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Modern humans have populated Europe for more than 45,000 years. Our knowledge of the genetic relatedness and structure of ancient hunter-gatherers is however limited, owing to the scarceness and poor molecular preservation of human remains from that period. Here we analyse 356 ancient hunter-gatherer genomes, including new genomic data for 116 individuals from 14 countries in western and central Eurasia, spanning between 35,000 and 5,000 years ago. We identify a genetic ancestry profile in individuals associated with Upper Palaeolithic Gravettian assemblages from western Europe that is distinct from contemporaneous groups related to this archaeological culture in central and southern Europe, but resembles that of preceding individuals associated with the Aurignacian culture. This ancestry profile survived during the Last Glacial Maximum (25,000 to 19,000 years ago) in human populations from southwestern Europe associated with the Solutrean culture, and with the following Magdalenian culture that re-expanded northeastward after the Last Glacial Maximum. Conversely, we reveal a genetic turnover in southern Europe suggesting a local replacement of human groups around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum, accompanied by a north-to-south dispersal of populations associated with the Epigravettian culture. From at least 14,000 years ago, an ancestry related to this culture spread from the south across the rest of Europe, largely replacing the Magdalenian-associated gene pool. After a period of limited admixture that spanned the beginning of the Mesolithic, we find genetic interactions between western and eastern European hunter-gatherers, who were also characterized by marked differences in phenotypically relevant variants. Open access funding provided by Max Planck Society. This project has received funding by the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreements no. 803147-RESOLUTION (to S.T.), no. 771234-PALEoRIDER (to W.H.), no. 864358 (to K.M.), no. 724703 and no. 101019659 (to K.H.). K.H. is also supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG FOR 2237). E.A. has received funding from the Van de Kamp fonds. PACEA co-authors of this research benefited from the scientific framework of the University of Bordeaux’s IdEx Investments for the Future programme/GPR Human Past. A.G.-O. is supported by a Ramón y Cajal fellowship (RYC-2017-22558). L. Sineo, M.L. and D.C. have received funding from the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) PRIN 2017 grants 20177PJ9XF and 20174BTC4R_002. H. Rougier received support from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences of CSUN and the CSUN Competition for RSCA Awards. C.L.S. and T. Saupe received support from the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (project no. 2014-2020.4.01.16-0030) and C.L.S. received support from the Estonian Research Council grant PUT (PRG243). S. Shnaider received support from the Russian Science Foundation (no. 19-78-10053). Peer reviewed

Creoles represent an under-explored and marginalized group of languages, with few available resources for NLP research. While the genealogical ties between Creoles and other highly-resourced languages imply a significant potential for transfer learning, this potential is hampered due to this lack of annotated data. In this work we present CreoleVal, a collection of benchmark datasets spanning 8 different NLP tasks, covering up to 28 Creole languages; it is an aggregate of brand new development datasets for machine comprehension, relation classification, and machine translation for Creoles, in addition to a practical gateway to a handful of preexisting benchmarks. For each benchmark, we conduct baseline experiments in a zero-shot setting in order to further ascertain the capabilities and limitations of transfer learning for Creoles. Ultimately, the goal of CreoleVal is to empower research on Creoles in NLP and computational linguistics. We hope this resource will contribute to technological inclusion for Creole language users around the globe.

The current overview provides an interdisciplinary synthesis of autobiographical and collective memory studies, focusing on history and cognitive psychology, to help other scholars bridge the disciplinary gap. We describe the various interpretative frameworks used to build theoretical knowledge on how autobiographical memory and collective memory are intertwined. We expose how research exploring self, social and directive functions of autobiographical memory echoes three main functions that can be identified for collective memory, that is, social identity, social schemata, and means for actions, or a political decision tool of research in these fields. In doing so, we hope to stimulate opportunities for more interdisciplinary research. International audience

Precise in-situ measurements of the neutron flux in underground laboratories is crucial for direct dark matter searches, as neutron induced backgrounds can mimic the typical dark matter signal. The development of a novel neutron spectroscopy technique using Spherical Proportional Counters is investigated. The detector is operated with nitrogen and is sensitive to both fast and thermal neutrons through the $^{14}$N(n, $\alpha$)$^{11}$B and $^{14}$N(n, p)$^{14}$C reactions. This method holds potential to be a safe, inexpensive, effective, and reliable alternative to $^3$He-based detectors. Measurements of fast and thermal neutrons from an Am-Be source with a Spherical Proportional Counter operated at pressures up to 2 bar at Birmingham are discussed. Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, International Conference on Technology and Instrumentation in Particle Physics (TIPP2021)

Population III stars were the first generation of stars, formed in minihalos of roughly primordial element abundances, and therefore metal-free. They are thought to have formed at the cores of dense dark matter clouds. Interactions between baryons and dark matter can therefore have had an important impact on their evolution. In this paper we consider the capture of non- or weakly-annihilating dark matter by these early massive stars. In a wide region of parameter space, interactions of dark matter with baryons lead to premature death of the star as a black hole. We sketch how this modification of the standard evolutionary history of Population III stars might impact the epoch of reionisation, by modifying the amount of UV emission, the transition to Population II star formation, and the X-ray and radio emission from accretion onto the black hole remnants. Signals of massive black holes originating from Population III stars could be observed through gravitational waves from their mergers. Finally, the observation of pair-instability supernovae could effectively preclude premature black hole death across a wide range of parameter space, ranging in mass from $m_{DM} \sim 0.1\text{ GeV}$ to $m_{DM} \sim m_{\rm Pl}$. 35 pages + references, 5 figures

We wish to thank HRH Prince Badr b. Abdullah b. Mohammed b. Farhan Al-Saud, Ministry of Culture, and to HRH Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, the former President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) for giving us permission to carry out research at the Camel Site, and we also wish to thank his Excellency Prince Faisal bin Nawwaf bin AbdulAziz al-Saud, governor of the Jawf Province for the support of his administration. We also thank Mr Rustom al-Kubaisi, vice-president of the former SCTH, and the General Director for Archaeological Excavations at the Heritage Commission Dr Abdullah al-Zahrani and his assistants especially Saud M. al-Tamimi. Local support in Jawf province was provided by Mr. Yasser al-Ali and Mr. Ahmed al-Qaeed (SCTH now Heritage Commission). We thank Wael Abu-Azizeh for providing comparative data with lithic assemblages from the Levant; RC thanks CEFREPA Kuwait for funding part of this research. YHH’s work leading to this publication was supported by the PRIME programme of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funds from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). AMA acknowledges the support of the Research Center at the College of Tourism & Archaeology, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We also thank Mathew Stewart for constructive comments on an initial draft of the manuscript. Fieldwork and research were funded by a grant from the Gerda Henkel Foundation (Grant No AZ 43_V_18, to MG and GC), the CNRS (to GC), Labex Resmed ANR-10- LABX-72 / ANR-11-IDEX-0004-02 (to GC), the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the French embassy in Riyadh (to GC), the CEFAS (to RC and GC), the Dahlem Research School at Freie Universität Berlin (to MG), the Distinguished Scientist Fellowship Program of King Saud University (to MOA and AA), and the Max Planck Society (to MG and MOA). The life-sized, naturalistic reliefs at the Camel Site in northern Arabia have been severely damaged by erosion. This, coupled with substantial destruction of the surrounding archaeological landscape, has made a chronological assessment of the site difficult. To overcome these problems, we combined results from a wide range of methods, including analysis of surviving tool marks, assessment of weathering and erosion patterns, portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, and luminescence dating of fallen fragments. In addition, test excavations identified a homogenous lithic assemblage and faunal remains that were sampled for radiocarbon dating. Our results show that the reliefs were carved with stone tools and that the creation of the reliefs, as well as the main period of activity at the site, date to the Neolithic. Neolithic arrowheads and radiocarbon dates attest occupation between 5200 and 5600 BCE. This is consistent with measurements of the areal density of manganese and iron in the rock varnish. The site was likely in use over a longer period and reliefs were re-worked when erosion began to obscure detailed features. By 1000 BCE, erosion was advanced enough to cause first panels to fall, in a process that continues until today. The Camel Site is likely home to the oldest surviving large-scale (naturalistic) animal reliefs in the world.