Palaeolithic Archaeology

El asentamiento de El Eucaliptal, ubicado en la flecha de Punta Umbría (Huelva), responde a un modelo de implantación litoral bien conocido en el mundo clásico, en general, y en la costa onubense, en particular. Presentamos en este trabajo los resultados de la última excavación del sitio, realizada en 2021 y vinculada a un proyecto de restauración y puesta en valor. Los trabajos arqueológicos han permitido intervenir un conjunto de piletas y otras estructuras industriales pesqueras ya conocidas, interpretando su planta y su cronología. Igualmente, se exponen los resultados de la prospección geofísica realizada en las proximidades al
yacimiento con el objetivo de evaluar su potencial arqueológico.

The German sites bearing straight-tusked elephant remains cover a period from 400 Ka (MIS 11) to the Eemian age (MIS 5e). The material excavated since 1980, in the lacustrine sediments of Neumark Nord (Eastern Germany), is one of the most outstanding samples of straight-tusked elephants in Europe. The Neumark-Nord material enhances our knowledge of the body size, sexual dimorphism, ontogenetic growth and morphological variability of Palaeoloxodon antiquus.

ABSTRACT In 1981 and 1991, mammoth remains and associated fauna were found in central Poland, at the Belchatów opencast mine in sandy gravel deposits. Most of them lay at approximately 160-175 m above mean sea level (a.s.l.), located in the lower and upper members of the alluvial Chojny Formation. This formation belongs to the Middle Pleistocene, and can be connected with the Mazovian (MIS-11, Holsteinian) or Zbójnian (MIS-9, Reinsdorf) Interglacial. The Belchatów mammoth assemblage described here consists of cranial and postcranial elements. Analysis of their morphological characteristics and osteometrics are used to demonstrate that at least two molars and one tusk belong to Mammuthus trogontherii and that the tusk belonged to a male. On the basis of the minimum number of elements of the most common element (left incisors), the mammoth remains represent at least two individuals. Based upon the different ages of death for the various elements, it appears that they represent several individuals. The bulk of the mammoth remains were recovered from the oldest depositional cycle in the lower member of Chojny Formation, and are therefore coincident with a shrub tundra environment and cool temperate conditions. They were deposited in sediments formed by a meandering river with a fairly low power of flow, and were buried soon after transport over a short distance. This conclusion is also supported by the palaeobotanical data. An additional element, a costa, was recovered from the upper member of the Chojny Formation, which is associated with the cooling conditions. The enveloping deposit appears to be the result of a series of more rapid discharge events by a braided river. This element is distinguished from those elements recovered from the lower member due to the presence of a series of unusual striations. SEM analysis suggests that some of the striations were probably made by chipped stone tools used in a slicing action, as if the result of the filleting of flesh from the rib area. The time frame for the depositional context of the costa suggests that the striations may have been made by one of several possible human taxa that occurred in central Europe during this period, including Homo heidelbergensis. Given the dearth of human skeletal remains from this region and time period, this represents the earliest and only example of Middle Pleistocene human butchering activity in Poland. The remains discussed in this paper are presented in light of their depositional and cultural contexts, which not only increases our knowledge of the occurrence of M. trogontherii in Poland, but also provides increased evidence for Lower Palaeolithic human activity in central Europe during an early interglacial.

The Emireh point is a triangular point, which distinctive bulb of percussion was eliminated with bifacial thinning applied to proximal part of the artefact. This point is a characteristic tool for the Emiran industries and up to yet reported from Levantine sites only. Recently, an isolated Emireh point was excavated at Bohunician site Ořechov IV in South Moravia, ca 3,000 km as the crow flies from Levantine sites.

Heimat museums – small, community-driven museums prevalent in rural Germany – represent one of the most widespread, yet under-recognized, forms of museums in the country. They serve as sites of memory and local identity. Despite their widespread presence, they remain statistically invisible and are often excluded from international museological discourse. Heimat museums challenge traditional professional museum hierarchies and offer distinctive contributions to current debates about museums’ social roles. This article, based on museum fieldwork carried out during a 2025 research seminar at the University of Tübingen, explores how these institutions operate at the intersection of memory work, volunteerism, and local identity-making. It places Heimat museums in dialogue with alternative museologies, particularly Social Museology, and analyzes how they reflect or diverge from the values embedded in the 2022 ICOM definition of museums. Drawing on student case studies and seminar discussions, we show that while Heimat museums may fall short of professional standards, they enact modes of participation, inclusivity, and enjoyment that align with new expectations. We argue that their informal, community-based character both complicates and enriches the evolving global understanding of what museums are and what they can be.

Beefsteak Cave is located towards the southern end of the Rock of Gibraltar, along the cliff line between the wave-eroded platforms of Europa and Windmill Hill Flats. Set within the grey dolomites of the early Jurassic Europa Member, the Cave is almost certainly of marine origin. It was probably formed during a sea-level highstand earlier than 250 ky. The exposed brecciated deposits form part of an earlier gallery within a larger cave system that has since been eroded away. The Cave still contains almost 5m of brecchiated ...

This year marks the 120th anniversary of the discovery of the mandible of a Neanderthal in the Švédův stůl cave in the Moravian Karst. This so-called “Jawbone from Ochoz” was discovered in early 1905 by a student, Karl Kubasek (1888–1916) from nearby village Bílovice nad Svitavou. The Kubasek family belonged to the German-speaking inhabitants of Moravia and Karl’s father and grandfather worked on the railway. Karl’s father, Moritz Kubasek, was a stationmaster in Bílovice nad Svitavou. He and his wife Mathilde had six children, three of whom lived to adulthood. In addition to Karl’s older brother Viktor (1885–1916), their youngest sister Amalia (born in 1891) was also one of them.

A report from the Klíma 100 Conference, which took place at the Archaeological Institute in Brna from 26 to 28 March 2025. Bohustav Klíma (2025-2000) was a specialist in athe Central European Palaeolithic and Mesolithic. This conference was organized to commemorate 100th aniversary of his birth.

Many caves worldwide, including those with significant archaeological deposits, have attracted excavators since the end of the 19th c. This has often resulted in caves being partially, or entirely, emptied of sediments. The ‘coarse’ methodology used during earlier excavations has resulted in many finds being missed, which usually resulted in their discard onto nearby spoil heaps along with the sediments. Švédův stůl Cave, in the southern part of the Moravian Karst, is a typical example. It is also one of only three caves in Moravia that have yielded Neanderthal skeletal remains. Artefacts belonging to the Middle Paleolithic through to Medieval periods were recovered in Švédův stůl Cave during earlier excavations. The re-excavation of a tiny proportion of the discarded deposits outside the cave has produced a similar number of lithic artefacts as in all of the excavations added together. In addition, several specific artefacts, previously unknown from Švédův stůl Cave, were also discovered. The results of the re-excavation indicate a significant archaeological potential still hidden within the sediments dumped in the spoil heap outside the cave. These discoveries show promising potential for further research at this site.

Artykuł jest próbą syntetycznego przedstawienia nowych źródeł archeologicznych, obrazujących proces zastępowania osadnictwa kultury przeworskiej przez osadnictwo kultury wielbarskiej na terenie zachodniej Lubelszczyzny, rozumianej jako obszar obejmujący mezoregiony położone pomiędzy doliną Wisły a dolnym i środkowym odcinkiem Wieprza.
Omówiono w nim historię badań i najważniejsze syntetyczne opracowania
dotyczące rozwoju osadnictwa w okresach rzymskim i wędrówek ludów na Lubelszczyźnie, w których niejednokrotnie zwracano uwagę na specyfikę części zachodniej tego regionu, odbiegającą od typowego schematu przemian osadniczych w innych częściach ziem polskich. W pracy wskazano na nowe materiały z badań wykopaliskowych, między innymi z przedinwestycyjnych badań na osadach, na znaleziska luźne, a także ponowne interdyscyplinarne opracowania wyników „starych” wykopalisk.

Cueva Negra del Estrecho del Río Quípar overlooking the Río Quípar, a Río Segura tributary, is an upland rock-shelter 75 km north of the Mediterranean coast and 110 km west of the Segura river-mouth. It contains undisturbed sediment 5 m deep assigned by magnetostratigraphy to >0.78 Ma (Matuyama magnetochron). Optically stimulated sediment luminescence dating implies ≥0.5 Ma and mammalian biochronology (notably, of Arvicolid rodents) indicates >0.7-<1 Ma. Remains include an "Acheulian" limestone "hand-axe," and small chert, limestone or quartzite artifacts, knapped on site, often by bipolar reduction or repetitive centripetal flaking of small discoidal cores. Secondarily-flaked ("retouched") artifacts include small irregular chert fragments, resembling chert at an adjacent conglomerate outcrop according to laser-ablation inductively-coupled plasma mass-spectrometry of 19 lanthanide elements, though some chert may have been obtained from up to 30 km away. Faunal remains and pollen are compatible with mild (plausibly MIS-21), damp, fluvio-lacustrine environments. Evidence of fire in a deep, sealed layer includes thermally-altered, lustreless and shattered chert, and both charred and white calcined fragments of bone. Taphonomical analysis and electron microscopy of bone fragments attribute discolouration to burning, not to post-depositional mineral staining. Sediment geochemistry and thin-section micromorphology have been undertaken. FTIRS, TL and ESR analysis of chert and bone imply firing temperatures of about 500ºC at least. Drawing on findings from Cueva Negra, the purpose of this paper is to offer an interpretation of Palaeolithic activity from the perspective of hominin cognitive versatility, techno-manual dexterity, and palaeoeconomic extractive behaviour in long-vanished Western European pal-2 AA.VV. 2

High-resolution pollen analysis has been carried out on a sediment core taken from the Pliocene Camp del Ninots maar site, Girona, NE Spain. Cyclical variations have been observed in the pollen record, with periods characterized by the abundance of Abies, Larix, Cathaya, Tsuga, Engelhardia, Alnus and Botryococcus algae, alternating with periods characterized by abundant Poaceae, Cupressaceae, Ericaceae, Quercus and Oleaceae, most-likely representing humid and dry conditions respectively. The pollen variations seem to correlate very well with sedimentological changes, depicted by the lithology and magnetic susceptibility (MS) records. Humid periods correspond to low MS and dark clays, which are probably related to higher lake level, productivity and organic sedimentation in the lake. A cyclostratigraphic analysis on the observed cyclicity in the pollen record will help us understand the forcing mechanism of this cyclical variations and will also help us improve the chronostratigraphic framework for the sediments contained in this very interesting site.

The widespread distribution of the Sauveterrian complex across Europe suggests the presence of networks connecting distant groups, facilitating the dissemination of concepts and techniques on a large scale. This hypothesis is largely based on the analysis of lithic tools in terms of provisioning, knapping techniques and the typology of tools produced. However, to gain a detailed understanding of the social dynamics of early Holocene groups, it would seem necessary to include other aspects of Sauveterrian societies. In particular, ornamental practices played an important role in social relations, due to their function in the construction and expression of personal and collective identities. Through the study of ornaments, we aim to unravel the interactions between Sauveterrian groups. The study of the ornaments from La Baume de Monthiver (Var, France) has enabled us to address both the diachronic and synchronic dimensions of ornamental practices. Here we analyze the entire biography of ornamental objects, from the collection of raw materials, the methods of manufacture, to the mounting of the ornamental composition, revealing a certain stability in practices at the beginning of the Holocene. Several dynamics seem to be intertwined, between the shared choice of raw material on a very large scale and possible regional dynamics visible especially in the type of ornamental compositions adopted.

This article focuses on the petrographic analysis of chert samples from the Lower Danube Valley, Romania, between West of Olt Valley and East of Mostiştea Valley (Upper Palaeolithic sites and modern quarries in gravels of Frăteşti Formation and Danube terrace deposits). Macroscopic examination of hand specimens established visual characteristics of cherts and allowed the primary separation of samples. Microfacies analysis was carried on 116 thin sections, with special attention to grain categories, recognition of systematic fossil groups, matrix, and cement types, estimated by use of visual comparison charts for each thin section. Bulk dominant mineralogical phases were determined through X-ray diffraction on 82 samples. Microfacies analysis provided the means to characterize and classify cherts from the Lower Danube Valley (22 chert microfacies), demonstrating that raw-materials were previously inadequately characterized and defined too generally. Also, this study confirmed older hypotheses about local alluvial deposits as supply sources for some of the Upper Palaeolithic sites.

Američki antropolog i arheolog Vladimir J. Fjuks (Vladimir J. Fewkes, 1901–1941) bio je čest gost u Kraljevini Jugoslaviji tokom tridesetih godina 20. veka, a ostao je upamćen, pre svega, po iskopavanju neolitskog lokaliteta Starčevo kod Pančeva. Međutim, njegov doprinos nije bio ništa manji ni kada su u pitanju rekognosciranja na području istočne i južne Srbije, koja su kasnije poslužila kao polazna osnova drugim istraživačima. Osim toga, kroz različita svedočanstva o Fjuksovim aktivnostima prelamaju se, ne samo u to vreme vladajuće arheološke teorije, nego se naslućuje i kakvu sliku je imala javnost sa obe strane Atlantika o počecima evropskog neolita. Konačno, njegova prerana smrt i činjenica da je za života publikovao samo manji deo materijala pokazali su na višestruko tragičan način koji značaj može da ima arheološka terenska dokumentacija.

Fotografías de cubierta: De izquierda a derecha y de arriba a abajo: • Trinchera del sótano A en la casa de los Hevia (Villaviciosa) • Castillete y tolva del Castiello de Sarabia (Mieres) • Azagaya del nivel OL.2 de la cueva de El Olivo (Pruvia, Llanera

En este trabajo damos a conocer dos nuevas estaciones paleolíticas con arte figurativo exterior, situadas en el valle del Nora (Asturias): El Sofoxó I y Las Mestas II. Por sus rasgos tecno-estilísticos, estas representaciones parietales podrían encuadrarse en un contexto gráfico pre-magdaleniense, tal vez de cronología solutrense, similar al de otras representaciones exteriores pertenecientes al II Horizonte Gráfico del Nalón. Estas dos cavidades se suman así, a las 13 estaciones existentes en la cuenca media del Nalón, con grabados figurativos exteriores profundos. En este trabajo se aborda, igualmente, la ocupación prehistórica en este valle, basándose en el registro arqueológico procedente del Museo Arqueológico de Asturias y en los datos obtenidos por nosotros durante las prospecciones realizadas en 1978, en las cuevas del

RESUMEN Se presentan en este artículo, los resultados de las investigaciones realizadas en los últimos años en el borde litoral del oriente de Asturias; fruto de ello, es el hallazgo de varias estaciones al aire libre y algunas cavidades prehistóricas. A partir de las evidencias arqueológicas obtenidas, se han documentado la existencia de ocupaciones pertenecientes al Paleolítico medio, Mesolítico (asturiense) y Calcolítico/Edad del Bronce.

The origins of humankind and the archaeology of the Palaeolithic Era have long fascinated the public. Nevertheless, the public’s understanding of these topics is often confused and incomplete, partly due to the distorted picture provided by popular culture. Several museums in Europe include findings concerning human evolution and the Palaeolithic Era in their collections; a number of museum exhibitions are totally devoted to them. In recent decades, activities organized by museums have contributed decisively to remedying misconceptions about Palaeolithic societies, offering a limited, although essential perspective on our Palaeolithic ancestors. The aim of this chapter is to propose new narratives and associated displays in museums that primarily relate to the individual and its place within society, so as to overcome pre-existing misconceptions and better comprehend Palaeolithic societies. To fulfil this aim I recorded the most common topics related to Palaeolithic people and how they are usually displayed in museums. Then, I selected two topics that can provide a better understanding of Palaeolithic social life, topics upon which light has been shed by a wealth of new scientific data during the last few decades. The present chapter thus focuses on the representation of Palaeolithic children and disabled individuals, who have traditionally been set aside in museum exhibitions.

In the 2012 campaign have been explored five of the six small huts of the village, while the sixth (hut no. 2), entirely excavated in previous campaigns, has been the object of limited tests outside. In the hut 1, current excavation has brought to light a floor of rough stones of medium and small size, in which is embedded a small quadrangular stone structure, perhaps a hearth (?).The hut 3, also quadrangular, had a similar hearth made on the floor, and another elliptical structure realized with orthostatic stones partially sunken in a central area of the hut (a grave?). The hut 4, only partially preserved, also shows the presence of a small quadrangular structure of stones sunken below the floor level. The huts 5 and 6, contiguous, showed the presence of a pavement stones arranged with a certain care; in the hut 6 is present a probable posthole in a central position, while in the hut 5 has been brought to light the usual quadrangular stone structure sunken below the floor level. Th...

Ethnographic and archaeological  cross cultural data from California and the South Pacific show two main categories of beads and ornaments were commonly identified as jewelry and money which had different elements of form and context.  These elements were compared with bead data from 32 Paleolithic sites and found to be similar suggesting rules of jewelry and money were the same in the Paleolithic as in ethnographic times.

Ethnographic and archaeological data from California and the South Pacific shows two common categories of ornamentation are identified that have standard elements of form and function.  These elements are compared with Paleolithic data from 32 Paleolithic and Neolithic.  The results suggests that similar rules of use and form have occurred throughout Human historyho

Juulimi 2025-imi Nuussuup iluani Saqqap Tasersuata avannamut kimmut affaa aqqusaarlugu aamma Qoororsuarmi arkeologiskimik misissuisoqarpoq, Paleo-Inuit, Thule-meersut, oqaluttuarisaanerup kingulliup nalaanilu tuttunik piniarnermik atortussiassanik allattorsimaffik allattorsimaffiginiarlugu. Ulloq c. Saqqap Tasersua-p vest-iani 14km-inik takissusilik lejrplads-i annertooq Nernartuut tupeqarfippassuarnik, ataaseq agguaqatigiissillugu annertussusilik marlullu mikisut kiisalu pingasut sivisuumik karibu-nik piniarfiusut, tupeqarfiit arlallit, neqinik tunisassiorfiit, piniarfiit immikkoortut aamma toqqit ataasiakkaat registererneqarput.

Anton Rzehak (1855–1923) byl významný moravský pedagog, geolog, paleontolog a archeolog, jehož interdisciplinární přístup zásadně ovlivnil archeologii na Moravě. Jeho působení bylo spjato zejména s Německou vysokou školou technickou v Brně. Jeho práce zahrnovala výzkum pohřebišť ze starší a mladší doby bronzové, přičemž definoval například „měnínský typ“, budoucí únětickou kulturu. Jeho výzkumy se týkaly také paleolitických nálezů, včetně správné identifikace neandertálské čelisti z Ochozské jeskyně nebo ikonické paleolitické sošky z mamutoviny z hrobu Brno 2. Významné bylo jeho působení v roli kustoda archeologických sbírek Františkova musea v Brně v letech 1897–1918, kde reorganizoval sbírky a aplikoval moderní metody zkoumání, včetně pokusu o centralizaci řízení archeologické práce na Moravě. Tyto snahy vedly ke konfliktům s částí českých archeologů v čele s Innocencem Ladislavem Červinkou. Po vzniku Československa byl kvůli
své německé národnosti marginalizován, přestože dostupné dokumenty dokládají, že s českými archeology udržoval před rokem 1918 především korektní, ale také přátelské vztahy.

The topic of this dissertation is lithic raw material procurement strategy during the Dalmatian Stone Age. It is based on analyses of lithic artefact assemblages from Late Middle Palaeolithic (Mousterian), Late Upper Palaeolithic (Epigravettian), Mesolithic, and Neolithic sites. Its primary
focus is the deeply stratified multicomponent cave site of Vela spila on the island of Korčula. This central Dalmatian site yielded Epigravettian, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Aeneolithic and Bronze Age finds. Analyses of lithic artefacts from this site provided the groundwork for investigation of finds
belonging to older, contemporary or younger periods in the region. Lithic assemblages from several other sites located within and outside the region, ranging from Mousterian to the Bronze Age, were used for comparison.
Analysis of flaked stone artefacts involves determination of the raw material source, as well as the mode of raw material acquisition. In this research, archaeological methods, as well as macroscopic
geological and microscopic optical methods were applied. Correlation of artefacts with geological raw material sources was based on extensive fieldwork, a pioneering undertaking in the Adriatic
area. For that purpose, a collection of archaeological and geological samples was created, characteristics of each sample were established by macroanalyses and microanalyses, and recorded in a database. This work resulted in development of a basic methodology and a practical perspective that can be applied to future research within and beyond the region.
Comparative analyses of sites of different ages and geographic locations have provided informa-
tion about the change of lithic raw material procurement strategy. Two basic models of procurement were proposed in order to compare territorial organization and consequences of geomorphological changes on hunter-gatherers and farmers in the research area: the model of eastern Adriatic resources, and the model of western Adriatic resources. These models were applied to prehistoric sites on the eastern Adriatic, and were assigned to specific cultural stages of the analysed sites.
All Mousterian assemblages corresponded to the local model, while Epigravettian and Mesolithic assemblages corresponded to the model of local, local-regional, as well as more distant eastern
Adriatic resources. The model of western Adriatic resources largely corresponded to Neolithic, as well as Aeneolithic and early Bronze Age assemblages.
While some of the assemblages deviated from the assigned models, a general correlation exists between the two major resource zones and the major Stone Age periods. The eastern Adriatic resources model corresponds to pre-Neolithic periods, while the western Adriatic model corresponds post-Mesolithic periods. This fundamental change in procurement strategy is not just a consequence of the transition from hunting to agriculture, but is also related to changes in social context.
Since the beginning of the 6th millennium BC, the social element of the trans-Adriatic neolithisation was expressed by transfer, continuing over a period of several millennia, of technological innovations from the west to the east coast of central Adriatic. This included organized procurement
of raw materials through collection of allochthonous sources and the extraction of autochthonous sources, specialized production of prismatic blades, and overseas distribution. These processes were initiated by the pioneers, taken over by the colonists, and dispersed further through interaction between the incoming farmers and the local hunter-gatherers.

This work is conceived like a state of the art on recent hunter-gatherers documented in the western end of the Cantabrian area. In it we have included deposits and other evidences ascribed at the end of the Upper Palaeolithic and at the Epipaleolithic-Mesolithic.

The Middle, Early and Late Upper Paleolithic horizons found in the cave in Ždrilo show the short-term stay of different human communities. The cave in Ždrilo is currently the only locality that has a confirmed chronology of the Early Upper Paleolithic in Dalmatia. The Middle Palaeolithic layers correspond to the known patterns of other Mousterian sites in Dalmatia (cave Velika pećina in Kličevica, cave Mujina pećina) where the strategy of acquiring lithic raw materials based on local resources was established. Preliminary analyzes of the lithics from the cave in Ždrilo offer the first knowledge about the acquisition of raw materials during the Early Upper Paleolithic in Dalmatia: equal exploitation of local and regional raw materials. In contrast to the Vlakno cave on Dugi otok, the closest Epigravettian site, in the cave in Ždrilo the use of transregional western Adriatic raw materials was not recorded in that period.

The article presents evidence about the Middle Palaeolithic and Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition interval in the karst area of the Danube Gorges in the Lower Danube Basin. We review the extant data and present new evidence from two recently investigated sites found on the Serbian side of the Danube River -Tabula Traiana and Dubočka-Kozja caves. The two sites have yielded layers dating to both the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic and have been investigated by the application of modern standards of excavation and recovery along with a suite of state-of-the-art analytical procedures. The presentation focuses on micromorphological analyses of the caves' sediments, characterisation of cryptotephra, a suite of new radiometric dates (accelerator mass spectrometry and optically stimulated luminescence) as well as proteomics (zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry) and stable isotope data in discerning patterns of human occupation of these locales over the long term.

During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 30 to 16.5 ka ago), the Great Adriatic-Po Region (GAPR) was deeply affected by the spread of glaciers from the Alps to the southern foreland and by the dropping of the sea level to ~ -120 m amsl. The combination of these two events triggered the aggradation of the Great Po Plain (GPP), a vast flat area between the Alpine chain, the Italian Peninsula and the north-western Balkan Peninsula, physically and ecologically featured through a range of palaeogeographic and palaeoecological conditions. The low-elevated Prealpine sectors and the Alpine foothills supported more extensive forest stands, due to increased orographic rainfall. These were open boreal forests which persisted throughout the LGM, while open woodlands, steppes, semideserts and wetlands occupied the lowlands. A complex ecogradient, including both an Alpine and a continental timberline, is documented by the fossil records at the NE Alpine border, with a larch-pine forest-steppe belt, in contact with steppes and loess areas extending in the plain, on the dry extreme of the gradient. Still, edaphic wetlands occupied the waterlogged silty soils in the lowlands. Other areas, marked by active geodynamic processes, supported semideserts, i.e. grooves of xerophytic herbs and shrubs. Enhanced aridity and the development of deflation areas, prompted the accretion of loess cover at the northern and southern margins of the GPP. Fauna recorded the gradual disappearance of mammoth, woolly rhino and giant deer, together with cave bear. Gravettian and Epigravettian hunter-gatherer groups inhabited the GPP, although their presence and settlement dynamics at the margins and across this region has long been questioned. As a matter of fact, a handful of
archaeological sites composes a patchy record of the peopling of the plain itself. At the northern rim of the GAPR, characterized by a well-developed karst region, several caves and rock shelters record the presence of hunters of bisons and horses at the margins of the GPP and ibexes and cave bears in some hilly landscapes. Nonetheless, evidence of contacts across this area is provided by the exploitation of chert sources and by stylistic and technical similarities in the lithic industries. The work resumes the currently available multidisciplinary data and adds new
petroarchaeological evidence for reconstructing the settlement dynamics of the Gravettian – Epigravettian hunter-gatherers in this vast region up to the early Late Glacial, when the Prealpine and the Apennine foothills, along with the Dinarids, were persistently settled.

The question of prehistoric fuelwood selection and use, whether they were determined by ease of collection and wood species availability in the environment or by cultural choice, has vexed anthracology from the early days of the discipline. This paper addresses this question by revisiting the 'Principle of Least Effort', one of the most influential research paradigms in anthracology incorporating environmental, functional, and cultural elements. Drawing on previous research alongside ethnographic, ethnohistorical, ecological and anthracological data from the Eastern Mediterranean and Southwest Asia, I propose a novel theoretical framework that explicitly addresses the plurality of cultural inputs in archaeological charcoal taphonomy, themselves reflecting the complex interdependencies of human behaviour, vegetation responses and landscape change. In its core lies the principle that prehistoric fuelwood management cannot be reconstructed and interpreted in isolation from its diverse sociocultural, ecological, and technological contexts. The importance of anthracology as a source of data on an increasingly endangered global palaeoenvironmental heritage is also emphasised. Methodologically, the paper addresses the equifinality biases that are sometimes inherent, if not always explicitly acknowledged, in anthracological studies.

In this paper we present the results of the analysis of lithic industry from Vlakno Cave, which was discovered during excavations in 2004 and 2007. Radiocarbon dating positions the analysed lithic industry at the time of Pleistocene-Holocene transition. The technological and typological features of the lithic production show continuity during the abovementioned transition. Very clear continuity may also be observed in terms of the procurement of raw material, albeit with certain differences between the Late Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic, which could be the result of environmental changes. Certain adaptations of the hunter-gatherers from Vlakno to new environmental circumstances can also be traced through the more significant role of marine food sources and continental malacofauna in subsistence strategies during the Mesolithic. Vlakno cave was used as a residential base of a smaller group of hunter-gatherers at the time of the Pleistocene-Holocene transition.

Stone tools from highway excavations in Slovenia reveal their central role in Neolithic and Eneolithic communities, used for farming, hunting, woodworking, and food preparation. Neolithic tools, often made from local raw materials, reflect high technical skill and basic economic use, while Eneolithic examples show greater specialization, refinement, and links to expanding trade networks. Beyond functionality, some tools carried symbolic or status value. Overall, these artifacts provide key insights into technological development, social organization, and economic change, though further interdisciplinary research is needed for finer dating and clearer differentiation between periods.

A agricultura familiar constitui a base econômica e social de diversos territórios do semiárido brasileiro, onde o associativismo se apresenta como estratégia coletiva para superar limitações estruturais e ampliar o acesso a políticas públicas. Iniciativas como o PNAE e o PAA foram concebidas para articular produção local e segurança alimentar, valorizando a produção associada. Porém, a efetividade dessas políticas depende de mediações organizativas sólidas, a fim de conectar agricultores aos mercados institucionais. Este estudo analisa como o associativismo tem influenciado a participação da agricultura familiar no PNAE em comunidades rurais de Guanambi, evidenciando desafios e potenciais do trabalho coletivo na promoção do desenvolvimento territorial.

 Procurássemos clarificar a funcionalidade e a cronologia dos “montículos” de pedras e das estruturas pétreas de planta circular identificados no local;  Verificássemos a relação entre as estruturas circulares e o canal de drenagem que lhes subjaz;  Caracterizássemos o terraço fluvial do ponto de vista morfo-sedimentar;  Avaliássemos o seu potencial arqueológico e mineral;  Estabelecêssemos a natureza da alteração morfológica da plataforma onde se implanta o sítio arqueológico.

The paper deals with the important contribution of Francesco Zorzi, a central figure in the study of Veronese prehistory between the 1930s and 1960s. Thanks to his self-learning and passion for archaeology, he devoted himself for over thirty years to the research and enhancement of the prehistoric heritage of the Verona area, working closely with colleagues and volunteers.
Zorzi collaborated with numerous prominent scholars, initiating and/or supporting the exploration of several key sites such as Ponte di Veja and the Mezzena, Zampieri and Tagliente rock shelters. These sites provided significant evidence of Mousterian and Gravettian lithic industries, attesting to the presence of Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens. His passion also led him to collaborate on research in Apulia, including excavations at Grotta Paglicci with two young students Franco Mezzena and Arturo Palma di Cesnola.
After his death, his work was continued in part by his closest collaborators and later by the University of Ferrara. Thanks to innovative methodologies and institutional collaborations, the projects initiated by Zorzi have continued to yield important results, bringing the Palaeolithic of Verona into an international context.

Ce programme tire avantage du support logistique de l'université de Savoie-Mont-Blanc et du laboratoire EDyTeM -UMR 5204 du CNRS dont une partie de l'équipe du thème de recherche « Ressources et patrimoines » est investie dans le programme. C'est grâce au soutien du Service Régional de l'Archéologie de la région Auvergne Rhône Alpes que ce projet a vu le jour et a pris de l'ampleur. Il s'agit ici d'un double soutien, à la fois financier mais surtout scientifique, puisque les responsables du Service ont vu l'intérêt d'accompagner la constitution de cette matériauthèque en relation avec les lithothèques de matières siliceuses, nous permettant, d'établir un réseau national et international. Nous remercions pour cela Karim Gernigon, Conservateur régional de l'Archéologie pour son soutien amical. Nos remerciements s'adressent aussi à Laure Devillard qui a géré pendant ces cinq dernières années la partie administrative de ce projet et à l'AVDPA pour la gestion des crédits. Nous souhaitons souligner ici l'effort financier non négligeable qui a été réalisé par le SRA et qui a permis de faire fonctionner une équipe pour les activités de terrain et pour les analyses. Nous tenons encore à remercier l'Université de Savoie-Mont-Blanc pour son accompagnement financier (projets MAS-CARA 2 et TRAnSFeRT) et la plateforme ASTRE pour l'accès aux instruments de mesure (DRX, MEB-EDS, en particulier). Merci aux membres de la CTRA, qui ont évalué le dossier et ont ainsi permis de donner une existence scientifique à ce programme de recherche.

CONTENTS

Marsupials for the Chadronian (latest Eocene) Medicine Pole Hills local fauna, North Dakota. 
ALLEN J. KIHM and KAREW K. SCHUMAKER  p. 93-112.     

Mammals form the Blue Ash local fauna (late Oligocene), South Dakota. Additional specimens of Herpetotherium Cope (Marsupialia, Didelphidae). 
WILLIAM W. KORTH  p. 113-118.     

A large forefin of Ichthyosaurus from the U.K., and estimates of the size range of the genus. 
JUDY A. MASSARE, DEAN R. LOMAX, and AMANDA KLEIN  p. 119-135.