A man buried in Belgium in the Upper Paleolithic era
The Gravettian culture is an archaeological culture of the European Upper Paleolithic period, dated approximately between 33,000 and 22,000 years ago. This era is characterized by its distinctive stone tools and art, marking significant advancements in prehistoric societies. The Gravettian culture is particularly notable in present-day Belgium, where it offers insights into the lifestyle and practices of its hunter-gatherer populations.
Geographic Context and Environment
During the Gravettian period, the landscape of what is now Belgium was vastly different from today. The region experienced cold climatic conditions, with expansive open steppes and some forested areas, shaped by the Ice Age. The ecology was dominated by megafauna like mammoths, reindeer, and bison, which were crucial to the Gravettian subsistence economy. The presence of major rivers and coastal areas facilitated the movement and settling of groups, providing resources around water bodies critical for survival.
Material Culture and Technology
The Gravettian people of Belgium are renowned for their sophisticated tool-making techniques. Their toolkit included small, sharp blades and points primarily used for hunting. The \burin," a chisel-like tool, was distinctive of the Gravettian culture and used in crafting other tools or engraving artwork. These stone tools were typically made from high-quality flint, which was abundant in regions like the Meuse River valley.
In addition to stone tools, Gravettians also developed significant advancements in bone and ivory crafting. The discoveries of needles, hooks, and other small items indicate a rudimentary understanding of sewing and fishing, suggesting a more complex utilization of resources.
Social Structure and Habitation
Gravettian communities were semi-nomadic, structured around extended family groups or bands ranging from 25 to 50 individuals. These groups were largely egalitarian, with social roles likely determined by age, gender, and skill proficiency. Seasonal migration patterns were common, influenced by hunting prospects and environmental conditions.
Evidence shows that the Gravettians lived in both open-air settlements and caves. In Belgium, several cave sites have been discovered with remnants of hearths, indicating their use for warmth, cooking, and perhaps social gatherings. The construction of "tent-like" structures using mammoth bones and hides has been hypothesized to serve as dwellings, although evidence in Belgium specific to these structures remains sparse compared to Eastern European sites.
Art and Symbolism
One of the trademarks of the Gravettian culture is its rich artistic tradition. Artwork from this period includes Venus figurines, engraved bones, and cave etchings. Although most renowned finds of Venus figurines are from regions like Austria and Italy, the symbolic value of fertility and status these figures embody likely permeated throughout Gravettian territories, including Belgium. Furthermore, the presence of personal ornaments, such as shell beads, points to the importance of adornment and possibly social status identifiers.
Engravings and carvings often reflect a connection with the natural world, with portrayals of animals and abstract symbols possibly signifying spiritual beliefs or shamanistic practices. Rock art in the form of petroglyphs is less prominent in Belgium than in other parts of Europe, yet any discoveries contribute invaluable perspectives on the symbolic life of these early peoples.
Subsistence and Economy
Hunting was central to the Gravettian way of life, with a focus on large game like reindeer and mammoths. Hunting strategies displayed sophistication, likely involving planned group efforts, and toolkits adapted to specific prey. Besides hunting, they gathered plant materials, fished in rivers, and exploited different environmental zones, ensuring a diversified subsistence strategy.
Trade and exchange networks, though less understood for this region, might have existed, as suggested by the presence of non-local materials like marine shells. This indicates some form of interaction or mobility extending beyond immediate territories.
Conclusion
The Gravettian culture of Belgium represents a dynamic period of prehistoric development characterized by technical innovation, rich symbolic expression, and resilient adaptation to harsh climatic conditions. While further archaeological research continues to unveil new aspects of these ancient peoples, the Gravettian legacy remains a vital chapter in understanding the evolution of human societies in Europe during pre-civilization times."
Ancient genetic admixture analysis compares the DNA profile of this individual (GOY007) with present-day reference populations. These results show what percentage of the individual's genetic makeup resembles ancient populations from different geographic regions.
Modern genetic admixture analysis compares the DNA profile of this individual (GOY007) with present-day reference populations. These results show what percentage of the individual's genetic makeup resembles modern populations from different geographic regions.
These results complement the ancient ancestry components shown in the previous section, offering a different perspective on the individual's genetic profile by comparing it with modern reference populations rather than prehistoric ancestral groups.
The G25 coordinates for the sample GOY007 are as follows. You can analyze its admixture using G25 Studio.
GOY007,0.08470538,-0.0026159,0.06018766,0.05996586,-0.01121884,0.00515512,-0.08921976,-0.10949762,0.0018805,0.00328384,0.00040124,0.00465466,-0.0091675,0.00361914,-0.00073604,0.00229522,0.0088654,0.0018262,-0.00256116,-0.0018447,0.0028909,0.0060964,-0.00463296,0.00326104,-0.00064881
Palaeogenomics of Upper Palaeolithic to Neolithic European hunter-gatherers
Modern humans have populated Europe for more than 45,000 years1,2. Our knowledge of the genetic relatedness and structure of ancient hunter-gatherers is however limited, owing to the scarceness and poor molecular preservation of human remains from that period3. Here we analyse 356 ancient hunter-gatherer genomes, including new genomic data for 116 individuals from 14 countries in western and central Eurasia, spanning between 35,000 and 5,000 years ago. We identify a genetic ancestry profile in individuals associated with Upper Palaeolithic Gravettian assemblages from western Europe that is distinct from contemporaneous groups related to this archaeological culture in central and southern Europe4, but resembles that of preceding individuals associated with the Aurignacian culture. This ancestry profile survived during the Last Glacial Maximum (25,000 to 19,000 years ago) in human populations from southwestern Europe associated with the Solutrean culture, and with the following Magdalenian culture that re-expanded northeastward after the Last Glacial Maximum. Conversely, we reveal a genetic turnover in southern Europe suggesting a local replacement of human groups around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum, accompanied by a north-to-south dispersal of populations associated with the Epigravettian culture. From at least 14,000 years ago, an ancestry related to this culture spread from the south across the rest of Europe, largely replacing the Magdalenian-associated gene pool. After a period of limited admixture that spanned the beginning of the Mesolithic, we find genetic interactions between western and eastern European hunter-gatherers, who were also characterized by marked differences in phenotypically relevant variants.