Lecture 12 The Origin of “anatomically modern” Homo sapiens and the Upper Paleolithic. What do we mean by “anatomically modern”? Shorter, rounder skull Vertical forehead Boney chin Smaller browridges Lighter build NOT Neandertals The earliest known specimens ~ 100-120 TYA Found in Africa Border Cave Klasies River Mouth Behavior and extent of early moderns Tool types Mostly same as Neandertals But with some innovations Blade tools Bone tools Symmetrical points More regional variation Hunting strategies More technologically advanced hunting; snares, thrown spears More varied diets; fish, shellfish, sea mammals Better knowledge of animal habits; more intense hunting and gathering Seasonal strategies Regions and sites Africa; above plus Omo, Jebel Irhud Israel; shares with Neandertals- same time or alternating? Skhul & Qafzeh ~ 100-80 TYA Europe; eventually replaces Neandertals ~30-40 TYA Vindija, Croatia Cro-Magnon, France The Great Debate The Muliregional Hypothesis (Candelabra) Milford Wolpoff Modern peoples descended from local populations of H. erectus Gene flow maintained one, giant breeding population Adaptive changes spread, while regional quirks persisted Evidence in continuity of regional traits Asia- sagittal keeling, flat faces, shoveled incisors Europe- mid-facial prognathism (large noses), arched browridges, long skulls Africa- lower-facial prognathism, short skulls Australia- heavy straight browridges, large teeth No evidence for sudden influx of new technology in Asia or Australia, gradual change in Europe The Population (or Complete) Replacement Hypothesis (African Eve) Chris Stringer Modern peoples descended from one recent population of modern H. sapiens Spread out and totally replaced archaics; speciation event Africa originally at about 100,000-200,000 BP Anatomical evidence Earliest modern traits appear in Africa Neandertals and other archaics too different to be direct ancestors of modern populations Sudden appearance of moderns in Europe w/ no transitional forms Supposed similarities are either primitive traits or parallel traits Archaeological evidence Great differences between Middle and Upper Paleolithic Sudden appearance Rapid changes Especially appearance of art & symbolism; new ways of thinking Genetic evidence All modern humans very similar genetically Greatest range of variation in Africa Mitochondrial DNA evidence points to recent common African ancestor The Genetic (or Partial) Replacement Hypothesis; combo of above two Hypoth. Gunter Brauer Modern traits first arose in Africa Spread out & interbred with archaics Modern form more successful, archaic traits died out Evidence Transitional forms in Israel, E. Europe Gradual shift in technology in Africa, later Mid-east, later Europe Not enough time for speciation event to occur Humans sexually active; hard to imagine contact w/out SOME interbreeding On the balance, a Partial Replacement seems most likely to me (and perhaps to most anthropologists as well); Modern H. Sapiens arose first in Africa, then spread to other areas replacing Archaics with some amount of interbreeding. The Upper Paleolithic Cultural explosion because things start changing rapidly Upper Paleolithic lasted from 43-11 TYA Most work based on W Europe sites Last Ice Age time of well-defined cultures & culture change- stylistic variations Much data from cave sites- very well preserved Upper Paleolithic Tools Blade tools- Indirect Percussion Well-made projectile points- Pressure Flaking Bone and antler tools New tool types More specialized tools Needles & Awls Burins (engraving tools) End scrapers Harpoons Spearthrowers More formalized shapes Stylistic differences Clear multi-part tools The different cultures: Earliest glimmerings ~ 100 TYA in S & E Africa, 50 TYA in N Africa and Mid-east Aurignacian- 43 TYA in E Europe, 35 TYA in W Europe Chatelperronian- 36-34 TYA Gravettian- 27-21 TYA Solutrian- 21-16 TYA Magdalanian- 16-11 TYA Behavior patterns Broadened subsistence base More fish and birds Big-game hunting Small game as well Settlements- much more permanent sites & structures Longer periods of occupation- denser sites Well-constructed hearths Mammoth-bone huts in Russia Sites further north as well, out onto open steppe Grave goods Clear association with tools, animal bones and decorations Much more often, more artifacts Longer movements of raw materials Sites in Pyrenees contain shells from both Med and Atlantic coasts Better stones moves further distances Specialization in hunting Going after herds rather than individual animals- especially reindeer Seasonal specilizations Specialized hunting tools; large spear points, harpoons Art and decoration- the first clear symbolism Decorated tools Bone and antler tools Animal figures, geometric shapes Personal adornment- beads and pendants Sculpture Venus Figurines 28-10 TYA; Through-out Europe Often w/ exaggerated female features and no face Stone (as in Willendorf, Germ.) and clay (Dolni Vestonice, Czech.) Meaning Fertility- ritual & magic Mother Goddess- social identity Animal figurines Engravings and bas-relief Cave sites in W Europe Mostly animals Cave paintings Confined to France and Spain in Europe; scattered in rest of world Dates are somewhat conjectural; ~30-10 TYA Herd animals predominate; carnivores occasional, fish, birds, reptiles, humans rare Range from monochrome outlines to multicolored perspective drawings All are quite well done; some are exceptional Can be found deep in caves Other paintings include handprints, geometric shapes Meaning Hunting Magic & Trophyism Sanctuaries Social Identity Markers