Unexpectedly recent dates for human remains from Vogelherd.

Area of Science:

• Paleoanthropology
• Archaeology
• Radiocarbon Dating

Background:

• The Vogelherd cave in Germany holds early Aurignacian artefacts, previously attributed to modern humans.
• The Danube Corridor hypothesis suggests early modern human migration into Europe via the Upper Danube.

Observation:

• Key human skeletal remains from Vogelherd were dated using radiocarbon methods.
• Fossils were found to date to the late Neolithic period, between 3,900 and 5,000 radiocarbon years before present (bp).

Findings:

• The Vogelherd fossils are significantly younger than previously assumed for the early Aurignacian.
• This re-dating challenges the attribution of early Aurignacian artefacts to modern humans at this site.

Implications:

• The findings weaken the evidence supporting the Danube Corridor hypothesis for early modern human arrival.
• This supports the possibility of Neanderthal contributions to Upper Paleolithic cultural development, independent of modern human arrival.