Rethinking Orgnac 3 in Time and Space: Implications for Reconstructing Neandertal Origins

An important aim in paleoanthropological and archaeological research is to clarify the poorly resolved record of the Middle Pleistocene (MP). Filling in the gaps of the Eurasian MP furthers our understanding of the behavioral and biological evolution of archaic humans, Neanderthals, Denisovans and their ancestors. Orgnac 3, located in Mediterranean France, is particularly suited to address these issues. This paper introduces the site to new readers, summarizes the previous work performed on the site and its material, and offers different views based on new analysis of its faunal material. Based on the currently available evidence, the Orgnac 3 sequence is likely far older than previously thought and might date to OISs 12-8, not only 9-8 as traditionally proposed. The hominin teeth, which have not been described in detail or assigned to a taxon, would date to ~375 - 400,000 years ago, the focal period of the Neandertal/Denisovan/modern human population divergence debate. More accurate and precise analyses of Orgnac 3's paleontological, archaeological and geological material are needed to clarify our understanding of hominin evolution during the MP.