Conociendo la función del utillaje lítico tallado: veinticinco años de análisis traceológicos aplicados a contextos neolíticos del noreste de la Península Ibérica

This paper deals with the functionality of the flaked stone assemblages from several Neolithic sites of the NE of the Iberian Peninsula. The chronological framework ranges from the mid-6th to the mid-4th millennium cal. BCE, which corresponds to the Early and Middle Neolithic. This long period ranges from the arrival of the first farming communities in the Iberian Peninsula, around 5600-5500 cal. BCE, to 3600-3500 cal. BCE, two millennia later, when Neolithic communities had stably occupied most of the available territory, from the mountainous areas of the Pyrenees to the coastal areas of the Mediterranean. In this context, the NE of the Iberian Peninsula is one of the areas where a major number of use-wear analyses have been carried out, especially for what concerns the Neolithic period. This is mainly due to the interest shown by the directors of the excavations and by the Spanish use-wear specialists as well; both participated and cooperated in order to enlarge the number of contexts studied, making the NE of the Iberian Peninsula one of the areas of Europe with the largest number of ‘functional studies’. As a result, today we have a reliable picture of the type of lithic tools used by the first farming groups, how they were used, and which needs they were satisfying. The methodology employed for this type of analysis is today broadly shared by most use-wear specialists. A stereoscopic microscope is used together with a reflected-light microscope for the analysis of the archaeological specimens. Afterwards, the observed use-wear traces are compared with the traces from experimental tools. This study primarily made use of the tools preserved at the ‘Traceoteque’ of the Institución Milà y Fontanals of the CSIC of Barcelona. This paper presents the results obtained for the different types of analysed sites and the relative lithic assemblages. In this way, tools from different contexts are compared: open-air sites, caves and rock-shelters, pit-sites, burials, and mining sites. Such a diversity of contexts allowed for the exploration of the existence of recurrences and differences in the functionality of the lithic tools from one site to another. The results obtained have also provided information on some aspects related to the economic processes carried out at the different sites, caves, rock-shelters and open-air contexts. It has been possible to gain fresh data on the types of tasks carried out and their relative importance for each site, their relation with the geographical and environmental context and the natural resources available there. In addition, analysing tools recovered from burials – mainly individual inhumations – provided information on the relationships between the buried individuals and the working tools, in particular exploring the relationships between sex and age patterns and the types of tools deposited as goods. In conclusion, use-wear analysis allowed for the exploration of a variety of issues; from technical aspects related to the production and management of the lithic resources to social aspects related to the subsistence activities and the individuals that carried them out

A matter of life and death: the Middle Neolithic population from Bom Santo Cave (Lisbon, Portugal)

The study of the Bom Santo Cave (central Portugal), a Neolithic cemetery, indicated a complex social, palaeoeconomic and population scenario. With isotope, aDNA and provenience analyses of raw materials coupled with stylistic variability of material culture items and palaeogeographical data light is shed on the territory and social organization of a population dated to 3800–3400 cal BC, i.e. the middle phase of the period. Results indicate an itinerant farming, segmentary society, where exogamic practices were the norm and patrilocality probably predominated. Its lifeway may be that of the earliest megalithic builders of the region, but further research is needed to correctly evaluate the degree of participation in such phenomenon

On the chronological structure of the solutrean in Southern Iberia

The Solutrean techno-complex has gained particular significance over time for representing a clear demographic and techno-typological deviation from the developments occurred during the course of the Upper Paleolithic in Western Europe. Some of Solutrean's most relevant features are the diversity and techno-typological characteristics of the lithic armatures. These have been recurrently used as pivotal elements in numerous Solutrean-related debates, including the chronological organization of the techno-complex across Iberia and Southwestern France. In Southern Iberia, patterns of presence and/or absence of specific point types in stratified sequences tend to validate the classical ordering of the techno-complex into Lower, Middle and Upper phases, although some evidence, namely radiocarbon determinations, have not always been corroborative. Here we present the first comprehensive analysis of the currently available radiocarbon data for the Solutrean in Southern Iberia. We use a Bayesian statistical approach from 13 stratified sequences to compare the duration, and the start and end moments of each classic Solutrean phase across sites. We conclude that, based on the current data, the traditional organization of the Solutrean cannot be unquestionably confirmed for Southern Iberia, calling into doubt the status of the classically defined type-fossils as precise temporal markers.Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia [PTDC/HAH/64184/2006, PTDC/HIS-ARQ/117540/2010, SFRH/BD/65527/2009, SFRH/BPD/96277/2013]; National Geographic Society [8045-06]; Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research [8290

Releyendo el fenómeno de la neolitización en el Bajo Aragón a la luz de la excavación del Cingle de Valmayor XI (Mequinenza, Zaragoza)

Este trabajo presenta los resultados preliminares obtenidos en la excavación del Cingle de Valmayor XI, desarrollada dentro del proyecto de investigación ‘Los caminos del Neolítico’. A través del análisis de las dataciones radiocarbónicas y de una detallada lectura estratigráfica se han podido establecer tres horizontes de ocupación diferentes con cronologías que corresponden a distintos momentos del vi milenio cal bc. Se ofrece una descripción general de los eventos arqueológicos documentados en cada una de estas fases, así como de gran parte del material recuperado –cerámica, lítica, industria ósea, elementos de adorno, fauna y restos carpológicos–. Por otra parte, a la luz de las nuevas dataciones presentadas, se propone una revisión del fenómeno de la neolitización en la región del Bajo Aragón y, por extensión, en todo el valle del Ebro; también se cuestiona la identificación de contextos como propios de economías productoras simplemente a través de la presencia de ciertos elementos materiales considerados tradicionalmente como ‘marcadores neolíticos’, sin que existan variaciones con respecto a las estrategias subsistenciales o de explotación del territorio

New insights into the neolithisation process in southwest Europe according to spatial density analysis from calibrated radiocarbon dates

The agricultural way of life spreads throughout Europe via two main routes: the Danube corridor and the Mediterranean basin. Current archaeological literature describes the arrival to the Western Mediterranean as a rapid process which involves both demic and cultural models, and in this regard, the dispersal movement has been investigated using mathematical models, where the key factors are time and space. In this work, we have created a compilation of all available radiocarbon dates for the whole of Iberia, in order to draw a chronological series of maps to illustrate temporal and spatial patterns in the neolithisation process. The maps were prepared by calculating the calibrated 14C date probability density curves, as a proxy to show the spatial dynamics of the last hunter-gatherers and first farmers. Several scholars have pointed out problems linked with the variability of samples, such as the overrepresentation of some sites, the degree of regional research, the nature of the dated samples and above all the archaeological context, but we are confident that the selected dates, after applying some filters and statistical protocols, constitute a good way to approach settlement spatial patterns in Iberia at the time of the neolithisation process

Insights into the prehistoric toolkit: traceological analysis of lithic assemblages from Meso-Neolithic contexts in the NW Mediterranean

The traceological analysis of archaeological artefacts has a great potential in prehistoric studies. Apart from defining the functionality of determinate categories of objects, traceological analysis can strongly contribute to the understanding of the overall economic organization, of the productive processes which took place in each site and of the role they had in the overall site organization. During the last decade, the study of an increasing number of archaeological contexts of Neolithic and Mesolithic period, has allowed to establish comparisons between settlements of diverse functionality and cultural affiliations. As result, both Mesolithic and Neolithic ‘toolkits’ have been investigated by means of traceological analysis. In this communication, we are going to present the results of the traceological analysis realized on the chipped stone assemblages from a number of case studies dated to the VII-VI millennium calBC, in the Western Mediterranean. Our aim is to highlight which are the key-elements that can help us understanding the site functionality and its cultural affiliation. All the lithic collections considered, have been studied through an integrated approach, including also data from technological and provenance analysis. Typical ‘Neolithic’ tools are for example harvesting tools (among which the so-called sickle blades), tools associated with hide processing (endscrapers or blade scrapers) or related with working processes on clay/ceramic. On the contrary, ‘Mesolithic’ toolkit is generally characterized by a much larger production of projectile inserts (e.g. geometric tools), but also by notched blades often related with crafting activities on wood or bone/antler materials and a large set of scarcely elaborated blanks related to butchering and animal substance processing. Even if some qualitative differences can be remarked both from a technical and functional point of view, it is not always easy to establish a clear boundary between a ‘Mesolithic’ and ‘Neolithic’ assemblages. The patterns of resource exploitation can vary notably from site to site during Neolithic and Mesolithic, depending from the economic organization, the site functionality, the geographical and environmental settings

The Harvest of Our Fathers: harvesting techniques in the Mediterranean Neolithic

Neolithic farming practices have been mainly addressed from the analysis of the archaeozoological and archaeobotanical records. These studies have highlighted variability in the type of cultivated plants and domesticated animals since the early phases of Neolithic; as result, different agricultural and pastoral systems have been suggested for the Mediterranean area. However, the technical aspects associated with these practices have been little investigated until now. How technologies and know-how were adapted to farming needs? Did a variability of techniques exist since the beginnings of Neolithic? How tools evolved through time and what information can be drawn about farming practices? In this presentation we will provide some examples of how harvesting technologies evolved during the course of Early and Middle Neolithic in the Central Mediterranean .Changes in crop-reaping tools will be discussed considering the technological aspects of lithic production and the available archaeobotanical and archaeozoological data

Working pottery with flaked stone tools: a preliminary experimental approach

In this paper, we present the result of a series of experiment aimed at reproducing specific types of use-wear traces related to the use of flaked stone tools in pottery production and maintenance tasks. This experimental programme is focused to the study of the functionality of some stone tools from Neolithic sites located in the NE of the Iberian Peninsula. The experiments and the resulting traces are described in details in the following text. A good correspondence between the archaeological and experimental traces has been observed. Our results testify that different types of tools (unretouched flakes, unretouched blades, retouched blades, borers) were used for different actions associated with the production of pottery vessels

Chert Taphonomical Alterations: preliminary experiments

We present preliminary results of an organized with the aim of approaching the study of traces produced by certain postdepositional processes affecting surfaces of lithic tool pilot program. We consider both the mechanical alterations as those of chemical origin. With this study we aim to contribute to the analysis of the lithic assemblage from the archaeological site of the Cueva del Sardo