Jörg Orschiedt

2000 Years of Parallel Societies in Stone Age Central Europe

Farming or Fishing Evidence has been mounting that most modern European populations originated from the immigration of farmers who displaced the hunter-gatherers of the Mesolithic. Bollongino et al. (p. 479, published online 10 October) present analyses of palaeogenetic and isotopic data from Neolithic human skeletons from the Blätterhöhle burial site in Germany. The analyses identify a Neolithic freshwater fish–eating hunter-gatherer group, living contemporaneously and in close proximity to a Neolithic farming group. While there is some evidence that hunter-gatherer women may have admixed into the farming population, it appears likely that marriage or cultural boundaries between the groups persisted for over two millennia. Thus, the transition from the Mesolithic involved a more complex pattern of coexistence among humans of different genetic origins and cultures in the Neolithic, rather than a more abrupt transition. Genetic and isotopic evidence document changes occurring in Europe during the Neolithic era. Debate on the ancestry of Europeans centers on the interplay between Mesolithic foragers and Neolithic farmers. Foragers are generally believed to have disappeared shortly after the arrival of agriculture. To investigate the relation between foragers and farmers, we examined Mesolithic and Neolithic samples from the Blätterhöhle site. Mesolithic mitochondrial DNA sequences were typical of European foragers, whereas the Neolithic sample included additional lineages that are associated with early farmers. However, isotope analyses separate the Neolithic sample into two groups: one with an agriculturalist diet and one with a forager and freshwater fish diet, the latter carrying mitochondrial DNA sequences typical of Mesolithic hunter-gatherers. This indicates that the descendants of Mesolithic people maintained a foraging lifestyle in Central Europe for more than 2000 years after the arrival of farming societies.

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.

A Bronze Age battlefield? Weapons and trauma in the Tollense Valley, north-eastern Germany

Chance discoveries of weapons, horse bones and human skeletal remains along the banks of the River Tollense led to a campaign of research which has identified them as the debris from a Bronze Age battle. The resources of war included horses, arrowheads and wooden clubs, and the dead had suffered blows indicating face-to-face combat. This surprisingly modern and decidedly vicious struggle took place over the swampy braided streams of the river in an area of settled, possibly coveted, territory. Washed along by the current, the bodies and weapons came to rest on a single alluvial surface.

Parallel palaeogenomic transects reveal complex genetic history of early European farmers

Ancient DNA studies have established that Neolithic European populations were descended from Anatolian migrants who received a limited amount of admixture from resident hunter-gatherers. Many open questions remain, however, about the spatial and temporal dynamics of population interactions and admixture during the Neolithic period. Here we investigate the population dynamics of Neolithization across Europe using a high-resolution genome-wide ancient DNA dataset with a total of 180 samples, of which 130 are newly reported here, from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods of Hungary (6000–2900 bc, n = 100), Germany (5500–3000 bc, n = 42) and Spain (5500–2200 bc, n = 38). We find that genetic diversity was shaped predominantly by local processes, with varied sources and proportions of hunter-gatherer ancestry among the three regions and through time. Admixture between groups with different ancestry profiles was pervasive and resulted in observable population transformation across almost all cultural transitions. Our results shed new light on the ways in which gene flow reshaped European populations throughout the Neolithic period and demonstrate the potential of time-series-based sampling and modelling approaches to elucidate multiple dimensions of historical population interactions.

Flint arrowhead embedded in a human humerus from the Bronze Age site in the Tollense valley, Germany – A high-resolution micro-CT study to distinguish antemortem from perimortem projectile trauma to bone

The Bronze Age site in the Tollense valley, Germany, has yielded thousands of human and animal bones and a number of archaeological artifacts. Several of the human bones exhibit blunt and sharp force lesions, and the assemblage has been interpreted as representing victims of a large scale conflict. One of the earliest finds is a human humerus with an embedded flint arrowhead. Alleged signs of healing initially reported for this humerus based on clinical CT imaging were interpreted as evidence of an antemortem lesion. The present study, using micro-CT imaging, revealed that the arrowhead lesion in the humerus, contrary to the previous interpretation, shows no signs of healing. The structure previously assumed to represent a sclerotic margin around the wound canal was shown to actually represent compacted trabecular debris. Thus, our re-analysis of the specimen led to a re-classification of the arrow wound as a perimortem lesion. The findings of the present study demonstrate the value of micro-CT imaging as a non-destructive method for obtaining information on the nature of bone lesions and healing reactions critical for the reconstruction of interpersonal conflict scenarios in the past.

Parallel ancient genomic transects reveal complex population history of early European farmers

Ancient DNA studies have established that European Neolithic populations were descended from Anatolian migrants who received a limited amount of admixture from resident hunter-gatherers. Many open questions remain, however, about the spatial and temporal dynamics of population interactions and admixture during the Neolithic period. Using the highest-resolution genomewide ancient DNA data set assembled to date—a total of 177 samples, 127 newly reported here, from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic of Hungary (6000–2900 BCE, n = 98), Germany (5500–3000 BCE, n = 42), and Spain (5500–2200 BCE, n = 37)—we investigate the population dynamics of Neolithization across Europe. We find that genetic diversity was shaped predominantly by local processes, with varied sources and proportions of hunter-gatherer ancestry among the three regions and through time. Admixture between groups with different ancestry profiles was pervasive and resulted in observable population transformation across almost all cultural transitions. Our results shed new light on the ways that gene flow reshaped European populations throughout the Neolithic period and demonstrate the potential of time-series-based sampling and modeling approaches to elucidate multiple dimensions of historical population interactions.

Blindstudie zur plastischen Gesichtsrekonstruktion

ZusammenfassungWird eine Leiche in skelettiertem Zustand gefunden, kann sich die Klärung der Identität als schwierig erweisen. Schlagen herkömmliche Methoden der Identifizierung wie etwa ein DNA-Abgleich fehl, kann die Rekonstruktion des Gesichtes auf dem Schädel die einzige Möglichkeit sein, dem unbekannten Toten sein Aussehen und im günstigsten Fall seine Identität wiederzugeben. Für eine Weichteilrekonstruktion stehen mehrere Methoden und daraus entwickelte Varianten zur Verfügung. Liegen keine Hinweise über die körperliche Verfassung zu Lebzeiten vor, kann die Bandbreite der möglichen Ausprägungen sehr groß sein. Dies soll die vorgestellte Studie verdeutlichen.AbstractIf a body is found in a skeletonized condition, a determination of identity can be difficult and even more if no further findings are present which might assist identification. If all other methods for identification have failed, e.g. a comparative DNA analysis, a reconstruction of the face on the skull can be the only remaining possibility. A number of methods with varying results exist for soft tissue reconstruction. Any further findings can be helpful, because they might give indications of the unknown deceased persons facial appearance before death. If there are no indications of the physical condition during life, the spectrum of possible facial expressions can be very large. The study deals with the variety of facial appearances based on the same skeletal remains.

Perimortem Lesions on Human Bones from the Bronze Age Battlefield in the Tollense Valley: An Interdisciplinary Approach

The Tollense Valley extended site (northeast Germany) is the only known battlefield from the European Bronze Age. It has yielded a large number of human remains showing traces of violence, along with animal remains and weapons. The chapter discusses the results of new, interdisciplinary research focusing in particular on the penetrating injuries, which have yielded some of the most important information for reconstructing the Tollense Valley conflict scenario. This chapter aims to demonstrate how specific questions regarding the characteristic features of the injuries, the possible type of weapon, and the direction of the attack can be answered by using non-destructive high-resolution imaging and 3D reconstruction combined with experimental weapon testing. While experimental weapon testing is crucial for providing information concerning the injury patterns and weapon types, it may not offer any clues as to whether the injury originates from a stab or a shot. In order to address this problem, this chapter discusses a method enabling the secure identification of the weapon used in such ambiguous cases. This research allows discrimination between arrow and spearheads and thus between ranged and handheld weapons. This is especially important for the interpretation of the Tollense Valley conflict scenario, for which this study confirms that nonstandardized weapons were utilized on the battlefield.