Old Man Winter
Hominin glacial-stage occupation 712,000 to 424,000 years ago at Fordwich Pit, Old Park (Canterbury, UK)
Alastair Key et al.
Nature Ecology & Evolution, October 2025, Pages 1781-1790
Abstract:
Few high-latitude archaeological contexts are older than marine isotope stage (MIS) 15 and even fewer provide evidence of early human occupation during a glacial period. New discoveries at Old Park, Canterbury (UK), provide evidence of both the oldest accessible artefact-bearing sediment in northern Europe and cold-stage adaptation. Radiometric and palaeomagnetic dating places the earliest suggested occupation of this site between 773 thousand years ago (ka) and 607 ka, with hominin presence inferred during MIS 17–16. Two additional artefact-bearing stratigraphic units, dated to around 542 ka and 437 ka, strongly align with the MIS 14 and 12 cold stages, respectively. The latter unit contains convincing evidence of glacial-stage occupation by Acheulean hominins; fresh, unabraded flakes (including biface-thinning) between clearly defined glacial-aged sediments displaying mixed grassland palaeoenvironmental evidence. An historically collected assemblage of more than 330 handaxes is argued to be derived from both the MIS 17–16 and MIS 12 sediments, providing evidence of the earliest known Acheulean bifaces in northern Europe, and re-occupation by Acheulean populations 200,000 years later. Together, Old Park provides evidence for Lower Palaeolithic hominins reoccupying a location over several mid-Pleistocene MIS cycles, early human presence above 51° latitude during a glacial stage and handaxe production in northern Europe from MIS 17 to 16.
Neandertal Cold Adaptation: Technological, Anatomical, and Physiological Responses to Cold Stress in One of Our Closest Fossil Relatives
Trenton Holliday et al.
American Journal of Human Biology, October 2025
Abstract:
Neandertals occupied western Eurasia for over 100 000 years, repeatedly enduring climates that ranged from seasonally cold to glacial. This paper reexamines the question of Neandertal cold adaptation using updated fossil, physiological, and archaeological evidence. While some populations lived outside glacial extremes, all faced periodic cold stress, and their survival depended on a diverse set of strategies. Technological buffers, including fire use, hide processing tools, and possible clothing and footwear, likely played a primary role in reducing cold exposure. Anatomically, Neandertals exhibit high body mass, broad trunks, and abbreviated limbs, consistent with thermoregulatory principles. The Neandertal nasal region, long considered paradoxical, now appears well suited to cold-dry air-conditioning; computational fluid dynamics and new endoscopic data support a functionally integrated nasal cavity with substantial internal surface area. Physiological adaptations remain inferential but plausible, including elevated basal metabolism, energy-dense diets, and potential use of brown adipose tissue. These factors likely contributed to high total energy expenditures, enabling thermoregulation in demanding environments. Rather than a single trait or “signature” adaptation, Neandertals present an integrated response to cold stress shaped by geography, development, culture, and genetics. This holistic view reframes Neandertal biology as deeply thermally engaged and sets the stage for targeted tests of function and mechanism in future research.
Modeling the rise and demise of Classic Maya cities: Climate, conflict, and economies of scale
Weston McCool et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 21 October 2025
Abstract:
Urbanization was one of the most significant transitions in human history, yet explanations for the rise and expansion of early cities remain contentious. Here, we propose that simple models from population ecology can integrate existing theories for the development of early cities. Using newly synthesized paleoclimatological, paleoecological, demographic, and historical data from across the Classic Period Maya Lowlands (250–1000 CE) integrated with piece-wise structural equation models, we show that climate downturns, intergroup conflict, and strong economies of scale interact to promote the coevolution of urbanism and patron–client relationships, fueling city expansion, urban institutions, and systemic inequality. In addition, we elucidate how these nonlinear pathways structure the persistence or dissolution of cities. This study underscores the importance of robust economies of scale in the development of early cities and provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the conditions that promote or hinder urbanization, offering insights applicable to both ancient and contemporary urban dynamics.
Great pots look alike — social and political aspects of mass production of standardized storage jars in early monarchic Israel (late 10th-9th century BCE)
Ortal Harush et al.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, October 2025
Abstract:
Identifying production units and distinct knowledge communities in the archaeological record is a complex challenge. However, the novel combination of innovative 3D methodologies, advanced shape analysis, and provenance studies enable the detection of consistent, repeatable, and stable characteristics in final products. Utilizing objective tools to trace these consistent parameters is crucial for uncovering the potters’ signatures within their communities. This study focuses on a distinctive ceramic type, the Hippo Jar, primarily found in the northern valleys of the southern Levant (mainly in the Jezreel, and Beth-Shean Valleys, Israel) during the late Iron Age IIA (late 10th–9th century BCE). The research suggests a link between the widespread production of these jars and the systemic control of the Kingdom of Israel, indicating a coordinated manufacturing effort. The production and distribution of Hippo Jars offer valuable insights into the region’s socio-economic and political organization, particularly regarding centralized administrative oversight and trade networks. Examining Hippo Jars at both landscape and site-unit scales allow for the distinction of production units, revealing a structured and hierarchical manufacturing system. The findings suggest that these jars were produced in a limited number of workshops operating under a centralized framework. Additionally, they highlight the role of trained potters working within a unified social structure, facilitating the deployment of skilled artisans from a central production hub to administrative outposts.
Age and origin of a Cahokian wooden monument at the Mitchell site, Illinois, USA
Nicholas Kessler et al.
PLoS ONE, October 2025
Abstract:
Cahokia was the first and largest precolonial city outside of Mesoamerica in what is now the United States. Monuments and exotic goods were central to public life at Cahokia, but no high-resolution timeline of monumental construction or long-distance material import exists for the site. Wooden marker posts, serving as both public monuments and exotic artifacts, offer ideal sources of evidence for documenting the chronology and spatial scale of Cahokian material networks and community histories. In this paper, we employ 14C dating of a cosmic event archived in tree-rings to determine that the largest known marker post in the Cahokia area, the Mitchell Log, was felled around 1124 CE. Sr isotope ratios of the wood rule out a local source, and suggest the tree was transported at least 180 kilometers. Together, the date, provenance, and context of the Mitchell Log (1) establish a historical datum for the peak influence of the Cahokia polity, (2) prompt new questions about the long-distance transport of thousands of other such marker posts, and (3) identify a significant event in the history of this precolonial phenomenon.
Early humans and the sea in Europe: Evidence of shellfish exploitation ca. 300,000 years ago?
Trishia Gayle Palconit et al.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, October 2025
Abstract:
Research on early hominin subsistence has been increasingly concerned with the exploitation of diverse food resources in prehistory, including coastal resources, and its implications on the evolution of technological, behavioural, and ecological adaptations. This paper presents related findings from the MIS 9–8.5 site of Quarto delle Cinfonare (Lazio, Italy). Experimentation and microscopic lithic analysis revealed use-wear traces related to shellfish processing, in addition to animal carcass processing, suggesting that early hominins likely consumed, at least occasionally, coastal food sources in conjunction with terrestrial foods as early as 300,000 years ago. From a technological point of view, the lithics comprise a small-tool assemblage characterised by a high potential for rejuvenation, indicating a technical system designed to obtain a variety of cutting edges for use in diverse activities. Data and interpretations from the site contribute to the understanding of early hominins during the important transitional period between the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic in the region.