Gravel size matters Early Middle Palaeolithic artefacts made from local Rhine and Meuse deposits in the cental Netherlands
article
The artefact size of the Early Middle Palaeolithic (EMP) assemblages in ice-pushed Rhine-Meuse deposits in the central Netherlands decreases northwestward. This trend correlates to the downstream fining direction of the Rhine-Meuse fluvial system, the source of the rock material, showing that locally available material was used. Furthermore, also in line with the fluvial trend, the gravel and cobble trends indicate that EMP artefacts could be present in the buried part of the ice-pushed ridges in the northern part of the central Netherlands (southwest Flevoland). Based on the gravel and cobble data, combined with the literature study, we argue that the artefacts date to marine isotope stages (MIS) 7-6. The review of published data shows that during the time of deposition of the artefact-bearing layer (early MIS 6), the Rhine-Meuse study area was part of a braidplain located in a slightly incised valley. To the north a polar desert was present. © Netherlands Journal of Geosciences Foundation 2016.
Topics
TNO Identifier
954837
ISSN
00167746
Source
Geologie en Mijnbouw/Netherlands Journal of Geosciences, 96(3), pp. 261-271.
Pages
261-271
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