Sabine Gaudzinski-Windheuser - Böcker

Behind the intriguing title of this volume is a compilation of many of the papers presented during a session of the 15th Congress of the Union Internationale des Sciences Préhistoriques et Protohistoriques held in Lisbon in 2006. The session reviewed the current state of research into the spatial analysis of western Eurasian Palaeolithic and Mesolithic sites. Covering a broad temporal and geographical range, these studies reflect the enormous variety of spatial evidence preserved in the archaeological records of these periods.

This Tandem Festschrift pays tribute to Elaine Turner and Martin Street, to celebrate all they have both contributed to the MONREPOS Archaeological Research Centre and Museum for Human Behavioural Evolution of the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, in ensuring high research standards, and for your contributions to Palaeolithic Archaeology in Germany and beyond. It should be understood as a big “CHEERS” from the MONREPOS staff and many other friends and colleagues from all over the world, who contributed to this Festschrift. This double volume covers a broad spectrum of topics from the Lower Palaeolithic to the early Holocene and even to the Medieval period – touching upon the vast array of topics Elaine and Martin have dealt with over the last more than 30 years. It starts with the discussion of the oldest evidence for fire and addresses many other key-topics of scientific debate at fascinating levels of detail."There is no doubt that Elaine Turner and Martin Street are to be especially acknowledged as the trailblazers for the internationalisation of Pleistocene Archaeology in Germany. The diversity of topics reflected by these contributions is due in large part to their rock-solid research, which is based on their exceptionally broad expertise and reflected in their highly interdisciplinary research projects.” (The Editors)

This volume critically examines the evolution and impact of the "Man the Hunter" paradigm in Pleistocene archaeology. Originally proposed in the 1960s, this framework positioned hunting as the primary driver of human evolution, shaping tool development, social structures, and cognitive abilities. While recent findings, such as those at Schöningen (Germany), have reignited debates about early human hunting capabilities, contemporary research emphasizes a more nuanced understanding of prehistoric life, including diverse subsistence strategies and social roles. The volume brings together contributions that explore various aspects of early human behavior, from hunting and butchery practices to fire use and gender roles, highlighting the complex interplay between biological and cultural evolution. This collection offers fresh perspectives on one of archaeology's most enduring theoretical frameworks.

Multidisciplinary research on the Early-Middle Pleistocene site of Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov has yielded abundant climatic, environmental, ecological and behavioral records. The 15 archaeological horizons form a sequence of Acheulian occupational episodes on the shore of the paleo-Lake Hula. These enable us to reconstruct numerous aspects of the survival and adaptation of ancient hominins, leading to a better understanding of their evolution and behavior. This book presents the faunal analyses of medium-sized and large mammals, providing taxonomic, taphonomic and actualistic data for the largest faunal assemblages. The study of modes of animal exploitation reveals valuable information on hominin behavior.