The origin of cultural modernity and the earliest anatomically modern humans in Europe Michael Bolus, Maria Malina and Nicholas J. Conard Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Introduction While biological modernity evolved in Africa some 200,000 years ago, the same is not true for cultural modernity. With regard to technology, settlement and subsistence, the archaeological record in Africa around 80,000 years ago includes nearly everything that would be expected in the context of anatomically modern humans (AMH), but there are several obvious differences compared to the material culture of AMH in Europe. The key elements missing in the African and Near Eastern record are figurative representations, ornaments formed in threedimensions, indications of complex beliefs, and musical instruments. Cultural modernity in its full sense does not seem to appear earlier than about 40,000 years ago, and it is only in Europe where the whole package of innovations can be seen nearly contemporaneously in several regions.
The Swabian sites support the Danube Corridor hypothesis which regards the Danube Valley as one major migration route for early AMH.
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Ivory objects from the Swabian Aurignacian: a) mammoth figurine from Vogelherd; b-d) ornaments from Hohle Fels; e) Venus figurine from Hohle Fels; f) flute from Geißenklösterle. Photo: a, f) J. Liptak; b-e) H. Jensen.
Early evidence for cultural modernity in Western Europe: Cave sites in northeastern Spain
Possible migration routes of early anatomically modern humans.
Models for the migration of anatomically modern humans into Europe When mapping sites which have yielded key elements of cultural modernity as well as sites with fossils of early AMH, it is possible to establish working hypotheses about migration routes. The Levantine Corridor and migrations along the northern Black Sea are possible routes for modern humans entering Europe. Several routes led into the interior and the western parts of the continent. Sites in central Europe such as Willendorf in Austria or the Swabian sites give support for the Danube Corridor hypothesis, while sites in northern Italy, southeastern France and northeastern Spain hint at migrations along the northern Mediterranean coastline.
Two cave sites in northeastern Spain, Reclau Viver and Arbreda, have yielded rich early Upper Paleolithic deposits with radiocarbon ages as old as 40,000 BP. Though no art objects or musical instruments have been found, the lithic and organic assemblages, as well as personal ornaments, represent important key elements of cultural modernity. These remains differ from those of the Swabian Aurignacian and instead show close similarities with assemblages from northern Italy and southeastern France. The most typical lithic tool types are backed bladelets and points. With regard to the Italian site of Grotta di Fumane, these assemblages may be called Fumanian. They provide evidence for migrations of early AMH along the northern Mediterranean coastline.
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Early evidence for cultural modernity in Central Europe: The Aurignacian of the Swabian Jura Aurignacian deposits of caves in the Swabian Jura such as Geißenklösterle, Hohle Fels and Vogelherd yielded the oldest assemblages containing the entire package of innovations characterizing cultural modernity. A large variety of personal ornaments, as well as bone and ivory flutes, and three-dimensional art objects are clear expressions of fully modern symbolic behavior. Possibly the most spectacular object is the so-called Venus from Hohle Fels. Coming from the basal Aurignacian deposits and thus with an age of 40-35,000 radiocarbon years BP, it is the first known representation of a human worldwide.
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Fumanian finds from Reclau Viver cave, northeastern Spain: a) backed points; b) bone point; c) perforated teeth. Photo: a-c) N. Soler.
References: Bolus, M. and N. J. Conard 2008: What can we say about the spatial-temporal distribution of early Aurignacian innovations? Eurasian Prehistory 5(2), 19-29. Conard, N. J. 2008: A critical view of the evidence for a southern African origin of behavioral modernity. Goodwin Series of the South African Archaeological Society 10, 175-179. Conard, N. J. 2009: A female figurine from the basal Aurignacian of Hohle Fels Cave in southwestern Germany. Nature 459, 248-252. Conard, N. J. and M. Bolus 2008: Radiocarbon dating the late Middle Paleolithic and the Aurignacian of the Swabian Jura. Journal of Human Evolution 55, 886-897. Conard, N. J., M. Lingnau, and M. Malina 2007: Einmalige Funde durch die Nachgrabung am Vogelherd bei Niederstotzingen-Stetten ob Lontal, Kreis Heidenheim. AABW 2006, 20-24. Conard, N. J., M. Malina, and S. C. Münzel 2009: New flutes document the earliest musical tradition in southwestern Germany. Nature 460, 737-740.
Contact:
Michael Bolus Nicholas J. Conard Maria Malina
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