Background
The first humans entered Europe before 1 million years ago and lived through a diverse range of environmental conditions as the global climate oscillated into ice age conditions and back. How did the Lower Palaeolithic humans protect themselves from the cold? Did they use fire and construct shelters in a similar manner to recent hunter-gatherers? Alternatively, did they rely on physiological adaptations, such as thick body hair and fat? The archaeological evidence for shelters is both sparse and ambiguous. Is that simply because we lack the means to identify their footprint in the archaeological record?
Methods
The proposed research project will adopt an experimental approach to evaluate the archaeological visibility of Lower Palaeolithic shelters. It will construct a range of possible types of shelters utilising a variety of natural settings, such as tree-throw pits and spaces beneath fallen trees, augmented by woody vegetation, animal hides and other materials. The experimental shelters will be constructed in a range of environmental settings comparable to those used by humans in the Lower Palaeolithic, including floodplains, lake shores and woodlands. Experimental activities appropriate to Lower Palaeolithic lives including flintknapping and food-consumption will be conducted within and adjacent to the shelters. Their hygrothermal and weather-proofing attributes will be assessed by comparing ambient temperatures & humidity inside and outside of the shelters at different times of the year. The shelters will then be allowed to collapse, enabling the resulting traces to be recorded by using excavation and a variety of geoarchaeological methods including micromorphology. By considering the evidence for compressed surfaces, micro-residues, and bioturbation, and by analysing the spatial distributions of natural and anthropogenic materials, the project will assess whether the shelters create distinctive archaeological footprints.
The project will draw on existing Reading expertise in Palaeolithic and hunter/gatherer archaeology, experimental methodologies and geoarchaeology.
Applicants are encouraged from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, notably Archaeology, Geography and Quaternary science. They should have a 2.1 degree and ideally have undertaken an MS or MSc in a relevant subject. Previous experience in experimental archaeology is desirable, but not essential. While remaining with the scope of this project, applicants are invited to help shape a proposal to meet their interests and expertise.
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