LUMI-Cave: High-resolution luminescence chronologies of Neanderthal occupations in Belgian caves

Objective

During the Middle Palaeolithic, our Neanderthal relatives adapted to various climate conditions and developed different material cultures across time and space. To understand the temporality of such changes, one needs numerical dating methods, among which luminescence dating is particularly suitable thanks to the ubiquity of quartz and feldspar crystals in the Earth’s crust. Luminescence dating relies on the capacity of minerals to store energy over time after being reset by sunlight exposure, a process named “bleaching”. Methodological challenges remain for cave environments, especially due to bleaching issues. In addition, the chronological range of quartz Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) is considered limited to ~200,000 years, while feldspars extend this range but are more difficult to bleach completely. The LUMI-Cave project serves both archaeological and methodological purposes. Archaeologically, it will document the chronology of the Scladina cave in Belgium, well known for its Neanderthal occupations, and of the poorly documented Sous-Saint Paul cave located beneath it. Methodologically, the project aims (1) to extend the chronological range of quartz OSL by combining single-grain protocols with Bayesian statistics, and (2) to establish a protocol for correcting feldspar ages from potential bleaching-related overestimation, ensuring applicability in cave contexts. By combining quartz and feldspar OSL chronologies with palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic proxies, the project will provide a detailed deposition history for the last ~477,000 years. LUMI-Cave will thus set a crucial milestone for understanding Neanderthal settlements in North-Western Europe and their place in human evolutionary history.