Confirmation of Neanderthal/modern human interstratification at the Chatelperronian type-site

Abstract

The nature of the replacement of Neanderthal by anatomically and behaviorally modern populations in Europe is currently a topic of lively debate in human evolution. In an earlier paper [Gravina B, Mellars P, Bronk Ramsey C (2005) Nature 483:51-56], we published a series of radiocarbon accelerator mass spectrometer measurements for the site of Châtelperron in central France, which had been claimed to show a clear "interstratification" of successive levels of Neanderthal and modern human occupation, on the basis of excavations carried out by Henri Delporte in the 1950s. This interpretation has recently been challenged by Zilhão and colleagues [Zilhão J, d'Errico F, Bordes J-G, Lenoble A, Texier J-P, Rigaud J-P (2006) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 103:12643-12648], who suggest that the deposits excavated in the 1950s consisted largely, if not entirely, of the unstratified "backdirt" of the earlier, 19th century excavations on the site. We show here that the excavation backdirt interpretation for the Châtelperron stratigraphy can be refuted from many different aspects of the stratigraphic, radiocarbon, and archaeological evidence. We reassess the significance of this site for current models of the coexistence and interactions between Neanderthal and anatomically modern populations in western Europe.

Fig. 1.

Photograph of the south and west faces of Delporte's “box” section excavated along the southern edge of the site. Note the contrast between the very loose appearance of the deposits, with many protruding roots, exposed in the western (i.e., right-hand-side) section of the deposits and the much more consolidated appearance of the deposits, with no visible roots, exposed in the adjacent, southern face. These confirm Delporte's observation that the easternmost limits of the 19th century excavations extended for a short distance into the western part of the box section (see Fig. 2). Composite image was compiled by F. d'Errico from photographs in the Museum of National Archaeology, St. Germain-en-Laye (Paris), and is reproduced with permission.

Fig. 2.

Plan of Delporte's excavations at Châtelperron, showing the limits of the 19th century excavations by Bailleau (marked by +-+-+-+-+ symbols) as reproduced in Delporte (ref. , figure 1, and ref. 5, figure 1). Note the overlap of the 19th century excavations into the western edge of Delporte's “box” section shown in SI Figs. 4 and 5. (See also Fig. 1.)

Fig. 3.

Distribution of radiocarbon measurements on bone samples from levels B5, B4, and B1–B3 of Delporte's excavations, compared with those for other Chatelperronian sites in France. Note that the two samples from level B4 group, respectively, with those from the underlying (B5) and overlying (B1–B3) levels, indicating a major depositional hiatus in this part of the sequence. For details of the sites, see ref. .