Excavations at Schöningen and paradigm shifts in human evolution

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Excavations at Schöningen and paradigm shifts in human evolution. / Conard, Nicholas J.; Serangeli, Jordi; Böhner, Utz et al.
In: Journal of Human Evolution, Vol. 89, 02.12.2015, p. 1-17.

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Harvard

Conard, NJ, Serangeli, J, Böhner, U, Starkovich, BM, Miller, CE, Urban, B & van Kolfschoten, T 2015, 'Excavations at Schöningen and paradigm shifts in human evolution', Journal of Human Evolution, vol. 89, pp. 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.10.003

APA

Conard, N. J., Serangeli, J., Böhner, U., Starkovich, B. M., Miller, C. E., Urban, B., & van Kolfschoten, T. (2015). Excavations at Schöningen and paradigm shifts in human evolution. Journal of Human Evolution, 89, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.10.003

Vancouver

Conard NJ, Serangeli J, Böhner U, Starkovich BM, Miller CE, Urban B et al. Excavations at Schöningen and paradigm shifts in human evolution. Journal of Human Evolution. 2015 Dec 2;89:1-17. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.10.003

Bibtex

@article{bf465abe97c24a0a8727ea60b64b1e34,
title = "Excavations at Sch{\"o}ningen and paradigm shifts in human evolution",
abstract = "The exceptional preservation at Sch{\"o}ningen together with a mixture of perseverance, hard work, and sheer luck led to the recovery of unique finds in an exceptional context. The 1995 discovery of numerous wooden artifacts, most notably at least 10 carefully made spears together with the skeletons of at least 20 to 25 butchered horses, brought the debate about hunting versus scavenging among late archaic hominins and analogous arguments about the purportedly primitive behavior of Homo heidelbergensis and Neanderthals to an end. Work under H. Thieme's lead from 1992 to 2008 and results from the current team since 2008 demonstrate that late H. heidelbergensis or early Neanderthals used sophisticated artifacts made from floral and faunal materials, in addition to lithic artifacts more typically recovered at Lower Paleolithic sites. The finds from the famous Horse Butchery Site and two dozen other archaeological horizons from the edges of the open-cast mine at Sch{\"o}ningen provide many new insights into the technology and behavioral patterns of hominins about 300 ka BP during MIS 9 on the Northern European Plain. An analysis of the finds from Sch{\"o}ningen and their contexts shows that the inhabitants of the site were skilled hunters at the top of the food chain and exhibited a high level of planning depth. These hominins had command of effective means of communication about the here and now, and the past and the future, that allowed them to repeatedly execute well-coordinated and successful group activities that likely culminated in a division of labor and social and economic patterns radically different from those of all non-human primates. The unique preservation and high quality excavations have led to a major paradigm shift or {"}Sch{\"o}ningen Effect{"} that changed our views of human evolution during the late Lower Paleolithic. In this respect, we can view the behaviors documented at Sch{\"o}ningen as a plausible baseline for the behavioral sophistication of archaic hominins of the late Middle Pleistocene and subsequent periods.",
keywords = "Sustainability Science, Lower Paleolithic, Settlements of dynamics, Butchery, Hunterers and gatherers, Organic technology, Symbolic communication",
author = "Conard, {Nicholas J.} and Jordi Serangeli and Utz B{\"o}hner and Starkovich, {Britt M.} and Miller, {Christopher E.} and Brigitte Urban and {van Kolfschoten}, Thijs",
year = "2015",
month = dec,
day = "2",
doi = "10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.10.003",
language = "English",
volume = "89",
pages = "1--17",
journal = "Journal of Human Evolution",
issn = "0047-2484",
publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Excavations at Schöningen and paradigm shifts in human evolution

AU - Conard, Nicholas J.

AU - Serangeli, Jordi

AU - Böhner, Utz

AU - Starkovich, Britt M.

AU - Miller, Christopher E.

AU - Urban, Brigitte

AU - van Kolfschoten, Thijs

PY - 2015/12/2

Y1 - 2015/12/2

N2 - The exceptional preservation at Schöningen together with a mixture of perseverance, hard work, and sheer luck led to the recovery of unique finds in an exceptional context. The 1995 discovery of numerous wooden artifacts, most notably at least 10 carefully made spears together with the skeletons of at least 20 to 25 butchered horses, brought the debate about hunting versus scavenging among late archaic hominins and analogous arguments about the purportedly primitive behavior of Homo heidelbergensis and Neanderthals to an end. Work under H. Thieme's lead from 1992 to 2008 and results from the current team since 2008 demonstrate that late H. heidelbergensis or early Neanderthals used sophisticated artifacts made from floral and faunal materials, in addition to lithic artifacts more typically recovered at Lower Paleolithic sites. The finds from the famous Horse Butchery Site and two dozen other archaeological horizons from the edges of the open-cast mine at Schöningen provide many new insights into the technology and behavioral patterns of hominins about 300 ka BP during MIS 9 on the Northern European Plain. An analysis of the finds from Schöningen and their contexts shows that the inhabitants of the site were skilled hunters at the top of the food chain and exhibited a high level of planning depth. These hominins had command of effective means of communication about the here and now, and the past and the future, that allowed them to repeatedly execute well-coordinated and successful group activities that likely culminated in a division of labor and social and economic patterns radically different from those of all non-human primates. The unique preservation and high quality excavations have led to a major paradigm shift or "Schöningen Effect" that changed our views of human evolution during the late Lower Paleolithic. In this respect, we can view the behaviors documented at Schöningen as a plausible baseline for the behavioral sophistication of archaic hominins of the late Middle Pleistocene and subsequent periods.

AB - The exceptional preservation at Schöningen together with a mixture of perseverance, hard work, and sheer luck led to the recovery of unique finds in an exceptional context. The 1995 discovery of numerous wooden artifacts, most notably at least 10 carefully made spears together with the skeletons of at least 20 to 25 butchered horses, brought the debate about hunting versus scavenging among late archaic hominins and analogous arguments about the purportedly primitive behavior of Homo heidelbergensis and Neanderthals to an end. Work under H. Thieme's lead from 1992 to 2008 and results from the current team since 2008 demonstrate that late H. heidelbergensis or early Neanderthals used sophisticated artifacts made from floral and faunal materials, in addition to lithic artifacts more typically recovered at Lower Paleolithic sites. The finds from the famous Horse Butchery Site and two dozen other archaeological horizons from the edges of the open-cast mine at Schöningen provide many new insights into the technology and behavioral patterns of hominins about 300 ka BP during MIS 9 on the Northern European Plain. An analysis of the finds from Schöningen and their contexts shows that the inhabitants of the site were skilled hunters at the top of the food chain and exhibited a high level of planning depth. These hominins had command of effective means of communication about the here and now, and the past and the future, that allowed them to repeatedly execute well-coordinated and successful group activities that likely culminated in a division of labor and social and economic patterns radically different from those of all non-human primates. The unique preservation and high quality excavations have led to a major paradigm shift or "Schöningen Effect" that changed our views of human evolution during the late Lower Paleolithic. In this respect, we can view the behaviors documented at Schöningen as a plausible baseline for the behavioral sophistication of archaic hominins of the late Middle Pleistocene and subsequent periods.

KW - Sustainability Science

KW - Lower Paleolithic

KW - Settlements of dynamics

KW - Butchery

KW - Hunterers and gatherers

KW - Organic technology

KW - Symbolic communication

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84949293094&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/ef06d1c1-e766-3818-beac-c3974de4097a/

U2 - 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.10.003

DO - 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.10.003

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 26653207

VL - 89

SP - 1

EP - 17

JO - Journal of Human Evolution

JF - Journal of Human Evolution

SN - 0047-2484

ER -