Expanding our horizons : an exploration of hominin landscape use in the Lower Palaeolithic of Britain and the question of upland home bases or lowland living sites
The majority of Lower Palaeolithic assemblages are recovered from lowland fluvial locations, and hence most interpretation is based around these. It is clear, however, that these represent only a small fraction of the hominin landscape and this bias is potentially limiting our understanding of hominin organisation to only a single facet of behaviour. While recent authors have recognised the importance of upland sites, and other non-fluvial contexts, research is currently limited to highly specific studies (such as Boxgrove), and often fail to extend the purview to incorporate the wider landscape. Consequently we are still a long way from answering basic questions such as: how and why were hominids utilising particular locations? How, if at all, does behaviour respond to landscape context? Is the same pattern seen in continental Europe? This research applies a landscape approach to the British Palaeolithic, combining a technological, typological and chaĂźne opĂ©ratoire methodology to determine assemblage signatures for a variety of landscape types (lowland riverine, lacustrine, grassland plains and uplands). An exploratory Geographical Information Systems (GIS)approach is applied to the upland study areas to
Drinkall, Helen Clare
Expanding our horizons : an exploration of hominin landscape use in the Lower Palaeolithic of Britain and the question of upland home bases or lowland living sites. The majority of Lower Palaeolithic assemblages are recovered from lowland fluvial locations, and hence most interpretation is based around these. It is clear, however, that these represent only a small fraction of the hominin landscape and this bias is potentially limiting our understanding of hominin organisation to only a single facet of behaviour. While recent authors have recognised the importance of upland sites, and other non-fluvial contexts, research is currently limited to highly specific studies (such as Boxgrove), and often fail to extend the purview to incorporate the wider landscape. Consequently we are still a long way from answering basic questions such as: how and why were hominids utilising particular locations? How, if at all, does behaviour respond to landscape context? Is the same pattern seen in continental Europe? This research applies a landscape approach to the British Palaeolithic, combining a technological, typological and chaĂźne opĂ©ratoire methodology to determine assemblage signatures for a variety of landscape types (lowland riverine, lacustrine, grassland plains and uplands). An exploratory Geographical Information Systems (GIS)approach is applied to the upland study areas to
expanding horizon exploration hominin landscape use lower_palaeolithic britain question upland home base lowland live site majority lower_palaeolithic assemblage_recover lowland fluvial location hence interpretation base_around these clear_however represent small fraction hominin landscape bias potentially limit hominin organisation single facet behaviour recent author recognise importance upland site non fluvial context currently limit highly specific study often fail extend purview incorporate wider_landscape consequently still long way answer basic_question hominid utilise particular location behaviour respond landscape_context pattern see continental_europe applies landscape british palaeolithic combine technological_typological chaazne_opa ratoire determine assemblage signatures variety landscape type lowland riverine grassland plain upland exploratory geographical_information_systems gis apply upland study_area