Stratified, well preserved sites preserving unambiguous geological and archeological data from wh... more Stratified, well preserved sites preserving unambiguous geological and archeological data from which human-environmental interactions can be reconstructed, are rare. More commonly we must test our hypotheses based on extrapolation of the few available sites, particularly in regions with high sedimentation rates. Here we test the idea of aggregating "off-sites"-human traces which provide isolated evidence of activity in an area-to maximize the information which can meaningfully be extracted from Paleolithic open-air contexts. We present two case studies from the sediment-rich loess steppe of southeast Romania, Lipniţa and Dealul Peş terica. Both off-sites preserve low density, undiagnostic lithic assemblages which may otherwise be overlooked in favor of more impressive sites. We constrain the timing of occupation at these two localities to c. 61 and 34-41 ka at Lipniţa and Dealul Peş terica, and show that people were present near a river bank and on loess slopes respectively. Aggregation of data from the region suggests repeated visitation of riverine landscapes; additionally people likely ranged across landforms, particularly where raw material for making stone tools was plentiful. Our case studies demonstrate that empirical, incremental findings may still be generated from sites traditionally thought to be of little value. We argue that this approach is highly applicable to investigating the human implications for landscape context from archeological traces in sediment-rich, open-air situations.
The Danube has long been considered a "highway" for the prehistoric hominin colonization of Europ... more The Danube has long been considered a "highway" for the prehistoric hominin colonization of Europe. However, its role in the two most significant episodes of colonization e the first peopling of Europe in the LowereMiddle Pleistocene, and Late Pleistocene colonization by anatomically modern humans e is presently a matter of hypothesis based on the locations of only a few key archaeological sites. Much of Eastern Europe has a particularly low density of known sites, in part due to the thick loess deposits blanketing the region which provide a challenging environment for archaeological survey. Our project, the Lower Danube Survey (LoDanS), aims to discover new Paleolithic sites and to reassess previously identified sites in the southeastern Romanian loess steppe between the Danube River and the Black Sea. Here we present the preliminary results of our first three seasons (2010e2012) of geoarchaeological survey and excavation in the lower Danube basin. We revisit and reexamine the lithostratigraphic and lithic data available from previously known sites in the region. We also provide new luminescence ages from one of these sites, Cuza Vod a, and confirm its previously proposed Middle Paleolithic antiquity. We describe three newly discovered stratified Paleolithic sites, which together with existing sites confirm occupation of the Romanian loess steppe during the Lower, Middle and Paleolithic. Additional preliminary work at a nearby geological loess profile provides valuable paleoenvironmental context for hominin occupation of the region throughout the Pleistocene. Our investigations elucidate strategies and prospects for new site discoveries in open loess steppe landscapes such as those of Eastern Europe.
SCRIPTA PRAEHISTORICA. MISCELLANEA IN HONOREM MARIAE BITIRI DICATA, MCA, SUPPLEMENTUN I, 2021
Rescue excavations carried out on the Bușag Hill in 2019 (the Palaeolithic site had been identifi... more Rescue excavations carried out on the Bușag Hill in 2019 (the Palaeolithic site had been identified and excavated by Maria Bitiri in the 1960s and 1970s) allowed for new stratigraphic observations required by a future re-evaluation of the chronology. While we still await for the OSL results on the samples collected from trench II and the microscopic analysis of raw materials, the present paper presents preliminary observations on the lithic material from the Aurignacian workshop uncovered in soundings V and VI, level D: a homogenous assemblage; two operational chains oriented towards blade production, predominant blade production; possible presence of flake production; predominant hard percussion, careful debitage, a certain massiveness of the lithic assemblage; raw materials brought to the site in their natural form or with little modification.
This paper presents the results of the petroarchaeological analysis of lithic raw materials from ... more This paper presents the results of the petroarchaeological analysis of lithic raw materials from the Upper Palaeolithic site of Românești-Dumbrăvița I. The recent archaeological investigations included field surveys for possible raw material supply sources near the site and petrographic analyses of archaeological and geological samples. The field surveys covered a NW-SE orientated strip between Temerești-Românești-Tomești-Poieni villages, focusing on the source of the so-called “Banat flint” near Poieni village. The resulted data showed that the “Banat flint” and other cherts identified in the area are derived from at least three faults in the Neoproterozoic-Palaeozoic metamorphic suite of the NW Poiana Ruscă Mountains. These cherts are the product of the post-deformational silicification of metacarbonate rocks involved in the faulting processes. They are abundant and have a widespread occurrence in the landscape, as inferred from the frequency and distribution of the find spots. The petrographic analysis of the archaeological materials showed that the predominant raw materials used at Românești-Dumbrăvița I are the shear zone related cherts (including the “Banat flint”). Beside these, other raw material categories were identified: quartzite and vein quartz, other siliceous rocks, obsidian, diagenetic cherts and siliceous mudstones/marlstones. Except for the obsidian, all the other categories suggest a narrow area of raw material procurement territories (< 60 km) for both assemblages from Românești-Dumbrăvița I, with the bulk of them supplied from local sources (< 10 km).
In the last few decades, our understanding of the Lower Paleolithic has expanded, due to multiple... more In the last few decades, our understanding of the Lower Paleolithic has expanded, due to multiple advances in research methods and the numerous sites recently discovered. As a consequence, there have been many changes in the interpretation of Lower Paleolithic technocomplexes, in terms of lithic industry characteristics, geographical spread, and chronological framing. This article presents a synthesis of the research carried out on the Lower Paleolithic in Romania in the 20th century. Several problems are discussed-the concept of Osteodontokeratic industries, which was used in the 1960s, still is has not been completely abandoned; terminology is very equivocal and there is no explicit delimitation between various stages of the Lower Paleolithic; tools found in disturbed context are used as cultural markers, which is not recommended for the Lower Paleolithic. Romania has very few sites with stratigraphy. Of those, even fewer have faunal-lithic associations and most of the lithics, scarce as they are (fewer than 10 per site), are often taphonomic or doubtfully anthropogenic. In addition, there are no trustworthy or radiometric dates. Therefore, based upon the evidence so far, the existence of the Lower Paleolithic in the territory of the current Republic of Romania is doubtful.
More than the half of the raw material knapped in the open air site of Zabrani (Banat, Romenia) d... more More than the half of the raw material knapped in the open air site of Zabrani (Banat, Romenia) dated from the Last Early Glacial is represented by quartzite in spite of the presence of other raw materials. The majority of the flake-tools are in quartzite. The analysis of the reduction sequences according to the different raw materials gives information concerning the use of the quartzite (debitage, blanks, and end-products).
This paper reports on the excavation of a Late Pleistocene site at Temerești Dealu Vinii in Weste... more This paper reports on the excavation of a Late Pleistocene site at Temerești Dealu Vinii in Western Romania, one of only four sizeable lithic assemblages with similarities to the tradition known from open-air localities in this region. The site consists of a flint scatter covering an area of at least 15 square meters and is comprised of blade, bladelet and flake cores, knapping debris and retouched tools including endscrapers and burins. An interesting feature of Temerești Dealu Vinii is that it is on the same river system as the Upper Palaeolithic sites of Românești and Coșava that are about 10 km upstream. Similarities in the tools and blade technology imply that the sites may have been roughly contemporary. Here, we report on new artifacts, geochemistry, grain size, GIS analysis and geochronology that point to a Holocene reworking of the site. It also highlights the importance of rivers to humans as communication routes in the Upper Palaeolithic in the region. Zusammenfassung-Dieser Artikel berichtet von der Ausgrabung der jungpleistozänen Fundstelle Temerești Dealu Vinii im Westen Rumäniens. Die Fundstelle ist eine von insgesamt nur vier umfangreichen Sammlungen prähistorischer Steinwerkzeuge aus Freilandfundstellen in der Region, die sich ähnliche Traditionen hinsichtlich der Steingeräteherstellung teilen. Die Lokalität Temerești weist eine Fundstreuung von Silices auf, die über einen Bereich von mindestens 15 Quadratmetern reicht. Die Sammlung beinhaltet Klingen, Lamellen, Kerne, Schlagabfälle und retuschierte Werkzeuge wie Kratzer und Stichel. Bemerkenswert ist die Lage von Temerești an demselben Flusssystem wie die 10 km flussaufwärts liegenden jungpaläolithischen Fundstellen Românești und Coșava. Gemeinsamkeiten in der Werkzeug-und Klingentechnologie zeigen, dass die Fundstellen zeitgleich besiedelt waren. Unsere Analyse der Artefakte, Geochemie, Korngrößen, sowie GIS-gestützte Auswertung der Geomorphologie und die Geochro-nologie legen nahe, dass die Sedimente der Fundstelle holozän überprägt wurden. Außerdem wird gezeigt, dass Flüsse wichtige Kommunikationswege während des Jungpaläolithikums in der Region darstellten.
(Abstract) Romania has thousands of karstic caves in the Carpathian and Dobrudja regions, some of... more (Abstract) Romania has thousands of karstic caves in the Carpathian and Dobrudja regions, some of which have yielded important early prehistoric finds including human fossils and cave art. However, despite over a century of exploration and systematic archeological investigations, cave excavations have yet to produce large, well-stratified Pleistocene artifact assemblages that are known in neighboring regions. is article explores possible reasons for the low number of significant assemblages and discusses the ramifications for the Paleolithic record while making future recommendations for research.
[EN] Our paper presents newly discovered Palaeolithic site(s) near the city of Rupea (Brașov Cou... more [EN] Our paper presents newly discovered Palaeolithic site(s) near the city of Rupea (Brașov County). The lithic pieces were found in the ploughed fields. The assemblage mainly features massive flakes knapped in siliceous sandstone. Among the retouched tools, the most numerous are the sidescrapers; we also identified a Levallois core and two Levallois flakes. We suggest that the lithic inventory belongs to the Middle Palaeolithic. [RO] Articolul de față semnalează descoperirea unor piese litice atribuite Paleoliticului în zona orașului Rupea, jud. Brașov. Materialul litic a fost descoperit în solul arat. Piesele, cioplite din gresie silicioasă, sunt în general masive. Cele mai numeroase unelte sunt racloarele; au fost identificate și trei piese Levallois (un nucleu și două așchii). Considerăm că materialul litic poate fi atribuit Paleoliticului Mijlociu.
This paper presents some new results concerning the Middle Palaeolithic in Romania. Recent resear... more This paper presents some new results concerning the Middle Palaeolithic in Romania. Recent research on loess‐paleosoil sequences and tephra deposits has provided an accurate picture on the geochronology of the Pleistocene. Reliable absolute ages indicate that some Middle Palaeolithic occupations are much older than previously assumed, namely they date back to the Middle Pleistocene. Lithic industries, both coming from old and recent excavations were (re)interpreted from new perspectives, other than cultural‐historical ones. The study of fauna still leaves to be desired, as it needs to go beyond mere taxa identification. Many loci that have yielded surface collections of lithics that could belong to the Middle Palaeolithic indicate a great potential for discovering new sites in Romania. Cuvinte‐cheie: Paleolitic Mijlociu, România, geocronologie, datări radiocarbon, arheozoologie, analiză litică, fosile umane Rezumat: Acest articol prezintă câteva rezultate recente privind cercetarea Paleoliticului Mijlociu din România. Noi cercetări asupra secvențelor de loessuri și paleosoluri, precum și asupra nivelurilor de cenușă vulcanică au contribuit la crearea unei imagini mult mai exacte privind geocronologia Pleistocenului. Noi datări absolute arată că unele situri de Paleolitic Mijlociu sunt mai vechi decât fusese estimat anterior, având vârste din Pleistocenul Mijlociu. Industriile litice provenite atât din săpături vechi cât și recente au fost re/interpretate din noi puncte de vedere, diferite de perspectiva cultural‐ istorică. Studiile de arheozoologie pentru această perioadă lasă în continuare de dorit, deoarece în multe situații ele constau doar din simple identificări la nivelul speciei. Numeroasele locuri în care a fost descoperit material litic la suprafață, atribuibile Paleoliticului Mijlociu indică un mare potențial pentru descoperirea de situri noi din această perioadă.
Southeastern Europe represents a key area in investigating hominin dispersals during the Pleistoc... more Southeastern Europe represents a key area in investigating hominin dispersals during the Pleistocene. However, the understanding of these phenomena is hampered by the scarcity of data, especially for the Lower and Middle Pleistocene. The discoveries from Romania assigned to these periods (either credited as in situ or from disturbed contexts) are rather doubtful. After reviewing the state of the art, our paper presents the site of Dealul Guran, discovered in 2010 during a systematic survey carried out in the province of Dobrogea, southeastern Romania. The site is a collapsed rockshelter located on a limestone hill, very rich in flint nod-ules. Three archaeological layers were identified, and absolute ages indicate that the two oldest archaeological units correspond to an OIS 11 occupation of the site. The assemblages consist mostly of cortical flakes and there are many tested blocks from these units, likely reflecting flint quarrying activities.
In this paper I focus on the potential of Palaeolithic sites excavated before the establishment o... more In this paper I focus on the potential of Palaeolithic sites excavated before the establishment of modern methods, aiming to provide reliable information on current debates. Specifically, I will address the reliability of the information coming from such hominin fossil sites to provide data on the first appearance of hominin burials. In three cases (Vogelherd, Balla, and Velika Pećina), hominin fossils previously regarded as Palaeolithic in age, were proven to be much younger after being directly dated. Regardless of the nature of post‐depositional processes which might have affected the integrity and position of the fossils, these cases highlight that sites excavated prior to 1960s–1970s have limited potential in contributing data to the debate on Palaeolithic burials. Subsequently, I present a brief overview of the Middle Palaeolithic sites involved in the debate on the Middle Palaeolithic burials; many of them provide equivocal data on the presence of pits, and very few have hominin fossils directly dated. Therefore, I conclude that the evidence available from earlier excavated sites provides insufficient data to support the existence of Middle Palaeolithic burials.
More than the half of the raw material knapped in the open air site of Zabrani (Banat, Romania) d... more More than the half of the raw material knapped in the open air site of Zabrani (Banat, Romania) dated from the Last Early Glacial is represented by quartzite in spite of the presence of other raw materials. The majority of the flake-tools are in quartzite. The analysis of the reduction sequences according to the different raw materials gives information concerning the use of the quartzite (debitage, blanks, and end-products)
U ndoubtedly, the early hominin presence in Europe represents a topic debated among archaeologist... more U ndoubtedly, the early hominin presence in Europe represents a topic debated among archaeologists all over the world. Different scenarios have been promoted, as the available data has been interpreted in many ways. However, most of the approaches focus on lithic tool analysis, paleoenvironment, and site taphonomy. That is why a book that addresses this topic from a new perspective, i.e., non-lithic hominin behavior, is very appealing.
Stratified, well preserved sites preserving unambiguous geological and archeological data from wh... more Stratified, well preserved sites preserving unambiguous geological and archeological data from which human-environmental interactions can be reconstructed, are rare. More commonly we must test our hypotheses based on extrapolation of the few available sites, particularly in regions with high sedimentation rates. Here we test the idea of aggregating "off-sites"-human traces which provide isolated evidence of activity in an area-to maximize the information which can meaningfully be extracted from Paleolithic open-air contexts. We present two case studies from the sediment-rich loess steppe of southeast Romania, Lipniţa and Dealul Peş terica. Both off-sites preserve low density, undiagnostic lithic assemblages which may otherwise be overlooked in favor of more impressive sites. We constrain the timing of occupation at these two localities to c. 61 and 34-41 ka at Lipniţa and Dealul Peş terica, and show that people were present near a river bank and on loess slopes respectively. Aggregation of data from the region suggests repeated visitation of riverine landscapes; additionally people likely ranged across landforms, particularly where raw material for making stone tools was plentiful. Our case studies demonstrate that empirical, incremental findings may still be generated from sites traditionally thought to be of little value. We argue that this approach is highly applicable to investigating the human implications for landscape context from archeological traces in sediment-rich, open-air situations.
The Danube has long been considered a "highway" for the prehistoric hominin colonization of Europ... more The Danube has long been considered a "highway" for the prehistoric hominin colonization of Europe. However, its role in the two most significant episodes of colonization e the first peopling of Europe in the LowereMiddle Pleistocene, and Late Pleistocene colonization by anatomically modern humans e is presently a matter of hypothesis based on the locations of only a few key archaeological sites. Much of Eastern Europe has a particularly low density of known sites, in part due to the thick loess deposits blanketing the region which provide a challenging environment for archaeological survey. Our project, the Lower Danube Survey (LoDanS), aims to discover new Paleolithic sites and to reassess previously identified sites in the southeastern Romanian loess steppe between the Danube River and the Black Sea. Here we present the preliminary results of our first three seasons (2010e2012) of geoarchaeological survey and excavation in the lower Danube basin. We revisit and reexamine the lithostratigraphic and lithic data available from previously known sites in the region. We also provide new luminescence ages from one of these sites, Cuza Vod a, and confirm its previously proposed Middle Paleolithic antiquity. We describe three newly discovered stratified Paleolithic sites, which together with existing sites confirm occupation of the Romanian loess steppe during the Lower, Middle and Paleolithic. Additional preliminary work at a nearby geological loess profile provides valuable paleoenvironmental context for hominin occupation of the region throughout the Pleistocene. Our investigations elucidate strategies and prospects for new site discoveries in open loess steppe landscapes such as those of Eastern Europe.
SCRIPTA PRAEHISTORICA. MISCELLANEA IN HONOREM MARIAE BITIRI DICATA, MCA, SUPPLEMENTUN I, 2021
Rescue excavations carried out on the Bușag Hill in 2019 (the Palaeolithic site had been identifi... more Rescue excavations carried out on the Bușag Hill in 2019 (the Palaeolithic site had been identified and excavated by Maria Bitiri in the 1960s and 1970s) allowed for new stratigraphic observations required by a future re-evaluation of the chronology. While we still await for the OSL results on the samples collected from trench II and the microscopic analysis of raw materials, the present paper presents preliminary observations on the lithic material from the Aurignacian workshop uncovered in soundings V and VI, level D: a homogenous assemblage; two operational chains oriented towards blade production, predominant blade production; possible presence of flake production; predominant hard percussion, careful debitage, a certain massiveness of the lithic assemblage; raw materials brought to the site in their natural form or with little modification.
This paper presents the results of the petroarchaeological analysis of lithic raw materials from ... more This paper presents the results of the petroarchaeological analysis of lithic raw materials from the Upper Palaeolithic site of Românești-Dumbrăvița I. The recent archaeological investigations included field surveys for possible raw material supply sources near the site and petrographic analyses of archaeological and geological samples. The field surveys covered a NW-SE orientated strip between Temerești-Românești-Tomești-Poieni villages, focusing on the source of the so-called “Banat flint” near Poieni village. The resulted data showed that the “Banat flint” and other cherts identified in the area are derived from at least three faults in the Neoproterozoic-Palaeozoic metamorphic suite of the NW Poiana Ruscă Mountains. These cherts are the product of the post-deformational silicification of metacarbonate rocks involved in the faulting processes. They are abundant and have a widespread occurrence in the landscape, as inferred from the frequency and distribution of the find spots. The petrographic analysis of the archaeological materials showed that the predominant raw materials used at Românești-Dumbrăvița I are the shear zone related cherts (including the “Banat flint”). Beside these, other raw material categories were identified: quartzite and vein quartz, other siliceous rocks, obsidian, diagenetic cherts and siliceous mudstones/marlstones. Except for the obsidian, all the other categories suggest a narrow area of raw material procurement territories (< 60 km) for both assemblages from Românești-Dumbrăvița I, with the bulk of them supplied from local sources (< 10 km).
In the last few decades, our understanding of the Lower Paleolithic has expanded, due to multiple... more In the last few decades, our understanding of the Lower Paleolithic has expanded, due to multiple advances in research methods and the numerous sites recently discovered. As a consequence, there have been many changes in the interpretation of Lower Paleolithic technocomplexes, in terms of lithic industry characteristics, geographical spread, and chronological framing. This article presents a synthesis of the research carried out on the Lower Paleolithic in Romania in the 20th century. Several problems are discussed-the concept of Osteodontokeratic industries, which was used in the 1960s, still is has not been completely abandoned; terminology is very equivocal and there is no explicit delimitation between various stages of the Lower Paleolithic; tools found in disturbed context are used as cultural markers, which is not recommended for the Lower Paleolithic. Romania has very few sites with stratigraphy. Of those, even fewer have faunal-lithic associations and most of the lithics, scarce as they are (fewer than 10 per site), are often taphonomic or doubtfully anthropogenic. In addition, there are no trustworthy or radiometric dates. Therefore, based upon the evidence so far, the existence of the Lower Paleolithic in the territory of the current Republic of Romania is doubtful.
More than the half of the raw material knapped in the open air site of Zabrani (Banat, Romenia) d... more More than the half of the raw material knapped in the open air site of Zabrani (Banat, Romenia) dated from the Last Early Glacial is represented by quartzite in spite of the presence of other raw materials. The majority of the flake-tools are in quartzite. The analysis of the reduction sequences according to the different raw materials gives information concerning the use of the quartzite (debitage, blanks, and end-products).
This paper reports on the excavation of a Late Pleistocene site at Temerești Dealu Vinii in Weste... more This paper reports on the excavation of a Late Pleistocene site at Temerești Dealu Vinii in Western Romania, one of only four sizeable lithic assemblages with similarities to the tradition known from open-air localities in this region. The site consists of a flint scatter covering an area of at least 15 square meters and is comprised of blade, bladelet and flake cores, knapping debris and retouched tools including endscrapers and burins. An interesting feature of Temerești Dealu Vinii is that it is on the same river system as the Upper Palaeolithic sites of Românești and Coșava that are about 10 km upstream. Similarities in the tools and blade technology imply that the sites may have been roughly contemporary. Here, we report on new artifacts, geochemistry, grain size, GIS analysis and geochronology that point to a Holocene reworking of the site. It also highlights the importance of rivers to humans as communication routes in the Upper Palaeolithic in the region. Zusammenfassung-Dieser Artikel berichtet von der Ausgrabung der jungpleistozänen Fundstelle Temerești Dealu Vinii im Westen Rumäniens. Die Fundstelle ist eine von insgesamt nur vier umfangreichen Sammlungen prähistorischer Steinwerkzeuge aus Freilandfundstellen in der Region, die sich ähnliche Traditionen hinsichtlich der Steingeräteherstellung teilen. Die Lokalität Temerești weist eine Fundstreuung von Silices auf, die über einen Bereich von mindestens 15 Quadratmetern reicht. Die Sammlung beinhaltet Klingen, Lamellen, Kerne, Schlagabfälle und retuschierte Werkzeuge wie Kratzer und Stichel. Bemerkenswert ist die Lage von Temerești an demselben Flusssystem wie die 10 km flussaufwärts liegenden jungpaläolithischen Fundstellen Românești und Coșava. Gemeinsamkeiten in der Werkzeug-und Klingentechnologie zeigen, dass die Fundstellen zeitgleich besiedelt waren. Unsere Analyse der Artefakte, Geochemie, Korngrößen, sowie GIS-gestützte Auswertung der Geomorphologie und die Geochro-nologie legen nahe, dass die Sedimente der Fundstelle holozän überprägt wurden. Außerdem wird gezeigt, dass Flüsse wichtige Kommunikationswege während des Jungpaläolithikums in der Region darstellten.
(Abstract) Romania has thousands of karstic caves in the Carpathian and Dobrudja regions, some of... more (Abstract) Romania has thousands of karstic caves in the Carpathian and Dobrudja regions, some of which have yielded important early prehistoric finds including human fossils and cave art. However, despite over a century of exploration and systematic archeological investigations, cave excavations have yet to produce large, well-stratified Pleistocene artifact assemblages that are known in neighboring regions. is article explores possible reasons for the low number of significant assemblages and discusses the ramifications for the Paleolithic record while making future recommendations for research.
[EN] Our paper presents newly discovered Palaeolithic site(s) near the city of Rupea (Brașov Cou... more [EN] Our paper presents newly discovered Palaeolithic site(s) near the city of Rupea (Brașov County). The lithic pieces were found in the ploughed fields. The assemblage mainly features massive flakes knapped in siliceous sandstone. Among the retouched tools, the most numerous are the sidescrapers; we also identified a Levallois core and two Levallois flakes. We suggest that the lithic inventory belongs to the Middle Palaeolithic. [RO] Articolul de față semnalează descoperirea unor piese litice atribuite Paleoliticului în zona orașului Rupea, jud. Brașov. Materialul litic a fost descoperit în solul arat. Piesele, cioplite din gresie silicioasă, sunt în general masive. Cele mai numeroase unelte sunt racloarele; au fost identificate și trei piese Levallois (un nucleu și două așchii). Considerăm că materialul litic poate fi atribuit Paleoliticului Mijlociu.
This paper presents some new results concerning the Middle Palaeolithic in Romania. Recent resear... more This paper presents some new results concerning the Middle Palaeolithic in Romania. Recent research on loess‐paleosoil sequences and tephra deposits has provided an accurate picture on the geochronology of the Pleistocene. Reliable absolute ages indicate that some Middle Palaeolithic occupations are much older than previously assumed, namely they date back to the Middle Pleistocene. Lithic industries, both coming from old and recent excavations were (re)interpreted from new perspectives, other than cultural‐historical ones. The study of fauna still leaves to be desired, as it needs to go beyond mere taxa identification. Many loci that have yielded surface collections of lithics that could belong to the Middle Palaeolithic indicate a great potential for discovering new sites in Romania. Cuvinte‐cheie: Paleolitic Mijlociu, România, geocronologie, datări radiocarbon, arheozoologie, analiză litică, fosile umane Rezumat: Acest articol prezintă câteva rezultate recente privind cercetarea Paleoliticului Mijlociu din România. Noi cercetări asupra secvențelor de loessuri și paleosoluri, precum și asupra nivelurilor de cenușă vulcanică au contribuit la crearea unei imagini mult mai exacte privind geocronologia Pleistocenului. Noi datări absolute arată că unele situri de Paleolitic Mijlociu sunt mai vechi decât fusese estimat anterior, având vârste din Pleistocenul Mijlociu. Industriile litice provenite atât din săpături vechi cât și recente au fost re/interpretate din noi puncte de vedere, diferite de perspectiva cultural‐ istorică. Studiile de arheozoologie pentru această perioadă lasă în continuare de dorit, deoarece în multe situații ele constau doar din simple identificări la nivelul speciei. Numeroasele locuri în care a fost descoperit material litic la suprafață, atribuibile Paleoliticului Mijlociu indică un mare potențial pentru descoperirea de situri noi din această perioadă.
Southeastern Europe represents a key area in investigating hominin dispersals during the Pleistoc... more Southeastern Europe represents a key area in investigating hominin dispersals during the Pleistocene. However, the understanding of these phenomena is hampered by the scarcity of data, especially for the Lower and Middle Pleistocene. The discoveries from Romania assigned to these periods (either credited as in situ or from disturbed contexts) are rather doubtful. After reviewing the state of the art, our paper presents the site of Dealul Guran, discovered in 2010 during a systematic survey carried out in the province of Dobrogea, southeastern Romania. The site is a collapsed rockshelter located on a limestone hill, very rich in flint nod-ules. Three archaeological layers were identified, and absolute ages indicate that the two oldest archaeological units correspond to an OIS 11 occupation of the site. The assemblages consist mostly of cortical flakes and there are many tested blocks from these units, likely reflecting flint quarrying activities.
In this paper I focus on the potential of Palaeolithic sites excavated before the establishment o... more In this paper I focus on the potential of Palaeolithic sites excavated before the establishment of modern methods, aiming to provide reliable information on current debates. Specifically, I will address the reliability of the information coming from such hominin fossil sites to provide data on the first appearance of hominin burials. In three cases (Vogelherd, Balla, and Velika Pećina), hominin fossils previously regarded as Palaeolithic in age, were proven to be much younger after being directly dated. Regardless of the nature of post‐depositional processes which might have affected the integrity and position of the fossils, these cases highlight that sites excavated prior to 1960s–1970s have limited potential in contributing data to the debate on Palaeolithic burials. Subsequently, I present a brief overview of the Middle Palaeolithic sites involved in the debate on the Middle Palaeolithic burials; many of them provide equivocal data on the presence of pits, and very few have hominin fossils directly dated. Therefore, I conclude that the evidence available from earlier excavated sites provides insufficient data to support the existence of Middle Palaeolithic burials.
More than the half of the raw material knapped in the open air site of Zabrani (Banat, Romania) d... more More than the half of the raw material knapped in the open air site of Zabrani (Banat, Romania) dated from the Last Early Glacial is represented by quartzite in spite of the presence of other raw materials. The majority of the flake-tools are in quartzite. The analysis of the reduction sequences according to the different raw materials gives information concerning the use of the quartzite (debitage, blanks, and end-products)
U ndoubtedly, the early hominin presence in Europe represents a topic debated among archaeologist... more U ndoubtedly, the early hominin presence in Europe represents a topic debated among archaeologists all over the world. Different scenarios have been promoted, as the available data has been interpreted in many ways. However, most of the approaches focus on lithic tool analysis, paleoenvironment, and site taphonomy. That is why a book that addresses this topic from a new perspective, i.e., non-lithic hominin behavior, is very appealing.
U ndoubtedly, the early hominin presence in Europe represents a topic debated among archaeologist... more U ndoubtedly, the early hominin presence in Europe represents a topic debated among archaeologists all over the world. Different scenarios have been promoted, as the available data has been interpreted in many ways. However, most of the approaches focus on lithic tool analysis, paleoenvironment, and site taphonomy. That is why a book that addresses this topic from a new perspective, i.e., non-lithic hominin behavior, is very appealing.
Paleonutritionthe study of prehistoric human diet and its significance in relation to health and ... more Paleonutritionthe study of prehistoric human diet and its significance in relation to health and nutritionis a field of research that has always been linked to archaeology. Similar to archaeology, it has evolved considerably with time, from diet reconstruction by identification of faunal taxa to phytolith analysis and biomolecular archaeology.
U ndoubtedly, the early hominin presence in Europe represents a topic debated among archaeologist... more U ndoubtedly, the early hominin presence in Europe represents a topic debated among archaeologists all over the world. Different scenarios have been promoted, as the available data has been interpreted in many ways. However, most of the approaches focus on lithic tool analysis, paleoenvironment, and site taphonomy. That is why a book that addresses this topic from a new perspective, i.e., non-lithic hominin behavior, is very appealing.
Paleonutritionthe study of prehistoric human diet and its significance in relation to health and ... more Paleonutritionthe study of prehistoric human diet and its significance in relation to health and nutritionis a field of research that has always been linked to archaeology. Similar to archaeology, it has evolved considerably with time, from diet reconstruction by identification of faunal taxa to phytolith analysis and biomolecular archaeology.
Uploads
Books by Adrian Dobos
Papers by Adrian Dobos
[RO] Articolul de față semnalează descoperirea unor piese litice atribuite Paleoliticului în zona orașului Rupea, jud. Brașov. Materialul litic a fost
descoperit în solul arat. Piesele, cioplite din gresie silicioasă, sunt în general masive. Cele mai numeroase unelte sunt racloarele; au fost identificate și trei piese Levallois (un nucleu și două așchii). Considerăm că materialul litic poate fi atribuit Paleoliticului Mijlociu.
[RO] Articolul de față semnalează descoperirea unor piese litice atribuite Paleoliticului în zona orașului Rupea, jud. Brașov. Materialul litic a fost
descoperit în solul arat. Piesele, cioplite din gresie silicioasă, sunt în general masive. Cele mai numeroase unelte sunt racloarele; au fost identificate și trei piese Levallois (un nucleu și două așchii). Considerăm că materialul litic poate fi atribuit Paleoliticului Mijlociu.