Structurally and functionally complex technologies were a defining element of Late Pleistocene societies, but physical examples of them remain extremely rare in the archaeological record because most were made from perishable raw materials. The sparse material record of those myriad technologies limits our ability to formulate nuanced models about this critical period in human history. We present radiocarbon, Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry, and other taxonomic identification data from two of the largest Late Pleistocene perishable assemblages in the world, Cougar Mountain Cave and Paisley Caves, Oregon, US. These data include 66 radiocarbon dates on 55 items made from 15 different plant and animal taxa, including the oldest known physical remains of sewn hide. We provide data on eyed bone needles from four regional sites, showing that they are among the finest bone needles made in the Pleistocene. Our study illuminates the complex interplay of culture, climate, and technology in the Pleistocene.

Reconstructing the spatiotemporal trajectories of massive ancient cities remains difficult because archaeological excavation offers temporal depth but limited spatial coverage, while lidar and other survey methods map urban form without chronological depth. Moreover, ancient urban dynamics were multidimensional and indicated by many different variables. Integrating archaeological and environmental proxies indicative of these variables into a single spatiotemporal picture (the urban trajectory) is complicated by heterogeneity in data resolution, distributional form, and measurement structure. To address these limitations, we propose a new framework centred on mapping a theoretical “latent human influence field” (LHIF). This field represents the intensity of past human activity and its effects on the proxies in the sediment archive, which can be estimated by fusing proxy data in rapidly excavated, low-impact trenches. Given sufficient sampling and temporal coregistration, an estimated LHIF promises a coherent multidimensional spacetime view of ancient urbanism. It would fill the inferential gaps between lidar, survey, and excavation by estimating not only where archaeological traces occur, but how strongly human activity shaped local sediments and landscapes — a continuous field of human activity intensity and influence. To explore the potential of this framework, we conducted a pilot study at Koh Ker (Cambodia) using magnetic susceptibility and ceramic abundance data from eight test trenches. We paired continuous magnetic susceptibility scans with ceramic abundance data and fitted a Bayesian hierarchical latent-variable model that treats both proxies as noisy observations of the shared LHIF. This model synthesizes heterogeneous data channels within a unified causal framework and is fully extensible to additional sedimentary proxies, with potential application across archaeological site types and regions.

The nature of vegetation in tropical southeastern China during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) remains incompletely resolved despite its significance as a baseline for exploring postglacial climatic and anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity. Here we present a new pollen record from the Wushan (WS) peatland on the northern Leizhou Peninsula, showing that tropical seasonal rainforest found at the site today was largely replaced by subtropical and montane forest under the cooler conditions of the LGM. Unlike previous studies from nearby maar-lake records that indicate herbaceous expansion and savanna development, the persistently high arboreal pollen proportions in the WS core suggest sustained closed-canopy forest throughout the LGM. We propose that the spatial differences among these records reflect a heterogeneous forest-grassland mosaic, suggesting that closed-canopy forests and open vegetation coexisted across southern tropical China during the LGM. Notably, continuous and abundant Glyptostrobus pollen in the WS peat sequence provides the first robust palynological evidence of its survival under full LGM conditions, filling a critical gap in the long-standing absence of direct evidence for the persistence of this thermophilous Tertiary wetland relict conifer during peak glacial conditions. The persistence of Glyptostrobus forests during the LGM highlights that even a taxon resilient to extreme Quaternary climate oscillations can become highly vulnerable under intensified human activities over the past two millennia.

The role of commensal or synanthropic species in the subsistence practices and island ecologies of the insular Caribbean has been receiving increasing attention as more sites and faunal assemblages are studied across the region. As the only surviving endemic terrestrial mammal on the island and an essential part of the human diet in precolonial Jamaica, the Jamaican hutia (Geocapromys brownii) has become a useful proxy for reconstructing human diets, niche construction, and anthropogenic landscape changes. This study utilizes newly analyzed isotopic data from hutias and rice rats (Oryzomys antillarum) from several sites to reconstruct the ecology of endemic rodents and their role in human subsistence practices. δ13C and δ15N values from rodent bone collagen and δ13C and δ18O from dental enamel of hutias suggest dietary variation among the sampled taxa across different sites. When compared with previously analyzed human and hutia data from Jamaica, our results highlight synanthropic feeding relationships between rodents and humans. These results further highlight the possibility of intentional animal management practices among the precolonial population of Jamaica, and the role of anthropogenic landscape changes may have played in the ecology of endemic rodents before European colonization.

During the Hellenistic-early Roman period (4th − 1st BCE), Sicily played a major role in shaping sociopolitical developments in the Mediterranean. However, despite its experience of major social, economic, and demographic change, including major events such as Greek colonization and Roman expansion, aspects of past life, including diet and nutrition, in Sicily during this period, remain largely unexplored. This paper employed samples from 50 adult individuals (25 females, 25 males) and applies bulk collagen, tooth enamel and dentine-incremental stable isotope analysis (δ13Ccollagen, δ13Ccarbonate, δ15N) as a proxy for dietary patterns in Hellenistic-early Roman Menainon (Sicily) to test the existence of age- or sex-based differences inferred from historical sources. The results from the bulk analysis show limited differences between individuals of different sex and adult age groups, whereas significant differences were found between early life (dentine) and adulthood (bone). Meanwhile, incremental dentine data showed variable patterns among all individuals, regardless of sex and age interval. Our results suggest dietary access was more equitable across age and sex than previously indicated from written sources, where biological sex did not play an important role in access to foodstuffs, but age affected to some degree dietary patterns. This provides a glimpse of everyday rural life at the edge of expanding colonies and empires.

Compound specific amino acid (AA) nitrogen isotope (δ15N) analysis complements direct observations by revealing food web structure and ecological interactions, yet interpretation of consumer δ15N values depends on understanding natural variability in autotroph AA δ15N values. To test hypotheses about how foliar AA δ15N values vary with lignin content, phenolic content, and aridity, AA δ15N values were gathered from foliage collected from 86 plants growing across an aridity gradient in SW Madagascar. There exist consistent differences between sympatric grasses and woody taxa, including grass tyrosine and glycine relatively enriched in 15N by > 5‰. Consequently, consumer AA δ15N values carry information about the dietary fraction of woody plants vs. grasses, complementing inferences from carbon isotope (δ13C) analyses of C3/C4 diet proportions. Meanwhile, mean annual precipitation is negatively associated with most foliar AA δ15N values, averaging a 1.2‰ increase per 100 mm/yr decrease, though the association is not necessarily linear. Notably, lysine and tyrosine δ15N values increase with aridity, making them candidate proxies for habitat aridity in heterotroph tissues. Additionally, foliar δ15N lysine-glutamate offsets are more conserved than phenylalanine-glutamate offsets (CV = 15% vs. 40%), likely due to the involvement of phenylalanine in the phenylpropanoid pathway. Marked taxon-specific variation in foliar phenylalanine and threonine δ15N values likely affect δ15N values of consumer AAs. Improved characterizations of natural variation in plant AA metabolism and foliar AA δ15N values are essential for refining inferences of consumer ecology.

Reconstructing ecological interactions within extinct vertebrate communities remains challenging, particularly for taxa such as South American native ungulates (SANUs) and caviomorph rodents that lack modern analogs. The Middle Miocene site of La Venta in Colombia hosts one of the most diverse tropical vertebrate assemblages in South America, but little is known about the paleocological interactions of its taxa. We present stable isotope (δ13C and δ18O) analyses of fossil tooth enamel from SANUs (n = 51) and caviomorph rodents (n = 16) to reconstruct paleodiet and niche partitioning. Minimal diagenetic alteration was confirmed using Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. All taxa exhibited C₃-dominated diets, consistent with forested tropical environments. However, inter-taxon isotopic variation revealed ecological differentiation: Miocochilius anomopodus (a typothere notoungulate) showed the narrowest niche breadth and highest δ13C values, suggesting occupation of more open habitats, while astrapotheres, toxodont notoungulates, and litopterns displayed broader niches indicative of closed-canopy forest browsing. The two rodent taxa showed distinct δ13C values despite morphological similarities, supporting niche differentiation within sympatric caviomorphs. These results provide the first isotope-based evidence for resource partitioning among Middle Miocene neotropical herbivores from Colombia and support paleoenvironmental reconstructions of La Venta as a heterogeneous mosaic of mainly forested areas with open habitats adjacent to large water bodies that hosted some of the largest vertebrates during the Miocene in South America.

Tropical island rainforests have long been viewed as marginal environments for Late Pleistocene foragers, particularly during the climatic instability of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Preliminary archaeological evidence from the Inumaki Cave on Biak Island, Indonesian Papua, dating to before, during, and after the LGM provides insights into the timing and nature of human occupation in these environments. It also clarifies an important period of human expansion around northern Sahul and contributes to the sparse Pleistocene record of this region. The evidence consists of stratified faunal remains, marine shellfish, and lithic artefacts recovered from deposits spanning the Late Pleistocene to the early Holocene. The archaeological assemblage indicates episodic human occupation of the cave supported by a broad-spectrum foraging strategy integrating both forest and island resources. These included terrestrial mammals (cuscus and bandicoots, and possibly rats and bats) and reptiles (snakes and possibly lizards), and coastal shellfish. A single tooth from a forest wallaby, dating to after the Terminal Pleistocene, may also reflect translocation or the movement of bone ornaments from northern Sahul. Lithic artefacts made on local limestone reflect flexible responses to restricted access to raw materials in this small island environment. These findings demonstrate the capacity of Late Pleistocene populations to persist in tropical island rainforests during the LGM and refine our understanding of human ecological niche expansion during a period of globally significant climatic and environmental change.

In some1 contexts, the term "pastoralism" still invokes a perception of unchanging specialized dietary reliance on herd animals. This is despite the fact that research from across multiple disciplines has emphasized pastoral economic heterogeneity and its spatial and temporal variability, consistent with shifting contextual factors. While diverse accounts attest to dynamic subsistence strategies, direct dietary assessments of the complex interactions between herding and cultivating groups in pastoralist contexts and in terms of seasonal subsistence have been limited. This paper uses stable carbon (delta 13C), nitrogen (delta 15N), and hydrogen (delta 2H) isotope analysis of modern human hair from the Turkana of northern Kenya, as well as hair from their herd animals, to explore differences in diet between herders and riverside cultivators-communities involved in different economic activities that are nevertheless part of a single broader sociocultural grouping. Sampling during the wet and dry seasons also facilitates exploration of adaptive responses to precipitation change. Limited dietary differences between more specialized herders and riverside cultivators support views of pastoralism as a highly dynamic adaptive strategy, with greater reliance on herd animals only on a seasonal basis. Katika baadhi ya maeneo, tafsiri ya neno "ufugaji" bado limebeba nadharia ya jamii isiobadilika na inayotegemea mazao ya wanyama tu kama sehemu ya lishe. Mtizamo huu umeendelea kuwepo pamoja na ukweli kwamba tafiti mbalimbali zimekwisha kuainisha na kutilia mkazo mchangamano na utofauti wa kiuchumi wa jamii ya wafugaji kulingana na umri na maeneo husika. Wakati zipo taarifa mbalimbali zinazoainisha uwepo wa utofauti katika dhana ya mazao ya chakula, ushahidi wa moja kwa moja unaonesha misimu ya mwingiliano kati wafugaji na wakulima katika maeneo ya wafugaji bado ni hadimu/hafifu. Makala hii inatumia sampuli za isotopu ya kaboni (delta 13C), naitrojeni (delta 15N), na hidrojeni (delta 2H) zilizokusanywa kwenye nywele za watu wa jamii ya wafugaji na manyoya ya wanyama wawafugao katika eneo la Turkana linalopatikana kaskazini mwa Kenya. Madhumuni ya utafiti huu ilikua kuchunguza utofauti wa mazao ya chakula kati ya jamii ya wafugaji na wakulima wanaoishi kando kando ya mto/vijito ambapo jamii hii pia hujihusisha na shughuli mbalimbali katika mazingira ya eneo moja linalowazunguka. Sampuli zilizokusanywala katika vipindi vya mvua na vipindi vya ukame vinatoa taswira ya namna gani watu wameweza kukabiliana na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa. Uhaba wa ushahidi wa utofauti wa mavuno ya chakula kati ya jamii ya wafugaji na wakulima ni ushahidi kwamba, jamii ya wafugaji imekua na mkakati wa mabadiliko ya mavuno ya chakula ambapo mazao ya wanyama yanakua tegemezi kwa msimu maalumu tu.

Adapting to a global urban future requires diverse, long-term perspectives on urbanism. URBank supports this by bringing together global deep-time urban datasets in a modern open-science computing platform. Its design eschews checklist definitions of cities, representing the variability of past urbanism and enabling systematic comparative spatiotemporal research.

Dairy products are a key component of the diet in Armenia today, yet the origins of milk consumption, its historical development, and genetic adaptations related to milk digestion in the region remain understudied. Here, we investigate the co-evolution of dairying practices and lactase persistence in Armenia through combined palaeoproteomic and genetic analyses spanning from prehistory to the present. Our palaeoproteomic results provide direct evidence for milk consumption in prehistoric Armenia and, in conjunction with existing regional data, indicate that dairying was an established component of the South Caucasus subsistence economy from at least the late fourth millennium BCE. We found evidence of milk consumption from multiple species across archaeological periods, with cattle milk representing the earliest confirmed evidence from the Chalcolithic period. Notably, milk proteins were predominantly recovered from high-altitude sites, suggesting that dairy consumption served as an adaptive strategy for harsh highland environmental conditions. In contrast to the widespread evidence for milk consumption, our genetic findings indicate that the lactase persistence-associated variants never reached high frequencies throughout Armenian prehistory. This pattern suggests that the relatively low frequency of lactase persistence may reflect a predominant cultural adaptation to the fermentation of dairy products, which reduces lactose content and enables dairy use even in genetically lactose-intolerant populations. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Max Planck Society

Abstract Bone has long served as a versatile raw material in human societies due to its durability, workability, and availability. However, identifying the animal species used in worked bone artifacts remains challenging, as manufacturing processes and use-wear often remove diagnostic morphological features. This study applies Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) to investigate raw material selection in textile-related bone tools from Augusta Emerita (Mérida, Spain), the capital of Roman Lusitania, dating to the 1st − 3rd centuries CE. The archaeological context of the assemblage is particularly significant, originating from contexts consisting of a bone processing workshop for the manufacture and sale of bone objects that is one of the first installations of this type identified in the Iberian Peninsula. A total of 36 artifacts associated with textile production were analyzed where five main taxonomic groups were identified: Bos taurus , Bovidae/Cervidae, Cervus elaphus , Elephas maximus , and an unidentified avian species. These results indicate a functional selection of common domestic and wild taxa, while the presence of exotic materials points to long-distance trade networks and the potential symbolic or social significance of certain artifacts, particularly in funerary contexts.

Tropical rainforests have often been considered marginal environments for Pleistocene hunter-gatherers, yet archaeological research in Sri Lanka demonstrates long-term occupation of these habitats from ~48,000 years ago (ka). Material evidence indicates specialized hunting of arboreal mammals, as well as the use of plant resources, but plant consumption is often difficult to detect because organic remains preserve poorly in rainforest settings. Here we present zinc isotope data (δ66Zn) from Late Pleistocene to Late Holocene human (n = 24) and faunal tooth (n = 57) enamel, spanning ~20-3 ka of rainforest occupation in Sri Lanka. Our results show that humans consistently occupied an intermediate trophic position, indicating mixed diets of animal and plant foods. Over time, human δ66Zn values shift towards those typical of herbivores, suggesting an increasing reliance on plant resources. This pattern predates the regional introduction of crop agriculture and indicates that rainforest foragers were intensifying plant use long before farming emerged.

The Cusi Cusi micro region in Argentina’s Andes presents a unique challenge for cultural heritage research. This rugged area lies within the Puna of Jujuy at elevations from 3800 to 4200 metres above sea level. Archaeological, historical, and features indicate long term human presence, including livestock enclosures, agricultural terraces, and settlement structures. The region is situated within the ‘Lithium Triangle’ and faces challenges in resource ownership, Indigenous rights, and landscape change, highlighting the importance of documenting cultural and environmental heritage. We present an integration of satellite and unpiloted aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery with pedestrian survey datasets, machine learning (ML), and physical ground truthing to explore anthropogenic activities in the landscape. Satellite-based ML detects features while UAV data improves resolution and assessment of present activities. Targeted pedestrian survey validates results and provides potential dating. This combined approach identifies loci of activities and offers a framework for investigating other rugged regions.

The southern coast of Europe has been at the center of archaeological debates contrasting the social and cognitive capabilities of Neanderthals and modern humans. Early evidence of marine resource exploitation by Neanderthals in this region challenged some views that coastal adaptation was a trait distinctive of modern human cognition and behavior. While it is now evident that Neanderthals exploited marine resources, the nature of their seasonal foraging strategies remains an open question. Here, we analyzed the oxygen isotope composition of mollusk shells collected by Neanderthals at Los Aviones Cave (Iberian Peninsula), demonstrating that they primarily exploited intertidal mollusks during the colder months of the year. This harvesting pattern anticipates the dominant seasonal exploitation strategies observed among later modern human populations in southern Europe, highlighting a degree of behavioral flexibility in Neanderthal use of coastal ecosystems.

The Late Bronze Age (ca. 1300-800 BCE) of Central Europe is often characterised as a period of increasing mobility, socioeconomic transformation, environmental fluctuations, and expanding cultural networks. However, reconstructing the demographic aspects of these changes has been hindered by cremation being the dominant mortuary practice, limiting biomolecular approaches. Here, we integrate ancient DNA, oxygen and strontium isotope analyses, and osteoarchaeology to examine rare inhumation burials from Kuckenburg and Esperstedt in Central Germany (n = 36) and compare them to contemporaneous inhumations from the neighbouring regions of South Germany, Bohemia (Czechia) and Southwest/Central Poland (n = 33). Genome-wide data show genetic continuity with preceding Early Bronze Age populations, alongside gradual increases in Early European Farmer-related ancestry, albeit with regionally different timing and extent, reflecting a nuanced pattern of mobility and admixture. Oxygen and strontium isotope data from Central Germany indicate that most individuals match the local isotope signal, including those who were cremated or had a different diet, and with only a few isotopic outliers, suggesting that mobility was present but not extensive. Overall, our findings suggest that the diverse inhumation practices at Kuckenburg and Esperstedt were culturally motivated, reflecting local traditions and ongoing regional interconnectedness rather than the influx of new genetic groups or non-local individuals.

Angkor (800–1435 CE) is considered the type site for “low-density agrarian urbanism”, a loosely defined archaeological label used to describe settlements with urban traits but dispersed spatial structure. Angkor’s abandonment from the fifteenth century has fueled concerns that low-density cities, now common globally, may be inherently unstable. The spatial distinctiveness of Angkor relative to other premodern rural–urban systems, however, has never been quantitatively tested. Using ChronoCluster, a Python package for novel spatiotemporal archaeological analysis, we compared Angkor’s spatial structure to that of Anglo-Saxon Hampshire as recorded in the Domesday survey (mid-eleventh century CE), a rural–urban system not described as low-density agrarian urbanism. Surprisingly, both cases showed similar multiscale spatial clustering. Despite their different appearances, they may reflect scaled variants of the same underlying urban–rural dynamics. This targeted comparison between the “low-density” type site and a non-low-density comparator challenges the idea that low-density cities like Angkor form a distinct type, raises questions about what drives variation in urban form across time and space, and opens new questions about the impact of spatial structure on urban sustainability.