Les ocupacions de la cova de Sant Llorenç (Sitges, Garraf) : Noves aportacions al coneixement de la prehistòria del Garraf

Els treballs arqueològics fets a la cova de Sant Llorenç des del 2007 han permès documentar l'ús esporàdic, però dilatat de la cavitat al llarg de la prehistòria i amb diferents finalitats. Les evidències referents a l'ús sepulcral de la cova de Sant Llorenç resulten força interessants per la novetat que representen i per la complexitat i variabilitat que sembla que devien tenir les pràctiques funeràries d'aquestes comunitats al llarg del III mil·lenni

La Prunera, un assentament del neolític final a l'aire lliure a la zona dels Prepirineus catalans

El projecte d'investigació arqueològica de l'excavació del jaciment de la Prunera és un projecte que a hores d'ara encara es realitza. Tot i que s'han finalitzat els treballs sobre el terreny, en aquests moments el projecte està centrat en el desenvolupament de les analítiques de les diferents categories de materials arqueològics recuperats. Per tant, els resultats que us avancem són preliminars i no són definitius

Flint ‘figurines’ from the Early Neolithic site of Kharaysin, Jordan

During the Early Neolithic in the Near East, particularly from the mid ninth millennium cal BC onwards, human iconography became more widespread. Explanations for this development, however, remain elusive. This article presents a unique assemblage of flint artefacts from the Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (eighth millennium BC) site of Kharaysin in Jordan. Contextual, morphological, statistical and use-wear analyses of these artefacts suggest that they are not tools but rather human figurines. Their close association with burial contexts suggests that they were manufactured and discarded during mortuary rituals and remembrance ceremonies that included the extraction, manipulation and redeposition of human remains.This research is funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, the Agencia Estatal de Investigación, the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Project numbers: HAR2016-74999-P, PGC2018-096634-B-I00, RYC-2016-21108. The fieldwork is funded by the Palarq Foundation. J.S. was funded by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (European Commission GA 750460; H2020-MSCA-IF-2016). We also acknowledge support of the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI).Peer reviewe

Competències i habilitats transversals entre geologia i arqueologia prehistòrica

En aquest treball es desenvolupa una proposta concreta per abordar alguns dels objectius pedagògics, com ara la transversalitat, el treball en equip o la necessitat d'incrementar els coneixements pràctics. La perspectiva des de la que s'ha realitzat ha estat la de la col·laboració interdisciplinària entre docents universitaris que treballen en dos àmbits científics ben diferents: geologia i arqueologia prehistòrica.S'ha desenvolupat una eina pedagògica on els estudiants poden desenvolupar habilitats i capacitats com les esmentades a partir del seguiment d'un cas d'estudi concret: la determinació i procedència dels elements petris utilitzats en la construcció del sepulcre megalític de Puigseslloses (Osona). La proposta es basa en el seguiment i la participació dels estudiants en tot el procés de la recerca: el plantejament del problema historicoarqueològic, la definició de les vies d'estudi concretes, el seu desenvolupament, l'obtenció de resultats i la seva discussió interdisciplinària.En este trabajo se desarrolla una propuesta concreta para abordar algunos de los objetivos pedagógicos, como la transversalidad, el trabajo en equipo o la necesidad de incrementar los conocimientos prácticos. La perspectiva desde la que se ha realizado ha sido la de la colaboración interdisciplinaria entre docentes universitarios que trabajan en dos ámbitos científicos bien distintos: Geología y Arqueología Prehistórica. Se ha desarrollado una herramienta pedagógica a través de la cual los estudiantes pueden desarrollar habilidades y capacidades como las mencionadas a partir del seguimiento de un caso de estudio concreto: la determinación y procedencia de los elementos pétreos utilizados en la construcción del sepulcro megalítico de Puigseslloses (Osona). La propuesta se basa en que los estudiantes sigan y participen en todo el proceso de la investigación, desde el planteamiento del problema histórico-arqueológico, la definición de las vías de estudio concretas, su desarrollo y la obtención de resultados, hasta su discusión interdisciplinaria.This study develops a specific proposal for addressing some of the educational goals of the EHEA such as transversality, teamwork and the need to increase practical knowledge. The perspective from which the study was conducted was interdisciplinary cooperation among university professors who work in two quite different fields of science: geology and prehistoric archaeology. A pedagogical tool was developed in which students can develop skills and abilities such as the ones mentioned above by pursuing a specific case study: the description and provenance of stone elements used to build the megalithic sepulchre in Puigseslloses (Osona). The proposal is based on students' following and participating in the entire research process: posing the historical-archaeological problem, defining the specific avenues of study, conducting the study, getting the results and holding an interdisciplinary discussion of these results

Excavaciones españolas en el yacimiento neolítico de Nahal Efe, Israel

Con una antiguedad de 10.000 años, Nahal Efe es probablemente el mayor poblado de esta época de todo el Neguev y Dinaí. Su extensión se estima cerca de 2000 m2. El poblado está conformado por cabañas semicirculares de piedra de alrededor de 4-5 metros de diámetro. Su conservación es excelente, con muros de piedra preservados hasta 80 centímetros de alto. Entre los objetivos del proyecto, los científicos están estudiando el proceso de difusión del Neolítico en las regiones semidesérticas del Oriente mediterráneo (Neguev, Sinaí, Sur de Jordania), y cómo interaccionaron los últimos cazadores recolectores de dichas regiones con las poblaciones vecinas ya plenamente neolíticas.Peer reviewe

Los enterramientos de las minas 83 y 84 de Gavà (Gavà, Barcelona)

En: Juan Francisco Gibaja Bao, Millán Mozota Holgueras, Maria Eulália Subirá Galdacano & Araceli Martín Cólliga (coords.) (2019) - Mirando a la muerte : las prácticas funerarias durante el Neolítico en el noreste peninsular. Volumen 3, Castelló de la Plana, E-DitArx, 388 p. (Col.: Akademos; 3). ISBN: 978-84-946902-7-3.La reutilización funeraria de las minas 83 y 84 permite observar una regularidad en los rituales constatados en ambas minas. Se trata de sepulturas de un número reducido de individuos (uno o dos), acompañados de ofrendas que podemos considerar valiosas por su cantidad así como por el carácter exógeno de buena parte de las materias primas utilizadas. La composición de dichas ofrendas es variada, aunque existen algunos elementos comunes, como los vasos de cerámica con boca cuadrada o el sílex melado. Dichas sepulturas fueron emplazadas en partes profundas y alejadas de la entrada de las minas respectivas, que fueron acondicionadas para su uso funerario, clausurando con losas el espacio dedicado a dicho uso y cerrando con un elevado número de piedras, algunas de gran tamaño, la entrada a estas minas desde el exterior.Peer reviewe

Chipped Stone Tool Production Strategies at Nahal Efe (northern Negev) during the Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B.

Nahal Efe is one of the largest and best-preserved Pre-Pottery Neolithic B sites in the Negev, with architectural remains preserved up to more than one metre high. Extensive excavation has revealed a cluster of semi-subterranean, relatively large, sub-circular stone buildings located on different levels. The chipped stone assemblage recovered in one of these buildings (Unit 2) has been studied, showing a strong Negev accent. Lithic artefacts were locally produced and display the main characteristics commonly found at many other desert sites. However, lithic production also shows a series of traits that have been traditionallly used to characterize lithic industries at the large Neolithic sedentary farming villages of the Mediterranean woodland region. This hybrid character is what seems to characterize the chipped lithic production at Nahal Efe during the Middle PPNB, thus reflecting the specific nature and particularities of a region that at the time constituted the border land between hunter-gatherers and the expanding farming communities. Finallly, the lithic industries at Nahal Efe, characterized by their complexity, heterogeneity and hybrid accent, would be copmatible with a semi-permanent or permanent village rather than with a short-lived ephemeral occupation or specialized seasonal camp, thus highlighting the status of Nahal Efe and its important role at a regional scale around 8000 cal. BC

The lithic industries of Nahal Efe and the PPNB of the Negev

The long-term Israeli-Spanish research project at Nahal Efe is focused on the study of the Neolithic developments in the Negev desert during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic (10th–7th millennia cal. BC). This is a region with a particular evolution that differed from the mainstream Neolithization processes observed in the neighbouring core regions (Mediterranean region and Transjordan). The project is also aimed at refining our understandings of social interaction between the foragers of the Negev and the neighbouring farming communities and, secondly, at reconstructing humanenvironment interaction in the southern Levantine arid regions. In order to achieve the goals of the project, we have focused on the extensive excavation of what has revealed to be one of the largest and best preserved PPNB sites in the Negev, thus providing a range of new data on the evolution of cultural dynamics during the 9th to 8th millennia cal. BC transition in the region. The site, which extends for over 2000 square metres, is located in the northern Negev highlands, close to the Mediterranean Judean hills and only 10 km south of the well-known culticcave of Nahal Hemar. The main occupation of the site can be dated in the Middle PPNB, around the first half of the 8th millennium cal. BC. This occupation corresponds to a cluster of relatively large sub-circular stone buildings located on different levels at the top of the hillside. To date we have excavated two buildings (Unit 1 and 2), part of a third (Unit 6) and delimited three more (Units 3, 4 and 5), constituting a residential area unique in the region. In addition, several more circular structures (more than twenty) are partly visible on the surface. The excavation of the habitation units excavated has so far yielded a relatively abundant chipped lithic assemblage as well as other stone tools such as basins, bowls, and shaft straighteners. The representation of fauna is limited, while botanic remains are well preserved and abundant, thus allowing refined radiometric dating of the Neolithic settlement. In this paper, we present the preliminary results of the study of the chipped lithic assemblage from the 2015–2018 seasons, corresponding to the Middle PPNB occupations of the site, dating to the first quarter of the 8th millennium cal. BC. The techno-typological examination of the abundant chipped industry allows full characterization of stone tool production and use at the residential site of Nahal Efe. In addition, the presence of a notable component of bidirectional blades and cores at the site provides interesting insights into the chronology and nature of the diffusion and adoption of this technology in the southernmost arid margins of the Southern Levant.Peer reviewe