Deglacial landscapes and the Late Upper Palaeolithic of Switzerland

Reade, H. et al. (2020) Deglacial landscapes and the Late Upper Palaeolithic of Switzerland. Quaternary Science Reviews, 239, 106372. (doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106372)

Abstract

The presence of people in Switzerland in recently deglaciated landscapes after the Last Glacial Maximum represents human utilisation of newly available environments. Understanding these landscapes and the resources available to the people who exploited them is key to understanding not only Late Upper Palaeolithic settlement in Switzerland, but more broadly human behavioural ecology in newly inhabited environmental settings. By applying bone collagen stable isotope analysis (δ13C, δ15N and δ34S) to faunal remains from Late Upper Palaeolithic localities in Switzerland, we investigate animal ecology and environmental conditions during periods of human occupation. High and relatively uniform δ34S values indicate that landscapes north of the Jura Mountains provided comparatively stable environmental conditions, while lower and more variable δ34S values on the Swiss Plateau suggest a dynamic landscape with diverse hydrological and pedological conditions, potentially linked to regionally different patterns of permafrost thaw. This contrasts with the archaeological record that appears relatively uniform between the two regions, suggesting people were employing similar subsistence behaviours across a range of environmental settings. The pattern of change in δ15N across the deglacial period appears consistent between areas that remained ice-free throughout the LGM and those that were glaciated. Most notable is a period of exclusively low δ15N values between 15,200 and 14,800 cal. BP, which could relate a regional expansion of floral biomass in response to environmental change.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This research was funded by a European Research Council Consolidator Grant awarded to Rhiannon Stevens (grant ID: 617777).
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Sayle, Dr Kerry

Creator Roles

Sayle, K. L.: Formal analysis, Writing – review and editing

• Authors: Reade, H., Tripp, J. A., Charlton, S., Grimm, S. B., Leesch, D., Müller, W., Sayle, K. L., Fensome, A., Higham, T. F.G., Barnes, I., and Stevens, R. E.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre
• Journal Name: Quaternary Science Reviews
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0277-3791
• ISSN (Online): 1873-457X
• Published Online: 01 June 2020
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd.
• First Published: First published in Quaternary Science Reviews 239: 106372
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy