Jacques Jaubert

Isotopic dietary analysis of a Neanderthal and associated fauna from the site of Jonzac (Charente-Maritime), France.

We report here on the isotopic analysis (carbon and nitrogen) of collagen extracted from a Neanderthal tooth and animal bone from the late Mousterian site of Jonzac (Charente-Maritime, France). This study was undertaken to test whether the isotopic evidence indicates that animal protein was the main source of dietary protein for this relatively late Neanderthal, as suggested by previous studies. This was of particular interest here because this is the first isotopic study of a relatively late Neanderthal associated with Mousterian of Acheulian Tradition (MTA, dating to approximately 55,000 to 40,000 BP) technology. We found that the Jonzac Neanderthal had isotopic values consistent with a diet in which the main protein sources were large herbivores, particularly bovids and horses. We also found evidence of different dietary niches between the Neanderthal and a hyena at the site, with the hyena consuming mainly reindeer.

Strontium isotope evidence for migration in late Pleistocene Rangifer: Implications for Neanderthal hunting strategies at the Middle Palaeolithic site of Jonzac, France

In order to understand the behaviours and subsistence choices of Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers, it is essential to understand the behavioural ecology of their prey. Here, we present strontium isotope data from sequentially-sampled enamel from three reindeer (Rangifer tarandus ssp.) and a single bison (Bison cf. priscus) from the late Middle Palaeolithic site of Jonzac (Chez-Pinaud), France. The results are used to investigate the ranging and migratory behaviours of these important prey species. We found that the bison had isotope values most consistent with a local range, while the three reindeer had values indicating a seasonal migration pattern. Due to the similarity of the patterning of two of the three reindeer and in conjunction with zooarchaeological results, we suggest that they may have been from the same herd, were likely killed around the same point during their seasonal round and may therefore be the product of a single hunting event or a small number of successive hunting events. The isotope analyses complement the zooarchaeological data and have allowed greater insight into the palaeoecology of these species, the palaeoenvironment, and Neanderthal site use and hunting strategies.

Early Neanderthal constructions deep in Bruniquel Cave in southwestern France

Very little is known about Neanderthal cultures, particularly early ones. Other than lithic implements and exceptional bone tools, very few artefacts have been preserved. While those that do remain include red and black pigments and burial sites, these indications of modernity are extremely sparse and few have been precisely dated, thus greatly limiting our knowledge of these predecessors of modern humans. Here we report the dating of annular constructions made of broken stalagmites found deep in Bruniquel Cave in southwest France. The regular geometry of the stalagmite circles, the arrangement of broken stalagmites and several traces of fire demonstrate the anthropogenic origin of these constructions. Uranium-series dating of stalagmite regrowths on the structures and on burnt bone, combined with the dating of stalagmite tips in the structures, give a reliable and replicated age of 176.5 thousand years (±2.1 thousand years), making these edifices among the oldest known well-dated constructions made by humans. Their presence at 336 metres from the entrance of the cave indicates that humans from this period had already mastered the underground environment, which can be considered a major step in human modernity.

Le paléolithique moyen de la haute vallée du Kasakh (Arménie): caractérisation technologique et peuplement de montagne

L’article livre le resultat d’une serie de prospections (2003-2007), doublees le cas echeant de sondages pour une zone d’Armenie jusqu’a present quasi-inedite quant aux modalites de peuplement pleistocene. La region correspond a la haute vallee du Kasakh avec des sites s’etageant entre 1855 et 2302 m d’altitude entre differents edifices volcaniques. Malgre l’altitude, elle est remarquable par la presence de facteurs propices aux occupations pleistocenes : abondance d’une excellente matiere premiere (obsidienne), structures d’accueil naturelles avec une geomorphologie favorable aux etablissements humains, paleolacs et omnipresence de l’eau. Le parametre biotique est helas absent, de meme que les donnees chronostratigraphiques, mais la densite de sites, leur originalite et la qualite des series recueillies signent une discrete presence de l’Acheuleen s. l., mais surtout une ou plusieurs phases du Paleolithique moyen. Le Paleolithique superieur est absent. Pour le Paleolithique moyen, les schemas de production sont largement domines par les methodes Levallois avec plusieurs modalites : unipolaire convergent – y compris a pointe –, laminaire, centripete, etc. L’outillage cadre assez bien avec le bilan connu pour le Paleolithique moyen du Sud Caucase et les rapprochements nous menent vers des schemas comparatifs contemporains de phases clementes de l’OIS 5, eventuellement de l’OIS 3.

Environments and societies of small Caucasus (Armenia) in the light of the Quaternary climatic changes and landscape mutations

(1) Laboratoire Méditerranéen de Préhistoire Europe Afrique, UMR 6636, Aix-en-Provence, France (2) Department of Cartography and Geomorphology , Yerevan State University, Armenia (3) Centre de Bio-Archéologie et d’Ecologie, UMR 5059, Montpellier, France (4) Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (5) UMR 5125 PEPS, Université Lyon 1, Bt Géode, Lyon Cedex, France (6) Maison de l’Orient, UMR 5133 Archéorient, Lyon, France (7) UMR 5808, Institut de Préhistoire et de Géologie du Quaternaire, Bordeaux, France (8) Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia.