Quaternary Science Reviews最新文献

{"title":"The South Caucasus from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Neolithic: Intersection of the genetic and archaeological data","authors":"Christine Chataigner","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109061","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109061","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The genomic characterisation of human remains and the study of archaeological assemblages are complementary keys to understanding the evolution of ancient human groups. This article proposes a dialogue between these two approaches for the South Caucasus between the Upper Palaeolithic and the Neolithic periods.</div><div>In the Upper Palaeolithic before the Last Glacial Maximum (ca. 40.-23. ka cal BP), genetic and archaeological data demonstrate the originality of the populations of the South Caucasus (<em>Caucasus_UP</em> genome) compared with their neighbours in SE Europe and SW Asia and also show the existence of links between these different regions. For the post-LGM phase (ca. 20.9–11.7 ka cal BP), archaeological data suggest a certain continuity with the previous period during the cold phase of the Oldest Dryas, followed by a marked rapprochement with the Zarzian culture in the Zagros starting with the warming of the Bølling-Allerød. Genetic analyses, which are available only for the latter phase, reveal a new genome (<em>Caucasus Hunter-Gatherer</em> or <em>CHG</em>), that is very close to that of the ancestors of the Neolithic populations of the Zagros.</div><div>For the Early Holocene (ca. 11.7–8.2 ka cal BP or 9700-6200 cal BCE), the <em>CHG</em> genome, which still characterises the populations of the South Caucasus, is difficult to distinguish in modelling from that of the Zagros <em>(Iran_N</em>). However, archaeological data suggest that the spread of the <em>Iran_N/CHG</em> gene pool from Iran to Upper Mesopotamia and Central Anatolia was due to populations from the northwest Zagros, and not to those from the South Caucasus, who had only occasional contacts with the Fertile Crescent.</div><div>At the beginning of the Middle Holocene (ca. 8.2–7.2 ka cal BP or 6200-5200 cal BCE), the appearance in the South Caucasus of animals and plants presenting a high level of domestication, as well as the introduction of new techniques (pressure knapping with a lever, pottery), are clearly due to the arrival of populations from the Fertile Crescent, as confirmed by genetic analyses. These analyses also show that there was not a replacement of local Mesolithic communities by Neolithic farmers, which the archaeological evidence confirms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"345 ","pages":"Article 109061"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142657512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quaternary and Pliocene sea-level changes at Camarones, central Patagonia, Argentina","authors":"Karla Rubio-Sandoval ,&nbsp;Deirdre D. Ryan ,&nbsp;Sebastian Richiano ,&nbsp;Luciana M. Giachetti ,&nbsp;Andrew Hollyday ,&nbsp;Jordon Bright ,&nbsp;Evan J. Gowan ,&nbsp;Marta Pappalardo ,&nbsp;Jacqueline Austermann ,&nbsp;Darrell S. Kaufman ,&nbsp;Alessio Rovere","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108999","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108999","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Geological indicators of past relative sea level changes are fundamental to reconstruct the extent of former ice sheet during past interglacials, which are considered analogs for future climate conditions. Four interglacials, dating from Holocene to Pliocene, have left sea-level imprints in the proximity of the coastal town of Camarones in Central Patagonia, Argentina. Sea-level index points were preserved as beach ridges deposited by storm waves above modern sea level. We used highly accurate survey techniques to measure the elevation of these deposits. Satellite derived wave measurements and wave runup models were then employed to calculate their indicative meaning (i.e., their elevation with respect to sea level at the time of deposition). The paleo relative sea levels (i.e., uncorrected for post-depositional vertical land motions) associated with the four interglacials (with ±1σ uncertainties) are 6 ± 1.5 m (late Holocene); 8.7 ± 2.1 m (MIS 5e); 14.5 ± 1.5 m (MIS 9 or 11); and 36.2 ± 2.7 m (Early Pliocene). Ages have been obtained using both published (U-series, Electron Spin Resonance, and Radiocarbon) and new (Amino Acid Racemization and Radiocarbon) dating constraints. We compare our results with published glacial isostatic adjustment and mantle dynamic topography predictions, and we highlight that refining these models before calculating the global mean sea level for the interglacials mentioned above is necessary. Our high-resolution sea-level index points serve as an important contribution to the record of paleo relative sea-level in the Southwestern Atlantic.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"345 ","pages":"Article 108999"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142657511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of ocean circulation and regolith removal in triggering the Mid-Pleistocene Transition: Insights from authigenic Nd isotopes","authors":"Thomas J. Williams ,&nbsp;Alexander M. Piotrowski ,&nbsp;Jacob N.W. Howe ,&nbsp;Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand ,&nbsp;Claire S. Allen ,&nbsp;Josephine A. Clegg","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109055","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109055","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Approximately 1,250,000 to 700,000 years ago, the pacing of glacial-interglacial cycles changed from 41,000 years to ∼100,000 years, a shift known as the ‘Mid-Pleistocene Transition’ (MPT). The cause – or causes – of this shift remain uncertain. However, changes in ocean circulation and removal of northern hemisphere regolith have both been proposed as potential triggers. Here, we present continuous, orbitally resolved reconstructions of deep ocean neodymium isotopes from three locations in the equatorial Atlantic, Indian and southwest Pacific oceans, spanning 1.7 million years from the Holocene to before the MPT, to test these two hypotheses. We find that global seawater neodymium isotope variability over glacial-interglacial cycles is controlled by changes in both neodymium input to the North Atlantic and deep ocean mixing. Using this neodymium isotope data, we show that enhanced northern hemisphere regolith removal began approximately 1.45 million years ago, ∼200,000 years prior to the onset of the MPT and ∼500,000 years prior to a major expansion in northern hemisphere ice sheets between ∼900,000 and 870,000 years ago. This ice sheet expansion was immediately preceded by an interval of reduced mixing of Atlantic-sourced waters into the deep southwest Pacific Ocean. We hypothesize that this circulation reorganization reflected increased stratification of the deep Southern Ocean interior, possibly in response to cooling and Antarctic sea ice expansion at this time. Taken together, these data suggest an expansion and/or thickening of northern hemisphere ice sheets during the MPT was facilitated by a combination of reduced northern hemisphere regolith cover alongside Southern Ocean circulation changes. Together, these shifts allowed the build up of larger northern hemisphere ice sheets that were more resistant to deglaciation, facilitating the longer glacial cycles of the post-MPT world.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"345 ","pages":"Article 109055"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142593062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wooden hafting technology in the early Neanderthal site of Poggetti Vecchi (Italy)","authors":"Silvia Florindi ,&nbsp;Fabio Santaniello ,&nbsp;Biancamaria Aranguren ,&nbsp;Stefano Grimaldi ,&nbsp;Cesare Melandri ,&nbsp;Daniela Puzio ,&nbsp;Anna Revedin","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The invention of hafted tools, between about 500 Ka and 250 Ka years ago, was a fundamental technological innovation that has shaped human social, cognitive, and biological capabilities. Despite the recurrent evidence of hafting observed on lithic tools, handles from this period are rare since they were probably made of perishable materials. Three exceptional wooden sticks interpreted as handles have been found in the Poggetti Vecchi site, allowing a deeper investigation of the technical capabilities of the early Neanderthals who frequented the site around 170,000 years ago. The handles and the lithic tools with hafting traces were analysed using a techno-functional approach, suggesting that they could have been attached to each other to create a specific composite hafted tool. The efficiency of the composite hafted tool was tested through a detailed experimental programme. The results highlighted, for the first time, the complex production processes used to create a composite hafted tool that could have been used to butcher the carcases of the large fauna that are well attested at the site.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"345 ","pages":"Article 109014"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142593061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reshaping a woolly rhinoceros: Discovery of a fat hump on its back","authors":"Gennady G. Boeskorov ,&nbsp;Marina V. Shchelchkova ,&nbsp;Albert V. Protopopov ,&nbsp;Nadezhda V. Kryukova ,&nbsp;Ruslan I. Belyaev","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Until now, a key question in reconstructing the appearance of the woolly rhinoceros has remained open: why did various Paleolithic artists often depict this animal with a hump on its back? Previous findings of mummies of this rhinoceros either had no hump or this area of the carcass was damaged. In this study, we describe the discovery of a subadult <em>Coelodonta antiquitatis</em> mummy (4–4.5 years old) from the permafrost of Yakutia. This is the first time that the presence of a hump in the neck and withers area has been reliably established. The hump of the studied rhinoceros measures 36 cm in length, 13 cm in height, and 14 cm in thickness, and is filled with adipose tissue. The dimensions of the subcutaneous and hump adipocytes probably indicate that the hump was filled with white fat. The presence of a fat hump in the woolly rhinoceros represents a distinctive adaptation that is not typical of the extant large mammals in the northern latitudes and likely contributed to their survival during the harsh winters of the Ice Age. This discovery shows that Paleolithic artists from Chauvet Cave made strikingly accurate depictions of the exterior of a woolly rhinoceros.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"345 ","pages":"Article 109013"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142586190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Radiocarbon dating and isotopic paleoecology of Notiomastodon platensis (Mammalia: Proboscidea) from the late Pleistocene of Minas Gerais, Brazil","authors":"Tawane Carvalho Fonte Boa Machado ,&nbsp;Dimila Mothé ,&nbsp;Douglas Riff ,&nbsp;Alexander Cherkinsky ,&nbsp;Mário André Trindade Dantas","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109060","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109060","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Proboscidea is a group of large mammals abundant in the fossil record and in Brazil it is represented by <em>Notiomastodon platensis</em> (Ameghino, 1888). To improve the understanding on its taxonomy, chronology, annual diet, and habitats paleoenvironmental aspects, we conducted a morphological description, absolute dating, and analysis of stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen (<em>δ</em>¹³C and <em>δ</em>¹⁸O) in <em>Notiomastodon</em>' remains from the northern (Norte de Minas) and western (Triângulo Mineiro) mesoregions of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The material includes isolated teeth, mandibular portions, and postcranial bones at different levels of fragmentation, associated with at least eight adults and one juvenile. The only individual from Triângulo, found in Campina Verde municipality, was dated at 27,715–27,903 Cal yr BP. It presented a mixed diet based on C₄ plants (<em>p</em>_<em>i</em>C₄ = 90 %; <em>δ</em>¹³C = 0.5 ‰), which implies the occupation of an open environment, mostly pasture. The region was relatively humid (<em>δ</em>¹⁸O = 24.7 ‰), which is supported by the existence of humidity corridors in the Amazon region. A similar phytophysiognomy was inferred for the Norte de Minas region between at least 21,966–22,279 Cal yr BP and 18,944–19,157 Cal yr BP. However, one specimen showed a different <em>δ</em>¹³C value (<em>p</em>_<em>i</em>C₃ = 0.87 %; <em>δ</em>¹³C = −10.2 ‰). This indicates it lived in a transitional environment between low-density forest and arboreal savannah. This likely occurred during a period that favored the expansion of trees and shrubs. The region underwent climate change, from relatively humid conditions (<em>δ</em>¹⁸O = 25.6 ± 0.2 ‰) to expressively dry (<em>δ</em>¹⁸O = 34.6 ‰) between the dated periods, a change corroborated by some palynological data. The multiannual paleoecological analysis, based on sequential sampling of three dentin layers of an incisor, indicated the relative stability of vegetation and climate despite fluctuations in hydrology. The perceived disassociation between vegetation dynamics and local hydrology corroborates the idea that factors other than precipitation may play a significant role in the environmental dynamics of the Cerrado biome.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"345 ","pages":"Article 109060"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142577809","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deep north atlantic circulation strength: Glacial-interglacial variability over the last 400,000 years","authors":"N. Stevenard ,&nbsp;C. Kissel ,&nbsp;A. Govin ,&nbsp;C. Wandres","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Most of the high-resolution studies investigating the past variability of the deep North Atlantic circulation are focused on recent timescales, but little is known for periods older than the last glacial period. Based on magnetic, elemental and physical grain-size proxies of three pairs of sediment cores located South of Iceland, we reconstructed the past changes in grain-size and basaltic-derived grain concentration over the last 400 ka (1 ka = 1000 years). The source and grain-size proxies exhibit highly similar variations between the three sites, suggesting they are affected by the same regional process. Persistently lower concentrations and finer grain-sizes recorded in the southernmost and deeper site compared to the northern sites indicate a North to South gradient that is consistent with the southward transport of sediments from a northern basaltic source by a deep current. Therefore, we interpret changes recorded by the ensemble of proxies at the three sites as past variations in the ISOW intensity. These new results show persistent influence, over the entire 400 ka, of a southward deep-water flow in the subpolar North Atlantic, from 1800 to 2800 m water depth. The “off mode” of deep Atlantic circulation during Heinrich events suggested by many studies is therefore questioned. This study extends the previous observations made for the 20–65 ka period over the last 400 ka. Our results also show that the three studied sites are bathed by a deep-water mass formed in the Nordic Seas, during both glacial and interglacial periods, suggesting that the present-day convection areas were still active during glacial periods. Our ISOW intensity records are highly similar to those of deep-water ventilation. We propose that the strength of overflows in the North Atlantic regulates the volume of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) and its southward transport in the Atlantic basin. Therefore, the Southern source waters may only act as an opportunistic component of the deep Atlantic circulation, invading or retreating depending on the NADW strength.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"345 ","pages":"Article 109011"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142577808","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Late Pleistocene to present landscape and anthropomorphic change in the Keerqin (Horqin) Sandy Land, China: Insights from sedimentary records","authors":"Airui Li ,&nbsp;Xiaoping Yang ,&nbsp;Xulong Wang ,&nbsp;Jinhua Du ,&nbsp;Deguo Zhang ,&nbsp;Bo Chen ,&nbsp;Louis Scuderi","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109046","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109046","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The current distribution of dune fields and sandy lands in northeastern China is closely related to the hydrological environment with fluvial processes often providing sediments for dune formation. The Keerqin Sandy Land (also known as Horqin) incised by the tributaries of the West Liao River and located at the northern boundary of East Asian summer monsoon (EAM) in northeastern China, is sensitive to monsoon system variability. As such, aeolian-fluvial-paleosol sequences in northeastern China are valuable geological archives for reconstructing river system behavior and palaeoclimate since the Late Quaternary. Here we show from analysis of these archives that fluvial systems were active at ∼11 ka likely due to the occurrence of floods at the end of the last glaciation. This was followed by frequent channel migration within the floodplains around 7∼5 ka associated with mid-Holocene monsoon precipitation fluctuation and higher humidity. Sediments from this active Holocene fluvial system along with a more humid climate produced conditions in the Keerqin Sandy Land that resulted in extensive paleosol formation. These findings are consistent with the timing and development of paleosols in other sandy lands in northeastern China. Former channels and floodplains along with a higher groundwater table aided the early development of agriculture in this region: many of the former flood plains are still intensively cultivated and highly productive.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"345 ","pages":"Article 109046"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142573560","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Retreating ice sheet caused a transition from cold-dry to cold-humid conditions in arid Central Asia","authors":"Liangqing Cheng ,&nbsp;Hao Long ,&nbsp;Jingran Zhang ,&nbsp;Yubin Wu ,&nbsp;Jun Cheng ,&nbsp;Linhai Yang ,&nbsp;Hongyi Cheng","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109057","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109057","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Water is critical for ecological systems in arid regions, making it imperative to understand how moisture in arid Central Asia (CA) responds to anthropogenic warming. The oscillation of warming and cooling events since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, ∼24–19.5 ka) provides a window for exploring the relationship between moisture and temperature. Employing 109 luminescence ages derived from eight sand dune sediment cores in the Bayanbulak Basin in the CA, this study endeavors to reconstruct the evolution of sand accumulation, and by extension, moisture dynamics. We found that pre-Holocene sand accumulation was predominant during the LGM and Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1, ∼18–14.6 ka), indicative of a cold-dry climate prevailing during these two cold stages. During the Holocene, sand accumulation during Early Holocene is significantly stronger than that during Middle-late Holocene, supporting a long-term wetting trend. Additionally, this study reveals that the colder Little Ice Age (LIA, ∼0.55–0.2 ka) exhibited a wetter condition compared to the warmer Medieval Warming Period (MWP, ∼1–0.55 ka), indicating a cold-humid climate during the LIA. Corroborated by TraCE-21ka (Transient Climate of the Last 21,000 Years) simulation, we propose that diminished evaporation over North Atlantic during the LGM and HS1 potentially led to a reduction in water vapor transported by westerlies to the CA. During the Middle and Late Holocene, increased evaporation over North Atlantic, attributed to decreased ice sheet, westerlies intensity became the primary limiting factor. Notably, stronger westerlies during the LIA could have contributed to elevated moisture levels compared to the MWP. These findings not only resolve the debate surrounding the transition from cold-dry to cold-humid conditions but also enhance our comprehension of future moisture variations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"345 ","pages":"Article 109057"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142573562","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prehistoric Italian foodways: Meta-analysis of stable isotope data from the Neolithic to the Iron Age","authors":"Martina Farese ,&nbsp;Silvia Soncin ,&nbsp;John Robb ,&nbsp;Mary Anne Tafuri","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109056","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109056","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Italian Later Prehistory was characterised by profound changes that impacted everyday life in many aspects. Whether or not and how such changes were reflected in the subsistence practices of ancient populations is an ongoing question in the archaeological debate. This question has been investigated using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis for several decades. Here, we present a 6000-year-long review of isotopic studies in the Italian Peninsula from the Neolithic to the Iron Age. We reconstruct chronological variations in food practices by observing <em>δ</em>¹³C and <em>δ</em>¹⁵N trends for 776 humans, 382 animals, and 432 C₃ plants from 111 archaeological sites. During the Neolithic, when farming is first introduced, a homogenous signal characterised by terrestrial protein consumption is visible. The Copper Age, instead, shows a more varied pattern, possibly representative of a more diversified use of the landscape, characteristic of those millennia. The new cultural paradigm that invested Europe during the Bronze Age is also reflected in food practices in Italy, with the introduction of millets - signalled by high <em>δ</em>¹³C values in the Northern regions - possibly representing a pivotal shift. Not much data is available for the Iron Age, as only two sites from Northern Italy, showing a diffused consumption of C₄ plants, and one site from Southern Italy, with a diet centred around C₃ plants, are available for this period. The analysis of this extensive set of data suggests that the “Secondary Products Revolution” probably meant a shift in subsistence practices, with secondary sources substituting meat rather than integrating it.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"345 ","pages":"Article 109056"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142573565","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}