Agent-based dispersal simulations reveal multiple rapid northern routes for the second Neanderthal dispersal from Western to Eastern Eurasia: implications for Central Asia

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Advances in Stone Age Archaeology of Central Asia" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Genetic and archaeological evidence imply a second major movement of Neanderthals from Western to Central and Eastern Eurasia sometime in the Late Pleistocene. Genetic data suggest a date of 120-80ka for the dispersal and the archaeological record provides an earliest date of arrival in the Altai by ca. 60ka. Because the number of archaeological sites linking the two regions is very small, the exact route taken and its timing have been the matter of considerable debate. Using agent-based least-cost path simulations, we show here that the northern route through the Urals and southern Siberia was the most likely route taken. Agents reach the Altai during two time windows when the climate was mild: MIS 5e and MIS 3, the latter coinciding with the archaeological evidence from Chagyrskaya and Okladnikov Caves in the Russian Altai. Interestingly, these successful northern routes appear to avoid Central Asia completely. However, analysis of all modeled routes demonstrates the potential importance of the Turgan Lowlands of Kazakhstan for facilitating dispersal to known Neanderthal sites, like Teshik-Tash and Obi Rakhmat. Here, we present the results of the dispersal simulations and discuss the implications for future research in Central Asia.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• Advances in Stone Age Archaeology of Central Asia

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 51341