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A new Lower Pleistocene archeological site in Europe (Vallparadis, Barcelona, Spain).

ABSTRACT: Here we report the discovery of a new late Lower Pleistocene site named Vallparadís (Barcelona, Spain) that produced a rich archeological and paleontological sequence dated from the upper boundary of the Jaramillo subchron to the early Middle Pleistocene. This deposit contained a main archeological layer with numerous artifacts and a rich macromammalian assemblage, some of which bore cut marks, that could indicate that hominins had access to carcasses. Paleomagnetic analysis, electron spin resonance-uranium series (ESR-US), and the biostratigraphic chronological position of the macro- and micromammal and lithic assemblages of this layer reinforce the proposal that hominins inhabited Europe during the Lower Pleistocene. The archeological sequence provides key information on the successful adaptation of European hominins that preceded the well-known fossil population from Atapuerca and succeeded the finds from Orce basin. Hence, this discovery enables us to close a major chronological gap in the early prehistory of Iberia. According to the information in this paper and the available data from these other sites, we propose that Mediterranean Western Europe was repeatedly and perhaps continuously occupied during the late Matuyama chron.

SUBMITTER: Martinez K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2851913 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A new Lower Pleistocene archeological site in Europe (Vallparadis, Barcelona, Spain).

Martínez Kenneth K Garcia Joan J Carbonell Eudald E Agustí Jordi J Bahain Jean-Jaques JJ Blain Hugues-Alexandre HA Burjachs Francesc F Cáceres Isabel I Duval Mathieu M Falguères Christophe C Gómez Manuel M Huguet Rosa R

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20100315 13

Here we report the discovery of a new late Lower Pleistocene site named Vallparadís (Barcelona, Spain) that produced a rich archeological and paleontological sequence dated from the upper boundary of the Jaramillo subchron to the early Middle Pleistocene. This deposit contained a main archeological layer with numerous artifacts and a rich macromammalian assemblage, some of which bore cut marks, that could indicate that hominins had access to carcasses. Paleomagnetic analysis, electron spin reson ...[more]

PMID: 20231433

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Project description:IntroductionThe ancient city of Tel Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley (Israel), which lasted from the Neolithic to the Iron Age, has been continuously excavated since 1903 and is now recognized as a World Heritage Site. The site features multiple ruins in various areas, including temples and stables, alongside modern constructions, and public access is allowed in designated areas. The site has been studied extensively since the last century; however, its microbiome has never been studied. We carried out the first survey of the microbiomes in Tel Megiddo. Our objectives were to study (i) the unique microbial community structure of the site, (ii) the variation in the microbial communities across areas, (iii) the similarity of the microbiomes to urban and archeological microbes, (iv) the presence and abundance of potential bio-corroding microbes, and (v) the presence and abundance of potentially pathogenic microbes.MethodsWe collected 40 swab samples from ten major areas and identified microbial taxa using next-generation sequencing of microbial genomes. These genomes were annotated and classified taxonomically and pathogenetically.ResultsWe found that eight phyla, six of which exist in all ten areas, dominated the site (>99%). The relative sequence abundance of taxa varied between the ruins and the sampled materials and was assessed using all metagenomic reads mapping to a respective taxon. The site hosted unique taxa characteristic of the built environment and exhibited high similarity to the microbiome of other monuments. We identified acid-producing bacteria that may pose a risk to the site through biocorrosion and staining and thus pose a danger to the site's preservation. Differences in the microbiomes of the publicly accessible or inaccessible areas were insignificant; however, pathogens were more abundant in the former.DiscussionWe found that Tel Megiddo combines microbiomes of arid regions and monuments with human pathogens. The findings shed light on the microbial community structures and have relevance for bio-conservation efforts and visitor health.

Dataset Information

A new Lower Pleistocene archeological site in Europe (Vallparadis, Barcelona, Spain).

Publications

A new Lower Pleistocene archeological site in Europe (Vallparadis, Barcelona, Spain).

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