Periodic Reporting for period 4 - SUBSILIENCE (Subsistence and human resilience to sudden climatic events in Europe during MIS3)
Période du rapport: 2023-12-01 au 2025-05-31
Climate has long been proposed as a possible trigger factor for the extinction of Neanderthals and the rapid colonization of Europe by Anatomically Modern Humans (AMH). Abrupt and acute oscillations of climate, as recorded from polar ice sheets, are particularly threatening as they can push ecosystems towards catastrophic outcomes. Under these conditions, the survival of a species critically depends on its adaptive skills. SUBSILIENCE is reconstructing the exact role that these episodes could have had in the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition that will provide new insights for unravelling the real causes of Neanderthal demise and AMH success. SUBSILIENCE is analysing the subsistence strategies adopted by both human species by applying zooarchaeological and taphonomic analyses to different archaeological sites located in Serbia, Croatia, Italy and Spain. The results are allowing to evaluate the behavioural flexibility and resilience of each human species during the different stadial and interstadial episodes along the MIS3. To reconstruct the local terrestrial climatic and environmental conditions the project is focused on measuring stable isotopic values on animals consumed by both human species which is providing an accurate continuous environmental regional setting where both human species lived between 50 to 27,000 years ago. Subsistence together with climatic and environmental data is permitting us to get a wider spatio-temporal perspective of the ecological niches and resources available and therefore, of the ecosystem carrying capacity. The first results are allowing to test the hypothesis proposed about the dietary differences and environmental exploitation, by both human species, depending on the climatic phase and ecological niches surrounding the selected archaeological sites. This multidisciplinary and novel approach is already providing (and will do further at the end of the project) accurate answers to questions concerning: 1) for how long Neanderthals and H. sapiens cohabitated in the southern European Peninsulas; 2) which particular subsistence patterns they carried out, 3) the environmental conditions at a local and regional level and 4) the NPP when late Neanderthals and first modern humans lived. All this information is providing insights so far unknown and that will be of relevance to the study of Prehistory on a pan-European scale.
Since the beginning of the project, in June 2019, the PI has been focused on three main issues for the success of the research aimed: 1) hiring a working team; 2) setting up a new laboratory and implementing the different methodologies and 3) developing the four work packages designed. The University of Cantabria (UC), where the PI is based at, recognized the outstanding award and provided new lab facilities to the PI and her team. The UC also provided the necessary independence to achieve this relevant and complex project by allowing her to create a new research group denominated EvoAdapta (Human Evolution and Economic and Ecological Adaptations during Prehistory – www.evoadapta.unican.es).
Regarding hiring staff, progressively European researchers with different academic levels and expertise joined the team. For the WP1, focused on paleoeconomic reconstruction, the first person was Gabriele Terlato, an Italian postdoc dedicated to achieving related zooarchaeological tasks into the Italian archaeological sites; later Alicia Sanz to complete her PhD on the Iberian sites; Delphine Vettese, a French postdoc to research in specific Italian sites curated at the University of Ferrara. In Croatia, Sinisa Radovic has been in charge of the study of Abri Kontija, a Croatian site. Almudena Estalrrich was hired for a short mission related to the study of Neanderthals and H. sapiens teeth in N Spain. For technical laboratory works, Lucia Agudo incorporated into the project. For WP2, Monica Fernandez joined to achieve isotopic analysis on animal bones and teeth. For WP3, Marco Vidal was the last person to join the project in May 2021.
During the first months, different missions were needed to contact the external collaborators, visit the archaeological sites and identify the archaeological materials useful for the project's aims. Trips to France (Hasparren, Toulouse), Italy (Genova, Pisa, Ferrara) and Croatia (Zagreb) were executed. Several times the PI has travelled to these cities and regions to follow the progress of the studied materials, take samples and hold working meetings. Unfortunately, there were several delays on these missions due to the COVID19 that fundamentally affected the closure of institutions, such as universities and museums, directly related to our tasks and involved travel restrictions.
Regarding the setting of the new laboratory up and implementing the different methodologies. The University of Cantabria provided the place to build the new laboratory that the institution covered. All these works were delayed to the COVID19 lockdown in Spain. The laboratory was inaugurated one year later after the project started, in July 2020, and since then, it has been running. Different equipment has been acquired to achieve the various analytical methods, such as pre-treatment for stable isotopic analyses (collagen extraction), for phosphate from dental enamel and for peptide analyses by ZooMs. Specifically, to set up the protocol of deuterium measurement in the bone collagen of archaeological bones, the PI was several months at the Dorothy Isotope Laboratory of the University of Cambridge with Tamsin O'Connell, Professor on Biomolecular Archaeology at this institution. This stay was not continuous and the PI alternated her stays between both universities, learning new methods in Cambridge and implementing them in Cantabria with her team. Unfortunately, this process took longer than expected due to the continuous and long lockdowns in the UK. This fact caused a significant delay in the execution mainly of WP2 tasks, wherein parallel fieldwork was not permitted in the countries of study and, therefore, archaeological materials could not be sampled. Altogether with the different travel limitations between European countries. These were the three main limitations that force me to request an extension of a year to achieve and fulfil the project's objectives.
Regarding the development of the different work packages, since June 2019, the project has been focused on the first three of the four work packages. In Workpackage 1, the research was focused on the study of the different archaeofaunal assemblages located in Iberia, Italy, Serbia, Croatia and Spain. Unpublished material was studied, and published materials were reviewed with new scientific approaches. All the results of this WP were introduced in a specific database created specifically for this project where the team members from different locations can record data in the same way for comparative purposes. The PI designed this database and trained the other researchers involved. a V2 is already updated with different analytical tools designed by the whole team.
Workpackage 2 is devoted to the chronological, environmental and climatic reconstruction during the period of study from the studied archaeological sites. To do so, a selection of different faunal elements was made to answer the particular local and regional environmental and climatic conditions animals lived in when humans hunted them. Also, materials from various sites have been sent for radiocarbon dating to obtain a precise temporal resolution to the commercial laboratory. Related to the stable isotopic values in bone collagen to be measured (carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, hydrogen) so far, only Italian collagen samples (after extraction in Santander) results have been obtained. Sulphur values are delayed due to a technical issue with the machine in the commercial laboratory, but they are expected in early March 2022. A set of bone samples for new stable isotopic measurement from Iberian sites have been recently sent to the commercial laboratory selected for the analysis and results are waiting. Work with animal teeth was delayed for the reasons explained above, but now it is progressing positively. Workpackage 3, devoted to ecological reconstruction, has been organized to be achieved in three steps. First, the NPP calculation combined with all the Bayesian analyses of the chronology. Results have been already obtained for the whole of Iberia with relevant results (publication is submitted). Later, the species distribution model and finally, an Agent-Based Model will be executed to prove the role of Neanderthals and AMH in exploiting the different regional scenarios in each climatic phase.
Of WP1, several publications in the international peer-review journal (Gold and Green Open Access) have been published in journals such a Scientific Reports, Journal of Human Evolution, Alpine and Mediterranean Quaternary, Journal of Quaternary Science, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. Besides, our publication in Journal of Human Evolution received a nomination because it is one of the ten most downloaded papers in 2021 of the whole history of the journal. This paper is entitled "Evidence of habitual behavior from non-alimentary dental wear on deciduous teeth from the Middle and Upper Paleolithic Cantabrian region, Northern Spain" and reveal, for the first time, the role of the Paleolithic kids within the groups and how they learnt from the adults.
In several international and national congresses, the project and results have been presented, such as European Society of Human Evolution 2019 in Liege and 2021 online; 1st Virtual Conference of Women Archeologists and Paleontologists 2021; European Association of Archaeologist 2021 and XIX UISPP- Meknès 2021. In 2019, the PI was invited to the Closure of the XV Reunión Nacional de Cuaternario in Bilbao.
The mid-project meeting was held from 18 to 20th November 2021. The different team members and external collaborators joined for three days in Santander to present the research advances and future work.
Within the Master of Prehistory and Archaeology of the Univ. of Cantabria, in September 2021 a Master student defended her dissertation on the research lines of the project with an interesting database available online at www.mis3paleodiet.es. Apart, the PI and her group contribute regularly to the scientific diffusion of the project in STEM Talent Girls, European Researchers' Night, Week of Science at the University of Cantabria, among others. The project is also widely disseminated in Social Media, including Twitter (@Subsilience), Instagram (@erc_subsilience) and its web page (www.subsilience.eu).
Alicia Sanz Royo, the PhD student, was awarded the II Concurso #PhDenlaUC 2021. Her participated video can be seen in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vomXgyNM78(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) . The competition results are published https://web.unican.es/noticias/Paginas/2021/mayo_2021/Alicia-Sanz-y-Ana-Maria-Costa-ganadoras-II-concurso-PhDenlaUC.aspx(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) A disseminated video of her PhD made by a specialist in graphic design is the prize and it will be available soon.
Regarding hiring staff, progressively European researchers with different academic levels and expertise joined the team. For the WP1, focused on paleoeconomic reconstruction, the first person was Gabriele Terlato, an Italian postdoc dedicated to achieving related zooarchaeological tasks into the Italian archaeological sites; later Alicia Sanz to complete her PhD on the Iberian sites; Delphine Vettese, a French postdoc to research in specific Italian sites curated at the University of Ferrara. In Croatia, Sinisa Radovic has been in charge of the study of Abri Kontija, a Croatian site. Almudena Estalrrich was hired for a short mission related to the study of Neanderthals and H. sapiens teeth in N Spain. For technical laboratory works, Lucia Agudo incorporated into the project. For WP2, Monica Fernandez joined to achieve isotopic analysis on animal bones and teeth. For WP3, Marco Vidal was the last person to join the project in May 2021.
During the first months, different missions were needed to contact the external collaborators, visit the archaeological sites and identify the archaeological materials useful for the project's aims. Trips to France (Hasparren, Toulouse), Italy (Genova, Pisa, Ferrara) and Croatia (Zagreb) were executed. Several times the PI has travelled to these cities and regions to follow the progress of the studied materials, take samples and hold working meetings. Unfortunately, there were several delays on these missions due to the COVID19 that fundamentally affected the closure of institutions, such as universities and museums, directly related to our tasks and involved travel restrictions.
Regarding the setting of the new laboratory up and implementing the different methodologies. The University of Cantabria provided the place to build the new laboratory that the institution covered. All these works were delayed to the COVID19 lockdown in Spain. The laboratory was inaugurated one year later after the project started, in July 2020, and since then, it has been running. Different equipment has been acquired to achieve the various analytical methods, such as pre-treatment for stable isotopic analyses (collagen extraction), for phosphate from dental enamel and for peptide analyses by ZooMs. Specifically, to set up the protocol of deuterium measurement in the bone collagen of archaeological bones, the PI was several months at the Dorothy Isotope Laboratory of the University of Cambridge with Tamsin O'Connell, Professor on Biomolecular Archaeology at this institution. This stay was not continuous and the PI alternated her stays between both universities, learning new methods in Cambridge and implementing them in Cantabria with her team. Unfortunately, this process took longer than expected due to the continuous and long lockdowns in the UK. This fact caused a significant delay in the execution mainly of WP2 tasks, wherein parallel fieldwork was not permitted in the countries of study and, therefore, archaeological materials could not be sampled. Altogether with the different travel limitations between European countries. These were the three main limitations that force me to request an extension of a year to achieve and fulfil the project's objectives.
Regarding the development of the different work packages, since June 2019, the project has been focused on the first three of the four work packages. In Workpackage 1, the research was focused on the study of the different archaeofaunal assemblages located in Iberia, Italy, Serbia, Croatia and Spain. Unpublished material was studied, and published materials were reviewed with new scientific approaches. All the results of this WP were introduced in a specific database created specifically for this project where the team members from different locations can record data in the same way for comparative purposes. The PI designed this database and trained the other researchers involved. a V2 is already updated with different analytical tools designed by the whole team.
Workpackage 2 is devoted to the chronological, environmental and climatic reconstruction during the period of study from the studied archaeological sites. To do so, a selection of different faunal elements was made to answer the particular local and regional environmental and climatic conditions animals lived in when humans hunted them. Also, materials from various sites have been sent for radiocarbon dating to obtain a precise temporal resolution to the commercial laboratory. Related to the stable isotopic values in bone collagen to be measured (carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, hydrogen) so far, only Italian collagen samples (after extraction in Santander) results have been obtained. Sulphur values are delayed due to a technical issue with the machine in the commercial laboratory, but they are expected in early March 2022. A set of bone samples for new stable isotopic measurement from Iberian sites have been recently sent to the commercial laboratory selected for the analysis and results are waiting. Work with animal teeth was delayed for the reasons explained above, but now it is progressing positively. Workpackage 3, devoted to ecological reconstruction, has been organized to be achieved in three steps. First, the NPP calculation combined with all the Bayesian analyses of the chronology. Results have been already obtained for the whole of Iberia with relevant results (publication is submitted). Later, the species distribution model and finally, an Agent-Based Model will be executed to prove the role of Neanderthals and AMH in exploiting the different regional scenarios in each climatic phase.
Of WP1, several publications in the international peer-review journal (Gold and Green Open Access) have been published in journals such a Scientific Reports, Journal of Human Evolution, Alpine and Mediterranean Quaternary, Journal of Quaternary Science, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. Besides, our publication in Journal of Human Evolution received a nomination because it is one of the ten most downloaded papers in 2021 of the whole history of the journal. This paper is entitled "Evidence of habitual behavior from non-alimentary dental wear on deciduous teeth from the Middle and Upper Paleolithic Cantabrian region, Northern Spain" and reveal, for the first time, the role of the Paleolithic kids within the groups and how they learnt from the adults.
In several international and national congresses, the project and results have been presented, such as European Society of Human Evolution 2019 in Liege and 2021 online; 1st Virtual Conference of Women Archeologists and Paleontologists 2021; European Association of Archaeologist 2021 and XIX UISPP- Meknès 2021. In 2019, the PI was invited to the Closure of the XV Reunión Nacional de Cuaternario in Bilbao.
The mid-project meeting was held from 18 to 20th November 2021. The different team members and external collaborators joined for three days in Santander to present the research advances and future work.
Within the Master of Prehistory and Archaeology of the Univ. of Cantabria, in September 2021 a Master student defended her dissertation on the research lines of the project with an interesting database available online at www.mis3paleodiet.es. Apart, the PI and her group contribute regularly to the scientific diffusion of the project in STEM Talent Girls, European Researchers' Night, Week of Science at the University of Cantabria, among others. The project is also widely disseminated in Social Media, including Twitter (@Subsilience), Instagram (@erc_subsilience) and its web page (www.subsilience.eu).
Alicia Sanz Royo, the PhD student, was awarded the II Concurso #PhDenlaUC 2021. Her participated video can be seen in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vomXgyNM78(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) . The competition results are published https://web.unican.es/noticias/Paginas/2021/mayo_2021/Alicia-Sanz-y-Ana-Maria-Costa-ganadoras-II-concurso-PhDenlaUC.aspx(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) A disseminated video of her PhD made by a specialist in graphic design is the prize and it will be available soon.
The following months until the end of the project will be especially dedicated to getting an answer to the different hypotheses proposed that are: 1) for how long Neanderthals and H. sapiens cohabitated in the southern European Peninsulas; 2) which particular subsistence patterns they carried out, 3) which were the environmental conditions at a local and regional level and 4) the NPP when late Neanderthals and first modern humans lived. The progress expected will be beyond the state of the art because this scientific approach spatiotemporally has ever been applied. Those hypothesis testing will be published in the best high-impact journals open access as it has been done so far, widely disseminated in conferences and workshops and scientific activities for the general public. Also, a temporal exhibition is planned with the regional museums implied in this project.