Recent research in the southern Central Balkans has resulted in the discovery of the first Middle Paleolithic sites in this region. Systematic excavations of Velika and Mala Balanica, and Pešturina (southern Serbia) revealed assemblages of Middle Paleolithic artifacts associated with hominin fossils and animal bones. This paper focuses on Pešturina Layer 4, radiometrically and biostratigraphically dated to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5, which yielded traces of temporary hunting camps. The remains of large ungulate prey are associated with predominantly Quina-type artifacts made of quartz. Artifacts from Pešturina Cave have no parallels at Mousterian sites in the Balkans but are rather similar to the Central European Charentian, which demonstrates that this cultural unit was widespread during MIS 5, not only in the southern Pannonian Basin but also in the Central Balkans. The position of the site – on the outskirts of the known spread of the Quina model of techno-economic behavior during... MIS 5 – raises several questions related to population movements, residential mobility, and technological variability in the early Middle Paleolithic of Central and Southeast Europe.
Keywords:
Neanderthal behavior / MIS 5 / Middle Paleolithic / Charentian / Central Balkans
TY - JOUR
AU - Mihailović, D.
AU - Milošević, S.
AU - Blackwell, B.A.B.
AU - Mercier, Norbert
AU - Mentzer, S.M.
AU - Miller, C.E.
AU - Morley, Mike W.
AU - Bogićević, Katarina
AU - Đurić, D.
AU - Marković, J.
AU - Mihailović, Bojana
AU - Dragosavac, Sofija
AU - Plavšić, Senka
AU - Skinner, A.R.
AU - Chaity, I.I.C.
AU - Huang, Y.E.W.
AU - Chu, S.
AU - Nenadić, Draženko
AU - Radović, Predrag
AU - Lindal, J.
AU - Roksandić, Mirjana
PY - 2021
UR - http://reff.f.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3291
AB - Recent research in the southern Central Balkans has resulted in the discovery of the first Middle Paleolithic sites in this region. Systematic excavations of Velika and Mala Balanica, and Pešturina (southern Serbia) revealed assemblages of Middle Paleolithic artifacts associated with hominin fossils and animal bones. This paper focuses on Pešturina Layer 4, radiometrically and biostratigraphically dated to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5, which yielded traces of temporary hunting camps. The remains of large ungulate prey are associated with predominantly Quina-type artifacts made of quartz. Artifacts from Pešturina Cave have no parallels at Mousterian sites in the Balkans but are rather similar to the Central European Charentian, which demonstrates that this cultural unit was widespread during MIS 5, not only in the southern Pannonian Basin but also in the Central Balkans. The position of the site – on the outskirts of the known spread of the Quina model of techno-economic behavior during MIS 5 – raises several questions related to population movements, residential mobility, and technological variability in the early Middle Paleolithic of Central and Southeast Europe.
PB - Elsevier Ltd
T2 - Quaternary International
T1 - Neanderthal settlement of the Central Balkans during MIS 5: Evidence from Pešturina Cave, Serbia
DO - 10.1016/j.quaint.2021.09.003
ER -
@article{
author = "Mihailović, D. and Milošević, S. and Blackwell, B.A.B. and Mercier, Norbert and Mentzer, S.M. and Miller, C.E. and Morley, Mike W. and Bogićević, Katarina and Đurić, D. and Marković, J. and Mihailović, Bojana and Dragosavac, Sofija and Plavšić, Senka and Skinner, A.R. and Chaity, I.I.C. and Huang, Y.E.W. and Chu, S. and Nenadić, Draženko and Radović, Predrag and Lindal, J. and Roksandić, Mirjana",
year = "2021",
abstract = "Recent research in the southern Central Balkans has resulted in the discovery of the first Middle Paleolithic sites in this region. Systematic excavations of Velika and Mala Balanica, and Pešturina (southern Serbia) revealed assemblages of Middle Paleolithic artifacts associated with hominin fossils and animal bones. This paper focuses on Pešturina Layer 4, radiometrically and biostratigraphically dated to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5, which yielded traces of temporary hunting camps. The remains of large ungulate prey are associated with predominantly Quina-type artifacts made of quartz. Artifacts from Pešturina Cave have no parallels at Mousterian sites in the Balkans but are rather similar to the Central European Charentian, which demonstrates that this cultural unit was widespread during MIS 5, not only in the southern Pannonian Basin but also in the Central Balkans. The position of the site – on the outskirts of the known spread of the Quina model of techno-economic behavior during MIS 5 – raises several questions related to population movements, residential mobility, and technological variability in the early Middle Paleolithic of Central and Southeast Europe.",
publisher = "Elsevier Ltd",
journal = "Quaternary International",
title = "Neanderthal settlement of the Central Balkans during MIS 5: Evidence from Pešturina Cave, Serbia",
doi = "10.1016/j.quaint.2021.09.003"
}
Mihailović, D., Milošević, S., Blackwell, B.A.B., Mercier, N., Mentzer, S.M., Miller, C.E., Morley, M. W., Bogićević, K., Đurić, D., Marković, J., Mihailović, B., Dragosavac, S., Plavšić, S., Skinner, A.R., Chaity, I.I.C., Huang, Y.E.W., Chu, S., Nenadić, D., Radović, P., Lindal, J.,& Roksandić, M.. (2021). Neanderthal settlement of the Central Balkans during MIS 5: Evidence from Pešturina Cave, Serbia. in Quaternary International
Elsevier Ltd..
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2021.09.003
Mihailović D, Milošević S, Blackwell B, Mercier N, Mentzer S, Miller C, Morley MW, Bogićević K, Đurić D, Marković J, Mihailović B, Dragosavac S, Plavšić S, Skinner A, Chaity I, Huang Y, Chu S, Nenadić D, Radović P, Lindal J, Roksandić M. Neanderthal settlement of the Central Balkans during MIS 5: Evidence from Pešturina Cave, Serbia. in Quaternary International. 2021;.
doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2021.09.003 .
Mihailović, D., Milošević, S., Blackwell, B.A.B., Mercier, Norbert, Mentzer, S.M., Miller, C.E., Morley, Mike W., Bogićević, Katarina, Đurić, D., Marković, J., Mihailović, Bojana, Dragosavac, Sofija, Plavšić, Senka, Skinner, A.R., Chaity, I.I.C., Huang, Y.E.W., Chu, S., Nenadić, Draženko, Radović, Predrag, Lindal, J., Roksandić, Mirjana, "Neanderthal settlement of the Central Balkans during MIS 5: Evidence from Pešturina Cave, Serbia" in Quaternary International (2021),
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2021.09.003 . .
