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The origin of early Acheulean expansion in Europe 700 ka ago: new findings at Notarchirico (Italy)

Marie‐Hélène Moncel, Carmen Santagata, Alison Pereira, Sébastien Nomade, Pierre Voinchet, Jean‐Jacques Bahain, Camille Daujeard, Antonio Curci, Cristina Lemorini, Bruce Hardy, Giacomo Eramo, Claudio Berto, Jean‐Paul Raynal, Marta Arzarello, Beniamino Mecozzi, Alessio Iannucci, Raffaele Sardella, Ignazio Allegretta, Roberto Terzano, Pauline Dugas, Gwenolé Jouanic, Alain Queffelec, Andrea D’Andrea, Rosario Valentini, Eleonora Minucci, Laura Carpentiero, Marcello Piperno

Scientific Reports· 2020-08-14· article· 250 citationsgold

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Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology Geology and Paleoclimatology Research Archaeological and Geological Studies

Abstract

Abstract Notarchirico (Southern Italy) has yielded the earliest evidence of Acheulean settlement in Italy and four older occupation levels have recently been unearthed, including one with bifaces, extending the roots of the Acheulean in Italy even further back in time. New40Ar/39Ar on tephras and ESR dates on bleached quartz securely and accurately place these occupations between 695 and 670 ka (MIS 17), penecontemporaneous with the Moulin-Quignon and la Noira sites (France). These new data demonstrate a very rapid expansion of shared traditions over Western Europe during a period of highly variable climatic conditions, including interglacial and glacial episodes, between 670 and 650 (i.e., MIS17/MIS16 transition). The diversity of tools and activities observed in these three sites shows that Western Europe was populated by adaptable hominins during this time. These conclusions question the existence of refuge areas during intense glacial stages and raise questions concerning understudied migration pathways, such as the Sicilian route.

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Marie‐Hélène Moncel, Carmen Santagata, Alison Pereira, Sébastien Nomade, Pierre Voinchet, Jean‐Jacques Bahain, … Marcello Piperno (2020). The origin of early Acheulean expansion in Europe 700 ka ago: new findings at Notarchirico (Italy). Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-68617-8

@article{mariehlne2020the,
  title  = {The origin of early Acheulean expansion in Europe 700 ka ago: new findings at Notarchirico (Italy)},
  author = {Moncel, Marie‐Hélène and Santagata, Carmen and Pereira, Alison and Nomade, Sébastien and Voinchet, Pierre and Bahain, Jean‐Jacques and Daujeard, Camille and Curci, Antonio and Lemorini, Cristina and Hardy, Bruce and Eramo, Giacomo and Berto, Claudio and Raynal, Jean‐Paul and Arzarello, Marta and Mecozzi, Beniamino and Iannucci, Alessio and Sardella, Raffaele and Allegretta, Ignazio and Terzano, Roberto and Dugas, Pauline and Jouanic, Gwenolé and Queffelec, Alain and D’Andrea, Andrea and Valentini, Rosario and Minucci, Eleonora and Carpentiero, Laura and Piperno, Marcello},
  year   = {2020},
  journal = {Scientific Reports},
  doi    = {10.1038/s41598-020-68617-8}
}