- Instituto de Historia
Centro de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales, CSIC
C/ Albasanz 26-28. 28037-Madrid
- Neolithic Spain, Copper age, Neolithic Transition, Neolithic Europe, Archaeological Theory, Early Neolithic pottery technology, and 41 morePrehistoric Settlement, Religion and ritual in prehistory, Mediterranean prehistory, European Prehistory (Archaeology), Iberian Prehistory (Archaeology), Archaeological Method & Theory, Neolithic flint procurement, Neolithic Archaeology, Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, British Prehistory (Archaeology), Archaeological Science, Archaeological theory and practice, Bayesian Radiocarbon Dating, Anthropology, Pottery (Archaeology), Pottery technology and function, Stable Isotope Analysis, Stable Isotopes, Strontium Isotope Analysis, Radiocarbon Dating (Earth Sciences), 14C dating (Archaeology), Ancient economies (Archaeology), Anthropology of Kinship, Aegean Bronze Age (Bronze Age Archaeology), Prehistory of Malta and Gozo, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Archaeology of children, Prehistoric Ditched Enclosures, Ancient DNA of Human Populations, Mitochondrial DNA, Ancient Migrations, Neolithic, Biological Anthropology, Valencina de la Concepción (Seville, Spain), Gift Exchange, Mortuary archaeology, Bioarchaeology, Food Storage, Bell Beakers (Archaeology), and Bell Beakersedit
La tierra apropiada, es el tercer volumen de la serie Madrid, una historia para todos. Publicada por la Comunidad de Madrid, se trata de una prehistoria ilustrada, divulgativa y amena, que aborda el periodo conocido como Prehistoria... more
La tierra apropiada, es el tercer volumen de la serie Madrid, una historia para todos. Publicada por la Comunidad de Madrid, se trata de una prehistoria ilustrada, divulgativa y amena, que aborda el periodo conocido como Prehistoria reciente, desde el origen de las primeras sociedades agricultoras y ganaderas hasta el final de Edad del Bronce.
El inicio de la producción de alimentos generó un cambio en las formas de habitar el mundo que ha marcado la Historia de la Humanidad hasta la actualidad. Este libro presenta de forma rigurosa y atractiva los cambios sucedidos a lo largo de cinco mil años de Prehistoria, entrelazando la historia regional de Madrid con la peninsular y mundial.
Su título es un guiño al lector interesado, un juego de palabras sobre cómo las primeras sociedades productoras de alimentos buscaron las tierras más apropiadas para desarrollar su incipiente economía agropecuaria, y de cómo las tomaron para sí, las apropiaron para ellos y sus descendientes.
La tierra apropiada contiene 80 fotografías, así como 44 infografías y 8 recreaciones a doble página realizadas a propósito para este libro. Cada recreación muestra una instantánea de la vida en la Prehistoria reciente a través de momentos representativos, como la extracción de sílex en la mina del Neolítico Antiguo de Casa Montero, los poblados rodeados de fosos y terraplenes de la Edad del Cobre o los enterramientos campaniformes con exóticos ajuares de oro, marfil y cobre del Camino de las Yeseras.
La tierra apropiada es una Prehistoria actualizada y al alcance de todos.
El inicio de la producción de alimentos generó un cambio en las formas de habitar el mundo que ha marcado la Historia de la Humanidad hasta la actualidad. Este libro presenta de forma rigurosa y atractiva los cambios sucedidos a lo largo de cinco mil años de Prehistoria, entrelazando la historia regional de Madrid con la peninsular y mundial.
Su título es un guiño al lector interesado, un juego de palabras sobre cómo las primeras sociedades productoras de alimentos buscaron las tierras más apropiadas para desarrollar su incipiente economía agropecuaria, y de cómo las tomaron para sí, las apropiaron para ellos y sus descendientes.
La tierra apropiada contiene 80 fotografías, así como 44 infografías y 8 recreaciones a doble página realizadas a propósito para este libro. Cada recreación muestra una instantánea de la vida en la Prehistoria reciente a través de momentos representativos, como la extracción de sílex en la mina del Neolítico Antiguo de Casa Montero, los poblados rodeados de fosos y terraplenes de la Edad del Cobre o los enterramientos campaniformes con exóticos ajuares de oro, marfil y cobre del Camino de las Yeseras.
La tierra apropiada es una Prehistoria actualizada y al alcance de todos.
Research Interests:
The volume includes 27 original papers presented at the Conference. Considering the variety of topics, the editors decided to organize them following a geographical criterion. All in all, the volume represents the tireless activity of a... more
The volume includes 27 original papers presented at the Conference. Considering the variety of topics, the editors decided to organize them following a geographical criterion. All in all, the volume represents the tireless activity of a reasonably large group of researchers that consider the social and economic context of fl int mining as a key source for understanding prehistoric and protohistoric societies.
Research Interests:
This volume is the product of a one day session organised within the IVth Congresso de Arqueología Peninsular, held in Faro (Portugal) between 14th-19th September 2004. The aim of this session was to discuss the subject matter of... more
This volume is the product of a one day session organised within the IVth Congresso de Arqueología Peninsular, held in Faro (Portugal) between 14th-19th September 2004. The aim of this session was to discuss the subject matter of prehistoric social inequality, a topic that had never before been examined in an Iberian archaeology conference. The time span covered by this book is Late Prehistory, between the second half of the 6th and the beginning of the 1st millennia cal BC (Neolithic, Copper Age and Bronze Age). From a thematic viewpoint, this volume discusses a wide series of issues. These include theoretical problems (like for example, applicability of social evolution taxonomies, centre-periphery relationships, or the sets of factors causing inequalities), empirical problems (critical assessment of the validity of systems of empirical indicators, empirical testing of hypothesis, quality of the available data), as well as interpretative problems (comparative inter-regional and diachronic analyses of the economic, social and ideological process involved in social inequality).
Research Interests: Collective Behavior, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anthropology, Social Anthropology, and 62 moreSocial Sciences, Death Studies, Mediterranean prehistory, Self-Organization, Political Anthropology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Rock Art (Archaeology), State Formation, Complex Systems, Funerary Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Bronze Age Archaeology, Social Organisation (Archaeology), Social History, Megalithic Monuments, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Social Evolution, Social Change, revolution, and evolution, Inequality (Economics), Late Bronze Age archaeology, Anthropology of Death, Chiefdoms (Archaeology), Iberian Prehistory (Archaeology), Cultural Anthropology, Social Inequality (Anthropology), Burial Practices (Archaeology), Neolithic Europe, Bronze Age (Archaeology), The archaeology of state formation, Early Bronze Age (Archaeology), Middle Bronze Age, Bronze And Iron Age In Mediterrarranean (Archaeology), Prehistory, Arqueología, Funerary Architecture, Prehistoric Rock Art, Neolithic, Cooperation, Social Complexity, Social Inequality, Rock Art, Early State Formation, Funerary Practices, Bronze Age, Political Economy in Chiefdom-Level Societies, Late Bronze Age, Social Complexity (Archaeology), Evolution of Social Complexity, Copper age, Poverty and Inequality, Chiefdoms, Archaeology of death and burial, Burial Customs, Social and Cultural Evolution, Social Stratification and Inequality, Chiefdom, Complex Chiefdoms, Models of Social Evolution, Archaeological Chiefdoms, and Chiefdom Religion
Settlements incorporating large-scale human aggregations are a well-documented but poorly understood phenomenon across late prehistoric Europe. The authors’ research examines the origins and trajectory of such aggregations through isotope... more
Settlements incorporating large-scale human aggregations are a well-documented but poorly understood phenomenon across late prehistoric Europe. The authors’ research examines the origins and trajectory of such aggregations through isotope analysis of human skeletal remains from the mega-site of Marroquíes in Jaén, Spain. The results indicate that eight per cent of 115 sampled individuals are of non-local origin. These individuals received mortuary treatments indistinguishable from those of locals, suggesting their incorporation into pre-existing social networks in both life and death. This research contributes to our understanding of the extent and patterning of human mobility, which underlies the emergence of late prehistoric mega-sites in Europe.
Research Interests: Prehistoric Archaeology, Stable Isotope Analysis, Mediterranean prehistory, Anthropology of Mobility, History of the Mediterranean, and 8 moreNeolithic Europe, Mediterranean archaeology, Bioanthropology, European Prehistory (Archaeology), Mortuary archaeology, Strontium Isotope Analysis, Copper age, and Neolithic & Chalcolithic enclosures
At 113-ha in size and dating to the 3rd millennium cal BC, the ditched enclosure site of Marroquíes is one of the latest mega-sites in Iberia. The settlement preserves multiple mortuary areas which contain over 450 individuals, allowing... more
At 113-ha in size and dating to the 3rd millennium cal BC, the ditched enclosure site of Marroquíes is one of the latest mega-sites in Iberia. The settlement preserves multiple mortuary areas which contain over 450 individuals, allowing for the examination of inter-individual and inter-group variability in diet and health. This study presents the first large-scale palaeodietary assessment of the site through the analysis of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope values from 113 human and 23 faunal samples. It also offers the first comprehensive analysis of dental disease at Marroquíes in a sample of over 4,600 human teeth. Humans at Marroquíes exhibit mean values of 8.4 ± 0.9‰ for δ15N and -19.3 ± 0.3‰ for δ13C, suggesting a diet predominantly based on proteins from terrestrial C3 plant foodwebs, conforming to a broader dietary pattern common throughout Late Prehistoric Iberia. Dental analyses revealed significant differences in the frequency of hypoplasias and calculus between mortuary areas. Overall, the documented variability within mortuary areas is higher than variability between them, suggesting that although differences in consumption patterns did exist, the bonds created by group affinities outweighed the expression of social asymmetries at death.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Materialist perspectives have focused their arguments on the leading role of coercion and conflict in order to explain the Third millennium BC Iberian archaeological record. Recently, ritual dynamics have been considered. All arguments... more
Materialist perspectives have focused their arguments on the leading role of coercion and conflict in order to explain the Third
millennium BC Iberian archaeological record. Recently, ritual dynamics have been considered. All arguments rely on the same
evidence, having explicit or implicit generalizing interpretative intentions. This paper is a critical review of two recurring opinions
used by Spanish scholars to support the hierarchical -read class- and coercive nature of Copper Age societies: that variability in settlement size reflects control hierarchies and that highly formalized planning of villages and monumental enclosures reflect direct coercive control of labor. Finally, I briefly comment on some recent and problematic uses of the ritual/domestic dichotomy.
millennium BC Iberian archaeological record. Recently, ritual dynamics have been considered. All arguments rely on the same
evidence, having explicit or implicit generalizing interpretative intentions. This paper is a critical review of two recurring opinions
used by Spanish scholars to support the hierarchical -read class- and coercive nature of Copper Age societies: that variability in settlement size reflects control hierarchies and that highly formalized planning of villages and monumental enclosures reflect direct coercive control of labor. Finally, I briefly comment on some recent and problematic uses of the ritual/domestic dichotomy.
Research Interests:
This contribution presents a political model for interpreting the large Copper Age settlements of the Iberian Peninsula. It considers that factional competition within segmentary societies creates conditions that both promote... more
This contribution presents a political model for interpreting the large Copper Age settlements of the Iberian Peninsula. It considers that factional competition within segmentary societies creates conditions that both promote aggregational processes and undermine them (frequently leading to group fission). The critical moment when factional leaders may consolidate their power is the initial mobilization of a collective workforce. If such consolidation fails to take place, factional competition and the development of household interests multiplies the fronts on which resistance to leaders can take place. This model is applied to the archaeological record of the Upper Guadalquivir. The results of this analysis suggest that the dynamics of large-scale aggregation only can develop in places were there exists a sufficiently large population, abundant potential resources, and the technology by which resources and population can be exploited and maintained. A model that will explain the variability observed in the Iberian Copper Age must also consider political factors, however.
Research Interests:
Summary. The interpretation of European Neolithic enclosures must take account of their wide variability in chronology, size, shape, topographical position and material. Such interpretations should rely on the comparative analysis of the... more
Summary. The interpretation of European Neolithic enclosures must take account of their wide variability in chronology, size, shape, topographical position and material. Such interpretations should rely on the comparative analysis of the processes at work in ...
Research Interests:
La Arqueología es una disciplina comparativa. Tanto los enfoques histórico-culturales, procesuales como postprocesuales han recurrido a distintas formas de comparación. En el caso de los llamados recintos de fosos del IV y III milenios... more
La Arqueología es una disciplina comparativa. Tanto los enfoques histórico-culturales, procesuales como postprocesuales han recurrido a distintas formas de comparación. En el caso de los llamados recintos de fosos del IV y III milenios AC, la comparación se ha utilizado para sugerir su origen Neolítico, sus similitudes con casos europeos o sus diferencias o similitudes con los recintos murados, entre otras. Detrás de estas comparaciones hay frecuentemente una práctica normativa, en cuanto se obvia la comparación de trayectorias histórico-arqueológicas. En este breve texto sugiero dos tipos de comparaciones arqueológicas, ambas a escala o implicaciones regionales. La primera es diacrónica y compara los dos recintos ibéricos más antiguos entre sí y con algunos de los casos conocidos posteriores. La segunda es sincrónica y compara recintos madrileños posiblemente coetáneos. Concluyo sugiriendo que la comparación es saludable como procedimiento para hacer aflorar determinados aspectos del registro arqueológico ya conocido que frecuentemente quedan ocultos u obviados.
Research Interests:
Materialist perspectives have focused their arguments on the leading role of coercion and conflict in order to explain the Third millennium BC Iberian archaeological record. Recently, ritual dynamics have been considered. All arguments... more
Materialist perspectives have focused their arguments on the leading role of coercion and conflict in order to explain the Third millennium BC Iberian archaeological record. Recently, ritual dynamics have been considered. All arguments rely on the same evidence, having explicit or implicit generalizing interpretative intentions. This paper is a critical review of two recurring opinions used by Spanish scholars to support the hierarchical -read class- and coercive nature of Copper Age societies: that variability in settlement size reflects control hierarchies and that highly formalized planning of villages and monumental enclosures reflect direct coercive control of labor. Finally, I briefly comment on some recent problematic uses of the ritual/domestic dichotomy.
Research Interests:
In this chapter, I argue that the period known as the Copper Age saw the rise of lineage societies, made possible and sustained through the cyclical involvement of different communities in collective labor processes and other public... more
In this chapter, I argue that the period known as the Copper Age saw the rise of lineage societies, made possible and sustained through the cyclical involvement of different communities in collective labor processes and other public events. Collective infrastructural investments were non-agricultural facilities: enclosures, fortifications, and monumental burials. These kinship-based societies had limited technological development,
and groups were by no means economically “caged,” to use M. Mann’s terms . Consequently, inclusive — and frequently ritualized — strategies would have been more effi cient than coercion as means of legitimizing political authority in and between aggregated corporate groups. I have structured the chapter in three parts. In the first, I address what I understand as common archaeological features of the Iberian Copper Age. In the second, I draw on the site of Los Millares (Almería, southeast Spain) for a more detailed analysis of the “life history” of one of the most emblematic sites of the Iberian Copper Age. Finally, I summarize my thesis and suggest some generalizations for the time period in Iberia.
and groups were by no means economically “caged,” to use M. Mann’s terms . Consequently, inclusive — and frequently ritualized — strategies would have been more effi cient than coercion as means of legitimizing political authority in and between aggregated corporate groups. I have structured the chapter in three parts. In the first, I address what I understand as common archaeological features of the Iberian Copper Age. In the second, I draw on the site of Los Millares (Almería, southeast Spain) for a more detailed analysis of the “life history” of one of the most emblematic sites of the Iberian Copper Age. Finally, I summarize my thesis and suggest some generalizations for the time period in Iberia.
Research Interests:
Large-scale aggregation of population is a historical phenomenon that is rarely seen in the archaeological record of prehistoric Iberia. It is a generalized process that, with obvious differences in scale, is specifically... more
Large-scale aggregation of population is a historical
phenomenon that is rarely seen in the archaeological
record of prehistoric Iberia. It is a generalized process
that, with obvious differences in scale, is specifically
characteristic of the Third millennium BC. Aggregations left substantial amounts of collective labor investments that radically transformed the different regional landscapes, and likely modified
the existing socio-political structure itself. The benefits of the aggregation are not always obvious. The incorporation of different groups to these social crucibles must have necessarily required either persuasive negotiation among different constituent units in each one of the different moments of their
aggregation or the exercise of substantial coercive means by certain social groups and their followers. Any interpretation, whether minimalist or maximalist, must face an archaeological record that offers few certainties and plenty of space for the construction of underdetermined hypotheses. This paper reviews the evidence on the rise and fall of Marroquíes Bajos, Los Millares and Camino de las Yeseras as case studies in order to build a wider interpretation of Third Millennium power dynamics in Iberia.
phenomenon that is rarely seen in the archaeological
record of prehistoric Iberia. It is a generalized process
that, with obvious differences in scale, is specifically
characteristic of the Third millennium BC. Aggregations left substantial amounts of collective labor investments that radically transformed the different regional landscapes, and likely modified
the existing socio-political structure itself. The benefits of the aggregation are not always obvious. The incorporation of different groups to these social crucibles must have necessarily required either persuasive negotiation among different constituent units in each one of the different moments of their
aggregation or the exercise of substantial coercive means by certain social groups and their followers. Any interpretation, whether minimalist or maximalist, must face an archaeological record that offers few certainties and plenty of space for the construction of underdetermined hypotheses. This paper reviews the evidence on the rise and fall of Marroquíes Bajos, Los Millares and Camino de las Yeseras as case studies in order to build a wider interpretation of Third Millennium power dynamics in Iberia.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Mediterranean prehistory, Labor History and Studies, Iberian Prehistory (Archaeology), and 11 morePrehistoric Europe (Archaeology), Neolithic Europe, Mediterranean archaeology, Iron Age, Protohistoric Iberian Peninsula, Late Bronze Age, Copper age, Development of complex societies, Commensality, Phoenician trade, and Ritual Practices
Este artículo analiza el conjunto de dataciones radiocarbónicas conocidas para la Prehistoria reciente de la Comunidad de Madrid y valora críticamente tanto los resultados como la propia práctica arqueológica regional relacionada con el... more
Este artículo analiza el conjunto de dataciones radiocarbónicas conocidas para la Prehistoria reciente de la Comunidad de Madrid y valora críticamente tanto los resultados como la propia práctica arqueológica regional relacionada con el uso del radiocarbono. El trabajo se estructura en tres secciones. En la primera, se explica con fines didácticos y de un modo práctico cómo debe “leerse” una datación radiocarbónica. Seguidamente, se describe la estructura general de la serie radiocarbónica publicada para la Prehistoria reciente de la Comunidad de Madrid y se valora su evolución y sus implicaciones para el diseño futuro de la investigación. Además, se analiza la situación actual de la periodización de la Prehistoria reciente a la vista de la serie. Por último, se plantean los beneficios de la aplicación de la modelización bayesiana, ejemplificándolo en el emblemático yacimiento del Camino de las Yeseras (San Fernando de Henares, Madrid).
Research Interests: Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Bell Beakers (Archaeology), Iberian Prehistory (Archaeology), Archaeology of the Iberian Peninsula, Neolithic Europe, and 8 moreBayesian Radiocarbon Dating, European Prehistory (Archaeology), Bayesian statistics & modelling, Chronology, Copper age, Neolithic & Chalcolithic enclosures, Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology), and Prehistoric Ditched Enclosures
This paper is the first updated review of the scope, depth and problems related to the current radiocarbon chronology of the late prehistory of southern Iberia. The aim is twofold. First, it critically analyses the quantity and quality of... more
This paper is the first updated review of the scope, depth and problems related to the current radiocarbon chronology of the late prehistory of southern Iberia. The aim is twofold. First, it critically analyses the quantity and quality of radiocarbon dates used to interpret the diverse trajectories of western Mediterranean societies throughout more than four millennia. Secondly, it reviews a set of three different and prominent archaeological phenomena from an inter-regional comparative perspective: primary and secondary burial practices, domestic stone architecture and ditched enclosures. Our long-term, geographically wide-ranging approach locates similarities while highlighting the effects of local and historical conditions in certain divergent circumstances.
Research Interests:
We present the first summed calibrated date probability distributions for the later prehistory of the Iberian Peninsula. The SCDPD is based on 4402 determination between 8000 and 3000 BP, a time range beginning in the regional late... more
We present the first summed calibrated date probability distributions for the later prehistory of the Iberian Peninsula. The SCDPD is based on 4402 determination between 8000 and 3000 BP, a time range beginning in the regional late Mesolithic and running through the Bronze Age. This period is known to see the first introduction of farming at the beginning of the Neolithic, the development of the first large population aggregations during the Copper Age and the subsequent abrupt transition to the substantially diverse Iberian Bronze Age ‘cultures’. The results conform to an exponential model for demographic growth, with a slight “boom and bust” episode between 5300 and 5150 cal BC, some 300 years after the first dated evidence for agriculture in Iberia. The evidence suggest that if migrants from outside Iberia were involved in the introduction of domesticates, this must have happened at a small scale, one not observable through SCDPD. The dating of the observed population “boom” coincides with the decline in frequency of the cardial-impressed and the wide spread of “epicardial” wares throughout the Peninsula. It thus seems reasonable to suppose that these patterns indicate a moderate increase in fertility rates of early farming groups. The SCDPD analysis also suggests that explanatory models for the rise of Copper Age ‘complexity’ or the transition to the Bronze Age should not rely on substantial changes in overall Iberian population densities.
Research Interests:
We present a comprehensive and interpretative overview of the evidence recovered at the mining field of Casa Mon-tero (Madrid, Spain). We describe the technical and social aspects of flint mining in the specific historical context of... more
We present a comprehensive and interpretative overview of the evidence recovered at the mining field of Casa Mon-tero (Madrid, Spain). We describe the technical and social aspects of flint mining in the specific historical context of central Iberia's Early Neolithic societies. Combination of all the evidence allows us to suggest that mining at the site was probably a generational phenomenon, where the acts of gathering in order to perform a collective action served as a basis for binding new political relations beyond each individual group. Strategic, tactical, and logistic preconditions were required for those gatherings, including the ability and capacity to convene, design, and organize an orderly set of actions such as those deployed at the flint mine. As with other Neolithic mining sites in Europe, understanding these social preconditions are important if archaeologists are to move beyond describing the formal and technical variability of the mines.
Research Interests: Mining Engineering, Prehistoric Archaeology, Environmental Impact Assessment, Neolithic Archaeology, Social Archaeology, and 9 moreFlint (Archaeology), Prehistoric Technology, Iberian Prehistory (Archaeology), Neolithic Europe, Neolithic flint procurement, Mediterranean archaeology, European Archaeology, Early Neolithic, and Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology)
Radiocarbon dataset of Europen flint mines used in S. Consuegra and P. Díaz-del-Río 2018: "Early Prehistoric Flint Mining in Europe: a Critical Review of the Radiocarbon Evidence". Between History and Archaeology Papers in honour of Jacek... more
Radiocarbon dataset of Europen flint mines used in S. Consuegra and P. Díaz-del-Río 2018: "Early Prehistoric Flint Mining in Europe: a Critical Review of the Radiocarbon Evidence". Between History and Archaeology
Papers in honour of Jacek Lech edited by Dagmara H. Werra and Marzena Woźny. Archaeopress Archaeology: 1-8.
Papers in honour of Jacek Lech edited by Dagmara H. Werra and Marzena Woźny. Archaeopress Archaeology: 1-8.
Research Interests:
This paper presents the first comprehensive database for radiocarbon dates from European flint mines, result of reviewing a considerably dispersed literature. The database contains 476 radiocarbon dates relating to 56 mines in 14 European... more
This paper presents the first comprehensive database for radiocarbon dates from European flint mines, result of reviewing a considerably dispersed literature. The database contains 476 radiocarbon dates relating to 56 mines in 14 European countries. Out of all, we have selected the earliest dates in order to review their quantity and quality. Our analysis suggests that Mesolithic and early Neolithic radiocarbon dates for European flint mines are few in number, many have unclear or poorly reported contexts, and most have samples of questionable quality. We conclude that efforts should be directed towards obtaining a better radiocarbon dataset, based on contextual precision, sample quality, and statistical robustness of radiocarbon sequences.
Research Interests:
It is not until the Neolithic that we find the first extensive mining evidence, this activity peaking in the fourth millennium BC. Techniques were relatively similar and the extractive process left few remains other than incredible... more
It is not until the Neolithic that we find the first extensive mining evidence, this activity peaking in the fourth millennium BC. Techniques were relatively similar and the extractive process left few remains other than incredible amounts of processed stone and a radically altered landscape. As a result, the time span of mining events and the size of mobilized workforces are difficult to determine, with any possible evidence for the social, economic, and ideological context of each individual mining action frequently lying beyond the comparatively large-scale flint mines themselves. The nature of mining and the way it shaped society shifted through time and space, with the functions and uses of their products also changing its meaning in social life. Regional histories are critical to assessing shifts in the possible purposes of production, the use and transformation of values attached to mined objects, the social and ideological driving forces behind mining actions, and the transformation of identities through the deployment of labour.
Research Interests:
We present the radiocarbon dates for thirteen charcoal samples covering the complete area of the mine field of Casa Montero (Madrid, Spain), a site with more than 4000 plotted shafts. The Χ2 test shows that eleven of them are... more
We present the radiocarbon dates for thirteen charcoal samples covering the complete area of the mine field of Casa Montero (Madrid, Spain), a site with more than 4000 plotted shafts. The Χ2 test shows that eleven of them are statistically identical, with a 65% probability that all mining episodes occurred between 5327 and 5215 cal BC, a time span of approximately four generations. We test this probable hypothesis against other archaeological evidence and conclude that the comparatively large scale mining actions at Casa Montero would have necessarily required the mobilization of several small scale Early Neolithic groups into a succession of collective actions, probably performed in a seasonal manner.
Research Interests:
Casa Montero is a mining complex located outside Madrid (Spain), dated from the Early Neolithic (c. 5400–5000 cal bc). An area of some 4 ha has been investigated and some 4000 shafts recorded, of which 324 have been excavated. The... more
Casa Montero is a mining complex located outside Madrid (Spain), dated from the Early Neolithic (c. 5400–5000 cal bc). An area of some 4 ha has been investigated and some 4000 shafts recorded, of which 324 have been excavated. The characterization of its raw flint materials and the establishment of its diagnostic features are indispensable in the reconstruction of the distribution of the mine's products beyond the immediate site. This work reports the geological study of the mine's Miocene flint layers and their petrological characterization. Archaeological samples from the mine's shafts were classified according to macroscopic features and petrological characteristics.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
We present the radiocarbon dates for twelve charcoal samples covering the complete area of the mine field of Casa Montero (Madrid, Spain), a site with more than 4000 plotted shafts. The χ2 test shows that eleven of them are statistically... more
We present the radiocarbon dates for twelve charcoal samples covering the complete area of the mine field of Casa Montero (Madrid, Spain), a site with more than 4000 plotted shafts. The χ2 test shows that eleven of them are statistically identical, with a 65% probability that all mining episodes occurred between 5337 and 5218 cal BC, a time span of approximately four generations. We test this probable hypothesis against other archaeological evidence and conclude that the comparatively large scale mining actions at Casa Montero would have necessarily required the mobilization of several small scale Early Neolithic groups into a succession of collective actions, probably performed in a seasonal manner. Neolithic fl int mining in Europe was not a long term technical solution to a practical need, but an extraordinarily meaningful and timely -historically contingent- social activity. In order to understand mining actions in these terms, we would require a reevaluation of the statistical variability and meaning of series of radiocarbon dates already obtained at many other fl int mines. When we do so, we might observe that, as in the case of Casa Montero, many of these radiocarbon dates actually represent sets of short term highly active ‘generational’ mining episodes separated in time.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
El objeto de este trabajo es presentar la caracterización de las rocas silíceas de la mina neolítica de Casa Montero (5400-5200 cal. BC). Se localiza en Madrid (España) y ocupa una superficie de 4 hectareas, con 3897 pozos cartografiados,... more
El objeto de este trabajo es presentar la caracterización de las rocas silíceas de la mina neolítica de Casa Montero (5400-5200 cal. BC). Se localiza en Madrid (España) y ocupa una superficie de 4 hectareas, con 3897 pozos cartografiados, de los cuales 324 han sido excavados durante tres campañas de excavaciones. Este tipo de estudios es esencial para establecer las características diagnósticas de la materia prima e investigar la distribución de los productos de las minas. Se ha realizado también un análisis de las relaciones entre las diferentes materias primas silíceas y la cadena lítica operativa.
La caracterización se realizó usando dos métodos: descripción macroscópica y análisis petrológico. Han sido establecidos siete tipos macroscópicos (de 1 a 7) y cuatro grupos petrológicos (de A a D). La clasificación macroscópica fué fundamental en el análisis de los restos líticos, dado el gran volumen de material lítico recuperado en el sitio. La clasificación petrológica constituye un buen método para identificar los materiales de la Mina de Casa Montero en otros sitios arqueológicos.
La caracterización se realizó usando dos métodos: descripción macroscópica y análisis petrológico. Han sido establecidos siete tipos macroscópicos (de 1 a 7) y cuatro grupos petrológicos (de A a D). La clasificación macroscópica fué fundamental en el análisis de los restos líticos, dado el gran volumen de material lítico recuperado en el sitio. La clasificación petrológica constituye un buen método para identificar los materiales de la Mina de Casa Montero en otros sitios arqueológicos.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Multivariate Statistics, Applied Statistics, Neolithic Archaeology, Lithic Technology, Lithics, and 11 moreNeolithic Europe, Lithic Technology (Archaeology), Archaeology, Lithic analysis and organization of technology, Flint Technology, Early Neolithic, Tecnología Lítica, Chaîne Opératoire, NEOLÍTICO ANTIGUO, History of Archaelogy, Flint mines, Cadenas Operativas, and Neolithic Iberian Peninsula
Información del artículo Anillos para una mina. Industria ósea y fauna de la mina de sílex neolítica de Casa Montero (Madrid).
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The Iberian Peninsula displays extreme geographic and climatic differences, resulting in very different local preconditions. To what extent are these responsible for the heterogeneous social and cultural development in different regions... more
The Iberian Peninsula displays extreme geographic and climatic differences, resulting in very different local preconditions. To what extent are these responsible for the heterogeneous social and cultural development in different regions observable during the 3 rd mill. BC? To answer this question it is necessary to identify what was considered to be a resource and to determine how these resources were valuated. This book aims at investigating and reconstructing the dynamics and the diversity of the sociocultural manifestations on the Iberian Peninsula in relation to the use of resources in a comprehensive way during the Chalcolithic. In general regional overviews and detailed studies of the use of infrastructure, raw materials or social relations the possibilities to identify key resources as factors in these processes are explored.
Research Interests: Symbolism, Symbolic Interaction, Funerary Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, and 8 moreOrnament (Archaeology), Megalithic Monuments, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Iberian Prehistory (Archaeology), Megaliths (Archaeology), Symbolic Interactionism, Funerary Practices, and Archeometry
El Rebollosillo is a small karstic cave located in the center of Iberia used for the disposition of secondary burials during the mid third millennium BC. We present bioanthropological, isotopic (87Sr/86Sr, δ 13C y δ 18O) analyses and 16... more
El Rebollosillo is a small karstic cave located in the
center of Iberia used for the disposition of secondary
burials during the mid third millennium BC. We present
bioanthropological, isotopic (87Sr/86Sr, δ 13C y δ 18O)
analyses and 16 radiocarbon dates on human remains,
as well as mineralogical characterization of 6 beads (4 of
them variscite from Palazuelo de las Cuevas, Zamora), and
a quantitative analysis of 43 pottery fragments recovered
during the 1989 excavations. A minimum of 21 individu-als
have been identified, covering all age ranges and sex. Low
percentages of pathologies have been detected, mainly
dental calculus and caries, with specific cases of cribra
orbitalia, periostosis and arthritis. Only adults received
a clearly individualized treatment, suggestive of achieved
status. We interpret the evidence as a multi-staged mortuary
program, the last phase of which is documented at the site,
with previous stages perhaps carried out elsewhere, and
we evaluate these results in the context of the regional
funerary record.
center of Iberia used for the disposition of secondary
burials during the mid third millennium BC. We present
bioanthropological, isotopic (87Sr/86Sr, δ 13C y δ 18O)
analyses and 16 radiocarbon dates on human remains,
as well as mineralogical characterization of 6 beads (4 of
them variscite from Palazuelo de las Cuevas, Zamora), and
a quantitative analysis of 43 pottery fragments recovered
during the 1989 excavations. A minimum of 21 individu-als
have been identified, covering all age ranges and sex. Low
percentages of pathologies have been detected, mainly
dental calculus and caries, with specific cases of cribra
orbitalia, periostosis and arthritis. Only adults received
a clearly individualized treatment, suggestive of achieved
status. We interpret the evidence as a multi-staged mortuary
program, the last phase of which is documented at the site,
with previous stages perhaps carried out elsewhere, and
we evaluate these results in the context of the regional
funerary record.
Research Interests:
We present the data generated in the context of the latest research projects on the Bronze Age settlement of El Acequión (Albacete). These have been oriented to refine its chronological sequence through new radiocarbon dates and the... more
We present the data generated in the context of the latest research projects on the Bronze Age settlement of El Acequión (Albacete). These have been oriented to refine its chronological sequence through new radiocarbon dates and the reconstruction of mobility patterns and nutritional models of individuals buried at the site through stable isotope analyses (13C, δ15N and 87Sr/86Sr, δ18O). They aim at providing a better knowledge on the lifestyles of the inhabitants of La Mancha during the Bronze Age.
Research Interests: Stable Isotope Analysis, Anthropology of Mobility, Iberian Studies, Stable Isotopes, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), and 7 moreMobility (Archaeology), Mediterranean archaeology, European Prehistory (Archaeology), European Archaeology, Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology), Stable Isotopes and Palaeodiet, and Edad del Bronce de la Mancha
This paper can be found at http://rdcu.be/p5EC This study examines strontium, oxygen, and carbon isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr, δ18O, δ13C) in dental enamel and bone apatite from 82 individuals interred at Late Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and... more
This paper can be found at http://rdcu.be/p5EC
This study examines strontium, oxygen, and carbon isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr, δ18O, δ13C) in dental enamel and bone apatite from 82 individuals interred at Late Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Bronze Age burial sites near Madrid, Spain, to discern variations in dietary patterns and identify possible migrants. Questions about mobility patterns and subsistence practices have played a central role in
the scholarship of Late Prehistoric central Iberia in the last 20 years, but the archaeological record has still not been able to provide clear answers. This study adds valuable data to this line of research. The results of this study suggest that migration from regions with different geologic landscapes was uncommon in these communities. For the identified migrants, based upon the 87Sr/86Sr values, 5% of the identified non-local individuals originate from regions with substantially older lithological features and possible places of origin are being investigated.
This study examines strontium, oxygen, and carbon isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr, δ18O, δ13C) in dental enamel and bone apatite from 82 individuals interred at Late Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Bronze Age burial sites near Madrid, Spain, to discern variations in dietary patterns and identify possible migrants. Questions about mobility patterns and subsistence practices have played a central role in
the scholarship of Late Prehistoric central Iberia in the last 20 years, but the archaeological record has still not been able to provide clear answers. This study adds valuable data to this line of research. The results of this study suggest that migration from regions with different geologic landscapes was uncommon in these communities. For the identified migrants, based upon the 87Sr/86Sr values, 5% of the identified non-local individuals originate from regions with substantially older lithological features and possible places of origin are being investigated.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Paleoanthropology, Stable Isotope Analysis, Anthropology of Mobility, Neolithic Archaeology, and 11 moreBronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Prehistoric Europe (Archaeology), Neolithic Europe, Mediterranean archaeology, Bioanthropology, European Prehistory (Archaeology), Copper age, Strontium, carbon and oxygen isotope analysis, Prehistoric diets, Application of Radiogenic Isotopes, and Prehistoric mobility
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The present paper is an overview of actual evidences for socioeconomic and political inequalities in Central Iberia, from the Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age. It focuses in mortuary practices, labor investments, craft production and... more
The present paper is an overview of actual evidences for socioeconomic and political inequalities in Central Iberia, from the Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age. It focuses in mortuary practices, labor investments, craft production and settlement organization, disentangling the keys of prehistoric political economy. Following the evidence, I argue that the existence of permanent social inequalities would have been limited by three factors: a limited amount of surplus, the failure of small scale groups to increase the amount of labor force, and most important of all, the absolute absence of means of accumulation of value.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This paper attempts a general assessment of the contributions included in this volume. We examine three main kinds of problems related to the research on social inequality in Iberian Late Prehistory. These are theoretical, empirical and... more
This paper attempts a general assessment of the contributions included in this volume. We examine three main kinds of problems related to the research on social inequality in Iberian Late Prehistory. These are theoretical, empirical and interpretative. Among the first, we comment upon the very definition of social inequality, the taxonomical categories employed in social evolution, as well as the main factors causing inequality, with special attention to labour force mobilisation. Among the second, we highlight some weaknesses of the Iberian archaeological record for the investigation of the subject matter, such as the limitations of the absolute chronology or the settlement record. Finally, we discuss the propositions that have been put forward to understand the forms that social inequality took among Neolithic, Copper and Bronze Age communities, concluding that Iberian archaeologists would much benefit from a comparative perspective.
Research Interests: History, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anthropology, Social Anthropology, and 53 moreMediterranean prehistory, Political Anthropology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, State Formation, State Theory, Neolithic Archaeology, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Chalcolithic Archaeology, Bronze Age Archaeology, Social History, Prehistoric Settlement, Social Evolution, Social Change, revolution, and evolution, Late Bronze Age archaeology, Iberian Prehistory (Archaeology), Archaeology of the Iberian Peninsula, Cultural Anthropology, Anthropology of the State, Social Inequality (Anthropology), Prehistoric Europe (Archaeology), Neolithic Europe, Bronze Age (Archaeology), Early Bronze Age (Archaeology), Social Inequalities, Middle Bronze Age, Prehistory, Historia Social, Neolithic, Origins of the State, Social Complexity, Social Inequality, Historia, Early State Formation, Bronze Age, Early Bronze Age, Prehistoric Archeology, Late Bronze Age, Social Complexity (Archaeology), Evolution of Social Complexity, Copper age, Prehistoria, Chalcolithic, Late Chalcolithic, Bronze Age metal hoards, Social and Cultural Evolution, European Neolithic, Copper Age, Bronze Age, Prehistoria Reciente, Social Stratification and Inequality, Anthropology of Religion, Social Exclusion and Social Inequalities, Models of Social Evolution, and Evolution of Social Structure
Research Interests:
The archaeometric characterization of a set of potsherds from six Neolithic sites from the Madrid region has allowed the identification of a new and time-persisting regional technological tradition, based on the deliberated addition of... more
The archaeometric characterization of a set of potsherds
from six Neolithic sites from the Madrid region has
allowed the identification of a new and time-persisting regional
technological tradition, based on the deliberated addition of crushed bone as temper in most pottery containers. This is the first known case in Iberia, and is outstanding because of its early chronologies and persistence in time: from 5300 to perhaps 3400 cal BC. Samples were characterized by complementary mineralogical and geochemical techniques such as thin-section, conventional and grazing angle X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF). The addition of bone temper created a light and resistant ceramic material, with technological advantages for both the storage and transportation. Such advantages might be linked to mobile or semi-sedentary groups.
from six Neolithic sites from the Madrid region has
allowed the identification of a new and time-persisting regional
technological tradition, based on the deliberated addition of crushed bone as temper in most pottery containers. This is the first known case in Iberia, and is outstanding because of its early chronologies and persistence in time: from 5300 to perhaps 3400 cal BC. Samples were characterized by complementary mineralogical and geochemical techniques such as thin-section, conventional and grazing angle X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF). The addition of bone temper created a light and resistant ceramic material, with technological advantages for both the storage and transportation. Such advantages might be linked to mobile or semi-sedentary groups.
Research Interests:
Información del artículo Primeras evidencias de estructuras de habitación y almacenaje neolíticas en el entorno de la Campiña madrileña: el yacimiento de "La Deseada" (Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Madrid).
La infraestructura de datos espaciales SILEX ha sido creada para gestionar y distribuir de forma eficiente y sistemática un conjunto de datos heterogéneo, complejo e ingente de cara a la caracterización de aspectos precisos de un... more
La infraestructura de datos espaciales SILEX ha sido creada para gestionar y distribuir de forma eficiente y sistemática un conjunto de datos heterogéneo, complejo e ingente de cara a la caracterización de aspectos precisos de un yacimiento inusual como es una mina de sílex del Neolítico antiguo.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
SILEX is a Spatial Data Infrastructure developed for the management and distribution of the primary archaeological information about the Neolithic flint mine of Casa Montero, located in the periphery of the city of Madrid (Spain). It is... more
SILEX is a Spatial Data Infrastructure developed for the management and distribution of the primary archaeological information about the Neolithic flint mine of Casa Montero, located in the periphery of the city of Madrid (Spain). It is designed according to an open approach, based on the use of standards and open source software and on the free access to the whole data about the site via Internet. It is a distributed information system with a three layer architecture: the data layer, formed by a GIS level and a complex entity-relationship thematic database; the web service layer, with the use of standard protocols and languages for accessing the database; and the interface layer, a mashup that combines forms and a geographical viewer for querying and retrieving data.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Resumen Se presenta la implementación de SILEX, una Infraestructura de Datos Espaciales diseñada para la gestión, investigación y difusión de Patrimonio Arqueológico, concretamente la información arqueológica documentada en la excavación... more
Resumen Se presenta la implementación de SILEX, una Infraestructura de Datos Espaciales diseñada para la gestión, investigación y difusión de Patrimonio Arqueológico, concretamente la información arqueológica documentada en la excavación de la mina de ...
This paper examines the position in contemporary class structure of recently developed commercial archaeologists. His origin, as members of self-employed petty bourgeoisie, has evolved during prosperity market cycle towards a... more
This paper examines the position in contemporary class structure of recently developed commercial archaeologists. His origin, as members of self-employed petty bourgeoisie, has evolved during prosperity market cycle towards a diversification of class position, with an apparent trend towards polarisation in small employers and semiproletariats. However, we observe how recent dynamic of domestic archaeological market is based on brief economic cycles of expansion and contraction. Ultimately, these cycles do not provoke class polarisation proposed by classical Marxism, but a cutback to sustainable selfemployment
and an expulsion of market of great part of laborforce. The future development as service sector and its own reproduction depend on temporary external factors, turning it into a highly unstable sector: reliance on socialdemocrat economic policy and advanced Capitalism cyclical crisis. We have selected Madrid as case study, paradigmatic because of its pioneer character in Iberian archaeological investigation, introduction of archaeological free market and extreme case of the development of archaeology in post-industrial context.
and an expulsion of market of great part of laborforce. The future development as service sector and its own reproduction depend on temporary external factors, turning it into a highly unstable sector: reliance on socialdemocrat economic policy and advanced Capitalism cyclical crisis. We have selected Madrid as case study, paradigmatic because of its pioneer character in Iberian archaeological investigation, introduction of archaeological free market and extreme case of the development of archaeology in post-industrial context.
Research Interests:
... Autores: Pedro Díaz del Río Español; Localización: Actas : XXV Congreso Nacional de Arqueología, Valencia 1999 [del 24 al 27 de febrero]., 1999, ISBN 84-7795-202-7 , págs. 138-141; Recoge los contenidos presentados a: Congreso... more
... Autores: Pedro Díaz del Río Español; Localización: Actas : XXV Congreso Nacional de Arqueología, Valencia 1999 [del 24 al 27 de febrero]., 1999, ISBN 84-7795-202-7 , págs. 138-141; Recoge los contenidos presentados a: Congreso Nacional de Arqueología (25. 1999. ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Archaeology, Landscape Archaeology, Ecology, Modeling and Simulation, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), and 9 morePalinology, Russian History, Mining, Remote sensing and GIS applications in Landscape Research, Eurasian Prehistory, Prehistory, GIS and Landscape Archaeology, European Copper and Bronze Age – Archaeometallurgy – Prehistoric Metalworking in Social Context – Settlement Archaeology – Application of Geophysical Methods in Archaeology – Neolithic – Theory / Cultural Anthropology – Material Culture Studies, and Copper Mining
This contribution addresses the metallurgy of Kargaly (the most important Bronze Age mining district in the Eurasian steppes) and its environmental impact. Our analyses of ancient copper slag demonstrated that metallurgical techniques... more
This contribution addresses the metallurgy of Kargaly (the most important Bronze Age mining district in the Eurasian steppes) and its environmental impact. Our analyses of ancient copper slag demonstrated that metallurgical techniques were primitive. Smelting experiments evaluated charcoal consumption and the efficiency of copper recovery (the main factors governing models of copper production’s environmental impact). Our palaeoenvironmental research sampled and radiocarbon-dated archaeological sites and natural deposits and contextualized that evidence by studying the present-day landscape. We combined study of the pollen rain with mathematical modelling of the landscape using satellite imagery, geographical information systems, and global positioning technology.
Research Interests: Mining Engineering, Environmental Archaeology, Metallurgy, Archaeological GIS, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), and 8 moreBronze Age Archaeology, Mathematical Modelling, Mining, Remote sensing and GIS applications in Landscape Research, Prehistory, Ancient Metallurgy, Copper extraction and production, and Archaeology of the Eurasian steppe belt
Research Interests:
Información del artículo La preocupación del mosaico del Auriga Victorioso en la villa romana del Val (Alcalá de Henares): un estudio de microespacio.
Research Interests:
Kinship societies cope with conflicts and contradictions either through fission or by displacing them onto the supernatural realm. Though we are barely scratching the surface of an incredibly complex site, the exceptional evidence... more
Kinship societies cope with conflicts and contradictions either through fission or by displacing them onto the supernatural realm. Though we are barely scratching the surface of an incredibly complex site, the exceptional evidence displayed in this monograph strongly suggests that—at the peak period of collective action—the inhabitants of Valencina de la Concepción were exploring elaborate ritual pathways to mediate these contradictions.
Research Interests: Prehistoric Archaeology, Stable Isotope Analysis, Bioarchaeology, Funerary Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, and 12 moreNeolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Religion and ritual in prehistory, Megalithic Monuments, Gender Archaeology, Megaliths (Archaeology), Neolithic Europe, Mediterranean archaeology, European Prehistory (Archaeology), Copper age, Ivory and bone technology, Ivory Carving, and Prehistoric diets
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Díaz-del-Río, P. 2011. “Recensión de Márquez Romero, J.E. y Jiménez Jáimez, V. 2010. Recintos de Fosos. Genealogía y significado de una tradición en la Prehistoria del suroeste de la Península Ibérica (IV-III milenios AC). Servicio de Publicaciones e intercambio científico, Universidad de Málaga”. Trabajos de Prehistoria 68(2):386-388.more
Research Interests:
Diapositivas de la conferencia pronunciada el 11 de noviembre de 2015 en la sede de la Asociación Española de Amigos de la Arqueología.