https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/8106 Fri, 28 Aug 2026 01:01:15 GMT 2026-08-28T01:01:15Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148595 Title: Human interactions with tropical environments over the last 14,000 years at Iho Eleru, Nigeria Authors: Cerasoni, Jacopo Niccolo; Hallett, Emily Yuko; Orijemie, Emuobosa Akpo; Ashastina, Kseniia; Lucas, Mary; Farr, Lucy; Hohn, Alexa; Kiahtipes, Christopher A.; Blinkhorn, James; Roberts, Patrick; Manica, Andrea; Scerri, Eleanor M. L. Abstract: The Ihò Eléérú (or Iho Eleru) rock shelter, located in Southwest Nigeria, is the only site from which Pleistocene-age hominin fossils have been recovered in western Africa. Excavations at Iho Eleru revealed regular human occupations ranging from the Later Stone Age (LSA) to the present day. Here, we present chronometric, archaeobotanical, and paleoenvironmental findings, which include the taxonomic, taphonomic, and isotopic analyses of what is the only Pleistocene faunal assemblage documented in western Africa. Our results indicate that the local landscape surrounding Iho Eleru, although situated within a regional open-canopy biome, was forested throughout the past human occupation of the site. At a regional scale, a shift from forest- to savanna-dominated ecotonal environment occurred during a mid-Holocene warm event 6,000 years ago, with a subsequent modern reforestation of the landscape. Locally, no environmental shift was observable, placing Iho Eleru in a persistent forested “island” during the period of occupation. Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148595 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148422 Title: Through the eyes of wanderers : the contribution of travel literature to the study of ancient Cypriot harbours Authors: Gatt, Judith; Stivarou, Varvara Abstract: This article explores the contribution of travel literature to the diachronic study of ancient Cypriot harbours (Classical-Late Roman period), highlighting its potential to complement archival, archaeological and geoarchaeological research. While often regarded as unreliable due to exaggerations and biases, travel accounts provide valuable insights into harbour landscapes. By analysing references from the 13th to the 19th centuries, this study categorizes relevant observations into five themes: harbour identification, structural descriptions, construction techniques, accessibility, and environmental changes. Cross-referencing these accounts with archaeological data offers new perspectives on harbour evolution, demonstrating that travel literature remains an underutilized yet crucial resource in harbour archaeology.; Résumé. Cet article explore la contribution de la littérature de voyage à l'étude diachronique des ports antiques de Chypre (période classique-antiquité tardive), en mettant en évidence son potentiel à compléter les informations fournies par les archives, l'archéologie et la géoarchéologie. Bien que souvent considérés comme peu fiables en raison d'exagérations et de biais, les récits de voyage fournissent des informations précieuses sur le paysage portuaire. En analysant des références datant du xIIr au siècle, cette étude classe les observations pertinentes en cinq thèmes : identification des ports, descriptions structurelles, techniques de construction, accessibilité et changements environnementaux. Le recoupement de ces témoignages avec les données archéologiques offre de nouvelles perspectives sur l'évolution des ports, démontrant que la littérature de voyage reste une ressource sous-exploitée mais essentielle pour l'archéologie portuaire. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148422 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146156 Title: High-resolution 3D digitization and analysis of the Mesolithic site of Latnija (Malta) Authors: Tanasi, Davide; Fawbush, Alex; Kingsland, Kaitlyn; Calderone, Dario; Scerri, Eleanor; Vella, Nicholas C.; Groucutt, Huw S. Abstract: This paper presents the high-resolution 3D digitization of the Mesolithic archaeological site of Latnija (Għar Tuta), located in a doline in northern Malta. The study employed terrestrial laser scanning using the Faro Focus s150 scanner to generate a precise digital representation of the site's complex geological and archaeological context. The resulting point cloud data, meticulously processed in Faro Scene, was optimized, filtered, and transformed into a detailed 3D mesh model. Despite challenges such as geological instability and limited scan overlap, the digitized model achieved high accuracy and visual continuity. Furthermore, the model serves as a crucial tool for preserving this fragile archaeological context against ongoing environmental threats, enabling detailed spatial analyses, and facilitating public engagement. This research highlights the effectiveness and critical importance of integrating advanced digital methodologies into archaeological practice, ensuring long-term preservation and enhanced accessibility of significant prehistoric sites. Wed, 01 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146156 2025-10-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146150 Title: Revolution, modernity, and the dispersal of Homo sapiens beyond Africa Authors: Groucutt, Huw S. Abstract: In the recent past, evolutionarily speaking, every other kind of hominin, from the Neanderthals of western Eurasia to the ‘hobbits’ of Flores, became extinct while our species prospered and spread across the world, from remote islands to high mountains. Understanding how, why, and when this global spread of Homo sapiens occurred is a major question in human evolutionary studies. While there is broad agreement on our African origin and subsequent global expansion, currently fossil, genetic, and archaeological data and perspectives on the details of this process are, if not actively contradictory, then certainly uncomfortable bedfellows. In part, this uncertainty reflects the profound spatial and temporal biases in currently available archaeological, fossil, and genetic samples. However, there are also methodological and theoretical aspects which limit understanding. Two central examples, reviewed in this paper, are the challenges of accurately dating palaeoanthropological sites and the continuing influence of the outdated concept of a ‘Human Revolution’ and the related concept of ‘modernity’, in both cultural and biological forms. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146150 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z