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Chapter 13. Premodern Humans. Chapter Outline. When, Where and What Premodern Humans of the Middle Pleistocene A Review of Middle Pleistocene Evolution Middle Pleistocene Culture. Chapter Outline. Neandertals: Premodern Humans of the Late Pleistocene Culture of Neandertals - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Chapter 13
Premodern Humans
Chapter Outline• When, Where and What• Premodern Humans of the Middle
Pleistocene• A Review of Middle Pleistocene Evolution• Middle Pleistocene Culture
Chapter Outline• Neandertals: Premodern Humans of the
Late Pleistocene• Culture of Neandertals• Genetic Evidence• Trends in Human Evolution:
Understanding Premodern Humans• Issue: The Evolution of Language
The Pleistocene• The Pleistocene, often called the Ice Age, was
marked by advances and retreats of massive continental glaciations. At least 15 major and 50 minor glacial
advances have been documented in Europe. Hominids were impacted as the climate, flora,
and animal life shifted.• Middle Pleistocene (780,000– 25,000 y.a.)• Upper Pleistocene (125,000–10,000 y.a.)
Interglacials• Climatic intervals when continental ice
sheets are retreating, eventually becoming much reduced in size.
• Interglacials in northern latitudes are associated with warmer temperatures, while in southern latitudes the climate becomes wetter.
Glaciations • Climatic intervals when continental ice
sheets cover much of the northern continents.
• Glaciations are associated with colder temperatures in northern latitudes and more arid conditions in southern latitudes, most notably in Africa.
Changing Pleistocene Environments in Africa
Changing Pleistocene Environments in Eurasia
Key Middle Pleistocene Premodern Human (H. heidelbergensis) Fossils from Africa
Site Dates (y.a.) Human Remains
Bodo(Ethiopia)
Middle Pleistocene(600,000)
Incomplete skull, part of braincase
Broken Hill(Kabwe)(Zambia)
Late Middle Pleistocene;
(130,000 or older)
Nearly complete cranium, cranial fragments ofsecond individual,
miscellaneous postcranial bones
Homo heidelbergensis skull from Zambia
• The Kabwe (Broken Hill) Homo heidelbergensis skull from Zambia.
• Note the very heavy supraorbital torus.
Earliest Evidence of Homo Heidelbergensis in Africa
• Bodo cranium, the earliest evidence of Homo heidelbergensis in Africa.
Key Middle Pleistocene Premodern Human (H. heidelbergensis) Fossils from Europe
Site Dates (y.a.) Human Remains
Arago(Tautavel,
France)
400,000–300,000; date
uncertain
Face; parietal perhaps from same person; many cranial
fragments; up to 23 individuals represented
Atapuerca(Sima de los
Huesos,northern Spain)
320,000–190,000, probably 300,000
Minimum of 28 individuals, including some
nearly complete crania
Key Middle Pleistocene Premodern Human (H. heidelbergensis) Fossils from Europe
Site Dates (y.a.) Human Remains
Steinheim (Germany)
300,000–250,000;
date uncertain
Nearly complete skull, lacking mandible
Swanscombe(England)
300,000–250,000; date
uncertain
Occipital and parietals
Steinheim Cranium• Steinheim cranium, a
representative of H. heidelbergensis from Germany.
Fossil Discoveries of Middle Pleistocene Premodern Hominids.
Fossil Discoveries of Middle Pleistocene Premodern Hominids.
Key Middle Pleistocene Premodern Human (H. heidelbergensis) Fossils from Asia
Site Dates (y.a.) Human Remains
Dali(China)
Late Middle Pleistocene(230,000–180,000)
Nearly complete skull, lacking mandible. Nearly
complete skull
Jinniushan(China)
Late Middle Pleistocene(200,000)
Partial skeleton, including a cranium
Crania from China• (a) Dali skull and (b)
Jinniushan skull, both from China.
• These two crania are considered by some to be Asian representatives of Homo heidelbergensis.
Time line ofMiddle Pleistocene hominids.
Review of Middle Pleistocene Evolution (400,000-125,000 y.a.)
• Like the erects/sapiens mix in Africa and China, fossils from Europe exhibit traits from both species.
• Fossils from each continent differ, but the physical differences are not extraordinary.
• There is a definite increase in brain size and a change in the shape of the skull.
Middle Pleistocene Tools• African and European archaics invented
the Levallois technique for tool making. • Acheulian tools are associated with hand
axes.• Different tool traditions coexist in some
areas.
The Levallois Technique
Culture of Neandertals• Neandertals, who lived in the cultural
period known as the Middle Paleolithic, are almost always associated with the Mousterian industry.
• In the early part of the last glacial period, Mousterian culture extended across Europe and North Africa into the former Soviet Union, Israel, Iran, and as far east as Uzbekistan and perhaps even China.
Culture of Neandertals • Neandertals improved on previous prepared-
core techniques by inventing a new variation. They trimmed a flint nodule around the edges
to form a disk-shaped core. Each time they struck the edge, they
produced a flake, continuing this way until the core became too small and was discarded.
They then trimmed the flakes into various forms, such as scrapers, points, and knives.
Morphology and Variation in Neandertal Crania
Krapina
• (a) Lateral view showing characteristic Neandertal traits.
• (b) Three quarters view.
Fossil Discoveries of Neandertals
Mousterian Tools
Settlements• People of the Mousterian culture lived in
open sites, caves, and rock shelters.• Windbreaks of poles and skin were
placed at the cave opening for protection against severe weather.
• Fire was used for cooking, warmth, light, and keeping predators at bay.
Excavation of the Tabun Cave, Mt. Carmel, Israel
Shanidar 1• Among the individuals
buried at Shanidar cave is the skeleton of a one-armed, partially blind, crippled man.
• He could not have hunted or gathered food on his own.
• Some believe his survival is proof of Neandertal compassion and humanity
Subsistence• Remains of animal bones demonstrate that
Neandertals were successful hunters.• Used close-proximity spears for hunting (spear
thrower and bow and arrow weren’t invented until the Upper Paleolithic).
• Patterns of trauma in Neandertal remains match those of contemporary rodeo performers, indicating close proximity to prey.
Symbolic Behavior• Prevailing consensus has been that
Neandertals were capable of articulate speech.
• Even if Neandertals did speak, they did not have the same language capabilities of modern Homo sapiens.
Burials• Neanderthals buried their dead. • Their burials included grave goods like
animal bones and stone tools. • They placed the bodies of their dead in a
flexed position.
Question• The prevailing consensus among
researches is that Neandertal:a) was capable of articulate speech.b) probably used grunting sounds to
communicate.c) did not have the anatomical
features required for speech.d) was unable to speak.
Answer: a • The prevailing consensus among
researches is that Neandertal was capable of articulate speech.
Question• Regarding deliberate burials:
a) Neandertals laid the deceased on their back.
b) Neandertals included stone tools.c) Neandertals included a shroud.d) it is seen in Africa before Europe.
Answer: b • Regarding deliberate burials Neandertals
included stone tools.
Key Neandertal Fossil Discoveries
Site Dates (y.a.) Human Remains
Vindija(Croatia)
42,000–28,000 35 specimens; cranial fragments
La Chapelle(France) 50,000 Nearly complete male skeleton
Shanidar(Iraq)
70,000–60,000 9 partial skeletons
Tabun(Israel)
110,000 date uncertain
2 or 3 individuals, almost complete female skeleton
Krapina(Croatia)
125,000–120,000
Up to 40 individuals, fragmentary
Cultural Contrasts: Neandertals and Upper Paleolithic Modern Humans
Neandertals Upper Paleolithic Modern Humans
ToolTechnology Numerous flake tools;
few, however, apparently for highly specialized functions; use of bone, antler, or ivory very rare; relatively few tools with more than one or two parts
Many more varieties of stone tools; many apparently for specialized functions; frequent use of bone, antler, and ivory; many more tools comprised of two or more component parts
Cultural Contrasts: Neandertals and Upper Paleolithic Modern Humans
Neandertals Upper Paleolithic Modern Humans
Hunting Efficiency
and Weapons
No long-distance hunting weapons; close-proximity weapons used
(more likelihood of injury)
Use of spear-thrower and bow and arrow; wider range of social contacts, permitting more organized hunting
parties
Stone Material Transport
Stone materials transported only short distances
Stone tool raw materials transported over longer
distances, implies wider social networks and trade
Cultural Contrasts: Neandertals and Upper Paleolithic Modern Humans
Neandertals Upper Paleolithic Modern Humans
Art Artwork uncommon; small; mostly of a
personal nature; some items misinterpreted as
“art”; others may be intrusive from overlying
Upper Paleolithic contexts; cave art absent
Artwork much more common, including
transportable objects as well as elaborate cave art; well executed,using a variety of materials and techniques;
stylistic sophistication
Cultural Contrasts: Neandertals and Upper Paleolithic Modern Humans
Neandertals Upper Paleolithic Modern Humans
BurialDeliberate burial at
several sites; graves unelaborated; graves
frequently lack artifacts
Burials much more complex, frequently
including both tools and remains of animals
Phylogeny of genus Homo
Phylogeny of genus Homo
Three Major Evolutionary Transitions1. Transition from early Homo to H. erectus.
Geographically limited to Africa and occurred rapidly.
2. Transition of H. erectus grading into early H. sapiens. Not geographically limited, but occurred slowly and unevenly.
3. Transition from Archaic H. sapiens to anatomically modern H. sapiens.