Reassessing Mesolithic/

Neolithic ‘gap’:
Mala Triglavca case

Dimitrij Mlekuž, Mihael Budja, Robert Payton and Clive

Bonsall

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Wednesday, March 2, 2011
 from Biagi and Spataro 2000
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
 No “Gap” at all: Odmut
OxCal v4.0.5 Bronk Ramsey (2007); r:5 IntCal04 atmospheric curve (Reimer et al 2004)

R_Date Si-2225

R_Date Si-2228

R_Date Z-???

R_Date Si-2224

Mesolithic R_Date Si-2226

R_Date Si-2221

R_Date Z-413

R_Date Si-2220

R_Date Si-2227

R_Date Z-457

R_Date Si-2217

R_Date Si-2219

Neolithic R_Date Si-2222

R_Date Z-412

R_Date Si-2223

12000 11000 10000 9000 8000 7000 6000 5000

Calibrated date (calBC)

Wednesday, March 2, 2011
 OxCal v4.0.5 Bronk Ramsey (2007); r:5 IntCal04 atmospheric curve (Reimer et al 2004)

No regional “Gap”: R_Date Benussi

Caput Adriae R_Date Benussi

R_Date Edera Cave

R_Date Ciclami

R_Date Edera Cave

R_Date Edera Cave

Mesolithic R_Date Edera Cave

R_Date Edera Cave

R_Date Benussi

R_Date Benussi

R_Date Benussi

R_Date Edera Cave

R_Date Edera Cave

R_Date Edera Cave

R_Date Edera Cave

Neolithic R_Date Edera Cave

R_Date Edera Cave

R_Date Edera Cave

R_Date Edera Cave

R_Date Edera Cave

9000 8000 7000 6000 5000 4000

Calibrated date (calBC)

Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
 Haplogroup I1b* distribution

http://www.relativegenetics.com/
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
 Number of circumadriatic 14C dates
median probability
N=99
25

20

15

10

5
00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00
74

72

70

68

66

64

62

60

58

56

54
cal BC
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
 Erosional surfaces in Karst caves
BOSCHIAN AND MONTAGNARI-KOKELJ

Figure 2. Stratigraphical tentative correlation of the deposit facies in the Karst caves: (1) facies 1; (2)
facies 2; (3) facies 3, (4) facies 4; (5) erosion surfaces; (6) unknown on unclear stratigraphy.

Facies 1: Reworked Loess Deposits Alternatingfrom

with Frost Shattered
Boschian and Montagnari Kokelj 2000
Rubble
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
 Neolithic “fumier” deposits

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

 Mitreo Benussi
Edera Azzura
Caterina Zingari
Ciclami
Mala Triglavca
Trhlovca

Podmol
Acijev spodmol

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Wednesday, March 2, 2011
 from Leben 1988
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
 OxCal v4.0.5 Bronk Ramsey (2007); r:5 IntCal04 atmospheric curve (Reimer et al 2004)

R_Date Poz-15343
Radiocarbon
R_Date Poz-14242 dates
R_Date Poz-14243

R_Date Poz-21395

R_Date OxA-15139

R_Date OxA-15134

R_Date OxA-15123

R_Date OxA-15137

R_Date OxA-15136

R_Date Poz-15232

R_Date Poz-15341

R_Date Poz-14245

R_Date Poz-14244

R_Date OxA-15138

R_Date OxA-15135

9000 8000 7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000

Calibrated date (calBC)

Wednesday, March 2, 2011
 Leben’s
section Large stone
‘Ash’ lens

2m

6451 ± 36
I
II

III

3a
IV
V

3bV breccia
V
VI

Limit of excavation

8225 ± 40 VII

96 95 94 93 92 91 90 89 88
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
 2001
Section
Soil thin section sample
Pottery
Bone tool
Leben datum point
Large stone
‘Ash’ lens

2m

Ah 434.149 m
2AB

433.346 m
3AB

4AB
Limit of Leben’s excavation breccia
5bAh
6Bk

7bAh

Paleosurface Limit of 2001 re-excavation

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

 Leben’s
section Large stone
‘Ash’ lens

2m

6451 ± 36
I
II

III

IV
V

V breccia
V
VI

Limit of excavation

8225 ± 40 VII

96 95 94 93 92 91 90 89 88
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
 Leben’s
section Large stone
‘Ash’ lens

2m

6451 ± 36
7255 ± 40
I 7630 ± 50
II
7950 ± 50
III

IV
V

V breccia
V
VI

Limit of excavation

8225 ± 40 VII

96 95 94 93 92 91 90 89 88
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
 Leben’s
section Large stone
‘Ash’ lens

2m

6451 ± 36
7255 ± 40
I 7630 ± 50
II
7950 ± 50
III

IV
V

V breccia
V
VI

Limit of excavation

8225 ± 40 VII

96 95 94 93 92 91 90 89 88
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
 Leben’s
section Large stone
‘Ash’ lens

2m

6451 ± 36
7255 ± 40
I 7630 ± 50
II
7950 ± 50
III

IV
V

V breccia
V
VI

Limit of excavation

8225 ± 40 7229 ± 38 VII

6320 ± 40
96 95 94 93 9 2 6647
9 1 ± 37
90 89 88
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
 Erosion planes

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

 Pottery
MT 24/03

from Gašparič Žibrat 2004

Wednesday, March 2, 2011
 99
Distribution of pottery
11 10 9

98
97
1 8

96
ne
Dripli

95
2001 section (Fig. 2c)
Lebenʼs section (Fig. 2a)

94
2 7

93
3a 3 6

92
91
4a 4 5

10,100,500 90
89
88

2m Pottery fragments

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

 “Vlaška” bowl with traces of milk
MT 22/00
lipids

MT 24/03

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

 Complex palimpsest, series of
secondary deposits with residual finds
Large stone
‘Ash’ lens

2m

6451 ± 36
7255 ± 40
I 7630 ± 50
II
7950 ± 50
III

IV
V

V breccia
V
VI

Limit of excavation

8225 ± 40 7229 ± 38 VII

6320 ± 40
96 95 94 93 9 2 6647
9 1 ± 37
90 89 88
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
 Conclusions

Stratigraphic/radiocarbon sequences are

complex palimpsests

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

 Conclusions

“Gaps” in the radiocarbon sequence do not

necessarily represent periods of abandonment
of a cave

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

 Conclusions

“Gaps” are perhaps symptoms of our approach

toward the Mesolithic/Neolithic transition

Wednesday, March 2, 2011