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Dental Remains from the Middle Paleolithic Layers of Altai Cave Sites*

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Dental Remains from the Middle Paleolithic Layers of Altai Cave Sites* ARCHAEOLOGY, ETHNOLOGY & ANTHROPOLOGY OF EURASIA Archaeology Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia 41/1 (2013) 55–65 E-mail: [email protected] THE SIBIRYACHIKHA FACIES OF THE ALTAI MIDDLE PALEOLITHIC 55 A.P. Buzhilova Moscow State University Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Mokhovaya 11, Moscow, 125009, Russia E-mail: [email protected] DENTAL REMAINS FROM THE MIDDLE PALEOLITHIC LAYERS OF ALTAI CAVE SITES* Two Middle Paleolithic cave sites in the Altai – Okladnikov and Chagyrskaya – have yielded dental remains (mostly isolated teeth) of individuals of various ages. A newly discovered mandibular fragment with teeth from Chagyrskaya Cave reveals a Neanderthal trait combination: anterior fossa and epicristid (midtrigonid crest) on molars, metaconid and crest on premolars. The totality of dental traits support the conclusion previously drawn on the basis of postcranial characters: Altai Neanderthals appear to be intermediate between other Eurasian Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans. Keywords: Human evolution, Neanderthals, Mousterians, Gorny Altai, dental traits. Introduction The lithic industry discovered at the site differs from other industries of the Altai and Siberia by a Mousterian habitation horizons associated with predominance of butchering tools apparently used Neanderthals were discovered in Okladnikov and to process the carcasses of large animals. Evidently Chagyrskaya caves in the piedmont zone of the this was a Mousterian hunting and butchering camp northwestern Altai. Okladnikov Cave (formerly site (Derevianko, Markin, 1992). Based on the results Sibiryachikha, named after a nearby village) of uranium and radiocarbon analyses, all habitation was discovered in 1984 by A.P. Derevianko and horizons date to 45–40 ka BP (Derevianko, 2011). V.I. Molodin. V.T. Petrin’s excavations carried out in A preliminary examination of hominin the same year revealed isolated human postcranial remains from Okladnikov Cave was conducted remains and several teeth representing individuals of by V.P. Alexeyev, and the results were published various age in strata 2, 3, and 7. posthumously, much later. Having compared these Later, systematic excavations were conducted in remains with others, Alexeyev noted the presence of Okladnikov Cave with the use of a variety of methods. distinctly archaic traits but refrained from attributing the ¿ nds to a speci¿ c geographic group (1998). *Supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research C.G. Turner II also examined the teeth from (Project No.11-06-12009). Okladnikov Cave. Having noted a number of © 2013, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.aeae.2013.07.005 56 A.P. Buzhilova / Archaeology, Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia 41/1 (2013) 55–65 Neanderthal apomorphies, he concluded that the that cave were shown to be similar to those from inhabitants of this cave were closer to European than Okladnikov Cave (Derevianko, Markin, 2011). Like Asian Neanderthals (Turner, 1990). the Okladnikov assemblage, that of Chagyrskaya was The same dental remains were revisited by described as Mousteroid (Derevianko, Markin, Zykin, E.G. Shpakova, in whose view, they differ from 2009; Derevianko, Markin, 2012; Markin, Zykin, contemporaneous remains from Denisova Cave Zykina, 2011; Derevianko, Markin, 2011). These two in being less archaic. Shpakova concluded that in cave sites strongly suggest that Neanderthals were certain respects the teeth from Okladnikov Cave present in the Altai. resemble those of European Upper Paleolithic humans Among the ¿ rst dental remains from Chagyrskaya (Shpakova, 2000, 2001; Shpakova, Derevianko, was a specimen that we identified as a lower 2000). Neanderthal apomorphies which, according to deciduous canine crown (Buzhilova, 2011). While Shpakova, are absent in the Okladnikov Cave sample being relatively gracile, it resembles Neanderthal include the epicristid (midtrigonid crest) on the lower deciduous canines in shape. Dental and archaeological molar and a relatively wide talonid (Shpakova, 2001: facts, then, jointly demonstrate that the Mousteroid 71). Also, the crown dimensions of the preserved teeth tradition was introduced by the Neanderthal migrants are similar to those of Upper Paleolithic Europeans. to the Altai. Based on these observations, Shpakova concludes that B.T. Viola, who studied two permanent teeth from the Okladnikov Cave hominins were anatomically Chagyrskaya, attributed them to Neanderthals, their modern humans (Shpakova, Derevianko, 2000; poor preservation and heavy wear notwithstanding Shpakova, 2001). (Viola et al., 2011). Later, a preliminary analysis was Recently an examination of these remains was published of a partial mandible with the right corpus undertaken by B.T. Viola (2009). Like his predecessors, and a canine, two premolars, M1 and M2 (Viola 2012). he noted that interpreting the observations was Despite a moderate abrasion, it was possible to detect difficult. On the one hand, archaic (specifically anterior fossae and epicristids (midtrigonid crests) on Neanderthal) features are no doubt present. These both molars, and metaconids and crests on premolars – include the wrinkled occlusal surface of the lower features typical of Neanderthals. molar, complexity of furrows, a distinct anterior fossa, and a sixth cusp. On the other hand, the ¿ rst molar lacks the epicristid (Zubov, 1992), or midtrigonid Materials and methods crest, which is a characteristically Neanderthal trait – 96 %, according to Bailey (2002). The third molar Thanks to ongoing excavations at Chagyrskaya, the of another individual from the same cave exhibits number of dental remains increased markedly. In this an incomplete crest, indirectly suggesting that the study, dental remains discovered by S.V. Markin in epicristid was present. Based on the CT scanning 2008–2012 are examined and compared with those and a 3D reconstruction of all permanent teeth from from other Middle and Upper Paleolithic sites in Okladnikov Cave, Viola demonstrated the presence of Eurasia. epicristid on the dentin surface. Referring to Bailey’s The preservation of several deciduous and summary (2001), Viola concludes that continuous permanent teeth from the Sibiryachikha layers of midtrigonid crests on the occlusal surface are Chagyrskaya has enabled us to take standard dental exceedingly rare in modern humans but very common measurements according to the technique used by in Neanderthals (2009: 133). Russian specialists (Zubov 1968). Teeth from other The excavators’ views concerning the presence cave sites in the Altai – Denisova and Strashnaya – of Neanderthals in the Altai and less straightforward were also measured. Measurements were compared observations made by specialists in dental with those relating to other Middle and Upper anthropology have been convincingly supported by Paleolithic Eurasians and to modern geographic the results of DNA sequencing. This study revealed groups. Also, nonmetric traits were assessed using the distinctly Neanderthal genes in Okladnikov Cave Arizona State University dental anthropology system hominins (Krause et al., 2007). (Turner, Nichol, Scott, 1991) for Homo sapiens and In the same year, S.V. Markin discovered Middle the standards proposed by S.E. Bailey (2002, 2005) Paleolithic habitation horizons at another site – for Neanderthals, with special reference to traits Chagyrskaya Cave. In 2008–2009, the lithics from which we consider to be most diagnostic. We also Download English Version: https://daneshyari.com/en/article/1034570 Download Persian Version: https://daneshyari.com/article/1034570 Daneshyari.com.
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