1,721,288 research outputs found
The earlier Palaeolithic of Syria: reinvestigating the Orontes and Euphrates Valleys
No full textThis monograph is concerned with understanding the behaviours and landcape use practices associated with earlier Palaeolithic hominins in Syria, through consideration of key archaeological assemblages from two important regions: the Orontes and Euphrates Valleys. The focus here is on three periods: ? Earliest occupations (1.50 mya-0.80 mya); the Lower Palaeolithic (800 kya?-350 kya); the Middle Palaeolithic (350 kya -50 kya). The areas of the Orontes and Euphrates Valleys possess some of the most significant artefact collections from Syria, and indeed, the wider Near East. This is due to the fact that fluvial archives ?such as those represented by the terrace staircases of the Rivers Orontes and Euphrates ? are major repositories for earlier Palaeolithic material, and have historically been a primary research resource. They therefore provide a combination of an abundance of archaeological evidence and a significant archive of research activity
The quiet man of Kent; the contribution of F.C.J. Spurrell to the early years of Palaeolithic archaeology
No full textIn the 1880s, Flaxman C.J. Spurrell discovered two of the most important British early Middle Palaeolithic sites: the “chipping floor” at Crayford; and the Levallois sites of the Ebbsfleet Valley, later to be known as Baker’s Hole. However, little is now known of his wider work, and he has sadly slipped into obscurity. This paper reviews the work, contemporary impact and ongoing legacy of this quiet man
Site and artefact studies
No full textAndrew Shaw and Beccy Scott (Chapter 5)discuss the technology, behaviour and settlement history of Palaeolithic human
The Palaeolithic in Worcestershire, UK
No full textIn this paper we present the results of the first detailed study of the Palaeolithic archaeological record from Worcestershire. We demonstrate the presence of fluvially derived Lower Palaeolithic artefacts (mostly bifaces) associated with terrace gravels of the rivers Severn, Avon and Carrant Brook and identify the first possible evidence of earlier Middle Palaeolithic archaeology from the west Midlands. We also discuss the important, but largely overlooked, middle Devensian (~60–26 ky BP) archaeology from the Carrant Brook. Broadly associated with extensive palaeoenvironmental proxies and sizeable Devensian mammalian faunal assemblages, this contains evidence indicative of three phases of human activity attributable to the late Middle (~58 ky BP), final Middle (~38–36 ky BP) and early Upper Palaeolithic (~33–31 ky BP). Obtained from two localities (Beckford Priory and Aston Mill gravel pits), the three groups all contain artefacts which have undergone minimal reworking. They are indicative of a significant middle Devensian landscape associated with dynamic fluvial and geliflucted deposits within the Carrant Brook valley
The forcing of mean sea level variability around Europe
No full textMean sea level variability around the European coasts is explored on the basis of regional sea level indices derived through Empirical Orthogonal Function Analysis (EOF) of tidegauge records. The regional indices are cross-correlated amongst themselves and against the major regional and climatic indices. The analysis is done for the whole year as well as seasonally. The effect of coherent atmospheric pressure signals is explored by comparing the results of the analysis before and after the data are corrected for the atmospheric pressure effects. The North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAO) and the Mediterranean Oscillation Index are the major regional indices which are found to be significantly correlated with sea level variability around Europe. Their correlation is positive for the Northern European coast and negative for the Mediterranean coasts. The NAO influence causes an anti-correlation between northern and southern European sea level. This is stronger in winter and weakens significantly or disappears completely during the summer. When the NAO influence was removed from the regional mean sea level indices the cross correlation between the various regions was reduced. However, residual spatial coherency indicated that probably there are other mechanisms causing spatial coherency. No statistically significant correlation with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) was found
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