The Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition occupations from Cova Foradada (Calafell, NE Iberia)

The Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition in Europe covers the last millennia of Neanderthal life together with the appearance and expansion of Modern Human populations. Culturally, it is defined by the Late Middle Paleolithic succession, and by Early Upper Paleolithic complexes like the Châtelperronian (southwestern Europe), the Protoaurignacian, and the Early Aurignacian. Up to now, the southern boundary for the transition has been established as being situated between France and Iberia, in the Cantabrian façade and Pyrenees. According to this, the central and southern territories of Iberia are claimed to have been the refuge of the last Neanderthals for some additional millennia after they were replaced by anatomically Modern Humans on the rest of the continent. In this paper, we present the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition sequence from Cova Foradada (Tarragona), a cave on the Catalan Mediterranean coastline. Archaeological research has documented a stratigraphic sequence containing a succession of very short-term occupations pertaining to the Châtelperronian, Early Aurignacian, and Gravettian. Cova Foradada therefore represents the southernmost Châtelperronian-Early Aurignacian sequence ever documented in Europe, significantly enlarging the territorial distribution of both cultures and providing an important geographical and chronological reference for understanding Neanderthal disappearance and the complete expansion of anatomically Modern Humans

The Châtelperronian Neanderthals of Cova Foradada (Calafell, Spain) used imperial eagle phalanges for symbolic purposes

Evidence for the symbolic behavior of Neanderthals in the use of personal ornaments is relatively scarce. Among the few ornaments documented, eagle talons, which were presumably used as pendants, are the most frequently recorded. This phenomenon appears concentrated in a specific area of southern Europe during a span of 80 thousand years. Here, we present the analysis of one eagle pedal phalange recovered from the Châtelperronian layer of Foradada Cave (Spain). Our research broadens the known geographical and temporal range of this symbolic behavior, providing the first documentation of its use among the Iberian populations, as well as of its oldest use in the peninsula. The recurrent appearance of large raptor talons throughout the Middle Paleolithic time frame, including their presence among the last Neanderthal populations, raises the question of the survival of some cultural elements of the Middle Paleolithic into the transitional Middle to Upper Paleolithic assemblages and beyond

La Cova de l'Avi (Vallirana, Barcelona) y el inicio del Neolítico final en el Nordeste de la Península Ibérica. Inhumaciones colectivas y nuevas redes de intercambio

[spa] Entre el Neolítico medio y el Neolítico final en el Nordeste de la Península Ibérica se producen cambios destacados en las pautas funerarias y en la cultura material de los grupos humanos, especialmente en los ajuares y lugares de enterramiento. Durante el Neolítico medio-reciente son típicas las inhumaciones primarias individuales en fosas con ajuares de cuentas de variscita, sílex melado, vasos cerámicos y puntualmente obsidiana. Por el contrario, durante el Neolítico final se generalizan las inhumaciones colectivas y sucesivas en cuevas y abrigos con ajuares que se caracterizan por la gran disminución de la variscita, sustituida por una gran variedad de colgantes y cuentas en piedra, concha y hueso. Ahora también aparecen las grandes láminas y los puñales de sílex, en ocasiones de procedencia extrapeninsular. La Cova de l'Avi representa en la actualidad el yacimiento cronológicamente más antiguo (c. 4700 BP) en el que se documentan estos nuevos comportamientos funerarios. [eng]The Middle to Late Neolithic transition in NE of Iberian Peninsula is characterized by changes on the mortuary behaviour and archaeological artifacts recorded in the luxury items in grave goods and inhumations cemeteries. Single or double primary burials associated with grave goods of variscite beads, honey flint and obsidian blades during Late Middle Neolithic are replaced for collective inhumations in cave and rock-shelters with grave goods composed mainly by shell, bone and stone beads and pendants, large flint blades and flint daggers coming outside de Iberian Peninsula. Cova de l'Avi represents the earlier site (c. 4700 BP) where these cultural changes and mortuary practices have been documented in NE of Iberi

Aportacions clau de la Cova del Parco (Alòs de Balaguer, la Noguera, Lleida) al Magdalenià: vint-i-cinc anys de recerca arqueològica

La Cova del Parco es troba en el Prepirineu lleidatà i més concretament en el terme municipal d'Alòs de Balaguer, a la comarca de la Noguera (coord. UTM 31T-X: 329322; Y: 4642202). El jaciment es situa a 420 m s. n. m. i a 120 m sobre el riu Segre, amb una orientació nord-sud. La cavitat està formada per una galeria única de planta triangular de 10,5 m de llarg per 4,5 m d'ample màxim a l'entrada, que comunica lateralment amb un gran abric de 5,5 m per 30 m, tancat per un mur de pedra seca d'època històrica. El descobriment del jaciment arqueològic es remunta a mitjan dècada dels setanta del segle passat, quan es dugueren a terme les primeres intervencions per part del professor Joan Maluquer de Motes els anys 1974, 1975 i 1981, que comportaren gairebé el buidatge complet dels nivells superiors de l'estratigrafia que contenien els nivells ceràmics

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

El aprovechamiento no alimentario de las materias duras animales en la vertiente sur pirenaica durante el Tardiglaciar : una visión de síntesis

El descubrimiento e investigación en las últimas décadas de diversos yacimientos magdalenienses en la vertiente sur pirenaica, ha aportado nuevos datos al conocimiento de esta área geográfica durante las fases finales del Tardiglaciar. Entre el registro arqueológico de las estaciones sudpirenaicas, la industria en materias duras animales ha ido sumando efectivos en los últimos años hasta conformar un interesante corpus que, aunque se distingue por unas características bien definidas, se integra a la vez, con alguna excepción puntual, en el ámbito mediterráneo peninsular. En este trabajo trazamos una breve visión de síntesis de la industria ósea magdaleniense del sur del Pirineo centrada en la caracterización tipológica y tecnológica del conjunto. Describiremos asimismo las últimas aportaciones al mismo y señalaremos algunas pautas sobre lo que cabe esperar en los próximos años de la investigación de este aspecto del equipamiento de los últimos cazadores-recolectores paleolíticos.The discovery and investigation of several Magdalenian deposits in the last decades in the south slope of Pyrenees has provided new data to the knowledge of this geographical area throughout the final phases of the Tardiglacial. In the archaeological record of the southern Pyrenees sites, the industry in hard animal tissues has been adding up pieces in the last years up to shaping an interesting corpus that, though it shows some well defined and particular features, joins simultaneously the Mediterranean peninsular area (with some rare exception). In this paper, we present a brief synthesis approach of the Magdalenian bone industry (collected at the southern Pyrenees) focused on the typological and technological characterization of the assemblage. We will describe likewise the last contributions to this one and will indicate some guidelines on what it is possible to expect in the next years of research involving this kind of tools of the last Palaeolithic hunters-gatherers.</p

El aprovechamiento no alimentario de las materias duras animales en la vertiente sur pirenaica durante el Tardiglaciar : una visión de síntesis

El descubrimiento e investigación en las últimas décadas de diversos yacimientos magdalenienses en la vertiente sur pirenaica, ha aportado nuevos datos al conocimiento de esta área geográfica durante las fases finales del Tardiglaciar. Entre el registro arqueológico de las estaciones sudpirenaicas, la industria en materias duras animales ha ido sumando efectivos en los últimos años hasta conformar un interesante corpus que, aunque se distingue por unas características bien definidas, se integra a la vez, con alguna excepción puntual, en el ámbito mediterráneo peninsular. En este trabajo trazamos una breve visión de síntesis de la industria ósea magdaleniense del sur del Pirineo centrada en la caracterización tipológica y tecnológica del conjunto. Describiremos asimismo las últimas aportaciones al mismo y señalaremos algunas pautas sobre lo que cabe esperar en los próximos años de la investigación de este aspecto del equipamiento de los últimos cazadores-recolectores paleolíticos.The discovery and investigation of several Magdalenian deposits in the last decades in the south slope of Pyrenees has provided new data to the knowledge of this geographical area throughout the final phases of the Tardiglacial. In the archaeological record of the southern Pyrenees sites, the industry in hard animal tissues has been adding up pieces in the last years up to shaping an interesting corpus that, though it shows some well defined and particular features, joins simultaneously the Mediterranean peninsular area (with some rare exception). In this paper, we present a brief synthesis approach of the Magdalenian bone industry (collected at the southern Pyrenees) focused on the typological and technological characterization of the assemblage. We will describe likewise the last contributions to this one and will indicate some guidelines on what it is possible to expect in the next years of research involving this kind of tools of the last Palaeolithic hunters-gatherers.</p