El poblamiento del eneolítico en Murcia: estado de la cuestión

Se analizan los diferentes tipos de asentamiento del Eneolítico en Murcia, atendiendo a su tipología y localización concreta, a su distribución geográfica y a su cronología. Se observa una aparente distribución de yacimientos antiguos, totalmente en llano, en la mitad oriental de la Región, frente a otros situados en terrazas fluviales de cronología similar y posterior (Pleno), a veces relacionados con asentamientos en altura, fortificados, que se generalizan durante el Eneolítico Final.Diferents type of settlements during the Eneolithic period in Murcia (the southern east Region of Spain) are analysed according to its particular location and typology, its geographical distribution and chronology. An apparently flat distribution of ancient archaeological sites, along the eastern half of this Region, as opposed to those situated in certain little flat surfaces which are defined over waterways, and formed during the same period or even later (Middle Eneolithic); occasionally those archaeological sites are connected to fortified settlements on top of hills, which became general during the Final Eneolithic

Emphasising the community: demographic composition of an exceptional tomb—the Chalcolithic burial site of Camino del Molino, Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia

Producción CientíficaReconstructing the biological profile of a skeletal sample is essential for defining a particular demographic group or classifying isolated remains. These results allow us to complete the population pyramid of a settlement, analyse mortality trends and relate individuals of a particular sex or age-at-death category to possible funerary rituals, lifestyles and/or states of health and disease. In this work, we carry out a paleodemographic analysis of a singular tomb: the chalcolithic burial site of Camino del Molino, Murcia, SE Spain. The tomb hosted 1348 individuals (30.7% non-adults and 69.3% adults) over two contiguous funerary phases, spanning a large part of the third millennium BC, which makes it a reference site for knowledge of the Recent Prehistoric populations. For this purpose, we estimated different paleodemographic parameters (life tables, mortality rates and sex ratios) and compared them to model life tables of preindustrial populations and data from other contemporary peninsular series to evaluate possible demographic anomalies. The results suggest that Camino del Molino was home to individuals of all ages and sex. However, there is a clear under-representation of newborns and nursing/breastfeeding infants and an over-representation of 5–15-year-old individuals. These findings could indicate potential issues related to diet/weaning, disease and early inclusion in the economic activities of the group.Junta de Castilla y León y el Fondo Social Europeo (ORDEN EDU/574/2018)Universidad de Valladolid - Proyecto de Investigación “METOO” (PROYEMER-2021-45)Publicación en abierto financiada por el Consorcio de Bibliotecas Universitarias de Castilla y León (BUCLE), con cargo al Programa Operativo 2014ES16RFOP009 FEDER 2014-2020 DE CASTILLA Y LEÓN, Actuación:20007-CL - Apoyo Consorcio BUCL

El enterramiento múltiple, calcolítico, de Camino del Molino (Caravaca, Murcia). Metodología y primeros resultados de un yacimiento excepcional

The preliminary results of the excavation of a multiple burial cave are presented. Itt contains remains of more than 1,300 individuals, in what it seems to be the complete representation of a chalcolithic population of the second half of the third millenium B.C. deposited during a continuous period of approximately 450 years. A small part of this population is accompanied by grave goods that include some metallic elements typical of the bell-beaker horizon. Also dogs accompanyied various burials. The exceptional character of the find and the circumstances of the excavation required the development of a new methodology for this type of excavation.Se presentan los resultados preliminares de la excavación de un enterramiento múltiple en cueva que contiene restos de más de 1300 individuos, en lo que parece ser la representación completa de una población calcolítica de la segunda mitad del III milenio a.C. depositada durante un período continuado de unos 350-400 años. Una pequeña parte de esa población se acompaña de un ajuar que incluye, entre otros elementos, algunos elementos metálicos característicos del horizonte campaniforme. También se documenta el enterramiento de cánidos acompañando a diversos inhumados. El carácter excepcional del hallazgo y las circunstancias de la excavación han obligado a un desarrollo metodológico novedoso para este tipo de actuaciones

Understanding the microbial biogeography of ancient human dentitions to guide study design and interpretation

The oral cavity is a heterogeneous environment, varying in factors such as pH, oxygen levels, and salivary flow. These factors affect the microbial community composition and distribution of species in dental plaque, but it is not known how well these patterns are reflected in archaeological dental calculus. Inmost archaeological studies, a single sample of dental calculus is studied per individual and is assumed to represent the entire oral cavity. However, it is not known if this sampling strategy introduces biases into studies of the ancient oral microbiome. Here, we present the results of a shotgun metagenomic study of a dense sampling of dental calculus from four Chalcolithic individuals from the southeast Iberian peninsula (ca. 4500-5000 BP). Interindividual differences in microbial composition are found to be much larger than intraindividual differences, indicating that a single sample can indeed represent an individual in most cases. However, there are minor spatial patterns in species distribution within the oral cavity that should be taken into account when designing a study or interpreting results. Finally, we show that plant DNA identified in the samples is likely of postmortem origin, demonstrating the importance of including environmental controls or additional lines of biomolecular evidence in dietary interpretations

Genomic transformation and social organization during the Copper Age-Bronze Age transition in southern Iberia

[EN]The emerging Bronze Age (BA) of southeastern Iberia saw marked social changes. Late Copper Age (CA) settlements were abandoned in favor of hilltop sites, and collective graves were largely replaced by single or double burials with often distinctive grave goods indirectly reflecting a hierarchical social organization, as exemplified by the BA El Argar group. We explored this transition from a genomic viewpoint by tripling the amount of data available for this period. Concomitant with the rise of El Argar starting similar to 2200 cal BCE, we observe a complete turnover of Y-chromosome lineages along with the arrival of steppe-related ancestry. This pattern is consistent with a founder effect in male lineages, supported by our finding that males shared more relatives at sites than females. However, simple two-source models do not find support in some El Argar groups, suggesting additional genetic contributions from the Mediterranean that could predate the BA.This work was supported by the Max Planck Society (V.V.-M. and W.H.); European Research Council (ERC) grant 771234-PALEoRIDER (W. H.); Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness project HAR2017-85962-P (C.O., C.R.-H., M.I.F., E.C.B., C.V.-F., V.L., R.M., and R.R.); AGAUR 2017SGR1044 (C.O., C.R.-H., M.I.F., E. C.B., C.V.-F., V. L., R.M., and R.R.); ICREA Academia program (R.R.); John Templeton Foundation grant 61220 (D.R.); and Paul Allen Family Foundation (D.R.). D.R. is an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute

The Beaker phenomenon and the genomic transformation of northwest Europe

From around 2750 to 2500 bc, Bell Beaker pottery became widespread across western and central Europe, before it disappeared between 2200 and 1800 bc. The forces that propelled its expansion are a matter of long-standing debate, and there is support for both cultural diffusion and migration having a role in this process. Here we present genome-wide data from 400 Neolithic, Copper Age and Bronze Age Europeans, including 226 individuals associated with Beaker-complex artefacts. We detected limited genetic affinity between Beaker-complex-associated individuals from Iberia and central Europe, and thus exclude migration as an important mechanism of spread between these two regions. However, migration had a key role in the further dissemination of the Beaker complex. We document this phenomenon most clearly in Britain, where the spread of the Beaker complex introduced high levels of steppe-related ancestry and was associated with the replacement of approximately 90% of Britain’s gene pool within a few hundred years, continuing the east-to-west expansion that had brought steppe-related ancestry into central and northern Europe over the previous centuries

Las industrias líticas talladas del Eneolítico/Calcolítico de la Región de Murcia [Microforma] tipología, distribución y análisis contextual.

Tesis-Universidad de Murcia.Consulte la tesis en: BCA. GENERAL. MEDIATECA. MF-TD 332.NEBRIJA. MEDIATECA. MF-24 1043.NEBRIJA. MEDIATECA. MF 46 1890

EL MARCO HISTORIOGRÁFICO: EL CALCOLÍTICO EN LA REGIÓN DE MURCIA

This article is a review of Chalcolithic Historiography in Murcia (Southeast Spain), and shows the evolution and development of tendences and criticisms along this century, since the formers field works (Inchaurrandieta, Siret, Cuadrado) until the more recently actuations. Another aim of this work is to stress perspectives and theoretical remarks around differents aspects of the recent prehistoric archaeology in the area.Este artículo es una revisión de la Historiografía del Calcolítico en Murcia (SE español), y muestra la evolución y desarrollo de tendencias y críticas a lo largo de este siglo, desde los primeros trabajos de campo (Inchaurrandieta. Siret, Cuadrado) hasta las más recientes actuaciones. También se pretende mostrar perspectivas y consideraciones teóricas en torno a diferentesaspectos de la arqueología de la Prehistoria Reciente en la zona

LOS BLANQUIZARES DE LÉBOR LO COLECTIVO Y LO INDIVIDUAL UNA REVISIÓN CRITICA

Blanquizares de Lébor is a cave used as colective burial site along the Copper Age. Discovered in 1927 in Totana (Murcia, Spain), its archaeological materials have been studing in diferents articles and moments. We attempt a new approach to the circunstances and meaning of this burial goods in the Chalcolithic context in the SE of Spain, around the principal notion of the transition from colective to individual burial conception, and its meaning.En 1927, Juan Cuadrado Ruiz descubre el enterramiento eneolítico/calcolítico de los Blanquizares de Lébor (Totana, Murcia).(...

LA CERÁMICA PINTADA DEL ENEOLITICO EN LA REGIÓN DE MURCIA

Painted aeneolithic ware found in the Murcian Region is compared to that from horizon 3 at Los Millares (2500-2000 B.C.) and attributed to influences from eastern Andalusia.Las pinturas del  aeneolithico pintadas se encontraron en la Región de Murcia se comparan a esa del horizonte 3 en Los Millares (2500-2000 A.C.) y se atribuyen a las influencias de Andalucía del este