Papers by Marjolein Bosch
Environmental Archaeology, 2020
The Mesolithic-Neolithic transition is a classic topic of archaeological discussion, and the East... more The Mesolithic-Neolithic transition is a classic topic of archaeological discussion, and the East Adriatic is of particular interest as a gateway region for agriculture entering Europe from the Near East. Neolithisation along the East Adriatic coast has been characterised as a two-wave process of leap-frog demographic replacement along the Dalmatian coast, followed by a longer process of acculturation further inland. Research on this transition primarily addresses the arrival of Neolithic technology and domesticates, but the view from ‘traditionally Mesolithic’ activities can provide an alternative perspective. This pilot study highlights one such practice, identifying changes in the seasonality of shellfish gathering over the Neolithic transition using material from Vela Spila, Korčula (Croatia). Specimens of the gastropod Phorcus turbinatus from across this transition were assessed using oxygen isotope analysis. Results showed a focus on summer and autumn collection during the Mesolithic, which then shifted to autumn and winter in the Neolithic. These results indicate differences in shellfish gathering and exploitation across the Neolithic transition, and implications for the demographic transition and human-environment interactions are discussed. Shellfishing in the East Adriatic is identified as an area of Neolithisation rather than Mesolithic continuity.
Paleoanthropology , 2019
Perforated shells are often used to study socially mediated behavior in past hunter-gatherer grou... more Perforated shells are often used to study socially mediated behavior in past hunter-gatherer groups. The assumption is that their exclusive symbolic function makes them ideally suited to investigate social networks, dispersal activity, and social interaction. Before making any statements regarding human behavior, however, it needs to be established whether perforated shells from archaeological assemblages were used as personal ornaments. One of the key issues regarding beach-collected marine taxa is whether beached specimens were purposefully collected, e.g., preferentially selected naturally holed specimens, or whether human-made perforations may be identified. Past studies have investigated these questions by comparing datasets from modern death assemblages of shells with archaeological collections and through manufacture and use-wear analysis (e.g., Bouzouggar et al. 2007; Vanhaeren et al. 2006) This study introduces a novel approach using μCT scans of pristine shells to create a three-dimensional model of shell thickness in Tritia (Nassarius) gibbosula. This model is used to map robust and fragile zones on shells of this taxon. The goal of this approach is to identify structurally weak zones that would be prone to natural perforations. Heat maps of shell thickness are then used to investigate perforation locations in modern natural death and archaeological assemblages. Our results show that in natural death assemblages, most perforations occur in structurally weak zones, and that their distribution is random. In our archaeological samples, from early Upper Paleolithic contexts at Ksâr 'Akil, (Lebanon), we found that perforations in T. gibbosula mainly occur in structurally weak zones, but their distribution within these zones is not random and favors locations facilitating easy suspension (e.g., on cordage). This suggests that at Ksâr 'Akil, T. gibbolusa shells were used as beads, and that shells with conveniently located natural perforations were intentionally sought for, that humans perforated the shells themselves, or that they used a combination of both. This in turn, warrants investigations into the social and behavioral implications of these perforated beads. Further aspects of human involvement with the shells should be explored, for example, through use-wear analysis.
PaleoAnthropology, 2019
Special Issue: Personal Ornaments in Early Prehistory
Recent studies have shown that the use of aquatic resources has greater antiquity in hominin diet... more Recent studies have shown that the use of aquatic resources has greater antiquity in hominin diets than previously thought. At present, it is unclear when hominins started to habitually consume marine resources. This study examines shellfish exploitation from a behavioural ecology perspective, addressing how and when past hunter-gatherers from the Levant used coastal resources for subsistence purposes. We investigate the seasonality of shellfish exploitation in the Levantine Upper Palaeolithic through oxygen isotope analysis on shells of the intertidal rocky shore mollusc Phorcus (Osilinus) turbinatus from the key site Ksâr 'Akil (Lebanon). At this rockshelter, multi-layered archaeological deposits contained remains of both marine and terrestrial molluscs in relatively large quantities, which were consumed and used as tools and ornaments by the occupants of the site. Our results indicate that at the start of the Initial Upper Palaeolithic (IUP), there is no evidence for shellfish consumption. Humans started to take fresh shellfish to the rockshelter from the second half of the IUP onward, albeit in low quantities. During the Early Upper Palaeolithic (EUP) shellfish exploitation became increasingly frequent. Oxygen isotope data show that shellfish exploitation was practised in every season throughout most of the Upper Palaeolithic (UP), with an emphasis on the colder months. This suggests that coastal resources had a central role in early UP foraging strategies, rather than a seasonally restricted supplementary one. Year-round shellfish gathering, in turn, suggests that humans occupied the rockshelter at different times of the year, although not necessarily continuously. Our oxygen isotope data is complemented with broader-scale exploitation patterns of faunal resources, both vertebrate and invertebrate, at the site. The inclusion of coastal marine resources signifies a diversification of the human diet from the EUP onward, which is also observed in foraging practices linked to the exploitation of terrestrial fauna.
Present-day hunter-gatherers (HGs) live in multilevel social groups essential to sustain a popula... more Present-day hunter-gatherers (HGs) live in multilevel social groups essential to sustain a population structure characterized by limited levels of within-band relatedness and inbreeding. When these wider social networks evolved among HGs is unknown. Here, we investigate whether the contemporary HG strategy was already present in the Upper Paleolithic (UP), using complete genome sequences from Sunghir, a site dated to ~34 thousand years BP (kya) containing multiple anatomically modern human (AMH) individuals. We demonstrate that individuals at Sunghir derive from a population of small effective size, with limited kinship and levels of inbreeding similar to HG populations. Our findings suggest that UP social organization was similar to that of living HGs, with limited relatedness within residential groups embedded in a larger mating network.
Present-day hunter-gatherers (HGs) live in multilevel social groups essential to sustain a popula... more Present-day hunter-gatherers (HGs) live in multilevel social groups essential to sustain a population structure characterized by limited levels of within-band relatedness and inbreeding. When these wider social networks evolved among HGs is unknown. Here, we investigate whether the contemporary HG strategy was already present in the Upper Paleolithic (UP), using complete genome sequences from Sunghir, a site dated to ~34 thousand years BP (kya) containing multiple anatomically modern human (AMH) individuals. We demonstrate that individuals at Sunghir derive from a population of small effective size, with limited kinship and levels of inbreeding similar to HG populations. Our findings suggest that UP social organization was similar to that of living HGs, with limited relatedness within residential groups embedded in a larger mating network.
From 1993 to 2011, excavations at the site Grub/Kranawetberg exposed four archaeological horizons... more From 1993 to 2011, excavations at the site Grub/Kranawetberg exposed four archaeological horizons (AH) separated by sterile loess deposits. The assemblage of adornments made from ivory is the biggest in the Austrian Palaeolithic comprising a wide range of varieties. Apart from tools, weapons, and adornments, there are pieces of raw material as well as semiproducts, waste from tool production and a series of unmodified fragments. This contribution gives a first view to the whole spectrum of ivory objects at this place. While ivory was found in all layers, AH4, the lowest cultural layer, contains more than 90% of the ivory unearthed at the site.
Shells of marine molluscs exploited by prehistoric humans constitute archives of palaeoecological... more Shells of marine molluscs exploited by prehistoric humans constitute archives of palaeoecological and palaeoclimatic data, as well as of human behaviour in coastal settings. Here we present our investigations on the mollusc assemblage from Ks^ar 'Akil (Lebanon), a key site in southwestern Asia occupied during the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic. The site plays an important role in understanding modern human dispersals into Eurasia. Taxa from intertidal rocky shore, subtidal soft bottom, and rocky littoral habitats dominate the marine component of the invertebrate assemblage. Terrestrial snails indicate wooded and open half shaded habitats in the vicinity of the site. Species composition suggests that these habitats
were present throughout the Upper Palaeolithic. Humans transported marine molluscs to the rockshelter as ‘food packages’ for dietary purposes (e.g., Patella caerulea, Patella rustica, Phorcus turbinatus) and shells of other taxa to be used as tools (e.g., Glycymeris sp.) or possibly for ornamental purposes (e.g., Nassarius gibbosulus and Columbella rustica). In the Initial Upper Palaeolithic, collection focussed on empty shells as raw material for utilitarian purposes. In the subsequent Early Upper Palaeolithic and later periods, mollusc gathering was performed in an increasing number of habitats and shifted towards collection for human consumption, which was the main reason for the introduction of shells to the site during the Epipalaeolithic. Concurrent size shifts of live collected as well as beached specimens suggests that size changes were linked to environmental change rather than to potential overexploitation of dietary taxa by humans.
Quaternary International 252, 109-121, 2012
The role of humans in the formation of Gravettian mammoth bone accumulations of central and easte... more The role of humans in the formation of Gravettian mammoth bone accumulations of central and eastern Europe is a heavily debated topic. Grub-Kranawetberg, a multi-layered Gravettian open-air site in eastern Austria, yielded a bone accumulation in the vicinity of a campsite. Zooarchaeological, taphonomic, and spatial analyses of this assemblage offer evidence on both human subsistence and formation of mammoth bone accumulations. The deposit is dominated by Mammuthus primigenius but also includes Coelodonta antiquitatis, Rangifer tarandus, Equus sp., Megaloceros giganteus, Canis lupus, Ursus cf. arctos and Lepus cf. timidus. The presence of butchery marks on remains of both megafaunal taxa indicates a human accumulated assemblage. The absence of carnivore gnaw marks suggests that humans had primary access to meaty skeletal parts. An indication that humans occupying the adjacent campsite interacted with the bones is seen in the rearticulation of a left upper first molar of a mammoth from the campsite with its matching right first upper molar found in the bone accumulation. The deposit is further characterized by various indications of fire evident in lenses of burned sediment and abundant traces of heating faunal remains. The varied colours of burned bone, as well as reddish burned loess show that the accumulation was subjected to a wide range of fire temperatures. The current results argue for the intentional use of fire as waste removal strategy.
FÖ - Fundberichte aus Österreich 56, 2019
Antl-Weiser, W., Bosch, D. M., & Nigst, P. R. (2019). Bericht zur Grabung Ollersdorf-Heidenberg 2... more Antl-Weiser, W., Bosch, D. M., & Nigst, P. R. (2019). Bericht zur Grabung Ollersdorf-Heidenberg 2017. FÖ - Fundberichte aus Österreich, 56(2017), D2370-D2402.
FÖ - Fundberichte aus Österreich 56, 2019
Antl-Weiser, W., Bosch, D. M., & Nigst, P. R. (2019). Bericht zur Prospektion Ollersdorf-Heidenbe... more Antl-Weiser, W., Bosch, D. M., & Nigst, P. R. (2019). Bericht zur Prospektion Ollersdorf-Heidenberg 2017. FÖ - Fundberichte aus Österreich, 56(2017), D2347-D2369.
Libois, T., Nigst, P.R., Haesaerts, P., Bosch, M.D., Murphree, W.C., Branscombe, T., Noiret, P., 2018. 40 ans des recherches avec Vasile Chirica : Mitoc-Malu Galben, in: Lazarovici, C.M., Berzovan, A. (Eds.), Quaestiones Praehistoricae. Studia in honorem Professoris Vasile Chirica. pp. 53-74. Acest volum apare prin contribuția financiară a Primăriei Municipiului Iași în cadrul parteneriat... more Acest volum apare prin contribuția financiară a Primăriei Municipiului Iași în cadrul parteneriatului cu Academia Română.
Quaternary International 368: 112-115, 2015
The interaction between mammoths and humans has been subject of discussion in Central Europe, esp... more The interaction between mammoths and humans has been subject of discussion in Central Europe, especially for the Gravettian time period (30-20 ka PB), since a long time. The goal of this research is to gain a better view of the human-mammoth relationship in the middle Danube region. The mammoth molar assemblages of three sites in Lower Austria – Krems- Hundssteig, Grub-Kranawetberg and Langmannersdorf – were studied and the results compared to those of other sites in the region. Mammoth molars are excellent instruments to infer age-at-death estimations, due to their horizontal replacement. The number of the molar in combination with its wear stage provides the information necessary for construct- ing age-at-death profiles. Analysis of these profiles gives information on the man- mammoth interaction. This study shows that mammoth assemblages in the middle Danube region vary from each other during the Gravettian not only by the MNIs but also the type of age-at-death profile. This suggests a dynamic man-mammoth interaction that might be caused by fluctuations in mammoth availability or by variable human interference.
Our paper (1) proposes a new chronology for Ksâr 'Akil based on 16 accelerator mass spectrometry ... more Our paper (1) proposes a new chronology for Ksâr 'Akil based on 16 accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) determinations on shells. To minimize the possibility of dating diagenetically compromised samples, we conducted amino acid racemization analyses on the intracrystalline proteins, oxygen isotope analysis, and geochemical characterization of all dated shells. Our calibrated radiocarbon ages fit well with existing Levantine chronologies, but are up to 4,000 y older than Douka et al.'s (2). Our paper explores several possibilities for this difference, whereas Douka et al.
Quaternary International 276–277, 170-182, 2012
The interaction between mammoths and humans has long been a subject of discussion in Central Euro... more The interaction between mammoths and humans has long been a subject of discussion in Central Europe, especially for the mid-Upper Palaeolithic (30e20 ka BP). The goal of this research is to gain a better understanding of the humanemammoth relationship in the middle Danube region. Mammoth molar assemblages from four sites e Krems-Hundssteig, Grub-Kranawetberg, Langmannersdorf, and P redmostí e were studied and the results compared to those of other sites in the region using age-at-death profiles. Age-at-death profiles prove to be useful, especially for regional comparisons, provided the underlying methods are applied in identical fashion. This study shows that although some patterns are evident, there is substantial variation between mammoth molar assemblages in the middle Danube region during the mid-Upper Palaeolithic. Variability on a regional scale is best explained by the coexistence of several well-established strategies of interaction with mammoths or their remains ranging from subsistence to tool/personal adornment production. Procurement strategy was likewise diverse and included bone collecting as well as scavenging. Although tentative, the results indicate that humans were likely to have hunted mammoths occasionally.
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Papers by Marjolein Bosch
were present throughout the Upper Palaeolithic. Humans transported marine molluscs to the rockshelter as ‘food packages’ for dietary purposes (e.g., Patella caerulea, Patella rustica, Phorcus turbinatus) and shells of other taxa to be used as tools (e.g., Glycymeris sp.) or possibly for ornamental purposes (e.g., Nassarius gibbosulus and Columbella rustica). In the Initial Upper Palaeolithic, collection focussed on empty shells as raw material for utilitarian purposes. In the subsequent Early Upper Palaeolithic and later periods, mollusc gathering was performed in an increasing number of habitats and shifted towards collection for human consumption, which was the main reason for the introduction of shells to the site during the Epipalaeolithic. Concurrent size shifts of live collected as well as beached specimens suggests that size changes were linked to environmental change rather than to potential overexploitation of dietary taxa by humans.
were present throughout the Upper Palaeolithic. Humans transported marine molluscs to the rockshelter as ‘food packages’ for dietary purposes (e.g., Patella caerulea, Patella rustica, Phorcus turbinatus) and shells of other taxa to be used as tools (e.g., Glycymeris sp.) or possibly for ornamental purposes (e.g., Nassarius gibbosulus and Columbella rustica). In the Initial Upper Palaeolithic, collection focussed on empty shells as raw material for utilitarian purposes. In the subsequent Early Upper Palaeolithic and later periods, mollusc gathering was performed in an increasing number of habitats and shifted towards collection for human consumption, which was the main reason for the introduction of shells to the site during the Epipalaeolithic. Concurrent size shifts of live collected as well as beached specimens suggests that size changes were linked to environmental change rather than to potential overexploitation of dietary taxa by humans.