Quaternary

28 pages, 7413 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Analysis of the Functional Andean Worldview of the Archaeological Site of Ankasmarka, Cusco—Peru 2024

by Doris Esenarro, Jimena Ccalla, Guisela Yabar, Cecilia Uribe, Mario Reyes, Mirko De los Santos, Geofrey Salas and Javier Condori

Quaternary 2025, 8(2), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat8020027 - 16 May 2025

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Abstract

The objective of this research is to conduct a spatial analysis of the functional Andean worldview of the Ankasmarka Archaeological Site, located in Calca, Peru. The preservation of cultural heritage in Latin America faces significant challenges that threaten the integrity of key sites [...] Read more.

The objective of this research is to conduct a spatial analysis of the functional Andean worldview of the Ankasmarka Archaeological Site, located in Calca, Peru. The preservation of cultural heritage in Latin America faces significant challenges that threaten the integrity of key sites such as Ankasmarka. Despite its historical relevance, this site lacks available open access information and data, collected in accessible reports, which hinders the attraction of attention and funding necessary for its conservation. Furthermore, urbanization and uncontrolled tourism negatively impact both cultural traditions and the connection of local communities with their past. The methodology employed is based on a systematic review of primary information, supplemented by excavation reports and official sources. Specialized software such as AutoCAD Architecture and Revit were used to carry out the topographic and architectural survey of the site, enabling the precise and rigorous interpretation of the data. This article focuses on the spatial and functional description of the site, with the aim of paving the way for future research in specific areas such as formal and structural analysis, as well as social and political dynamics. The results reveal a complex organizational structure at Ankasmarka, with enclosures designated for various functions, particularly storage and agricultural activities. The site is divided into three sectors: Sector A, which includes housing, storage areas, and tombs; and Sector B and C, with the highest concentration of housing and agricultural zones with storage areas, respectively. The findings underscore the interrelationship between agriculture, funerary practices, and architecture, highlighting the importance of Ankasmarka in the lives of its ancient inhabitants and the need for continued future research. Full article

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27 pages, 2256 KiB

Open AccessReview

Did Human Dispersal into Europe Cause the Continent-Wide Extinction of the Pig Sus strozzii at 1.8 Ma?—Review of a Debate

by Jan van der Made

Quaternary 2025, 8(2), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat8020026 - 13 May 2025

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Abstract

For many years, the temporal distribution of pigs in the Pleistocene of Europe drew little attention. This changed when, what became known as, the “suid gap” hypo-thesis was published. Subsequent publications added elements to this hypothesis, while others questioned the hypothesis and even [...] Read more.

For many years, the temporal distribution of pigs in the Pleistocene of Europe drew little attention. This changed when, what became known as, the “suid gap” hypo-thesis was published. Subsequent publications added elements to this hypothesis, while others questioned the hypothesis and even the existence of a “suid gap”. In its most complete form the hypothesis consists of a chain of arguments: (1) pigs are r-selected (a life history trait), (2) therefore fossils of their deciduous teeth are particularly abundant, (3) because being r-selected, pigs are abundant, (4) sites without pig fossils are sure indicators of their absence, (5) at 1.8 Ma, humans dispersed into Europe driving Sus strozzii to extinction in all the continent by competitive displacement, but not in the Middle East, (6) around 1.2 Ma pigs appeared again in Europe, either Sus strozzii, coming from the Middle East, or another species. The proposed link between human and pig ecology increased the interest of this hypothesis. Recently parts of this hypothesis were questioned and a polemic arose. It is the aim of this paper to review the literature and arguments used in favour and against this “suid gap” hypothesis. The hypothesis is rejected, but the life history traits of pigs may prove to be of interest for comparison with humans. Full article

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26 pages, 37903 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Palaeoenvironmental Synthesis of the Eastern Ebro Basin Loess–Palaeosol Sequences (LPSs)

by Daniela Álvarez, Carlos Alberto Torres-Guerrero, Jaume Boixadera, Carles Balasch, José Manuel Plata, Rafael Rodríguez Ochoa, José Ramón Olarieta and Rosa M. Poch

Quaternary 2025, 8(2), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat8020025 - 12 May 2025

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Abstract

Loess–palaeosol sequences (LPSs) are continuous records of palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic conditions during the Quaternary. This study includes 17 LPS located in the NE of the Iberian Peninsula, irregularly distributed, associated with different river basins: the Ebro Basin, the Mora Basin, and the Ter [...] Read more.

Loess–palaeosol sequences (LPSs) are continuous records of palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic conditions during the Quaternary. This study includes 17 LPS located in the NE of the Iberian Peninsula, irregularly distributed, associated with different river basins: the Ebro Basin, the Mora Basin, and the Ter sub-basin. The soils developed on these loess deposits present a loam–sandy texture, coarser than the typical loess, ochre in colour, with variable thickness (1–12 m), calcareous composition (20–45% CaCO₃ eq.), very low or null organic matter (OM), and basic pH. These deposits have been classified as desert LPS, whose pedogenesis is mainly associated with the redistribution of calcium carbonate and, in some cases, gypsum. Several methodologies have been applied to determine their mineralogical, physical, and chemical characteristics and date them by luminescence techniques. In addition, some relevant pedofeatures (porosity, CaCO₃, gypsum, etc.) have been characterised in detail. The aims of the present study have been to know the pedogenic development of the LPS by defining the main soil-forming factors that have affected them in order to associate these factors with the characteristic palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental conditions reported in this area over time and to improve the understanding of soil evolution. Full article

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Graphical abstract

24 pages, 989 KiB

Open AccessReview

Possible Traces of Early Modern Human Architectural Heritage: A Comment on Similarities Between Nest-Building Activity of Homo Species and Shelter Forms of Indigenous People in Sub-Saharan Africa

by Hasan Basri Kartal, Mehmet Emin Şalgamcıoğlu and Asiye Nisa Kartal

Quaternary 2025, 8(2), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat8020024 - 8 May 2025

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Abstract

The architectural artefacts, materials, and techniques used for constructing shelters may share some common properties derived from the architectural culture that has evolved within the human species. This article examines the material features and settlement organisations employed in the nest-building activities of early [...] Read more.

The architectural artefacts, materials, and techniques used for constructing shelters may share some common properties derived from the architectural culture that has evolved within the human species. This article examines the material features and settlement organisations employed in the nest-building activities of early human species and the shelter forms of indigenous peoples residing in sub-Saharan Africa. It questions whether early modern human notions of architectural heritage, which lack substantiation, might have influenced nest construction, typological differentiation, material utilisation, and the transmission of practices to subsequent generations and habitats. The focus is on home-based spatial organisation and the construction of structures. We recognise the need to clarify some fundamental misunderstandings regarding the nature of cultural and archaeological taxonomies, as well as the misuse of analogical reasoning when comparing contemporary hunter–gatherer populations with certain hominin groups. The paper aims to explore whether the early ‘Homo architecture’ in Africa bears any resemblance to that of modern Africans. The central inquiry of this study is whether indigenous architectural artefacts, materials, and techniques have been passed down throughout the evolution of architectural culture. The discussion suggests that the architectural products found in the settlement remains of early Homo species may exhibit characteristics similar to the huts of the indigenous people, who live as hunter–gatherers in sub-Saharan Africa. Discussing the architectural activities of different human species proves fruitful, as early architectural understanding and principles can be adapted to contemporary placemaking scenarios, urban design approaches, and housing models. We believe that, with further evidence, this foundational idea has the potential to be developed further. Full article

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4 pages, 161 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Vegetation Response to the Hydro-Climatic Changes During the Late Quaternary

by Mohammad Firoze Quamar and Upasana Swaroop Banerji

Quaternary 2025, 8(2), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat8020023 - 6 May 2025

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Abstract

Climate change is most clearly reflected in vegetation, as it forms an integral and fundamental component of ecosystems that is sensitive to and governed by climatic changes [...] Full article

6 pages, 1311 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Two Circumpolar Ground Beetle Species (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Were in Hokkaido, Japan, Late in the Last Glacial Period

by Shigehiko Shiyake

Quaternary 2025, 8(2), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat8020022 - 2 May 2025

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Abstract

Fossilized body parts of two cold-adapted ground beetle species, Elaphrus lapponicus and Diacheila polita, were identified from a deposit dated to the Late Glacial period in Hokkaido, Japan. The paleoenvironmental reconstruction presented here has been based on modern temperature ranges and environmental [...] Read more.

Fossilized body parts of two cold-adapted ground beetle species, Elaphrus lapponicus and Diacheila polita, were identified from a deposit dated to the Late Glacial period in Hokkaido, Japan. The paleoenvironmental reconstruction presented here has been based on modern temperature ranges and environmental conditions, along with paleobotanical evidence from the site. Late Glacial temperatures were at least 6 degrees °C lower than modern temperatures in summer, and the area around the site was mostly covered with forest tundra, which exists only in areas further north than Hokkaido. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change and Reconstruction of the Palaeoecological Changes)

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15 pages, 4669 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Food Production and Landscape Reconstruction of Liangzhu Culture Village (5000–4600 B.P.)—Archaeobotanical Evidence from the Site of Zhumucun, Southern China

by Xiaoqu Zheng, Fan Yang, Mingli Sun and Qinyu Chen

Quaternary 2025, 8(2), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat8020021 - 27 Apr 2025

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Abstract

Preserved macro-botanical and charcoal remains collected from the Zhumucun site have revealed the paleodiet and agricultural production of a small settlement during the Liangzhu period. Further, they have also helped to reconstruct the landscape and social organization that occurred therein. The plant remains [...] Read more.

Preserved macro-botanical and charcoal remains collected from the Zhumucun site have revealed the paleodiet and agricultural production of a small settlement during the Liangzhu period. Further, they have also helped to reconstruct the landscape and social organization that occurred therein. The plant remains assemblage shows that rice was the main crop at this site; however, the appearance of the millets may also indicate the spread and communication between southern and northern China. An analysis of the discarded spikelets confirmed that rice was locally produced and processed. A study of charcoal helped restore the vegetation landscape in the settlement and provided valuable insights for reconstructing the functional zoning and agricultural production at the site. Following an analysis of the plant distribution and utilization patterns at the site, it became clear that the Zhumucun site functioned as a small agricultural settlement. Compared to other settlements from the Liangzhu period, the Zhumucun site likely supported a smaller population. The site could be divided into smaller groups, including facilities in residential areas, processing areas, tomb areas, and farming areas. Agricultural production at the Zhumucun site appears to have been highly coordinated, with activities carried out in a unified manner and primarily by local households. This efficient system of resource management likely reflects a well-organized labor structure, where food surpluses may have been redistributed to support other higher-level settlements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Archaeology in the Late Quaternary: Emerging Materials, Methods, Issues and Perspectives)

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25 pages, 3420 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Current Phylogeographic Structure of Anemone altaica (Ranunculaceae) on the Khamar-Daban Ridge Reflects Quaternary Climate Change in Baikal Siberia

by Marina Protopopova, Polina Nelyubina and Vasiliy Pavlichenko

Quaternary 2025, 8(2), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat8020020 - 22 Apr 2025

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Abstract

Anemone altaica Fisch. ex C. A. Mey., a component of the tertiary boreo-nemoral vegetation complex, exhibits a disjunct distribution from European Russia to Central China. The Khamar-Daban Ridge, extending along Lake Baikal’s southern coast, has served as a refugium preserving mesophilic forest remnants [...] Read more.

Anemone altaica Fisch. ex C. A. Mey., a component of the tertiary boreo-nemoral vegetation complex, exhibits a disjunct distribution from European Russia to Central China. The Khamar-Daban Ridge, extending along Lake Baikal’s southern coast, has served as a refugium preserving mesophilic forest remnants in South Siberia since the Pleistocene. This study aimed to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships and historical biogeography of A. altaica within the Khamar-Daban refugium using plastid DNA markers (trnL + trnL-trnF). Phylogenetic and mismatch distribution analysis revealed polyphyly (more specifically diphyly) among A. altaica lineages, suggesting past hybridization events with related species followed by backcrossing. Estimation of isolation by distance effect, spatial autocorrelation analysis, PCoA, and AMOVA indicated a clear spatial genetic structure for A. altaica on the Khamar-Daban Ridge. The most reliable geographical model suggests that during periods of Pleistocene cooling, A. altaica persisted in at least six microrefugia within the ridge. Populations associated with these microrefugia formed western, central, and eastern genetic supergroups with limited gene flow among them. Gene flow likely occurred more easily during glaciations or early interglacials when the subalpine zone shifted closer to Lake Baikal due to the depression of the snow boundary, allowing adjacent populations to intermingle along the glacial edges and terminal moraines in mountain forest belt. Full article

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33 pages, 2340 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dietary Reconstruction of Pliocene–Pleistocene Mammoths and Elephants (Proboscidea) from Northern Greece Based on Dental Mesowear Analysis

by Christos Tsakalidis, George E. Konidaris, Evangelia Tsoukala and Dimitris S. Kostopoulos

Quaternary 2025, 8(2), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat8020019 - 11 Apr 2025

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Abstract

Dental wear analyses of extinct animals offer key insights into their dietary preferences and in turn contribute substantially to palaeoenvironmental reconstructions, leading to more accurate interpretations about past ecosystems. This study employs dental mesowear analysis on Pliocene and Pleistocene elephants and mammoths from [...] Read more.

Dental wear analyses of extinct animals offer key insights into their dietary preferences and in turn contribute substantially to palaeoenvironmental reconstructions, leading to more accurate interpretations about past ecosystems. This study employs dental mesowear analysis on Pliocene and Pleistocene elephants and mammoths from several localities in Northern Greece (Ptolemais Basin, Mygdonia Basin, Drama Basin, and the Neapolis-Grevena Basin), aiming to classify them into three main dietary categories (browsers, mixed-feeders, grazers) and investigate potential niche partitioning. The method relies on documenting the wear pattern of molar surfaces through angle measurements on the enamel ridges, which reflect the average annual diet of the examined taxon and in turn the annual ecological conditions of the studied area. Prior to the palaeodietary study and in order to ensure the taxonomic attribution of the examined specimens, a taxonomic review was conducted which confirmed the presence of the mammoths Mammuthus rumanus, Mammuthus meridionalis (southern mammoth), and Mammuthus trogontherii (steppe mammoth), and the European straight-tusked elephant Palaeoloxodon antiquus. Dental mesowear results indicate a grazing diet for M. (cf.) rumanus, a mainly browsing diet for M. meridionalis but mixed-feeding to grazing for the subspecies Mammuthus meridionalis vestinus, a grazing one for M. trogontherii, and a wide diet spectrum for P. antiquus, including browsing, mixed-feeding and grazing, depending on the locality. This study expands our knowledge on the palaeoecology of Greek proboscideans and further highlights the importance of mesowear analysis on proboscidean teeth for palaeodietary and palaeoenviromental inferences. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Paleoecology, Evolution, Biogeography and Systematics of Quaternary Mammals)

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7 pages, 223 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Palynology for Sustainability: A Classical and Versatile Tool for New Challenges—Recent Progress

by Anna Maria Mercuri, Assunta Florenzano, Eleonora Clò and Gabriel Servera-Vives

Quaternary 2025, 8(2), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat8020018 - 1 Apr 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 361

Abstract

Palynology deals with several topics closely linked to sustainability [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Palynology for Sustainability: A Classical and Versatile Tool for New Challenges)

19 pages, 3028 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Temperature and Precipitation Since 4.3 ka Using Palynological Data from Kundala Lake Sediments, Kerala, India

by Anjum Farooqui and Salman Khan

Quaternary 2025, 8(2), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/quat8020017 - 1 Apr 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 442

Abstract

A comprehensive database of paleo vegetation from Kundala Lake, Kerala, was used for a palynological study in a 120 cm sedimentary profile from Kundala Lake (1700 mamsl), Palni Hills, to understand the climate and vegetation equilibrium during the last four millennia. On the [...] Read more.

A comprehensive database of paleo vegetation from Kundala Lake, Kerala, was used for a palynological study in a 120 cm sedimentary profile from Kundala Lake (1700 mamsl), Palni Hills, to understand the climate and vegetation equilibrium during the last four millennia. On the basis of pollen assemblage and cluster analysis, a relatively high percentage of evergreen vegetation between 4.3 and 3.4 ka (phase I) was inferred to represent the relicts of middle Holocene vegetation during a warmer climate. Subsequently, in the periods of 3.4–2.3 ka (phase II) and 2.3–0.87 ka (phase III), herbs/shrubs dominated. A relative increase in the percentage of arboreals along with herbaceous taxa was again observed from 0.87 to 0.12 ka (phase IV). Later, in phase V (from 1820 AD to present), few new plant taxa were recorded. On the basis of the ‘coexistence approach’, the Mean Annual Temperature (MAT) was inferred to be 22 °C, 15 °C, 15 °C, 20 °C and 22 °C during phases I to V, respectively. The Mean Annual Precipitation (MAP)was 2660 ± 3700 mm from ~4.3 to 0.12 ka; however, it decreased to ~1750 mm between 3.4 and 2.3 ka. However, pollen evidence reveals short-term cooler spells during the 16/17th century AD, which is in concordance with the globally recorded cooler and arid climate that began sometime from ~5.0 to 4.0 ka. A thematic digital elevation map of vegetation reconstructed for the years 2005 and 2018 shows a reduction in evergreen plants and water bodies in the vicinity of Kundala Lake, which was correlated with the results of palynological studies and Indian meteorological data for the last ~100 years in the region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vegetation Response to the Hydro-Climatic Changes during the Late Quaternary)

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Quaternary, Volume 8, Issue 2 (June 2025) – 11 articles

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