Papers by Eleni Panagopoulou
Following the discovery and excavation of the Lower Palaeolithic butchering locality Marathousa 1... more Following the discovery and excavation of the Lower Palaeolithic butchering locality Marathousa 1 (MAR-1; Megalopolis Basin,<br> Peloponnesus, Greece), conducted by the Ephoreia of Paleoanthropology and Speleology, Greek Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, led to the discovery of a new open-air locality, Marathousa 2<br> (MAR-2), approximately 1.5 km eastern of MAR-1, where stratified fossils were identified on a profile of the Marathousa Member<br> (Choremi Formation), directly below the Lignite Unit III of the Marathousa mine. Two areas were designated, both yielding so far<br> mainly hippopotamid bones: Area A with (cervical and thoracic) vertebrae and ribs belonging to a single individual of Hippopotamus,<br> as well as a mandibular fragment of a fallow deer (Dama sp.), and Area B, about 90 m NW, with isolated dental Hippopotamus<br> specimens. The fossils in both areas occur in the sam...
Journal of Human Evolution, 2022
In this article, we describe an almost complete macaque mandible from the Middle Pleistocene loca... more In this article, we describe an almost complete macaque mandible from the Middle Pleistocene locality Marathousa 1 in the Megalopolis Basin of southern Greece. The mandible belonged to a male individual of advanced ontogenetic age and of estimated body mass ∼13 kg. Comparative metric analysis of its teeth permits its attribution to the Barbary macaque Macaca sylvanus, a species that was geographically widely distributed in Western Eurasia during the Plio-Pleistocene. The dental dimensions of the Marathousa 1 macaque fit better within the variation of the Early Pleistocene M. s. florentina and the Middle to Late Pleistocene M. s. pliocena rather than with the extant representative M. s. sylvanus. Moreover, principal component analysis reveals a better match with M. s. pliocena. However, because no clear-cut diagnostic criteria have been defined to differentiate these European fossil subspecies, we attribute the Marathousa 1 specimen to M. s. cf. pliocena, in agreement with the chronology of the locality. Previously known only from the Early Pleistocene of Greece by some isolated teeth, this is the first record of Macaca in the Middle Pleistocene of the country and one of very few in the eastern sector of the peri-Mediterranean region. We discuss the presence of macaques in the paleolake environment of Marathousa 1, as well as their predation risks from both carnivores and hominins present at the locality.
Frontiers in Earth Science, 2021
Lithics and cut-marked mammal bones, excavated from the paleo-lake Marathousa 1 (MAR-1) sediments... more Lithics and cut-marked mammal bones, excavated from the paleo-lake Marathousa 1 (MAR-1) sediments in the Megalopolis Basin, southern Greece, indicate traces of hominin activity occurring along a paleo-shoreline ca. 444,000 years (444 ka) ago. However, the local environment and climatic conditions promoting hominin activity in the area during the MIS12 glacial remain largely unknown. In order to reconstruct the paleo-environment including paleo-lake levels and governing paleo-climatic factors on a high temporal resolution, we analyzed a 6-meter-long sediment sequence from the archeological site MAR-1 and a Bayesian age model was computed for a better age constrain of the different sedimentary units. A multiproxy approach was applied using ostracods, sponge spicules, diatoms, grain sizes, total organic carbon, total inorganic carbon and conventional X-ray fluorescence analysis. The results from the site represent a protected region surrounded by high mountains under the constant influ...
Antiquity, 2015
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Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2018
Excavation at the Mesolithic site of Damnoni in southwest Crete generated nine tools made of obsi... more Excavation at the Mesolithic site of Damnoni in southwest Crete generated nine tools made of obsidian, a raw material foreign to the island. This study characterises these artefacts' raw material via elemental analyses and their techno-typological nature. These data when located within a broader consideration of the larger Damnoni chipped stone assemblage and the consumption of obsidian at other Mesolithic sites of the larger region enables us to further develop our understanding of maritime activity and hunter-gatherer interaction in the Early Holocene Aegean. Using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy the obsidian is shown to be Melian, primarily from Sta Nychia, in keeping with Aegean Mesolithic procurement habits more generally. The artefacts were accessed in the form of ready-made tools, likely via exchange with intermediaries, the procurement of such exotic pieces conceivably serving to both maintain and reproduce social relations and cultural traditions at distance.
Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology, 2018
Lakonis I (ca. 100,000-40,000 BP) is a collapsed Middle Palaeolithic cave on the coast of the Man... more Lakonis I (ca. 100,000-40,000 BP) is a collapsed Middle Palaeolithic cave on the coast of the Mani Peninsula of southern Greece. The site contains three distinctive components: a hearth context, upper bone breccia, and lower bone breccia. The bone breccias contain concreted deposits and large numbers of lithic and faunal materials, though the upper bone breccia preserves more evidence of dumping from hearth features. The hearth context is comprised of hearth lenses interspersed with mixed ashy sediments, which we interpret as the remnants of raked out and trampled combustion features. Bones and lithics in the hearth context have higher rates of burning, and the lithics are smaller and more broken. The large numbers of burned bones are probably not the result of accidental burning or the use of bone as a fuel source, rather they seem to relate to site maintenance. The incorporation of multiple lines of evidence points to two different site maintenance strategies at Lakonis: (1) the intentional burning of food refuse and (2) the cleaning of hearths, and dumping remnant deposits elsewhere at the site. We therefore consider Lakonis I to be amongst the growing list of sites that contain evidence for Neandertal behavioral complexity.
Quaternary International, 2018
The technological systems and subsistence strategies of Middle Pleistocene hominins in SouthEast ... more The technological systems and subsistence strategies of Middle Pleistocene hominins in SouthEast Europe are insufficiently understood due to the scarcity of well-preserved, excavated assemblages. In this paper, we present first results from the study of the lithic and bone artifacts unearthed at the Lower Palaeolithic site Marathousa 1 (MAR-1), Megalopolis, Greece. The context of the site represents a depositional environment close to a lakeshore, where rapid burial in a very fine-grained matrix ensured extraordinary conditions for preservation. Lithic artifacts occur in spatial and stratigraphic association with remains of the elephant Palaeoloxodon antiquus as well as other mammals. Bones, including those of elephants, show clear anthropogenic flaking scars, cut-marks and fracture patterns indicating deliberate breakage and modification by early humans. The MAR-1 lithic assemblage is composed of small-sized debitage, retouched tools, a few small and exhausted cores, as well as a large number of debris and retouch products, such as chips and resharpening flakes. Currently, there are no indications of Acheulean bifacial debitage, large cutting tools are missing, and a key aspect of the material refers to its 'microlithic' character. The scarcity of cores and primary flakes indicates a fragmented reduction sequence and complex discard patterns that require further investigation. On the basis of the ongoing analysis of lithic material from three field seasons, we discuss aspects of assemblage composition and the role of raw material types, the main technological and typological traits of the industry, as well as the potential contribution of the MAR-1 assemblage in broader discussions about Middle Pleistocene lithic techno-complexes and subsistence strategies in Eurasia. Finally, we briefly present a small sample of bone artifacts, which suggest that hominin exploitation of the animal carcasses was not restricted to marrow extraction and bone processing for nutritional needs, but included also the knapping of bones, potentially with the aim of using the knapped products as tools. The MAR-1 archaeological record compares well with other important Eurasian sites yielding 'small tool assemblages', such as Ficoncella, La Polledrara, Bilzingsleben, Schöningen and Vértesszőlős, some of which, like MAR-1, have provided evidence of elephant or other mega-fauna exploitation.
Quaternary International, 2018
Marathousa 1 is a Lower Palaeolithic open-air site located in the Megalopolis basin, an area in S... more Marathousa 1 is a Lower Palaeolithic open-air site located in the Megalopolis basin, an area in Southern Greece known for its fossiliferous sediments. Mining activities in the basin uncovered a thick sequence of Middle Pleistocene lacustrine deposits representing the environment of a palaeolake. Marathousa 1 was discovered in 2013 during a targeted palaeoanthropological survey and excavated subsequently by an interdisciplinary team from
Quaternary International, 2018
Post-infrared infrared stimulated luminescence (pIRIR) measurements are reported for multiple ali... more Post-infrared infrared stimulated luminescence (pIRIR) measurements are reported for multiple aliquots of potassium-rich feldspar grains from sedimentary deposits at Marathousa 1 and Choremi Mine in the Megalopolis Basin in southern Greece. Ages were obtained for 9 samples from the deposits that over-and underlie as well as include the archaeological and palaeontological deposits at Marathousa 1. These sediments are sandwiched between lignite seams II and III and thought to represent sediment deposition during a single glacial period. A single age was obtained for a sample from Choremi mine. The equivalent dose estimates are based on a newly developed method presented elsewhere, and environmental dose rate determinations followed standard procedures. A specific focus of this paper is the determination of a representative estimate of time-averaged palaeowater content of the organic and sand-rich deposits and the impact of porosity and compaction on these estimates. Ages are presented using two water content scenarios. These final ages have relatively large uncertainties, making it difficult to accurately assign deposition to a single oxygen isotope stage (OIS). Taking uncertainty into account, sediment deposition at Marathousa 1 occur sometime during OIS 12 and 11 and at Choremi mine during MIS 8. When combined with other proxy information, these results support the interpretation that the peat deposits (represented by lignite seams II and III) were deposited during warm interglacial periods, and that the intervening clastic materials were deposited during glacial periods. In this case, the ages are best interpreted as supporting deposition of sediments during MIS12. This is consistent with one of the proposed age models, but younger than the other.
Quaternary International, 2018
The present study describes the sedimentology and formation processes of the archaeological site ... more The present study describes the sedimentology and formation processes of the archaeological site Marathousa 1, part of a Pleistocene lignite-bearing succession at the Megalopolis basin (Southern Greece). The sedimentary sequence of the site comprises about 4e5 m lacustrine and fluviolacustrine clastic deposits found between Lignite Seam II and III. The lower part of this sequence is characterized by relatively high rate subaqueous sedimentation of bedded sands and silts with local evidence of slumping and liquefaction attributed to a seismic event. This part of the sequence contains fluctuating but generally low organic and carbonate content probably associated with cold and arid conditions of a glacial period. The upper part of the sequence follows a major hiatus attributed to exposure and erosion. A series of erosional bounded depositional units are observed in this sequence suggesting important water-level fluctuations. The subaqueous emplacement of the deposits is attributed to subaerial floodgenerated, organic-and carbonate-rich dilute mudflows and hyperconcentrated flows. Organic-rich sedimentation culminates with the formation of the overlying lignite seam. This change is interpreted as a gradual return to warmer and humid conditions of an interglacial period. The fossiliferous and cultural levels at Marathousa 1 are associated with the major erosional and exposed surface found in the upper part of the sequence. This surface was part of an extensive mudflat surrounding the lake shore at that time. The overlying mudflows have locally redistributed and buried the archaeological remains, thus preserving this very important butchering site.
Quaternary International, 2018
The PaGE Project survey of the Megalopolis Basin (Arcadia, Greece), conducted in 2012-2013 over a... more The PaGE Project survey of the Megalopolis Basin (Arcadia, Greece), conducted in 2012-2013 over a period of two field seasons, was an intensive, target-oriented surface survey of Pleistocene sediments. Implementing a modified version of field methods applied in our survey of cave systems and Pleistocene cave sediments, the main goal of this systematic research focused on the identification of intact stratified remains from either stratigraphic sections or on remnants of exposed ancient surfaces. The project area consisted of the active open-cast lignite mine of Megalopolis, where access to recently exposed sections were abundant, and of the alluvial fans in the surrounding uplands, where hominins exploited the commanding views of the ancient lake. This paper presents the survey results and applied field methods for conducting archaeological research within the remnants of an Early to Middle Pleistocene ancient lake system. The project succeeded in identifying at least five surface and stratified sites, the latter including the Lower Paleolithic remains of Marathousa-1. This site is currently under investigation, but has already yielded the oldest chronometrically dated archaeological remains in Greece. Therefore, PaGE has not only managed to place mainland Greece on the Lower Paleolithic map of Europe, but has also successfully tested a methodological corpus for survey research targeting the earliest phases of the Paleolithic period in a Mediterranean landscape.
Quaternary International, 2018
We investigated the magnetostratigraphy of the Megalopolis basin in central Peloponnese, Greece, ... more We investigated the magnetostratigraphy of the Megalopolis basin in central Peloponnese, Greece, which encompasses a record of Pleistocene lacustrine and lignite-bearing sedimentation, where lithic tools stratigraphically associated with remnants of an almost complete skeleton of Palaeoloxodon antiquus were recently found at the Marathousa 1 site. A magnetic polarity reversal was observed within a ∼10 m-thick lignite seam at the base of the (exposed) stratigraphic sequence, and it was interpreted as a record of the Brunhes/Matuyama boundary (0.78 Ma). Assuming that lignite seams were deposited generally under warm and humid climate conditions, this finding is in agreement with data from the literature indicating that the Brunhes/Matuyama boundary occurs within warm Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 19. We then attempted to correlate the remainder of the lacustrine and lignite-bearing intervals above the Brunhes/Matuyama boundary to a standard oxygen isotope record of Pleistocene climate variability. Two age models of sedimentation were generated: according to preferred option #1, the artifact-bearing stratigraphic units of the Marathousa 1 site should have an age between ∼0.48 Ma and ∼0.42 Ma, while according to alternative option #2, the archaeological layers would have an age between ∼0.56 Ma and ∼0.54 Ma. Option #1 is at present considered the preferred option as it is in closer agreement with preliminary post-IR IRSL and ESR dates from the Marathousa 1 site. This age model has been exported to other areas of the Megalopolis basin, where additional archaeological and/or palaeontological sites could be present, by means of correlations to lithostratigraphic logs derived from commercial drill cores taken in the 1960s and 1970s for lignite exploitation.
Quaternary International, 2018
Recent excavations at the Middle Pleistocene open-air site of Marathousa 1 have unearthed in one ... more Recent excavations at the Middle Pleistocene open-air site of Marathousa 1 have unearthed in one of the two investigated areas (Area A) a partial skeleton of a single individual of Palaeoloxodon antiquus and other faunal remains in spatial and stratigraphic association with lithic artefacts. In Area B, a much higher number of lithic artefacts was collected, spatially and stratigraphically associated also with faunal remains. The two areas are stratigraphically correlated, the main fossiliferous layers representing an en mass depositional process in a lake margin context. Evidence of butchering (cut-marks) has been identified on bones of the elephant skeleton, as well on elephant and other mammal bones from Area B. However, due to the secondary deposition of the main find-bearing units, it is of primary importance to evaluate the degree and reliability of the spatial association of the lithic artefacts with the faunal remains. Indeed, spatial association does not necessarily imply causation, since natural syn-and postdepositional processes may equally produce spatial association. Assessing the degree and extent of post-depositional reworking processes is crucial to fully comprehend the archaeological record, and therefore to reliably interpret past human behaviours. The present study uses a comprehensive set of spatial statistics in order to disentangle the depositional processes behind the distribution of the archaeological and palaeontological record at Marathousa 1. Preliminary results of our analyses suggest that a high-energy erosional process, attributed to a hyperconcentrated flow deposited at the margin of a swamp, reworked an autochthonous, exposed or slightly buried, scatter of lithic artefacts and faunal remains. Minor reworking and substantial spatial association of the lithic and faunal assemblages support the current interpretation of Marathousa 1 as a butchering site.
Quaternary International, 2018
This paper presents the results of the analysis of the lithics from the Palaeolithic layers of Ma... more This paper presents the results of the analysis of the lithics from the Palaeolithic layers of Mavri Spilia, excavated during the field season of 2013. For the most part, these lithic assemblages were associated with hearth formations, both at the back and at the entrance of the cave. A wide range of raw materials both local and non-local was used, most likely in the form of pebbles. Evidence points to the application of both Levallois and non-Levallois reduction sequences, with no indication that different techniques were applied on different materials. The most common retouched tool type is the scraper, with most of these being ordinary side scrapers and only a few indicating more invasive, Quina-like retouch. Using all available information, an attempt to understand the site in the context of the Late Pleistocene Neanderthal occupation of the Mani Peninsula is made and some tentative conclusions are drawn.
Quaternary International, 2018
In this article, we present the first results on the large mammal fauna from the new open-air Low... more In this article, we present the first results on the large mammal fauna from the new open-air Lower Palaeolithic locality Marathousa 1 (MAR-1) (Megalopolis Basin, Peloponnesus, Greece). MAR-1 belongs to the Marathousa Member of the Choremi Formation and its large mammal faunal list (collection 2013 e2016) includes the castorid Castor fiber, the mustelids Mustela sp. and Lutra simplicidens, the felid Felis sp., the canids Vulpes sp. and Canis sp., the elephantid Palaeoloxodon antiquus, the hippopotamid Hippopotamus antiquus, the bovid Bison sp., and the cervids Dama sp. and Cervus elaphus. This faunal association is common in the Galerian (Middle Pleistocene) mammal communities of Europe (ca. 0.9e0.4 Ma). The MAR-1 fauna is consistent with a temperate climate and is indicative of a landscape with substantial woodland components with more open areas, close to permanent and large freshwater bodies. Of particular interest are an elephant cranium and numerous postcranial elements, which were found in close anatomical association and are attributed to a single individual of the straight-tusked elephant Palaeoloxodon antiquus. The skeleton belonged to a male individual in its late adulthood close to or in its sixties, with live skeletal height around 3.7 m at the shoulder and body mass around 9.0 tonnes. The good state of preservation of the MAR-1 bones allows the identification of taphonomic modifications. Cut marks on the elephant skeleton, and on other elephant and mammal bones, indicate human exploitation by means of butchering activities, in accordance with the traits of the lithic assemblage and its spatial association with the bones. Carnivore activity is also recorded on some elephant and cervid bones. Marathousa 1 is among the oldest elephant butchering sites in Europe and the only one known in Southeastern Europe.
Journal of Field Archaeology, 2016
We here report the first results from a systematic research project in Mani (Southern Greece), wh... more We here report the first results from a systematic research project in Mani (Southern Greece), which includes survey and test excavations. Forty-six caves, rockshelters and open-air sites in lowland settings were surveyed. Geomorphological data were collected in order to assess how geological processes affect the preservation of sites and bias site distribution patterns. Artifacts manufactured from non-local rock indicate potential raw material transfers and suggest links among the different regions of Mani, related to mobility patterns. Our research in the Mani has nearly doubled the number of known Middle Palaeolithic sites from the region and confirmed that the peninsula has the strongest ‘Neanderthal signal’ identified to date in Greece. Almost all sites are located at coastal areas. Despite the influence of Pleistocene landscape dynamics, this distribution emerges as a persistent pattern, perhaps indicating a preference for coastal locations. The Neanderthal occupation of Mani can illuminate importan...
Journal of Quaternary Science, 2011
... right) (Courtesy of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Natalie Cooper, Chad ... more ... right) (Courtesy of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Natalie Cooper, Chad DiGregorio, Priscilla Murray, Curtis Runnels ... dAssigned age and estimated GSL elevations are based on the Huon Peninsula coral record (Lambeck and Chappell, 2001), modified with ...
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Papers by Eleni Panagopoulou
with the lithic assemblage and its spatial association with the bones. Carnivore gnawing is also evident on some specimens, suggesting a certain degree of carnivore competition with humans for early access to the animal carcasses. Marathousa-1 is among the oldest elephant butchering sites in Europe and the only one known in Southeastern Europe.
Of particular interest are an elephant cranium and several postcranial elements, which were found in close anatomical association and are attributed to a single individual of the straight-tusked elephant Elephas (P.) antiquus. The good state of preservation of the MAR bones allows to identify taphonomic modifications. Cut marks and percussion damage indicate hominin exploitation of elephant and other mammal bones by means of butchering activities. Carnivore gnawing is also evident on some specimens, suggesting a certain degree of carnivore competition with humans for early access to the animal carcasses.