The stratigraphic position of Homo steinheimensis (late Middle Pleistocene, SW Germany)

Abstract

The stratigraphic position of the time of Homo steinheimensis can be best recognized by its relation to the terrace of the Elsterian (= Mindelian in traditional understanding) cold stage (MIS 12) in the adjoining Neckar valley. On the surface of the Elsterian terrace on either side of the River Neckar at Stuttgart, the 7 m thick Holsteinian travertine (MIS 11) was deposited, thus indicating that the Elsterian gravel was not affected by erosion during the Holsteinian. Interglacials generally were no times of valley cut down in the Neckar region as it is still today. In the initial phase of the subsequent Fuhnian cold stage (MIS 10) strong valley cut down removed the 10 m thick Elsterian gravel almost completely in the Neckar region. Rare exceptions are preserved in protected positions as at Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt and at Neckarwestheim. Most probably, at Steinheim a basal part of the Elsterian gravel, 3 m thick, is preserved. After the erosion, the Fuhnian terrace was deposited on the now 10 m lower level. On this terrace at Stuttgart sedimentation continued with an up to 26 m thick travertine on the left side of the Neckar. In this time at Steinheim the antiquus gravel was deposited which contained the skull of Homo steinheimensis. Thus, since the antiquus gravel was not deposited earlier than after the Elsterian terrace was removed, this gravel represents the warm stage following the Holsteinian (MIS 9). An additional support of that conclusion is the occurrence of Mammuthus trogontherii fraasi above the antiquus gravel what refers to the stratigraphy of the Saale-Unstrut region (Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, central Germany). The absolute age of the skull is estimated at 330 ka B.P. - based on the age of MIS 9 in the MIS time scale and adjusted to the late part of the climatic optimum where the skull was found. A glance on the stratigraphic position of the similar human skull of Swanscombe (UK) ends this contribution.