A growing body of research is geared towards bridging the blurred perspectives of archaeology and... more A growing body of research is geared towards bridging the blurred perspectives of archaeology and ethnohistory into cohesive statements about the pre- and post-contact history of the Northern Great Plains to elaborate upon the highly dynamic cultural interactions among and between the Native groups who occupied this region, and the myriad Euro-Americans that infiltrated and settled it. This paper seeks to add to the data pool available to these discussions by presenting preliminary results from surveys and test excavations at the Coffin Bison Kill (5JA7), a Late Prehistoric- through Protohistoric-era (ca. 460–120 cal B.P.) bison kill-butchery that is situated at the head of the North Platte River Valley in northern Colorado. This region, and perhaps this site, both feature prominently in Euro-American historical accounts and Native American ethnogeography, and its archaeology can offer a unique window into late period cultural evolution, particularly with regard to the complexities born of US Western expansion.
The area encompassing the modern Republic of Armenia lies within the Armenian highlands and is si... more The area encompassing the modern Republic of Armenia lies within the Armenian highlands and is situated at the very core of a dynamic corridor between Africa and Eurasia. As such, Armenia proves critical for understanding the initial stages of human settlement and the formation of ancient civilisations in the Near East and beyond. Stone Age artefacts have been known to exist within the territory of Armenia since the end of the 19th century, and they indicate that the area attracted a variety of Stone Age populations, from early hominids to early complex societies of the Chalcolithic. Presented work is the first attempt to summarise the results and achievements of the Stone Age archaeology in Armenia which is counting its history more than a century.
Apex predators play an important role in the top-down regulation of ecological communities. Their... more Apex predators play an important role in the top-down regulation of ecological communities. Their hunting and feeding behaviors influence, respectively, prey demography and the availability of resources to other consumers. Among the most iconic—and enigmatic—terrestrial predators of the late Cenozoic are the Machairodontinae, a diverse group of big cats whose hypertrophied upper canines have earned them the moniker “sabertooths.” Many aspects of these animals’ paleobiology, especially their prey preferences and carcass consumption behavior, remain unsettled. While skeletal anatomy, dental morphology and wear, and isotopic profiles provide important insights, the most direct way to resolve these issues is through the fossil remains of sabertooth prey. Here, we report on a taphonomic analysis of an early Pleistocene faunal assemblage from Haile 21A (Florida, USA) that preserves feeding damage from the lion-sized sabertooth Xenosmilus hodsonae. Patterns of tooth-marking and bone damage...
A growing body of research is geared towards bridging the blurred perspectives of archaeology and... more A growing body of research is geared towards bridging the blurred perspectives of archaeology and ethnohistory into cohesive statements about the pre- and post-contact history of the Northern Great Plains to elaborate upon the highly dynamic cultural interactions among and between the Native groups who occupied this region, and the myriad Euro-Americans that infiltrated and settled it. This paper seeks to add to the data pool available to these discussions by presenting preliminary results from surveys and test excavations at the Coffin Bison Kill (5JA7), a Late Prehistoric- through Protohistoric-era (ca. 460–120 cal B.P.) bison kill-butchery that is situated at the head of the North Platte River Valley in northern Colorado. This region, and perhaps this site, both feature prominently in Euro-American historical accounts and Native American ethnogeography, and its archaeology can offer a unique window into late period cultural evolution, particularly with regard to the complexities born of US Western expansion.
The area encompassing the modern Republic of Armenia lies within the Armenian highlands and is si... more The area encompassing the modern Republic of Armenia lies within the Armenian highlands and is situated at the very core of a dynamic corridor between Africa and Eurasia. As such, Armenia proves critical for understanding the initial stages of human settlement and the formation of ancient civilisations in the Near East and beyond. Stone Age artefacts have been known to exist within the territory of Armenia since the end of the 19th century, and they indicate that the area attracted a variety of Stone Age populations, from early hominids to early complex societies of the Chalcolithic. Presented work is the first attempt to summarise the results and achievements of the Stone Age archaeology in Armenia which is counting its history more than a century.
Apex predators play an important role in the top-down regulation of ecological communities. Their... more Apex predators play an important role in the top-down regulation of ecological communities. Their hunting and feeding behaviors influence, respectively, prey demography and the availability of resources to other consumers. Among the most iconic—and enigmatic—terrestrial predators of the late Cenozoic are the Machairodontinae, a diverse group of big cats whose hypertrophied upper canines have earned them the moniker “sabertooths.” Many aspects of these animals’ paleobiology, especially their prey preferences and carcass consumption behavior, remain unsettled. While skeletal anatomy, dental morphology and wear, and isotopic profiles provide important insights, the most direct way to resolve these issues is through the fossil remains of sabertooth prey. Here, we report on a taphonomic analysis of an early Pleistocene faunal assemblage from Haile 21A (Florida, USA) that preserves feeding damage from the lion-sized sabertooth Xenosmilus hodsonae. Patterns of tooth-marking and bone damage...
Ever since Mary Leakey's initial excavations in the 1960s, TK (Thiongo Korongo) has been recogniz... more Ever since Mary Leakey's initial excavations in the 1960s, TK (Thiongo Korongo) has been recognized as one of Olduvai Gorge's most important Acheulean sites. The significant concentrations of lithics and fauna reported by Mary Leakey have been augmented in recent years by Santonja et al., who argue that human activities appear to be largely related to the manufacture of lithic implements. In contrast, the faunal remains have been interpreted to be of uncertain origin, and their anthropogenic nature remains in question. This paper presents new data on the formation of the TK bone accumulation. Our results reveal a diverse list of taxa, many of which reflect open habitats. Only limited evidence of anthropogenic activity is documented.
Tenth Meeting of the Asian Paleolithic Association (APA), 2021
The Armenian highlands is a key region for the study of the earliest hominin dispersals outside o... more The Armenian highlands is a key region for the study of the earliest hominin dispersals outside of Africa. The paleoanthropological evidence from the site of Dmanisi shows that the area was first occupied ~ 1.8 Ma. However, Dmanisi is but a single site, and therefore little is known about the timing, duration and character of hominin occupation of the surrounding region. Ongoing research at several new Lower Paleolithic sites in cave and open-air contexts, in varied eco-geological areas in Armenia, will yield crucial data on the behavioral adaptations of the region's earliest hominin occupants.
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one of Olduvai Gorge's most important Acheulean sites. The significant concentrations of lithics and
fauna reported by Mary Leakey have been augmented in recent years by Santonja et al., who argue that
human activities appear to be largely related to the manufacture of lithic implements. In contrast, the
faunal remains have been interpreted to be of uncertain origin, and their anthropogenic nature remains
in question. This paper presents new data on the formation of the TK bone accumulation. Our results
reveal a diverse list of taxa, many of which reflect open habitats. Only limited evidence of anthropogenic
activity is documented.