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The origin of cultural modernity and the earliest
anatomically modern humans in Europe
Michael Bolus, Maria Malina and Nicholas J. ConardHeidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
IntroductionWhile biological modernity evolved in Africa ,
the same is not true for cultural modernity. With regard
,
anatomically modern humans ( ) but
several compared
some 200,000 years ago
around
80,000 years ago that would be
The key elements missing in the African and Near Eastern
record are figurative representations, ornaments formed in three-
dimensions, 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.
to technology,
settlement and subsistence the archaeological record in Africa
includes nearly everything expected in
the context of AMH , there are
obvious differences to the material culture of AMH in
Europe.
Models for the migration of anatomically modern humans
into EuropeWhen 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 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.
northern Black Sea
Early evidence for cultural modernity in Central Europe:
The Aurignacian of the Swabian JuraAurignacian deposits of caves in the Swabian Jura such as
Geißenklösterle, Hohle Fels and Vogelherd yielded the oldest
assemblages the package of innovations
characterizing cultural modernity.
containing entire
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.
Early evidence for cultural modernity in Western Europe:
Cave sites in northeastern SpainTwo 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.
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.
a
bc
d
e
f
a
bc
Fumanian finds from cave, northeastern Spain: a) backed points; b) bone point;
c) perforated teeth. Photo: a-c) N. Soler.
Reclau Viver
The Swabian sites support the Danube Corridor hypothesis which
regards the Danube Valley as one major migration route for early
AMH.
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 [email protected]
Maria Malina [email protected]
Nicholas J. Conard [email protected]
Possible migration routes of early anatomically modern humans.
