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The Palaeolithic Settlement of Asia Robin Dennell New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009, 548 Pp The Palaeolithic Settlement of Asia Robin Dennell New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009, 548 pp. (paperback), $50.00; (hardback), $95.00. ISBN-13: 9780521613101 (paperback). ISBN-13: 9780521848664 (hardback). Reviewed by AUGUST G. COSTA Human Origins and Primate Evolution (HOPE) Lab, Department of Anthropology, Indiana University, Student Building 130, 701 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; [email protected] ThinkinG outside The Cradle origins of the Indian and East Asian monsoon systems udyard Kipling once wrote that “there is too much Asia that constitute the “heartbeat” of Asian prehistory (p. 473). Rand she is too old” (1899: 167). Indeed the continent of Chapters 4 and 5 highlight the fossil and archaeological Asia represents the largest and most diverse stage upon evidence for the earliest Asians, and are structured some- which human evolution occurred. Shockingly however, what irregularly. Chapter 4 reviews the best-known Early no one has ever published an integrated account of early Pleistocene sites from Southwest Asia according to geomor- Asian prehistory. Robin Dennell’s new book is an excellent phic setting (lakes and streams) and focuses on the main attempt at filling this void.The Palaeolithic Settlement of Asia data points of Dmanisi and Ubeidiya. In contrast, Chapter 5 is a monumental contribution towards a continent-wide combines the evidence from a very large geographic spread understanding of early Asian prehistory. This work com- (South and Southeast Asia and China). bines an authoritative review of Asian Plio-Pleistocene pa- The South Asian portion of Chapter 5 describes the fos- leoenvironments with an up-to-date summary of the main siliferous Upper Siwalik deposits and Dennell’s controver- fossil and archaeological evidence prior to the last intergla- sial discoveries from Riwat and the Pabbi Hills in Northern cial (i.e., ca. 2.0–0.1 Ma). Pakistan. Dennell’s work in Pakistan presents the interest- The body of the book is prefaced by two chapters that ing problem of anthropogenic (albeit casually flaked) lithic establish a context for the early Asian record. Dennell re- specimens from convoluted deposits that date to the Late views the history of paleoanthropological exploration in Pliocene-Early Pleistocene. Admirably, Dennell admits that Asia and also provides a decent summary of the African the available evidence has some limitations and that new evidence, highlighting some of the main issues in paleoan- investigations are required to clarify the situation. Also in thropology prior to ~2.0 Ma. The rest of the book focuses on this chapter, the author introduces his “resource rich, stone Asian prehistory and is divided into two parts broadly cor- poor” argument, suggesting that the major river valleys of responding to the Early and Middle Pleistocene. These sec- South Asia (and elsewhere) would have constrained early tions include chapters covering the Early and Middle Pleis- hominins because these environments yield little stone for tocene fossil and archaeological records of Southwest Asia, tool making (see Dennell 2007). Although this is an eloquent Central Asia, South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. argument that takes important seasonal and epidemiologi- Both the Early and Middle Pleistocene sections of the book cal variables into account, it is difficult to fully accept the are preceded by a review of the latest Asian paleoclimatic assumption that early hominins were so strongly depen- literature. Each chapter includes a summary, a discussion, dant on stone. We as Paleolithic archaeologists are the ones and the occasional detour where Dennell showcases some who are stone-dependant and because perishable material of his unique perspectives on Asian prehistory. culture is almost universally more prevalent than durables Asian paleoenvironments form the backbone of the (e.g., among wild chimpanzees, documented hunter-gath- book and an ecological approach is applied in outlining erers, and the best preserved prehistoric sites), one might Asian prehistory. Consequently this book is the best re- find Dennell’s argument troublesome. Chapter 5 ends with source available for information on Asian paleoenviron- a section devoted to Southeast Asia that primarily consid- ments relative to hominin evolution. The author provides ers the age and contextual issues relevant to key fossil bear- a very thorough examination of our current knowledge on ing sites from Java (e.g., Trinil, Sangiran, and Mojokerto). Asian climate and environments through time. Moreover Finally the current Early Pleistocene discoveries from the Dennell brings this information together in a manner that Nihewan Basin (China) are summarized in a useful and details each regional climate archive as though it were a concise manner. site unto itself. In doing so he includes numerous figures to Chapter 6 is an extended version of the Nature article compliment the text (many of which are reproduced from which Dennell and Roebroeks published in 2005. Dennell primary journal articles) and this information is explained critiques the current Out of Africa 1 model for being built clearly so that even the novice reader will understand. on three “flimsy” points of observation (i.e., Dmanisi, Nihe- In Chapter 3 Dennell presents an excellent synopsis wan, and Sangiran) and emphasizes the fact that Southwest of modern Asian climate, focusing on the mechanics and Asia is so poorly known from the Late Pliocene and Early PaleoAnthropology 2009: 179−181. © 2009 PaleoAnthropology Society. All rights reserved. iSSn 1545-0031 180 • PaleoAnthropology 2009 Pleistocene that it is not yet possible to reject claims that: 1) Middle Pleistocene of China and Southeast Asia. The Chi- Australopithecus inhabited Asia; and, 2) Homo erectus sensu nese site of Zhoukoudian is detailed extensively. The biface lato originated there. In fact, the paleoclimatic data suggest sites from the Bose Basin in China and the Korean Penin- to Dennell that extensive grasslands which he calls “savan- sula (e.g., Chong-nokni) also are briefly considered as are nahstan” existed in Asia from the Late Pliocene to the Early other Middle Pleistocene sites from South China (e.g., Pan- Pleistocene. Although the paleoclimatic basis for “savan- xian Dadong, Jigonshan). The general paucity of Paleolithic nahstan” is spread somewhat thin and more detailed work materials from Southeast Asia is examined and the few on regional continental records is needed, the implication instances where early lithic materials have been recovered of this landscape is that it would have facilitated the move- (e.g., Mata Menge) are described in more detail. Dennell ment of hominins and other fauna between Africa and concludes with a discussion of the possible causes, endur- Asia. It is ultimately suggested that the traditional African ance and implications of the Movius Line. based dispersal scenario is most likely, however, Dennell The penultimate chapter addresses the fossil evidence rightly points out that much more work in Asia is needed for hominin evolution in Asia during the Middle Pleisto- to establish this. cene. Several valuable tables are included here that summa- Chapter 7 highlights some of the significant environ- rize data on the hominin remains recovered from Zhouk- mental changes that took place in Asia during the Middle oudian and other Chinese Middle Pleistocene sites. The Pleistocene. The climatic records of Asia are examined and younger hominin remains from Java (Ngangdong, Sam- the evidence for prolonged and more severe glacial periods bungmachan, and Ngawi) also are included here under the is highlighted. The paleoclimatic data suggest that these assumption that the fossils are Middle Pleistocene rather longer colder glaciations in the northern hemisphere sig- than Late Pleistocene in age. The hominin remains from nificantly weakened the Indian and East Asian monsoons. Hathnora (Middle Narmada Valley), India, are described, Consequently, Dennell suggests that the Early Pleistocene in addition to various other Middle Pleistocene hominins “savannahstan” gave way to a more fragmented and arid (e.g., Zuttiyeh, Azych). Some important omissions that Asian landscape which he calls “aridistan.” The implica- may have emerged after this book went to press include tion of this environmental transformation is that Middle the hominin cranium from Kobacaş, Turkey (Kappelman Pleistocene hominins and fauna faced formidable environ- et al. 2008), and the undated Salkhit skullcap from Mongo- mental barriers to dispersal and little exchange occurred lia (Coppens et al. 2008). The remainder of this chapter ad- during this time between Africa and Asia. The latter pages dresses questions of taxonomy (i.e., “archaic” Homo sapiens of this chapter discuss the faunal evidence for the environ- vs. Homo heidelbergensis) and likely evolutionary dynamics mental shift to “aridistan” and incorporates a useful review during the Middle Pleistocene. of large fauna from the Middle Pleistocene of Asia broken One of the inherent weaknesses of a book such as this down by region (it also includes faunal lists from several is that it is necessarily general and one often desires more major Asian Middle Pleistocene sites). from different parts of the text. In Chapter 8 the miniscule Chapters 8, 9, and 10 cover the Middle Pleistocene re- sections on areas of Southwest Asia outside the Levant is cords of Southwest/Central Asia, South Asia, and China/ troublesome. Clearly the author cannot be blamed for the Southeast Asia, respectively. Chapter 8 reviews the Early inequitable distribution of known prehistoric finds. Nev- Paleolithic, the Jabrudian, and the early Levantine Mous- ertheless, the book is full of information that is not always terian of the Levant, in addition to the Middle Pleistocene structured in a natural way and with such a massive subject evidence from adjacent regions (e.g., Turkey, Iran, Ara- it seems as though the text could be structured better. Some bia) and Central Asia. Dennell does a good job illuminat- seemingly erratic topics like the ontogeny of Homo erectus ing the complexities of the vast amount of evidence from were included in chapters when they would have been bet- the Levant.
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