Ornaments from the Magdalenian burial area in El Mirón Cave (Cantabria, northern Spain). Were they grave goods?

International audienceEl Mirón Cave, located in northern Atlantic Iberia, has produced important evidence of human occupation during the Lower Magdalenian (19-17.5 cal kya). Among the finds dating to this period is that of a disturbed primary burial of an adult woman. The excavation of the small area around the burial yielded a considerable number of ornamental items (mainly shell beads), but the actual association of any of them with the interment is problematic. The results of our study of the perforated marine shells and mammal teeth suggest that the ornamental objects were not grave goods, but rather were simply artifacts present in the occupation layers in this part of the cave. The materials used to make ornaments were gathered by collecting shells along the Late Glacial shore and by hunting ungulates. The perforation techniques used were similar to those found at contemporary sites in the Franco-Cantabrian region and the appearance of various elements from the manufacturing operatory chain indicates that some of the ornaments were made at the site. It was also possible to determine that some of the shells were used—probably suspended or attached to other objects. From a functional standpoint, the ornaments probably played not only an aesthetic role, but also a symbolic one, facilitating communication and exchanges among human groups

Technological use of malacological resources in the Iberian Peninsula: a critical view of methodology anf theroretical approaches

Los moluscos procedentes de yacimientos arqueológicos generalmente se han identificado con el consumo alimenticio y/o como elemento de adorno dentro del marco económico o ideológico de las formaciones económico-sociales. Sin duda, aunque se trata de las principales utilizaciones para las que han sido usados estos recursos no son las únicas. De esta forma ha sido posible documentar un variado abanico de evidencias orientadas a consumos no bromatológicos en la Península Ibérica. Paralelamente, éstas han sido analizadas desde variadas perspectivas teórico-metodológicas. El análisis crítico de estas aportaciones muestra la necesidad de enfocar las aplicaciones metodológicas con el objetivo de traspasar la barrera descriptiva y contribuir a ampliar nuestro conocimiento sobre las formas de vida de las formaciones económico-sociales objeto de estudio.Molluscs found in archaeological sites have generally been considered as food and/or ornaments that formed part of the economic and/or symbolic strategies of human groups. Although these uses are the most commonly proposed for archaeological molluscs they are not the only ones. Thus, evidence of technological use of molluscs was recorded in the Iberian Peninsula by some authors through the study of shells from different theoretical and methodological perspectives. The critical analysis of these studies showed the necessity of using detailed methodological approaches to transcend the descriptive interpretations and contribute to expand our knowledge about the lifeways of human societies

The use of mollusc shells as tools by coastal human groups: The contribution of ethnographical studies to research on mesolithic and early neolithic technologies in Northern Spain

In European archaeology, the malacological remains recovered in archaeological contexts have traditionally been considered almost exclusively as food waste. In other cases, this view has been broadened in order to study these remains as an expression of aspects of the social organization of the human groups, based on the use of perforated shells as objects of personal ornamentation. However, the study of these natural resources as raw materials for the manufacture of tools aimed at satisfying the production needs of the human groups has been very limited. This little-developed aspect of research is at variance with the abundant ethnographic information from many different periods and geographical settings showing that malacological resources were used in many complex and varied ways. This paper is an attempt at compiling a small part of this ethnographic information - a contribution which, through its critical application to the archaeological record, is of interest in establishing a methodology for studying this type of evidence. In the specific case of northern Spain, information from ethnographic studies has been used to develop an appropriate methodology with which to approach the analysis of this kind of archaeological evidence, as recently documented for the first time at the classic site of Santimamihe (Basque Country). At the same time, the documentation of shell tools could provide an explanation for the scarcity of " traditional technologies " that characterizes many Mesolithic and early Neolithic sites in northern Spain.The authors would like to thank the University of Cantabria for financial support, J. C. Lopez Quintana, M. R. Gonzalez Morales, and A. Garcia Moreno for their help; and L. G. Straus, C. Claassen, D. Lubell, and two anonymous referees for their comments

Past, present and future of the use-wear analysis applied to the study of prehistoric shell tools

Resumen: El análisis funcional orientado al estudio de la tecnología lítica ha tenido un gran desarrollo durante las últimas décadas, tanto a nivel metodológico cómo en variedad y cantidad de aplicaciones. Sin embargo, el estudio del utillaje manufacturado con materias duras de origen animal, especialmente los instrumentos de concha, a partir de la traceología ha tenido menor interés en la investigación arqueológica. En este sentido, numerosa y variada información etnográfica muestra que las poblaciones que explotaron los recursos costeros también emplearon las conchas, bien de forma expeditiva o bien mediante diferentes procesos de manufactura, como instrumento de trabajo para realizar sus actividades de producción. En este artículo mostraremos esta variedad de evidencias etnográficas, para posteriormente presentar y debatir acerca de las diferentes aplicaciones arqueológicas que se han desarrollado, principalmente, basadas en la traceología. Haciendo especial hincapié en los trabajos pioneros, su evolución durante las últimas décadas y los retos futuros para el desarrollo de este tipo de estudios en la investigación arqueológica.Abstract: Use-wear methodology oriented on the analysis of the lithic technology has made great progress in recent decades, both in terms of methodological approaches and the variety and quantity of applications of the technique. However, the study of tools manufactured with hard animal materials, specially the shell tools, using the use-wear methodology has been less of a focus in archaeological research. Extended and varied ethnographic information shows that populations exploiting coastal resources often used shells, expeditiously or by distinct manufacturing processes, as tools for the development of their production activities. This article shows this variety of ethnographic evidence for shell use, before presenting and discussing some of the most important applications based on the use-wear methodology for the study of these tools. Particular emphasis is made on pioneering work, its evolution over the past decades, and the future challenges for the development of this analysis in archaeological research.Esta investigación se ha realizado en el marco de sendos proyectos financiados por el Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (HAR2010-22115-C02-01 y HAR2013-46802-P). DCS es financiado actualmente por esta misma entidad a través de un contrato postdoctoral del Programa de Investigación Juan de la Cierva- Incorporación (IJCI-2014-20590)

Shell tools and productive strategies of hunter-gatherer groups: Some reflections from a use-wear analysis at the Balma del Gai site (Barcelona, Spain)

Balma del Gai site is a small rock shelter situated in the municipality of Moià (Barcelona, Spain) at an altitude of 760 m above sea level and 50 km from the current coastline. The levels of occupation in this context are dated between 13,442 cal BP and 9,552 cal BP, being related to the so-denominated "Epimagdalenian" and "Microlaminar Sauveterroid" complexes. The excavations have provided important mollusc samples, both terrestrial and marine, which have been studied and considered alimentary and adornment resources. In this article, we present the results of the use-wear analyses of the shell tools of Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819 and Glycymeris glycymeris (Linnaeus, 1758). The results of these analyses and their comparison with analytical experimentation demonstrate that some of these shells were used as tools for developing diverse productive activities related to the processing of materials of animal, mineral and vegetal origin. In this way, this research contributes to: 1) broaden the technological spectrum registered in this context and in a wider sense for Epipalaeolithic hunter-gatherers (beyond the traditional technological elements), 2) demonstrate a diversified use of the shells as adornments, food and tools in the site; an aspect of great interest especially bearing in mind the distance from the coast

Collection and consumption of echinoderms and crustaceans at the Mesolithic shell midden site of El Mazo (northern Iberia) : Opportunistic behaviour or social strategy?

Recent studies in Atlantic Europe on crab remains, goose barnacles and sea urchins have revealed that these species can be of great help in determining patterns of shellfish collection and providing new information on subsistence strategies of hunter-fisher-gatherers. Current excavations at the Mesolithic shell midden site of El Mazo cave (Asturias, northern Iberia) have produced a sizeable amount of crustacean and echinoderm remains from a long stratigraphic sequence that covers an important part of the Mesolithic chronological range, providing the opportunity to investigate long-term exploitation patterns. Results show that echinoderms (sea urchins) and crustaceans (goose barnacles and crabs) were present throughout all of the stratigraphic units (from 8.9 to 7.6 cal kyr), suggesting that they were a persistently exploited food source. However, these resources were not intensively exploited, save perhaps sea urchins at the base of the sequence. From a quantitative perspective, these resources have been traditionally interpreted as minor resources exploited opportunistically to help group survival. However, given the pattern of continuous exploitation exhibited by these resources in northern Iberia and other areas of Atlantic Europe, we suggest that they can be interpreted from a qualitative perspective as stable resources with a significant social valu

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

Reconstructing 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 ?R reference for local marine samples dating earlier than c. 8.1 ka cal BP is - 238 ± 28 14C years.This research was performed as part of the projects HAR 2016- 75605-R and HAR 2017-86262-P, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, MINECO. During the development of this research AGE was funded by the Basque Country Postdoctoral Programme through a postdoctoral grant (POS_2020_2_0032) and University of La Rioja (no code available). This study has also been supported by the Prehistoric Research Consolidated Group of the Basque Country University (IT-1223-19), funded by the Basque Country Government. PR and RF are funded by the Max Planck Society. We thank the Fishing Activity Service of the Cantabrian Government for the authorization to collect modern specimens. We also thank the Max Plank Society, University of La Rioja, Basque Country University (UPV/EHU), University of Cantabria (UC) and Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehist´oricas de Cantabria (IIIPC) for providing support

Prehistoric pottery and the instrumental kit for its production. Description of the archaeological record of Coro Trasito (Tella-Sin, Huesca)

Resumen: En este artículo presentamos los instrumentos de trabajo relacionados con la producción cerámica. El punto de partida es una serie de programas experimentales que nos permiten definir la aparición y el desarrollo de los rastros de uso en las superficies de los distintos instrumentos relacionados con esa producción, una vez reconocidos a nivel arqueológico. Esto incluye el uso de instrumentos manufacturados en materias primas de distinto origen: minerales (lítico tallado, cantos y/o guijarros naturales, fragmentos de cerámica?), y materias duras de origen animal (espátulas/punzones de hueso, instrumentos de conchas?). Una vez definidos estos tipos de instrumentos de trabajo, aplicamos el estudio a un yacimiento arqueológico concreto. En este caso, describimos los instrumentos recuperados en Coro Trasito (Tella-Sin, Huesca) que tienen que ver con la producción y el mantenimiento de la cerámica, especialmente en un periodo cronológico relacionado con el Neolítico antiguoAbstract: In this work, we present the working tools related to pottery production. The starting point is a series of experimental programs that allow us to define the presence and development of usewear traces on the surfaces of the different instruments related to that production ?which were recognized in archaeological contexts. This includes the use of tools manufactured in raw materials of different origin: minerals (lithic knapped blanks, natural cobbles and/or pebbles, pottery sticks?), and hard materials of animal origin (bone spatulas/awls, shell tools?). Once these types of working tools have been defined, we bring the study to specific archaeological contexts. In this case, we describe the instruments recovered in Coro Trasito (Tella-Sin, Huesca) and how these tools relate to the production and upkeep of pottery vessels, especially during a chronological period related to the ancient Neolithic period

Stable oxygen isotope analysis of Phorcus lineatus (da Costa, 1778) as a proxy for foraging seasonality during the Mesolithic in northern Iberia

The Mesolithic period in the Cantabrian region, a coastal area located in northern Spain, is characterised by a marked increase in the human use of coastal resources in comparison with previous periods, resulting in the formation of so-called "shell middens". Archaeological investigations have provided insights into the formation processes of these shell middens, as well as long-term changes in human exploitation of different marine resources and the relationship of foraging strategies to past climate changes. However, efforts to reconstruct the key environmental factor governing coastal subsistence and foraging resilience, the seasonal availability and use of different marine resources, have been limited in the region and, indeed, across coastal Mesolithic Europe more widely. Here, we use stable oxygen isotope analysis of Phorcus lineatus (da Costa, 1778), one of the most widespread molluscs in northern Iberian mesolithic coastal sites, in order to determine the season in which humans collected key coastal resources at the site of EL Mazo (Llanes, Asturias). We demonstrate that P. lineatus was exclusively collected in late autumn, winter and early spring. An experimental programme, in which modern P. lineatus specimens were collected in situ over the course of three years, established that relative meat yield varied within this species throughout the annual cycle, with higher relative meat yield during colder months. We argue that mollusc collection patterns were driven by a cost-benefit principle during the Mesolithic in the Cantabrian region and human populations had intimate knowledge of the seasonal developmental cycles of exploited marine taxa. This also highlights the importance of developing intra-annual records of resource use and climate change if coastal foraging is to be properly understood in prehistory.This research was performed as part of the projects HAR2016-75605-R and HAR2017-86262-P, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, MINECO. During the development of this research, AGE was funded by the University of Cantabria through a pre-doctoral grant (no code available) and is currently supported by the Basque Country Postdoctoral Programme (grant number POS_2018_1_0016). DCS was supported by the Juan de la Cierva Research Programme (IJCI-2014-20590) of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness

Shell Technology, Rock Art, and the Role of Marine Resources during the Upper Paleolithic

During the Upper Paleolithic, marine resources have traditionally been considered to be low-efficiency resources. However, in recent years, new data have emerged to demonstrate that their importance for human utilization was probably greater than previously thought. The assessment of their value has generally been from the perspective of their nutritional or ornamental value, not from the technological potential that these resources might have. A use-wear analysis of shells from the Gravettian levels of Fuente del Salín, a cave in northern Spain, has documented their use for a diverse range of production activities, most notably the processing of the red pigments used in artistic representations on the cave walls, as well as for tanning hide. This technological use of shells demonstrates that marine resources were of greater importance to the hunters and gatherers of the Upper Paleolithic and that their utility was more diverse than previously understood.This research was funded by the University of Cantabria through pre- and postdoctoral contract to David Cuenca-Solana and Alejandro Garcı´a-Moreno. Igor Gutierrez-Zugasti is currently funded by the Newton International Fellowships scheme. Parts of the analyses that support this research have been carried out as part of the project Human Response to Global Climate Change in a Littoral Zone: the Case of the Transition to the Holocene on the Cantabrian Coast (10,000–5,000 cal B.C.) (HAR2010-22115-C02-01), funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation