museum of Georgia, Tbilisi and the National Museum of Natural History . We wish to thank them for their support throughout this collaborative programme. Part of the dates were funded by the Science Foundation of Ireland (SFI) Research Frontiers Programme grant (Grant No. 08/RFP/EOB1478 ). Funding Information: EDXRF analyzes were conducted thanks to the funding offered by the “ LaScArBx research programme ” supported by the ANR ( ANR-10-LABX-52 ) and the “ Conseil Régional d’Aquitaine ”. Authors are grateful to the AGLAE team for providing all the support during PIXE analyzes. Publisher Copyright: © 2016 Elsevier Ltd.

PY - 2016/8/15

Y1 - 2016/8/15

N2 - The late Pleistocene expansion of anatomically modern humans (AMHs) into Eurasia and the concurrent demise of the Neanderthals appears to be a complex and regionally variable process. The southern Caucasus region, with its rich cave-sites, has recently provided important results regarding this process. In this paper we report on the results of fieldwork in Bondi Cave, Western Georgia, providing a new radiocarbon chronology, stratigraphic observations, analyses of lithic technology and provenance, faunal and floral remains as well as paleoenvironmental data. The cave includes Middle Palaeolithic (ca, 45,000 ka cal. BP) cultural horizons and a long Upper Palaeolithic sequence (ca. 40,000-27,000 cal. BP from layer V to IV). A modern human tooth was found in layer Vb. We estimate its age at 39,000-35,800 Cal BP (95.4%), based on the Bayesian age model we built. If the context of the tooth is reliable, as we think it is, this would make it the oldest morphologically modern human in the Caucasus. Upper Palaeolithic hunting of tur and bison, as well as the collection of various plants including flax is attested. Mobile Upper Palaeolithic foragers inhabited the cave in generally cold and dry periods, but a mosaic of environments, including forests and meadows, was nonetheless available to them. The archaeological sequence of Bondi and adjacent sites indicates a substantial time gap between the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic occupations, thus disproving Neanderthal-AMH interaction in this area and lending support to a replacement scenario in the southern Caucasus, assuming of course that the Early Upper Palaeolithic (EUP) is related to the arrival of AMHs.

AB - The late Pleistocene expansion of anatomically modern humans (AMHs) into Eurasia and the concurrent demise of the Neanderthals appears to be a complex and regionally variable process. The southern Caucasus region, with its rich cave-sites, has recently provided important results regarding this process. In this paper we report on the results of fieldwork in Bondi Cave, Western Georgia, providing a new radiocarbon chronology, stratigraphic observations, analyses of lithic technology and provenance, faunal and floral remains as well as paleoenvironmental data. The cave includes Middle Palaeolithic (ca, 45,000 ka cal. BP) cultural horizons and a long Upper Palaeolithic sequence (ca. 40,000-27,000 cal. BP from layer V to IV). A modern human tooth was found in layer Vb. We estimate its age at 39,000-35,800 Cal BP (95.4%), based on the Bayesian age model we built. If the context of the tooth is reliable, as we think it is, this would make it the oldest morphologically modern human in the Caucasus. Upper Palaeolithic hunting of tur and bison, as well as the collection of various plants including flax is attested. Mobile Upper Palaeolithic foragers inhabited the cave in generally cold and dry periods, but a mosaic of environments, including forests and meadows, was nonetheless available to them. The archaeological sequence of Bondi and adjacent sites indicates a substantial time gap between the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic occupations, thus disproving Neanderthal-AMH interaction in this area and lending support to a replacement scenario in the southern Caucasus, assuming of course that the Early Upper Palaeolithic (EUP) is related to the arrival of AMHs.

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KW - Georgia

KW - Lithic technology

KW - Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition

KW - Palaeoenvironment

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ER -

Bondi Cave and the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition in western Georgia (south Caucasus)

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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