Kozarnika Cave. A new, important site.

[Jacques Cinq-Mars]

All,

Just a bit of news concerning the recent discovery of a rich deposit (lithics and associated faunal remains) in Kozarnika Cave, located in N.W. Bulgaria. Even more interesting/exciting is that the age estimate for this material – - based on paleomagnetism and associated fauna – - falls between 0.9 and 1.1 MYA. This would make it the earliest site ever found in this region which is quite important in terms of early human biogeography and dispersals from the Levant and Africa.

This research is carried out by J.L Guadelli of the Institut de Préhistoire et de Géologie du Quaternaire – Bordeaux – France.

Hopefully, we will hear more about this in the near future.

Jacques Cinq-Mars

PS  The above was very quickly/freely translated and summarized  from a short news item put out by the Institute.

[Jacques Cinq-Mars]

All,

One thing I neglected to include in my earlier post is that, according to the Institute report, the lithic material appears somewhat "evolved" (whatever that means) relative to its great age.

Jacques Cinq-Mars

[lagarvelho]

Jacques:

Is there any way the rest of us could read this report?
Anne G

[Jacques Cinq-Mars]

Jacques:

Is there any way the rest of us could read this report?
Anne G

For the time being, "that" is the report. I'll try to find more about this.

Jacques

[Daryl Habel]

A quick google search for Kozarnika Cave revealed the following article:

http://www.iabrno.cz/vjournal5.htm

Seems there are Late Pleistocene Upper Paleolithic cultural manifestations with (at least) "Gravettian levels" and a note that "the Gravettian culture appeared quite early. Cultural level VI dates back to more than 35000 BP".

Below in deeper strata, there apparently are Early and Early Middle Pleistocene levels in which the fauna found in "layers 11a, 11b"  _apparently_ dates to 700,000-1,000,000 BP, early human occupation as demonstrated by finds of "proto levallois forms and small bifacial forms", but they also note a lack of pebble tools, cleavers, and "big" bifaces "characteristic for this period."

It does look like a place to keep an eye out for.

Dar

[Jacques Cinq-Mars]

A quick google search for Kozarnika Cave revealed the following article:

http://www.iabrno.cz/vjournal5.htm

Seems there are Late Pleistocene Upper Paleolithic cultural manifestations with (at least) "Gravettian levels" and a note that "the Gravettian culture appeared quite early. Cultural level IV dates back to more than 35000 BP".

Below in deeper strata, there apparently are Early and Early Middle Pleistocene levels in which the fauna found in "layers 11a, 11b"  _apparently_ dates to 700,000-1,000,000 BP, early human occupation as demonstrated by finds of "proto levallois forms and small bifacial forms", but they also note a lack of pebble tools, cleavers, and "big" bifaces "characteristic for this period."

It does look like a place to keep an eye out for.

Dar

Thanks for that. I suppose I should have Googled too ! And you are right, it is certainly something we have "to keep an eye out for". I expect to get some additional info in a little while and, needless to say, I'll pass it around.

Jacques

[lagarvelho]

Jacques:

Okay.  I guess I'll just have to wait. . . .

But thanks anyway.
Anne G

For the time being, "that" is the report. I'll try to find more about this.

Jacques

[Jacques Cinq-Mars]

Here is access to some more information on the work carried out in Bulgaria by Guadelli and his colleagues:

 CLICK HERE and HERE

This Web material has not been updated for a while, and I'll try to pass on additional information if and when I receive it.

Jacques Cinq-Mars

[thuur khan]

In Kozarnika, the fragments of a skull was discovered. It belongs to a member of genus Homo 1.4 My old.
In Kozarnika were also discovered animal bones engraved by human hand !
Kozarnika Cave is a new important site !

[Mikey Brass]

In Kozarnika, the fragments of a skull was discovered. It belongs to a member of genus Homo 1.4 My old.

The earliest dates I have seen for the paleontological layers is 1 mya, with a range of 700kya to 1 mya. Here you are claiming that the date is in fact on the order of 400 000 - 700 000 older. Neither have I seen reports mentioning a cranium; there are proto-Levallois stone tools. What is your reference for these claims ?

[thuur khan]

JL Guadelli & N Sirakov presented the both newest discoveries at the symposium "données récentes sur les modalités de peuplement en Europe au Paléolithique inferieur et moyen" (Rennes, France, september 2003).

In an interview published by La Recherche (november 2003, #369, page 19, French), Jean-Luc Guadelli told that Kozarnika got 21 levels from 1.4 My to the present day. The earliest levels contain the fragment of a human skull from the same period than Le Vallonnet (France) and Fuenta Nueve III (Spain).

The team also discovered the oldiest european evidence of a symbolic activity : two bones (of a cow and of an elk) with man made engravings that can't be marks of butchery.

The original text : "Nous avons 21 couches sédimentaires qui vont de 1,4 million d'années à l'époque actuelle. Les couches les plus anciennes contiennent (...) un petit fragment de crâne (...). Nous connaissons des sites de cette époque en Europe, tels que Le Vallonnet en France et Fuenta Nueve III en Espagne (...). Anne-Marie Tillier et Patrice Courtaud (...) ont pu identifier le genre Homo."

[Mikey Brass]

Did they state, at the symposium, when they will publish a report on these findings ?

[Daryl Habel]

JL Guadelli & N Sirakov presented the both newest discoveries at the symposium "données récentes sur les modalités de peuplement en Europe au Paléolithique inferieur et moyen" (Rennes, France, september 2003).

In an interview published by La Recherche (november 2003, #369, page 19, French), Jean-Luc Guadelli told that Kozarnika got 21 levels from 1.4 My to the present day. The earliest levels contain the fragment of a human skull from the same period than Le Vallonnet (France) and Fuenta Nueve III (Spain).

The team also discovered the oldiest european evidence of a symbolic activity : two bones (of a cow and of an elk) with man made engravings that can't be marks of butchery.

The original text : "Nous avons 21 couches sédimentaires qui vont de 1,4 million d'années à l'époque actuelle. Les couches les plus anciennes contiennent (...) un petit fragment de crâne (...). Nous connaissons des sites de cette époque en Europe, tels que Le Vallonnet en France et Fuenta Nueve III en Espagne (...). Anne-Marie Tillier et Patrice Courtaud (...) ont pu identifier le genre Homo."

All,

Some news today on BBC, announcing the discovery of "symbolic activity" (as quoted above), in Kozarnika Cave, with a photograph of one of the "engravings", at:
CLICK HERE FOR THE URL.
But no mention yet of the human skull fragment reported in the interview published in La Recherche.  Soon?

Oops, I must add the BBC article mentions discovery of a human molar, probable H. erectus, which I suppose qualifies loosly as a skull fragment.

Dar

[thuur khan]

Guadelli told about a skull fragment of circa 10 cm, and not only a tooth.
Regards