Scientific Reports (Aug 2020)
The origin of early Acheulean expansion in Europe 700 ka ago: new findings at Notarchirico (Italy)
- Marie-Hélène Moncel,
- Carmen Santagata,
- Alison Pereira,
- Sébastien Nomade,
- Pierre Voinchet,
- Jean-Jacques Bahain,
- Camille Daujeard,
- Antonio Curci,
- Cristina Lemorini,
- Bruce Hardy,
- Giacomo Eramo,
- Claudio Berto,
- Jean-Paul Raynal,
- Marta Arzarello,
- Beniamino Mecozzi,
- Alessio Iannucci,
- Raffaele Sardella,
- Ignazio Allegretta,
- Emanuela Delluniversità,
- Roberto Terzano,
- Pauline Dugas,
- Gwenolé Jouanic,
- Alain Queffelec,
- Andrea d’Andrea,
- Rosario Valentini,
- Eleonora Minucci,
- Laura Carpentiero,
- Marcello Piperno
Affiliations
- Marie-Hélène Moncel
- UMR 7194 HNHP (MNHN-CNRS-UPVD), Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle
- Carmen Santagata
- UMR 7194 HNHP (MNHN-CNRS-UPVD), Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle
- Alison Pereira
- UMR 7194 HNHP (MNHN-CNRS-UPVD), Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle
- Sébastien Nomade
- CEA Saclay, UMR 8212, UVSQ et Université Paris-Saclay
- Pierre Voinchet
- UMR 7194 HNHP (MNHN-CNRS-UPVD), Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle
- Jean-Jacques Bahain
- UMR 7194 HNHP (MNHN-CNRS-UPVD), Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle
- Camille Daujeard
- UMR 7194 HNHP (MNHN-CNRS-UPVD), Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle
- Antonio Curci
- Dipartimento di Storia Culture Civiltà, Università di Bologna
- Cristina Lemorini
- LTFAPA Laboratory, Department of Classics, Sapienza University of Rome
- Bruce Hardy
- Kenyon College
- Giacomo Eramo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Della Terra e Geoambientali, Università Degli Studi di Bari “Aldo Moro”
- Claudio Berto
- Institute of Archaeology, University of Warsaw
- Jean-Paul Raynal
- PACEA, UMR CNRS 5199, Université de Bordeaux
- Marta Arzarello
- Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Università Degli Studi di Ferrara
- Beniamino Mecozzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Della Terra, Sapienza Università di Roma
- Alessio Iannucci
- Dipartimento di Scienze Della Terra, Sapienza Università di Roma
- Raffaele Sardella
- Dipartimento di Scienze Della Terra, Sapienza Università di Roma
- Ignazio Allegretta
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Suolo, Della Pianta e Degli Alimenti, Università Degli Studi di Bari “Aldo Moro”
- Emanuela Delluniversità
- Dipartimento di Scienze Della Terra e Geoambientali, Università Degli Studi di Bari “Aldo Moro”
- Roberto Terzano
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Suolo, Della Pianta e Degli Alimenti, Università Degli Studi di Bari “Aldo Moro”
- Pauline Dugas
- PACEA, UMR CNRS 5199, Université de Bordeaux
- Gwenolé Jouanic
- Laboratoire Chrono Environnement, UMR CNRS 6249, Université de Bourgogne Franche Comté
- Alain Queffelec
- PACEA-Transfert Sédimentologie & Matériaux
- Andrea d’Andrea
- Università l’Orientale de Naples, CISA
- Rosario Valentini
- Università l’Orientale de Naples, CISA
- Eleonora Minucci
- Università l’Orientale de Naples, CISA
- Laura Carpentiero
- Università l’Orientale de Naples, CISA
- Marcello Piperno
- Museo Archeologico “Biagio Greco”
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-68617-8
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 10,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 16
Abstract
Abstract Notarchirico (Southern Italy) has yielded the earliest evidence of Acheulean settlement in Italy and four older occupation levels have recently been unearthed, including one with bifaces, extending the roots of the Acheulean in Italy even further back in time. New 40Ar/39Ar on tephras and ESR dates on bleached quartz securely and accurately place these occupations between 695 and 670 ka (MIS 17), penecontemporaneous with the Moulin-Quignon and la Noira sites (France). These new data demonstrate a very rapid expansion of shared traditions over Western Europe during a period of highly variable climatic conditions, including interglacial and glacial episodes, between 670 and 650 (i.e., MIS17/MIS16 transition). The diversity of tools and activities observed in these three sites shows that Western Europe was populated by adaptable hominins during this time. These conclusions question the existence of refuge areas during intense glacial stages and raise questions concerning understudied migration pathways, such as the Sicilian route.
