GEOPAL - Geotope reconstruction and Bioeconomic Potential in Palaeolithic site territories
Final Report Abstract
Throughout the entire Paleolithic era, the exploitation of various biogenic resources was crucial for human survival. The distribution of different habitats of animal and plant species, essential to Paleolithic humans, was determined by a range of factors in the landscape. A central influence on the distribution patterns of these biotopes was the local and regional topography. Numerous factors, such as moisture distribution, solar radiation, and erosion, determine the habitats. The aim of the project was to quantify landscape compositions and correlate them with Upper Paleolithic site distributions in Europe and the Levant. This aimed to identify connections between site locations and surrounding topography. By doing so, it allowed inferences about decision-making patterns regarding prehistoric campsite selection. The unit of "landform" was used as an indicator of landscape characteristics, serving as a proxy for discrete physiotopes. The temporal subdivision of the Upper Paleolithic from the Early Upper Paleolithic to the Late Paleolithic allowed for a diachronic investigation of potential human adaptations to changing habitat patterns. Qualitative and quantitative analyses revealed correlations between the location of Paleolithic campsites and their surrounding topography. Generally, cooler climatic conditions were associated with the retreat of hunter-gatherers into topographically heterogeneous refugia. This could potentially be a risk minimization strategy through a more diverse resource base. In warmer phases, humans tended to occupy more homogeneous landscapes to increase the accessible volume of specific resources. This might be related to greater resource stability during warmer periods. Additionally, the warmer climatic conditions restricted landscape accessibility due to denser vegetation cover. Conversely, landscape cover opened up more during colder phases, possibly allowing the use of otherwise inaccessible regions. Adaptation behavior varied significantly by region and could, in some cases, deviate markedly from the general trend. This research was conducted as part of a doctoral thesis at the University of Cologne and published as a digital monograph.
Publications
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Diachronic Perspectives on Upper Palaeolithic Landscape Accessibility, Quartär 68
Schoenenberg, Jonathan & Sauer, Florian
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Untersuchungen zur Jungpaläolithischen Landnutzung Europas und der Levante. Dissertation an der Universität zu Köln. Betreuer: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Richter
Schoenenberg, Jonathan
