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Hominid colonisation and the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic of the West Midlands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2014

A.T.O. Lang  and
D.H. Keen
A.T.O. Lang
Affiliation:
Birmingham Archaeology, Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT ([email protected]) Current address: Institute of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 36, Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2PG
D.H. Keen
Affiliation:
Birmingham Archaeology, Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT ([email protected])
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Abstract

The recognition over the last 20 years that the Quaternary deposits of the West Midlands cover a longer period of time than previously envisaged has led to a re-analysis of their contained Palaeolithic archaeology. Stone tools have been found in the region for over a hundred years and cover most periods of hominid colonisation from the time of the earliest occupants of the country over half a million years ago. Twentieth century research in the West Midlands, often led by Professor F. W. Shotton at the University of Birmingham, correlated the Palaeolithic of the region with the Quaternary geological sequence as it was then understood. Shotton identified the ‘Wolstonian’ glaciation as the key event of the Midlands Pleistocene, around which a chronology for the Palaeolithic could be built and gave an age of less than 250 kyr for this episode. Work since 1985 has compared the Midlands sequence with the oxygen isotope record of the ocean basins and shown that the concept of a relatively recent ‘Wolstonian’ is now untenable and that the former chronology built around it is too short for the observed events in the area. This new time paradigm, with the earliest occupation of the area thought to be c. 500 kyr, has made necessary a reconsideration of the chronology of the Palaeolithic and Middle Pleistocene of the area. This new time framework brings into critical focus the issue of reworking of the archaeology and its true age. The tools themselves present complications of analysis compared to many other areas containing a Palaeolithic record, perhaps most notably through the use of largely non-flint raw materials, some which may have been introduced into the area by early humans or an hither-to unidentified glacial event. This opportunity to present a new chronology of occupation comes out of the work carried out by the ‘Shotton Project’ based at the University of Birmingham, and by the University of Liverpool.

Résumé

La reconnaissance, au cours de ces 20 dernières années, que les dépôts du quaternaire des West Midlands couvrent une période de temps plus étendue qu'on ne l'avait envisagé auparavant a conduit à une nouvelle analyse de leur contenu archéologique paléolithique. Cela fait plus del 00 ans que l'on trouve dans la région des outils en pierre et ils couvrent la plupart des périodes de la colonisation hominidée – depuis l'époque des plus anciens occupants du pays, il y a plus d'un demi-million d'années. Au 20ème siècle les recherches dans les West Midlands, souvent sous la direction du Professeur F.W. Shotton de l'université de Birmingham, ont mis en corrélation le paléolithique de la région et la séquence géologique du quaternaire telle qu'on la comprenait alors. Shotton a identifié la glaciation Wolstonienne comme étant l'événement clé du pléistocène des Midlands, autour duquel pouvait s'établir une chronologie pour le paléolithique et a attribué un âge de moins de 250 ka pour cet épisode. Les travaux menés depuis 1985 ont comparé la séquence des Midlands avec le stade d'isotopes d'oxygène des bassins océaniques et ont démontré que le concept d'un Wolstonien relativement récent était désormais intenable et que l'ancienne chronologie établie à partir de cette base était trop courte pour les événements observés dans cette région. Ce nouveau paradigme temporel, qui estime que la plus ancienne occupation de la région se situe vers 500 ka, a rendu nécessaire une reconsidération de la chronologie du paléolithique et du pléistocène moyen de la région. Ce nouveau cadre temporel attire une attention critique sur la question de la révision de l'archéologie et de son âge réel. Les outils eux-mêmes présentent des complications pour l'analyse comparés à beaucoup d'autres régions contenant des archives paléolithiques, peut-être plus notablement à cause de l'utilisation de matières premières qui pour la plus grande partie ne sont pas du silex, certaines auraient pu être introduites dans la région par les premiers humains ou un épisode glaciaire jusqu'à présent non-identifié. Ce sont les travaux menés par le ‘projet Shotton’ basé à l'université de Birmingham, et par l'université de Liverpool qui nous offrent cette opportunité de présenter une nouvelle chronologie d'occupation.

Zusammenfassung

In den letzten 20 Jahren hat sich bestätigt, dass die Quartiären Ablagerungen der West Midlands eine längere Zeitperiode belegen, als bisher angenommen; dies hat zu einer erneuten Analyse der Paläolithischen Archäologie in dieser Region geführt. Steingeräte wurden hier für über hundert Jahre gefunden, und umfassen von der Zeit der ersten Landnahme vor über einer halben Million Jahren die meisten Perioden der Hominidenkolonisation. Die Forschung des 20. Jahrhunderts in den West Midlands, die oft von Professor F.W. Shotton von der Universität Birmingham durchgeführt wurde, korrelierte das Paläolithikum in dieser Region mit der damals bekannten Quartiären geologischen Abfolge. Shotton identifizierte die ‘Wolstonian’ Vereisung als das Schlüsselereignis des Midland Pleistozän; auf dieser Grundlage konnte eine Chronologie für das Paläolithikum mit einer Datierung von weniger als 250.000 Jahren gebildet werden. Seit 1985 haben Arbeiten die Midlands Abfolge mit den Sauerstoffisotopen-Daten der Meeresbecken verglichen und gezeigt, dass das Konzept eines relativ jungen ‘Wolstonian’ mittlerweile nicht mehr haltbar ist, und dass die bisherige Chronologie, die sich darauf gründet, für die beobachteten Ereignisse in diesem Gebiet zu kurz ist. Dieses neue Zeit-Paradigma, in dem man die früheste Okkupation des Gebietes mit c. 500.000 Jahren ansetzt, hat eine erneute Überprüfung die Chronologie des Paläolithikums und mittleren Pleistozäns in diesem Gebiet notwendig gemacht. Dieser neue zeitliche Rahmen unterstreicht die Notwendigkeit einer Neubearbeitung der Archäologie inklusiver ihrer neuen Datierung. Die Geräte weisen aber Probleme bei einer vergleichenden Analyse mit anderen Gebieten mit paläolithischen Fundstellen auf, besonders wenn man Rohmaterialien heranzieht, die nicht aus Silex sind, von denen einige Materialien vielleicht von frühen Menschen oder durch ein bisher noch nicht identifiziertes glaziales Ereignis in das Gebiet gekommen sind. Die Möglichkeit der Ausarbeitung einer neuen Chronologie der Okkupation dieses Gebietes ist ein Hauptergebnis dieser Arbeit des ‘Shotton-Projektes’ der Universität Birmingham und der Untersuchung der Universität Liverpool.

Résumen

La comprensión en los últimos 20 años de que los depósitos cuaternarios de West Midlands abarcan un periodo de tiempo más largo de lo que se pensó previamente, ha conducido a un re-análisis de la arqueología paleolítica que contenían. Durante más de cien años se han encontrado en la región objetos líticos que cubren la mayoría de los periodos de colonización homínida, desde el momento de la llegada de los primeros habitantes al país hace más de medio millón de años. La investigación durante el siglo XX en West Midlands, a menudo dirigida por el Profesor F.W Shotton de la Universidad de Birmingham, relacionó el Paleolítico de la región con la secuencia geológica del Cuaternario como era entendida en aquel entonces. Shotton identificó la glaciación ‘Wolstonian’ como el acontecimiento clave del Pleistoceno de las Midlands, alrededor del cual se podía construir una cronología del Paleolítico, y asignó una edad de menos de 250.000 años a este episodio. Trabajos realizados desde 1985 han comparado la secuencia de las Midlands con el registro de isótopos de oxígeno de los fondos oceánicos, y demuestran que el concepto de un periodo ‘Wolstonian’ relativamente reciente es ahora insostenible, y que la antigua cronología construida en base a esta datación es demasiado corta para los acontecimientos que se observan en la región. Este nuevo paradigma temporal, en el que la primera ocupación se emplaza alrededor de hace 500.000 años, ha hecho necesaria una revisión de la cronología del Paleolítico y del Pleistoceno Medio de la región. Este nuevo marco temporal resalta la importancia crítica de reelaborar la arqueología y su cronología auténtica. El análisis de los mismos útiles presenta complicaciones en comparación con otras zonas con restos paleolíticos, quizás de manera más marcada como consecuencia del empleo de grandes cantidades de materia prima que no es sílex, algunas de las cuales pueden haber sido introducidas en la región por los primeros humanos o por un evento glacial hasta ahora no identificado. Esta oportunidad de presentar una nueva cronología para la ocupación es el resultado de los trabajos realizados por el ‘Proyecto Shotton’ con sede en la Universidad de Birmingham, y por la Universidad de Liverpool.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 71 , 2005 , pp. 63 - 83
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 2005

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