Spain: Underwater Exploration on a Narrow Continental Shelf

In spite of Spain’s long coastline (nearly 8000 km) and its well-established tradition in underwater archaeology, the prehistoric settlement of the continental shelf is practically unknown with very few finds. Underwater research has focused on naval archaeology and, until very recently, no attempt had been made to look for prehistoric underwater sites. In the past decade,new research projects have been launched to explore selected areas on the Cantabrian shelf and offshore of Gibraltar. This chapter summarises the currently available evidence of submerged prehistoric archaeology and the preliminary results of these new project

Mid‐ to late Holocene environmental changes and human‐environment interactions in the surroundings of La Silla del Papa, SW Spain

International audienceIn southern Iberia, the surroundings of the Strait of Gibraltar are known as a crossroad for population movements, cultural exchanges, and trade from Late Prehistory to modern times. However, questions remain about the impact of this historical development on the environment. The settlement of La Silla del Papa, an important hillfort in southern Andalusia (Cádiz), was occupied during the entire Iron Age, replaced by the coastal town Baelo Claudia during Roman times, and reoccupied during Early Medieval times. As such, La Silla del Papa and its territory represent an ideal location for long-term studies on human-environment interactions. Within the framework of the interdisciplinary project "Archeostraits," geoarchaeological investigations in the surroundings of La Silla del Papa aimed at constraining ecological conditions and human-environment interactions during the This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes

Weapons, fighters and combat: spears and swords in Early Bronze Age Scandinavia

This article deals with the use-wear analysis of 204 weapons of Period I of the Early Nordic Bronze Age. The analysed sample contained 154 spearheads and 50 swords and was made up of approximately one-third of the contemporaneous weapons in Southern Scandinavia. The use-wear analysis was undertaken with a source critical view on corrosion and other taphonomic processes. The information obtained was used to see how use-wear and taphonomic processes influence each other. Use-wear analysis was employed to evaluate statements regarding the functionality, or rather non-functionality, of Early Bronze Age weaponry. According to the results, spears and swords were not only functional but also very frequently used. Further deductions can be made from the material. Despite a difference in the scale of fighting, spears and swords show essentially the same kind of combat wear. It is argued that this relates to essentially similar styles of fighting that employ both cutting and stabbing movements and are perhaps most appropriately termed ‘fencing’. This style of fighting possibly emerged from frequent encounters of sword and spear fighters in the closely interconnected world of Southern Scandinavia during Period I of the Early Bronze Age. In these engagements, a partial homogenising effect of warfare and fighting becomes visible. Yet, it is not the only effect that accompanies combat and war. Diversification and homogenisation are not mutually exclusive or contradictive. Accordingly, they took place simultaneously and helped develop fighting styles and weapon technologies