Neolithic Transition

Настоящата статия е изготвена във връзка с проявени гравитационни процеси в скални откоси около град Рудозем. В нея са обобщени данните от различни литературни източници, както и събраната информация от извършен инженерногеоложки оглед на място. Направена е концепция за подробни бъдещи инженерногеоложки проучвания, които да бъдат реализирани на два етапа: предварителни и детайлни инженерно-геоложки проучвания.

A decorated basalt shaft straightener discovered at the Natufian open-air site of Nahal Ein Gev II (Israel) seemingly provides an insight into the workings of the human mind ca. 12,000 years ago. It is oval and features a central deep groove flanked on both sides by a series of perpendicular striations-24 on the right and 26 on the left-grouped into three registers. The number of lines in the third register on either side constitutes the total number of lines incised in the other two registers. Apparently, the notation-maker was intent on indicating the mathematically correct number of lines on either side of the groove at the expense of a visual bilateral symmetry sensu stricto. As such, this appears to be one of the earliest recorded instances in human prehistory to directly manifest this uniquely human cognitive characteristic. It also serves as a "wake-up call" to revisit other "decorated" Natufian and Epipaleolithic items.

Постерната изложба "София и Белград. Археологически бисери" е организирана от междуакадемичния проект "Проучване и интерпретация на археологическите култури на териториите на България и Сърбия". Тя е една от проявите, посветени на 150-ата годишнина от основаването на Българската академия на науките, 15 години от началото на активното сътрудничество в областта на археологията между БАН И САНИ, 140-ата годишнина от обявяването на София за столица на Княжество България и 140 години от установяването на дипломатически отношения между България и Сърбия. Организатори са Националния археологически институт с музей към Българската академия на науките (НАИМ-БАН) , Сръбската академия за науки и изкуства (САНИ) и Археологическия институт (АИ) (Белград). Техни партньори са Регионален исторически музей София, Музеят на град Белград, Института за защита на паметниците на културата на град Белград и Държавно предприятие "Белградска крепост". Изложбата е реализирана с подкрепата на софийската Столична община. Изложбата бе представена в София в градината "Кристал" (ул. "Г.С. Раковски" и бул. "Руски") от 10 юни до 2 юли 2019 г. (обр. 1) и в Белград на ул. "Вук Караджич", до сградата на САНИ от 14 до 30 юни 2019 г. (обр. 2). Тя гостува и в Цариброд/Димитровград от 22 септември до 5 октомври 2019 г. Изучаването на археологическите останки и в двата града има над стогодишна история. Ограниченията на изложбеното пространство и новите постижения и открития на съвременната археологическа наука определят решението да се покажат най-големите и перспективни обекти, проучвани в последните 20 години. От Белград са подбрани 15 обекта, а от София -17.

Постерната изложба "София и Белград. Археологически бисери" е организирана от междуакадемичния проект "Проучване и интерпретация на археологическите култури на териториите на България и Сърбия". Тя е една от проявите, посветени на 150-ата годишнина от основаването на Българската академия на науките, 15 години от началото на активното сътрудничество в областта на археологията между БАН И САНИ, 140-ата годишнина от обявяването на София за столица на Княжество България и 140 години от установяването на дипломатически отношения между България и Сърбия. Организатори са Националния археологически институт с музей към Българската академия на науките (НАИМ-БАН) , Сръбската академия за науки и изкуства (САНИ) и Археологическия институт (АИ) (Белград). Техни партньори са Регионален исторически музей София, Музеят на град Белград, Института за защита на паметниците на културата на град Белград и Държавно предприятие "Белградска крепост". Изложбата е реализирана с подкрепата на софийската Столична община. Изложбата бе представена в София в градината "Кристал" (ул. "Г.С. Раковски" и бул. "Руски") от 10 юни до 2 юли 2019 г. (обр. 1) и в Белград на ул. "Вук Караджич", до сградата на САНИ от 14 до 30 юни 2019 г. (обр. 2). Тя гостува и в Цариброд/Димитровград от 22 септември до 5 октомври 2019 г. Изучаването на археологическите останки и в двата града има над стогодишна история. Ограниченията на изложбеното пространство и новите постижения и открития на съвременната археологическа наука определят решението да се покажат най-големите и перспективни обекти, проучвани в последните 20 години. От Белград са подбрани 15 обекта, а от София -17.

В 2007 г. отрядом Нижне-Донской экспедиции ИА РАН на городище Танаис исследовался подвал на раскопе XIX вблизи Южных ворот. В процессе раскопок в подвале R2 были обнаружены костные останки человека, погибшего в результате трагических событий 250/251 гг. н.э., когда город был разрушен и сожжен. По комплексу признаков его можно отнести к типичному представителю населения Танаиса первых веков нашей эры. Морфологический тип человека также относится к преобладавшему среди жителей Боспора.

The role of the sea in the Neolithization of Sicily and the central Mediterranean - Seen from the point of view of archaeology, investigating the role played by the Mediterranean Sea in the development of human communities that have succeeded over the millennia in Sicily may appear to be a simple enquiry: just by observing its geographical location, a natural crossroad conveniently placed in the middle of the basin surrounded by a multitude of islands, such a connection should be easily reckoned. Conversely, analysing the historical relationship between the Mediterranean and the long Sicilian prehistory is far more complex than it can be thought since investigating the maritime skills and technology for the most ancient phases of human history is complicated, often needing direct evidence rarely available. These must be inferred from case studies from anthropology, ethnography, and experimental archaeology. To understand the role of the sea in the development of human communities, it is also possible to consider indirect evidence, such as the economic exploitation of marine resources or, again, long-distance exchange networks, such as for the case study of the obsidian, whose supply sources are all found in insular contexts for which the only method of procurement and exchange must have necessarily taken place by the sea. In the contribution, these latter aspects will be considered to analyse the available data for the transition from the Mesolithic to the Neolithic and the neolithization process of Sicily and the central Mediterranean. On the other hand, the relationship between human communities and the marine environment is rarely addressed in connection with the framework that emerges from a critical analysis of the Sicilian Neolithic, a crucial period suffering from a series of methodological limitations that have prevented a shared definition of what it represents from a cultural, social, economic and chronological point of view.

The last two decades of excavations in southwest Scania, Sweden, have given substantial new results regarding Early Neolithic society (4000–3300 cal. BC). The overall aim here is to discuss and synthesize these results, and a number of important excavations are also presented in detail. The results are both on a macro scale concerning overall settlement pattern, landscape use and the scale of monumental landscapes, and on a micro scale concerning, for example, houses and huts, monumental sites and their complexity, and pits and depositional practices on different types of sites. Also, the economy of the region as well as the socio-political organization are discussed based on interpretations of the material presented.

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.

The article is devoted to the chronology and fortification of the “Western suburb” of Hellenistic
Tanais. According to archaeological studies 1998–2002 and 2021–2024 important information
was obtained, that allows us to speak confidently about the existence to the west of the
citadel, at least since the third quarter of the 3rd century BC, of a single urban area with a common
system of defensive structures. In recent years, in addition to the discovery of a continuation
of the defensive ditch and residential development, coinciding in time of existence and
configuration with those previously explored to the west and east of them, a probable location
of another entrance to the city from the steppe was identified in the form of a rocky isthmus in
the line of the ditch, about 3 m wide. It cannot be ruled out that during the construction of the
defensive line, part of the early necropolis was damaged, including that left by the first inhabitants
of the Western suburbs, who lived in adobe houses.

The subject of this thesis are the NeoHthic and ChalcoHthic cultures in Turkish Thrace. Turkish Thrace acts as a land bridge between the Balkans and Anatolia. Along this land bridge it might be expected that there has been a transfer of ideas, exchange and movement of objects between two regions. Intensive survey in a selected part of Turkish Thrace -the Edime region -and systematic field collection techniques on selected sites were conducted. Intensive surveys in the Edime region have provided important evidence relating to past land use and settlement systems. On the basis of examination settlements and artefacts, local Neolithic and Chalcolithic cultures closely related to the Balkan cultures were defined. One of the research problems in Turkish Thrace is the apparent dramatic decrease in population in the late Chalcolithic period. All late Chalcolithic sites are small relative to those of other Chalcolithic cultures in the Balkans. There are as yet no geographical studies, soil analysis or pollen diagrams from Turkish Thrace. However, it seems most likely that the depopulation of Turkish Thrace can be explained by a combination of environmental changes, soil changes or exchange network collapse. In Neolithic and Chalcolithic period, some of the Anatolian material looks similar to those of the Balkans. Similarities may be explained by the interaction sphere model. An interaction sphere is defined as an information or item exchange system through which aspects of culture are transferred and which ultimately produces regional similarities. Metabasite stone axes from the §ark6y axe factories were found in the Early Neolithic levels of Hoca Qe §me as well as on settlements in the Edime region. Honey flint of Northeast Bulgaria and Aegean Spondylus were found in the Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlements of Turkish Thrace. These examples begin to introduce the nature of the exchange network in Turkish Thrace.

In southern China and Southeast Asia (collectively, Southeastern Asia), Terminal Pleistocene and Early to Middle Holocene (ca. 12,000 to 4,000 cal. BP) hunter-gatherer burials feature tightly crouched or squatting postures, sometimes with indications of post-mortem dismemberment. Such burials contrast strongly with the extended supine burial postures typical of subsequent Neolithic inhumations in these regions. Their con-torted postures, often with traces of burning, present interpretive challenges. This studyuses multiple techniques, including X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infraredspectroscopy, to investigate 54 pre-Neolithic burials from 11 archaeological sites locatedacross Southeastern Asia. The findings confirm that many of these pre-Neolithic flexedand squatting burials were treated by an extended period of smoke-drying over fire, a pro-cess of mummification similar to that recorded ethnographically in some Australian andHighland New Guinea societies. Some of the analyzed archaeological samples represent the oldest known instances of such artificial mummification in the world.

This paper presents two settlements from the second half of the Late Neolithic. Both are from the northeastern part of the island of Zealand in east Denmark. Six and thirteen houses, respectively, were excavated at the sites. Remains of contemporary graves have been excavated close to both settlements. Based on analyses of the landscape, pollen data and grain finds, it is suggested that the subsistence of the two settlements was based on intensive cereal cultivation and stock farming. We suggest that two or three houses on each site may have been inhabited contemporaneously. The houses, their date and the contemporary graves indicate that East Denmark was influenced by Southwest Sweden and the Early Bronze Age societies on the Continent during the second half of the Late Neolithic.

The emergence of Typical Comb Ware pottery, marking the beginning of the Middle Neolithic, is currently dated in Latvia to approximately 4100 BCE. This is several centuries earlier than the onset of this phenomenon in other regions, including those believed to be the origin of Typical Comb Ware influence. This discrepancy is implausible, and this paper explores the rea sons behind it. The article compiles all published dates associated with the beginning of the Middle Neolithic and Typical Comb Ware in Latvia. The evaluation of the data shows that most dates previously connected with this phase cannot be definitively associated with Typical Comb Ware material culture, or are affected by other issues, such as dietary offsets. It is proposed that the boundary for the beginning of Typical Comb Ware in Latvia should be more closely aligned with current understandings of the dating of this phase elsewhere in northeastern Europe and should be set at 3900–3800 BCE at the earliest.

Near Eastern Archaeology is traditionally a discipline structured by rigid chronological and typological frameworks, where chronology is prioritised above other interpretations and dialogues. In a broader context, archaeology generally has prioritised the sense of vision, both in its methodology and in its interpretation, largely neglecting the role of other senses. Both these factors can be argued to reflect the masculist hegemonic ideals inherently dominant in the discipline. In this paper the traditional stance is challenged; the sensual methodology and interpretation of archaeology is explored, with specific relation to the Death Pit at Domuztepe (southeast Turkey, c. 5500 cal B.C.), where the disarticulated and further fragmented remains of around 40 persons have been recovered. A multi-sensual interpretation, incorporating all the senses, is explored, where blood, substances, touch, taste, noise, light, fire and aromas would have enhanced experiences surrounding the Death Pit. Such an interpretation offers an alternative to the traditional chrono-centric approaches dominating the discipline.

Instituto de Historia. CCHS-CSIC (***) Museo Histórico Municipal de Priego de Córdoba Se presenta el análisis de los restos prehistóricos localizados en el casco urbano de Priego y, en concreto, aquellos procedentes de la intervención arqueológica realizada en la Plaza Palenque en 2000. Aunque el conjunto artefactual es escaso, presenta una serie de rasgos que permiten adscribirlo a momentos del Neolítico Reciente, reforzado por una datación absoluta obtenida. Ello hace del Palenque la prueba de la ocupación más antigua del macizo travertínico donde se asienta la actual ciudad de Priego de Córdoba.

This book forms part of contemporary research on the interaction between migratory early farmers of Anatolian origin and European hunter-gatherers. In southern Eastern Europe, these two ways of life coexisted for thousands of years, resulting in a wide variety of configurations and patterns. Therefore, this part of the prehistory of southern Eastern Europe is of general European importance, providing comparative material for the study of Neolithisation and offering a different perspective to illuminate the possible variants of historical development and better identify the social structures behind the differences.

Préhistoire et Protohistoire Paléolithique Dans son programme de prospection thématique intitulé « Le Paléolithique inférieur et moyen du nord de la Franche-Comté », A. Lamotte a poursuivi ses sondages et ses études de terrain sur trois gisements de plein air situés sur les affleurements de silex lacustres du bassin oligocène inférieur de Haute-Saône : Sauvigney-lès-Gray « À la Corvée de la Vierge » (2008), Vautoux-et-Longevelle/Villiers-Chemin-Mont-les-Étrelles « Le Bois de la Coupotte, les ..

ZusammenfassungVorgestellt wird der Versuch einer präziseren Datierung des Erdwerks von Heilbronn-Klingenberg “Schlossberg” am mittleren Neckar. Die angewendete Methode empfiehlt sich als Ausgangspunkt für weitere Untersuchungen zur Datierung und Belegungsdauer anderer Michelsberger Erdwerke des späten 5. bis frühen 4. Jahrtausends calBC. Vom Erdwerk von Klingenberg wurden in den Jahren 1986–1987 zwei Abschnittsgräben ausgegraben, die einen Lößsporn abriegeln, Spuren einer Palisade innerhalb des inneren Grabens, in beiden Gräben Reste einer verbrannten Holzkonstruktion, zahlreiche Gruben innerhalb wie auch außerhalb der Gräben, und in diesen Befunden zahlreiche Deponierungen von Hunden. Wenige Spuren einer vor-grabenzeitlichen Belegung datieren nach MK II und MK III/IV, doch fanden die Aktivitäten am Platz hauptsächlich während MK V/Munzingen statt. Der chronologische Ansatz kombiniert die detaillierte archäologische Befundinformation mit 14C-Datierungen aus sorgfältig ausgewählten ...

Nahal Yarmuth 38 is a small Neolithic (MPPNB and PN) site in central Israel. The
preliminary results of the PPNB flint assemblage studied to date and presented in this
report, suggest that it is comprised of two major components: a classic bidirectional blade
(“Hollywood”) industry with an extraordinarily high percentage of tools but seemingly
with no matching cores yet with a number of possibly matching CTEs; and a “non-
Hollywood” industry represented by a full chaîne opératoire.

Damjili Cave is located in the Gazakh region of western Azerbaijan. It is the first Paleolithic monument recorded in Azerbaijan. It was studied in the 1950s by S.N. Zamyatnin and M.M. Huseynov, and in 2016-2019 and 2022-2023 by the joint Azerbaijani-Japanese expedition. This thesis is dedicated to the main results of the last year of excavation.

This periodical is dedicated to the rescuing and archaeological activities of the Institute for the History of Material Culture (IHMC) RAS in studies of the cultural heritage of Russia. The seventeenth issue of the Bulletin
presents the results of archaeological investigations of the cultural heritage of Krymsk and Abinsk districts of Krasnodar region, carried out in 2024 by the Center for Rescue Archaeology of IHMC RAS. This publication is intended for historians, archaeologists, government employees, private entrepreneurs and a wide circle of readers interested in reliable scientific information on history of Russia and the state of the
monuments of its culture.

Chogha Golan has previously found a spectacular place in studies of the emergence of early agriculture and sedentary life in western Asia. Earlier brief work by the University of Tübingen in 2009-2010 suggested that Chogha Golan was inhabited between ca. 9700-7600 BC and witnessed a long initial experimentation with food production. However, despite this significant archaeological position, the site was left without further fieldwork until a new stage of excavations was initiated in 2023, aimed at investigating the diverse nature of the long-term resilience of the inhabitants of the Zagros foothills over the course of the transition to the Neolithic. In this regard, the first season of the excavations was carried out in October-November 2023. Accordingly, an 4×8 m area was excavated at the top of the site. As a result, 5 occupational phases were distinguished based on architectural remains within 285 cm of residential sequence yet excavated. However, the virgin soil was not reached, leaving investigation of remaining underlying levels to the next season. This article presents the preliminary results of the 2023 excavations and then contextualizes their significance for a better understanding of the Neolithization process across the Zagros region.

The archaeological site near today's village of Ivancha, Veliko Tarnovo province, was registered during a field survey along the Nabucco gas pipeline route. Its research was carried out during the work on the so-called "Balkan Stream". Nearly ten decares were studied by the methods of archaeology. Traces of a settlement from the Ottoman period (16 th-first half of the 17 th centuries) were found over the territory of the site. 97 pits, 33 kilns, 5 hearths, over 60 service buildings and dwellings, and 14 Christian graves were explored. A vast amount of pottery fragments, a few faience vessels, animal bones, over 50 coins, and numerous other finds related to the population's life during this period were found. The village is well-known from the Ottoman tax registers as one of the largest settlements of the Sandjak of Nicopolis.

Grooved Ware has been the subject of much research over the past ninety years, providing valuable insights into a pottery tradition that extended over Britain and Ireland during the third millennium BC. Suggestions that Grooved Ware motifs may have their origins in the passage tomb tradition have been proposed previously, but it may also be that by linking the motifs employed to the tangible environment of the time that will provide a new dimension of the evidence.

Resumen: Las cerámicas esgrafiadas, pese a su limitada presencia en el registro si se compara con otro tipo de decoraciones, han servido para definir cronológica y culturalmente la segunda mitad del V milenio cal AC en buena parte del sector oriental de la península ibérica. En este artículo nos centraremos en las series cerámicas de la Cova d'En Pardo (Planes, Alicante) y la Cova del Randero (Pedreguer, Alicante) que, por su amplitud y variabilidad estilística, permiten realizar una aproximación detallada a este tipo de producciones. Analizamos estos conjuntos, y otras evidencias del área oriental y meridional de la península ibérica, desde la perspectiva del estilo y de la cadena operativa implicada en su fabricación. Esto nos permite concretar un conjunto de similitudes y divergencias que sirven para abordar, desde una perspectiva mediterránea, su incidencia en las relaciones sociales y económicas del Neolítico Medio.

Plaster ware (PW) is a relatively overlooked category of Neolithic artefacts. Commonly known for its use in architectural features, plaster is less recognised for its use in the creation of portable containers. This study examines the distribution, typology and use of PW at Tell Sabi Abyad, Syria, a well-stratified site where PW has been present from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPN) period (7100 cal. BC) to the Halaf period (5900-5300 BCE), peaking during the Early Pottery Neolithic (EPN) (6700-6250 cal. BC) period. It focuses on the distribution of PW in indoor contexts. The result revealed clear patterns in the distribution of PW vessel types over time. Initially, PW was used exclusively outdoors but gradually shifted towards indoor applications. Spatial analysis indicates PW's use for both long-term storage and daily use. PW was closely associated with items like grinding tools (e.g. slabs, grinders, mortars and pestles), strongly suggesting a connection to food processing. As a heavy and dense material, it was often semi-stationary and directly linked to specific areas. PW as a domestic marker offers new insights into the lives of Neolithic people, highlighting the importance of connecting material with space and activity. These findings contribute to the research on the material culture and domestic practices of Neolithic societies.

Öz: Fırat'ın doğu kıyısındaki Neolitik bir yerleşme olan Akarçay Tepe, Çanak Çömleksiz Neolitik B (PPNB) dönemi boyunca meydana gelen sosyo-ekonomik ve teknolojik değişimlere dair önemli bilgiler sunmaktadır. Yerleşme, basit çözümlenmiş bina tiplerinden, daha karmaşık "Hücre Planlı Binalar"a kadar önemli bir mimari gelişimi ve buna bağlı olarak gelişen sosyal organizasyon ve hanehalkı özerkliğini yansıtmaktadır. Uzak bölgelerden temin edilen obsidiyen aletler de dahil olmak üzere farklı maddi kültür öğeleri, bina tipleri bölgesel ve bölgeler arası iletişim ağlarını ve kültürel etkileşimleri göstermektedir. Topluluk eşitlikçi bir anlayıştan, hane ekonomilerine geçişi, bir anlamda sosyoekonomik karmaşıklığın yavaş yavaş belirmeye başladığı bir süreci yansıtır, ancak bu durum hiyerarşik bir toplumun gelişimine yol açmamıştır. Akarçay Tepe'nin iyi korunmuş mimari kalıntıları ve mekân kullanımına ilişkin verileri, Orta Fırat bölgesinde erken tarım topluluklarının dinamik süreçlerinin daha iyi anlaşılması açısından önemlidir. Özellikle de bölgede yeniden yoğunlaşan araştırmalar düşünüldüğünde.

DEMOGRAPHIC FEATURES, PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
AND PATHOLOGICAL DEVIATIONS IN THE POPULATION
PRESENTED IN THE MEDIEVAL NECROPOLIS IN THE NORTHERN
SUBURB OF THE METROPOLIS TARNOVGRAD
Victoria Rousseva Lyuba Manoilova
(Abstract)
The bone remains from 36 graves from the 13th – 14th centuries and 3 graves from
the 17th – 18th centuries, localised in a medieval necropolis in the northern suburb of the
metropolis Tarnovgrad, situated in the present-day Assenov’ quarter in VelikoTarnovo,
have been subjected to anthropological research.
Classical macroscopic methods for anthropological identification were used in the
study. A total of 39 individuals were identified by sex and age (Table 4). In this series, as
in most necropolises from the urban centers of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, the male
sex clearly predominates with 22 individuals (66.67% of the buried adults). Women are
represented by 11 individuals (33.33% of adults). Children are also poorly represented
(11.90% of the age-determined individuals). However, the distribution of thе buried individuals
in this age group shows a high relative share of individuals younger than 2 years
of age at death (57.14% of the children), which can be considered typical for the infant
mortality in the population of the period. In general, the individuals in the Adults and
Mature individuals age groups are relatively equally represented, Adultus (20 – 40 years
at death) and Maturus (40 – 60 years at death), respectively by 15 individuals each, or
35.71% of the age-determined individuals. A similar equal representation of the two age
groups is observed in both sexes, as men are represented by nine individuals (23.08% of
the age-determined individuals in the necropolis), and women – by six and five for the
Adults and Mature individuals age groups (or 15.38% and 12.82% of the age- and sexdetermined
individuals, respectively).
Paleodemographic analysis confirms the trend of increasing life expectancy from
the period of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, both for men and women.
The osteometric examination made it possible to estimate the stature according to
the Trotter-Gleser methods for a population with Caucasian racial characteristics and
Pearson-Lee for men and women, respectively. According to the first formula, the stature
of men is estimated to be 174.43 cm at the average of, and of women – 154.15 cm. The
results obtained from the second formula show lower values (Table 6). The dentition is
most often affected by pathological deviations, and generally the permanent dentitions
are highly damaged by caries. Traces of severe infectious diseases have been noticed,
which can be identified as tuberculosis and lepromatosis (leprosy). In seven individuals,
severe malformation were found, leading to long-term disability, requiring someone
else’s assistance in the individual’s daily life for a relatively long period of time.

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.

Climate has changed considerably throughout the Holocene and humans have continuously adapted to environmental change. However, research is not clear on how, to what extent and in relation to which environmental factors populations have adapted. The mid-Holocene period c. 6200–2200 bce in Scandinavia involved the transition from purely forager-based (Mesolithic) economies to the establishment of farming-based (Neolithic) economies. In southern Norway there is evidence of a limited introduction of farming and husbandry in the Oslo fjord region in the early fourth millennium bce, and of foragers experimenting with farming during the Neolithic period. This paper hypothesises that shortterm cold events (or Little Ice Age-like events) had negative impact on human demography in southern Norway also during the mid-Holocene. The current record of Little Ice Age-events is compared to a long-term population trajectory based on archaeological data, showing little or no negative impact on human demography during the mid-Holocene.

One of the greatest transitions in the human story was the change from hunter-gatherer to farmer. How farming traditions expanded from their birthplace in the Fertile Crescent has always been a matter of contention. Two models were proposed, one involving the movement of people and the other based on the transmission of ideas. Over the last decade, paleogenomics has been instrumental in settling long-disputed archaeological questions, including those surrounding the Neolithic revolution. Compared to the extensive genetic work done on Europe and the Near East, the Neolithic transition in North Africa, including the Maghreb, remains largely uncharacterized. Archaeological evidence suggests this process may have happened through an in situ development from Epipaleolithic communities, or by demic diffusion from the Eastern Mediterranean shores or Iberia. In fact, Neolithic pottery in North Africa strongly resembles that of European cultures like Cardial and Andalusian Early Neolithic, t...

This research was conducted in June 2020 in connection with carrying out rescue archaeological excavations of a site recorded during the construction of the Sofia Ring Road, in the northern foothills of the Lozenska Mountain. On the basis of sedimentological studies of cultural layers, the flow of two mudflows with a southeast-northwest direction were proven at different depths. The discovered archaeological artefacts, mainly fragmented ceramic vessels, help to date these two flows through the Subboreal and the lower Sub-Atlantic. The first, located deeper than the modern surface flow, is dated after the 2nd millennium BC. (i.e., from the Subboreal). The second is the shallower stream, after the Roman era, II-IV centuries AD. (i.e., Sub-Atlantic). Both flowed into the Iskar River. Nowadays. it is difficult to determine their exact location. The archaeological sites from the two streams brought artifacts located in a south/ southwest direction, closer to the northern slope of the Lozenska Mountain.

The archaeological site is a "burial" mound (Site № 9), located ca. 4 km east of the center of the town of Belovo, next to the Sofia-Plovdiv Railway Line. The purpose of the research is to establish the stages of construction of the mound by means of archaeological and geomorphological studies as well as sedimentological analyses.

The excavation of the Vlaho site in 2024 is a continuation
of the multidisciplinary research that began
in 2020, so this year a test trench was excavated in
the southwestern part of the site. This approach made
it possible to observe all the layers in this part of the
Neolithic settlement, which provides a better insight
into the architectural features and changes in the material
culture.

Within the framework of this probe with dimensions
of 2x2 meters and a depth of 2.11 meters, several
layers were registered that are related to architectural
and possibly ritual activities. In terms of ritual
activities, the reappearance of laterally placed grinding
stones is symptomatic, which as an authentic phenomenon
has also been registered in other parts of the
Neolithic settlement. The concentration of grinding
stones in the southwestern part of the trench is also
again associated with such a practice within this Neolithic
settlement, but it has also been found on other
tells in the Pelagonia plain.

As for the architectural elements, several features
were recorded that suggest an intense building dynamism
in this part of the settlement. It is important
to emphasize that the presence of a pit-dwelling was
also found in the southwestern half of the trench, in
which postholes for three massive piles were discovered,
as well as scattered pieces of semifired daub,
indicating its components (walls and roof). The presence
of pit-dwellings in the Neolithic of Pelagonia
has been detected previously, so their presence at
Vlaho should not be surprising.
This pit-dwelling was dug into the remains of an
older building from which a well-preserved compact
floor of ashy earth and whitish plaster was found. Interestingly,
elements of several floors were recorded
under it, such as layers of soot, ash and substructure.
Considering that a total of 7 such floors were recorded
up to the eventual virgin soil, it can be confirmed
that this part of the settlement was inhabited quite
intensively, since there were so many renovations of
the floors. This again points to the fact that there are
no uniform architectural practices in this Neolithic
settlement and confirms its complex architectural and
social character.

Considering the height of the cultural layers in this
test trench, which is about 2.11 meters and consists of
only Early Neolithic stratigraphy, it can be concluded
that unlike the eastern periphery of the settlement
(consisting of 0.60 cm of cultural layers), there was
much longer-term habitation in its central part. It remains
to be seen in the future the architectural and
social features in this part of the settlement and to
what extent it differs from what was common of its
peripheral parts. Further study of the archaeological
finds will greatly help in this, both of the material
culture and of the remains that are analyzed with the
help of archaeobotanists, archaeozoologists and geologists.
Among the finds is the production of plates
made of fine clay and red paint, present in all stages
of the settlement. White painting was also used at
the very beginning of the site and lasted until the last
Neolithic layers. Black-coated plates are very rare,
as well as those with carinated walls. The bowls are
typical among the vessels with medium and coarse
fabric, and some of them have impression carvings
and barbotine. Figural representations are rare except
for one stone and part of a white-painted vessel with
anthropomorphic features, as well as two legs of a
zoomorphic vessel and an altar. Stone and bone tools,
as well as sling projectiles and perforated disks are
also part of the common types of finds.

The application of chronological modeling and
sequences has provided a much more precise insight
into the time in which the settlement functioned. According
to the Bayesian model based on six dates
from Vlaho, it can be suggested that the Neolithic
settlement functioned approximately between
6390 and 6020 BC, i.e. in a period of about 350-400
years. Interestingly, the model also points to a time
gap around 6200 BC, when the settlement, or at least
part of it, was abandoned, over a period of several
decades. Given that more samples have been taken
for radiocarbon analysis, the future Bayesian model
will enable an even more thorough overview of the
time span and phases of this Neolithic settlement. In
parallel with the chronological modeling, archaeobotanical
and archaeozoological analyses are being
conducted, which will significantly enrich the knowledge
about the diet and economy of Vlaho, but also
about its environment.

Les recherches en cours sur les dépôts préhistoriques de la Grotte de Drakaina de la commune de Poros, ile de Cephalonia, ont contribué considérablement à l'enrichissement de nos données concernant la préhistoire de la région. Les résultats de datations par le radiocarbone des ...

Focusing on Early Neolithic continental Europe, I present new archaeological results in comparison to similarly recent ancient DNA and stable isotope studies. I address various scenarios from one region in the Balkans and another in northern Germany, before zooming in on the eastern and western parts of the Carpathian basin: the last region with direct Balkan migrant groups and the first region with a growing local contribution as well as genetic influx. These examples show that there are possibilities to reconcile aDNA data with the archaeological record, as well as some contradictions, but above all they highlight the extremely high diversity of the Neolithic transition.

The Rakushechny Yar site is one of the few stratified reference settlements for the steppe zone of the Azov-Black Sea region with Neolithic-Eneolithic layers (6–5 mill. BC). The layer 5 with Viviparus shells accumulation represents an important chronological record of the transition period from the Late Neolithic to the Chalcolithic. The ceramics, which is a reference for the Mariupol cultural-historical area, at Rakushechny Yar settlement was recorded in layers 5–2. Single fragments of pottery attributed to Lower Don culture are found in layers 10–6. While most fragments in layer 5 belong to the Late Neolithic, the total number of fragments of Lower Don culture ceramics is about 6.6 %. The appearance of the latter is associated with epochal changes that encompassed the vast areas of the steppe–forest-steppe of the Dnieper-Don-Volga-Ural basin. The Mariupol traditions were suggested to be originated in the Lower Don area, with chronologically earlier complexes located in the Don-Dnepr region similar to those in the Volga-Ural area. However, this hypothesis leaves unresolved the question of the mechanisms of the emergence of these traditions in the territory of the Lower Don. The article represents an analysis of the ceramic complex of layer 5 and the issues related to chronology and genesis of the formation of this horizon. Typological analysis revealed chronological heterogeneity of ceramic series of the Mariupol cultural-historical area of 5–2 layers of the Rakushechny Yar settlement. Such heterogeneity of the ceramic complex, the presence of Late Neolithic pottery fragments in layer 5 could be related to the specific conditions of formation of these layers, where cultural horizons were not covered by sterile alluvial interlayers. The difficulties in accurate chronological reconstructions are caused by a small number of radiocarbon dates for the upper layers of Rakushechny Yar, almost complete absence of them for other Lower Don sites of the steppe area, revision of dating of Mariupol-type burials of the western area of taking into account the impact of the reservoir effect, and predominance of dates on ceramics in the Volga-Ural basin.

This study addresses the small-scale figurines and ground stone artifact assemblages from the PPNB settlement of Nevalı Çori.
The first chapter outlines the development of theoretical approaches and the methodological principles underpinning the presentation of material culture, cross-cultural comparison, and the reconstruction of lifeways within an Early Neolithic settlement. The discussion highlights the potentialities and constraints involved in the interpretative processes concerning prehistoric cultures.
The second chapter introduces the excavated site, its geographical location and topography, research history, and chronological context. It also discusses the climatic conditions in PPNB Upper Mesopotamia, and the scientific analyses conducted on the finds and features to date. Finally, observations regarding raw material sources, extraction, and transportation of the materials until their processing into finished artifacts are discussed.
The third chapter presents the description, classification, and chronological placement of the assemblage in comparison with other contemporaneous sites. Additionally, information on the usage of the artifacts and their technological development is provided.
The final chapter attempts to reconstruct the daily life of the inhabitants of Nevalı Çori based on an integrated analysis of the examined finds and features in conjunction with the results of scientific analyses. The aim is to depict subsistence and production strategies as well as the worldview of the early Neolithic population.