Old Lifestyles
Australopithecus at Sterkfontein did not consume substantial mammalian meat
Tina Lüdecke et al.
Science, 17 January 2025, Pages 309-314
Abstract:
Incorporation of animal-based foods into early hominin diets has been hypothesized to be a major catalyst of many important evolutionary events, including brain expansion. However, direct evidence of the onset and evolution of animal resource consumption in hominins remains elusive. The nitrogen-15 to nitrogen-14 ratio of collagen provides trophic information about individuals in modern and geologically recent ecosystems (<200,000 years ago), but diagenetic loss of this organic matter precludes studies of greater age. By contrast, nitrogen in tooth enamel is preserved for millions of years. We report enamel-bound organic nitrogen and carbonate carbon isotope measurements of Sterkfontein Member 4 mammalian fauna, including seven Australopithecus specimens. Our results suggest a variable but plant-based diet (largely C3) for these hominins. Therefore, we argue that Australopithecus at Sterkfontein did not engage in regular mammalian meat consumption.
Maize monoculture supported pre-Columbian urbanism in southwestern Amazonia
Umberto Lombardo et al.
Nature, forthcoming
Abstract:
The Casarabe culture (500–1400 CE), spreading over roughly 4,500 km2 of the monumental mounds region of the Llanos de Moxos, Bolivia, is one of the clearest examples of urbanism in pre-Columbian (pre-1492 CE) Amazonia. It exhibits a four-tier hierarchical settlement pattern, with hundreds of monumental mounds interconnected by canals and causeways. Despite archaeological evidence indicating that maize was cultivated by this society, it is unknown whether it was the staple crop and which type of agricultural farming system was used to support this urban-scale society. Here, we address this issue by integration of remote sensing, field survey and microbotanical analyses, which shows that the Casarabe culture invested heavily in landscape engineering, constructing a complex system of drainage canals (to drain excess water during the rainy season) and newly documented savannah farm ponds (to retain water in the dry season). Phytolith analyses of 178 samples from 18 soil profiles in drained fields, farm ponds and forested settings record the singular and ubiquitous presence of maize (Zea mays) in pre-Columbian fields and farm ponds, and an absence of evidence for agricultural practices in the forest. Collectively, our findings show how the Casarabe culture managed the savannah landscape for intensive year-round maize monoculture that probably sustained its relatively large population. Our results have implications for how we conceive agricultural systems in Amazonia, and show an example of a Neolithic-like, grain-based agrarian economy in the Amazon.
Human remains from the River Thames: New dating evidence
Nichola Arthur, Jane Sidell & Heather Bonney
Antiquity, forthcoming
Abstract:
The River Thames, winding through the English capital of London, is the source of a substantial archaeological assemblage that includes hundreds of human bones, but the lack of a robust chronology for these finds limits interpretation. Here, 30 new radiocarbon dates are reported for the human remains. In combination with other available dates (some of which are also published here for the first time), this improved chronological framework demonstrates a predominance of Bronze and Iron Age dates and emphasises the need to explore the Thames assemblage in the broader context of watery deposition practices of later prehistoric north-west Europe.
Ancient genomics and the origin, dispersal, and development of domestic sheep
Kevin Daly et al.
Science, 31 January 2025, Pages 492-497
Abstract:
The origins and prehistory of domestic sheep (Ovis aries) are incompletely understood; to address this, we generated data from 118 ancient genomes spanning 12,000 years sampled from across Eurasia. Genomes from Central Türkiye ~8000 BCE are genetically proximal to the domestic origins of sheep but do not fully explain the ancestry of later populations, suggesting a mosaic of wild ancestries. Genomic signatures indicate selection by ancient herders for pigmentation patterns, hornedness, and growth rate. Although the first European sheep flocks derive from Türkiye, in a notable parallel with ancient human genome discoveries, we detected a major influx of Western steppe–related ancestry in the Bronze Age.
Hidden artistic complexity of Peru’s Chancay culture discovered in tattoos by laser-stimulated fluorescence
Thomas Kaye et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 28 January 2025
Abstract:
Tattoos were a prevalent art form in pre-Hispanic South America exemplified by mummified human remains with preserved skin decoration that reflects the personal and cultural representations of their times. Tattoos are known to fade and bleed over time and this is compounded in mummies by the decay of the body, inhibiting the ability to examine the original art. Laser-stimulated fluorescence (LSF) produces images based on fluorescence emitted from within the target. Here, we present the first results of applying LSF to tattoos on human remains from the pre-Columbian Chancay culture of coastal Peru. We find that the preserved skin fluoresced strongly underneath the black tattoo ink yielding a high-contrast image that virtually eliminates the ink bleed, revealing the exceptionally fine details of the original artwork. The level of detail and precision of the artwork was found to be higher than associated pottery, textiles, and rock art suggesting special effort was expended by the Chancay on at least some of their tattoos. This suggests artistic complexity in pre-Columbian Peru was at a higher level than previously known, expanding the degree of artistic development found in South America at this time. LSF expands the scope of tattoo analysis and the level of detail this can yield providing a new technique to gain further insights into this important art form.