Abstract
The precise evolutionary position of the Neanderthal people con-tinues to be a major uncertainty in human evolution. Their origin and their relationship to anatomically modern people are unclear and are clouded by poor chronology. Lithic artefacts of' the Mousterian type, found throughout Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, are believed to be the tool kit of the Neanderthals, but dates within Mousterian-bearing deposits are extremely rare. We report here on 20 high-quality uranium-series dates from Mousterian beds at Abric Romani, a rock shelter near Barcelona, Spain. The dates range from 39 to 60 kyr before present (BP) in an orderly stratigraphic succession and provide precise chronological control on an important Mousterian archaeological site.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Dennell, R. Nature 301, 199 (1983).
Blackwell, B., Schwarcz, H. P. & Debenath, A. J. archaeol. Sci. 10, 493–513 (1983).
Blackwell, B. & Schwarcz, H. P. in Grotte Vaufrey: Paleoenvironnements, Chronologie et activités Humaine (ed. Rigaud, J.-Ph) (Societe Prèhistorique Francaise, Paris) (in the press).
Laville, H., Rigaud, J-P. & Sackett, J. Rock Shelters of the Perigord: Geological Stratigraphy and Archeological Succession (Academic, New York, 1980).
Harmon, R. S., Ford, D. C. & Schwarcz, H. P. Can. J. Earth Sci. 14, 2543–2552 (1977).
Valladas, H., Geneste, J. M., Joron, J. L. & Chadelle, J. P. Nature 322, 452–454 (1986).
de Lumley, H. & Ripoll, E. L'Anthropologie, T. 66, (1–2) 1–35 (1962).
Laplace, G. L'Anthropologie, T. 66, (1–2), 36–43 (1962).
Julia, R. in Carbonate Depositional Environments (eds Scholle, P., Bebout, D. & Moore, C.) Memoir 33, 64–72 (Am. Ass. Petrol. Geologists, Tulsa, 1983).
Ku, T. L. thesis, Univ. Columbia (1986).
Ku, T. L. & Liang, Z.-C. Nucl. Instrum. Meth. 563–571 (1984).
Moore, W. S. & Somayajulu, B. L. K. J. geophys. Res. 79, 5065–5068 (1974).
Martinson, D. G. et al. Quat. Res. 27, 1–24 (1987).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bischoff, J., Julia, R. & Mora, R. Uranium-series dating of the Mousterian occupation at Abric Romani, Spain. Nature 332, 68–70 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/332068a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/332068a0
This article is cited by
-
Winter sources of ascorbic acid for Pleistocene hominins in northern Eurasia
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences (2023)
-
Incidental burning on bones by Neanderthals: the role of fire in the Qa level of Abric Romaní rock-shelter (Spain)
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences (2022)
-
Variability of limestone knapping methods in Middle Palaeolithic levels M and Ob of Abric Romaní (Barcelona, Spain)
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences (2021)
-
Wind of change: zooarchaeological approach to the Middle–Upper Palaeolithic transition in Cova Gran of Santa Linya (Lleida, south-eastern Pre-Pyrenees)
Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology (2020)
-
Use-wear analysis of a specific mobile toolkit from the Middle Paleolithic site of Abric Romaní (Barcelona, Spain): a case study from level M
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences (2020)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.