Causas y mecanismos de deterioro de los materiales pétreos del pavimento del conjunto arqueológico de Baelo Claudia, Cádiz/España

A detailed study of the alteration causes in the stone material used in buildings and pavements from the ancient roman town of Baelo Claudia (Cádiz, South Spain) was carried out to establish their degree of conservation. Slabs from the pavement of the Forum showed in general a high and irreversible degree of degradation. In order to palliate the action of processes of degradation in subaerial conditions, in this work some measures are proposed to try to preserve the slabs in better conditions.En este trabajo se muestran los resultados de un estudio detallado sobre el estado de conservación de los materiales pétreos usados en construcciones y pavimentos de la antigua ciudad romana de Baelo Claudia (Cádiz, Sur de España). En especial, las losas del pavimento del Foro romano mostraron, en general, un alto e irreversible grado de alteración. En este estudio, se proponen medidas correctoras para una mejor preservación de las losas, amortiguando la acción de los procesos de degradación propios de condiciones subaéreas

Caracterización microambiental de la Cueva de Pozalagua (Vizcaya): aplicación a la gestión y protección de cavidades turísticas

There are summarized the data obtained after monitoring some microenvironmental parameters in the Pozalagua cave from 1st April 2001 to 1st july 2002. The singularity of this show cave is because the high amount of helictites type speleothems. Host rock, speleothems and infiltration waters have been analysed as well as the effect of the visits into the cave have been evaluated. It is stated that visits influence the temperature and CO2 levels inside the cave and the natural system need some time in recover from this changes. During massive visits increase in cave temperature is over the natural annual thermal oscillation. Management guidelines focused in visits schedule have been proposed in order to minimize the effects of the visits and to keep the cave microenvironment near the natural conditions.Se presentan los datos obtenidos tras el registro en continuo de diversos parámetros microambientales en la Cueva de Pozalagua (Vizcaya) durante el período del 1 de abril de 2001 al 1 de julio de 2002. La singularidad de esta cueva turística se debe a la alta presencia de espeleotemas tipo excéntricas o helictitas. Tras la caracterización de la roca encajante y diversos espeleotemas, así como de la hidroquímica de las aguas de infiltración que circulan por la misma, se ha evaluado el efecto que tienen las visitas turísticas en esta cavidad. Se constata que las visitas influyen claramente en la temperatura de la cavidad y en los niveles de CO2 de la misma, de lo que el sistema natural tarda tiempo en recuperarse. En períodos de visitas masivas se ha comprobado que el incremento de temperatura que se produce en la cavidad es superior a la oscilación térmica natural de la misma durante un ciclo anual. Se proponen medidas de gestión de la cavidad, principalmente enfocadas a optimizar el régimen de visitas, que minimicen el impacto de las mismas y que permitan mantener las condiciones microambientales de la cavidad cercanas a las condiciones originales naturales

Tectono-Sedimentary Cenozoic Evolution of the El Habt and Ouezzane Tectonic Units (External Rif, Morocco)

An interdisciplinary study based on lithostratigraphic, biostratigraphic, petrographic and mineralogical analyses has been performed in order to establish the Cenozoic tectono-sedimentary evolution of the El Habt and Ouezzane Tectonic Units (External Intrarif Subzone, External Rif, Morocco). The reconstructed record allowed identification of the depositional architecture and related sedimentary processes of the considered units. The Cenozoic successions were biochronologically defined allowing, at the same time, identification of unconformities and associated stratigraphic gaps. The presence of five unconformities allowed for the definition of the main stratigraphic units arranged in a regressive trend: (1) lower Paleocene interval (Danian p.p.) assigned to a deep basin; (2) Eocene interval (lower Ypresian-lower Bartonian p.p.) from a deep basin to an external carbonate-siliceous platform; (3) lower Rupelian-upper Chattian p.p. interval deposited on unstable slope with turbidite channels passing upward to an external siliciclastic platform; (4) Burdigalian p.p. interval from a slope; (5) Langhian-Serravallian p.p. interval from slope to external platform realms. The petrography of the arenites and calcarenites allowed for the identification of the supplies derived from erosion of a recycled orogen (transitional and quartzose subtypes). The clay-mineralogy analysis indicates an unroofing (first erosion of Cretaceous terrains followed by upper Jurassic rocks) always accomplished by erosion of Cenozoic terrains. Several tectofacies checked in some stratigraphic intervals seem to indicate the beginning of deformation of the basement generating gentle folds and first activation of blind thrusts, mainly during the Paleogene. A preorogenic tectonic framework is considered as responseto the generalized tectonic inversion (from extension to compression) as frequently registered in the central-western peri-Mediterranean areas. The large volumes of reworked terrigeneous supply during the latest Oligocene-Miocene p.p. indicates the beginningsof the synorogenic sedimentation (foredeep stage of the basins) controlled by active tectonics.Research Project CGL2016-75679-P (Spanish Ministry of Education and Science); Research Groups, Projects of the Generalitat Valenciana, Alicante University (CTMA-IGA); Grants from the University of Urbino Carlo Bo (M. Tramontana)

Rasgos morfologicos y petrologicos del paleokarst de la unidad superior del mioceno de la cuenca de Madrid

In the Madrid Basin, especially in the Southem part (Mesa de Ocaña), the Miocene- Pliocene stratigraphic boundary is defined by a paleokarst sculpted on the Miocene limestones. The development of the paleokarst was completed in three main successive stages. The first one was initiated when the lacustrine sedimentary complex, settled in the basin during the Turolian, dried out. Although the water table dropped, it was still close to the surface, as indicated by the location of sub-horizontal caves in the limestone formation. The proximity of the water table favored an encroachment of vegetation into the unlithified sediment. Conduits related to the plant roots, together with the horizontal caves, represent the most prominent dissolution features of the resulting «uncovered» karst. The second stage of karstification took place after the limestones folded. It was characterized by the formation of calcretes, which exhibit typical fabrics (laminar, pisoliths, etc.), on the previous profiles, providing evidence of a dry climatic stage. Karstic profiles scovered by calcretes~w ere buried by a Pliocene river system. In the south zone of the Mesa de Ocaña, far away of the fluvial complex, a third episode of karstification has been verified. This episode is defined by the accumulation of soils, basically in the synclines, which caused the dissolution and brecciation of the substrate, as it is reflected in a third type of profiles, called «brechoides». These features are consistent with a humid climate. Finally, al1 types of karst were buried by a laminar calcrete formed at the latest Pliocene. Therefore, the polyphase development of the paleokarstic surface lasted almost al1 the Pliocene. Nevertheless, figures on the order of lo5 years are envisaged as reliable to assess the duration of the first phase, the only one evenly affecting the limestone formations.En la Cuenca de Madrid y, especialmente, en la zona sur (Mesa de Ocaña), la discontinuidad estratigráfica que define el límite Mioceno-Plioceno está representada por una superficie paleokárstica desarrollada sobre las calizas de la Unidad Superior del Mioceno. El paleokarst sufrió una evolución polifásica dentro de la cual se han destacado tres episodios principales. El primero, que afectó por igual a todo el conjunto carbonático, se inició con la desecación de los sistemas lacustres instalados en el área durante el Turoliense. El nivel freático se mantuvo próximo a la superficie del terreno, como se constata por la situación de cuevas horizontales en las calizas. La superficialidad de la tabla de agua, junto a la falta de litificación del sedimento, propició una extensiva colonización vegetal. Asociado a las raíces de las plantas, se originó un conjunto de tubos que, junto con las cuevas horizontales, configuran un modelado característico del tipo de perfiles kársticos denominados «descubiertos». La evolución posterior del karst tuvo lugar tras el plegamiento de las calizas. Esta segunda etapa se caracterizó por la formación local de calcretas con sus fábricas características (laminar, pisolítica, etc.) sobre los perfiles anteriores, lo que evidencia un régimen climático árido. Más tarde, la tipología de perfiles «cubiertos por calcretas» resultante fue enterrada por el sistema fluvial plioceno que se instaló en el NE de la Mesa de Ocaña. En la zona sur, más alejada de los depocentros deposicionales, se constata un tercer episodio evolutivo definido por la acumulación de suelos, fundamentalmente en los sinclinales. Bajo esta cubierta edáfica tuvo lugar una intensa disolución y brechificación del sustrato que se ha reflejado en un tercer tipo de perfiles, denominados «brechoides» y que indican'an condiciones climáticas húmedas. Finalmente, todo el conjunto fue fosilizado por las costras calcáreas que se formaron a finales del Plioceno. El estudio de este paleokarst permite, por un lado, desvelar los procesos diagenéticos principales que han experimentado las calizas de la Unidad Superior del Mioceno desde las etapas iniciales de exposición subaérea y, por otro, determinar que dicha exposición se prolongó durante todo el Plioceno. No obstante, la duración de la primera fase generalizada de karstificación fue más breve, ya que las evidencias apuntan a cifras del orden de lo5 años

La cueva de el Sidron (Borines, Piloña, Asturias) : primeros resultados

Se exponen los resultados preliminares de las excavaciones arqueológicas llevadas a cabo en la Cueva de El Sidrón entre 2000 y 2002, de acuerdo con los tres objetivos principales que conciernen al registro fósil humano: las características antropológicas, cómo y cuándo llegaron allí y la relación entre fósiles y cultura. Las primeras conclusiones obtenidas son que los restos humanos pertenecen al Neandertal, que el registro arqueológico corresponde a un tecno-complejo del Paleolítico Medio y que están en posición secundaria.We expose the preliminary results ofthe archaeological excavations developed between 2000-2002 in Sidrón's Cave, according to the three main objectives that concern the human fossil record: the anthropological characteristics, how and when they arrived there and the relation between fossils and culture. We conclude preliminarily that the record belongs to Horno Neanderthalensis, archeological remains to the Middle Paleolithic techno-complex, and they are in a secondary [email protected]

Perfiles paleokarsticos en el techo de la unidad intermedia del mioceno de la cuenca de Madrid

An intra-Vallesian (Upper Miocene) paleokarst developed at the top of the Intermediate Miocene Unit in the continental Madrid basin is recognized. This paleokarst is a early shallow, tabular-shaped karst that shows a marked control by the depositional facies pattern and lithologies. By integrating morphological, petrological and geochemica1 data, three hydrogeological or environmental zones have been established throughout the paleokarstic profiles: (i) a vadose zone, characterized by vertically elongated caves and discontinuous speleothems and vadose cements (ii) a 3-7 m thick water table fringe, characterized by the wide development of stratiform breccia bodies, the superimposition of both vadose and phreatic features, and the lowest Fe and Mn contents in host-rock carbonates; and (iii) a phreatic zone characterized by an increase of 6I3C values and the predominance of phreatic cementation. The paleogeographic reconstruction for the intra-Vallesian paleokarst using paleokarstic profiles reveals relative topographic highs to the north and topographic lows to the south drawing the paleokarst landscape.En el techo de la Unidad Intermedia del Mioceno de la Cuenca de Madrid se ha desarrollado un paleokarst temprano, somero y de forma tabular que muestra un marcado control litológico y del dispositivo de facies deposicionales en su génesis. Integrando criterios geomorfológicos, petrográficos y geoquímicos se ha establecido una zonación hidrogeológica en los perfiles paleokársticos estudiados, diferenciándose: (i) una zona vadosa caracterizada por la existencia de cavidades alargadas en la vertical tapizadas discontinuamente por espeleotemas y otros cementos vadosos; (ii) una franja de oscilación del nivel freático de unos 3-7 metros de espesor, caracterizado por el desarrollo extensivo de cuerpos brechoides estratiformes, la yuxtaposición de cementos vadosos y freáticos y los contenidos más bajos en Fe y Mn en el material encajante, y (iii) una zona freática caracterizada por un aumento en los valores de 613C y el predominio de la cementación freática. La correlación de los perfiles paleokárticos revela una paleogeografía para el techo de la Unidad Intermedia con un paisaje topográficamente descendente de norte a sur en la cuenca para el Vallesiense

Miocene evolution of the External Rif Zone (Morocco): comparison with similar and lateral southern Mediterranean Tethyan margins

The Miocene evolution of the External Rif Zone (NW Africa Plate) was determined through the multidisciplinary analysis of fourteen successions. The updated stratigraphic framework shows how Miocene sediments rest on the Cretaceous–Paleogene terrains through unconformity surfaces, whereas it rests with sedimentary continuity in two sectors. After recognition of lithofacies and three unconformities located near the Oligocene–Aquitanian, Aquitanian–Burdigalian and Serravallian–Tortonian boundaries, the Miocene sedimentary record was divided into three stratigraphic intervals representing deep to shallow marine deposits as Aquitanian–Burdigalian, Langhian and Upper Serravallian–Missinian. The two oldest unconformites are restricted to the central sector, while the upper one is generalized and probably related to the nappe tectonics registered in all sectors of the External Rif. Data from analysis of tectofacies, petrology, mineralogy, meaning and implications of unconformities, and subsidence indicate that: (i) mass flow deposits (turbidites, slumps, olistostromes) are common in all successions but more frequent during the Lower Miocene; (ii) petrology of the detrital components of the arenites indicates recycled orogen-derived sediments, with quartz coming from erosion of metamorphic rocks of the Atlas orogen and/or the African craton; (iii) mineralogy of mudstones suggests a complex erosional evolution of local emerged areas derived from a mixture of contributions coming from the erosion of Upper Jurassic to Paleogene suites, and especially from kaolinite-rich Albian–Cenomanian to Paleogene successions with absence of a clear unroofing. The conjunction of all these clues reinforce the idea of a synsedimentary tectonics affecting the margin/basin system during the Miocene. A thickness analysis of the studied sedimentary successions allows proposing the evolution of the orogenic front and main depozones (foredeep, bulges, wedge-top and intramontane sub-basins) integrated in a complex foreland system migrating from north to south with the Atlas-Mesetas area acting as foreland during MIocene. The orogenic front moved from the Internal Intrarif to Mesorif and later to Internal Prerif. The main wedge-top basin also migrated from the Internal Intrarif to External Intrarif. The foredeep migrated from the Mesorif to the Internal Prerif, while the main forebulge was located in the External Prerif and a asecondary bulge developed in the External Intrarif. Intramontane basins developed behind the orogenic front in relative extensional conditions moving from the Internal Extrarif to External Intrarif. The reconstructed Miocene evolution was inserted into a 2D paleogeographic-geodynamic evolutionary model using Gplates software, and then compared to those reported in other external margins of the western Tethys (Betic Chain, Tunisian Tell, Sicilian Maghrebids and Apennines), revealing important similarities and local differences.Research supported by PID2020-114381GB-I00 Research Project (Spanish Ministry of Education and Science), EU HORIZON project CiROCCO under Grant Agreement No 101086497, Research Groups and projects of the Generalitat Valenciana from Alicante University (CTMA-IGA), and Research Group RNM-188 of the Junta de Andalucía from EEZA–CSIC

Dating of the hominid (Homo neanderthalensis) remains accumulation from El Sidrón Cave (Piloña, Asturias, North Spain): an example of a multi-methodological approach to the dating of Upper Pleistocene sites.

The age of Neanderthal remains and associated sediments from El Sidrón cave has been obtained through different dating methods (14CAMS, U/TH, OSL, ESR and AAR) and samples (charcoal debris, bone, tooth dentine, stalagmitic flowstone, carbonate-rich sediments, sedi- mentary quartz grains, tooth enamel and land snail shells). Detrital Th contamination ren- dered Th/U dating analyses of flowstone unreliable. Recent 14C contamination produced spurious age-values from charcoal samples as well as from inadequately pretreated tooth samples. Most consistent 14C dates are grouped into two series: one between 35 and 40 ka and the other between 48 and 49 ka. Most ESR and AAR samples yielded concordant ages, ranging between 39 and 45 ka; OSL dating results permitted adequate bracketing of the sedimentary layer that contained the human remains. Our results emphasize the value of multi-dating approaches for the establishment of reliable chronologies of human remains

La cueva de El Sidrón (Borines, Piloña, Asturias): primeros resultados

We expose the preliminary results of the archaeological excavations developed between 2000-2002 in Sidrón's Cave, according to the three main objectives that concern the human fossil record: the anthropological characteristics, how and when they arrived there and the relation between fossils and culture. We conclude preliminarily that the record belongs to Horno Neanderthalensis, archeological remains to the Middle Paleolithic techno-complex, and they are in a secondary position.Se exponen los resultados preliminares de las excavaciones arqueológicas llevadas a cabo en la Cueva de El Sidrón entre 2000 y 2002, de acuerdo con los tres objetivos principales que conciernen al registro fósil humano: las características antropológicas, cómo y cuándo llegaron allí y la relación entre fósiles y cultura. Las primeras conclusiones obtenidas son que los restos humanos pertenecen al Neandertal, que el registro arqueológico corresponde a un tecno-complejo del Paleolítico Medio y que están en posición secundari

La cueva de El Sidrón (Borines, Piloña, Asturias): primeros resultados

Se exponen los resultados preliminares de las excavaciones arqueológicas llevadas a cabo en la Cueva de El Sidrón entre 2000 y 2002, de acuerdo con los tres objetivos principales que conciernen al registro fósil humano: las características antropológicas, cómo y cuándo llegaron allí y la relación entre fósiles y cultura. Las primeras conclusiones obtenidas son que los restos humanos pertenecen al Neandertal, que el registro arqueológico corresponde a un tecno-complejo del Paleolítico Medio y que están en posición secundaria.We expose the preliminary results of the archaeological excavations developed between 2000-2002 in Sidrón's Cave, according to the three main objectives that concern the human fossil record: the anthropological characteristics, how and when they arrived there and the relation between fossils and culture. We conclude preliminarily that the record belongs to Horno Neanderthalensis, archeological remains to the Middle Paleolithic techno-complex, and they are in a secondary position.Este trabajo se ha realizado en el marco del Convenio Consejería de Cultura del Principado de Asturias/Universidad de Oviedo (CN-00-184-D3 y CN-01-132, 133, 134-B1) y del Plan I+D+I Concertada (Ficyt/Consejería de Cultura: FC-02-PC-SPV01-27)