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Neolithic woodland management and land-use in south-eastern Europe: The anthracological evidence from Northern Greece and Bulgaria
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Wood charcoal (anthracological) remains accumulated in archaeological deposits provide a valuable tool for reconstruction of past local vegetation and its use. They can offer evidence complementary to pollen analysis or be the main source on past vegetation change in areas where no pollen preservation is available. The current study assembles the anthracological evidence from 18 Neolithic sites situated in the zone spanning between the Lower Danube plain and the Aegean coast. This evidence is presented within the broader archaeological and paleoecological context of the region and in cal. years BC and/or BP. The data is interpreted in terms of land-use related to woodland management and exploitation of woodland resources during three chronological phases which could be distinguished within the Neolithic of south-eastern Europe: a) 6500-5800 cal. BC, b) 5800-5500 cal. BC, and c) 5500-4900 cal BC). The main vegetation type targeted by the Neolithic population were the thermophilous, mixed deciduous oak communities, which contained a rich and diverse undergrowth of light-demanding and fruit/nut bearing trees, shrubs and herbs. Those plant communities were the major source of fuel wood, forest pasture, fodder, gathered fruits, etc. The analyses indicate stability and sustainability of the firewood procurement and woodland management practices for the whole considered period and further suggest that the Neolithic land-use strategies favoured the rich and often fruit-bearing undergrowth of the oak forests and woodland.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2018
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Neotype of Pseudagrion approximans Selys, 1876 designated to resolve a nomenclatorial confusion in the genus Aciagion Selys, 1891 (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)
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Nest relocation and high mortality rate in a Neotropical social wasp: impact of an exceptionally rainy La Niña year / Migration et fort taux de mortalité chez une guêpe Néotropicale: conséquence de pluies exceptionnelles durant une année La Niña.
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Nestedness in sessile and periphytic rotifer communities: A meta-analysis.
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Net ecosystem production and carbon dioxide fluxes in the Scheldt estuarine plume
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Neurogenomic Profiling Reveals Distinct Gene Expression Profiles between Brain Parts that are Consistent in Ophthalmotilapia Cichlids
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RBINS Staff Publications 2018
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New amphisbaenian lizards from the Early Paleogene of Europe and their implications for the early evolution of modern amphisbaenians
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Three new amphisbaenian lizard taxa are described from the Early Paleogene of Western Europe. Two new basal forms, Polyodontobaena belgica gen. et sp. nov. from the Early Paleocene of Hainin (Belgium) and Camptognathosaurus parisiensis gen. et sp. nov. from the Late Paleocene of Rivecourt-Patit Pâtis and Cernay-lès-Reims (France), are characterised by a dentary lacking a strong angle at the symphysis and bearing 10 to 12 massively built and conical teeth. These two taxa form the new family Polyodontobaenidae. A third new amphisbaenian, Blanosaurus primeocaenus gen. et sp. nov., is also described from the Early Eocene of Dormaal (Belgium), Condé-en-Brie and Prémontré (France) and represents the oldest modern amphisbaenian lizard of Europe, tentatively assigned to Blanidae. It is characterised by a reduction of tooth number and by the presence of a strong angle at the symphysis. Palaeobiogeographic considerations suggest a first hypothesis that the Eocene forms would have evolved from the Paleocene species.The second hypothesis would be that as for the lizard Scincoideus haininensis, primitive amphisbaenians were present in Europe from the Paleocene,whereasbeginning in the Early Eocene only modern forms with typical reduced dentition (fewer than 10 teeth) are present. The origin of these modern forms is very likely related with the dispersal of the first modern mammals.
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New and revised cyrtospiriferid (Spiriferida) brachiopods from the lower Famennian (Upper Devonian) of Armenia
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RBINS Staff Publications 2022
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New Archaeozoological Data from the Fayum ‘‘Neolithic’’ with a Critical Assessment of the Evidence for Early Stock Keeping in Egypt
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Faunal evidence from the Fayum Neolithic is often cited in the framework of early stock keeping in Egypt. However, the data suffer from a number of problems. In the present paper, large faunal datasets from new excavations at Kom K and Kom W (4850–4250 BC) are presented. They clearly show that, despite the presence of domesticates, fish predominate in the animal bone assemblages. In this sense, there is continuity with the earlier Holocene occupation from the Fayum, starting ca. 7350 BC. Domesticated plants and animals appear first from approximately 5400 BC. The earliest possible evidence for domesticates in Egypt are the very controversial domesticated cattle from the 9th/8th millennium BC in the Nabta Playa-Bir Kiseiba area. The earliest domesticates found elsewhere in Egypt date to the 6th millennium BC. The numbers of bones are generally extremely low at this point in time and only caprines are present. From the 5th millennium BC, the numbers of sites with domesticates dramatically increase, more species are also involved and they are usually represented by significant quantities of bones. The data from the Fayum reflect this two phase development, with very limited evidence for domesticates in the 6th millennium BC and more abundant and clearer indications in the 5th millennium BC. Any modelling of early food production in Egypt suffers from poor amounts of data, bias due to differential preservation and visibility of sites and archaeological remains, and a lack of direct dates for domesticates. In general, however, the evidence for early stock keeping and accompanying archaeological features shows large regional variation and seems to be mainly dependent on local environmental conditions. The large numbers of fish at Kom K and Kom W reflect the proximity of Lake Qarun.
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New archaeozoological evidence for the introduction of the guinea pig to Europe
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The remains are described of a guinea pig dated to the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th c. AD. The animal was discovered at a site in Mons, Belgium, and is the first European archaeozoological find dated with certainty on the basis of both the archaeological context and a radiocarbon dating of its bone. This find confirms that the guinea pig was introduced to Europe soon after the conquest of South America. The morphological and metrical analyses performed on the skeletal remains are in agreement with the iconographic and literary sources indicating the domestic status of the animals imported to Europe. While a previous discovery in England suggested that the guinea pig was a prestigious animal, the present study argues that it was accessible to several classes of the population which may be related to the rapid spread of this prolific animal after its introduction in Europe.
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