Using Formation Processes to Explore Low-Density Sites and Settlement Patterns: A Case Study from the Swabian Jura

A novel study challenges traditional assumptions about Paleolithic settlement patterns by focusing on low-density occupation sites, revealing that such locations were used for short-term human activities and were significantly influenced by carnivore behavior. Researchers employed a geoarchaeological approach, including micromorphology, to analyze two understudied sites in the Swabian Jura, Germany—Schafstall II and Fetzershaldenhöhle—and compared their formation processes with those of a more intensively occupied site, Lindenhöhle. The findings indicate that these low-density sites, despite differences in chronology and context, share comparable formation histories, highlighting the role of fauna in sediment accumulation and providing new insights into regional geomorphological history. This work also supports broader climatic records and suggests methodological advancements for studying hunter-gatherer settlement patterns by integrating distributional and site-specific approaches.

Varis, A., Miller, C. E., Toniato, G., Janas, A., & Conard, N. J. (2022). Using Formation Processes to Explore Low-Density Sites and Settlement Patterns: A Case Study from the Swabian Jura. Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41982-022-00127-7