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Paradigms such as the coexistence of incineration and inhumation funerary practices in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula during the Late Bronze Age are supported by the association of human remains with elements of material culture as guiding fossils. One example is the association established by Salvador Vilaseca in 1939 between the human remains and grooved pottery discovered in the Cova de Marcó in Tivissa (Ribera d’Ebre, Catalonia). This association has been accepted until today and even become a paradigm for the mixing of autochthonism (inhumation rites) with the introduction of material novelties such as grooved pottery and incineration rites during the first period of the Late Bronze Age. Direct radiocarbon (14C) dating of human remains from the Cova de Marcó shows that the remains originate from the Chalcolithic period. This indicates that there is no relationship between the sepulchral episode and the grooved pottery associated with it and used to date it. This disputes the paradigm regarding the coexistence of these two funerary practices during the Late Bronze Age and invites scholars to conduct a critical review using absolute dating techniques directly on the human remains of similar cases in order to verify or disprove the paradigm’s validity.

Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UAB Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M The use of resinous substances, certainly one of the earliest technologies developed by humans, was well-known by Holocene hunter-gatherers at the onset of the Neolithisation process across Europe. Recent research has revealed the use of birch bark tar in the central Mediterranean far from this taxon's endemic regions both in the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods and shows that the first farmers from the Fertile Crescent hafted lithic tools and waterproofed artefacts using bitumen. The generalised absence of these natural products in south-western Europe may have thus forced a reformulation of Early Neolithic technologies by exploring and benefitting from existing knowledge in local European hunter-gatherer societies. However, information on resin use from the western Mediterranean is still scarce. Here, we report on the analysis of organic residues from 168 pottery sherds by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry from 10 archaeological sites in this region dating from the second half of the VIth millennium to the first half of the Vth millennium cal BC. In a limited number of samples, minor amounts of several diterpenoids diagnostic of aged Pinaceae resins were detected as mixtures with fats. The presence of pine in the palynological and carpological record supports the human exploitation of this taxon, but its minimal incidence in the anthracological record suggests that other species were selected as fuelwood. This supports the hypothesis that Pinaceae resins were used in association with pottery sporadically but ubiquitously either as its contents, or as post-firing treatments to waterproof the vessels. This demonstrates the development of adhesive technologies and resin-involved labour processes specific to Early Neolithic societies.

Neolithisation was a relatively fast process that affected both the interior and coastal zones of the Iberian Peninsula, but it was also a heterogeneous process that had diverse impacts on genomic and cultural diversity. In the Late Neolithic–Chalcolithic, a change in funerary practices, cultural material and trade networks occurred, and genomic heterogeneity decreased, suggesting human mobility and genetic admixture between different Iberian populations. Dental morphology has emerged as an effective tool for understanding genomic variability and biological affinities among ancient human populations. But, surprisingly, less attention has been paid to the morphological traits of inner dental tissues in Holocene European populations and their utility for the study of population dynamics. We applied 3D geometric morphometric methods on the enamel-dentine junction (EDJ) of the first upper molars to explore the biological affinities of north-eastern Iberian Peninsula populations from the Late Neolithic–Chalcolithic to the Bronze Age. Our results show that the EDJ morphologies of the northern Iberian Peninsula populations were generally homogeneous, indicative of genetic admixture as a result of human mobility and exchange networks. However, differences in the EDJ traits in remains from the Can Sadurní site are indicative of distant biological affinities with nearby populations. Additionally, the hypocone associated dentine area and the position of the trigon dentine horns relative to each other on the occlusal surface best describe the variability found among the samples studied. This study highlights the utility of EDJ morphology as a genetic proxy in Holocene population dynamic studies when paleogenomic studies are absent.

Early husbandry practices that include herd management and the use of livestock areas such as sheepfold caves can be analysed in the context of different disciplines (e.g. zooarchaeology, micromorphology, and archaeobotany). In this study, a new and standard method for the determination of bile acids and steroidal hormones that incorporates microwave extraction-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used. This method has been applied successfully to analyse Neolithic fumier deposit facies from the El Mirador cave, a location that was used as a prehistoric sheepfold and is located in the Atapuerca range (Burgos, Spain). The results obtained demonstrated that the analysis of bile acids can be useful for the identification of remains of ruminant residues in the facies studied. In addition, the progesterone/deoxycholic acid ratio has been used as a possible biomarker to improve our understanding of flock management, including the separation of pregnant and nursing ewes from the rest of the herd to avoid the rejection of the lamb and keep them safe and healthy. The authors thank the technical and human support provided by the Alava Central Service of Analysis of SGIker (UPV/EHU, MINECO, GV/ EJ, ERDF, and ESF) and Paula Rivero for the elaboration of the graphical abstract. Patricia Martín is grateful for her postdoctoral fellowship to Juan de la Cierva Subprogramme (FJCI-2016-29045) with financial sponsorship from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness and for her recent "Maria de Maeztu" excellenceaccreditation from the Spanish Minstry of Science and Innovation (CEX2019-000945-M), and to Ane Gorostizu-Orkaiztegi for her pre- doctoral fellowships to the University of the Basque Country. This work was funded by the Department of Industry, Innovation, Commerce, and Tourism of the Basque Government (SAI12/25 Project), the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and University (PGC 2018-093925-B- C32 project) and by the Basque Government, Research Groups of the Basque University System (Project No. IT925-16).

In this manuscript, we present the first systematic refitting results of the small-scale Middle Pleistocene (MIS11) rock shelter site of La Cansaladeta. The lithic materials that have been recovered from the archaeological levels E and J were the main study materials. These levels were investigated regarding spatial pattern analysis and analyzed with auxiliary methods such as quantitative density mapping demonstration and technological analysis of the lithic clusters. Thus, the spatial patterns of the two levels were compared and discussed, in terms of connections, clusters, and movement of the lithic elements. Undoubtedly, the well preservation of the archaeological levels offered a great opportunity for the interpretation of the spatial patterns in a high-resolution perspective. La Cansaladeta has not been paid attention adequately so far may be due to the small dimension of the excavation surface or to the scarcity of faunal record. Our results show that small-scale sites without long-distance refit/conjoin connections can provide significant spatial information. Indeed, if the sites have very well-preserved archaeological levels, the absence of long connections can be supported by the auxiliary methods.

Ancient dental calculus research currently relies on destructive techniques whereby archeological specimens are broken down to determine their contents. Two strategies that could partly remediate a permanent loss of the original sample and enhance future analysis and reproducibility include (1) structural surface characterization through spectroscopy along with crystallographic and spectroscopic analysis of its molecular structure, and (2) surface decontamination protocols in which the efficacy of cleaning dental calculus prior to extraction is demonstrated. Dental calculus provides ancient starch research a niche where granules may be adsorbed to minerals, coated, overgrown, entrapped, and/or protected from chemical degradation. While encapsulation offers protection from degradation, it does not shield the sample’s surface from contamination. The most common approach to retrieving microbotanical particles from archeological calculus has been the direct decalcification of the sample, after a cleaning stage variously consisting of immersion in water, acids, and mechanical dislodgment via gas, sonication, and/or toothbrushes. Little is known about the efficiency of these methods for a complete removal of sediment/soil and unrelated microbotanical matter. In this paper, controlled laboratory experimentation leads to chemical structural characterization and a decontamination protocol to eradicate starch granules. Several concentrations of acids, bases, and enzymes were tested at intervals to understand their potential to gelatinize and fully destroy starch granules; arriving at a procedure that effectively eradicates modern starch prior to dissolution without damaging the matrix or entrapped starch microremains. This is the first attempt at creating synthetic calculus to understand and systematically test effective decontamination protocols for ancient starch research.

The beginning of husbandry in the Iberian Peninsula has been documented from the second half of the 6th millennium BCE and was based on the breeding of domestic caprines, mainly sheep. The first evidence of these practices comes from the Mediterranean region, but they quickly expanded inland. Previous studies have reported on the importance of the El Mirador sheepfold cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain) for understanding the process of the adoption of a farming economy in this inland region. In this study, we focus on husbandry and sheep management occurring in the 6th and 5th millennium cal BCE occupations of El Mirador cave by means of sequential oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) isotope analyses in sheep molar tooth enamel. The results show a rapid adaptation and adoption of domestic sheep in the inland of the Iberian Peninsula. In El Mirador cave, well-organised sheep breeding was developed based on the concentration of births at the end of winter and early spring, for a period of ~2.64 months, which made husbandry more compatible with other economic activities. In 5th millennium levels, autumn births were also documented and may be indicative of the intervention of the shepherd in the reproductive cycle of the sheep and of a progressive adaptation of these animals to the interior of the Peninsula. All these strategies may have been supported by the recurrent occupations of the sheepfold, flocks grazing in the areas surrounding the cave and the possible use of leaf fodder in winter.

Dated to 1.4 Mya, the Barranco Leon site (Orce, Andalusia, Spain) is currently the oldest and richest late Lower Pleistocene stone tool assemblage discovered so far in Europe. Archeological and paleontological remains are found clearly associated in lacustrine deposits traversed by a small channel. This paper provides new data about the lithic assemblage from level D, focusing on the abundant active percussion implements that form a part of the highly divers set of limestone macro-tools unique to this assemblage. Morpho-technological and experimental analysis of these tools allows us to hypothesize about the kinds of activities that might have been carried out by hominins at this site. Experimental work allows us to define percussive trace morphologies and to identify new types of percussion tools in the collection, beyond those of classical, ellipsoidal morphology. Analysis of the stone surfaces used for active percussion demonstrates that, while some of the tools could have been used for stone knapping, other hammer morphologies are not well adapted for this kind of activity. The morphology of the tools and the type of percussion damage displayed on their active surfaces provide criteria with which to widen the activity range of the hominins that used them. This study of the percussion instruments from Barranco Leon contributes essential data with which to buttress the growing interest in the macro component of Oldowan stone toolkits African and Eurasian sites and their possible uses.

[EN]Faecal matter is commonly recovered from archaeological sites related to human/animal activity. The identification of its source is essential to understand the domestication process and the relationship between humans and domestic animals in ancient times. Additionally, faecal matter is useful for determining the diet of animals. Therefore, the use of an appropriate biomarker is essential. The ratios of 5 beta-Stanols and bile acid biomarkers are most commonly used to identify the biogenic origin of faecal matter. However, other biomarkers such as archaeol can be a good proxy for ruminants. Conversely, plant-based diet of the animals can be discerned by analysis of faecal matter. n-Alkanes are the most common proxies of the animal diet, followed by long-chain fatty acids and long-chain alcohols, and the interest in the analysis of carbon isotopes has recently increased owing to the possibility of distinguishing animal diets. In this review, we describe the identification of faecal and diet biomarkers in animals. Ratios and proxies used in archaeological fields are also described and discussed to determine the best approach for accurate identification. This work was funded by the Basque Government, Research Groups of the Basque University System (Project No. IT1186-19) .

Over the last years, the knowledge of the children’s diet is a topic of growing interest in dental anthropology. Our aim seeks to establish patterns of interpopulation and intrapopulation variability in dietary microwear among children from four Iberian sites dated to the Neolithic through Bronze Age. Buccal and occlusal surfaces are compared to assess whether their differential rates of microwear turnover correspond with dietary differences linked to social and biological maturation (e.g., weaning and shifts to adult-like diets). This study is based on the analysis of 46 deciduous molars (Udm1, Udm2, and Ldm2). Occlusal and buccal surfaces were observed using an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) following standard microwear methodologies. The results show that from an interpopulation perspective, there are differences in the number of buccal scratches between Valdavara and the other sites. From an intrapopulation perspective, there was a greater number of buccal striations in the older age category from Cova de la Guineu and more occlusal pitting in the older age category from Cova dels Galls Carboners. This study shows the utility of the combined approach to buccal and occlusal microwear analysis as a means of understanding child dietary maturation in prehistory, showing that feeding practices and/or food choice can explain differences between specific age categories of children in addition to differences between archeological sites.

This paper discusses the Middle Neolithic and the Early Bronze Age phases of the occupation of a rock shelter at Vallone Inferno (Scillato, Palermo) in Sicily. Vallone Inferno is a key site for studying the early establishment and development of pastoralism in the prehistoric mountainous environments of Sicily. Seasonal use of the site as a shelter is documented for the earliest pastoral communities that exploited the Madonie mountain range. The results of the analysis of pottery and lithic assemblages contribute to the definition of two chronocultural frameworks that were linked by the same economic subsistence base. The special role of obsidian emerges, while the mobility patterns of human groups are contextualized by the combination of archaeological and paleoenvironmental data with a focus on the 4.2 ka cal BP aridification climatic event broadly coincident with the final part of the local Copper Age and beginning of the Early Bronze Age. Moreover, since the transition between the Late Copper Age and the Early Bronze Age, mobility of pastoral groups is inferred to be one of the most important factors for the spread of cultural elements on the island.

The archaeological research focusing on El Mirador Cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain) has revealed a succession of occupation levels in a dung layers context that span from the early Neolithic to the middle Bronze Age. The robustness and coherence of the chronological dates of the sequence have contributed to framing the beginning of farming practices on the northern Plateau of the Iberian Peninsula. This study focuses on the palynological analysis of the sedimentary sequence, spanning from ca. 7970–7770 to ca. 3390–3070 cal. yr BP. The results have allowed us to identify a landscape of mixed forest with evergreen and deciduous oaks and pinewood. Despite the discontinuities in such sediments, some fluctuations between different categories of anthropogenic taxa can be observed throughout the sequence, illustrating greater or lesser pressure from livestock or agriculture. From the Neolithic to the Bronze Age, we documented a reduction in the tree cover because of increased human pressure typical of the Neolithisation process, while the relationship between environment and society changes.

Anurans, such as frogs and toads, are occasionally very abundant in archaeo-paleontological sites and representing >80% of the remains. These accumulations have been linked mainly to human consumption in the European context, by the preferential selection of body parts and by the presence of burning, and to a lesser extent, cut marks (as in Chalain 3, Baume d’Ogens, Kutna Hora-Denemark). However, there are also records of accumulations attributed to natural catastrophic events (Bois-Roche). This research presents a taphocenosis of microvertebrates of reduced dimensions (7.8 × 2.7 × 2.4 cm) containing 2526 bones, from El Mirador cave of Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain) contemporaneous to an adjacent Chalcolithic burial (ca. 4500 BP). The taxonomical study has identified at least 12 different taxa, which include one urodele, two anurans, seven squamates and two rodents. Tree frogs, Hyla gr. arborea (Hyla molleri), constitutes 84% of the assemblage. Quantitative and qualitative taphonomic analyses are focused on Hyla bones and show the presence of breakage and digestion marks associated with animal predation, albeit in low percentages and in light or moderate degrees. Due to its characteristics, El Mirador accumulation has been identified as a pellet accumulation produced by a medium-large owl (category 2). The nocturnal raptor hunted its preys during a wet period in spring, when the reproduction of the tree frogs occurs, showing a possible evidence of opportunistic predation on a seasonal resource. These findings help to understand the importance of anurans in the trophic chains of Prehistoric times, not only among human groups but also among non-human predators.

This work attempts to link two primary areas of focus in lithic technology studies today: shape and reduction analyses. We set out to determine whether a correlation could be found between tool shape and reduction stage in order to look for differences between different mobility scenarios and to test the strength of classical typological classifications based on the shape of the retouched segments of tools. Our study was conducted using materials from two culturally different sites, one dating to the Late Upper Paleolithic and the other to the Early Neolithic and our focus was on a single common tool class, endscrapers. Both sites are located in the same region, meaning that the hominins that inhabited them had the same opportunities for procuring locally abundant lithic raw materials. Geometric morphometrics and 3D-based reduction analyses were performed on the tools, and shape and reduction variables were cross-referenced in the search for any existing correlation between the two. Nomadic Late Upper Paleolithic groups exhibit a highly expedient tool management strategy, without shape maintenance, and considerable correlation was found between tool shape and reduction stage. Meanwhile, Early Neolithic groups left behind a curated assemblage, exhibiting shape maintenance and great reduction intensity. In this case, shape was found to be independent of reduction. Finally, we link these behaviors to different mobility strategies and raw-material transport costs, and consider the validity of exclusively typological approaches.

Several studies have attempted to identify diagnostic criteria for distinguishing between evidence of trampling and cut marks, two common modifications at archaeological sites. These studies have brought to light, with relative precision, the features that identify and differentiate the two types of modifications. However, few studies differentiate these modifications after they have been affected by other factors. Chemical alteration, related to lixiviated sediments, is documented in a relatively high number of archaeological sites. Following the criteria established by Dominguez-Rodrigo et al. (2009), the aim of this paper is to know if diagnostic criteria that would allow modifications resulting from trampling to be differentiated from cut mark modifications are preserved, after undergoing chemical alterations. The results have been applied to unidentified marks located on faunal skeletal remains from the La Mina site, at the Barranc de la Boella (Tarragona, Spain), the surfaces of which have been heavily modified by the lixiviation of the sediments. The data suggest that chemically altered marks lose the diagnostic criteria necessary for correct identification. The unidentified marks discovered on remains from la Boella could not be verified as cut or trampling marks and therefore cannot be considered in future zooarchaeological and taphonomical studies.

This paper describes the evaluation, based on archaeological materials, of the role that resharpening plays in the continuum of stone-tool reduction. We define a multi-evidence-based approach that combines use-wear intensity and location, traces that could be related to hafting and the distribution of mineral residue. By combining these methods, we have observed a minimum resharpening ratio of 52% in the selected end-scraper sample. If one takes into account ethnographically obtained information about end-scraper management, this result is an unexpectedly low value. Dynamics of mobility, technological organization and raw material availability causes high variability in the archaeological visibility and characteristics of lithic remains. Our results are in line with a technology organized wholly or partially on the basis of expediency, in which tools are not curated for more than the time taken to complete the activity or the length of the occupation. Tools that were not exhausted were abandoned at the site, leading to recycling behaviors in periodic site reoccupations.

This paper focuses on a methodological proposal for documenting and describing the wear processes on lithic artefacts based on two main aspects: sequential experiments and systematic SEM (scanning electron microscope) analysis. The procedures followed during experimentation, sample preparation and microscopic observation are presented, and a selection of our experimental results is described in detail and discussed. We argue that sequential experiments allow stone tool wear to be closely monitored during use, and that this information is crucial in understanding microwear formation processes as well as in interpreting the traces observed on archaeological materials.

Usewear analysis is now well established as a powerful means by which to identify the function of stone tools excavated from archaeological sites. However, one of the main issues for usewear analysts is still to provide quantified analyses and interpretations. Several attempts have yielded promising results but have not, as of yet, been widely applied and usewear analyses are still mainly performed using either Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) or Optical Light Microscopy (OLM). The systematic comparison of micrographs from both types of microscope presented here enables us to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each system. Furthermore, it shows beginners or experts using only one type of microscope that these techniques are complementary and should be considered as such. It also represents a significant basis for developing the implementation of quantitative methods for usewear analysis with SEM and OLM.

Identifying reduction dynamics in prehistoric retouched stone tools is important for understanding technological trends, as well as site function, raw material management and mobility of nomadic hunter-gatherers. In the absence of refits, the final state of the abandoned piece is the only remain that archaeologists have for the study of lithic reduction. The establishment of experimentally tested indexes providing strong correlations between estimated and real reduction are needed. In our work, we propose a new procedure for estimate reduction percentage. In this proposal, data are obtained from high resolution three-dimensional (3D) scans and manual measurements are avoided. The experimental test has been realized using distally retouched tools, the less suitable tools for reduction studies. The correlation levels obtained between the measured data and the estimated data increase substantially the original published from manual measurement, reaching a r 2 value of 0.81 and a correlation of 0.9. The main contribution of the proposed method is the very high correlation obtained in the volume estimation (r 2 = 0.89 and r = 0.94) using the 3D-based measurements. The 3D models of the unretouched and retouched flakes used in this work are free to use and accessible through an online repository.

[spa] Este trabajo presenta la estructura tecnológica observada en los niveles B y Bb (Boreal) de La Cativera, donde se observa una dualidad entre explotaciones laminares simplificadas y una producción de lascas cortas normalizadas. Una nueva datación inédita refuerza la posición cronológica de estos niveles pese a que las estrategias de talla de los mismos difieren significativamente de las documentadas en yacimientos sincrónicos. Los niveles B y Bb coinciden en el tiempo con los conjuntos del Mesolítico de Muescas y Denticulados, sin embargo el análisis tecnológico de la industria lítica lo pone en relación más directa con los conjuntos del Magdaleniense final y/o Epipaleolítico microlaminar propios del Tardiglaciar., [eng] This study presents the technological structure observed in levels B and Bb (Boreal) from La Cativera. A dual technological pattern is observed. For one side simplified blade exploitation is observed and for the other, a normalized short flake production is documented too. A new 14C data corroborates the chronological position of both levels despite showing technical schemes which significantly vary from those of synchronous sites. The B and Bb levels match in time with the so called Notched and Denticulate Mesolithic industries, however the observed knapping patterns present a major affinity with the Late Magdalenian or Epipalaeolithic Late Glacial knapping schemes

The human impact on the environment in the Holocene has usually been characterized on the basis of palaeobotanical records, but attempts to distinguish the anthropogenic impact from natural events in landscape evolution have been the subject of much debate in recent years. The aim of this paper is to analyse small-mammal diversity and the presence of synanthropic species, whose small size makes them more sensitive to any changes in their environment that may occur. This study has allowed us to characterize palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental changes, recording small changes whether resulting from a human influence or otherwise. Our object of study is El Mirador cave, which has a sequence with a well-documented human occupation extending from 7200 to 3000 cal. BP. The study has led us to differentiate two phases. In one phase, we can see small changes in diversity related to climatic oscillations from ca. 7200 to 6800 cal. BP, while in the second phase, lasting from ca. 6800 to 3000 cal. BP, the changes in diversity and in the assemblage of synanthropic species are associated with human economic strategies. Moreover, we distinguish which kinds of economic activity (crop and livestock farming) have influenced these changes, because some small-mammal species are influenced, positively or negatively, by environmental changes based on crop farming and animal husbandry. All this information is contrasted with other archaeological proxies, such as the large-mammal and palaeobotanical assemblages from El Mirador cave. Furthermore, this integrative analysis has made it possible to identify the existence of altered environments more generally throughout the Iberian Peninsula from ca. 6000 cal. BP. It additionally confirms the theory of low human occupation intensity in the northern Meseta and in high mountainous areas during the early Neolithic.

The functional study of the stone tool artefacts from the Middle Pleistocene site of Isernia la Pineta (Molise, central Italy) revealed microtraces that display certain features that did not fit in with what we know as use-wear traces. The suspicion that these microtraces may be technical traces derived from bipolar flaking, which is prevalent at this site, led us to initiate an experimental programme to check our hypothesis. The experiments conducted allowed us to identify residues associated with bipolar flaking on an anvil and to characterise the microscopic traces derived from this production technique. Our results proved very useful in identifying the artefacts produced by bipolar flaking, as well as in determining the basic lithological features of the anvil. Moreover, these experiments allowed us to assess the possible interferences that these kinds of technical traces can cause when performing the functional analyses of lithic assemblages produced by the bipolar technique.

The aim of this paper was to determine what technical gestures must be learned in order to produce stone tools. To identify these gestures, we compared the performance of expert knappers and complete novices. We hypothesised that the differences between novices and experts would indicate which technical gestures experts had learned to successfully produce stone tools. Participants were video recorded while attempting to produce a crude handaxe. The recordings were analysed according to ethological methods used to study animal and human behaviour. The knapping performance of each participant was segmented and scored into units in order to identify the technical gestures being used. The results showed considerable differences between experts and novices in three technical gestures: the type of percussion support, the position of the blank and the angle of blow. Therefore, these three technical gestures appear to be crucial in learning to knap stone at the level of bifacial stone toolmakers. By studying how modern knappers gradually master these three technical gestures we may begin to understand how stone knapping is acquired, how bifacial stone tools emerged and what cognitive challenges early handaxe makers had to face.

Several Neolithic to Iron Age sites of the Mediterranean region contain archaeological sediments, called fumiers, which are composed mainly of burnt animal dung and vegetal remains, and are commonly interpreted as the product of pastoral activities. Here we address three main topics about these sediments, which occur almost exclusively in the entrance areas of karstic caves and rock-shelters: their characteristics; methodological aspects of their excavation and study; and their archaeological interpretation. For such purposes, we briefly review the information available about Neolithic fumiers and present the first data from the sites of El Mirador (Burgos, Spain) and Riparo Gaban (Trento, Italy).

In Level XII of Bolomor Cave (Valencia, Spain) modifications have been observed on some of the bone fragments that make up the faunal record. These alterations consist of small notches located on the oblique fracture angles of some bones. The frequency at which these modifications appear in the assemblage has obliged to plan several experimental series to know the process that causes them. To be more exact, this study aims to verify whether these small chips are the result of trampling. For this purpose, two experimental series have been developed. The first of which has the objective of differentiating between the variables related to the original state of the bone (green, semi-dry and dry) and the second is aimed at reproducing the modifications observed in the archaeological set, taking into account the data obtained in the previous series. Following these experiments, the appearance of small notches is observed on the oblique fracture angles of some bones in semi-dry state. These resulting chips are similar to those documented in Bolomor Cave, Level XII. Therefore, it is deduced that trampling is the principle cause of these modifications in the bone record. This fact has important archaeological implications, as the spatial distribution of this modification can provide information about the intrasite movements of the human groups.

This paper presents the results of an experimental programme investigating the effects of production processes on stone tools and their interference with use-related features. In the first part of the experimental programme, a series of flint flakes was retouched with different kinds of hammers in order to assess the extent and nature of percussion residues. After careful environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) observation and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, the retouched flakes were thoroughly cleaned and the underlying flint deformation was recorded. The second part of the experimental programme involved selecting several uncleaned retouched pieces for use in short woodworking, hide-processing and butchery experiments. These pieces were observed and analysed before, during and after use. Some of the percussion features proved to be surprisingly resistant to use, and in some cases turned out to be strikingly similar in appearance to use-generated features.

The paper presents data from the El Mirador cave, part of the Sierra de Atapuerca project. The data deriving from the first two stratigraphical excavation campaigns (1999 and 2000) are illustrated. A 2.5-m thick Holocene succession, containing Neolithic and Bronze Age occupations, was excavated and sampled using a multidisciplinary perspective. Preliminary data on the Bronze Age occupations indicate the utilization of the rock-shelter for various activities, among them animal stabling, habitation and burial. Animal stabling led to the accumulation of characteristic burnt layers, never seen before in the Meseta region or in wider European context. A Bronze Age collective burial showing evidence of pre-treatment of bodies before their deposition, and a stratified metal axe, were also found., Las excavaciones arqueológicas iniciadas en 1999 en la cueva de El Mirador de la sierra de Atapuerca han permitido documentar hasta el momento una sucesión estratigráfica holocena de unos 2,5 m de potencia, formada por niveles del Neolítico y de la Edad del Bronce. Los datos preliminares sobre las ocupaciones de la Edad del Bronce señalan el uso de la cueva como redil, zona de hábitat y espacio sepulcral. Durante su uso como redil se llevó a cabo la quema periódica del estiércol depositado en el interior del corral. Es la primera vez que dicha práctica se documenta en la Meseta y, en el ámbito europeo, en contexto geográfico continental. El uso como cueva sepulcral viene seña- lado por la presencia de una inhumación colectiva. Ésta presenta evidencias de un ritual relacionado con el tratamiento de los cadáveres previo a su enterramiento. Cabe subrayar también la presencia de una hacha de bronce de rebordes en contexto estratigráfico.

Since the 1950s, archaeological activity has been especially prolific in Spanish regions such as Catalonia. This process brings the possibility to discover and excavate some of the most important archaeological sites in order to study the main cultural events in the past. This has been the case of Cova del Toll and Cova de la Font Major, whose cardial pottery collections have been a reference for the study of the Early Neolithic. However, methodological procedures employed at that moment do not help to give a strong, contextaulised dataset. In this work we present the results of the interventions carried out in both sites between 2006 and 2011. The combination of new Early Neolithic remains and short-lived C14 AMS dates has allowed us to put back the cardial phase of Cova del Toll, as well as to date for the first time de Early Neolithic of Cova de la Font Major., La reactivación de la actividad arqueológica española a partir de los años 1950, especialmente prolífica en algunas regiones como Cataluña, incorporó algunos yacimientos clave para el conocimiento de los grandes procesos culturales del pasado. Es el caso de las cuevas del Toll y Font Major cuyas colecciones de cerámica cardial, por su cantidad y calidad, han sido de referencia para el Neolítico antiguo en distintos momentos. En cambio cuentan con pocos o nulos datos contextuales debido a los métodos que se emplearon en esas primeras intervenciones. En este trabajo se presentan los resultados de las realizadas entre 2006 y 2011 en ambos yacimientos. La combinación de nuevos materiales encuadrables en distintas fases del Neolítico antiguo cardial con fechas radiocarbónicas de muestras de vida corta nos permite retrasar sensiblemente la fase cardial de la Cova del Toll, así como fechar por primera vez de forma absoluta la fase cardial de la Cova de la Font Major.

We analyse the origin of all obsidian artefacts recovered up to date from Neolithic sites of north-eastern Iberia, which are the only documented ones in the whole Iberian Peninsula. Despite the antiquity of one of the findings, they had never been studied in detail. The recent discovery of the other remains has allowed us to better clarify its context and specify its absolute chronology. All the archaeological sites where obsidian tools have been recovered can be placed somewhere between the end of the fifth millennium and the first centuries of the fourth millennium cal BC, corresponding to the full Middle Neolithic. The study about its origins shows clearly that it can be linked to the island of Sardinia, namely the SA source. Its spread can be associated to the time that the Sardinian obsidian reaches maximum intensity in its exploitation and maximum diffusion around the Mediterranean coasts. In this sense, the artefacts recovered in the Iberian sites are the ones located to a farthest distance from their source of origin, about 1200 km away. The linking of these products to individual burial grave goods, along with other non-native elements of nature, indicates that its value exceeds the strictly utilitarian, The Servei d'Arqueologia and the Junta de Museus del Departament de Cultura of the Generalitat of Catalonia as well as the Ministerio de Cultura of Spain have provided the exit of the artefacts to Orléans (IRAMAT-CNRS) for archaeometric characterization. Part of the results have been obtained in the framework of projects HAR2009-13494-C02-01/02, HAR2011-23149, HAR2012-38838-C02-01/02 financed by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, and the research groups SGR – 2009-00734 and SGR-2009-01145 of the AGAUR – Generalitat of Catalonia

The archaeozoological and taphonomical analyses of the faunal remains from levels 19 and 20 in the Mirador cave (Sierra of Atapuerca, Burgos) are presented. The main aim of this work is threefold: to study how faunal resources were managed, to characterize the occupation of the cave and to understand how the environmental resources were exploited at the end of the sixth millennium and the beginning of the fifth millennium cal. BC. Results show the development of human communities with a complex organization and a great environmental adaptation. Shepherds used the cavity as a sheepfold and as a domestic space during almost all the year. Sheep and goat husbandry comprised the economic basis; these taxa were exploited mainly for their meat and milk. Breeding of cattle and hunting would have been complementary activities., En este trabajo se presentan los datos obtenidos a partir del análisis zooarqueológico y tafonómico de los restos faunísticos recuperados en los niveles 19 y 20 de la Cueva del Mirador (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos). El objetivo fundamental ha sido obtener información sobre la gestión de los recursos faunísticos y las características de ocupación de la cavidad y aprovechamiento del entorno durante el final del VI milenio y los inicios del V milenio cal. BC. Los resultados han mostrado el desarrollo de comunidades con una estructuración compleja y una gran adaptación a su entorno. La cavidad fue empleada por un grupo de agricultores y ganaderos, tanto como redil para el ganado como espacio doméstico y durante la práctica totalidad del año. La economía ganadera se basaría en la cría de ganado ovicaprino, explotado tanto para la obtención de carne como de leche. Esta práctica económica estaría complementada por la cría de ganado bovino y las prácticas cinegéticas.

The site of Valle de las Orquídeas is the first Upper Pleistocene open-air locality excavated at Sierra de Atapuerca We have two TL dates from the terra-rossa forming the stratigraphic sequences: 27,507 ± 2,295 years BP and 29,955 ± 2,319 years BP. The archaeological record includes 306 artefacts. This assemblage is technologically homogeneous, reflecting a Middle Palaeolithic technical background, associated with some Upper Palaeolithic features. However, retouching techniques are unusual, since they move further away from that often used during both technological periods.El yacimiento del Valle de las Orquídeas constituye el primer lugar de ocupación al aire libre del Pleistoceno superior, localizado y excavado en la Sierra de Atapuerca. Contamos con dos dataciones de TL en la terra-rossa que forma la base de las secuencias estratigráficas estudiadas, las cuales arrojan una edad de 27.507 ± 2.295 años BP y 29.955 ± 2.319 años BP. El registro arqueológico se restringe a un conjunto lítico formado por 306 piezas. Este conjunto industrial es tecnológicamente homogéneo y se caracteriza por reflejar un substrato técnico típico del Paleolítico Medio, unido a ciertos rasgos del Paleolítico Superior. No obstante, es llamativa la configuración de útiles, que se aleja de las técnicas comúnmente utilizadas en ambos periodos.