Mark Lewis

Early Pleistocene human occupation at the edge of the boreal zone in northwest Europe

The dispersal of early humans from Africa by 1.75 Myr ago led to a marked expansion of their range, from the island of Flores in the east to the Iberian peninsula in the west. This range encompassed tropical forest, savannah and Mediterranean habitats, but has hitherto not been demonstrated beyond 45° N. Until recently, early colonization in Europe was thought to be confined to the area south of the Pyrenees and Alps. However, evidence from Pakefield (Suffolk, UK) at ∼0.7 Myr indicated that humans occupied northern European latitudes when a Mediterranean-type climate prevailed. This provided the basis for an ‘ebb and flow’ model, where human populations were thought to survive in southern refugia during cold stages, only expanding northwards during fully temperate climates. Here we present new evidence from Happisburgh (Norfolk, UK) demonstrating that Early Pleistocene hominins were present in northern Europe >0.78 Myr ago when they were able to survive at the southern edge of the boreal zone. This has significant implications for our understanding of early human behaviour, adaptation and survival, as well as the tempo and mode of colonization after their first dispersal out of Africa.

Volcanic ash layers illuminate the resilience of Neanderthals and early modern humans to natural hazards

Marked changes in human dispersal and development during the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition have been attributed to massive volcanic eruption and/or severe climatic deterioration. We test this concept using records of volcanic ash layers of the Campanian Ignimbrite eruption dated to ca. 40,000 y ago (40 ka B.P.). The distribution of the Campanian Ignimbrite has been enhanced by the discovery of cryptotephra deposits (volcanic ash layers that are not visible to the naked eye) in archaeological cave sequences. They enable us to synchronize archaeological and paleoclimatic records through the period of transition from Neanderthal to the earliest anatomically modern human populations in Europe. Our results confirm that the combined effects of a major volcanic eruption and severe climatic cooling failed to have lasting impacts on Neanderthals or early modern humans in Europe. We infer that modern humans proved a greater competitive threat to indigenous populations than natural disasters.

Hominin footprints from early Pleistocene deposits at Happisburgh, UK.

Investigations at Happisburgh, UK, have revealed the oldest known hominin footprint surface outside Africa at between ca. 1 million and 0.78 million years ago. The site has long been recognised for the preservation of sediments containing Early Pleistocene fauna and flora, but since 2005 has also yielded humanly made flint artefacts, extending the record of human occupation of northern Europe by at least 350,000 years. The sediments consist of sands, gravels and laminated silts laid down by a large river within the upper reaches of its estuary. In May 2013 extensive areas of the laminated sediments were exposed on the foreshore. On the surface of one of the laminated silt horizons a series of hollows was revealed in an area of ca. 12 m2. The surface was recorded using multi-image photogrammetry which showed that the hollows are distinctly elongated and the majority fall within the range of juvenile to adult hominin foot sizes. In many cases the arch and front/back of the foot can be identified and in one case the impression of toes can be seen. Using foot length to stature ratios, the hominins are estimated to have been between ca. 0.93 and 1.73 m in height, suggestive of a group of mixed ages. The orientation of the prints indicates movement in a southerly direction on mud-flats along the river edge. Early Pleistocene human fossils are extremely rare in Europe, with no evidence from the UK. The only known species in western Europe of a similar age is Homo antecessor, whose fossil remains have been found at Atapuerca, Spain. The foot sizes and estimated stature of the hominins from Happisburgh fall within the range derived from the fossil evidence of Homo antecessor.

Morphological and taxonomic affinities of the Olduvai ulna (OH 36).

The OH 36 ulna derives from Upper Bed II in the Olduvai Gorge, and is dated to circa 1.1-1.2 Myr. Multivariate analyses incorporating data from samples of modern humans, common and pygmy chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and two other early hominin ulnae, Omo L40-19 and KNM-BK 66, suggest that OH 36 belonged to an individual with powerful forearms consistent with a locomotor repertoire that included arboreal locomotion. However, there is no compelling evidence that it made regular use of its forelimbs as supports when travelling on the ground. When compared with levels of intra- and intertaxon size and shape variation in the comparative sample (humans, chimpanzees, gorillas), the differences between OH 36, KNM-BK 66, and Omo L40-19 are compatible with OH 36 differing from the other two fossil hominin ulnae to the extent that modern humans differ from modern great apes. KNM-BK 66 and Omo L40-19 differ from each other in overall size and shape only to the degree that would be expected within any of the individual modern comparative samples. Based on these analyses, there is no evidence to support the hypothesis that OH 36 and Omo L40-19 belong to the same species of fossil hominin, or to two species that shared a similar forelimb locomotor repertoire. We suggest that OH 36 has the greater claim to be assigned to Paranthropus boisei, and we recommend that for the time being the latter be referred to the tribe Hominini gen. et sp. indet. The surprising result of these analyses is the overall size and shape similarity between Omo L40-19 and KNM-BK 66, two fossils that are separated in time by more than 1.5 million years, and which have traditionally been assumed to represent hominin species with quite different locomotor patterns.

Pleistocene Hyaena Coprolite Palynology in Britain: Implications for the Environments of Early Humans

Abstract Spotted hyaena ( Crocuta crocuta ) coprolites from four British Pleistocene sites were analysed for their pollen content. At the two open sites, the palynology was compared to that of the surrounding sediments. The results provide palynological data, supported by other lines of evidence, enabling reconstruction of human environments as well as providing insights into the taphonomic complexities of incorporation of pollen into coprolites. Pollen presence and preservation appear to be closely related to mammalian behaviour and post-depositional processes. Geological age does not seem to be a significant factor, as samples from two of these sites are amongst the earliest known from the Pleistocene to provide viable coprolite-derived pollen counts.

Prehistory of the British Isles: A tale of coming and going

It is now recognised that Britain has not always been geographically isolated from Europe and, for most of the last one million years, formed an extension of the northwest European landmass. During most of this time, Britain was accessible to migrating humans and animals, although climatic conditions varied greatly from Mediterranean-like through to glaciations and extreme cold, making Britain a difficult place to settle for any length of time. The oldest evidence for humans in Britain dates to between about 850,000 and 1 million years ago. Recovered lithic artefacts suggest that hominin species occupied and deserted the British Isles at least nine times. This article reviews the prehistory of the British Isles and presents the main sites and time periods.RésuméIl est bien connu que les îles britanniques n’ont pas toujours été des îles et que pendant la plus grande partie du dernier million d’années, elles faisaient partie d’une péninsule s’étendant à partir (ou à l’extrémité) du Nord-Ouest de l’Europe. Cette région était alors accessible aux Hommes et aux animaux venant du continent. Les conditions climatiques ont varié entre celles trouvées aujourd’hui en Méditerranée et les conditions désertiques des régions polaires, rendant la Grande-Bretagne un endroit difficile à habiter. La plus ancienne preuve de présence humaine en Grande- Bretagne date entre 850 000 et 1 million d’années. Les industries lithiques suggèrent que les espèces d’homininés se sont depuis installées puis ont déserté les îles britanniques au moins neuf fois. Dans cet article, nous proposons une revue des connaissances sur la préhistoire des îles britanniques, à partir des principaux sites et périodes correspondantes.

Late Pleistocene foot infection in Dama mesopotamica from Tabun B (Mount Carmel, Israel)

Tabun is one of the most important Palaeolithic sites in the near East, with levels dating from the Lower through to the Upper Palaeolithic. The faunal collection from Tabun Cave (Israel) was recovered by Dorothy Garrod during archaeological excavations carried out during the 1920-30s in Mount Carmel. Since then this collection has been housed at The Natural History Museum, London. In this brief communication, a frequently occurring pathology in the phalanges of fallow deer (Dama mesopotamica) from Level B is reported. The pathology consists of bone resorption on the cortex of the axial surface of the proximal phalanges, most likely as a result of a localized osteitis produced by an infection, initially on the hoof, and later on the phalanges and even metapodials. These pathologies were probably caused by bacterial infection, possibly linked to environmental and climatic conditions at the site.