Shells and humans: molluscs and other coastal resources from the earliest human occupations at the Mesolithic shell midden of El Mazo (Asturias, Northern Spain)

Human populations exploited coastal areas with intensity during the Mesolithic in Atlantic Europe, resulting in the accumulation of large shell middens. Northern Spain is one of the most prolific regions, and especially the so-called Asturian area. Large accumulations of shellfish led some scholars to propose the existence of intensification in the exploitation of coastal resources in the region during the Mesolithic. In this paper, shell remains (molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms) from stratigraphic units 114 and 115 (dated to the early Mesolithic c. 9 kys cal BP) at El Mazo cave (Asturias, northern Spain) were studied in order to establish resource exploitation patterns and environmental conditions. Species representation showed that limpets, top shells and sea urchins were preferentially exploited. One-millimetre mesh screens were crucial in establishing an accurate minimum number of individuals for sea urchins and to determine their importance in exploitation patterns. Environmental conditions deduced from shell assemblages indicated that temperate conditions prevailed at the time of the occupation and the morphology of the coastline was similar to today (rocky exposed shores). Information recovered relating to species representation, collection areas and shell biometry reflected some evidence of intensification (reduced shell size, collection in lower areas of exposed shores, no size selection in some units and species) in the exploitation of coastal resources through time. However, the results suggested the existence of changes in collection strategies and resource management, and periods of intense shell collection may have alternated with times of shell stock recovery throughout the Mesolithic.This research was performed as part of the project “The human response to the global climatic change in a littoral zone: the case of the transition to the Holocene in the Cantabrian coast (10,000–5000 cal BC) (HAR2010-22115-C02-01)” funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. AGE was funded by the University of Cantabria through a predoctoral grant and IGZ was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through a Juan de la Cierva grant. We also would like to thank the University of Cantabria and the IIIPC for providing support, David Cuenca-Solana, Alejandro García Moreno and Lucia Agudo Pérez for their help. We also thank Jennifer Jones for correcting the English. Comments from two anonymous reviewers helped to improve the paper

Population genomics of post-glacial western Eurasia.

Western Eurasia witnessed several large-scale human migrations during the Holocene <sup>1-5</sup> . Here, to investigate the cross-continental effects of these migrations, we shotgun-sequenced 317 genomes-mainly from the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods-from across northern and western Eurasia. These were imputed alongside published data to obtain diploid genotypes from more than 1,600 ancient humans. Our analyses revealed a 'great divide' genomic boundary extending from the Black Sea to the Baltic. Mesolithic hunter-gatherers were highly genetically differentiated east and west of this zone, and the effect of the neolithization was equally disparate. Large-scale ancestry shifts occurred in the west as farming was introduced, including near-total replacement of hunter-gatherers in many areas, whereas no substantial ancestry shifts happened east of the zone during the same period. Similarly, relatedness decreased in the west from the Neolithic transition onwards, whereas, east of the Urals, relatedness remained high until around 4,000 BP, consistent with the persistence of localized groups of hunter-gatherers. The boundary dissolved when Yamnaya-related ancestry spread across western Eurasia around 5,000 BP, resulting in a second major turnover that reached most parts of Europe within a 1,000-year span. The genetic origin and fate of the Yamnaya have remained elusive, but we show that hunter-gatherers from the Middle Don region contributed ancestry to them. Yamnaya groups later admixed with individuals associated with the Globular Amphora culture before expanding into Europe. Similar turnovers occurred in western Siberia, where we report new genomic data from a 'Neolithic steppe' cline spanning the Siberian forest steppe to Lake Baikal. These prehistoric migrations had profound and lasting effects on the genetic diversity of Eurasian populations

The toolkit for pottery production and repair in Prehistory

In this papeer we present the first results of a study focused on both the experimental replication and the analysis of the archaeological materials used for pottery production and repairing from a series of neolithic sites of the NE of the Iberian peninsula

АСТУРИЙСКИЕ ПИКИ ИЗ МЕЗОЛИТИЧЕСКОЙ РАКОВИННОЙ КУЧИ В МАСАКУЛОС II (СЕВЕРНАЯ ИСПАНИЯ): ФУНКЦИОНАЛЬНАЯ ИНТЕРПРЕТАЦИЯ

[EN] The Asturian Mesolithic (Northern Iberia) has traditionally been characterized by the accumulation of huge shell heaps in caves and grottoes, as well as the finds of typical stone tools commonly called Asturian peaks. These products, made of quartzite, have specific and unique characteristics, and from the very beginning of the Mesolithic research in this area, they have been considered an indicator of this chrono-cultural horizon. Over the past century, several hypotheses have been proposed to explain their purpose. In this work, we tested the hypotheses about the use of the Asturian peak using the experimental-trasological method on the experimental and archaeological tools found at the site of Masakoulos II (La Franca, Asturias, Northern Spain). The results obtained in the experimental analytical program showed that Asturian peaks were mainly used to collect shellfish, a key resource for this population in the Mesolithic. The results also showed the existence of a clear strategy in the selection of raw materials, features of the production process, reuse of broken tools in other activities and some other aspects related to the social organization of these mesolithic groups.[RU] Астурийский мезолит (Северная Иберия) традиционно характеризуется накоплением огромных раковинных куч в пещерах и гротах, а также находками типичных каменных орудий, обычно называемых астурийскими пиками. Эти изделия, изготовленные из кварцита, обладают специфическими и уникальными характеристиками, и с самого начала исследований мезолита в этом районе они считаются показателем этого хронокультур- ного горизонта. За последнее столетие было предложено несколько гипотез для объяснения их назначения. В этой работе мы проверили гипотезы об использовании астурийских пик с помощью экспериментально-трасологического метода на экспериментальных и археологических орудиях, найденных на стоянке Масакулос II (Ла-Франка, Астурия, Северная Испания). Результаты, полученные в экспериментальной аналитической программе, показали, что астурийские пики в основном использовались для сбора моллюсков, ключевого ресурса для этого населения в мезолите. Результаты также показали существование четкой стратегии в выборе сырья, особенностей производственного процесса, повторного использования сломанных орудий в других видах деятельности и некоторых других аспектов, связанных с социальной организацией этих мезолитических групп.Peer reviewe

Neolithic personal ornaments of Coro Trasito (Tella-Sin, Huesca). Arqueological excavation 2011-2017

Recoge los contenidos presentados a II Congreso de Arqueología y Patrimonio Aragonés (CAPA)[EN] Coro Trasito cave is located in a high mountain area in the central area of the Aragonese Pyrenees. The results of the excavations that have been carried out since 2011 have allowed us to document, until now, two moments of occupation of the same, the most recent during the Bronze Age and the oldest corresponding to the initial Neolithic moment. Until a few years ago it was believed that it was not possible for man to live in such high places due to the hard climate of these places. However, we can now say that Coro Trasito cave is one more example of the many places that are being investigated in high mountain areas. In the present study we want to present a series of personal ornaments that have been appearing throughout the excavation campaigns carried out in the cave and that we make known individually because they are objects of extraordinary importance because represent something more than its ornamental function, they are foreign objects brought from the coasts of the peninsular east that show that during the old Neolithic there were relations between human groups that lived at great distances.[ES] La cueva de Coro Trasito se ubica en un paraje de alta montaña de la zona central del Pirineo aragonés. Los resultados de las excavaciones que se vienen realizando desde el año 2011 han permitido documentar, hasta el momento, dos períodos de ocupación de la misma, el más reciente durante la Edad del Bronce y el más antiguo correspondiente al momento inicial del Neolítico. Hasta hace pocos años se creía que, debido al rigor climático de estos parajes de montaña, su ocupación en la prehistoria era poco probable. Sin embargo, ahora podemos decir que la cueva de Coro Trasito es un ejemplo más de los numerosos lugares que se están investigando en zonas de alta montaña. En el presente estudio queremos dar a conocer una serie de elementos de adorno que han ido apareciendo a lo largo de las campañas de excavación realizadas en la cueva y que damos a conocer de forma individual porque son unos objetos de extraordinaria importancia, que representan algo más que una función ornamental, son objetos alóctonos traídos desde las costas del levante peninsular. Su presencia demuestra que durante el Neolítico antiguo existían relaciones entre los grupos humanos que vivían a grandes distancias.Peer reviewe

Bayesian estimates of marine radiocarbon reservoir effect in northern Iberia during the Early and Middle Holocene

International audienceReconstructing the past variability of marine radiocarbon reservoir effects (MRE) is crucial for generating reliable chronologies for marine species and their consumers. We investigated the temporal MRE variability at the Early-to Mid-Holocene site of El Mazo (Asturias, northern Spain) by using a combination of new and previously published radiocarbon measurements on marine and terrestrial samples. The El Mazo site is characterized by overall well-defined archaeological layers of unknown occupation length with the predominant presence of two mollusc species (Patella vulgata Linnaeus, 1758 and topshell Phorcus lineatus [da Costa, 1778]) which were analysed for radiocarbon measurements. We employed the recently released IntCal20 calibration curve for the northern hemisphere and Bayesian modelling to reconstruct the site's chronology and temporal variability in MREs according to mollusc species. Obtained radiocarbon modelling results, although the estimate precision is not high, reveal a temporal variability in MREs that can be interpreted in view of known past climatic and environmental events such as the 8.2 ka event. The results also revealed differences in MREs according to mollusc species, which need to be taken into account in future chronological modelling. Overall, our results provide reference MRE values for the study of chronologies in northern Iberia during the Early-to Mid-Holocene. In this respect, a non-conservative ΔR reference for local marine samples dating earlier than c. 8.1 ka cal BP is −238 ± 28 14C years. © 2021 The Author