R. Dinnis IDENTIFICATION OF LONGHOLE (GOWER) AS AN AURIGNACIAN SITE R. Dinnis1 ABSTRACT Several factors have conspired to deplete the British record of Earlier Upper Palaeolithic occupation and the coeval replacement of Britain’s last Neanderthals by early modern humans. These include, most notably, the destructive effect of the Last Glacial Maximum and the early archaeological excavation of cave sites dating to this period. Assemblages known to contain early modern human Aurignacian material are scarce, and therefore the identification of new sites is noteworthy. A lithic artefact in the old collections from Longhole, Gower, confirms it as an Aurignacian site. That artefact and justification of its Aurignacian attribution are detailed here. Technological traits of this artefact match those seen in the larger Aurignacian collection from nearby Paviland. These resemblances are strong evidence that Aurignacian occupation at Longhole was broadly contemporary with an Aurignacian occupation at Paviland. Full reference: Dinnis, R. 2012. Identification of Longhole (Gower) as an Aurignacian site. Lithics: the Journal of the Lithic Studies Society 33: 17–29. Keywords: Aurignacian, bladelet technology, Longhole, Paviland, Britain, northern Europe. THE BRITISH EARLIER UPPER In Britain, several occupation events are PALAEOLITHIC known between the onset of the Upper Palaeolithic and the Last Glacial Maximum, Around 40–35,000 14C BP indigenous c.20,000 14C BP; a period Campbell (1977) European Neanderthals were replaced by termed the “Earlier Upper Palaeolithic”2.The incoming modern humans. At present, first of these occupations is evidenced by Neanderthals are generally thought to have characteristic large lithic weapon tips, either created a suite of very early Upper Palaeolithic ventrally or bi-facially shaped (‘blade-points’ industries (e.g. Châtelperronian, Uluzzian) and ‘leaf-points’ respectively), found in small (Kozłowski & Otte 2000; Bar-Yosef 2002; numbers at many findspots and in Djindjian et al. 2003; Mellars 2004; Zilhão largernumbers at a handful of sites (Beedings, 2006; Mellars & Gravina 2008), perhaps as a Paviland, Kent’s Cavern). These artefacts are result of influence from Aurignacian-bearing currently considered to be part of a northern modern humans entering Europe from the east European phenomenon which has in recent (e.g. Mellars 2004)1. By c.35,000 14C BP the years been referred to as the Lincombian- Aurignacian, certainly made by early modern Ranisian-Jerzmanowician (or LRJ: Flas 2002). humans, was present across much of western The timing of the LRJ is still poorly Europe. Following the Aurignacian in western constrained, although it is certainly extant by Europe are several apparently intrusive 38,000 14C BP (Campbell 1977; Jacobi 2007; industries, appearing from c.29,000 14C BP Flas 2008). A perceived phylogenetic link with (Maisièrian, Font-Robertian, Bayacian, Gravettian). Together, these are often referred to as the Early Gravettian (e.g. Djindjian et al. 1999). 2 Campbell’s “Earlier Upper Palaeolithic” and 1 Several recent publications suggested that this “Later Upper Palaeolithic” encapsulates the central very early Upper Palaeolithic may have been feature of the British Upper Palaeolithic: human authored by modern humans (Bar-Yosef & Bordes occupations at the beginning and end of the Upper 2010; Bordes & Teyssandier 2011; Benazzi et al. Palaeolithic bracketed a long period of absence 2011). This is interesting proposition may make centred on the Last Glacial Maximum. His earlier sense archaeologically, creating a neat division Upper Palaeolithic corresponds to the Early Upper between Middle Palaeolithic industries produced by Palaeolithic and the earliest phases of the Mid- Neanderthals, and Upper Palaeolithic industries Upper Palaeolithic of continental Europe. When created by modern humans. considering British archaeology Campbell’s term certainly remains useful. 1 The British Museum (Prehistory and Europe), Franks House, 56 Orsman Road, London. N1 5QL, England, U.K., [email protected] 17 Lithics 33 Figure 1. British Aurignacian sites (after Jacobi & Pettitt 2000; Jacobi et al. 2006; Dinnis 2009; this paper). Site key: 1. Longhole; 2. Kent’s Cavern; 3. Ffynnon Beuno; 4. Hoyle’s Mouth; 5. Uphill Quarry; 6. Hyaena Den; 7. Aston Mill; 8. Pin Hole (Creswell Crags); 9. Paviland. Coastline drawn at c.75 metres below current sea level, approximating its position during the Aurignacian. The inferred position of major rivers is also shown. (Figure: R. Dinnis/S. Bello). Middle Palaeolithic industries also containing assemblages, suggest an Aurignacian presence leaf-point weapon tips has led most to believe in Britain between 33,000 and 31,000 14C BP that the LRJ is the last expression of northern (Jacobi et al. 2006; Dinnis 2009). European Neanderthals (e.g. Otte 1990; Jacobi 1999; Jöris & Street 2008; Flas 2008; Semal et Later still, at c.28,000 14C BP, Britain saw al. 2009). However it should be noted that another occupation of early modern humans, there is no clear association between referred to either as Early Gravettian or diagnostic human fossils and LRJ material at Maisièrian. Stemmed artefacts equivalent to any site. those found at Maisières-Canal in Belgium are known from seven British sites (Jacobi et al. A later modern human Recent Aurignacian 2010). A consistent series of radiocarbon dates occupation is known from a small number of from Maisières-Canal are likely to also date lithic and osseous artefacts at a handful of this British material (Jacobi et al. 2010). British sites (Figure 1). The most characteristic Britain is then apparently abandoned for a long British Aurignacian lithic artefacts are two period around the Last Glacial Maximum, with types of carinated burin: the burin busqué and no known later Gravettian or Solutrean the Paviland burin (Figure 2). Both are types of material in British collections. bladelet core, used to produce a micro-lithic technology which is a particularly conspicuous Overall, archaeological material from the part of all Recent Aurignacian assemblages. British Earlier Upper Palaeolithic is scarce. Schematics of these two core artefact types can Large collections, such as the LRJ assemblage be found in Figure 3. Radiocarbon dates from from Beedings and the LRJ/ British Aurignacian osseous artefacts, along Aurignacian/Gravettian assemblage from with comparison of lithic artefacts from Britain Paviland, are exceptions. Most findspots have with those from well-stratified continental yielded only one or a small handful of 18 R. Dinnis artefacts. There are numerous reasons for this mixed assemblages. The methodologies lack of material, of which the four most required to select artefacts in this way significant are: obviously necessitate the rejection of large numbers of culturally undiagnostic lithic 1. During the time of deteriorating climate artefacts. This inevitably results in a much before the Last Glacial Maximum, Britain diminished corpus of material which can was undoubtedly a region of be soundly allocated to each comparatively peripheral human presence. archaeological culture. Furthermore, if In fact, it is probable that throughout this during any period of the Earlier Upper time occupations were punctuated by Palaeolithic Britain was occupied by significant periods of human absence hunter-gatherers who produced a (Pettitt 2008; Jacobi & Higham 2011; generalised Upper Palaeolithic lithic White & Pettitt 2011). Relative to regions technology — lacking technological farther south, one would therefore expect a idiosyncrasies as recognisable as the meagre archaeological record. Aurignacian index fossils in Figure 2 — the absence of unmixed and well-stratified 2. Subsequent to this period, glacial and assemblages means that we would not periglacial geological processes will have recognise their occupations at all. destroyed much of the archaeological record originally deposited in the ground These problems and the resulting overall lack (Jacobi 1990; Dinnis 2009 & in press). of material obviously make archaeological Archaeology will also have been lost interpretation of the period difficult. Therefore beneath rising Holocene sea levels, any additional LRJ, Aurignacian or Gravettian particularly to the west of Britain and in assemblage — be it identified via excavation the North Sea region (see Figure 1). of completely new sites or by identification of diagnostic material in old assemblages — is 3. A significant majority of Earlier Upper significant Palaeolithic sites in Britain were excavated before or shortly after the turn of the 20th LONGHOLE: SITE DESCRIPTION, century. While some sites were obviously EXCAVATION HISTORY, FAUNAL subjected to some sort of screening during ASSEMBLAGE, PREVIOUS CULTURAL excavation (e.g. the 1912 Sollas campaign ATTRIBUTION at Paviland), these are exceptions. Major Longhole lies on the south Gower coast, collection biases are obvious at many sites. roughly equidistant between Port Eynon Point Ffynnon Beuno Cave (north Wales; Figure to the east and Paviland to the west (Figure 4). 1) is a good example of this. Comparison The cave is elevated c.50 metres above the of the six lithic pieces in the extant high-tide line and faces south across the Bristol collection with other sites excavated to Channel to the north Devon coast beyond. The modern standards indicates that several currently exposed length of the cave void is hundred pieces, or potentially even more, c.15 metres. would have originally been present at the