Theme:
2. Archaeological Sciences, Humanities and the Digital era: Bridging the Gaps
Session format:
Regular session
Title:
Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Middle Paleolithic Record of the Balkan Peninsula
Content:
Archaeology has always been an interdisciplinary endeavor, incorporating methods and techniques from the natural sciences to assess chronology and reconstruct paleoenvironments. In recent years, rapid advances in the archaeological sciences and in the realm of digital archaeology have yielded a growing number of methodologies allowing us to extract ever-more precise data from the archaeological record. Such data include, but are not limited to, a broad range of geological (geophysical, geochemical, geoarchaeological) and molecular (genetic, proteomic, lipid) data, which can be tightly integrated with the traditional archaeological record (distributions of artifacts, faunal remains, and features) through the spatial resolution afforded by digital imaging and proveniencing methods.
These archaeological science advances have been particularly important in research within the Middle Paleolithic, a period that is key for understanding Neanderthal biological and cultural evolution. The complexity of the archaeological record in such a remote time requires great care in excavation and interpretation, and new archaeological science methods enable us to better assess and control for site formation processes as well as extract data which, previously, was unattainable. This session gathers results from a range of recent applications of interdisciplinary approaches to the Middle Paleolithic of the Balkan peninsula with the goal of documenting Neanderthal occupations in this region. The outcome of this growing body of research helps us contextualize the key role of this region within Neanderthal evolution.
Keywords:
Middle Paleolithic, Balkans, Neanderthals, Lithics, Paleoenvironments, Genetics
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:
Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Community (PaM)
Main organiser:
Gilliane Monnier (United States) 1
Co-organisers:
Goran Pajovic (Montenegro) 2
Affiliations:
1. University of Minnesota
2. National Museum of Montenegro
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