El fuego en la Prehistoria. Una aproximación arqueo-experimental al registro piroarqueológico a través de la microarqueología

L'objectiu d'aquesta Tesi Doctoral és la investigació de foc en diversos contextos arqueològics prehistòrics de la península Ibèrica, així com la seva aproximació mitjançant contextos experimentals. Els contextos arqueològics inclosos en aquesta tesi són Cova Gran de Santa Linya (les Avellanes-Santa Linya, Lleida) i El Mirador (Atapuerca, Burgos) amb una cronologia que engloba des del Paleolític mitjà fins a l'Edat del Bronze. D'aquests jaciments arqueològics hem analitzat el registre piroarqueològic conservat format per fogars plans i en cubeta per a les seqüències Paleolítiques estudiades i per episodis de combustió d'excrements en el cas dels registres pertanyents a la prehistòria recent. Paral·lelament, hem desenvolupat programes experimentals vinculats amb els diferents contextos analitzats per proporcionar un marc referencial als resultats arqueològics i als fenòmens observats. Això ens ha permès aportar una major robustesa a les interpretacions dels conjunts arqueològics. La metodologia utilitzada es basa en l'aplicació de tècniques microarqueològiques, principalment l'anàlisi de fitòlits, per poder caracteritzar el registre botànic dels conjunts arqueològics, així com l'Espectrometria d'Infrarojos per Transformada de Fourier (FTIR) per caracteritzar la combustió a través de l'estudi dels minerals. A més, per als contextos més recents també s'han analitzat els conjunts d'esferòlits, marcadors d'estabulació d'animals i s'han aplicat altres tècniques mineralògiques com la DRX o l'ús de la microanàlisi elemental mitjançant l'ESEM. Aquesta tesi doctoral demostra que les disciplines microarqueològiques utilitzades són vàlides per a investigar els sistemes de vida prehistòrics des d'una perspectiva transversal i prenent com a referència el registre piroarqueològic que aquests grups generaven.El objetivo de esta Tesis Doctoral es la investigación del fuego en varios contextos arqueológicos prehistóricos de la Península Ibérica, así como su aproximación mediante contextos experimentales. Los contextos arqueológicos incluidos en esta tesis son Cova Gran de Santa Linya (Les Avellanes-Santa Linya, Lleida) y El Mirador (Atapuerca, Burgos) con una cronología que abarca desde el Paleolítico medio hasta la Edad del Bronce. De estos yacimientos arqueológicos hemos analizado el registro piroarqueológico conservado formado por hogares planos y en cubeta para las secuencias Paleolíticas estudiadas y por episodios de combustión de excrementos en el caso de los registros pertenecientes a la prehistoria reciente. Paralelamente, hemos desarrollado programas experimentales vinculados con los diferentes contextos analizados para proporcionar un marco referencial a los resultados arqueológicos y a los fenómenos observados. Esto nos ha permitido aportar una mayor robustez a las interpretaciones de los conjuntos arqueológicos. La metodología utilizada se basa en la aplicación de técnicas microarqueológicas, principalmente el análisis de fitolitos, para poder caracterizar el registro botánico de los conjuntos arqueológicos, así como la Espectrometría de Infrarrojos por Transformada de Fourier (FTIR) para caracterizar la combustión a través del estudio de los minerales. Además, para los contextos más recientes también se han analizado los conjuntos de esferulitas, marcadores de estabulación de animales y se han aplicado otras técnicas mineralógicas como la DRX o el uso del microanálisis elemental mediante el ESEM. esta tesis doctoral demuestra que las disciplinas microarqueológicas utilizadas son válidas para investigar los sistemas de vida prehistóricos desde una perspectiva transversal y tomando como referencia el registro piroarqueológicos que estos grupos generaban.The goal of this Doctoral Thesis is the investigation of fire in various prehistoric archaeological contexts of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as its approach through experimental contexts. The archaeological contexts included in this thesis are Cova Gran de Santa Linya (Les Avellanes-Santa Linya, Lleida) and El Mirador (Atapuerca, Burgos) with a chronology that ranges from the Middle Paleolithic to the Bronze Age. From these archaeological sites, we have analyzed the preserved pyroarchaeological record formed by flat and pit hearths from the Paleolithic sequences studied and by episodes of dung combustion in the case of records belonging to the Late Prehistory. At the same time, we have developed experimental programs linked to the different contexts analyzed to provide a referential framework to the archaeological results and the observed phenomena. These experiments have allowed to strengthen the interpretations on the archaeological assemblages. The methodology used is based on the application of microarchaeological techniques, mainly the analysis of phytoliths to characterize the botanical record and the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to characterize combustion through the study of minerals. Besides, for the recent contexts, spherulite assemblages, animal pen markers, have also been analyzed, and other mineralogical techniques such as XRD or the use of elemental microanalysis have been applied using ESEM. This Doctoral Thesis shows that the microarchaeological disciplines used are valid for investigating prehistoric style-life from a transversal perspective and taking as reference the pyroarchaeological record that these groups generated

The Mas del Pepet experimental programme for the study of prehistoric livestock practices: Preliminary data from dung burning

The research for referential data on current livestock contexts is essential for correctly interpreting archaeological records documented in prehistoric livestock spaces. Experimental programmes such as the one begun in 2014 in the Mas del Pepet pen (Rojals, Tarragona) has permitted an understanding, among other matters, of fold characteristics according to the type of livestock, the seasonality of occupations and herd management. This study also contributes to the identification of taphonomic processes that have taken place and to determine the representativeness of the botanical content in the deposit, in relation to the environment and pasture areas. Finally, the dung burning experiments conducted have provided data that will help to reveal the way manure was treated in prehistoric fold caves.MINECO project (CGL2012- 38434-C0303) and the Generalitat de Catalunya (2014SGR900; 2014SGR899

The Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition occupations from Cova Foradada (Calafell, NE Iberia)

The Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition in Europe covers the last millennia of Neanderthal life together with the appearance and expansion of Modern Human populations. Culturally, it is defined by the Late Middle Paleolithic succession, and by Early Upper Paleolithic complexes like the Châtelperronian (southwestern Europe), the Protoaurignacian, and the Early Aurignacian. Up to now, the southern boundary for the transition has been established as being situated between France and Iberia, in the Cantabrian façade and Pyrenees. According to this, the central and southern territories of Iberia are claimed to have been the refuge of the last Neanderthals for some additional millennia after they were replaced by anatomically Modern Humans on the rest of the continent. In this paper, we present the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition sequence from Cova Foradada (Tarragona), a cave on the Catalan Mediterranean coastline. Archaeological research has documented a stratigraphic sequence containing a succession of very short-term occupations pertaining to the Châtelperronian, Early Aurignacian, and Gravettian. Cova Foradada therefore represents the southernmost Châtelperronian-Early Aurignacian sequence ever documented in Europe, significantly enlarging the territorial distribution of both cultures and providing an important geographical and chronological reference for understanding Neanderthal disappearance and the complete expansion of anatomically Modern Humans

Archaeological and environmental cave records in the Gobi-Altai Mountains, Mongolia

Though hundreds of caves are known across Mongolia, few have been subject to systematic, interdisciplinary archaeological surveys and excavations to understand Late Pleistocene and Holocene environments. Previous cave excavations in Mongolia have demonstrated their potential for preservation of archaeological and biological material, including Palaeolithic assemblages and Holocene archaeology, particularly burials, with associated organic finds. In other cases, cave surveys found that stratigraphic deposits and archaeological materials are absent. The large number of caves makes the Mongolian Altai Mountain Range a potentially attractive region for human occupation in the Pleistocene and Holocene. Here we present the results of an interdisciplinary survey of caves in four carbonate areas across the Gobi-Altai Mountains. We report 24 new caves, some of which contain archaeological material recovered through survey and test excavations. Most caves presented limited sedimentation, and some were likely too small for human habitation. Six caves showed evidence of palaeontological remains, mostly from likely late Holocene and recent periods. The most notable anthropogenic findings included petroglyphs at Gazar Agui 1 & 13. Gazar Agui 1 also contained lithics and a bronze fragment. Tsakhiryn Agui 1 contained 31 wooden fragments that include an unused fire drilling tool kit and items commonly found in association with medieval burials. We observed that the caves remain in contemporary use for religious and economic purposes, such as the construction of shrines, mining and animal corralling. Water samples from the caves, and nearby rivers, lakes, and springs were analysed for their isotopic compositions (δ18O, δD, δ17O, 17Oexcess, d-excess) and the data, combined with backward trajectory modelling revealed that the Gobi-Altai region receives moisture mainly from western sources. These results form a baseline for future archaeological, paleoclimate and palaeoecological studies about regional seasonality and land use

What is on the menu today? Creating a microwear reference collection through a controlled-food trial to study feeding management systems of ancient agropastoral societies

The study of ancient herd-feeding systems is essential to investigate livestock management and the interactions of humans with domestic animals and past environments. This topic for historic periods has recently been investigated through dental microwear analyses. This approach, however, must be used with caution, as it is based on comparisons of established microwear patterns of modern wild animals. Here we present an experimental reference collection of dental microwear for domestic sheep (Ovis aries), created by a controlled-food trial to fill this methodological gap. Fifty sheep were split into five groups of ten, fed with four different types of vegetation potentially used by agropastoral societies (alfalfa, ray-grass, forage, and barley), and administrated following different techniques of processing (wet, dried and fresh). After being fed with a specific and controlled diet, the animals were slaughtered and the microwear patterns on the enamel surface of the lower molars were analysed via standard light stereomicroscopy. The differences found in our experiment between the different diets and processed plants have allowed us to characterize each dietary group and feeding management system. This information is extremely important to correctly interpret the archaeological record

The Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition occupations from Cova Foradada (Calafell, NE Iberia)

The Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition in Europe covers the last millennia of Neanderthal life together with the appearance and expansion of Modern Human populations. Culturally, it is defined by the Late Middle Paleolithic succession, and by Early Upper Paleolithic complexes like the Châtelperronian (southwestern Europe), the Protoaurignacian, and the Early Aurignacian. Up to now, the southern boundary for the transition has been established as being situated between France and Iberia, in the Cantabrian façade and Pyrenees. According to this, the central and southern territories of Iberia are claimed to have been the refuge of the last Neanderthals for some additional millennia after they were replaced by anatomically Modern Humans on the rest of the continent. In this paper, we present the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition sequence from Cova Foradada (Tarragona), a cave on the Catalan Mediterranean coastline. Archaeological research has documented a stratigraphic sequence containing a succession of very short-term occupations pertaining to the Châtelperronian, Early Aurignacian, and Gravettian. Cova Foradada therefore represents the southernmost Châtelperronian-Early Aurignacian sequence ever documented in Europe, significantly enlarging the territorial distribution of both cultures and providing an important geographical and chronological reference for understanding Neanderthal disappearance and the complete expansion of anatomically Modern Humans