Technology and taphonomy of the Middle Paleolithic assemblage from the Uzun Mera site in Macedonia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21264086 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Darko Stojanovski (0000-0001-8103-9318, Austrian Academy of Sciences, corresponding author), G L F Berruti (0000-0002-8637-4585, University of Ferrara), Marta Arzarello (0000-0003-3379-1112, University of Ferrara), Sarah Lacy (0000-0001-5754-3354, University of Delaware), Trajche Nacev (Goce Delcev University), Aleksandar Danev (Haikou City People's Hospital) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 100069 |
| Publication date | 2025-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Quaternary Environments and Humans (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2950-2365 • E-ISSN: 2950-2365 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.qeh.2025.100069 |
| OpenAlex | W4410218023 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 25 |
The open-air site of Uzun Mera in eastern North Macedonia provides new insights into Middle Paleolithic Neanderthal behavior and site formation processes in the understudied Balkan Peninsula. Discovered in 2017, the site spans over 1.5 km2 and contains lithic artefacts affected by both cultural and post-depositional processes. Technological analysis of 33 selected artefacts reveals a Middle Paleolithic industry featuring opportunistic, Levallois, and Discoid knapping methods, primarily using locally available jasper and flint. Taphonomic investigation identified two distinct alteration phases: mechanical modifications (edge crumbling, polishing, rounding) from trampling and fluvial transport, followed by chemical patination during burial in alluvial sediments. The post-depositional alteration sequence on the artefacts tells a story of a complex and dynamic past, during which geological processes impacted the primary location of the site and displaced the lithic artefacts to their current location in the alluvial plain. This study enhances understanding of Central Balkan Paleolithic human-environment interactions while highlighting the challenges of interpreting open-air sites with complex formation histories
Ancient history · Archaeology · Geography · Middle Paleolithic · Pleistocene · Taphonomy · Upper Paleolithic · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · History · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Geology · Paleontology
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Discoid Lithic Technology
For Our World Without Sound
Postcranial hominin remains from the Late Pleistocene of Pešturina Cave (Serbia)
Manganese coating of the Tabun faunal assemblage
Neanderthal settlement of the Central Balkans during MIS 5
Talking stones
Middle Palaeolithic stone-tool technology from the Central Balkans
Radiocarbon chronology of Middle and Upper Paleolithic sites in Serbia, Central Balkans
The influence of raw material quality on the characteristics of the lithic tool edges from the Atapuerca sites (Burgos, Spain)
Revising the hypodigm of Homo heidelbergensis
An experimental assessment of the influences on edge damage to lithic artifacts
Use wear and post-depositional surface modification
An ancient continuous human presence in the Balkans and the beginnings of human settlement in western Eurasia
Reality and confusion in the recognition of post-depositional alterations and use-wear
The Surface Alteration Features of Flint Artefacts as a Record of Environmental Processes
Connections between the Levant and the Balkans in the late Middle Pleistocene
Early Neanderthals in contact
Evolution of Homo in the Middle and Late Pleistocene
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |