Browsing by Autor "Nikolay Sirakov"

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Initial Upper Palaeolithic Homo sapiens from Bacho Kiro Cave, Bulgaria
(Nature Portfolio, 2020) Jean-Jacques Hublin; Nikolay Sirakov; Vera Aldeias; Shara E. Bailey; Édouard Bard; Vincent Delvigne; Elena Endarova; Yoann Fagault; Helen Fewlass; Mateja Hajdinjak
New methods on the block: Taxonomic identification of archaeological bones in resin-embedded sediments through paleoproteomics
(Oxford University Press, 2025) Zandra Fagernäs; Gaudry Troché; Paul Goldberg; Jean‐Jacques Hublin; Shannon P McPherron; William Chase Murphree; Jesper V. Olsen; Dennis Sandgathe; Nikolay Sirakov; Marie Soressi
The integration of biomolecular studies of past organisms with geoarchaeological studies can significantly improve our understanding of the relative chronology and context of archaeologically (in)visible behaviors. However, the complexity and sedimentological heterogeneity of archaeological deposits at a microscopic scale is often not taken into consideration in biomolecular studies. Here, we investigate the preservation and retrieval of paleoproteomic data from bone fragments embedded in Pleistocene resin-impregnated sediment blocks. We show that resin impregnation has minimal effect on skeletal protein taxonomic identifications in modern skeletal material but observe an increase in oxidation of methionines. We then successfully retrieve proteins from resin-impregnated blocks from the Paleolithic sites of Bacho Kiro Cave, La Ferrassie, and Quinçay. The taxonomic identifications of minute bones encased in resin are in line with previous analyses of the faunal communities of these sites, with a diversity of taxa (Bos sp./Bison sp., Equus sp., Ursus sp., and Caprinae) observed at a microscale in Bacho Kiro. This differs from results from La Ferrassie where most of the samples are identified as a single taxon (Bos sp./Bison sp.) across different areas of the site. The block from Quinçay only provided taxonomic identification of two out of eleven bone-derived samples, likely due to diagenesis. Our work indicates that paleoproteomes can be retrieved from bone fragments at a microstratigraphic resolution, enabling the detailed study of faunal community composition at a scale that more closely matches that of past human occupations.
Subarctic climate for the earliestHomo sapiensin Europe
(American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2021) Sarah Pederzani; Kate Britton; Vera Aldeias; Nicolas Bourgon; Helen Fewlass; Tobias Lauer; Shannon P. McPherron; Željko Režek; Nikolay Sirakov; Geoffrey M. Smith
The expansion of Homo sapiens across Eurasia marked a major milestone in human evolution that would eventually lead to our species being found across every continent. Current models propose that these expansions occurred only during episodes of warm climate, based on age correlations between archaeological and climatic records. Here, we obtain direct evidence for the temperatures faced by some of these humans through the oxygen isotope analysis of faunal remains from Bacho Kiro Cave, Bulgaria, the earliest clear record of H. sapiens in Europe. The results indicate that humans ∼45,000 years ago experienced subarctic climates with far colder climatic conditions than previously suggested. This demonstrates that the early presence of H. sapiens in Europe was not contingent on warm climates. Our results necessitate the revision of key models of human expansion and highlight the need for a less deterministic role of climate in the study of our evolutionary history.
The Late Copper Age building BII-21B at Tell Yunatsite, south central Bulgaria
(2023) Valeri Petrov; Ekaterina Mitrinova; Nikolay Sirakov; Beatrijs de Groot; Orlene McIlfatrick; Victoria Russeva; Petko Panchov; Monika Jovanović; Juan José García-Granero; T. I. Popova
This paper considers the structure investigated at the largest area (labeled as BII-21B) in the Chalcolithic level BII of Tell Yunatsite, located in the western parts of the Upper Thracian Plain. It collapsed during a sudden fire, which did not affect the neighboring house to the west. The debris sealed a large number of fragmented vessels, plant remains, and even some of the inhabitants. Detailed analysis of the materials found allows for a reconstruction of diet and storage practices, research on vessels’ function and technology, decoration styles, etc. The plant remains are abundant and demonstrate a diverse species composition. The complex is dominated by lentils, barley, and einkorn wheat. Of particular interest is the evidence on purposeful gathering of grapes for producing a drink, perhaps wine. The investigation of the ceramic assemblage shows that it belongs to a developed – but not final – stage of the Late Copper Age in Upper Thrace. It also provides new information about the contact zone between the Karanovo VI and Krivodol cultures in this area.