Mirjana Roksandic
University of Winnipeg, Anthropology, Faculty Member
Recent evidence about the subsistence strategies and food consumption patterns of Cuban Archaic groups suggests a greater diversity existed among these groups than previously thought. The paleodietary reconstructions in the sites of... more
Recent evidence about the subsistence strategies and food consumption patterns of Cuban Archaic groups suggests a greater diversity existed among these groups than previously thought. The paleodietary reconstructions in the sites of Canímar Abajo, Cueva del Perico I, Cueva Calero, and Guayabo Blanco have changed some long-rooted assumptions regarding the use of plants and the differential consumption of other natural resources. Based on this new evidence, the notion of culturally and biologically homogeneous Archaic Age populations is no longer supported. Although the biological differences between late ceramic groups and Archaic Age populations have been largely assessed and demonstrated, the biological and cultural variations between the Archaic groups have received less attention. In this chapter we first summarize the evidence for variations in subsistence strategies and food consumption patterns among these populations. Then, we contrast these results with other lines of bioarchaeological evidence to explore whether such differences in subsistence correlate with biological differences among these populations. This chapter explores new perspectives on the cultural and biological diversity of Caribbean groups and poses new questions for future research in Caribbean archaeology to better understand the biological and cultural identity of Antillean Archaic Age populations. RESUMEN. La evidencia reciente sobre las estrategias de subsistencia y los patrones de consumo de alimentos de los grupos antiguos cubanos sugiere la existencia de una mayor diversidad de la que previamente se pensaba. Las reconstrucciones paleodietarias en los sitios de Canímar Abajo, Cueva del Perico I, Cueva Calero y Guayabo Blanco, han cambiado las teorías aceptadas durante largo tiempo en relación al uso de plantas y el consumo diferencial de otros recursos naturales. Basados en esta nueva evidencia, la noción de poblaciones arcaicas biológicamente homogéneas es insostenible. Aunque las diferencias biológicas entre los grupos ceramistas tardíos y las poblaciones arcaicas hayan sido ampliamente evaluadas y demostradas, las variaciones biológicas y culturales dentro de las poblaciones arcaicas han sido menos estudiadas. En este capítulo, resumimos primeramente la evidencia con respecto a las variaciones en estrategias de subsistencia y los patrones de consumo de alimentos entre estas poblaciones. Seguidamente, contrastamos estos resultados con otras líneas de evidencia bioarqueológicas para examinar si las diferencias en las actividades de subsistencia de estas poblaciones se correlacionan con variaciones biológicas. Este capítulo explora nuevas perspec-tivas sobre la diversidad cultural y biológica de los grupos aborígenes del Caribe y plantea nuevos interrogantes para investigaciones futuras sobre la arqueología caribeña, lo cual propiciarían un mejor entendimiento de la identidad biológica y cultural de las poblaciones Arcaicas de Las Antillas. RESUMO. Evidências recentes sobre as estratégias de meios de vida e padrões de consumo alimen-tar dos antigos grupos cubanos sugere que houve uma maior diversidade entre esses grupos que se
Discos líticoshoradados en contextos arqueológicos aborígenes de Cuba. Aproximación a su función social desde la etnografía y la arqueología. Ciencia Y Sociedad, 44(4), 7-23. https://doi.org/10.22206/cys.2019.v44i4.pp7-23 Esta obra está... more
Discos líticoshoradados en contextos arqueológicos aborígenes de Cuba. Aproximación a su función social desde la etnografía y la arqueología. Ciencia Y Sociedad, 44(4), 7-23. https://doi.org/10.22206/cys.2019.v44i4.pp7-23 Esta obra está bajo licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0 Internacional Lithic discs drilled in aboriginal archaeological contexts of Cuba. Approach to its social function from ethnography and archeology DISCOS LÍTICOS HORADADOS EN CONTEXTOS ARQUEOLÓGICOS ABORÍGENES DE CUBA. APROXIMACIÓN A SU FUNCIÓN SOCIAL DESDE LA ETNOGRAFÍA Y LA ARQUEOLOGÍA Resumen Este trabajo sistematiza la información relacionada con uno de los artefactos más singulares del registro arqueoló-gico cubano. Singularidad marcada por su tipología, escasa presencia y carencia de estudios científicos sobre su uso en las poblaciones de baja escala productiva. El estudio revela un universo de estos objetos conservados en fondos o colecciones, sus detalles tecno-tipológicos, así como su contexto cultural y cronológico. Se realizaron estudios arqueométricos sobre una muestra de diecisiete objetos procedentes de asentamientos arqueológicos ubicados en la cuenca del río Cauto (Cuba), mediante la extracción de sedimentos y la posterior identificación de gránulos de almidón. Estos estudios revelaron que estas herramientas líticas participaban en actividades relacionadas con el pro-cesamiento de alimentos y, posteriormente, fueron parte del ensamblaje de los llamados taladros de cordel. Palabras clave: útiles rotativos; instrumentos de molienda; recursos botánicos, arqueología, tecnología lítica. Abstract The paper systematize informations related with one of the most singular artifacts in Cuban archaeological record. Due to its typology, scarce presence, and scientific ignorance of its use in small-scale productive populations. The study reveals a universe of that objects conserved in collections and funds, their techno-typological details, as well as their cultural and chronological context. Archaeometric studies were realize on a sample of seventeen objects from settlements located in the Cauto River basin through the extraction of sediments and subsequent identification of starch granules. The study revealed that lithic tools participated in activities related to food processing and later as part of the assembly of string drills.
The Central Balkans represents a significant geographical gap in the human fossil record of Eurasia. Here we present two new human fossils from Pešturina Cave, Serbia: a partial atlas vertebra (C1) and a fragment of radial diaphysis. The... more
The Central Balkans represents a significant geographical gap in the human fossil record of Eurasia. Here we present two new human fossils from Pešturina Cave, Serbia: a partial atlas vertebra (C1) and a fragment of radial diaphysis. The atlas (Pes-1) derives from the lower portion of Layer 2 and conforms to modern human morphology. This layer is characterized by Gravettian industry despite uncertainties caused by bioturbation and difficulties in separating Layers 2 and 3. The radial fragment (Pes-2) was recovered from the contact zone between Layers 3 and 4, both of which represent Mousterian industries, and is tentatively assessed as Neanderthal based on morphology. With the recent publication of a Neanderthal molar (Pes-3) from the same site, Pešturina currently stands as the only Neanderthal fossil-bearing site in Serbia. These additional finds make Pešturina Cave the only site in the Central Balkans which preserves both modern human and Neanderthal remains with associated lithic industries and highlights the importance of Pešturina in the current discourse on hominin dispersals and migrations in the Balkans.
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The cercopithecid fossil record of the Balkan Peninsula extends from the Late Miocene to the Early Pleistocene, but to date no fossils of non-human primates have been identified in Serbia. Here we report the identification of two primate... more
The cercopithecid fossil record of the Balkan Peninsula extends from the Late Miocene to the Early Pleistocene, but to date no fossils of non-human primates have been identified in Serbia. Here we report the identification of two primate teeth from Ridjake, a rich paleontological site in western Serbia. NHMBEO 042501 is an upper third molar with heavy occlusal wear and taphonomic weathering. NHMBEO 042502 is a well-preserved lower third molar with only minor damage to the cusps and root apices. We performed an analysis of non-metric traits and made bivariate comparisons of crown linear measurements in order to assess the taxonomic affinity of the molars. Both show typical papionin occlusal patterns and relatively large overall sizes. In combination with the early Villafranchian (MN16) age of the site, we attribute both Ridjake primate fossils to cf. Paradolichopithecus sp. This represents the first identification of a non-human primate in Serbia, and the first identification of any primate in the Neogene period of Serbia. Along with recent hominin discoveries, the Ridjake fossils contribute to the growing primate fossil record in Serbia, and indicate the need for increased research into fossil primates in the country.
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The hominin mandible BH-1 from the Middle Pleistocene cave of Mala Balanica suggested the possibility that human populations in this part of the continent were not subject to the process of Neanderthali-zation observed in the west. We... more
The hominin mandible BH-1 from the Middle Pleistocene cave of Mala Balanica suggested the possibility that human populations in this part of the continent were not subject to the process of Neanderthali-zation observed in the west. We review the paleoanthropological evidence from the Central Balkans in the context of the Eastern Mediterranean geographic entity. The current hominin fossil record of the early Middle Pleistocene in the region suggests that Europe was inhabited by two different populations: a population in the west of the continent with derived Neanderthal morphology; and a more variable population in the east characterized by a combination of plesiomorphous and synapomorphous traits. We suggest that e in order to continue using the nomenclature of Homo heidelbergensis e the current hypodigm needs to be revised to include only the specimens from the latter group.
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Neanderthals were the only human group in Europe throughout the Late Pleistocene until the arrival of modern humans, and while their presence has been confirmed in the surrounding regions, no Neanderthal fossils are known to date from the... more
Neanderthals were the only human group in Europe throughout the Late Pleistocene until the arrival of modern humans, and while their presence has been confirmed in the surrounding regions, no Neanderthal fossils are known to date from the Central Balkans. Systematic excavations of Pešturina Cave (Serbia) resulted in the discovery of a permanent right M1 (Pes-3). The specimen was recovered from stratigraphic Layer 4b with an estimated age of 102.4 ± 3.2 ka, associated with Mousterian artifacts. The exceptional state of preservation and minimal wear of the molar enabled a detailed description and comparative analysis of the inner and outer dental structure, including non-metric dental traits and morphometric features of the crown, roots, and dental tissues. The results of this study strongly support the identification of Pes-3 as Neanderthal. Non-metric traits of the occlusal surface of the crown, enamel-dentine junction, and roots are consistent with Neanderthal morphology. The crown shows morphometric features typical for Neanderthal M1, such as a buccolingually skewed crown shape, internally compressed cusps, and a relatively large hypocone. The specimen also shows Neanderthal-like dental tissue proportions, characterized by relatively thin enamel and large coronal dentine and coronal pulp volumes. The discovery of the Pes-3 molar therefore confirms the presence of Neanderthals in the territory of Serbia and the Central Balkans at the end of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5c.
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As the last frontier of human migrations in the Americas, and the first to feel the full impact of European colonisation of the continent, the Caribbean offers a unique opportunity for an examination of population history on both... more
As the last frontier of human migrations in the Americas, and the first to feel the full impact of European colonisation of the continent, the Caribbean offers a unique opportunity for an examination of population history on both individual island and regional levels. In this chapter we examine the complex issues regarding the peopling of this region, the prevalent ideas about the process, the identity of indigenous groups living on the islands, the possible source areas of incoming migrants, and the chronology of their movements. The current understanding of migrations and networks of interaction in the early Caribbean is hampered by unsystematic usage of terms for specific cultural periods and styles, the assumption that material culture can be used as an interpretative tool for the mode of subsistence and social organization, the perception of the Caribbean as just a destination for diffusion of novel ideas and not as an area of original cultural production , a patchy archaeological record, and insufficient radiometric dating. In spite of a number of interdisciplinary studies conducted during the last 30-35 years, several key questions remain unresolved, specifically those about the timing , mode and geographic origin of the early population movements in the Archipelago, and about the identity of indigenous groups in the Caribbean in pre-contact times. The site of Canímar Abajo is an excellent example of a newly-researched site whose long-term occupancy not only challenges the traditional division of the pre-Columbian history of the region, but also offers important insights into the long-term pre-contact population history of Cuba and the diversity of cultural groups inhabiting the island concurrently, showing the presence of two different populations-with different dietary and cultural practices-synchronously occupying a restricted geographic area in western Cuba. The complex nature of isolation and communication that Caribbean populations experienced during their precolonial history requires a more systematic approach, thorough archaeological excavations and analyses, the application of innovative methods, as well as, crucially, more openness in the interpretation of results. Resumen Siendo la última frontera de las migraciones humanas en América, así como la primera en sentir el impacto de la colonización europea del continente, el Caribe New Perspectives on the Peopling of the Americas, ed.
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The Caribbean coast of Nicaragua has witnessed relatively little archaeological research. In the last decade, however, there has been a substantial effort to record regional archaeological sites. First excavated in the early 1970s, the... more
The Caribbean coast of Nicaragua has witnessed relatively little archaeological research. In the last decade, however, there has been a substantial effort to record regional archaeological sites. First excavated in the early 1970s, the Angi shell-matrix site has been subject to new investigations, which have identified the first burial to be recorded on the Nicaraguan Caribbean coast. Although collagen preservation was insufficient for direct radiocarbon dating, samples obtained from surrounding deposits date the burial to c. 3900 BC. This represents both the earliest archaeological feature recorded to date on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua and the oldest-known human remains from the region.
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The general lack of well-preserved juvenile skeletal remains from Caribbean archaeological sites has, in the past, prevented evaluations of juvenile dietary changes. Canímar Abajo (Cuba), with a large number of well-preserved juvenile and... more
The general lack of well-preserved juvenile skeletal remains from Caribbean archaeological sites has, in the past, prevented evaluations of juvenile dietary changes. Canímar Abajo (Cuba), with a large number of well-preserved juvenile and adult skeletal remains, provided a unique opportunity to fully assess juvenile paleodiets from an ancient Caribbean population. Ages for the start and the end of weaning and possible food sources used for weaning were inferred by combining the results of two Bayesian probability models that help to reduce some of the uncertainties inherent to bone collagen isotope based paleodiet reconstructions. Bone collagen (31 juveniles, 18 adult females) was used for carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses. The isotope results were assessed using two Bayesian probability models: Weaning Ages Reconstruction with Nitrogen isotopes and Stable Isotope Analyses in R. Breast milk seems to have been the most important protein source until two years of age with some supplementary food such as tropical fruits and root cultigens likely introduced earlier. After two, juvenile diets were likely continuously supplemented by starch rich foods such as root cultigens and legumes. By the age of three, the model results suggest that the weaning process was completed. Additional indications suggest that animal marine/riverine protein and maize, while part of the Canímar Abajo female diets, were likely not used to supplement juvenile diets. The combined use of both models here provided a more complete assessment of the weaning process for an ancient Caribbean population, indicating not only the start and end ages of weaning but also the relative importance of different food sources for different age juveniles.
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Adult form
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Using Schutkowski's method for juvenile sex determination (Schutkowski H. 1993. Am J Phys Anthropol 90:199–205), we evaluated the morphology of the greater sciatic notch of 56 ilia (23 females and 33 males) from a documented skeletal... more
Using Schutkowski's method for juvenile sex determination (Schutkowski H. 1993. Am J Phys Anthropol 90:199–205), we evaluated the morphology of the greater sciatic notch of 56 ilia (23 females and 33 males) from a documented skeletal collection housed at the Bocage Museum in Lisbon (Portugal). After applying Schutkowski's original methodology and comparing the results with previous studies, we used age-adjusted metrical variables to describe greater sciatic notch depth, breadth, and angle. Although results of both morphological and metrical analyses did not reveal a statistically significant level of sexual analyses dimorphism, we found a strong correlation between pelvic morphology and age at death. On the basis of the obtained results, we argue that Schutkowski's morphological method does not predict sex accurately in all populations and that recorded correlation of iliac features with age needs to be further explored in the context of the ontogeny of sexual dimorphism. Am J Phys Anthropol 137:309–315, 2008. V
Even though visual recording forms are commonly used among human osteologists, very few of them are published. Published forms lack either detail or manipulability . Most anthropologists have to adapt these or develop their own forms when... more
Even though visual recording forms are commonly used among human osteologists, very few of them are published. Published forms lack either detail or manipulability . Most anthropologists have to adapt these or develop their own forms when they start working on skeletal material, or have to accompany the visual forms with detailed, often time consuming, textual inventories. Three forms are proposed here: for adult, subadult and newborn skeletons. While no two-dimensional form will fit the requirements of every human osteologist, these forms are sufficiently detailed and easy to use. Printed or downloaded, they have the potential to become standard tools in data recording.
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Four late medieval burials were excavated at the site of Lepenski Vir in the Iron Gates Gorge, Serbia. One of the individuals, Lepenski Vir 62, exhibits evidence of a sharp-force trauma on the left parietal, consistent with a combat... more
Four late medieval burials were excavated at the site of Lepenski Vir in the Iron Gates Gorge, Serbia. One of the individuals, Lepenski Vir 62, exhibits evidence of a sharp-force trauma on the left parietal, consistent with a combat wound. None of the other contemporaneous individuals show any evidence of trauma or other pathology on the few preserved bones. We argue that the skeletons belong to soldiers involved in the border warfare on the Danube which was quite common at the end of the 14 th and the first half of the 15 th century between Serbian, Hungarian and Turkish forces.
Dental modifications in the Caribbean are considered to be an African practice introduced to the Caribbean archipelago by the influx of enslaved Africans during colonial times. Skeletal remains which exhibited dental modifications are by... more
Dental modifications in the Caribbean are considered to be an African practice introduced to the Caribbean archipelago by the influx of enslaved Africans during colonial times. Skeletal remains which exhibited dental modifications are by default considered to be Africans, African descendants, or post-contact indigenous people influenced by an African practice. Individual E-105 from the site of Canímar Abajo (Cuba), with a direct 14C AMS date of 990–800 cal BC, provides the first unequivocal evidence of dental modifications in the Antilles prior to contact with Europeans in AD 1492. Central incisors showing evidence of significant crown reduction (loss of crown volume regardless of its etiology) were examined macroscopically and with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to determine if the observed alterations were due to deliberate modification or other (unintentional) factors considered: postmortem breakage, violent accidental breakage, non-dietary use of teeth, and wear caused by habitual or repeated actions. The pattern of crown reduction is consistent with deliberate dental modification of the type commonly encountered among African and African descendent communities in post-contact Caribbean archaeological assemblages. Six additional individuals show similar pattern of crown reduction of maxillary incisors with no analogous wear in corresponding mandibular dentition.
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Abstract The Middle Pleistocene represents a period of critical importance in human evolution, marked by encephalisation and dental reduction, and increasing diversification of temporally and spatially distributed hominin lineages in... more
Abstract
The Middle Pleistocene represents a period of critical importance in human evolution, marked by encephalisation and dental reduction, and increasing diversification of temporally and spatially distributed hominin lineages in Africa, Asia and Europe. New specimens, especially from areas less well represented in the fossil record, can inform the debate on morphological changes to the skeleton and teeth and the phylogenetic course of human evolution during this period. The mandible from the cave of Mala Balanica, Serbia has recently been re-dated to at least 400 ka, and its well-preserved dentition presents an excellent opportunity to characterize molar crown morphology at this time period, and re-examine claims for a lack of Neandertal affinities in the specimen. In this study we employ microtomography to image the internal structure of the mandibular molars (focusing on the morphology of the enamel-dentine junction, or EDJ) of the BH-1 specimen and a comparative sample (n = 141) of Homo erectus sensu lato, Homo neanderthalensis, Pleistocene Homo sapiens, and recent H. sapiens. We quantitatively assess EDJ morphology using 3D geometric morphometrics and examine the expression of discrete dental traits at the dentine surface. We also compare third molar enamel thickness in BH-1 to those of H. neanderthalensis and both Pleistocene and recent H. sapiens, and document previously unreported morphology of the BH-1 premolar and molar roots. Our results highlight the reliability of the EDJ surface for classifying hominin taxa, indicate a primitive dental morphology for BH-1 molars, and confirm a general lack of derived Neandertal features for the Balanica individual. The plesiomorphic character of BH-1 is consistent with several competing models of Middle Pleistocene hominin evolution and provides an important regional and temporal example for reconstructing morphological changes in the mandible and teeth during this time period.
Keywords
Hominin;
Middle Pleistocene;
Enamel-dentine junction (EDJ);
Mandible;
Molars;
MicroCT
The Middle Pleistocene represents a period of critical importance in human evolution, marked by encephalisation and dental reduction, and increasing diversification of temporally and spatially distributed hominin lineages in Africa, Asia and Europe. New specimens, especially from areas less well represented in the fossil record, can inform the debate on morphological changes to the skeleton and teeth and the phylogenetic course of human evolution during this period. The mandible from the cave of Mala Balanica, Serbia has recently been re-dated to at least 400 ka, and its well-preserved dentition presents an excellent opportunity to characterize molar crown morphology at this time period, and re-examine claims for a lack of Neandertal affinities in the specimen. In this study we employ microtomography to image the internal structure of the mandibular molars (focusing on the morphology of the enamel-dentine junction, or EDJ) of the BH-1 specimen and a comparative sample (n = 141) of Homo erectus sensu lato, Homo neanderthalensis, Pleistocene Homo sapiens, and recent H. sapiens. We quantitatively assess EDJ morphology using 3D geometric morphometrics and examine the expression of discrete dental traits at the dentine surface. We also compare third molar enamel thickness in BH-1 to those of H. neanderthalensis and both Pleistocene and recent H. sapiens, and document previously unreported morphology of the BH-1 premolar and molar roots. Our results highlight the reliability of the EDJ surface for classifying hominin taxa, indicate a primitive dental morphology for BH-1 molars, and confirm a general lack of derived Neandertal features for the Balanica individual. The plesiomorphic character of BH-1 is consistent with several competing models of Middle Pleistocene hominin evolution and provides an important regional and temporal example for reconstructing morphological changes in the mandible and teeth during this time period.
Keywords
Hominin;
Middle Pleistocene;
Enamel-dentine junction (EDJ);
Mandible;
Molars;
MicroCT
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ABSTRACT The increase use of the Teeth Cementum Annulations (TCA) technique for individual age estimation in archaeology has recently been challenged on issues pertaining to the identification of the actual cementum lines, and the... more
ABSTRACT The increase use of the Teeth Cementum Annulations (TCA) technique for individual age estimation in archaeology has recently been challenged on issues pertaining to the identification of the actual cementum lines, and the reduction of intra/inters observer errors. In order to resolve these matters, explicit “expert” choices for rejection or inclusion of dubious annulations need to be rigorously described by the original author of the method. Our study is thus centered on the description and the visual discrimination of cementum pictures. Main biological (pathologies) and technical (counting protocol) factors responsible for tooth cementum variance are described and a set of 8 teaching slides is presented to clarify previously ambiguous features. Additionally, new reference tests confirm the high correlation (r ≈ 0.85-0.9) with true chronological age. We systematically tested correlations between cementum rings and true age along the root’s longitudinal axis to identify and describe the best possible cutting location, the middle third part, which has never been formally tested. Pathological (infections) and physiological (resorption) aspects affecting cementum deposition are also explored to explain counting variance between various loci. Considering that TCA is the only direct, reliable, method for age estimation for adults which is not subjected to statistical vagaries, and since its correlation with true chronological age is very high, all issues affecting the method should be fully addressed before any premature dismissal.
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Twelve accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates from the shell-matrix site of Canímar Abajo (Matanzas, Cuba) are reported. Eleven were obtained directly from human bone collagen in burials and one was obtained from charcoal... more
Twelve accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates from the shell-matrix site of Canímar Abajo (Matanzas, Cuba) are reported. Eleven were obtained directly from human bone collagen in burials and one was obtained from charcoal recovered from a burial context. The site stratigraphy presents two episodes of burial activity separated by a shell midden layer. The AMS dates fall into two compact clusters that correlate remarkably well with the stratigraphy. The older burial dates to between 1380–800 cal BC (2σ) and the younger one to between cal AD 360–950 (2σ). The AMS dates are compared to eight conventional 14C dates previously obtained on shell and charcoal. One of the conventional dates on charcoal (5480–5380 cal BC; 2σ) has been reported as the oldest 14C date in the Caribbean region; its context and reliability are clarified. The suite of AMS dates provides one of the most reliable chronometric dating of a cultural context during this timeframe in Cuba. The correlation of 14C and stratigraphy establishes a solid chronology for investigating the important economic and ritual features of Canímar Abajo.
DOI: 10.2458/azu_rc.57.18313
DOI: 10.2458/azu_rc.57.18313
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The use of cultigens and wild plants by pre-contact populations is well established in all regions of the circum-Caribbean and Greater Antilles except for Cuba, the largest island in the Caribbean.We examine a population traditionally... more
The use of cultigens and wild plants by pre-contact populations is well established in all regions of the
circum-Caribbean and Greater Antilles except for Cuba, the largest island in the Caribbean.We examine a
population traditionally understood by Cuban archaeologists as “fisheregatherers” from the shell-matrix
site of Canímar Abajo, Cuba to examine subsistence practices using a combination of starch evidence
from dental calculus, aided by human bone collagen carbon and nitrogen isotope based probability
analyses (Stable Isotope Analysis in R; SIAR). This dual analysis suggests that two chronologically distinct
“fisheregatherer” Cuban populations (11 adult skeletons from the older cemetery component, 1380e800
BCE; 23 adult skeletons from the younger cemetery component, 360e950 CE) from Canímar Abajo used
at least two species of cultigens (beans and maize and/or sweet potatoes) along with wild plant species
and various readily available estuarine, marine and terrestrial animal resources.
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
circum-Caribbean and Greater Antilles except for Cuba, the largest island in the Caribbean.We examine a
population traditionally understood by Cuban archaeologists as “fisheregatherers” from the shell-matrix
site of Canímar Abajo, Cuba to examine subsistence practices using a combination of starch evidence
from dental calculus, aided by human bone collagen carbon and nitrogen isotope based probability
analyses (Stable Isotope Analysis in R; SIAR). This dual analysis suggests that two chronologically distinct
“fisheregatherer” Cuban populations (11 adult skeletons from the older cemetery component, 1380e800
BCE; 23 adult skeletons from the younger cemetery component, 360e950 CE) from Canímar Abajo used
at least two species of cultigens (beans and maize and/or sweet potatoes) along with wild plant species
and various readily available estuarine, marine and terrestrial animal resources.
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
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Systematic excavations of the Mala Balanica cave, Sicevo, (Serbia) yielded a left semi mandible: BH-1, the only specimen from the Balkan Peninsula securely dated to the Middle Pleistocene. The primitive morphology of the mandibular body... more
Systematic excavations of the Mala Balanica cave, Sicevo, (Serbia) yielded a left semi mandible: BH-1, the only specimen from the Balkan Peninsula securely dated to the Middle Pleistocene. The primitive morphology of the mandibular body and the lack of derived Neandertal traits place this specimen outside the variation of Middle Pleistocene European hominins. The specimen’s primitive morphology is more consistent with the new radiometric age estimate that places it into the earlier part of the Middle Pleistocene (Rink et al. 2013). Here I examine the significance of this specimen for the role that the Balkan Peninsula – the only refugium that never experienced isolation – could have played in maintaining gene flow and allowing primitive traits to remain present in the population for a longer period of time.
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ABSTRACT. Archaeological investigations in the Iron Gates reach of the Lower Danube Valley between 1964 and 1984 revealed an important concentration of Stone Age sites, which together provide the most detailed record of Mesolithic and... more
ABSTRACT. Archaeological investigations in the Iron Gates reach of the Lower Danube Valley between 1964 and 1984 revealed an important concentration of Stone Age sites, which together provide the most detailed record of Mesolithic and Early Neolithic settlement from any area of southeastern Europe. Over 425 human burials were excavated from 15 sites. Of these, less than one-fifth have been directly dated. This article presents 37 new AMS dates on human bone from five sites in the Iron Gates, together with the corresponding δ13C and δ15N values. They include the first dates on human bone from two sites, Icoana and Velesnica. The results are important for the chronology of Stone Age mortuary practices in the Iron Gates and the timing of the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition in the region.
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tA fragmented human calotte was discovered during the early 1950snear Baˇcki Petrovac (Serbia), in association with Palaeolithic stonetools. After its initial publication, the fossil specimen remainedlargely unknown outside of the Serbian... more
tA fragmented human calotte was discovered during the early 1950snear Baˇcki Petrovac (Serbia), in association with Palaeolithic stonetools. After its initial publication, the fossil specimen remainedlargely unknown outside of the Serbian academe and no detailedcomparative study has ever been carried out. Since the whereaboutsof the fossil itself are currently unknown, and given its potentialsignificance for the Pleistocene human evolution, we re-examinethe data published byˇZivanovi´c (1966, 1975). Using the originalmeasurements, mostly taken on the frontal bone, and a wide com-parative sample of 68 fossil specimens, the fossil was compared andanalyzed by statistical multivariate methods. We also conducted avisual examination of the morphology based on the available pho-tographic material. Our analysis reveals phenetic similarity withMiddle Pleistocene archaic Homo from Africa and anatomicallymodern Homo sapiens. However, the absence of primitive cranialtraits in Baˇcki Petrovac indicates a clear modern Homo sapiens des-ignation. Although lost at the moment, there is a chance for there-discovery of the fossil in the years to come. This would give usan opportunity to acquire absolute dates and to study the specimenin a more detailed manner.
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Paleodemography, the study of demographic parameters of past human populations, relies on assumptions including biological uniformitarianism, stationary populations, and the ability to determine point age estimates from skeletal material.... more
Paleodemography, the study of demographic parameters of past human populations, relies on assumptions including biological uniformitarianism, stationary populations, and the ability to determine point age estimates from skeletal material. These assumptions have been widely criticized in the literature and various solutions have been proposed. The majority of these solutions rely on statistical modeling, and have not seen widespread application. Most bioarchaeologists recognize that our ability to assess chronological age is inherently limited, and have instead resorted to large, qualitative, age categories. However, there has been little attempt in the literature to systematize and define the stages of development and ageing used in bioarchaeology. We propose that stages should be based in the human life history pattern, and their skeletal markers should have easily defined and clear endpoints. In addition to a standard five-stage developmental model based on the human life history pattern, current among human biologists, we suggest divisions within the adult stage that recognize the specific nature of skeletal samples. We therefore propose the following eight stages recognizable in human skeletal development and senescence: infancy, early childhood, late childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, full adulthood, mature adulthood, and senile adulthood. Striving toward a better prediction of chronological ages will remain important and could eventually help us understand to what extent past societies differed in the timing of these life stages. Furthermore, paleodemographers should try to develop methods that rely on the type of age information accessible from the skeletal material, which uses life stages, rather than point age estimates. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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Neandertals and their immediate predecessors are commonly considered to be the only humans inhabiting Europe in the Middle and early Late Pleistocene. Most Middle Pleistocene western European specimens show evidence of a developing... more
Neandertals and their immediate predecessors are commonly considered to be the only humans inhabiting Europe in the Middle and early Late Pleistocene. Most Middle Pleistocene western European specimens show evidence of a developing Neandertal morphology, supporting the notion that these traits evolved at the extreme West of the continent due, at least partially, to the isolation produced by glacial events. The recent discovery of a mandible, BH-1, from Mala Balanica (Serbia), with primitive character states comparable with Early Pleistocene mandibular specimens, is associated with a minimum radiometric date of 113 + 72 − 43 ka. Given the fragmented nature of the hemi-mandible and the fact that primitive character states preclude assignment to a species, the taxonomic status of the specimen is best described as an archaic Homo sp. The combination of primitive traits and a possible Late Pleistocene date suggests that a more primitive morphology, one that does not show Neandertal traits, could have persisted in the region. Different hominin morphologies could have survived and coexisted in the Balkans, the “hotspot of biodiversity.” This first hominin specimen to come from a secure stratigraphic context in the Central Balkans indicates a potentially important role for the region in understanding human evolution in Europe that will only be resolved with more concentrated research efforts in the area.
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Pešturina cave is located in Southern Serbia on a tributary of the Nišava River, in the vicinity of Sićevo Gorge (43°10′ N, 21°54′ E). Together with Mala and Velika Balanica, the deposits cover the last 500 ka of likely continuous human... more
Pešturina cave is located in Southern Serbia on a tributary of the Nišava River, in the vicinity of Sićevo Gorge (43°10′ N, 21°54′ E). Together with Mala and Velika Balanica, the deposits cover the last 500 ka of likely continuous human occupation in the region. We obtained a series of dates by combined ESR and 14C methods that constrain the three distinct archaeological layers between 108 ka and 29 ka. From the top to bottom of the sequence layers 2, 3 and 4 represent Pleistocene accumulations with Gravettian, Denticulate Mousterian, and Charentian Mousterian, respectively. Radiocarbon dates on faunal bones show that materials have been mixed between lithostratigraphic layers. 14C dates of faunal bones with cut marks provide two secure ranges during which human occupation occurred: between 33-29 ka cal BP, associated with the Gravettian, and 45-43 ka cal BP, associated with Mousterian; layer 4 was dated to between app. 83 and 108 ka by ESR. Hominin remains are distributed unevenly through the layers: A maxillary P3 crown of a juvenile individual was excavated from the layer 2; however, its attribution to the Pleistocene is not confirmed as the layer had some Holocene intrusions. In addition, the layer 2 also produced a fragment of a human cervical vertebra. All other hominin fossil material comes from layer 4: a shaft fragment of a juvenile human radius, an adult femoral head, and a maxillary M1 of an adult individual. We compare the morphology of these specimens to the published data on Neanderthals and modern humans of comparable geological age. The maxillary premolar is consistent with modern human morphology while the maxillary molar is consistent with Neanderthals. In addition, we note the robusticity of all postcranial remains. The addition of this material to our understanding of Neanderthal presence in the region is important. Further excavations as well as aDNA analyses (currently underway) will shed more light on the relationship of this material to adjoining regions which are increasingly recognized as key to our understanding of migrations in Europe.
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Burial ritual: The Individual was found undisturbed in its initial burial position with the hyoid bone still in its anatomical position under the mandible. The individual was positioned over a layer of shells in a dorsal decubitus with... more
Burial ritual: The Individual was found undisturbed in its initial burial position with the hyoid bone still in its anatomical position under the mandible. The individual was positioned over a layer of shells in a dorsal decubitus with legs flexed over the body. The burial space was cranio-caudally constrained as evidenced by the position of the feet very close to the pelvis and the inclination of the head and constriction around the shoulders. There is a certain amount of lateral constriction evidenced by the effect of the wall lining bones of the left arm. Arms were extended next to the body and hands are positioned close to the feet and the pelvis. The most likely burial ritual involved depositing the body into a prepared shallow pit with legs flexed on top of the body as reconstructed above. Subsequent collapse of the legs outside of the shallow pit might indicate some form of covering the body. A recent discovery of a female skeleton from Monkey Point – a shell matrix site on the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua – represents the earliest confirmed evidence of the occupation of the region. In 2014, the skeleton eroded from the profile (left unprotected after the excavations in the 1970s) prompting rescue excavations. The skeleton was not disturbed, and the excavations could follow proper archaeological procedures, allowing us to reconstruct the burial position and to attempt chronometric 14C dating. Here we present the skeletal and burial data in their archaeological and chronological context. Situated in Bluefields, Atlantico Sur Province, Nicaragua, (11° 36' 0" North, 83° 40' 0" West), the site is a large shell-matrix site in the Duck Creek region, considered to be very important in the subsistence of the local indigenous Kriol and Rama communities. This particular region, because of its geographic position on the coastal area of the Nicaraguan rise, plays a potentially critical and yet poorly known role in our understanding of the early peopling of the Greater Antilles. The discovery of human remains at the site offers us material evidence of the early population and the opportunity to examine population affiliations and movement.
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Dental modifications occurring in the Caribbean archaeological record are predominantly considered to represent African individuals brought into the region as a result of the colonial slave trade in post-contact times. Traditions of... more
Dental modifications occurring in the Caribbean
archaeological record are predominantly considered to
represent African individuals brought into the region as a
result of the colonial slave trade in post-contact times.
Traditions of dental modifications have not been
previously observed in pre-contact indigenous Caribbean
populations. An individual recovered from the Pre-Columbian
site of Canímar Abajo, Matanzas, Cuba
radiocarbon dated to cal BC 970-790
(Roksandic et al., 2015) exhibits dental modification of the
upper central incisors, similar to West African styles of
dental modification, yet clearly predates the African
Diaspora. A further examination of the dentition of 86
individuals from the Canímar Abajo collected, yielded 6
additional cases of pre-contact dental modification. All 7
individuals were found to be female and exhibited the
same type of dental modification.
archaeological record are predominantly considered to
represent African individuals brought into the region as a
result of the colonial slave trade in post-contact times.
Traditions of dental modifications have not been
previously observed in pre-contact indigenous Caribbean
populations. An individual recovered from the Pre-Columbian
site of Canímar Abajo, Matanzas, Cuba
radiocarbon dated to cal BC 970-790
(Roksandic et al., 2015) exhibits dental modification of the
upper central incisors, similar to West African styles of
dental modification, yet clearly predates the African
Diaspora. A further examination of the dentition of 86
individuals from the Canímar Abajo collected, yielded 6
additional cases of pre-contact dental modification. All 7
individuals were found to be female and exhibited the
same type of dental modification.
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Canímar Abajo, a multi-component shell midden necropolis dated from 1380 BC to 950 AD with two distinct overlying cemeteries separated by a midden layer representing a roughly 1000 year burial hiatus, raises questions regarding the... more
Canímar Abajo, a multi-component shell midden necropolis dated from 1380 BC to 950 AD with two distinct overlying cemeteries separated by a midden layer representing a roughly 1000 year burial hiatus, raises questions regarding the cultural continuity and biological affiliations of the populations utilising Canímar Abajo and their interactions with other early Cuban populations. Biological and cultural traits recorded in the human dentition were examined to identify the relatedness between the two distinct cemetery populations at Canímar Abajo. The sample examined includes the dentition of 86 adult individuals from Canímar Abajo, from both cemeteries, and 28 individuals from five other ‘Archaic’ Cuban sites housed in the University of Havana. The biological and cultural affiliation of the two Canímar Abajo burial populations with each other and with the other examined archaic populations, was determined by review the biological trait of supernumerary teeth and the cultural trait of dental modifications. Preliminary analysis indicates that both cemetery populations at Canímar Abajo share a common biological and cultural connection despite an apparent 1000 year hiatus in burial activity, while being set apart biologically and culturally from the other examined archaic populations.
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This is an excell file for pks measurements
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The appendinx with raw data for Iron Gates Gorge (Serbia)