L'arqueologia com a exemple de la progessiva deslocalització de la recerca o la (buscada) mort del professorat universitari

Publicat dins del dossier 'La investigació arqueològica en el sistema públic de ciència: grups de recerca, universitats i instituts', pàg 273-294.El debat que se'ns planteja no pot ser més candent ni més actual i incideix directament en el model de recerca, essencialment aplicada a l'arqueologia, que volem per al país. Tampoc no hem d'amagar que les persones que participem en el debat venim condicionades pel nostre lloc de treball, per la dinàmica en la qual ens hem vist immersos en les darreres dècades, intentant fer avançar la recerca (arqueològica) des de la nostra institució

Distinguishing the taphonomic signature of wolves from humans and other predators on small prey assemblages

the study of human subsistence strategies in prehistoric hunter-gatherer communities is essential to understanding the evolution of human behaviour. An important topic of interest is the expansion of dietary breadth, resulting in the procurement of a larger number of small game species. However, to make accurate interpretations of human subsistence, the correct identification of the agents responsible for archaeofaunal assemblages is crucial, and actualistic studies that establish the taphonomic signature of the different predators are indispensable. Despite being one of the most ubiquitous carnivores in prehistoric archaeological sites, the role of wolves (Canis lupus) as agents responsible for small-prey accumulations has never been examined. the aims of this study are to analyse the taphonomic patterns left by wolves on rabbit remains and to put forward a series of criteria that can help distinguish assemblages produced by this carnivore from those accumulated by people or by other predators. our results reveal that wolves ingest and consume the whole rabbit carcass, with the consequence that all rabbit remains accumulated by wolves come from the scats. the referential framework provided in this study will make it possible to discriminate wolves as agents of fossil rabbit accumulations

2 de octubre de 1916. El acceso de Pere Bosch Gimpera a la docencia universitaria o de cómo la oposición a una cátedra de Historia Antigua marcó el futuro de la Prehistoria en la universidad española

[spa] El 2 de octubre de 1916, Pere Bosch Gimpera impartía su primera clase sobre Prehistoria como catedrático en la Universidad de Barcelona. La fecha se considera el inicio de la docencia científica en prehistoria en la universidad española, y el punto de partida de la llamada Escuela de Arqueología de Barcelona. Sin embargo, el proceso para que dicho hecho pudiera tener lugar fue complicado. Bosch Gimpera, formado en las universidades de Barcelona, Madrid y Berlín, debió presentarse a dos oposiciones sucesivas hasta obtener una plaza de catedrático de Historia Universal Antigua y Media en un período en el que la prehistoria se consideraba integrada en la docencia en paleontología y geología y no en la historia. Debió también hacer frente a un sistema de promoción corrupto en el que las influencias políticas y sociales contaban más que el conocimiento y los méritos. En este trabajo se analiza el proceso y las características de las oposiciones realizadas por Bosch Gimpera en 1915 y 1916 y cómo su éxito en la segunda de ellas significó un cambio radical en el conocimiento, la docencia y la investigación de la prehistoria en España. [eng] On October 2, 1916, Pere Bosch Gimpera taught his first lesson on Prehistory as a Professor at the University of Barcelona. The date is considered the beginning of scientific teaching in prehistory in the Spanish University, and the starting point of the so-called Barcelona School of Archaeology. However, this process was complicated. Bosch Gimpera, trained at the universities of Barcelona, Madrid and Berlin, had to take two successive public competitions to win a Chair in Universal History of the Ancient and Middle Ages at a time when prehistory was considered as part of paleontology and geology and not of history. He also had to face corrupt promotion systems in which political and social influences were more important than knowledge and merit. This paper describes the process and characteristics of the competitions taken by Bosch Gimpera in 1915 and 1916 and how its success in the second call meant a radical change in knowledge, teaching and research of prehistory in Spain

Radiografia dels tecno-complexos del Plistocè Superior de la Vall de la Femosa (Segrià)

Le complexe de sites a p1ein air de la Femosa a ouvert une nouveile zone d'intérêt pour l'étude du Paléolithique Moyen dans la Catalogne. Les gisements appelés 'Les Fonts', 'El Set' et 'Le Secanet' ont eu une grande importance pour l'essay de Ia systématisation de cettes chronocultures dans notre pays. Sa distribution et ses propes differences nous ont permis d'affermir l'occupation diachronique de ce lieu ainsi que montrer l'intérêt que la diversification téchnologique et typologique a dans le Pléistocène Supérieur

L'Hort de la Boquera (Margalef de Montsant, Priorat) i el final del Paleolític a la vall mitjana del riu Montsant

L'Hort de la Boquera completa el ric registre de jaciments del final del Paleolític i de l'Epipaleolític a la vall mitjana del riu Montsant. Es presenten les novetats de l'excavació durant els darrers anys: datacions radiomètriques, indústria lítica, dades paleoambientals i manifestacions artístiques i se situen en el context del final del Plistocè i inicis de l'Holocè a les comarques meridionals de Catalunya

Los hallazgos de la Cueva de Es Pas de Ferrerías

[spa] Se exponen las circunstancias que llevaron al descubrimiento y excavación de la cueva de Es Pas (Ferrerías), una cueva sepulcral de 3.000 años de antigüedad. La excepcionalidad de los restos arqueológicos hallados reside en la materia orgánica conservada, tanto humana (pelo, pulmones, cerebro, musculatura, coprolitos) como animal y vegetal (sudarios de cuero, dos parihuelas de madera, cuerdas de esparto...). Los restos de los 70 individuos identificados estaban depositados en el pequeño recinto, en posición fetal y envueltos con sudarios de cuero y atados con cuerdas, lo que certifica, por primera vez, el proceso post mórtem de este tipo de enterramientos.[eng] We expose in this paper how the 3.000 years old burial cave named "Cova des Pas», in Ferreries, Minorca, was discovered ans excavated. Archaeological remains are exceptional because organic elements have been well preserved: human remains as hair, lung, brain, muscles and coproliths, but also animal skin, two wood stretchers and ropes. We have identified 70 individuals in the little space of the cave, all in fetal position, envelopped in animal skin and tied with ropes; it certifies, for the first time, the post mortem processus in this kind of burials

New archaeological excavations at Cova Gran and Cova Freda de Montserrat (Collbató, Barcelona) after almost 100 years

[spa] En este trabajo se presentan los primeros datos estratigráficos, radiocarbónicos y de cultura material de las recientes excavaciones en las Coves de Montserrat (Cova Gran y Cova Freda). Estos emblemáticos yacimientos fueron excavados el año 1922 y proporcionaron uno de los primeros conjuntos cardiales de la península ibérica. Desde entonces, no volvieron a ser intervenidos de forma oficial y quedaron abandonados. En el año 2018 se han reiniciado los trabajos con sondeos en ambas cuevas, determinando la preservación de depósitos arqueológicos estratificados en algunos de ellos. En la Cova Freda se ha reconocido la existencia de un tramo de la cavidad probablemente usado como redil durante el Neolítico Antiguo Cardial y, en la Cova Gran, se han documentado un nivel y una estructura negativa de esa misma cronología, así como un potente nivel finipaleolítico.[eng] This work presents the first stratigraphic, chronologic and cultural results of the archaeological works in the Coves de Montserrat (Cova Gran and Cova Freda). These emblematic sites that were excavated in 1922 and that provided one of the first cardial assemblages of the Iberian Peninsula. They were not intervened again and they were abandoned. These works have been restarted in 2018 by means of different test pits in both caves. These have determined the preservation of stratified archaeological deposits in some of these tests: in the Cova Freda it has been determined the existence of a section of the cavity probably used as a fold during the Early Neolithic; while, in the Cova Gran, a layer and a negative structure of that same chronology have been documented, as well as a finipaleolithic layer. This paper presents the first stratigraphic, radiocarbon and material culture data of these emblematic sites of Iberian historiography

Prospecció geoarqueològica del curs mitjà del Segre (Artesa de Segre, Foradada, Cubells i Alòs de Balaguer, La Noguera)

La prospecció geoarqueològica té com a objectiu la recerca d'assentaments arqueològics mitjançant la informació geomorfològica i edàfica que ens proporciona l'estudi dels dipòsits quaternaris; també permet establir una correlació entre l'evolució del relleu i les ocupacions antròpiques. L'àrea d'aquest estudi és la compresa entre Artesa de Segre i Alòs de Balaguer. Van suscitar la intervenció els treballs que es duen a terme a la cova del Parco (Alòs de Balaguer) a fi de localitzar altres possibles emplaçaments arqueològics i dipòsits quaternaris que complementin les investigacions desenvolupades en aquest indret

The geochemical characterization of two long distance chert tracers by ED-XRF and LA-ICP-MS. Implications for Magdalenian human mobility in the Pyrenees (SW Europe)

We geochemically characterize two chert formations outcropping in the Pyrenees and presenting similar characteristics at the visual and microscopic scale: The Montgaillard flysch cherts and the Montsaunès cherts. Cherts presenting identical textural and micropalaeontological features as both types have been found in several Magdalenian Pyrenean sites. We are face to a long distance chert type whose geochemical characterization is essential for knowing where the tracer comes from. Analyses have been done using Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) and laser ablation inductivelycoupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Results show that despite obtaining similar data concerning major and minor elements, differences have been observed regarding trace elements. The establishment of differences between both formations at the geochemical level has allowed specifying the origin of this chert type recovered at the Magdalenian levels of Parco Cave (Alòs de Balaguer, Spain). Results demonstrate long lithic raw material circulation and thus, human mobility in the Pyrenees during the Upper Palaeolithic

A Neanderthal Lower Incisor from Cova del Gegant (Sitges, Barcelona, Spain)

Cova del Gegant is located near the city of Sitges (Barcelona, Spain). The cave is a small karst system which contains Upper Pleistocene archaeological and paleontological material (DauRa et al., 2005). The site was first excavated in 1954 and then in 1972 and 1974- (Viñas, 1972; Viñas & Villalta, 1975) and in 1985 and 1989 (maRtínez et al., 1985; moRa, 1988; maRtínez et al., 1990). Finally, in 2007, Grup de Recerca del Quaternari has restarted the archaeological research at Cova del Gegant (DauRa, 2008; DauRa et al., 2010). A human mandible was recovered during the first field season in 1954 and was recently published by DauRa et al. (2005). In the present study, we describe a new human tooth (left I2) that appeared, like the mandible, in a revision of the faunal material recovered from the site in 1974-1975. The specimen preserves the entire crown and the cervical two thirds of the root (Figure 1). The lack of the root apex makes it difficult to determine if the tooth was fully developed at the time of death. However, CT analysis reveals a pulp cavity that could be still open, suggesting root formation was incomplete. The specimen shows only slight dental wear corresponding to stage 2 of Molnar (1971 en Hillson, 1996). Morphologically, the crown shows slight shovelling and a lingual tubercle and appears similar to Neandertal incisors. Standard crown measurements (buccolingual diameter=7.7 mm; mesiodistal diameter= 7.3 mm) (Figure 2) suggest a fairly large tooth, particularly in the BL dimension, again resembling Neandertals in this regard. Discriminant analysis classified the Gegant incisor as Neandertal with a 99.8% posterior probability (Table 2). Association of this tooth with the previously described mandible is considered unlikely given the different ages at death estimated for each. Thus, there appear to be two individuals preserved in the sediments of the Gegant cave, one adult and one subadult (around 8-10 years old)