C9494 - READING THE PAST: PRINCIPLES OF PALEOLITHIC ARCHAEOLOGY AND RADIOCARBON

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide the scientific skills to understand the radiocarbon ‘clock’ (14C) and the expertise to interpret and build chronologies of archaeological sites, which are objects of our cultural heritage. The students will have acquired basic knowledge of accurate calibration of the radiocarbon time scale (IntCal), reliable extraction of collagen from prehistoric bones and accurate AMS radiocarbon results. Students will be able to contextualize the series of events in an archeological site using the Bayesian Model in the OxCal program. In parallel, the course provides students with a comprehensive introduction to Paleolithic archaeology, focusing on the chronological and ecological framework of human evolution and the principles of lithic technology. Students will learn to recognize major technological systems, understand models of hominin behaviour and adaptation, and critically evaluate scientific literature. By integrating archaeological, paleoenvironmental, and biomolecular evidence, the course will also develop students’ ability to interpret past human societies

Course contents

Module 1

The course provides an introduction to the principles of archaeology, with particular attention to stratigraphy, depositional processes, stratigraphic relationships, and the interpretation of archaeological contexts.

It then focuses on the earliest phases of Prehistory, from the Lower Paleolithic to the Upper Paleolithic, in Africa and Eurasia. The course will examine the main stages of human evolution and the archaeological evidence for settlement choices, subsistence strategies, technological innovations, and cultural manifestations among prehistoric hunter-gatherer societies.

By the end of the course, students will have acquired a basic understanding of the chronological, environmental, and cultural framework of the Paleolithic, as well as the ability to interpret archaeological evidence within broader models of human behaviour and adaptation.

Module 2

The recent developments in radiocarbon calibration, based on internationally agreed calibration curve (IntCal) spanning back to 50,000 cal BP (calibrated ages Before Present), will be discussed in the introductory section of this module together with the basis of radiocarbon (2-7).

The methodological section of this module will focus on various experiments undertaken to establish an optimal procedure for extracting collagen from bone samples for radiocarbon dating (8-13). The main objectives of these experiments were to remove contamination from the organic bone fractions, which generally results in younger ages, and to avoid the incorporation of exogenous carbon in the laboratory through careful cleaning of the equipment. They will learn how to recognize a good quality collagen using carbon/nitrogen ration and stable isotope analysis (14-16).

The final part will be devoted to the AMS radiocarbon determinations (17, 18) together with the chronological interpretation of various archeological sites (19-25) in order to enable the students to properly read and interpret different scenarios regarding the expansion of our species, as well as the climatic episodes.

Readings/Bibliography

Module 1:

- Scientific papers uploaded in the Virtuale platform.

- Kuhn, S. L. (2020). The evolution of Paleolithic technologies. Routledge.

- Tafelmaier, Y., Bataille, G., Schmid, V., Taller, A., Will, M. (2023). Methods for the analysis of stone artefacts: An overview. Springer Wiesbaden.

Module 2

-Reimer, P. J., et al. (2020). "The IntCal20 Northern hemisphere radiocarbon age calibration curve (0–55 cal kbp)." Radiocarbon 62(4): 725-757.

-Talamo, S., et al. (2023). "Back to the future: The advantage of studying key events in human evolution using a new high resolution radiocarbon method." PLoS ONE 18(2): e0280598.

-Talamo, S., et al. (2023). "Atmospheric radiocarbon levels were highly variable during the last deglaciation." Communications Earth & Environment 4(1): 268.

-Mylopotamitaki, D., et al. (2024). "Homo sapiens reached the higher latitudes of Europe by 45,000 years ago." Nature.

-Malegori, C., et al. (2023). "Near-infrared hyperspectral imaging to map collagen content in prehistoric bones for radiocarbon dating." Communications Chemistry 6(1): 54.

-Talamo, S., et al. (2021). "“Here we go again”: the inspection of collagen extraction protocols for 14C dating and palaeodietary analysis." STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research 7(1): 62-77.

-Talamo, S., et al. (2021). "A 41,500 year-old decorated ivory pendant from Stajnia Cave (Poland)." Scientific Reports 11(1): 22078.

-Hublin, J.-J., et al. (2020). "Initial Upper Palaeolithic Homo sapiens from Bacho Kiro Cave, Bulgaria." Nature 581(7808): 299-302.

-Fewlass, H., et al. (2020). "A 14C chronology for the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition at Bacho Kiro Cave, Bulgaria." Nature ecology & evolution 4(6): 794-801.

Teaching methods

Module 1:

The course provides an introduction to the principles of archaeology, with particular attention to depositional processes, stratigraphy, stratigraphic relationships, and the interpretation of archaeological contexts.

The course then introduces the main stages of human evolution and the development of lithic technology from the earliest phases of the Paleolithic to the Upper Paleolithic. Topics include the Oldowan, the first dispersals of hominins out of Africa, the Acheulean, the Middle Pleistocene Revolution, and the debate surrounding Homo heidelbergensis. Particular attention will be given to the origins of Neanderthals in Europe, the Denisovans in Asia, and the emergence of Homo sapiens in Africa.

The final part of the course will focus on the Middle Paleolithic, the spread of Homo sapiens out of Africa, and the development of Upper Paleolithic societies, with emphasis on settlement choices, subsistence strategies, technological innovations, and cultural manifestations of prehistoric hunter-gatherers.

Module 2:

The course consists of frontal lectures related to the topics of the programme that can be supplemented by seminars on specific topics. During the course PowerPoint presentations will be used, which will be supplied to the students by means of dedicated online platforms.

In the first part, the radiocarbon method is outlined. The present state of the calibration of the radiocarbon time scale is presented focusing on the recent extension and consolidation back to 50,000 years ago. An overview of measurement techniques is given, with an emphasis on AMS as the main radiocarbon measurement technique in use today.

The focus of the second part is how to obtain the most reliable ages from bone samples from archaeological sites. Bone from archaeological context is the preferred material to obtain dates, especially when compared to charcoal, but it presents challenges due to its open structure. In the past decade, it has become apparent that the traditional pretreatment methods are insufficient for very old bone samples, because they may not be capable of removing modern contamination to a satisfactory level. The quantitative aspect of what the addition of a level of modern contaminant 14C contribution would be will be shown and development of new techniques including the use of ultrafiltration will be discussed. The protocol of lab procedures is presented in detail.

Last but not least, the module will be devoted to discussing the chronology of various archeological sites, using Oxcal program in Internet.

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The courses will be held in the classroom through lectures, during which the topics of the program will be presented and discussed.

Attending lectures will make it easier to pass the exam. A student is considered to have attended the course if they participate in at least 75% of the lectures.

To attend the practical part students are required to attend Module 1 and 2 in e- learning mode [https://www.unibo.it/it/servizi-e-opportunita/salute-e-assistenza/salute-e-sicurezza/sicurezza-e-salute-nei-luoghi-di-studio-e-tirocinio]

Assessment methods

The exam consists of an oral interview during which the student will be required to discuss the topics covered in class or the subjects from the exam texts. The candidate is expected to have an adequate knowledge of the program. The interview will also be an opportunity to assess the candidate's ability to navigate the contents of archaeological disciplines.

Final Evaluation Criteria:

• A very thorough knowledge of the topics covered in the course, combined with high critical analysis skills, the ability to make connections, and a strong command of specific terminology, will be awarded the highest marks (30-30L).

• A thorough knowledge of the topics covered in the course, combined with good analytical and critical skills and a strong command of specific terminology, will be awarded good marks (27-29).

• A relatively adequate preparation and sufficient analytical skills, even if not particularly detailed, expressed in correct language, will produce fair evaluations (23-26).

• Sufficient preparation and analytical skills, expressed in just formally correct language, will determine a passing grade (18-22).

With regard to assessment, the use of AI is prohibited. Any use of AI constitutes a violation of academic integrity.

Six exam sessions are scheduled, approximately distributed across the periods of January/February, April/May, and September/October.

Students not attending. The program of the course is the same for both students attending and not attending. Owing to the nature of the course, frequency of the lessons is strongly recommended. However, students who for valid reasons cannot attend the course are invited to contact the professors, during the office hours, for the suggestion of potential supplementary texts.

Teaching tools

Lectures will be illustrated with powerpoint presentations. All teaching materials will be made available through the Virtuale platform.

Students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) or temporary/permanent disabilities are advised to contact the University Office responsible in a timely manner (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ). The office will be responsible for proposing any necessary accommodations to the students concerned. These accommodations must be submitted to the lecturer for approval at least 15 days in advance, and will be evaluated in light of the learning objectives of the course.

With regard to assessment activities, the use of artificial intelligence, including its use solely to summarize texts, is prohibited. Any use of AI will be considered a violation of academic integrity.

Module 1: Lectures will be given with the assistance of traditional supports, as well as slide and computer projections.

Module 2:

Lectures will be given with the assistance of traditional supports, as well as slide and computer projections. It should be an internet connection in order to have access to the OxCal online program:

https://c14.arch.ox.ac.uk/oxcal.html

https://c14.arch.ox.ac.uk/oxcal/OxCal.html

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Picin [https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/andrea.picin/en]

See the website of Sahra Talamo [https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/sahra.talamo/en]

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Picin

See the website of Sahra Talamo