Pushing the Boundaries: Coastal Adaptation during the Palaeolithic

Coastal environments have emerged as pivotal zones for human evolution. The dynamic and resource-rich coastlines offered vital ecological and cognitive opportunities, rich, stable food resources, and strategic advantages for mobility, innovation, and social complexity. However, sea-level changes and preservation biases often limit the archaeological visibility of coastal adaptation. Recent advances in underwater archaeology, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, and geospatial modelling now offer powerful tools to reassess the significance of coasts in early human lifeways. This Research Topic seeks to synthesise global perspectives on how Palaeolithic populations adapted to, exploited, and moved through coastal environments over deep time.Goal:To gather cutting-edge research examining the role of coastal zones in the Palaeolithic, with an emphasis on subsistence, cognition, technology, mobility, and addressing methodological challenges in accessing submerged or poorly preserved records.Scope:We are welcoming contributions such as original research articles, reviews, case studies, and methodological advances. Topics may include (but are not limited to):o Subsistence strategies and marine resource exploitationo Symbolic or technological innovationso Underwater archaeology, site taphonomy, and palaeoenvironmental reconstructionso Models of coastal migrationo Interdisciplinary research integrating archaeology, paleoecology, genetics, geoscience, or the involvement of local/indigenous communities Topic editors: Silje Evjenth Bentsen, Mariana Nabais Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/74852/pushing-the-boundaries-coastal-adaptation-during-the-palaeolithic