Abstract: We present genome-wide data from 40 individuals dating to c.16,900 to 550 years ago in northeast Asia. We describe hitherto unknown gene flow and admixture events in the region, revealing a complex population history. While populations east of Lake Baikal remained relatively stable from the Mesolithic to the Bronze Age, those from Yakutia and west of Lake Baikal witnessed major population transformations, from the Late Upper Paleolithic to the Neolithic, and during the Bronze Age, respectively. We further locate the Asian ancestors of Paleo-Inuits, using direct genetic evidence. Last, we report the most northeastern ancient occurrence of the plague-related bacterium, Yersinia pestis Our findings indicate the highly connected and dynamic nature of northeast Asia populations throughout the Holocene.

Abstract: In the Western Mediterranean, the Neolithic mainly developed and expanded during the sixth millennium BCE. In these early phases, it generally spread through the displacement of human groups, sometimes over long distances, as shown, for example, by the Impressa sites documented on the northern shores. These groups then settled new territories which they gradually appropriated and exploited. The question of their potential interaction with groups of Late Mesolithic hunter-gatherers living in the area prior to their arrival is therefore crucial. Were their encounters based on conflict and resistance or, on the contrary, on exchange and reciprocity? Many hypotheses have been put forward on this matter and many papers written. Before we can consider these potential interactions however, we must first ascertain that these different human groups really did meet—an implicit assumption in all these studies, which is, in reality, much less certain than one might think. The population density of the Late Mesolithic groups varied greatly throughout the Mediterranean, and it is possible that some areas were relatively devoid of human presence. Before any Neolithization scenarios can be considered, we must therefore first determine exactly which human groups were present in a given territory at a given time. The precise mapping of sites and the chronological modeling of their occupation enriches our understanding of the Neolithization process by allowing high-resolution regional models to be developed, which alone can determine the timing of potential interactions between Mesolithic and Neolithic groups. Various international research programs have recently produced several hundred new radiocarbon dates, based on selected samples from controlled contexts. The geochronological modelling of these data at the scale of the Western Mediterranean shows contrasting situations, probably related to different social and environmental processes. These results suggest that we should consider a varied range of Neolithization mechanisms, rather than uniform or even binary models.

Abstract: Population genetic studies often overlook the evidence for variability and change in past material culture. Here, the authors use a Mesolithic example to demonstrate the importance of integrating archaeological evidence into the interpretation of the Scandinavian hunter-gatherer genetic group. Genetic studies conclude that this group resulted from two single-event dispersals into Scandinavia before 7500 BC. Archaeological evidence, however, shows at least six immigration events pre-dating the earliest DNA, and that the first incoming groups arrived in Scandinavia before 9000 BC. The findings underline the importance of conducting careful archaeological analysis of prehistoric human dispersal in tandem with the study of ancient population genomics.

Abstract: This paper reviews the evidence for long term trends in anthropogenic activity and population dynamics across the Holocene in the central Mediterranean and the chronology of cultural events. The evidence for this has been constituted in a database of 4608 radiocarbon dates (of which 4515 were retained for analysis following initial screening) from 1195 archaeological sites in southern France, Italy and Malta, spanning the Mesolithic to Early Iron Age periods, c. 8000 to 500 BC. We provide an overview of the settlement record for central Mediterranean prehistory and add to this an assessment of the available archaeological radiocarbon evidence in order to review the traditional narratives on the prehistory of the region. This new chronology has enabled us to identify the most significant points in time where activity levels, population dynamics and cultural change have together caused strong temporal patterning in the archaeological record. Some of these episodes were localized to one region, whereas others were part of pan-regional trends and cultural trajectories that took many centuries to play out fully, revealing prehistoric societies subject to collapse, recovery, and continuing instability over the long-term. Using the radiocarbon evidence, we model growth rates in the various regions so that the tempo of change at certain points in space and time can be identified, compared, and discussed in the context of demographic change. Using other published databases of radiocarbon data, we have drawn comparisons across the central Mediterranean to wider prehistoric Europe, and northern Africa. Finally, we include a brief response to the synchronously published but independently developed paper (Palmisano et al. in J World Prehist 34(3), 2021). While there are differences in our respective approaches, we share the general conclusions that large-scale trends can been identified through meta-analyses of the archaeological record, and these offer new perspectives on how society functioned.

Abstract: The geographical and altitudinal distribution of the data from 68 palynological sites has allowed the synthesis of a relationship between the microscopic charcoal curves and people over time. Most of the selected sites were of archaeological interest. Quantitative methods, qualitative methods and topics about the relation between fire, charcoal, nature and people in a forested landscape were used. Palynological sites are better suited to revealing fire management activities in the Mesolithic than archaeological sites because intentional burning of vegetation was carried out in areas related to lakes and mires. Climate is ruled out as the cause of the charcoal occurrence because there are no correlations between inferred regional climatic changes and the charcoal. This suggests that an anthropogenic explanation for the charcoal occurrence is the most plausible.There are many indications that hunter-gatherers in the Mesolithic used fire management and that fire was an important part of cultural practice associated with settlement, population density and resource needs. Fire management was a common and regular work task integrated with other activities. The traditional lifestyle of foragers may have included customary controlled burning practices as a part of manipulating the ecological succession and the modification of vegetation communities. Burning may have been central to hunting and gathering practices and the key to many social and cultural activities. The timing of burns may have been related to weather conditions, time of year and annual cultural events.The different pattern of temporal changes in charcoal abundance suggests that no widespread burning (i.e. on a regional or landscape-scale) had taken place. The anthropogenic burning was different from natural fires. The fires set by people were smaller and less intense. Selected areas of vegetation were burnt on a recurrent basis. They were predictable, almost immediately productive, creating mosaics in a complex pattern of vegetation of burnt and unburnt patches. Because they reduced available fuel, they provided protection against the disruptions of natural fires. The occurrence of natural fires is irregular, often with long intervals in between; they are uncontrolled, unpredictable, destructive to the vegetation and potentially dangerous for people. In order for the recorded charcoal occurrences to be considered the result of natural fires, sites close to each other should have had similar charcoal occurrences, but this is not the case. An often low and continuous charcoal presence in a more or less dense forest in the Mesolithic indicates a continuous production of charcoal, which is better interpreted as people’s use of fire than continuous natural fires. The data confirm that anthropogenic fires were much more frequent than natural fires in the Mesolithic. Foragers did not simply adjust to their environment, but had an active, dynamic relationship with nature, using intentional burning both to modify and to maintain the environment. Intentional burning of vegetation during the Mesolithic is suggested to have been enacted by foragers who controlled fire for many purposes and widened its application to preserve their basis of existence, for instance to improve the outcome of hunting and for communication. Two periods with a high frequency of maximum values of charcoal in the pollen diagrams are recorded in the early (9800–6000 cal yr BP) and the late part of the Holocene (younger than 2400 cal yr BP), respectively, and not at the transition to the Neolithic. This shows that early farmers did not produce as much charcoal—measured in maxima—as the huntergatherers did before the transition to the Neolithic, and confirms foragers’ intentional burning as part of Mesolithic land-use in South Norway. The first occurrences and high frequency of maximum values of charcoal pre-date the transition to the Neolithic and thus it can be ruled out that they were correlated with agrarian cultures in South Norway. It is possible that the selective burning carried out by foragers in vegetation paved the way for pioneer farmers to convert land for agricultural purposes. In that sense, the neolithisation was not very revolutionary, as the knowledge of using fire to manipulate and open the forest had a long pre-agrarian history. As the path of the charcoal curve following the transition to the Neolithic is often interpreted as the result of forest clearance by farmers, a fire-related woodland change interpretation for the Mesolithic might also be used. After the transition to the Neolithic, the density of the forest in many areas decreased and allowed more charcoal deposition. The density of the forest affected the charcoal curve resulting in low values before the transition to theNeolithic compared to the values after the transition. This is a strong indication that the charcoal curve during the Mesolithic mainly originated as an effect of human activities. That the density of the forest in the Mesolithic changed more than the traditionally accepted view is probably the result of intentional fire management.

Abstract: A new series of 19 radiocarbon dates provides new insights on the human settlement activity in central Ukraine. The paper presents data from the Early Holocene until the establishment of Trypillian mega-sites in the late Vth mill. BC. Our new dates from a long sequence of the site of Melnychna Krucha refine the chronology of the Middle and Late Mesolithic and local ceramic-bearing “Buh-Dniester” culture. Additional dates were obtained on bones from Linear Pottery culture sites and Trypillian sites of stages A3 and B1.

Abstract: Abstract The subsistence practices of Holocene communities living in the Nile Valley of Central Sudan are comparatively little known. Recent excavations at Khor Shambat, Sudan, have yielded well-defined Mesolithic and Neolithic stratigraphy. Here, for the first time, archaeozoological, palaeobotanical, phytolith and dental calculus studies are combined with lipid residue analysis of around 100 pottery fragments and comparative analysis of faunal remains and organic residues. This holistic approach provides valuable information on changes in adaptation strategies, from Mesolithic hunter-gatherers to Neolithic herders exploiting domesticates. A unique picture is revealed of the natural environment and human subsistence, demonstrating the potential wider value of combining multiple methods.

Abstract: This paper presents the results of archaeobotanical studies carried out on the Late Mesolithic layer at Melnychna-Krucha (6460-6100 cal BC) and the Linearbandkeramik (LBK) site of Kamyane-Zavallia (5295-4960 cal BC), close to the Southern Bug River. Despite the relatively modest dataset presented in this paper, these preliminary results provide new data for a region where the environmental setting and the uses of plant resources during the Early Atlantic period are poorly understood. The main taxa used for firewood are quite similar at Melnychna-Krucha and Kamyane-Zavallia, although they were occupied 1000 years apart. Fraxinus (ash) and Quercus (oak) dominate both charcoal assemblages. These taxa, as well as Ulmus (elm), could have grown together in the alluvial deciduous forest, probably on the Southern Bug riverbank, close to both sites. Carpinus (hornbean) was present but probably still not abundant around Kamyane-Zavallia at the end of the 6 th millennium. Macroremains and phytolith demonstrate that the plant production economy (cultivation, cereal processing) was well developed and very similar to other European LBK sites. At Melnychna-Krucha, plant macro-and microremains did not indicate a productive subsistence.

Abstract: For most of human history, funerary burial has been unusual. Archaeology shows a shift in funerary practices in postglacial hunter-gatherers, in parts of Europe during the Late Mesolithic. This is documented by the burial grounds in the Tagus and Sado valleys in the southwestern Iberian Peninsula, Portugal, where ca. 376 burials were excavated. This study presents a chronology for the burial activity in these sites and contextualizes the start and end activity phases within regional environmental changes and cultural developments. The dataset consists of 76 14C dates on human bone (19 new, 57 published) including new dates from contexts in Portugal outside these valleys. Bayesian chronological models were defined in OxCal, and protein carbon contributions of marine foods were estimated by the Bayesian mixing model FRUITS. The results indicate a broader timeframe for the Late Mesolithic in Portugal, than previously suggested, starting during a period of significant environmental changes, ca. 8500–8300 cal BP, and ending ca. 7000 cal BP. The burial activity decreased during the establishment of Neolithic farmers in southwestern Iberia from ca. 7450 cal BP, however, these burial grounds continued to be used by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, showing that diverse social structures and worldviews coexisted for several generations.

Abstract: The article presents some results of a joint interdisciplinary research project, The Stora Förvar Cave and Gotlands peopling, faunal history and subsistence economyldiet development from the Boreal to the Subatlantic, initiated by Christian Lindqvist in 1991. Its objectives include investigations of a number of crucial issues in a long-term perspective, such as the initial settlement, the early faunal history, the early subsistence economy and diet, but also the character of the Mesolithic-Neolithic shift on Gotland, by means of human and zooosteological, carbon isotope and ancient DNA analyses. The article presents and discusses artefact, osteological, and "C and "C data and interpretations concerning the duration and character of the Mesolithic occupation —temporary kill/butchering site, seasonal hunting station, semi-sedentary base camp or burial cave —as well as osteobiographical data on the identified human individuals and their burial customs.

Abstract: 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 Nea...

Abstract: This paper presents the results of work undertaken on the multi-period site of Burry Holms, Gower, South Wales by Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales. Burry Holms is a small tidal island that possesses a rich prehistoric and historical heritage. In 1998 the opportunity arose to excavate its important Mesolithic remains. The work generated rich new lithic and palaeoenvironmental data and a series of OSL and radiocarbon dates. A surprising discovery during the excavation was an Iron Age roundhouse and other later prehistoric features. This later evidence is incorporated with the detailed consideration of the Mesolithic exploitation of the island.

Abstract: The open-air site Feuersteinacker near Stumpertenrod has yielded one of the largest lithic assemblages in Central Germany. It repeatedly served as a workshop for the production of stone tools during an early phase of the Mesolithic. The range of lithic raw materials is extremely diverse, but until today, there is only a limited number of archaeological studies on the occurrence of lithic resources in the area. The following study presents the first in-depth investigation of the use of different rock types by Mesolithic hunter-fisher-gatherers at the site. Provenance analyses using petrographic methods permit raw materials to be assigned to a specific source and provide new insights into their formation. Furthermore, this study explores the way in which the materials were processed throughout the reduction sequence. A comparison of topographic parameters suggests that the location was situated on an important transit route during prehistoric times. The presented results contribute to a better understanding of mobility patterns and subsistence strategies of Early Mesolithic groups in Central Germany.

Abstract: The aim of the thesis is to cast light on the earliest settlement of northern Sweden The starting point is lithic artifacts, which have been studied from a technological as well as a more conventional typological perspective (Papers I, II, and IV) Paper III deals primarily with geological and palaeoecological methods and my contribution is mainly confined to the lithic artifacts The main research objectives are concerned with early postglacial colonization and cultural affiliation mirrored through technological traditions Another “main thread” is a source-critical discussion regarding dating problems, and the chronological integrity of find contexts The chronological position of artifact types in the North Swedish Mesolithic is another related problem being discussedThe geographical area under investigation comprises northern Sweden sensu largo: Norrland plus the provinces of Varmland and Dalarna The time period studied is the Mesolithic, with an emphasis on the earliest part, ca 8500–7500 BPPaper I discusses the Mesolithic in the province of Varmland There are traits indicating both an affiliation with the Lihult/Nostvet sphere (for example, Lihult axes and saws/knives of sandstone) as well as other features more common in an eastern/northern context (quartz use, bipolar reduction, and, at least for the final Mesolithic and Neolithic, slate artifacts)Paper II aims at elucidating microblade technology in northern Sweden as regards chronological position and cultural context It was found that microblade production from handle cores (also called wedge-shaped cores) was introduced at about the same time in northern Sweden as in other areas of Scandinavia where these artifacts occur, ca 8000–7500 BP The handle core tradition continued until ca 5500/5000 BPPaper III deals with lake-tilting caused by non-uniform glacio-isostatic uplift This phenomenon has been used to identify potential areas of Mesolithic occupation in the Arjeplog area, Lapland Surveys and excavations within the research project "Man, Fire, and Landscape", have significantly increased the number of Mesolithic sites in the area The investigations have resulted in the discovery of the oldest firmly dated archaeological site in northern Sweden, Dumpokjauratj, in Arjeplog parish, Lapland, with a maximum date of 8630 ± 85 BPPaper IV discusses the pioneering phase of occupation in northern Sweden, in the light of the above-mentioned site of Dumpokjauratj and a site at Garaselet in northern Vasterbotten These are further compared with contemporary sites in surrounding areas of Fennoscandia The majority of the assemblages are dominated by platform reduction, even if bipolar reduction also occurs at the earliest sites Slate artifacts found at Dumpokjauratj suggest connections with the Finnish Mesolithic, which is the only cultural context in our region with documented slate use at this early point in time But there are also traits that do not specifically point towards Finland, eg frequent use of fine-grained flint-like materials and porphyry, and (at Dumpokjauratj) a lanceolate microlith made of a microblade of this fine-grained igneous rock The latter suggests associations with the Scandinavian Mesolithic in generalIn any event, the early dates from Dumpokjauratj show that interior Lapland was occupied soon after deglaciation, probably within a few hundred years

Abstract: Archaeological research at ancient Lake Duvensee began almost 100 years ago and has recently revealed another early Holocene site, Duvensee WP 10, which was excavated from 2016 to 2020. Here, we wi...

Abstract: Palaeogenetic research has recently questioned the notion that the transition to agriculture in southern Scandinavia was initiated by local groups of hunter-gatherers who adopted the new economy at the onset of the Neolithic. Instead, the transition is claimed to have been brought about by farmers who migrated to the region from the continent. In this paper we examine whether the idea of a migration can be upheld when set against archaeological source materials from Östergötland in southern Sweden. Our findings indicate that the notion of a local adoption is supported by the archaeological sources from the area. We also claim that available palaeogenetic sources do not contradict the interpretation that local groups of hunter-gatherers initiated the transition to agriculture.

Abstract: Forager focus on wild cereal plants has been documented in the core zone of domestication in southwestern Asia, while evidence for forager use of wild grass grains remains sporadic elsewhere. In this paper, we present starch grain and phytolith analyses of dental calculus from 61 Mesolithic and Early Neolithic individuals from five sites in the Danube Gorges of the central Balkans. This zone was inhabited by likely complex Holocene foragers for several millennia before the appearance of the first farmers ~6200 cal BC. We also analyzed forager ground stone tools for evidence of plant processing. Our results based on the study of dental calculus show that certain species of Poaceae (species of the genus Aegilops) were used since the Early Mesolithic, while ground stone tools exhibit traces of a developed grass grain processing technology. The adoption of domesticated plants in this region after ~6500 cal BC might have been eased by the existing familiarity with wild cereals.

Abstract: The paper studies the construction of residential buildings in the Stone Age of the Mari Volga Region. We have analyzed buildings on the settlements of the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic periods of the Mari Volga Region. The main principles of house building of the Mesolithic era of the Mari Volga Region are highlighted. In view of the fact that the complexes under consideration are located in the same landscape zone, a number of indicators may be similar. However, there will be differences on several points of comparison that may lead to discussions. For example, such an indicator as the prevalence of finds in the inter-dwelling space or their absence. In total, 38 structures of the Mesolithic and 35 structures of the Early Neolithic era were analyzed. To summarize, seven indicators of housing construction were selected. It is characteristic that in the Mari Volga Region most of the Neolithic sites are multilayered, however, none of the Mesolithic sites in the region has yet been found to contain early Neolithic ceramics. You can trace the difference in buildings more clearly. The presence of ground structures on the Neolithic settlements is obvious, while the local Mesolithic ones are ubiquitous semi-dugouts. Having a topographic distribution of settlements and short-term sites, a planigraphy of dwellings, as well as a presence of separate industrial and residential buildings in the Early Neolithic and Late Mesolithic, we face the problem of chronological division of the Neolithization process in the forest belt.