The Early Upper Paleolithic Site Crvenka-At, Serbia–The First Aurignacian Lowland Occupation Site in the Southern Carpathian Basin

• DOI: 10.3389/feart.2021.599986
• Publication Date: 2021-02-26T07:36:10Z
• Authors: Janina J. Nett; Wei Chu; Peter Fischer; Ulrich Hambach; Nicole Klasen; Christian Zeeden; Igor Obreht; Lea Obrocki; Stephan Pötter; Milivoj B. Gavrilov; Andreas Vött; Dušan Mihailović; Slobodan B. Marković; Frank Lehmkuhl
• Keywords: Aurignacian; Upper Paleolithic; Middle Paleolithic; Overbank

The Carpathian Basin is a key region for understanding modern human expansion into western Eurasia during the Late Pleistocene because of numerous early hominid fossil find spots. However, corresponding archeological record remains less understood due to paucity well dated, contextualized sites. To help rectify this, we excavated and sampled Crvenka-At (Serbia), one largest Upper Paleolithic sites in obtain radiometric ages artifacts evaluate their depositional context subsequent site formation processes. Our results confirm that this locality represents multiple-occupation Aurignacian dates 36.4 ± 2.8 ka based on modeling luminescence ages. Electrical resistivity tomography measurements indicate formed sandy-gravelly fill terrace covered by overbank deposits. Complex grain size distributions further suggest contrasting environments typically occurring alongside fluvial channels, at lakeshores, alluvial fan or delta settings. thus closest (ca. 50 km) known earliest undisputed Europe Peştera cu oase some intervals occupation may therefore have been contemporaneous with them. This suggests humans, initial settlement Europe, exploited wider range topographic ecological settings than previously posited. findings lowland areas are an important part patterns humans Europe.