Los Aljezares archaeological site (Alicante, Spain) and the MIS 6/5 open-air settlement in the Iberian Peninsula

The record of open-air Middle Palaeolithic sites in the Iberian Peninsula—specifically in the Mediterranean basin—is scarce, hampering the interpretation of the landscape use strategies developed by Neanderthals in this area. In this work, we present Los Aljezares, a new Middle Palaeolithic site found in Pleistocene fluvio-lacustrine deposits in the sedimentary basin of the Vinalopó River. A U/Th age (132 ± 10 ka) from associated carbonate deposits allows us to attribute the site to the uppermost part of the Middle Pleistocene to Late Pleistocene (marine isotope stage 6/5). To date, a total of two levels of human occupation have been identified in which the density of lithic remains is low compared with cave and rock shelter sites in the region. The first results of technology and use-wear, raw material procurement and geological data indicate a settlement in Los Aljezares along a territory characterised by ephemeral channels and their associated palustrine and lacustrine zones. This palaeoenvironmental setting provided biotic and abiotic resources in a transit area between inland and coastal locations.The research has been funded through the following research projects: El pasado lejano: aproximación a la conducta y la ocupación del territorio en el paleolítico valenciano (PROMETEO/2017/060), Estudio del registro climático reciente preservado en depósitos cuaternarios: el caso de Los Aljezares (Aspe, Alicante) y su relación con los depósitos del Medio y Bajo Vinalopó (GRE17-02), Caracterización tecnológica y funcional de los elementos líticos apuntados durante el Paleolítico medio en la región central del mediterráneo ibérico (GV/2021/054) and Síntesis del Paleolítico medio y superior en Valencia y Murcia: aspectos cronológicos, paleoambientales, económicos y culturales (HAR2017-85153-P)

Cova de les Malladetes (Valencia, Spain). New insights about the Early Upper Palaeolithic in the Mediterranean Basin of the Iberian Peninsula

New excavations carried out at Cova de les Malladetes confirm and improve previous information on the archaeological sequence of this site. A total of 29 new dates allow to specify the chronology of the Aurignacian (levels XIVA-XII) and Gravettian (levels XI-VII). Furthermore, concerning the results obtained during the 1970 excavation, three new levels were identified: level XIVB, which represents a short temporal human occupation hiatus, and levels XV and XVI with some hearths and anthropic evidence, although the lithic material does not permit a cultural attribution. This paper presents data obtained from the analysis of archaeobotanical, micro and macrofaunal assemblages and lithic and osseous industry. Results are relevant concerning the paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental characterisation of the Early Upper Palaeolithic, as well as for assessing the human occupation patterns during the Gravettian and Aurignacian. Moreover, we evaluate the chronological implications of the basal levels (XIVB, XV and XVI), drawing attention to the absence of an important temporal gap between this phase and the start of the Early Upper Palaeolithic at the site. Finally, our new data extend the information provided by other sites in the Spanish Mediterranean region, allowing a more defined characterisation of the Early Upper Palaeolithic, especially regarding the Evolved Aurignacian chronology and its techno-typological structure, with the presence of Roc-de-Combe subtype Dufour bladelets

Corema album archaeobotanical remains in western Mediterranean basin. Assessing fruit consumption during Upper Palaeolithic in Cova de les Cendres (Alicante, Spain)

[EN] Information about plant gathering by Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers in Europe is scarce because of the problems of preservation of plant remains in archaeological sites and due to the lack of application of archaebotanical analysis in many of them. Botanical macroremains wood charcoal, seeds, fruits, leaves, etc. - provide information not only about palaeoeconomy of hunter-gatherers, but also about climate, landscape and vegetation dynamics. In Gravettian and Solutrean levels of Cova de les Cendres (Alicante, Spain), Corema album pyrenes (Empetraceae or crowberries family) have been identified. On the contrary, wood charcoal of this species has not been documented among the remains of firewood. This differential presence of plant organs, together with the nutritional value of its fruits, which is presented here, make us hypothesize the systematic gathering of C. album fruits for human consumption. They have a high content in vitamin C, as well as potassium, magnesium and copper. Corema album (camariria) is a unique species, nowadays in danger of extinction. Its main population is located on the Atlantic coast of Iberian Peninsula, but in 1996 a small population was discovered on the Mediterranean Iberian coast (Benidorm, Spain). Archaeobotanical data from Cova de les Cendres (Teulada-Moraira, Spain) presented here point to a larger population of camariria during Upper Palaeolithic on the coast of Alicante. The harsh climatic conditions of the Last Glacial Maximum during Solutrean period, with colder temperatures and aridity increase, could explain the reduction of the presence of C album remains until its absence in Magdalenian. The climatic amelioration during Upper Magdalenian did not mean the recovery of camariria population in the Moraira headland area. Probably, the rising of the sea level would affect them destroying its dune habitat. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Archaeological research at Cova de les Cendres was funded by Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (HAR2011-24878; CGL2012-34717; HAR2014-5267 degrees 1-P; HAR2017-85153/P) and by Generalitat Valenciana (Grant PROMETEOII/2013/016; PROMETEO/2017/060). Seed analyses were carried out as doctoral research at the Departament de Prehistoria, Arqueologia i Historia Antiga (Universitat de Valencia) with the financial support of an "Atraccio de Talent" of VLC-Campus predoctoral grant to C.M. Martinez-Varea. Thanks to the Donana Biological Reserve for having allowed us to use the Singular Technical Scientific Installation for the Corema sampling. Authors want to thank M. Macias from Universitat Politecnica de Valencia for software development to draw the charcoal diagram and Eva Arnau from Universitat de Valencia for 3D modeling.Martínez-Varea, CM.; Ferrer-Gallego, P.; Raigón Jiménez, MD.; Badal, E.; Ferrando-Pardo, I.; Laguna-Lumbreras, E.; Real, C.... (2019). 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Earliest evidence for caries and exploitation of starchy plant foods in Pleistocene hunter-gatherers from Morocco. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(3), 954-959. doi:10.1073/pnas.1318176111Kron, K. A., & Chase, M. W. (1993). Systematics of the Ericaceae, Empetraceae, Epacridaceae and Related Taxa Based Upon rbcL Sequence Data. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 80(3), 735. doi:10.2307/2399857Kubiak-Martens, L. (1999). The plant food component of the diet at the late Mesolithic (Ertebolle) settlement at Tybrind Vig, Denmark. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 8(1-2), 117-127. doi:10.1007/bf02042850Laguna, E., Deltoro, V. ., Pèrez-Botella, J., Pèrez-Rovira, P., Serra, L., Olivares, A., & Fabregat, C. (2004). The role of small reserves in plant conservation in a region of high diversity in eastern Spain. Biological Conservation, 119(3), 421-426. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2004.01.001León-González, A. J., Mateos, R., Ramos, S., Martín, M. 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Climate, environment and human behaviour in the Middle Palaeolithic of Abrigo de la Quebrada (Valencia, Spain): The evidence from charred plant and micromammal remains

The Abrigo de la Quebrada rock shelter was occupied by Neanderthal groups during the early Upper Pleistocene, yielding evidence for their subsistence practices and local resource exploitation. This paper focuses on the plant macroremains and the micromammals, which provide information about occupation patterns, the surrounding landscape, the use of resources, and the environment. Mountain pine forests and permanent grass formations containing humid zones and open spaces that would have harboured an eurythermal microfauna were the dominant landscape type. Cold-climate pines provided most of the firewood. The data are consistent with a recurrent, seasonal occupation pattern, in which the rock shelter was used for short periods in the context of an annual round characterized by a high degree of mobility.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Abric de la Ratlla del Bubo (Crevillent, Alicante). Results of the 1986-1991 campaigns. New data on its palaeolithic sequence

El Abric de la Ratlla del Bubo (Crevillent, Alicante) es uno de los yacimientos clave para el conocimiento del Paleolítico superior en el área central del Mediterráneo ibérico, especialmente en lo que a sus fases iniciales se refiere. El yacimiento ha sido objeto de varias intervenciones arqueológicas, tanto clandestinas como científicas. Sin embargo, hasta este trabajo, la información disponible era parcial y, en muchos casos, remitía a materiales sin referencia estratigráfica. En este estudio se exponen los resultados del análisis del material lítico, del registro vegetal y de la fauna recuperada en las campañas de 1986 a 1991. Además, se presenta una amplia serie de dataciones radiocarbónicas por AMS. A partir de toda esta información, ha sido posible establecer la secuencia de ocupación de los cuatro niveles a techo de la estratigrafía del abrigo excavados durante las campañas a estudio. Los tres niveles inferiores documentados, a partir de la tecno-tipología lítica y la cronología, han podido ser definidos y relacionados con el tecnocomplejo Gravetiense. El nivel superior carece de datación 14C y ha presentado mayor dificultad de adscripción; las características del material lítico nos llevan a relacionarlo con ocupaciones del Solútreo-gravetiense. Por otro lado, una parte fundamental del trabajo son los resultados del análisis de los restos arqueobotánicos y faunísticos que son coherentes con la propuesta secuencial y permiten comprender de forma precisa la ocupación humana de la zona, además de la utilización de los recursos durante el Gravetiense y el Solútreogravetiense. Uno de los resultados de mayor relevancia del trabajo es que la secuencia de ocupación planteada modifica la adscripción preliminar realizada a principios de los años noventa del siglo XX. El estudio permitirá mejorar la información disponible hasta ahora para el Paleolítico superior inicial en la fachada mediterránea ibérica y, especialmente, en su área central.The rock shelter of Ratlla del Bubo (Crevillent, Alicante) is one of the key sites for the knowledge of the Upper Palaeolithic in the central Iberian Mediterranean basin, especially regarding its initial phases. Several archaeological fieldworks has been carried out in the site, both clandestine and scientific. However, before this paper, the information available was partial and, in many cases, referred to remains without stratigraphic reference. This study presents the results of the analysis of the lithic, archaeobotanical and faunal material recovered during the 1986-1991 campaigns. In addition, we present an extensive series of AMS radiocarbon dates. On the basis of all this information, it has been possible to establish the occupational sequence of the four levels on the top of the rock shelter stratigraphy excavated during the studied campaings. The three lower levels documented, based on the lithic techno-typology and chronology, have been defined and related to the Gravettian technocomplex. The upper-level lacks 14C dating and it has been more difficult to assign; the characteristics of the lithic material lead us to link it to Solútreo-Gravettian occupations. On the other hand, a fundamental part of the paper are the results of the analysis of the archaeobotanical and faunal materials, which are coherent with the proposed sequence and allow a precise understanding of the human occupation of the area, as well as the use of resources during the Gravettian and Solútreo-Gravettian periods. One of the most relevant results of the study is that the proposed occupation sequence modifies the preliminary ascription made at the beginning of the 1990s. The study will improve the information currently available for the Early Upper Palaeolithic in the Iberian Mediterranean basin and, especially, in its central area.Este trabajo se ha realizado en el marco de los proyectos de investigación HAR2017-85153-P del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación y PROMETEO2017/060 de la Generalitat Valenciana

Interplay Between Human Leukocyte Antigen Genes and the Microbial Colonization Process of the Newborn Intestine

11 pages, 3 tables, 2 figures.Coeliac disease (CD) development involves genetic (HLA-DQ2/DQ8) and environmental factors. Herein, the influence of the HLA-DQ genotype on the gut colonization process of breast-fed children was determined. A cohort of 20 newborns, with at least one first-degree relative with CD, were classified according to their HLA-DQ genotype into high, intermediate and low genetic risk groups, showing 24-28%, 7-8% and less than 1% probability to develop CD, respectively. Faecal microbiota was analysed at 7 days, 1 and 4 months of children's age by fluorescence in situ hybridization. When considering all data, Gram-negative bacteria and Bacteroides-Prevotella group proportions were higher (P<0.05) in the high than in the intermediate and low genetic risk groups. E. coli, Streptococcus-Lactococcus, E. rectale-C. coccoides, sulphate-reducing bacteria, C. lituseburense and C. histolyticum group proportions were also significantly higher (P<0.05) in the high than in the low genetic risk group. Correlations between these bacterial groups and the genetic risk were also detected (P<0.05). In addition, the number and type of CD relative seemed to influence (P<0.050) these bacterial proportions in children at CD risk. At 4 months of age, similar relationships were established between the high genetic risk to develop CD and the proportions of Streptococcus-Lactococcus (P<0.05), E. rectale-C. coccoides (P<0.05), C. lituseburense (P<0.05), C. histolyticum (P<0.05), Bacteroides-Prevotella (P<0.10) groups and total Gram-negative bacteria (P<0.05). The results suggest a relationship between HLA-DQ genes and the gut microbial colonization process that could lead to a change in the way this disorder is investigated.This work was supported by grants AGL2007-66126-C03-01/02/03/ALI and Consolider Fun-C-Food CSD2007-00063 from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and 200570F0091/92/93 from CSIC. The scholarship to G. De Palma from JAE-CSIC (Spain) and the grant to I. Nadal from CSIC (200570F0091) and Generalidad Valenciana are fully acknowledged. The CIBERER is an initiative of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. J.A. Garrote is contracted by Fundación Instituto de Estudios de Ciencias de la Salud de Castilla y León (IECSCYL).Peer reviewe

Une étude multi-proxy à partir des nouvelles fouilles du site paléolithique moyen de Cova del Puntal del Gat (Benirredrà, Valence, Espagne)

The Mediterranean basin constitutes one of the best areas to analyse Neanderthal populations and lifestyles in South-Western Europe. In this context, new excavations conducted in the Middle Palaeolithic site of Cova del Puntal del Gat expand the information available regarding this rich region. In this study, new results are reported, including detailed studies on stratigraphy, lithic technology, anthracology, carpology, and zooarchaeology and taphonomy of macro and micromammals, with the final objective of characterizing the Neanderthals’ subsistence strategies and occupational patterns. These results are framed within a broader regional study perspective that includes MIS 5 and 4 sites. Chronostratigraphic review has enabled us to reorganize many sites that were originally included in MIS 3, towards older stages belonging to the end of MIS 4 and throughout MIS 5.Le bassin méditerranéen constitue l’une des meilleures zones pour analyser les populations et les modes de vie néandertaliens dans le sud-ouest de l’Europe. Dans ce contexte, les nouvelles fouilles menées dans le site paléolithique moyen du Cova del Puntal del Gat élargissent les informations disponibles pour cette riche région. Nous rapportons ici les nouveaux résultats, y compris des études détaillées sur la stratigraphie, la technologie lithique, l’anthracologie, la carpologie, ainsi que la taphonomie et la zooarchéologie de macro- et micro-restes de mammifères, dans le but de caractériser les stratégies de subsistance des Néandertaliens et leurs modes d’occupation. Ces résultats s’inscrivent dans une perspective d’étude régionale plus large qui inclut des sites MIS 5 et 4. La révision chronostratigraphique nous a permis de réorganiser de nombreux sites qui étaient initialement inclus dans le MIS 3, vers des stades plus anciens appartenant à la fin du MIS 4 et tout au long du MIS 5.The research programme has been funded by Servei d’Investigació Prehistòrica and Museu de Prehistòria ordinary archaeological excavation campaigns and the projects Caracterización tecnológica y funcional de los elementos líticos apuntados durante el Paleolítico medio en la región central del mediterráneo ibérico (GV/2021/054) and PID2021-122308NA-I00 project funded by MCIN/ AEI /10.13039/501100011033/ and FEDER Una manera de hacer Europa. C2TN authors gratefully acknowledge the FCT (Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation) support through the UID/Multi/04349/2020 and Ana Luísa Rodrigues research work supported by postdoctoral grant SFRH/BPD/114986/2016

The early Upper Palaeolithic of Cova de les Cendres (Alicante, Spain)

This paper presents a synthesis of the Early Upper Palaeolithic of Cova de les Cendres. Points of special attention are the sedimentary and micromorphological characterisation of level XVI, the analysis of the vegetal and animal resources and their incidence on the economy of the Gravettian human groups, and the characterisation of the landscape during this period. Furthermore, the paper offers important information of the lithic and bone assemblages, economic behaviour and radiocarbon dates of sub-levels XVIA and XVIB, related to the Gravettian, and XVIC and XVID, corresponding to the Aurignacian. Finally, the Gravettian and Aurignacian regional contexts in the Mediterranean Basin of the Iberian Peninsula are discussed, and the recent proposals for regional technological variation in the Iberian Gravettian industries are critically evaluated