Prehistoric and faunal evidence of late Pleistocene-early Holocene age in submerged caves of the Yucatan peninsula (state of Quintana Roo, southern Mexico)

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Wolfgang Stinnesbeck
• Subject Area: Palaeontology ; Prehistory and World Archaeology
• Term: from 2015 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 276960397

Human activities on the Yucatan peninsula date as far back as the last glacial of the Late Pleistocene. Osteological evidence comes from submerged caves and sinkholes (cenotes) near Tulum in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo and is associated with a diverse megafauna assemblage of Late Pleistocene age. The caves thus offer a unique opportunity to study, at the same location, the sequence of faunal assemblages in context with the earliest human settlement as well as climate evolution preserved in stalagmites. Our initial German-Mexican research project combined data collection and analysis as well as in situ field studies, with the objective to reconstruct the history and context of human settlement in the Yucatan area. We here propose to continue with the documentation of this unique anthropological and palaeontological material, focusing on on the interval of time from the arrival of humans during the late Pleistocene, across the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary and into the early Holocene.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants