- Ethnography of Iberian Peninsula, Neolithic Europe, Neolithic Archaeology, Ethnography, Archaeological Method & Theory, Classical Archaeology, and 130 moreSocial and Cultural Anthropology, Historical Archaeology, Ethnobotany in Italy, Anthropology Of Consumption, Ecological Anthropology, Agricultural landscapes, Taverns, and the archaelogy of casual and non-sympotic wine drinking in Classical Greece, Anthropology of Food, Ancient economies (Archaeology), Archaeology of Beer and Cereal Fermentation, Environmental Archaeology, Biomolecular archaeology, Ethnozoology, Archaeology of drinking places, Ethnobiology, Medieval rural settlement, Landscape Archaeology, Storage (Archaeology), Ethnology, Ancient Technology (Archaeology), Intangible Culture (Anthropology), Archaeology, Ethnoarchaeology, Garden Archaeology, Textile Archaeology, Food Consumption (Anthropology), Household Archaeology, Drinking practices (Anthropology), Paleoethnobotany (Anthropology), Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, Food (Anthropology), Foodways (Anthropology), Landscape archaeology (Anthropology), Agrarian History, Archaeobotany, Origins of Agriculture, Traditional and subsistence agriculture, Palaeoenvironment, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Agrarian Archaeology, North African prehistory (Archaeology), Traditional Environmental Knowledge, Traditional Knowledge and Ethnobiology, Agroecology, Roman Economy, Cooking and Food Preparation (archaeology), Experimental Archaeology, Ancient Agriculture & Farming (Archaeology), Rural Development, North african prehistory, Roman urban crafts, Neolithic Transition, neolithic Italy, Archeobotany, Food History, Human Ecology, Early Medieval Archaeology, History of wine, Medieval Archaeology, Roman History, Neolithic agriculture, Ecological Crop Husbandry Practices, Crop Husbandry Practices, Anthropology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Archeologia medievale, Crop Processing and Storage, Roman Archaeology, Roman gardens, Medieval Gardens, Garden History, Historia agraria, Wild edible plants, Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations in the Middle Ages, Medieval Iberian History, Emmer, Medieval Food, Al-Andalus, Al-Andalus archaeology, Islamic Archaeology, Early Islamic Archaeology, Visigothic Spain, Late Medieval economic and social history, Late Medieval Economic Crisis, Medieval Economic and Social History, Historia Medieval, Medieval History, Late Medieval History, Social History, History of Navarre, Medieval Islam, Early Medieval And Medieval Settlement (Archaeology), Early Islam, Landscape History, Al Andalus (Islamic History), Rural Settlement, Muslim Spain, Economic archaeology, Pastoral landscapes (Archaeology), Medieval Water Management, Origin Of Medieval Field Systems, Medieval rural settlement in the south west, Medieval Spain, Rural History, Mozarabs, Mudejars, Late Antiquity, Early and Medieval Islamic Art and Architecture, Medieval Studies, Medieval Spain and North Africa, Mozarabic Spain, Medieval Portugal, Moriscos, Berbers; Medieval Period, Image of the Berbers, Agricultural History, Medieval urban history, History of Medieval Islamic West, Nasri Kingdom of Granada, Islamic conquest of Spain, Arabic Manuscripts from Andalus, Conocimiento Tradicional, Variedades locales de cultivo, Food Studies, Archaeological Science, Economia Rural, Medieval Rural History, Peasant History, Food History, Food Culture, History of Food, and Storia Dell'Alimentazioneedit
- I am an archaeobotanist with research interests in farming and past subsistence in the Mediterranean area. I am co... moreI am an archaeobotanist with research interests in farming and past subsistence in the Mediterranean area.
I am conducting research on two main areas:
a) the origins and spread of agriculture in the western Mediterranean through various research projects funded by the ERC
(Advanced Grant) , CSIC and Spanish National projects focusing on early Neolithic levels from sites across the Iberian
Peninsula, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria in collaboration with different European and Nordafrican teams.
http://erc.europa.eu/succes-stories/understanding-origins-and-spread-agriculture-western-mediterranean
b) Medieval plant use through the study of plant remains from different sites across the Mediterranean.
This research line is partly integrated within:
- the MEMOLA project (http://www.memolaproject.eu/es) which includes sites
in Spain, Italy and Albania.
- the Tusculum Project, in Italy, focusing on the Medieval occupation of the site and funded by the CSIC and the Spanish
Ministry of Education.
- the Noguera Project (La Rioja) funded by Fundación Vivanco.edit
El proyecto de investigación del cual exponemos aquí una síntesis de los primeros resultados se ha desarrollado gracias a la financiación de la Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia de Portugal (PTDC/HAH/64548/2006). Su formulación... more
El proyecto de investigación del cual exponemos aquí una síntesis de los primeros resultados se ha desarrollado gracias a la financiación de la Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia de Portugal (PTDC/HAH/64548/2006). Su formulación radica en el hecho de que las diferentes teorías que pretenden explicar el neolítico desde posicionamientos migracionistas o indigenistas excluyentes no llegan a dar respuestas satisfactorias a la complejidad inherente al proceso de adquisición de la economía productora. Desde este marco conceptual era necesario plantear un proyecto, necesariamente internacional por su contexto geográfico y pluridisciplinar por los ámbitos de estudio abarcados, que a través de la colaboración con otros equipos e investigadores del sur peninsular y norte de África, avanzase en el estudio de registros novedosos o ya previamente conocidos mediante nuevos enfoques metodológicos que dieran contenido a determinadas lagunas de información empírica, cuyos resultados contribuyesen a los actuales debates teóricos relativos a la neolitización en dichos territorios.
Research Interests:
This work focuses on the archaeobotanical evidence of food production in eastern part of the Cantabric area. Despite the limitations of available the data, it is possible to suggest some hypothesis on the adoption of farming practices in... more
This work focuses on the archaeobotanical evidence of food production in eastern part of the Cantabric area. Despite the limitations of available the data, it is possible to suggest some hypothesis on the adoption of farming practices in the area. Data points to a first introduction phase dated to the end of the 6th millennium BC and the beginning of the 5th, followed by a second phase second phase of consolidation and spread of farming during the 5th millennium cal BC.
Research Interests:
The coast of Málaga has shown an important concentration of prehistoric sites with Neolithic occupation. This paper aims to review their historiography as well as briefly present the main lines of the interdisciplinary research carried at... more
The coast of Málaga has shown an important concentration of prehistoric sites with Neolithic occupation. This paper aims to review their historiography as well as briefly present the main lines of the interdisciplinary research carried at Cueva of Nerja and sites located at the southern part of Sierra de Mijas. Data is still preliminary but it shows the presence of a fully developed Neolithic which seems to be related to the arrival of Neolithic pioneers from the second half of the 8 th millennium cal BP.
Research Interests:
This research aims to shed light on the early stages of agricultural development in Northern Africa through the analysis of the rich macro-botanical assemblages obtained from Ifri Oudadane, an Epipalaeolithic-Early Neolithic site from... more
This research aims to shed light on the early stages of agricultural development in Northern Africa through the analysis of the rich macro-botanical assemblages obtained from Ifri Oudadane, an Epipalaeolithic-Early Neolithic site from North-East Morocco. Results indicate the presence of domesticated plants, cereals (Hordeum vulgare, Triticum monococcum/dicoccum, Triticum durum and Triticum aestivum/durum) and pulses (Lens culinaris and Pisum sativum) in the Early Neolithic. One lentil has been dated to 7611 ± 37 cal BP representing the oldest direct date of a domesticated plant seed in Morocco and, by extension, in North Africa. Similarities in both radiocarbon dates and crop assemblages from Early Neolithic sites in Northern Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula suggest a simultaneous East to West maritime spread of agriculture along the shores of the Western Mediterranean. Wild plants were abundantly collected in both the Epipalaeolithic and the Early Neolithic periods pointing to the important role of these resources during the two periods. In addition to fruits and seeds that could have been consumed by both humans and domesticated animals, fragments of esparto grass (Stipa tenacissima) rhizomes have been identified. This is a western Mediterranean native plant that may have been used as a source of fibers for basketry.
Research Interests: Ethnobotany, Archaeobotany, North Africa Studies, Mediterranean prehistory, Africa (Archaeology), and 7 moreNeolithic Archaeology, Agricultural History, Neolithic Transition, Mesolithic/Neolithic, Mediterranean and North Africa, Ancient Agriculture & Farming (Archaeology), and Prehistoric agriculture
New data and review of historiographic information from Neolithic sites of the Málaga and Algarve coasts (southern Iberian Peninsula) and from the Maghreb (North Africa) reveal the existence of a Neolithic settlement at least from 7.5 cal... more
New data and review of historiographic information from Neolithic sites of the Málaga and Algarve coasts (southern Iberian Peninsula) and from the Maghreb (North Africa) reveal the existence of a Neolithic settlement at least from 7.5 cal ka BP. The agricultural and pastoralist food producing economy of that population rapidly replaced the coastal economies of the Mesolithic populations. The timing of this population and economic turnover coincided with major changes in the continental and marine ecosystems, including upwelling intensity, sea-level changes and increased aridity in the Sahara and along the Iberian coast. These changes likely impacted the subsistence strategies of the Mesolithic populations along the Iberian seascapes and resulted in abandonments manifested as sedimentary hiatuses in some areas during the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition. The rapid expansion and area of dispersal of the early Neolithic traits suggest the use of marine technology. Different evidenced for a Maghrebian origin for the first colonists have been summarized. The recognition of an early North-African Neolithic influence in southern Iberia and the Maghreb is vital for understanding the appearance and development of the Neolithic in Western Europe. Our review suggests links between climate change, resource allocations and population turnover.
Research Interests:
The spread of agriculture in the Iberian Peninsula is documented from at least ca. 5600–5500 BC, although botanical data are absent or very limited for large areas. Archaeobotanical information shows from the beginning an imported... more
The spread of agriculture in the Iberian Peninsula is documented from at least ca. 5600–5500 BC, although botanical data are absent or very limited for large areas. Archaeobotanical information shows from the beginning an imported agrarian system with a great diversity of crops: hulled and naked wheats and barleys, legumes such as pea, lentil, fava bean, vetches and grass peas, flax and poppy. This diversity of plants with different requirements, processing and uses, implies that the first farmers quickly imported or acquired a wide range of agrarian knowledge. Regional and inter-site agrarian differences are discussed in relation to factors like ecology, culture, use of the cultivated plants and management of the risk of crop failure. The adoption of farming resulted in significant ecological, economic, dietary, and social changes for the Neolithic people of Iberia.
Research Interests:
This contribution focuses on the preliminary results of the AGRIWESTMED project which focuses on the archaeobotanical analyses of early Neolithic sites in the western Mediterranean region (both in Iberia and in northern Morocco). A large... more
This contribution focuses on the preliminary results of the AGRIWESTMED project which focuses on the archaeobotanical analyses of early Neolithic sites in the western Mediterranean region (both in Iberia and in northern Morocco). A large number of sites has been studied producing an interesting dataset of plant remains which places the earliest examples of domesticated plants in the second half of the 6th millennium cal BC. Plant diversity is high as it is shown by the large number of species represented: hulled and naked wheats, barley, peas, fava beans, vetches, lentils and grass peas. To more crops, poppy and flax, are also part of the first agricultural crops of the area. Although agriculture seems to occupy a first place in the production of food, gathering is well represented in the Moroccan sites where a large number of species has been identified.
Research Interests:
The littoral site of Ifri Oudadane is one of the most important recently excavated sites in the Mediterranean Maghreb. The shelter presents Epipalaeolithic and Neolithic layers and therefore offers the possibility to investigate the... more
The littoral site of Ifri Oudadane is one of the most important recently excavated sites in the Mediterranean Maghreb. The shelter presents Epipalaeolithic and Neolithic layers and therefore offers the possibility to investigate the Neolithic transition in the region. Besides introducing the archaeological context, this paper focuses on palaeobotanical data in order to reconstruct Holocene environmental change and human use of plant resources for the
period c. 11 to 5.7 ka cal. BP. Results show intense landscape transformations resulting from anthropic and climatic factors. First human occupations start at the beginning of the Holocene with favourable conditions in this otherwise harsh semi-arid stretch of land. A wooded environment with evergreen sclerophyllous oaks and riparian forests is documented and exploited by hunter-gatherers. From c. 7.6 ka cal. BP farming activities are well attested together with significant human impact, herding pressure and a progressive decline of arboreal components. After 6.6 ka cal. BP conditions become less favourable and markers for aridity increase. Riparian taxa disappear (Alnus) or decrease (Fraxinus, Populus, Salix); shrubs (Tamarix) and grasses (Artemisia) increase with a degradation of forest into shrubland (macchia). During 6.6 and 6.0 ka cal. BP there is a general occupation gap in arid and semi-arid Morocco and evidence for that change is also found in the alluvial deposits of the Moulouya, NE Morocco. Indicators for food production decrease at the same time and the site is abandoned during the first half of the 6th millennium cal. BP.
period c. 11 to 5.7 ka cal. BP. Results show intense landscape transformations resulting from anthropic and climatic factors. First human occupations start at the beginning of the Holocene with favourable conditions in this otherwise harsh semi-arid stretch of land. A wooded environment with evergreen sclerophyllous oaks and riparian forests is documented and exploited by hunter-gatherers. From c. 7.6 ka cal. BP farming activities are well attested together with significant human impact, herding pressure and a progressive decline of arboreal components. After 6.6 ka cal. BP conditions become less favourable and markers for aridity increase. Riparian taxa disappear (Alnus) or decrease (Fraxinus, Populus, Salix); shrubs (Tamarix) and grasses (Artemisia) increase with a degradation of forest into shrubland (macchia). During 6.6 and 6.0 ka cal. BP there is a general occupation gap in arid and semi-arid Morocco and evidence for that change is also found in the alluvial deposits of the Moulouya, NE Morocco. Indicators for food production decrease at the same time and the site is abandoned during the first half of the 6th millennium cal. BP.
Research Interests:
Cultivated crops are present in Andalusia and Mediterranean Morocco at least from the second half of the 6th millennium cal BC. Free-threshing and hulled wheat and barley have been identified but the naked types are more abundant. Legumes... more
Cultivated crops are present in Andalusia and Mediterranean Morocco at least from the second half of the 6th millennium cal BC. Free-threshing and hulled wheat and barley have been identified but the naked types are more abundant. Legumes show a high diversity: lentil, broad bean, pea, grass pea and bitter vetch. Flax has been identified at least from the late Neolithic and there might be a case of local cultivation and domestication of poppy. Wild plant foods are still present but it is difficult to evaluate their relative contribution to human diet.
Research Interests:
This paper focuses on high-resolution analysis of pollen and sedimentology and botanical macro-remains analysis in a core from Lake Banyoles (Girona, Spain). The core sequence comprises a high resolution mid- Holocene (ca. 8.9–3.35 cal ka... more
This paper focuses on high-resolution analysis of pollen and sedimentology and botanical macro-remains analysis in a core from Lake Banyoles (Girona, Spain). The core sequence comprises a high resolution mid- Holocene (ca. 8.9–3.35 cal ka BP) vegetation succession, and sedimentological, geochemical and geomorphological proxies are related to both climatic and anthropogenic causes. Deforestation processes affected natural vegetation development in the Early Neolithic (7.25–5.55 cal ka BP) and Late Neolithic (5.17–3.71 cal ka BP), in the context of broadleaf deciduous forest resilience against cooling and drying oscillations. Changes in sedimentation dynamics and in lake water level caused the emergence of dry land on the lake margin where riparian forest was established from 5.55 cal ka BP onwards. The data show that in the context of an increasing aridification process, Neolithic land-use played an important role in vegetation history and environmental evolution.
Research Interests:
This paper presents archaeobotanical results from the Neolithic levels (5,300–4,000 b.c.) of two recently excavated sites in northern Iberia: El Mirón cave (Cantabria) and the open-air site of Los Cascajos (Navarra). A cereal grain from... more
This paper presents archaeobotanical results from the Neolithic levels (5,300–4,000 b.c.) of two recently excavated sites in northern Iberia: El Mirón cave (Cantabria) and the open-air site of Los Cascajos (Navarra). A cereal grain from El Mirón is currently the earliest domesticated plant remain from this region. Despite the large number of samples examined, plant remains are few. They include basically cereals (Triticum monococcum, T. dicoccum, T. aestivum/durum/turgidum and Hordeum vulgare) and some nuts and fruits (Corylus avellana, Quercus sp., Vitis sp., etc.). The presence of free-threshing wheats at El Mirn opens up an interesting subject for debate, as until now naked wheats have been absent from the early Neolithic archaeobotanical record of the coastal Cantabrian region. Hulled wheat chaff is the main plant component from Los Cascajos, south of the Cantabrian Cordillera in Navarra, indicating waste from processing activities. The association of barley almost exclusively with both a burial and a ritual vase in Los Cascajos could be related specific rituals or ceremonies.
Research Interests:
The sedimentological, geochemical and palynological analyses performed in the Conquezuela palaeolake (41°11′ N; 2°33′W; 1124 m a.s.l.) provide a detailed, multiproxy palaeoenvironmental reconstruction in one of the key areas of inner... more
The sedimentological, geochemical and palynological analyses performed in the Conquezuela palaeolake (41°11′ N; 2°33′W; 1124 m a.s.l.) provide a detailed, multiproxy palaeoenvironmental reconstruction in one of the key areas of inner Iberian Neolithic colonization. Combined with archaeobotanical and archaeological data from well-dated settlements along the Conquezuela–Ambrona Valley we investigate how environmental conditions may affect both socioeconomic adaptations and livelihood strategies of prehistoric communities. The first evi-dences of early Neolithic occupation in the valley ca. 7250–6450 cal yr BP (5300–4500 BC) coincided with the onset of a period (7540–6200 cal yr BP, 5590–4250 BC) with higher water availability and warmer climate as alluvial environments were substituted by carbonate-wetland environments in the basin. The Conquezuela record supports an early Neolithic colonization of the inner regions of Iberia favored by warmer and humid climate features and with preferential settlement patterns associated to lakes. The maximum human occupation of the valley occurred during the mid–late Neolithic and Chalcolithic (6200–3200 cal yr BP, 4250–1250 BC) as evidenced by the high number of archaeological sites. Although a number of hydrological oscillations have been detected during this period, the intense landscape transformation at basin-scale, leading to a deforested landscape, was largely a consequence of widespread farming and pastoral practices. Socioeconomic activities during Bronze, Iron and Roman times modified this inherited landscape, but the second largest ecosystem transformation only occurred during Mediaeval times when a new agrarian landscape developed with the expansion of stockbreeding transhumance. The current vegetation cover characterized by patches of holm and marcescent oaks and fields reflects an intense human management combining both extensive herding with agrarian activities in order to transform the previous forested landscape into a dehesa-like system.
Research Interests:
The sedimentological, geochemical and palynological analyses performed in the Conquezuela palaeolake (41°11′ N; 2°33′W; 1124 m a.s.l.) provide a detailed, multiproxy palaeoenvironmental reconstruction in one of the key areas of inner... more
The sedimentological, geochemical and palynological analyses performed in the Conquezuela palaeolake (41°11′ N; 2°33′W; 1124 m a.s.l.) provide a detailed, multiproxy palaeoenvironmental reconstruction in one of the key areas of inner Iberian Neolithic colonization. Combined with archaeobotanical and archaeological data from well-dated settlements along the Conquezuela–Ambrona Valley we investigate how environmental conditions may affect both socioeconomic adaptations and livelihood strategies of prehistoric communities. The first evi-dences of early Neolithic occupation in the valley ca. 7250–6450 cal yr BP (5300–4500 BC) coincided with the onset of a period (7540–6200 cal yr BP, 5590–4250 BC) with higher water availability and warmer climate as alluvial environments were substituted by carbonate-wetland environments in the basin. The Conquezuela record supports an early Neolithic colonization of the inner regions of Iberia favored by warmer and humid climate features and with preferential settlement patterns associated to lakes. The maximum human occupation of the valley occurred during the mid–late Neolithic and Chalcolithic (6200–3200 cal yr BP, 4250–1250 BC) as evidenced by the high number of archaeological sites. Although a number of hydrological oscillations have been detected during this period, the intense landscape transformation at basin-scale, leading to a deforested landscape, was largely a consequence of widespread farming and pastoral practices. Socioeconomic activities during Bronze, Iron and Roman times modified this inherited landscape, but the second largest ecosystem transformation only occurred during Mediaeval times when a new agrarian landscape developed with the expansion of stockbreeding transhumance. The current vegetation cover characterized by patches of holm and marcescent oaks and fields reflects an intense human management combining both extensive herding with agrarian activities in order to transform the previous forested landscape into a dehesa-like system.
This paper presents the results of the first excavation campaign of the Artusia rock shelter in Unzue, Navarre, Spain. Chronocultural and archaeobiological analyses revealed five different occupation phases (Artusia IeV) within the... more
This paper presents the results of the first excavation campaign of the Artusia rock shelter in Unzue, Navarre, Spain. Chronocultural and archaeobiological analyses revealed five different occupation phases (Artusia IeV) within the regional Mesolithic timeline, specifically in the Mesolithic of Notches and Denticulates (Artusia I and II) and the Geometric Mesolithic (Artusia III, IV, and V). In addition, the study of the sedimentological and palaeoenvironmental evolution in the entire record helped to clearly define several climatic events which developed around 6550 cal BCe8500 cal BP and 6250 cal BCe8200 cal BP. Here, we present a description of these events and their (pre)historical interpretation with the aim of recognizing how they influenced the Mesolithic hunteregatherer groups living in the Ebro Basin of the Iberian Peninsula.
Research Interests:
The central part of the Valencia region has been the focus of major research into the Neolithic period. Studies of subsistence, settlement patterns and storage facilities for the period between the 6th and the 3rd millennia have been... more
The central part of the Valencia region has been the focus of major research into the Neolithic period. Studies of subsistence, settlement patterns and storage facilities for the period between the 6th and the 3rd millennia have been carried out which are primarily focused on understanding both the development of the various farming strategies and the management of surplus. The earliest evidence of crop cultivation took the form of horticulture practised by semi-mobile communities. In a second phase from the 5th millennium, people lived in aggregated communities, developed extensive dryland agriculture and stored their surplus in large communal silos. This model includes storage structures that reveal clearly that social inequality continued until c. 2500 BC. The last phase of the period under consideration is distinguished by a return to a horticultural system characterised by a domestic administration of the surplus.
Research Interests:
This paper explores the exploitation of plant resources during the Epipalaeolithic and the Neolithic in southern Iberia and northern Morocco. The archaeobotanical record allows outlining the range of wild species used and characterizing... more
This paper explores the exploitation of plant resources during the Epipalaeolithic and the Neolithic in southern Iberia and northern Morocco. The archaeobotanical record allows outlining the range of wild species used and characterizing the first evidences of farming during the second half of the 6th mil. cal BC. Amongst the first crops, cereals, legumes and most probably flax had a preeminent role. The probable domestication of poppy in this area is addressed. New data from the caves of Nerja (Málaga), Los Murciélagos de Zuheros (Córdoba) and Los Mármoles (Córdoba) are discussed.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Archaeobotany, Landscape Archaeology, Mediterranean prehistory, and 20 moreMesolithic/Epipalaeolithic Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, Plant domestication (Prehistoric Archaeology), Iberian Prehistory (Archaeology), Prehistoric Archaeobotany, Neolithic Europe, Eurasian Prehistory, Ancient Agriculture & Farming (Archaeology), North African prehistory (Archaeology), Neolithic, Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, African Archaeology, palaeoecology, palynology, Quaternary, archaeobotany, Andalusia, Prehistoria, Archaeobotanical analysis, Ancient Agriculture, Hunter-gatherer archaeobotany, Archaeobotany, Pollen Analysis, Palaeoecology, and Archaeology and Archaeobotany
This paper focuses on the archaeobotanical data related to agriculture existing for the Easrly Neolithic(6th-5th millennium BC) in Andalucía. First, the archaeobotanical record is described showing a predominance of free-threshing wheats,... more
This paper focuses on the archaeobotanical data related to agriculture existing for the Easrly Neolithic(6th-5th millennium BC) in Andalucía. First, the archaeobotanical record is described showing a predominance of free-threshing wheats, a variable importance of hulled wheats and a varied assemblage of legumes. Flax and poppy are also documented in some of the sites analyzed. The pattern observed is, then, compared to that observed in other regions of the Iberian Peninsula and eventually to that available from central Europe. Particular emphases is placed on to the considerable crop diversity found in Andalucía.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The coast of Málaga has shown an important concentration of prehistoric sites with Neolithic occupation. This paper aims to review their historiography as well as briefly present the main lines of the interdisciplinary research carried at... more
The coast of Málaga has shown an important concentration of prehistoric sites with Neolithic occupation. This paper aims to review their historiography as well as briefly present the main lines of the interdisciplinary research carried at Cueva of Nerja and sites located at the southern part of Sierra de Mijas. Data is still preliminary but it shows the presence of a fully developed Neolithic which seems to be related to the arrival of Neolithic pioneers from the second half of the 8th millennium cal BP.
Research Interests:
Research into early agriculture is one of the key elements for the study of the start of food production. However, despite the enormous importance of the subject, for a large part of the Iberian Peninsula our knowledge is still very... more
Research into early agriculture is one of the key elements for the study of the start of food production. However, despite the enormous importance of the subject, for a large part of the Iberian Peninsula our knowledge is still very little. This is the case of the two areas under research: central and southen Spain. Central Spain has been traditionally considered as a blank area for the Neolithic. However, recent work demonstrates the importance of the first farming communities in this area. In Andalucía (southern Spain), where more intensive excavations have been undertaken, data on the early Neolithic period is scattered across the region but there has been little discussion of the adoption of agriculture. Since systematic recovery is still a rare practice, plant remains are only available from a few sites.
This paper aims to analyze the available archaeobotanical data from the early Neolithic period from these two areas Plant remains recovered from several sites show fully developped agriculture already established by the VIth millennium cal BC. These early dates, very close to those from the eastern coast, suggest that the spread of agriculture may have been a very quick process.
The range of cultivated plants is very wide, represented by a large variety of cereals (einkorn, emmer, free-threshing wheats and barley) and legumes (lentils, peas, broad beans, grass pea and vetches). Poppy seeds appear also well represented in these contexts.
This paper aims to analyze the available archaeobotanical data from the early Neolithic period from these two areas Plant remains recovered from several sites show fully developped agriculture already established by the VIth millennium cal BC. These early dates, very close to those from the eastern coast, suggest that the spread of agriculture may have been a very quick process.
The range of cultivated plants is very wide, represented by a large variety of cereals (einkorn, emmer, free-threshing wheats and barley) and legumes (lentils, peas, broad beans, grass pea and vetches). Poppy seeds appear also well represented in these contexts.
Research Interests:
The issue of resource exploitation, both plants and animals, by Neolithic communities has always attracted vast interest. In particular, resource exploitation at mountain cave sites is still being widely discussed. This paper explores the... more
The issue of resource exploitation, both plants and animals, by Neolithic communities has always attracted vast interest. In particular, resource exploitation at mountain cave sites is still being widely discussed. This paper explores the use of grass resources at the archaeological site of Els Trocs (Aragón, Spain), a Neolithic mountain site in the Pyrenees. The analysis of phytolith samples suggests that grasses growing in the surrounding of the site were widely used. The morphological assemblages identified, and their spatial distribution, indicate that wild grasses were probably used as floor spread. The integrated approach used in this study, combining phytolith, spherulite and micromorphological analyses, confirms this hypothesis. Furthermore, the analysis of phytolith assemblages and micromorphological traits indicate the seasonal occupation of the site, placing human frequentation at this location during late spring/early summer. Several studies have highlighted the presence of charred seeds of domesticated cereals in the archaeological record of mountain cave sites however, in many instances, whether these crops were cultivated near the sites or whether the grains were transported to the cave from the valley bottom remains under debate. This paper also contributes to this debate by showing that no crop-processing activities were taking place at the site.
Research Interests:
Emmer wheat (Triticum diccocum) has been positively identified from the stratigraphically oldest ceramic- and domesticated livestock-bearing level of El Miro´ n Cave in the Cantabrian Cordillera. The grain is AMS 14C-dated to 5550G40 BP.... more
Emmer wheat (Triticum diccocum) has been positively identified from the stratigraphically oldest ceramic- and domesticated
livestock-bearing level of El Miro´ n Cave in the Cantabrian Cordillera. The grain is AMS 14C-dated to 5550G40 BP. This date is congruent with six others from the same layer, higher within which were found other grains of wheat, including einkorn as well as emmer. Although wild ungulates (mainly red deer) were still hunted, abundant ovicaprines, together with small numbers of cattle and pigs, appear in this level-for the first time in the 40,000-year record at El Miro´ n. Potsherds (undecorated, but of very good quality) also appear abruptly and abundantly. However, the associated lithic assemblage contains specific tool types also found in late Mesolithic contexts in Cantabrian Spain. In addition to the full suite of Neolithic indicators at El Miro´ n, as confirmed by less unambiguous early agro-pastoral evidence from other sites in the Vasco-Cantabrian region, there are megalithic monuments both in the vicinity of the cave and throughout the region that are similarly dated. All these data tend to suggest that Neolithic adaptationsdalready present about a millennium earlier not only along the Mediterranean coast, but also much closer, to the southeast of the Cordilleradwere quickly adopted as ‘‘a package’’ by Cantabrian Mesolithic foragers, possibly as a consequence of social contacts with Neolithic groups in southern France and/or the upper Ebro basin of north-central Spain.
livestock-bearing level of El Miro´ n Cave in the Cantabrian Cordillera. The grain is AMS 14C-dated to 5550G40 BP. This date is congruent with six others from the same layer, higher within which were found other grains of wheat, including einkorn as well as emmer. Although wild ungulates (mainly red deer) were still hunted, abundant ovicaprines, together with small numbers of cattle and pigs, appear in this level-for the first time in the 40,000-year record at El Miro´ n. Potsherds (undecorated, but of very good quality) also appear abruptly and abundantly. However, the associated lithic assemblage contains specific tool types also found in late Mesolithic contexts in Cantabrian Spain. In addition to the full suite of Neolithic indicators at El Miro´ n, as confirmed by less unambiguous early agro-pastoral evidence from other sites in the Vasco-Cantabrian region, there are megalithic monuments both in the vicinity of the cave and throughout the region that are similarly dated. All these data tend to suggest that Neolithic adaptationsdalready present about a millennium earlier not only along the Mediterranean coast, but also much closer, to the southeast of the Cordilleradwere quickly adopted as ‘‘a package’’ by Cantabrian Mesolithic foragers, possibly as a consequence of social contacts with Neolithic groups in southern France and/or the upper Ebro basin of north-central Spain.
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We summarize the available data about neolithic agriculture from the european atlantic façade, discussing some common assumptions for this area: continuity between the Mesolithic and the Neolithic, limited importance of the first crops... more
We summarize the available data about neolithic agriculture from the european atlantic façade, discussing some common assumptions for this area: continuity between the Mesolithic and the Neolithic, limited importance of the first crops and high mobility. The first crops reach atlantic Europe in the Vth millenium cal BC. Atlantic agriculture is, particularly in the North, related to its european foci but it also presents peculiar features such as the cultivation of crops adapted to wetter conditions (hulled wheats like emmer and barley) and the selection of agrarian practices like the harvesting of cereals without sickles. There seems to exist a long period in which wild foods play an important role in human subsistence. However, the lower visibility of cereals when compared to other foods needs to be taken into account. The type of sites that have been sampled –almost exclusively caves in southern areas- may be biasing the general picture.
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The restitution of prehistoric agricultural techniques is a key element to understand the diffusion of farming in Western Mediterranean. The aim of this paper is to present the preliminary results of a European working group composed of... more
The restitution of prehistoric agricultural techniques is a key element to understand the diffusion of farming in Western Mediterranean. The aim of this paper is to present the preliminary results of a European working group composed of Spanish and French use-wear analysts and archaeobotanists. Cereal harvesting methods during the Early and Middle Neolithic in the Iberian Peninsula and the South of France were studied. Three major areas were distinguished. In the South-East of Spain, curved sickles with short flint elements inserted obliquely are characteristic. In Catalonia, Languedoc and Provence, most of the sickles are made with long blades inserted in parallel to the handle, but other ways of hafting the blade have been documented. In the Cantabrian Spain, cereals were harvested, in the beginning of the Neolithic, without sickle. This variability is here discussed taking into account different factors: ecology, variety of cultivated crops, aims of cereal cultivation (craft vs food), methods of cereal conservation, role of the cereal agriculture in the economy, historical dynamics of the spread of agriculture and of Neolithic innovations
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During the last years different research projects are allowing us to study the earliest farming evidences in the Iberian Peninsula and Northern Morocco. The analyses of plant macroremains and use wear of lithic tools, in relation to the... more
During the last years different research projects are allowing us to study the earliest farming evidences in the Iberian Peninsula
and Northern Morocco. The analyses of plant macroremains and use wear of lithic tools, in relation to the chronology of the sites, are the subjects we deal with in this paper. When the number of studied sites increases in the near future the analyses will allow us to address the origin of the Neolithic in the Western Mediterranean.
and Northern Morocco. The analyses of plant macroremains and use wear of lithic tools, in relation to the chronology of the sites, are the subjects we deal with in this paper. When the number of studied sites increases in the near future the analyses will allow us to address the origin of the Neolithic in the Western Mediterranean.
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The intensification in the use of plants is one of the more significant characteristics of the Neolithic economy. In this paper, this topic is considered by means of the archaeobotanical analysis of plant charred remains and the use-wear... more
The intensification in the use of plants is one of the more significant characteristics of the Neolithic economy. In this paper, this topic is considered by means of the archaeobotanical analysis of plant charred remains and the use-wear analysis of lithic tools from the Neolithic levels of Los Murciélagos cave (Zuheros, Córdoba). The cultivation of diferent types of wheats (T. monococcum, T. dicoccum, T. aestivum, T. durum) and barley (Hordeum sativum) and the harvesting of acorns (Quercus sp.) and wild olives (Olea europaea ssp, oleaster) is attested. The technical processes on plants are reconstructed resorting to ethnographic information, experimentation and use-wear analysis of stone tools. During the Neolithic period, at this site, sickles were made inserting lithic elements obliquely in curved shafts. No lithic tool used for technological activities on plants (basketry,
ropes, etc.) was recognized. This is probably due to the development of most of these technical activities without tools or with wooden tools, and, perhaps, to the fact that some plant collecting activities (i.e. Phragmites)could had been carried out with the same sickles used for harvesting cereals.
ropes, etc.) was recognized. This is probably due to the development of most of these technical activities without tools or with wooden tools, and, perhaps, to the fact that some plant collecting activities (i.e. Phragmites)could had been carried out with the same sickles used for harvesting cereals.
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Durante la construcción del parque eólico “La Higuera”, en los términos municipales de Teba y Ardales (Málaga) se localizaron, al aire libre, productos arqueológicos prehistóricos que han permitido analizar lo que fue un asentamiento de... more
Durante la construcción del parque eólico “La Higuera”, en los términos municipales de Teba y Ardales (Málaga) se localizaron, al aire libre, productos arqueológicos prehistóricos que han permitido analizar lo que fue un asentamiento de agricultores del Neolítico.
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Este trabajo presenta los resultados preliminares obtenidos en la excavación de la Cova de Els Trocs, desarrollada dentro del proyecto de investigación "Los caminos del Neolítico". La minuciosa labor de excavación y de registro ha... more
Este trabajo presenta los resultados preliminares obtenidos en la excavación de la Cova de Els
Trocs, desarrollada dentro del proyecto de investigación "Los caminos del Neolítico". La minuciosa labor
de excavación y de registro ha permitido establecer una compleja secuencia estratigráfica en la que, gracias
a una veintena de dataciones radiocarbónicas sobre eventos singulares de vida corta (semillas de cereal, huesos humanos y fauna doméstica), se han podido diferenciar cuatro momentos de ocupación distintos de
la cueva. Con estos datos y algunos análisis, también preliminares, de parte del registro (cerámica, sílex y
restos faunísticos), se ha podido definir, en una época muy temprana (inicios del último tercio del VI milenio
cal. BC.), la presencia en los pastos de montaña del Pirineo axial de un grupo humano que desarrolla
una actividad pastoril trashumante. Una población plenamente neolitizada, que conoce el trigo y la cebada,
aunque no los cultive en el entorno de la cueva, y que, a tenor de ciertas evidencias, practica complejos
rituales tanatológicos.
Trocs, desarrollada dentro del proyecto de investigación "Los caminos del Neolítico". La minuciosa labor
de excavación y de registro ha permitido establecer una compleja secuencia estratigráfica en la que, gracias
a una veintena de dataciones radiocarbónicas sobre eventos singulares de vida corta (semillas de cereal, huesos humanos y fauna doméstica), se han podido diferenciar cuatro momentos de ocupación distintos de
la cueva. Con estos datos y algunos análisis, también preliminares, de parte del registro (cerámica, sílex y
restos faunísticos), se ha podido definir, en una época muy temprana (inicios del último tercio del VI milenio
cal. BC.), la presencia en los pastos de montaña del Pirineo axial de un grupo humano que desarrolla
una actividad pastoril trashumante. Una población plenamente neolitizada, que conoce el trigo y la cebada,
aunque no los cultive en el entorno de la cueva, y que, a tenor de ciertas evidencias, practica complejos
rituales tanatológicos.
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The spread of agriculture in the Iberian Peninsula is documented from at least c 5500-5200 cal. BC although botanical data are absent or incomplete for large areas. Archaeobotanical data show an imported agrarian system which is complex... more
The spread of agriculture in the Iberian Peninsula is documented from at least c 5500-5200 cal. BC although botanical data are absent or incomplete for large areas. Archaeobotanical data show an imported agrarian system which is complex from the beginning. However, the farming situations in Iberia prior to 4000 cal. BC are not homogeneous and may reflect a great regional and local diversity.
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"This paper presents preliminary information on the excavation of El Khil Caves (Achakar, Tanger, Morocco)carried out in September 2011. The aim was to obtain detailed data on the first farming communities in the northern part of Morocco.... more
"This paper presents preliminary information on the excavation of El Khil Caves (Achakar, Tanger, Morocco)carried out in September 2011. The aim was to obtain detailed data on the first farming communities in the northern part of Morocco. Two test pits were dug in Grotte B and Grotte C and bioarchaeological samples (both archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological) were taken with the aim of reconstructing the subsistence system of these communities and the origins of farming. In addition, geoarchaeological sampling was also carried out which will allow reconstructing the palaeoenvironmental history of the region."
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Research Interests: Prehistoric Archaeology, Mediterranean prehistory, Palaeolithic Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, and 12 moreChalcolithic Archaeology, Prehistoric Settlement, Iberian Prehistory (Archaeology), Neolithic Europe, Archaeology of Caves and Caverns (Archaeospeleology), Early Bronze Age (Archaeology), Prehistory, Middle Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Middle Paleolithic, Early Neolithic, and Upper Palaeolithic
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This first monograph in the EARTH series The dynamics of non-industrial agriculture: 8,000 years of resilience and innovation , approaches the great variety of agricultural practices in human terms. It focuses on the relationship between... more
This first monograph in the EARTH series The dynamics of non-industrial agriculture: 8,000 years of resilience and innovation , approaches the great variety of agricultural practices in human terms. It focuses on the relationship between plants and people, the complexity of agricultural processes and their organisation within particular communities and societies. Collaborative European research among archaeologists, archaeobotanists, ethnographers, historians and agronomists using a broad analytical scale of investigation seeks to establish new common ground for integrating different approaches. By means of interdisciplinary examples, this book showcases the relationship between people and plants across wide ranging and diverse spatial and temporal milieus, including crop diversity, the use of wild foodstuffs, social context, status and choices of food plants.
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Background: Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) panels recently developed for the assessment of genetic diversity in wheat are primarily based on elite varieties, mostly those of bread wheat. The usefulness of such SNP panels for... more
Background: Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) panels recently developed for the assessment of genetic diversity in wheat are primarily based on elite varieties, mostly those of bread wheat. The usefulness of such SNP panels for studying wheat evolution and domestication has not yet been fully explored and ascertainment bias issues can potentially affect their applicability when studying landraces and tetraploid ancestors of bread wheat. We here evaluate whether population structure and evolutionary history can be assessed in tetraploid landrace wheats using SNP markers previously developed for the analysis of elite cultivars of hexaploid wheat.
Results: We genotyped more than 100 tetraploid wheat landraces and wild emmer wheat accessions, some of which had previously been screened with SSR markers, for an existing SNP panel and obtained publically available genotypes for the same SNPs for hexaploid wheat varieties and landraces. Results showed that quantification of genetic diversity can be affected by ascertainment bias but that the effects of ascertainment bias can at least partly be alleviated by merging SNPs to haplotypes. Analyses of population structure and genetic differentiation show strong subdivision between the tetraploid wheat subspecies, except for durum and rivet that are not separable.
A more detailed population structure of durum landraces could be obtained than with SSR markers. The results also suggest an emmer, rather than durum, ancestry of bread wheat and with gene flow from wild emmer.
Conclusions: SNP markers developed for elite cultivars show great potential for inferring population structure and can address evolutionary questions in landrace wheat. Issues of marker genome specificity and mapping need, however, to be addressed. Ascertainment bias does not seem to interfere with the ability of a SNP marker system developed for elite bread wheat accessions to detect population structure in other types of wheat.
Results: We genotyped more than 100 tetraploid wheat landraces and wild emmer wheat accessions, some of which had previously been screened with SSR markers, for an existing SNP panel and obtained publically available genotypes for the same SNPs for hexaploid wheat varieties and landraces. Results showed that quantification of genetic diversity can be affected by ascertainment bias but that the effects of ascertainment bias can at least partly be alleviated by merging SNPs to haplotypes. Analyses of population structure and genetic differentiation show strong subdivision between the tetraploid wheat subspecies, except for durum and rivet that are not separable.
A more detailed population structure of durum landraces could be obtained than with SSR markers. The results also suggest an emmer, rather than durum, ancestry of bread wheat and with gene flow from wild emmer.
Conclusions: SNP markers developed for elite cultivars show great potential for inferring population structure and can address evolutionary questions in landrace wheat. Issues of marker genome specificity and mapping need, however, to be addressed. Ascertainment bias does not seem to interfere with the ability of a SNP marker system developed for elite bread wheat accessions to detect population structure in other types of wheat.
This paper presents ethnographic, historic and archaeological data from the western Mediterranean in order to explore the variability of storage methods and the various strategies that may have existed in the past in this region. The... more
This paper presents ethnographic, historic and archaeological data from the western Mediterranean in order to explore the variability of storage methods and the various strategies that may have existed in the past in this region. The paper includes ethnographic information on traditional storage methods collected in farming communities in northern Morocco (Rif area). We record the use of plant fibres such as canes (Arundo
donax), dwarf palm (Chamaerops humilis), esparto grass (Stipa tenacissima) and dis (Ampelodesmos mauritanica) to make containers. Recipients made of cow dung and unfired clay, as well as underground silos, have been also used in this region to store food. In addition, we explore historical and ethnohistorical data on the use of large storage structures, including the study of communal granaries, a particular type of granary located at inaccessible places, such as cliff faces or mountain tops, or within fortified buildings, from which arvests can be easily protected and defended. We also examine the archaeological evidence of storage strategies in the Iberian Peninsula during prehistoric times. The paper informs of the large variety of systems and materials used, the functioning of storage structures, and more generally, provides a framework for reflecting on the enormous diversity of solutions that could have existed in the past and that may have left little or none archeological traces.
donax), dwarf palm (Chamaerops humilis), esparto grass (Stipa tenacissima) and dis (Ampelodesmos mauritanica) to make containers. Recipients made of cow dung and unfired clay, as well as underground silos, have been also used in this region to store food. In addition, we explore historical and ethnohistorical data on the use of large storage structures, including the study of communal granaries, a particular type of granary located at inaccessible places, such as cliff faces or mountain tops, or within fortified buildings, from which arvests can be easily protected and defended. We also examine the archaeological evidence of storage strategies in the Iberian Peninsula during prehistoric times. The paper informs of the large variety of systems and materials used, the functioning of storage structures, and more generally, provides a framework for reflecting on the enormous diversity of solutions that could have existed in the past and that may have left little or none archeological traces.
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For millennia, hulled wheats (einkorn, emmer and spelt) have been cultivated in Spain. Isolated in mountain areas, small pockets of hulled wheats associated with traditional agriculture have survived. These are the last examples of our... more
For millennia, hulled wheats (einkorn, emmer and spelt) have been cultivated in Spain. Isolated in mountain areas, small pockets of hulled wheats associated with traditional agriculture have survived. These are the last examples of our highly threatened crop genetic and cultural heritage. We present an overview of the history of these three minor crops; archaeobotanical and ethnographic data are provided in order to understand the role of these crops during past and present times.
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The paper focuses on the traditional cultivation of einkorn (Triticum monococcum) in the northern part of Morocco (western Rif). The work describes the processing techniques associated to this ancient crop and in particular the various... more
The paper focuses on the traditional cultivation of einkorn (Triticum monococcum) in the northern part of Morocco (western Rif). The work describes the processing techniques associated to this ancient crop and in particular the various dehusking methods used by the local population as well as the various uses this species has in the traditional life of the Rifian people..
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Abstract: Ethnographic research carried out in different areas of Spain and Morocco where hulled wheats are still cultivated under traditional methods, has allowed to study the range of operations involved in their processing. This paper... more
Abstract: Ethnographic research carried out in different areas of Spain and Morocco where hulled wheats are still cultivated under traditional methods, has allowed to study the range of operations involved in their processing. This paper focuses on some post-harvest procedures, e.g. threshing, parching and dehusking. The controversial issue of parching is analyzed in detailed through the examination of both literary sources and ethnographic evidence.
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The regions of Alava, Navarra and Baja Navarra have been surveyed in order to collect data relating the traditional cultivation of emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum) known as ezkandia in the area. This species has already disappeared but... more
The regions of Alava, Navarra and Baja Navarra have been surveyed in order to collect data relating the traditional cultivation of emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum) known as ezkandia in the area. This species has already disappeared but interviews to people who grew it up to 1960 have been conducted in order to better understand its uses. The main use of emmer in this area was for animal feeding.
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In the Jebala region, NW of Morocco, the making of recipients of dung from cows or/and clay (tonna and tabtoba) was common in the past. These recipients were used for stocking cereals and other dry products, for feeding the livestock, or... more
In the Jebala region, NW of Morocco, the making of recipients of dung from cows or/and clay (tonna and tabtoba) was common in the past. These recipients were used for stocking cereals and other dry products, for feeding the livestock, or for transporting the cereals to the rotative mill. The élaboration of these objects, which dissapeared 20 or 30 years ago, represented a general technical knowledge which was carried out by all the women in the région, in order to satisfy their domestic needs.
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In the Jebala region, NW of Morocco, the making of recipients of dung from cows or/and clay (tonna and tabtoba) was common in the past. These recipients were used for stocking cereals and other dry products, for feeding the livestock, or... more
In the Jebala region, NW of Morocco, the making of recipients of dung from cows or/and clay (tonna and tabtoba) was common in the past. These recipients were used for stocking cereals and other dry products, for feeding the livestock, or for transporting the cereals to the rotative mill. The elaboration of these objects, which dissapeared 20 or 30 years ago, represented a general technical knowledge which was carried out by all the women in the région, in order to satisfy their domestic needs.
Research Interests:
In the Jebala region, NW of Morocco, the making of recipients of dung from cows or/and clay (tonna and tabtoba) was common in the past. These recipients were used for stocking cereals and their dry products, for feeding the livestock, or... more
In the Jebala region, NW of Morocco, the making of recipients of dung from cows or/and clay (tonna and tabtoba) was common in the past. These recipients were used for stocking cereals and their dry products, for feeding the livestock, or for transporting the céréals to the rotative mill. The élaboration of these objects, which dissapeared 20 or 30 years ago, represented a general technical knowledge which was carried out by all the women in the région, in order to satisfy their domestic needs.
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The role of ethnographic models of crop processing in archaeobotany – The recent development of archaeobotany has allowed to go beyond the limits imposed by morphological and systematic research, and therefore, opening new avenues in the... more
The role of ethnographic models of crop processing in archaeobotany – The recent development of archaeobotany has allowed to go beyond the limits imposed by morphological and systematic research, and therefore, opening new avenues in the archaeological research. Interpreting archaeological plant remains in terms of past human activities is not an easy task without resorting to ethnographic models. These have provided with an excellent framework in which it is possible to study and to observe the effects of agricultural activities (e.g. harvesting, threshing, sieving, etc.) on the composition of crop products and by-products. Thus, it is possible to associate particular activities to particular sample composition.
Ethnoarchaeobotanical data on cereal cultivation (agrarian practices and tasks) on the athlantic façade of the Basque Country are here presented. Ethnographic data are an important element to justify the development of cereal agriculture... more
Ethnoarchaeobotanical data on cereal cultivation (agrarian practices and tasks) on the athlantic façade of the Basque Country are here presented. Ethnographic data are an important element to justify the development of cereal agriculture during prehistoric times in the area.
Recent ethnographic research carried out in Spain has allowed the cultivation of Lathyrus sativus L. and L. cieera L. to be documented. Both species already appear in the Spanish archaeological record. Grown under traditional farming... more
Recent ethnographic research carried out in Spain has allowed the cultivation of Lathyrus sativus L. and L. cieera L. to be documented. Both species already appear in the Spanish archaeological record. Grown under traditional farming systems, L. sativus L. and L. cicera L. are still used for human consumption (only L. sativus L.) and both are used for fodder. Data on cultivation history, farming practices, crop processing sequence and uses are here presented, which will enable a better understanding of their possible roles in prehistoric times.
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Field work carried out in Navarra and parts of Álava has shown interesting data on the cultivation of aizkol (Lathyrus sativus) still cultivated in Euskal herria. It has been shown that it played an important role within domestic... more
Field work carried out in Navarra and parts of Álava has shown interesting data on the cultivation of aizkol (Lathyrus sativus) still cultivated in Euskal herria. It has been shown that it played an important role within domestic economies and that it is still cultivated in isolated areas of Navarra. We have collected information on the agrarian cycle as well as on uses.
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Woodland has been used since Prehistory as a source of plant food and fuelwood. Several archaeobotanical case studies from Basque sites will be reviewed.
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Woodland has been used since Prehistory as a source of plant food and fuelwood. Several archaeobotanical case studies from Basque sites will be reviewed.
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We have carried out an ethnographic study of home gardens from Basque farms and villages. The study area comprises three villages in Biscay: Otxandio, Zaldibar and Zalla. We evaluate the potential of this area for ethnographical research... more
We have carried out an ethnographic study of home gardens from Basque farms and villages. The study area comprises three villages in Biscay: Otxandio, Zaldibar and Zalla. We evaluate the potential of this area for ethnographical research and present some conclusions on home garden cultivation.
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The women pottery-makers in the Gzaua tribe (Chefchaouen, NW Morocco), who are part of the Berber pottery tradition of the north of the Mahgreb, still hiake ceramics with very archaic techniques. Pottery is constructed by slab building,... more
The women pottery-makers in the Gzaua tribe (Chefchaouen,
NW Morocco), who are part of the Berber pottery tradition of the north of the Mahgreb, still hiake ceramics with very archaic techniques. Pottery is constructed by slab building, open fired and exchanged in very restricted geographical area. The study of the techniques and of the social organization of production and use represents a relevant reference for the specialists in pottery technology and, in general, for those interested in the topic of craft specialization.
NW Morocco), who are part of the Berber pottery tradition of the north of the Mahgreb, still hiake ceramics with very archaic techniques. Pottery is constructed by slab building, open fired and exchanged in very restricted geographical area. The study of the techniques and of the social organization of production and use represents a relevant reference for the specialists in pottery technology and, in general, for those interested in the topic of craft specialization.
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The mountain areas of Europe have been of vital importance in the system of summer farming whereby the movement of livestock between different altitudinal levels is a key element. However, summer farming has been downscaled considerably... more
The mountain areas of Europe have been of vital importance in the system of summer farming whereby the movement of livestock between different altitudinal levels is a key element. However, summer farming has been downscaled considerably during the 20th century. The article describes two areas where summer farming is still practised: Forollhogna in Norway, and Asturias in Spain. The authors document the transhumance system in the two areas, and investigate how farmers view the summer farming system and landscape, how they relate to nature protection, and whether specific value orientations can be detected in their views. The findings show that the logic behind summer farming is the same in both areas: economic motivation and access to grazing grounds. With regard to nature and landscape protection, the opinion that wild nature is given priority and that ‘managed nature’ of transhumance is overlooked was found in both areas, although it was expressed more strongly in Asturias than in Forollhogna. Opinions and ideals related to ‘good farming’ were found in both contexts, and were reflected in well-kept fields and productive and healthy livestock.
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Research Interests:
This paper focuses on the analysis of plant remains (seeds, charcoal, pollen, spores and non-pollen palynomorphs) from two archaeological sites (pre-Roman and Roman) located in Las Médulas, a cultural landscape, in the northwestern part... more
This paper focuses on the analysis of plant remains (seeds, charcoal, pollen, spores and non-pollen palynomorphs) from two archaeological sites (pre-Roman and Roman) located in Las Médulas, a cultural landscape, in the northwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula. The paper explores the way the communities living in the area managed their environment and the impact of productive activities on the landscape. This research has shown the multiplicity of needs this landscape satisfied and the various ways these communities managed the surrounding environment through different productive activities (agriculture, animal husbandry, mining amongst others).
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Research Interests:
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Se tratará sobre el potencial de los estudios arqueobotánicos de macrorrestos vegetales para conocer los diferentes aspectos de la vida cotidiana en la Euskal Herria de época romana. La comunicación se centrará en aspectos metodológicos,... more
Se tratará sobre el potencial de los estudios arqueobotánicos de macrorrestos vegetales para conocer los diferentes aspectos de la vida cotidiana en la Euskal Herria de época romana. La comunicación se centrará en aspectos metodológicos, utilizando como referencia los resultados del análisis del yacimiento de la Calle Santiago de Irún ( G i p u z k o a ) .
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Since 1994 the EEHAR-CSIC has run an archaeological project focusing on the city of Tusculum, near Rome. In 2012, a new phase, centred on the medieval occupation of the city, began with new excavations on the Rocca. During this period... more
Since 1994 the EEHAR-CSIC has run an archaeological project focusing on the city of Tusculum, near Rome. In 2012, a new phase, centred on the medieval occupation of the city, began with new excavations on the Rocca. During this period (11th-12th cent.), the city was the principal centre of the powerful line of the Counts of Tuscolo, whose political and economic influence extended over a large region. The project’s multidisciplinary approach will allow new research avenues to be opened up.
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Charred parenchymous tissue was recovered from Byzantine levels at the site of Sparta, Greece. On examination, using morphological and histological characteristics it was identified as being turnip, Brassica campestris ssp. rapifera... more
Charred parenchymous tissue was recovered from Byzantine levels at the site of Sparta, Greece. On examination, using morphological and histological characteristics it was identified as being turnip, Brassica campestris ssp. rapifera (Metzg.) Sinsk. This discovery is of great significance in the study of the site, and also of Byzantine economy.
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El estudio arqueobotánico de las villas romanas de Carranque y El Saucedo, en la provincia de Toledo, pone de manifiesto unas bases paleoeconómicas típicas de la ‘triada mediterránea’: olivo, vid y cereales, en un marco de paisaje... more
El estudio arqueobotánico de las villas romanas de Carranque y El Saucedo, en la provincia de Toledo, pone de manifiesto unas bases paleoeconómicas típicas de la ‘triada mediterránea’: olivo, vid y cereales, en un marco de paisaje cultural antropizado como consecuencia de las actividades agrícolas y ganaderas.
""The littoral site of Ifri Oudadane is one of the most important recently excavated sites in the Mediterranean Maghreb. The shelter presents Epipalaeolithic and Neolithic layers and therefore offers the possibility to investigate the... more
""The littoral site of Ifri Oudadane is one of the most important recently excavated sites in the Mediterranean Maghreb. The shelter presents Epipalaeolithic and Neolithic layers and therefore offers the possibility to investigate the Neolithic transition in the region. Besides introducing the archaeological context, this paper focuses on palaeobotanical data in order to reconstruct Holocene environmental change and human use of plant resources for the
period c. 11 to 5.7 ka cal. BP. Results show intense landscape transformations resulting from anthropic and climatic factors. First human occupations start at the beginning of the Holocene with favourable conditions in this otherwise harsh semi-arid stretch of land. A wooded environment with evergreen sclerophyllous oaks and riparian forests is documented and exploited by hunter-gatherers. From c. 7.6 ka cal. BP farming activities are well attested together with significant human impact, herding pressure and a progressive decline of arboreal components. After 6.6 ka cal. BP conditions become less favourable and markers for aridity increase. Riparian taxa disappear (Alnus) or decrease (Fraxinus, Populus, Salix); shrubs (Tamarix) and grasses (Artemisia) increase with a degradation of forest into shrubland (macchia). During 6.6 and 6.0 ka cal. BP there is a general occupation gap in arid and semi-arid Morocco and evidence for that change is also found in the alluvial deposits of the Moulouya, NE Morocco. Indicators for food production decrease at the same time and the site is abandoned during the first half of the 6th millennium cal. BP.""
period c. 11 to 5.7 ka cal. BP. Results show intense landscape transformations resulting from anthropic and climatic factors. First human occupations start at the beginning of the Holocene with favourable conditions in this otherwise harsh semi-arid stretch of land. A wooded environment with evergreen sclerophyllous oaks and riparian forests is documented and exploited by hunter-gatherers. From c. 7.6 ka cal. BP farming activities are well attested together with significant human impact, herding pressure and a progressive decline of arboreal components. After 6.6 ka cal. BP conditions become less favourable and markers for aridity increase. Riparian taxa disappear (Alnus) or decrease (Fraxinus, Populus, Salix); shrubs (Tamarix) and grasses (Artemisia) increase with a degradation of forest into shrubland (macchia). During 6.6 and 6.0 ka cal. BP there is a general occupation gap in arid and semi-arid Morocco and evidence for that change is also found in the alluvial deposits of the Moulouya, NE Morocco. Indicators for food production decrease at the same time and the site is abandoned during the first half of the 6th millennium cal. BP.""
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This research aims to shed light on the early stages of agricultural development in Northern Africa through the analysis of the rich macro-botanical assemblages obtained from Ifri Oudadane, an Epipalaeolithic–Early Neolithic site from... more
This research aims to shed light on the early stages of agricultural development in Northern Africa through the analysis of the rich macro-botanical assemblages obtained from Ifri Oudadane, an Epipalaeolithic–Early Neolithic site from North-East Morocco. Results indicate the presence of domesticated plants, cereals (Hordeum vulgare, Triticum monococcum/dicoccum, Triticum durum and Triticum aestivum/durum) and pulses (Lens culinaris and Pisum sativum) in the Early Neolithic. One lentil has been dated to 7611 ± 37 cal BP representing the oldest direct date of a domesticated plant seed in Morocco and, by extension, in North Africa. Similarities in both radiocarbon dates and crop assemblages from Early Neolithic sites in Northern Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula suggest a simultaneous East to West maritime spread of agriculture along the shores of the Western Mediterranean. Wild plants were abundantly collected in both the Epipalaeolithic and the Early Neolithic periods pointing to the important role of these resources during the two periods. In addition to fruits and seeds that could have been consumed by both humans and domesticated animals, fragments of esparto grass (Stipa tenacissima) rhizomes have been identified. This is a western Mediterranean native plant that may have been used as a source of fibres for basketry.
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This contribution focuses on the preliminary results of the AGRIWESTMED project which focuses on the archaeobotanical analyses of early Neolithic sites in the western Mediterranean region (both in Iberia and in northern Morocco). A large... more
This contribution focuses on the preliminary results of the AGRIWESTMED project which focuses on the archaeobotanical analyses of early Neolithic sites in the western Mediterranean region (both in Iberia and in northern Morocco). A large number of sites has been studied producing an interesting dataset of plant remains which places the earliest examples of domesticated plants in the second half of the 6th millennium cal BC. Plant diversity is high as it is shown by the large number of species represented: hulled and naked wheats, barley, peas, fava beans, vetches, lentils and grass peas. Two more crops, poppy and flax, are also part of the first agricultural crops of the area. Although agriculture seems to occupy a first place in the production of food, gathering is well represented in the Moroccan sites where a large number of species has been identified.
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Direct evidence of agriculture in Early Neolithic Portugal is almost non-existent, so there are very disparate estimates of the role played by agriculture during the period. Recent excavations at Cortiçóis, a newly discovered Early... more
Direct evidence of agriculture in Early Neolithic Portugal is almost non-existent, so there are very disparate estimates of the role played by agriculture during the period. Recent excavations at Cortiçóis, a newly discovered Early Neolithic site in central Portugal, revealed the first recognizable sickle implements and therefore relevant artefactual evidence of agricultural practices. These are typologically similar to Andalusian and Valencian sickles, reflecting a common technological tradition in southern Iberia during the period (c. 5600–4000 cal BC). Based on this fact, we summarize all available evidence for early agriculture in central Portugal and compare it with the Andalusian and Valencian records in order to tentatively present a model to be tested locally in future research.
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In the present work we attempt to recover endogenous ancient DNA from cereal grains preserved under different conditions: charred, partially charred and waterlogged. A total of 126 grains from naked wheat and 18 from barley from different... more
In the present work we attempt to recover endogenous ancient DNA from cereal grains preserved under different conditions: charred, partially charred and waterlogged. A total of 126 grains from naked wheat and 18 from barley from different sites on the Eastern Iberian Peninsula ranging from the beginning of agriculture in the region to the turn of the Common Era, were studied. Two different extraction protocols were used, a standard phenolechloroform method and a silica-based DNA extraction procedure implemented for artificially charred seeds. Amplifications were directed to three markers: the large
subunit of ribulose 1,5 biphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) and the microsatellite WCT12 in the chloroplast
genome and the x and y subunits of the high molecular weight glutenin gene (Glu-1) in the nucleus. The
first two were used to assess the preservation status of the samples, while with the third we tried to
identify the wheat grains at species level. It was possible to obtain eleven positive amplifications in 8 partially charred seeds but only two amplifications of the Glu-1 gene from a single sample of the Early Bronze age were genome-specific. Different contamination sources were identified and reported. Cloning
and alignment of sequenced clones showed a correspondence of the amplified fragment to modern wheat D genome haplotypes. This result suggests that the sample corresponds to hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), thus being the first ancient DNA evidence to date for the cultivation of hexaploid wheat in the prehistoric agriculture of the Iberian Peninsula. Moreover, obtained results highlight contamination problems associated to the study of ancient archaeobotanical charred seeds suggest that the combination of a silica-based extraction method together with the amplification of specific targets is a good strategy for recovering endogenous ancient DNA from this kind of material.
subunit of ribulose 1,5 biphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) and the microsatellite WCT12 in the chloroplast
genome and the x and y subunits of the high molecular weight glutenin gene (Glu-1) in the nucleus. The
first two were used to assess the preservation status of the samples, while with the third we tried to
identify the wheat grains at species level. It was possible to obtain eleven positive amplifications in 8 partially charred seeds but only two amplifications of the Glu-1 gene from a single sample of the Early Bronze age were genome-specific. Different contamination sources were identified and reported. Cloning
and alignment of sequenced clones showed a correspondence of the amplified fragment to modern wheat D genome haplotypes. This result suggests that the sample corresponds to hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), thus being the first ancient DNA evidence to date for the cultivation of hexaploid wheat in the prehistoric agriculture of the Iberian Peninsula. Moreover, obtained results highlight contamination problems associated to the study of ancient archaeobotanical charred seeds suggest that the combination of a silica-based extraction method together with the amplification of specific targets is a good strategy for recovering endogenous ancient DNA from this kind of material.
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A selection of plant species that may have been relevant for the Neolithic in the SW Mediterranean have been characterised with pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (pyrolysis– GC/MS) in search for molecular vegetation markers.... more
A selection of plant species that may have been relevant for the Neolithic in the SW Mediterranean have been characterised with pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (pyrolysis– GC/MS) in search for molecular vegetation markers. Roots and aerial parts were analysed separately for the following species: Anthyllis cytisoides, Asphodelus cerasiferus, Brachypodium retusum, Cistus albidus, Cistus clusii, Dorycnium pentaphyllum, Ephedra fragilis, Juniperus oxycedrus, Juniperus phoenicea, Olea europaea, Phillyrea angustifolia, Pinus halepensis, Pistacia lentiscus, Quercus coccifera, Rhamnus lycioides, Rosmarinus officinalis, Smilax aspera and Stipa tenacissima; furthermore domesticated plants were analysed, including wheat (Triticum aestivum, Triticum dicoccum, Triticum monococcum, Triticum timopheevi and Triticum turgidum), barley (Hordeum vulgare and H. vulgare Hulled) and legumes (Lathyrus cicera, Lathyrus sativus, Lens culinaris, Pisum sativa, Vicia ervilia, Vicia faba and Vicia sativa). This resulted in 290 potential markers. In addition, the organic matter of surface soils under different vegetation cover has been analysed to test the presence of the potential markers in the soil. Forty-six of the potential markers were detected in the soil organic matter, of which part have not been reported before. The results may be useful for interpretation of the organic matter composition of soils and plant remains, which can be valuable in archaeology.
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Precipitation has been of utmost importance in shaping the evolution of landscapes and human settlements in the Mediterranean. However, information on seasonal precipitation patterns through the Holocene is scarce. This study attempts to... more
Precipitation has been of utmost importance in shaping the evolution of landscapes and human settlements in the Mediterranean. However, information on seasonal precipitation patterns through the Holocene is scarce. This study attempts to quantify the evolution of seasonal precipitation in the East Iberian Peninsula (5000 BC to AD 600) based on the carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of archaeobotanical remains. Data on Holm oak, Aleppo pine and small-grain cereals were combined, and precipitation was inferred from models relating present-day records to the δ13C of modern samples. Subsequently, charred grains were used as a proxy for ancient moisture during April–May, whereas oak and pine charcoals provided complementary rainfall estimates for September–December and January–August, respectively. The results reveal aridity changes throughout the Holocene in the western Mediterranean. Past spring–summer precipitation was consistently higher than at present. In contrast, autumn and early winter precipitation showed stronger fluctuations, particularly during the first millennium BC, and often exhibited values below those of the present. The high contribution of autumn precipitation to the annual water budget, typical of the present Mediterranean climate, was definitively established at the beginning of the current era. This study shows how a combination of species holding complementary environmental signals can contribute to a wider knowledge of local precipitation dynamics.
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New data and a review of historiographic information from Neolithic sites of the Malaga and Algarve coasts (southern Iberian Peninsula) and from the Maghreb (North Africa) reveal the existence of a Neolithic settlement at least from 7.5... more
New data and a review of historiographic information from Neolithic sites of the Malaga and Algarve coasts (southern Iberian Peninsula) and from the Maghreb (North Africa) reveal the existence of a Neolithic settlement at least from 7.5 cal ka BP. The agricultural and pastoralist food producing economy of that population rapidly replaced the coastal economies of the Mesolithic populations. The timing of this population and economic turnover coincided with major changes in the continental and marine ecosystems, including upwelling intensity, sea-level changes and increased aridity in the Sahara and along the Iberian coast. These changes likely impacted the subsistence strategies of the Mesolithic populations along the Iberian seascapes and resulted in abandonments manifested as sedimentary hiatuses in some areas during the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition. The rapid expansion and area of dispersal of the early Neolithic traits suggest the use of marine technology. Different evidences for a Maghrebian origin for the first colonists have been summarized. The recognition of an early North-African Neolithic influence in Southern Iberia and the Maghreb is vital for understanding the appearance and development of the Neolithic in Western Europe. Our review suggests links between climate change, resource allocation, and population turnover.
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The recovery of ancient DNA from archaeological wheat samples under different preservation conditions was assessed using a number of genetic markers. It was possible to amplify nuclear DNA from desiccated grains but not from charred. The... more
The recovery of ancient DNA from archaeological wheat samples under different preservation conditions was assessed using a number of genetic markers. It was possible to amplify nuclear DNA from desiccated grains but not from charred. The desiccated grain was from a pre-Hispanic grain silo in Gran Canaria and showed excellent DNA preservation, enabling the amplification of the ribosomal DNA markers IGS and ITS, the upstream region of the HMW-glutenin locus and single-locus nuclear microsatellites. Our results demonstrated the presence of both durum and bread wheat in an Assemblage of naked grain. We were also able to identify different genotypes in durum wheat and compare these with extant landraces, providing insights into the agrarian practices of the ancient Canarians and the origin of their crops.
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CARVALHO, AF, GIBAJA, JF & GAVILÁN, B (2012). Technologie, typologie et analyses fonctionnelles de l’outillage lithique durant le Néolithique ancien dans la Cueva de Murciélagos de Zuheros (Córdoba, Espagne): réflexions sur la néolithisation du sud de la Péninsule Ibérique. L’Anthropologie. 116:2.more
"The cave of Murciélagos de Zuheros (Cordoba, Spain) is one of The most important sites in Southern Iberian Peninsula. Its thick chronostratigraphic sequence includes occupations ranging from the Middle Palaeolithic to Roman times.... more
"The cave of Murciélagos de Zuheros (Cordoba, Spain) is one of The most important sites in Southern Iberian Peninsula. Its thick chronostratigraphic sequence includes occupations ranging from the Middle Palaeolithic to Roman times. Occupation levels Corresponding to the earliest farming communities that established in modern-day Andalucia are remarkable due to its archaeological richness. This article focuses
on the study of the lithic industry from these Early Neolithic levels, which is approached according to various tightly connected questions: raw material characterization, technical systems of production, and morphology and function of tools. Obtained results in their archaeological context are related to the questions on the origin of the Neolithic in Southern Iberian Peninsula."
on the study of the lithic industry from these Early Neolithic levels, which is approached according to various tightly connected questions: raw material characterization, technical systems of production, and morphology and function of tools. Obtained results in their archaeological context are related to the questions on the origin of the Neolithic in Southern Iberian Peninsula."
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It is presented here the geological study (sedimentology, mineralogy, geochemistry and micromorphology) of the levels correspondent to the Epipaleolithic and Neolithic occupations of the archaeological deposit of Pena d’Água Rockshelter... more
It is presented here the geological study (sedimentology, mineralogy, geochemistry and micromorphology) of the levels correspondent to the Epipaleolithic and Neolithic occupations of the archaeological deposit of Pena d’Água Rockshelter (Torres Novas, Portugal), a referential site for the knowledge about the neolithization of all portuguese territory because of its exceptional crono-cultural complete Neolithic stratigraphy and conservation
of organic remains. This analysis aims to deeply know the nature of the deposit, which record of human activities is very altered by formation processes, and evaluate how and how much both human and natural factors had actuated along the prehistoric sequence, while the same data allows to come up with a paleoenvironmental approach.
of organic remains. This analysis aims to deeply know the nature of the deposit, which record of human activities is very altered by formation processes, and evaluate how and how much both human and natural factors had actuated along the prehistoric sequence, while the same data allows to come up with a paleoenvironmental approach.
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The geographic distribution of genetic diversity and the population structure of tetraploid wheat landraces in the Mediterranean basin has received relatively little attention. This is complicated by the lack of consensus concerning the... more
The geographic distribution of genetic diversity and the population structure of tetraploid wheat landraces in the Mediterranean basin has received relatively little attention. This is complicated by the lack of consensus concerning the taxonomy of tetraploid wheats and by unresolved questions regarding the domestication and spread of naked wheats. These knowledge gaps hinder crop diversity conservation efforts and plant breeding programmes. We investigated genetic diversity and population structure in tetraploid wheats (wild emmer, emmer, rivet and durum) using nuclear and chloroplast simple sequence repeats, functional variations and insertion site-based polymorphisms. Emmer and wild emmer constitute a genetically distinct population from durum and rivet, the latter seeming to share a common gene pool. Our population structure and genetic diversity data suggest a dynamic history of introduction and extinction of genotypes in the Mediterranean fields.
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Gibaja, J, Peña-Chocarro, L, Ibáñez, J, Zapata, L, Rodríguez, A, Linstädter, J, Pérez, G, Morales, J, Gassin, B, Faustino, A, González, J, Clemente, I (2012). A los dos lados del Estrecho: las primeras hoces líticas y evidencias de agricultura enel sur de la Península Ibérica y elnorte de Marruecosmore
During the last years different research projects are allowing us to study the earliest farming evidences in the Iberian Peninsula and Northern Morocco. The analyses of plant macroremains and use wear of lithic tools, in relation to the... more
During the last years different research projects are allowing us to study the earliest farming evidences in the Iberian Peninsula and Northern Morocco. The analyses of plant macroremains and use wear of lithic tools, in relation to the chronology of the sites, are the subjects we deal with in this paper. When the number of studied sites increases in the near future the analyses will allow us to address the origin of the Neolithic in the Western Mediterranean.
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Research Interests:
"La Vaquera Cave is located at the centre of the Iberian Peninsula (Segovia). The cave was occupied by the first groups of farmers settling down in the area, during the late 6th millennium cal BC. In this paper, we study the lithic tools... more
"La Vaquera Cave is located at the centre of the Iberian Peninsula (Segovia). The cave was occupied by the first groups of farmers settling down in the area, during the late 6th millennium cal BC. In this paper, we study the lithic tools which were used for cereal harvesting and processing. The characteristics of these agricultural tools are compared with those coming from other Early Neolithic sites, which have been previously analyzed. The pattern of geographical distribution of the different sickle types is explained in the context of the spread of agriculture in the Western Mediterranean region."
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Jover Maestre, F.J., Rodríguez Rodríguez, A.C. & Molina Hernández, F.J. (2012). Obtención, producción y uso de rocas silíceas en el Mesolítico Geométrico, fase A, de la fachada oriental de la Península Ibérica: el yacimiento de Benàmer (Muro, Alicante) MUNIBE (Antropologia-Arkeologia), 63 105-135more
In this paper we present the study of lithic production of the Mesolithic occupation of the site of Benàmer (Muro, Alicante, Spain). It is intended to address the set of work processes related to the production, use and consumption of... more
In this paper we present the study of lithic production of the Mesolithic occupation of the site of Benàmer (Muro, Alicante, Spain). It is intended to address the set of work processes related to the production, use and consumption of lithic artefacts, until their final abandonment. Through the study of lithic production and its cultural properties we try to approach the specific societies that elaborated and used these items.
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The detailed synthesis of pollen records from Western Andalusia allows us to confirm the first human impact on the landscape and the primary evidence of farming in the 5th and the 4th millennia cal. BC. The spatial and temporal dynamics... more
The detailed synthesis of pollen records from Western Andalusia allows us to confirm the first human impact on the landscape and the primary evidence of farming in the 5th and the 4th millennia cal. BC. The spatial and temporal dynamics of plant communities have been interpreted as a result of human settlements interactions and economic practices transformation.
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"Einkorn (Triticum monococcum L.) was one of the first cereals to be domesticated in the Old World ca. 10,000 years ago and to spread towards Europe and North Africa. Its cultivation declined before the Iron Age and it remains today only... more
"Einkorn (Triticum monococcum L.) was one of the first cereals to be domesticated in the Old World ca. 10,000 years ago and to spread towards Europe and North Africa. Its cultivation declined before the Iron Age and it remains today only as a relic crop in remote areas. To investigate if the geographic distribution of genetic diversity in modern einkorn landrace accessions could be
informative about the movement of this crop during prehistory, we genotyped 50 accessions of einkorn from Europe, North Africa and the Near East. Using nuclear and chloroplast microsatellites and clustering methods, we detected two main gene pools in einkorn. The distribution of these lineages revealed differences between accessions from Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe and the Near East and suggests different regional dynamics in the spread of this crop."
informative about the movement of this crop during prehistory, we genotyped 50 accessions of einkorn from Europe, North Africa and the Near East. Using nuclear and chloroplast microsatellites and clustering methods, we detected two main gene pools in einkorn. The distribution of these lineages revealed differences between accessions from Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe and the Near East and suggests different regional dynamics in the spread of this crop."
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Climate conditions during the early Holocene may have contributed to the spread of Old World agriculture from its area of birth, in the Fertile Crescent (Near East), west through the Mediterranean Basin. Reconstructing the specific... more
Climate conditions during the early Holocene may have contributed to the spread of Old World agriculture from its area of birth, in the Fertile Crescent (Near East), west through the Mediterranean Basin. Reconstructing the specific environmental conditions existing in early agricultural settlements of the western Mediterranean may help to elucidate this point. The aim of this work was to gain information on past climate of one of the earliest agricultural settlements of the Iberian Peninsula, La Draga, a lacustrine site dating back to the 2nd half of the 8th millennium BP, in which post fragments of deciduous oak have been exceptionally well preserved in an anaerobic environment (sub-fossil wood). We studied the relationship between climate factors and carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) and oxygen isotope composition (δ18O) in wood α-cellulose from modern tree-ring series of Quercus humilis Mill. and Quercus petraea (Matt) Liebl. recovered from the area. Climatic responses observed in extant material were used to interpret the isotopic signal of wood α-cellulose extracted from sub-fossil wood. Results showed that water availability of late spring, early summer and September influences Δ13C and δ18O, which allows their use as proxies for palaeoclimatic reconstruction. Differences between sub-fossil and extant samples in Δ13C (19.35 vs. 18.02‰) and δ18O (26.32 vs. 29.28‰) records suggest slightly lower temperatures and higher plant water availability than at present during the establishment of agriculture at the site. These results seem to disprove the existence of an environmental limitation preventing continuation of hunting and gathering activities as a cause for the adoption of agriculture in this early agricultural site on the Iberian Peninsula.
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Marvellous preservation of organic materials at the Neolithic site of La Draga in north-east Iberia include a range of wooden harvesting tools. The authors examine the wood and flint to describe a range of the earliest harvesting... more
Marvellous preservation of organic materials at the Neolithic site of La Draga in north-east Iberia include a range of wooden harvesting tools. The authors examine the wood and flint to describe a range of the earliest harvesting techniques and their diverse applications.
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"This study focuses on the archaeobotanical data related to agriculture in the Early Neolithic (6th-5th millennium BC) of Andalusia (Spain). First, the archaeobotanical record is described, showing a predominance of freethreshing wheats,... more
"This study focuses on the archaeobotanical data related to agriculture in the Early Neolithic (6th-5th millennium BC) of Andalusia (Spain). First, the archaeobotanical record is described, showing a predominance of freethreshing wheats, fluctuating proportions of hulled wheats, and a varied assemblage of legumes. Flax and poppy are also documented at some of the sites analysed. The pattern detected is compared to that found in
other regions of the Iberian Peninsula and eventually to that reported for central Europe. Particular emphasis is placed on the considerable crop diversity found in Andalusia.
"
other regions of the Iberian Peninsula and eventually to that reported for central Europe. Particular emphasis is placed on the considerable crop diversity found in Andalusia.
"
Research Interests:
Pollen analysis from Los Tiesos barrow demonstrates the existence of a dehesa landscape during the 3rd millennium cal. BC, without evidences of agriculture. These facts allow us to interpret the monument as a place of transit of cattle... more
Pollen analysis from Los Tiesos barrow demonstrates the existence of a dehesa landscape during the 3rd millennium cal. BC, without evidences of agriculture. These facts allow us to interpret the monument as a place of transit of cattle (transtermitance) during the chronocultural period under consideration
Ancient DNA studies are increasingly becoming a very powerful tool by providing new insights into both, extant and extinct species. Therefore, this type of studies can easily be incorporated within a multidisciplinary approach for... more
Ancient DNA studies are increasingly becoming a very powerful tool by providing new insights into both, extant and extinct species. Therefore, this type of studies can easily be incorporated within a multidisciplinary approach for archaeopalaeontological studies. In this article we review some of these applications, emphasizing on sexual and taxonomical determination, domestication events, and phylogeographic structure
during glacial cycles highlighting the importance of the presence or absence of glacial refugia. Here we present new and preliminary data on ancient DNA studies applied to the site of Arlanpe (Lemoa, Bizkaia). In this site we have obtained mitochondrial DNA from brown bear, large bovids and iberian ibex remains. One of the bear samples from Arlanpe is included within the 3c clade, which is composed by extinct bears from Alaska. Two of the large bovid samples from Arlanpe have been identified as auroch (Bos primigenius) using DNA analysis.
during glacial cycles highlighting the importance of the presence or absence of glacial refugia. Here we present new and preliminary data on ancient DNA studies applied to the site of Arlanpe (Lemoa, Bizkaia). In this site we have obtained mitochondrial DNA from brown bear, large bovids and iberian ibex remains. One of the bear samples from Arlanpe is included within the 3c clade, which is composed by extinct bears from Alaska. Two of the large bovid samples from Arlanpe have been identified as auroch (Bos primigenius) using DNA analysis.
"The coast of Málaga has shown an important concentration of prehistoric sites with Neolithic occupation. This paper aims to review their historiography as well as briefly present the main lines of the interdisciplinary research carried... more
"The coast of Málaga has shown an important concentration of prehistoric sites with Neolithic occupation. This paper aims
to review their historiography as well as briefly present the main lines of the interdisciplinary research carried at Cueva of
Nerja and sites located at the southern part of Sierra de Mijas. Data is still preliminary but it shows the presence of a fully
developed Neolithic which seems to be related to the arrival of Neolithic pioneers from the second half of the 8th millennium
cal BP."
to review their historiography as well as briefly present the main lines of the interdisciplinary research carried at Cueva of
Nerja and sites located at the southern part of Sierra de Mijas. Data is still preliminary but it shows the presence of a fully
developed Neolithic which seems to be related to the arrival of Neolithic pioneers from the second half of the 8th millennium
cal BP."
This paper presents results from the functionality analyses of the flint implements recovered from the Neolithic levels of the Nerja cave (La Mina Room) during the 1965-1967 field seasons. The new data helps to understand the importance... more
This paper presents results from the functionality analyses of the flint implements recovered from the Neolithic levels of the Nerja cave (La Mina Room) during the 1965-1967 field seasons. The new data helps to understand the importance of the daily activities carried out at the site and the role these implements had.
Les lames en silex lustrées des sites de la Cova de l’Or et de la Cova de la Sarsa (Pays valencien, Espagne méditerranéenne) ont toujours été considérées comme des éléments ou des armatures de faucille, bien que cette fonction n’avait... more
Les lames en silex lustrées des sites de la Cova de l’Or et de la Cova de la Sarsa (Pays valencien, Espagne méditerranéenne) ont toujours été considérées comme des éléments ou des armatures
de faucille, bien que cette fonction n’avait pas été démontrée par la tracéologie microscopique. L’observation à fort grossissement d’un échantillon provenant des deux sites a confirmé les premières présomptions, tandis que l’analyse typométrique a permis de distinguer au moins deux groupes d’armatures
en termes de longueur absolue. Du point de vue de la morphologie et des types d’emmanchement, les éléments de faucille d’Or et de Sarsa, dans leur ensemble, entretiennent une étroite relation avec ceux d’autres sites de l’est et du sud de la péninsule Ibérique, tout en formant un groupe technoculturel différencié par rapport aux éléments d’autres régions péninsulaires, comme le Nord-Est, et françaises, comme le Languedoc ou la Provence.
de faucille, bien que cette fonction n’avait pas été démontrée par la tracéologie microscopique. L’observation à fort grossissement d’un échantillon provenant des deux sites a confirmé les premières présomptions, tandis que l’analyse typométrique a permis de distinguer au moins deux groupes d’armatures
en termes de longueur absolue. Du point de vue de la morphologie et des types d’emmanchement, les éléments de faucille d’Or et de Sarsa, dans leur ensemble, entretiennent une étroite relation avec ceux d’autres sites de l’est et du sud de la péninsule Ibérique, tout en formant un groupe technoculturel différencié par rapport aux éléments d’autres régions péninsulaires, comme le Nord-Est, et françaises, comme le Languedoc ou la Provence.
A multi-proxy study (pollen and NPPs, geochemical composition and radiocarbon dating), combined with principal components analysis, was applied to a core sampled in the Monte Areo mire (Asturias, N Spain), which covers the last 11,600... more
A multi-proxy study (pollen and NPPs, geochemical composition and radiocarbon dating), combined with principal components analysis, was applied to a core sampled in the Monte Areo mire (Asturias, N Spain), which covers the last 11,600 years cal BP. Both signals of Holocene climate change and transformations
by human activities were recorded. The cooler stage of the early Holocene, the Hypsithermal and the Neoglaciation periods, were
indentified but later Holocene abrupt climate changes seem not to have been recorded due to the
particular evolution of the fen/mire system and the impact of human activities on the local hydrology.
Evidence for human activity included a first phase of pastoralism by w7300 cal BP, and an extraordinary record of adoption and establishment of agriculture. The first evidence of cereal pollen, dated to approximately 6700 cal BP, represents one of the earliest records of agriculture in northern Spain. Contrary to previous studies which, based on assumed biogeographical limitations, proposed a late adoption of agriculture in the area, our results indicate a rapid expansion of agriculture in northern Spain
from the eastern to the westernmost areas more in agreement with recent archaeobotanical investigations (Zapata et al., 2004, 2005). The research also indicates that climate and human activities interplayed to determine the evolution of the studied area, and that a multi-proxy approach applied to natural archives appropriately located (in areas with evidence of past human occupation) is a productive way to obtain circumstantial evidence of early human activity.
by human activities were recorded. The cooler stage of the early Holocene, the Hypsithermal and the Neoglaciation periods, were
indentified but later Holocene abrupt climate changes seem not to have been recorded due to the
particular evolution of the fen/mire system and the impact of human activities on the local hydrology.
Evidence for human activity included a first phase of pastoralism by w7300 cal BP, and an extraordinary record of adoption and establishment of agriculture. The first evidence of cereal pollen, dated to approximately 6700 cal BP, represents one of the earliest records of agriculture in northern Spain. Contrary to previous studies which, based on assumed biogeographical limitations, proposed a late adoption of agriculture in the area, our results indicate a rapid expansion of agriculture in northern Spain
from the eastern to the westernmost areas more in agreement with recent archaeobotanical investigations (Zapata et al., 2004, 2005). The research also indicates that climate and human activities interplayed to determine the evolution of the studied area, and that a multi-proxy approach applied to natural archives appropriately located (in areas with evidence of past human occupation) is a productive way to obtain circumstantial evidence of early human activity.
The detailed synthesis of pollen, charcoal and seed records from Eastern Andalousia allows us to confirm the first human impact on the landscape and the first evidence of farming in the second half of the VI millenium cal. BC (ca.... more
The detailed synthesis of pollen, charcoal and seed records from Eastern Andalousia allows us to confirm the first human impact on the landscape and the first evidence of farming in the second half of the VI millenium cal. BC (ca. 5500-5000 cal. BC). The spatial and temporal dynamics of plant communities have been interpreted as a result of human settlements interactions and economic practices transformation.
Cultivated crops are present in Andalusia and Mediterranean Morocco at least from the second half of the 6th millennium cal BC. Free-threshing and hulled wheat and barley have been identified but the naked types are more abundant.... more
Cultivated crops are present in Andalusia and Mediterranean Morocco at least from the second half of the 6th millennium cal BC. Free-threshing and hulled wheat and barley have been identified but the naked types are more abundant. Legumes show a high diversity: lentil, broad bean, pea, grass pea and bitter vetch. Flax has been identified at least from the late Neolithic and there might be a case of local cultivation and domestication of poppy. Wild plant foods are still present but it is difficult to evaluate their relative contribution to human diet.
This paper discusses the potential and limits of wood charcoal analysis in dolmen sites. For that purpose, we present the case of the study of plant macroremains from Mendigana dolmen in Gorbeia. The sampling strategy has considered all... more
This paper discusses the potential and limits of wood charcoal analysis in dolmen sites. For that purpose, we present the case of the study of plant macroremains from Mendigana dolmen in Gorbeia. The sampling strategy has considered all the areas in which there has been an archaeological intervention (chamber, frontal stratigraphic section, sondage) and there have been analyses of both, samples collected in situ and flotation processed samples. Other plant macroremains are very few, mostly fragments of hazelnut pericarp, a poorly represented taxon among wood charcoal. The main component of carbonized wood samples, are deciduous oaks with an important presence of bushy taxons of leguminous and heathers. Birch and beech are also significant taxons in some samples, while ash, hazel, alder and willow are present in low percentages. Thus, wood charcoal
suggests the presence of several plant communities in the surroundings of the dolmen: a mixed oakwood, a beechwood and open formations of heathers. The diversity of results in the analyzed contexts will allow us to discuss some questions about the method and the potential of wood charcoal analysis as independent contextual evidence and to understand the dynamic of formation, use and alteration of the archaeological structures.
suggests the presence of several plant communities in the surroundings of the dolmen: a mixed oakwood, a beechwood and open formations of heathers. The diversity of results in the analyzed contexts will allow us to discuss some questions about the method and the potential of wood charcoal analysis as independent contextual evidence and to understand the dynamic of formation, use and alteration of the archaeological structures.
This paper presents new data regarding agricultural developments in the Balearic Islands between the end of the 3rd millennium BC until the arrival of the Romans in the 2rd century BC. Data reveals that agriculture, together with raising... more
This paper presents new data regarding agricultural developments in the Balearic Islands between the end of the 3rd millennium BC until the arrival of the Romans in the 2rd century BC. Data reveals that agriculture, together with raising livestock, were the population's source of livelihood. Agriculture in the 3rd and 2rd millennium consisted essentially of growing cereals and legumes. The available data points to an agricultural progression similar to that of the continent in the region stretching between the south of France and the south of the Iberian Peninsula. The similarities in fact, possibly reflect contacts. Arboriculture was first introduced in the Island of Ibiza in the 1st millennium in contexts linked to Phoenician colonisation. Olive oil and the wine production developed remarkably on this island and were oriented toward export. Although specific dates are still unclear, this innovative process took place at a later period on the islands of Mallorca and Menorca.
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We present the results of the archaeobotanical study from Tell Mishrifeh (Syria). More than 130 samples coming from different structures from Operation J have been studied producing an interesting and wide-ranging botanical assemblage... more
We present the results of the archaeobotanical study from Tell Mishrifeh (Syria). More than 130 samples coming from different structures from Operation J have been studied producing an interesting and wide-ranging botanical assemblage which has allowed to reconstruct aspects of agricultural production and food preparation. Two-row barley is the main crop followed by emmer and free-threshing wheats. Cultivated legumes are represented by lentils, vetches, grass peas and possible broad beans. Both 0lives and grapes are also present.
Some of the samples represent particular crop-processing steps such as coarse and fine sieving which correspond to the first steps towards the transformation of cereals into food. In addition, it has been possible to identify remains of cereal based foods such as bread. Samples from the bottom part of silos have been also analyzed. The results have contributed to understand some of the techniques used to insulate the silos and ensure the conservation of the vegetable products stored.
Some of the samples represent particular crop-processing steps such as coarse and fine sieving which correspond to the first steps towards the transformation of cereals into food. In addition, it has been possible to identify remains of cereal based foods such as bread. Samples from the bottom part of silos have been also analyzed. The results have contributed to understand some of the techniques used to insulate the silos and ensure the conservation of the vegetable products stored.
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En este trabajo presentamos el estudio de los macrorrestos vegetales del yacimiento de la Edaddel Bronce de Peñalosa (Baños de la Encina, Jaén). La excavación y flotación de las diferentes estructuras delyacimiento han proporcionado una... more
En este trabajo presentamos el estudio de los macrorrestos vegetales del yacimiento de la Edaddel Bronce de Peñalosa (Baños de la Encina, Jaén). La excavación y flotación de las diferentes estructuras delyacimiento han proporcionado una gran cantidad de restos vegetales. Su estudio ha permitido profundizar sobrela economía del yacimiento sustentada en la agricultura cerealística. Se han identificado actividades relacionadascon el procesado de los cereales, en particular, restos de la criba de los cereales. La presencia de numerosasespecies silvestres pone de manifiesto que la explotación del medio natural constituía una parte importantede las prácticas de subsistencia llevadas a cabo por los habitantes del yacimiento. Además de las plantas utilizadasen la alimentación se han identificado especies relacionadas con otros usos.
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Over the last millennia, the land between the Alps and the Mediterranean Sea, characterized by extraordinary habitat diversity, has seen an outstanding cross-cultural development. For the first time, this paper reports on the census of... more
Over the last millennia, the land between the Alps and the Mediterranean Sea, characterized by extraordinary habitat diversity, has seen an outstanding cross-cultural development. For the first time, this paper reports on the census of the Holocene archaeological sites that have been studied as part of archaeobotany in Italy (continental Italy, the Italian peninsula and islands) over the last quarter in a century. Pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs, seeds and fruits, woods/charcoals and other plant remains have all been analysed in multidisciplinary researches. A list of 630 sites has been provided by more than 15 archaeobotanical teams. The sites are located across the 20 regions of Italy, and in the Republic of San Marino (356 sites in northern Italy, 118 in central Italy, 156 in southern Italy and on the islands). They belong to several cultural phases: 321 sites are only pre-Roman, 264 are Roman/post-Roman, and 45 sites cover a broader range of time, present in both time spans. Site distribution is plotted in maps of site density according to geographical districts and the main chronological phases. The reference list helps to find analytical data referring to the descriptive papers that may be scattered throughout monographies and specific books on the matter.
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This paper focuses on the study of prehistoric agriculture through the analysis of plant remains from archaeological sites. The first part is devoted to the analysis of the different types of macro remains likely to appear in the... more
This paper focuses on the study of prehistoric agriculture through the analysis of plant remains from archaeological sites. The first part is devoted to the analysis of the different types of macro remains likely to appear in the archaeological record as well as to their conservation. Recovery techniques such as flotation are also included. The second part gives an introduction to the origins of agriculture and its expansion through Europe including a brief discussion about the earliest data available for the Iberian Peninsula. The paper finishes with a revision of the interpretative models currently used in the reconstruction of agrarian practices and crop processing.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Since 1994, the Escuela Española de Historia y Arqueología en Roma-CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) has been coordinating the " Tusculum " Research Project, dedicated to the rediscovery and study of this important ancient... more
Since 1994, the Escuela Española de Historia y Arqueología en Roma-CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) has been coordinating the " Tusculum " Research Project, dedicated to the rediscovery and study of this important ancient settlement situated 30 km southeast of Rome. In 2012, the EEHAR launched an archaeological project focusing on exploring the medieval site, where-thanks to the drastic interruption of the continuity of life in the area since the thirteenth century-, today we have the possibility to analyze the city urban planning, while providing an interesting case for analysis of reuse and recover of Antiquity. Dal 1994, la Escuela Española de Historia y Archeología en Roma-CSIC (EEHAR-Consiglio Nazionale Spagnolo delle Ricerche) coordina il progetto di ricerca " Tusculum " , dedicato alla riscoperta e allo studio di questo importante insediamento antico situato a meno di 30 km a sud-est di Roma. Nel 2012, la EEHAR ha iniziato un nuovo progetto archeologico specificamente dedicato a esplorare la fase post-classica del sito, dove grazie alla drastica interruzione della continuità di vita nell'area a partire dal XIII secolo deriva oggi la possibilità di indagare l'articolazione urbanistica dell'abitato, fornendo ulteriormente un caso di studio molto interessante per l'analisi delle modalità di reimpiego e recupero dell'antico.
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In 2012, the launched an archaeological project dedicated to explore the medieval site of Tusculum. The effort made over the past four years to experiment in Tusculum –in particular in the area of the medieval fortress– using a highly... more
In 2012, the launched an archaeological project dedicated to explore the medieval
site of Tusculum. The effort made over the past four years to experiment in Tusculum –in
particular in the area of the medieval fortress– using a highly multidisciplinary approach and
pursuing an integrated interpretation of data by specialists with different backgrounds, has
enable for the first time the formulation of an historical framework that is not limited to the
reconstruction of a single monument, but aims, instead, to read it within a larger framework
of reference: notably the reconstruction of the medieval town planning (arx and civitas), Tusculum’s
relationship with its landscape, and the daily life of its inhabitants. This paper presents
the results from the 2015 season of excavation.
site of Tusculum. The effort made over the past four years to experiment in Tusculum –in
particular in the area of the medieval fortress– using a highly multidisciplinary approach and
pursuing an integrated interpretation of data by specialists with different backgrounds, has
enable for the first time the formulation of an historical framework that is not limited to the
reconstruction of a single monument, but aims, instead, to read it within a larger framework
of reference: notably the reconstruction of the medieval town planning (arx and civitas), Tusculum’s
relationship with its landscape, and the daily life of its inhabitants. This paper presents
the results from the 2015 season of excavation.
Over the last millennia, the land between the Alps and the Mediterranean sea, characterized by extraordinary habitat diversity, has seen an outstanding cross-cultural development. They cover a large time scale, from the prehistoric... more
Over the last millennia, the land between the Alps and the Mediterranean sea, characterized by extraordinary habitat diversity, has seen an outstanding cross-cultural development. They cover a large time scale, from the prehistoric through the protohistoric Iron Age, right up to the historical and modern times, and a variety of contexts that make this land one-of-a-kind. For this reason, a huge number of studies on plant records from archaeological contexts are carried out in Italy since the second half of the last century (e.g.: Follieri 1975; Castelletti 1976; Bakels 2002).
This data record synthesis (Mercuri et al. submitted) reports for the first time the census of the Holocene archaeological sites that have been studied for archaeobotany in Italy over the last quarter in a century. Sites are typical on-site contexts where samples for botanical analyses were collected during stratigraphical excavation fieldwork. Pollen, seeds and fruits, woods/charcoals and other plant remains were analysed in multidisciplinary researches. Fifteen archaeobotanical teams provided 630 sites (see below, 3 examples in the orange boxes from Northern , Central and Southern Italy).
Site distribution is plotted in maps of site density according to geographical districts and main chronological phases. The sites are located across the 20 regions of Italy, and in the Republic of San Marino (356 sites in northern Italy, 118 in central Italy, 156 in southern Italy and on the islands). They belong to several cultural phases, prevalently belonging to a pre-Roman phase.
In the majority of sites, seeds and fruits are important part of archaeobotanical studies. Charcoal analyses are also common, while those on woods are probably limited by preservation problems. One third of the sites include pollen analyses. Interestingly, many sites include other microscopic remains, such as non pollen palynomorphs and charcoal particles; the interest in phytoliths is still limited. Only around 20% of the studies include combined micro - and macroremains; however, there is an evident tendency in recent bibliographies towards the increasing consideration of combined botanical analyses (Sadori et al. 2010).
The synthesis presents a 796 titles reference list that helps to find analytical data referring to the descriptive papers that may be scattered throughout monographies and specific books on the matter.
This data record synthesis (Mercuri et al. submitted) reports for the first time the census of the Holocene archaeological sites that have been studied for archaeobotany in Italy over the last quarter in a century. Sites are typical on-site contexts where samples for botanical analyses were collected during stratigraphical excavation fieldwork. Pollen, seeds and fruits, woods/charcoals and other plant remains were analysed in multidisciplinary researches. Fifteen archaeobotanical teams provided 630 sites (see below, 3 examples in the orange boxes from Northern , Central and Southern Italy).
Site distribution is plotted in maps of site density according to geographical districts and main chronological phases. The sites are located across the 20 regions of Italy, and in the Republic of San Marino (356 sites in northern Italy, 118 in central Italy, 156 in southern Italy and on the islands). They belong to several cultural phases, prevalently belonging to a pre-Roman phase.
In the majority of sites, seeds and fruits are important part of archaeobotanical studies. Charcoal analyses are also common, while those on woods are probably limited by preservation problems. One third of the sites include pollen analyses. Interestingly, many sites include other microscopic remains, such as non pollen palynomorphs and charcoal particles; the interest in phytoliths is still limited. Only around 20% of the studies include combined micro - and macroremains; however, there is an evident tendency in recent bibliographies towards the increasing consideration of combined botanical analyses (Sadori et al. 2010).
The synthesis presents a 796 titles reference list that helps to find analytical data referring to the descriptive papers that may be scattered throughout monographies and specific books on the matter.
We invite you to submit your abstract on http://www.eaa2017maastricht.nl until 15 th March 2017. Contributions from different disciplines focusing on material from latrines, cesspits, sewers and other waste places will be welcomed. We... more
We invite you to submit your abstract on http://www.eaa2017maastricht.nl until 15 th March 2017. Contributions from different disciplines focusing on material from latrines, cesspits, sewers and other waste places will be welcomed. We will organize an interdisciplinary session of half-day duration (about 4 hours) with max.15 minutes presentations. Every effort will be done to produce a scientific publication of all the session's contributions. If you have any query about the session, please do not hesitate to contact: leonor.chocarro@csic.es or guillem.perez@csic.es SESSION ABSTRACT Latrines, cesspits, sewers and other waste places are common features in the archaeological record of many European urban sites from the Roman period onwards. These contexts provide important information on the daily life of the communities using them. Waste from food including seeds, fruits, bones and mollusks, insects, parasites and many other items of organic origin (hair, skin etc.) are commonly found together with other waste material and rubbish in these trash places. Apart from the environmental information that can be obtained, the study of food waste and fecal material from latrines, sewers and contexts alike allows exploring a large variety of issues related to food and its consumption, e.g. culinary habits, food trade and imports, diseases, or population health and hygiene. The aim of this session is to approach the study of these various aspects through the analysis of archaeobiological material from latrines, sewers and cesspits from Roman and Medieval case studies. We seek contributions focusing on the study of different types of organic materials from food waste and fecal material that highlight the potential of these contexts for advancing our knowledge on Roman and Medieval food related issues such as dietary habits and food preparation. Special emphasis will be given to interdisciplinary approaches and new methodologies.
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Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to invite you to participate to our recently accepted session called: "Approaches to Early Farming Systems: diffusion and development of agricultural practices into the Mediterranean-SESSION #285" within... more
Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to invite you to participate to our recently accepted session called: "Approaches to Early Farming Systems: diffusion and development of agricultural practices into the Mediterranean-SESSION #285" within the "23th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists" which will be held in Maastricht (The Netherlands), 30 August-3 September 2017. We invite you to submit your participation abstract on http://www.eaa2017maastricht.nl from 31st of January 2017. All contributions approaching ancient farming system from different perspectives and methodological points of view will be welcomed. Our aim is to organize an interdisciplinary session of a half-day duration (about 4 hours) with a maximum of 14/15 15-minute presentations. A space of discussion and exchange, with contributions from different disciplines. Our best efforts will be made to ensure a high quality publication of all the session's contributions.
SESSION ABSTRACT The emergence of agricultural economies is a defining factor in Neolithic societies not only because a relevant part of subsistence depended on domesticated plants, but also because crop-husbandry practices strongly affected the lifestyle of farming groups in many different aspects.. Therefore, it is not a surprise that the study of farming systems can be addressed from a variety of angles using different approaches, eg. by directly analysing seeds and fruits or, indirectly, by assessing its impact on the environment and the subsequent landscape modifications. It is also possible to explore the influence of crop-husbandry practices in the technological system; new knowledge and novel tools were developed while existing technologies were adapted to new tasks. In this session, we aim at bringing together scientists working on different issues related to Neolithic farming systems of the Mediterranean: crop and weed assemblages, agricultural tools and techniques, field manuring, animal feeding practices, storage techniques, by-product uses, dietary patterns, social aspects of agricultural production and its environmental impact, etc. Our objective is to approach agriculture as a non-divisible system, in which domesticated plants and animals, environment, human techniques and cultural practices continuously and reciprocally interact. To that end, we invite contributions focusing on the origins, diffusion and development of agricultural systems from an array of viewpoints, trying to integrate discipline-specific knowledge into an interdisciplinary framework. Comparative studies about interregional dynamics between different areas of the Mediterranean are welcome as well.
SESSION ABSTRACT The emergence of agricultural economies is a defining factor in Neolithic societies not only because a relevant part of subsistence depended on domesticated plants, but also because crop-husbandry practices strongly affected the lifestyle of farming groups in many different aspects.. Therefore, it is not a surprise that the study of farming systems can be addressed from a variety of angles using different approaches, eg. by directly analysing seeds and fruits or, indirectly, by assessing its impact on the environment and the subsequent landscape modifications. It is also possible to explore the influence of crop-husbandry practices in the technological system; new knowledge and novel tools were developed while existing technologies were adapted to new tasks. In this session, we aim at bringing together scientists working on different issues related to Neolithic farming systems of the Mediterranean: crop and weed assemblages, agricultural tools and techniques, field manuring, animal feeding practices, storage techniques, by-product uses, dietary patterns, social aspects of agricultural production and its environmental impact, etc. Our objective is to approach agriculture as a non-divisible system, in which domesticated plants and animals, environment, human techniques and cultural practices continuously and reciprocally interact. To that end, we invite contributions focusing on the origins, diffusion and development of agricultural systems from an array of viewpoints, trying to integrate discipline-specific knowledge into an interdisciplinary framework. Comparative studies about interregional dynamics between different areas of the Mediterranean are welcome as well.
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Las diferentes teorías que pretenden explicar el neolítico desde posicionamientos migracionistas o indigenistas excluyentes no llegan a dar respuestas satisfactorias a la complejidad inherente al proceso de adquisición de la economía... more
Las diferentes teorías que pretenden explicar el neolítico desde posicionamientos migracionistas o indigenistas excluyentes no llegan a dar respuestas satisfactorias a la complejidad inherente al proceso de adquisición de la economía productora. Desde este marco conceptual era necesario plantear un proyecto, necesariamente internacional por su contexto geográfico y pluridisciplinar por los ámbitos de estudio abarcados, que a través de la colaboración con otros equipos e investigadores del sur peninsular y norte de África, avanzase en el estudio de registros novedosos o ya previamente conocidos mediante nuevos enfoques metodológicos que dieran contenido a determinadas lagunas de información empírica, cuyos resultados contribuyesen a los actuales debates teóricos relativos a la neolitización en dichos territorios.
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This volume is the outcome of collaborative European research among archaeologists, archaeobotanists, ethnographers, historians and agronomists, and frequently uses experiments in archaeology. It aims to establish new common ground for... more
This volume is the outcome of collaborative European research among archaeologists, archaeobotanists, ethnographers, historians and agronomists, and frequently uses experiments in archaeology. It aims to establish new common ground for integrating different approaches and for viewing agriculture from the standpoint of the human actors involved. Each chapter provides an interdisciplinary overview of the skills used and the social context of the pursuit of agriculture, highlighting examples of tools, technologies and processes from land clearance to cereal processing and food preparation. This is the second of three volumes in the EARTH monograph series, The dynamics of non-industrial agriculture: 8,000 years of resilience and innovation , which shows the great variety of agricultural practices in human terms, in their social, political, cultural and legal contexts.
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Durante los trabajos arqueológicos desarrollados en el solar de la Calle Marino Alcalá Galiano nº 3, emplazado en el casco urbano de la Ciudad de Córdoba, en el entorno conocido como Tablero Alto o la Arruzafa, han podido ser documentadas... more
Durante los trabajos arqueológicos desarrollados en el solar de la Calle Marino Alcalá Galiano nº 3, emplazado en el casco urbano de la Ciudad de Córdoba, en el entorno conocido como Tablero Alto o la Arruzafa, han podido ser documentadas hasta siete estructuras excavadas en el sustrato geológico, la mayoría de ellas de planta circular y muy afectadas por fases históricas posteriores. Todas ellas responden a una misma fase ocupacional correspondiente al Horizonte de las Cazuelas Carenadas, correspondiente al último cuarto del IV milenio ANE. Ello representa un inestimable testimonio de la presencia de un poblado de características similares a otros documentados en el valle y campiñas del Guadalquivir, en un período en el que la ocupación humana en la región se muestra sorprendentemente intensa en relación a los siglos precedentes.