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Over the last several decades, the application of aDNA and strontium isotope analyses on archaeologically recovered human remains has provided new avenues for the investigation of mobility in past societies. Data on human mobility can be valuable in the reconstruction of prehistoric residential patterns and kinship systems, which are at the center of human social organization and vary across time and space. In this paper, we aim to contribute to our understanding of mobility, residence, and kinship patterns in late Prehistoric Iberia (c. 3300–1400BC) by providing new strontium data on 44 individuals from the site of Humanejos (Parla, Madrid). The study presented here is multi-proxy and looks at these new data by interweaving biological, chronological, and archaeological information. This analysis found that 7/44 individuals buried at Humanejos could be identified as non-local to the necropolis. Although more men (n = 5) than women (n = 2) were found in the non-local category, and more non-local individuals were identified in the pre-Bell Beaker (n = 5) than in Bell Beaker (n = 1) or Bronze Age (n = 1), we find no statistically significant differences concerning sex or time period. This contrasts with other archaeological datasets for late prehistoric Europe which suggest higher female mobility, female exogamy, and male-centered residential patterns were common. At Humanejos, we have also identified one non-local female whose exceptional Beaker grave goods suggest she was an individual of special status, leading to additional questions about the relationships between gender, mobility, and social position in this region and time period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Cuadernos de Arqueología de la Universidad de Navarra is the property of Cuadernos de Arqueologia de la Universidad de Navarra and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cuadernos de Prehistoria y Arqueologia is the property of Cuadernos de Prehistoria y Arqueologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Vegueta: Anuario de la Facultad de Geografía e Historia is the property of Vegueta: Anuario de la Facultad de Geografia e Historia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

AbstractThis paper presents the most extensive 87Sr/86Sr datasets from Late Prehistory contexts in addition to bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr values for baseline characterization on the Balearic Islands. A total of 149 caprine dental enamel samples from Mallorca, Menorca, and Formentera islands (Spain), and 35 environmental baseline samples covering the main geologies of these islands are presented here. In addition, a combination of strontium and oxygen sequential analysis was performed on seven individuals from two sites that showed some of the most diverse 87Sr/86Sr values to better understand their mobility patterns. The main goal of this research is to provide more information about isotopic variability of bioavailable strontium on the Balearic Islands and livestock management during the Bronze and Iron Ages, thus allowing us to understand how human communities exploited their landscape and interacted with other populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological investigations on sandy, well-drained terraces of the Grand River in southwestern Michigan revealed a large number of shallow surface depressions, marking the locations of former cache pits, i.e., subterranean storage features. Our paper documents these pits, one of the largest arrays of cache pits reported for the Upper Great Lakes. Excavations into 29 cache pits revealed that they had been backfilled with generally artifact-poor sands. Prior to backfilling, the cache pits had been burned, leaving behind a black, charcoal-rich, charred horizon at their base, below the fill. This type of intentional burning has not previously been reported. Intentional re-use of cache pits was rare, if it occurred at all. Subsequently, pedogenesis has formed tongue-like soil horizons below the surface depressions. Radiocarbon dates from the cache pits, along with diagnostic artifacts, place the use of these features to the Late Precontact period, particularly the mid- to late 15th century a.d. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Rapa Nui has been proposed as a classic example of cultural collapse, this hypothesis has been repeatedly questioned. This paper investigates cultural continuity on Rapa Nui following the onset of deforestation through a study of red ochre pits. Red ochre pigments are well-known from various contexts on Rapa Nui, but until recently its origin and the extraction process involved in their production were not precisely understood. New excavations have revealed the presence of multiple pits used for pigment production and storage by the island's prehistoric culture. Previous geoarchaeological studies, including geomorphological, pedological, geochemical and micromorphological analyses, have shown that the pits contain fine layers of reddish iron oxides (ochre), which result from repeated intentional burning. The oxide layers alternate with thin layers of phytoliths, interpreted as the remains of plant material used as fuel, and diatoms. This paper presents new phytolith and diatom data from the previously described site of Vaipú East, complemented with data from similar pits at the new sites of Vaipú West and Poike. New 14C dates are also presented from these sites. The phytolith and diatom data provide crucial information about the chaîne opératoire of the ochre production and the formation processes associated with the pits. The evidence of pigment production and storage at Vaipú East shows that labour-intensive ochre production took place on Rapa Nui during at least two separate phases after deforestation, while the pits discovered at other sites indicate that Vaipú East did not stand alone. This provides a further line of evidence in favour of cultural continuity rather than collapse following deforestation in the island's late prehistory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of many 'standing stone' monuments within the European Late Prehistoric landscape is considered to be associated with a pivotal human cultural transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture and settlement, currently dated by radiocarbon to the 5th millennium BCE [1]. However, many standing stones were first erected, subsequently collapsed, and then re-erected during the following three millennia [2]. A major difficulty encountered in attempting to apply radiocarbon in previous field investigation to understand these events is identifying samples that are securely related to the construction process. The site of Cruz de Cepos in NW Portugal has been excavated with the aim of learning more of the method of construction of the megalithic monument and, in particular, to explore the potential for application of radiocarbon and luminescence techniques to obtain a reliable chronological framework for its erection. Fortunately, samples suitable for both methods were available and obtained during a programme of excavation of the Cruz de Cepos monument. This paper discusses the luminescence and dosimetry characteristics of quartz extracted from sediment samples taken from locations associated with the socket and surrounding original backfilling deposits, and the OSL single-grain dates produced. The latter are compared with the radiocarbon dates and the prospects for wider application to megalithic monuments of this type is assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Espacio, Tiempo y Forma: Serie I, Prehistoria y Arqueología is the property of Editorial UNED and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the last few decades, archaeology has undergone a profound transformation. The inclusion of techniques from a wide range of other sciences, as well as the specific contribution of physical anthropology, genetics, and paleodemography using the analyses of human remains, has enabled the reconstruction of some key aspects of past populations such as mobility, diet, physical activities, and health status. In addition, the emergence of gender archaeology has led to a great renewal in how societies in the past are conceptualized and approached. Although the gender approach completely relies on the accuracy of the method used for estimating the sex of individuals, the increasing number of publications on this issue rarely focuses on the criteria on which these results are based. The aim of this paper is, firstly, to present the anthropological data available for the Iberian Mesolithic, the Neolithic, and the Copper Age (8th–3rd millennia B.C.) and the analysis of this from the perspective of the “sex ratio.” This demographical indicator has allowed us to detect a higher proportion of male individuals than female ones in most of the sites analyzed. Secondly, the different causes of this systematic disproportion (cultural, methodological, and biological) are discussed, concluding that the methodological bias in favor of males presented in research over 40 years ago still exists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perceptibility of a prehistoric monument (the property of being perceptible from its surrounding landscape) can be quite difficult to analyse by means of traditional static models. Such difficulty lies in the fact that perceptibility depends upon many other factors beyond simple topographical position, such as size, colour, contrast with the surroundings or even the specific circumstances of the audience, many such circumstances being of an immaterial nature. In this paper, we explore the potential use of Agent-Based Modelling for the analysis of archaeological perceptibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to highlight developments in archaeological knowledge relating to dog remains found in deposits from Late Prehistoric contexts at sites along the Iberian Peninsula. Preliminary results from ongoing osteometric and 2D Geometric Morphometric studies applied to these remains are here presented and discussed to contextualize future studies by the author.

The archaeological site of Mesa Redonda (Villaverde del Río, Seville) was the subject of archaeological research at the end of the 1970s, and only recently has new research been carried out. In this paper we present the results of both the old and the new archaeological work conducted in 2019-2021. We have named this site the Mesa Redonda Complex, because of the wider period of use and because it includes many different sites. According to the results of the archaeological survey, test pits and geoelectric prospection, the archaeological site offers a multi-layered continuous use of the summit from the Bronze Age to the Islamic Middle Ages (12th century AD). Due to its size and long diachronic sequence, in this case covering at least four millennia, the structure of the site complies with the definition of an archaeological tell. Mesa Redonda is strategically located between the Guadalquivir Valley and Sierra Morena, overlooking the fertile lands of the valley with abundant agropastoral resources.

Copyright of Zephyrus is the property of Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper aims to highlight developments in archaeological knowledge relating to dog remains found in deposits from Late Prehistoric contexts at sites along the Iberian Peninsula. Preliminary results from ongoing osteometric and 2D Geometric Morphometric studies applied to these remains are here presented and discussed to contextualize future studies by the author. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zephyrus is the property of Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Although kite structures are known from several areas of the southern Levant and the Near East (e.g. Sinai, Negev, Syria, Saudi Arabia), their distribution in Jordan was thought to be restricted to the north-eastern basalt harra landscape. From the point of view of arid peripheries settlement dynamics, the gap left in southern and south-eastern Jordan was puzzling in view of the clear continuity in human occupation evidenced by recently intensifying research in this region. This paper presents the first occurrences of kites identified in this hamada landscape in the framework of the joint French-Jordanian South Eastern Badia Archaeological Project ( SEBAP). Despite obvious similarities with the examples known from the harra, the two distinct sets of kites uncovered show clear local specificities in their layout and use of topography, which will be emphasised through the description of survey and excavation results. The evidence clearly supports a function of hunting structures and some clues regarding dating, although still preliminary, are expressed as well. Some lines of investigation to grasp the diversity and regionalism of the kite phenomenon are also explored, as different kite-building traditions seem to emerge from the growing body of evidence available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Human–animal relations during Prehistory are an increasingly discussed issue among scholars. Cervids are a symbolically prominent species among hunter–gatherers but are also of relevance to pastoralists. We present a synthesis of available data regarding human–deer relations in Portuguese Late Prehistory. This is achieved by examining deer abundance in subsistence, together with their inclusion in social practices such as food-sharing and their involvement in structured depositions in both funerary and non-funerary contexts. Additionally, the study investigates the utilization of deer remains for the creation of artifacts and their depiction in pottery decoration, figures, and rock art. The dynamics of deer prevalence in subsistence have varied diachronically and synchronically in the periods and areas under study. Although the reasons and meanings for this behavior continue to be discussed, their sociocultural and ideological relevance seems to have persisted in early agropastoral and metallurgical societies, even as they undergo change. Human–animal relations have been a fruitful research topic worldwide. The importance of deer in hunter–gatherer societies is undeniable, with cervids being commonly found in archaeological and past artistic records, with a notable amount of information recovered in the Iberian Peninsula. This relevance continues during Late Prehistory, but the attempt to discuss cervids under broader perspectives and based on different types of data is not as common. We intend to approach human–deer relations in Central and Southern Portuguese Late Prehistory by considering the zooarchaeological records, both deer abundance in faunal spectra and their presence in "meaningful" assemblages and structured depositions, as well as the use of deer and deer body parts in other socio–cultural and ideological practices. The synthesis of available data shows that human–deer relations changed through time and space, with different abundances related to hunting depending on chronology and geography. The use of deer or their body parts as a resource of symbolic nature also varied, being included in food-sharing events, offerings, structured depositions, and graphic representations. Changeability is part of the different relationships, ontologies, and cosmogonies that humans and deer developed in the Late Prehistoric relational world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Westward on the High-Hilled Plains. The Later Prehistory of the West Midlands is the second volume of the project The Making of the West Midlands. This is an ambitious six-volume series which puts together the proceedings originally presented at the seminars held, between June 2002 and June 2003, under the title the West Midlands Regional Research Framework for Archaeology. This second book of the series, edited by Derek Hurst, complements the assessment and research agenda for later prehistory (Hurst 2011) more recently published in The Archaeology of West Midlands: a framework for research (Watt 2011) and focuses on the Late Prehistory of the West Midland region, from the Middle Bronze age to the Late Iron Age.

In recent decades, the area around Sierra de Atapuerca has been the focus of many archaeological excavations and surveys under research projects and also management or rescue archaeology. From 1999 to 2007, one such project analysed the evolution of prehistoric settlement around Sierra de Atapuerca during the Holocene. The fieldwork was based on ten archaeological surveys, eight of them using a full-coverage intensive systematic method in a 314 km 2 area (10 km radius around Mayor Cave, Sierra de Atapuerca), and two intensive systematic surveys of the sites. This paper presents a thorough, up-to-date cartography of every Holocene archaeological site in this area as at 2014: surveyed sites, excavated sites, caves and megalithic structures. We also discuss GIS mapping techniques and geoespatial databases applied to archaeological surveys, we evaluate the megalithic structures and the settlements excavated at other digs, and we assess the relevance and contributions of each archaeological operation. The results of our research project have proven highly successful, with an overall Holocene spatial distribution of more than 200 archaeological sites from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age: caves, open air sites and megalithic structures. These findings, combined with the GIS results, show that the area around Sierra de Atapuerca may be one of the best potential sources for deeper knowledge of Late Prehistory on the Northern Iberian Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the northern fringes of Serra do Extremo, overlooking the valley of the river Minho, the hills of Monte Faro and Monte dos Fortes revealed an exceptional collection of prehistoric rock carvings belonging to the Iberian Atlantic Art tradition. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, A. Leite da Cunha e E. J. Silva studied here the well-known sites of Monte da Laje, Tapada do Ozão e Monte dos Fortes. Between 2013 and 2015, a new research project amplified the numbers to over one hundred carved rocks, amongst which 91 are dated to Late Prehistory. This allows us to acknowledge that this is the largest assemblage of Atlantic Art identified, so far, in Portugal. This paper, which inaugurates the dissemination of the research outcomes, reveals how the project was structured, the methodology adopted and offers a preliminary description of the archaeological sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between infant and child feeding practices and early mortality is difficult to address in past societies. Here, stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope measurements of bulk bone and sequential dentine samples of deciduous second and/or permanent first molars of four younger children, one older child, one late adolescent, and two young adults (n = 8) from Moro de Alins cave, north-eastern Iberia, are used to explore the potential impact of early-life nutrition on mortality in the Bronze Age. Isotope results are compatible with generally short exclusive breastfeeding and standard weaning periods compared to other pre-modern populations. However, there are differences in exclusive breastfeeding mean δ13C values and in Δ13C trophic shifts between exclusive breastfeeding and immediate post-weaning isotope values for those individuals who survived into adolescence and adulthood and those who did not. While the former seem to be consistent with trophic distances published for modern mother–infant pairs, the latter are above most of them. This may suggest that individuals who consumed similar foods to their mothers or suffered from less physiological stress during or after weaning had greater chances of survival during early childhood and beyond. Post-weaning seems to have been a particularly stressful period of life, where a number of instances of patterns of opposing isotopic covariance compatible with catabolic changes, often preceding death among non-survivors, are detected. This outcome shows the key role of nutritional and/or physiological status in early-life morbidity and mortality among partially and especially fully weaned children from pre-antibiotic, pre-vaccination, and poor sanitation contexts and proposes that adult survival is rooted in early life experiences, in keeping with the developmental origins of health and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Prehistoric pen accumulations in rockshelters and caves are indicators of the history of pastoralism beginning in the Neolithic period. This paper characterises the stabling practices and the syn/post-depositional processes identified in Cova Gran de Santa Linya through a combination of micromorphological and stratigraphic analyses and radiometric dating of the pen deposits recorded at the site. The study confirms the cyclical stabling of ovicaprids in the rockshelter. Other activities, such as the repeated burning of residues, add to our understanding of pen management and the upkeep of pen deposits in the past. The topographic characteristics and extensive use of the site over a long period of time, along with contextual data from other cave sites in the South Pyrenean mountain range where pen deposits have been documented, allow discussion of the role played by Cova Gran in long distance transhumant herding between the Ebro Basin and the Pyrenees during the past, which includes routes that have operated almost until the present day. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Issues in Ethnology Anthropology is the property of Issues in Ethnology Anthropology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Present day lead pollution is an environmental hazard of global proportions. A correct determination of natural lead levels is very important in order to evaluate anthropogenic lead contributions. In this paper, the anthropogenic signature of early metallurgy in Southern Iberia during the Holocene, more specifically during the Late Prehistory, was assessed by mean of a multiproxy approach: comparison of atmospheric lead pollution, fire regimes, deforestation, mass sediment transport, and archeological data. Although the onset of metallurgy in Southern Iberia is a matter of controversy, here we show the oldest lead pollution record from Western Europe in a continuous paleoenvironmental sequence, which suggests clear lead pollution caused by metallurgical activities since ~3900cal BP (Early Bronze Age). This lead pollution was especially important during Late Bronze and Early Iron ages. At the same time, since ~4000cal BP, an increase in fire activity is observed in this area, which is also coupled with deforestation and increased erosion rates. This study also shows that the lead pollution record locally reached near present-day values many times in the past, suggesting intensive use and manipulation of lead during those periods in this area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The incorporation of geospatial technologies in archaeology has resulted in productive advances in the analysis of past behavioral processes. Archaeologists have relied on the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) application of cost surface analysis and the computation of least cost paths (LCP) to study movement, one key social process. Recent research has identified limitations with LCP for modeling nonhuman species movement, notably the inability of LCP to accommodate multiple pathways. Archaeology must consider the implications of these critiques for models of past human movement. In this paper, I apply a different approach, circuit theory modeling, enacted through the program Circuitscape, to an archaeological case study previously analyzed with LCP modeling, travel to a regionally significant ceremonial earthwork center during Late Prehistory (ca. AD 1200–1600) in the Northern Great Lakes. Through this comparative analysis, I evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of these methods for modeling past movement. The results suggest LCP modeling and circuit modeling offer archaeology complementary geospatial methods for conceptualizing past mobility. Combining circuit theory and LCP allows archaeologists to produce richer models of past movement by appreciating scenarios where multiple pathways are important as well as scenarios where optimum single travel routes have priority. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this study, total mercury (THg) was analyzed in archaeological human bone from 23 sites dating to between the Middle Neolithic and the Antiquity. A total of 370 individuals from individual or collective burials was sampled, mostly using cortical bone from the humerus. These individuals were recovered from over 50 different funerary structures ranging from tholoi, pits, caves, and hypogea. Although cinnabar (HgS) is a likely cause of mercury poisoning and toxicity for people exposed to this mineral from mining or use as a paint or pigment, not all sites investigated here had cinnabar associated with the burials or other excavated areas. We found unusual levels of THg in many of the sampled individuals that we assume were caused by exposure to cinnabar in life, and not by diagenetic processes or other exposures to mercury such as through diet, which would only cause negligible accumulation of THg in bone. Our data, based on the largest sampling ever undertaken on contamination of human bone through archaeological evidence, provide a baseline for additional research on cinnabar and its use in Prehistory. Moderate to high levels of THg in human bone are mainly associated with societies dating from the second half of the 4th to late 3rd millennia B.C. (Late Neolithic to Middle Chalcolithic) in southern Iberia. By the Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, the use of cinnabar decreased significantly and became minimal or absent. The use and abuse of cinnabar appears to have been pervasive throughout the above‐mentioned period and particularly between c. 2900–2300 B.C. This occurred in connection with the high symbolic and probably sacred value of the substance, which was sought after, traded, and extensively used in a variety of rituals and social practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence from several sites suggests that the late prehistoric communities in Sudan developed over transitional times and regional diversities. Central and Northern Sudan have yielded an important record of late prehistoric settlements with several Mesolithic and Neolithic sites. New data from current projects such as the Sabaloka Dam Archaeological Project (SDASP, El Salha project) are progressively updating the archaeological map of Sudan and bringing fresh information about the complex transitions having occurred during the late prehistoric periods. Although many topics have been discussed, some issues remain untouched and geographical gaps are still uninvestigated. This paper reports about the survey and excavation conducted in the Sabaloka area, North of Khartoum, since 2013-2015. It is also a first attempt to discuss the importance of the area in the field of Sudanese prehistory and to explore the range of regional diversities through comparative studies.

Abstract: This research provides the first evidence of prehistoric quarrying of eclogitic rocks on the Iberian peninsula. Such metamorphosed basic igneous rocks are known to have been used in southern Spain and Portugal during late prehistory as a raw material for the making of polished lithic tools (axes, adzes, chisels, and hammers). These rocks were widely used primarily because of their tolerance to blow and friction due to their mineralogical and textural characteristics. We have identified two quarries within the Sierra de Baza Natural Park (Granada), in the Betic Cordillera of southern Spain: Rambla del Agua and Cerro de San Cristóbal. The bedrock geology of these quarries forms part of the Mulhacen Complex Ophiolite Unit (Nevado‐Filábride Domain), which discontinuously outcrops along a 250‐km belt in southeastern Spain. Petrographic and geochemical analyses were conducted on raw materials from quarries in the Sierra de Baza and compared with archaeological materials from different sites in southern Iberia. These analyses allow us to specify the Nevado‐Filábride‐derived lithic source and define exchange networks. Archaeological sites around the studied quarries chronologically date their use between the early Neolithic and Bronze Age (∼5500–1500 B.C.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The characterization of materials used in the construction of megalithic monuments can be considered a key aspect for a better understanding of the social behavior of past societies. The excavation of four dolmens and one small cist in 2015 at the megalithic necropolis of Panoria (Granada, Spain) offered an excellent opportunity to explore the geological properties and potential source area(s) of the uprights used in their construction. All the stone slabs came from the same raw material: fine‐grained, beige to pink limestones that occasionally show red and black chert nodules, with wavy stratifications and a packstone texture. Comparison with the geological properties of the surrounding outcrops matches a lithostratigraphy known as the Ammonitico Rosso Formation. Thus, it seems safe to say that the quarry area was located next to the necropolis. Explanations other than the traditional practical reasons have been put forward to understand why the stone slabs were quarried from the same mountain in which the tombs were located. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines strontium, oxygen, and carbon isotope ratios (Sr/Sr, δO, δC) 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 Sr/Sr values, several of the identified non-local individuals originate from regions with substantially older lithological features and possible places of origin are being investigated. As it is not possible to discern individuals who may have moved from regions with similar geologic landscapes using this methodology, these data provide the minimum number of migrants, and it is conceivable that the number of non-locals in this sample may be higher. Combining multiple lines of material and biological evidence and the completion of Sr isotope mapping in the Iberian Peninsula will help to clarify these findings. Stable carbon isotope data provide new and direct evidence of regional changes in consumption patterns. In particular, this study provides some possible evidence for the consumption of C plants in third-millennium bc central Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contrary to the general attitude that the role of written sources in archaeological research marks the separation between two distinct fields of research – prehistorical and historical archaeology, the critical research into the history of the discipline points that the development of archaeology has not followed this pattern. Rather, the dominant role of the written sources in the study of classical past has been transferred onto the practices of prehistorical archaeology. Discussing the role of ancient sources in the research of the so-called "Illyrian question", this paper addresses the consequences of this dominant role of written sources in the archaeological study of the past and points to the ways in which the interpretation of the classical texts influenced the theoretical- methodological framework of research of the late prehistory of the Balkans.

Copyright of Spal: Revista de Prehistoria y Arqueologia de la Universidad de Sevilla is the property of Spal. Revista de Prehistoria y Arqueologia de la Universidad de Sevilla and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Contrary to the general attitude that the role of written sources in archaeological research marks the separation between two distinct fields of research – prehistorical and historical archaeology, the critical research into the history of the discipline points that the development of archaeology has not followed this pattern. Rather, the dominant role of the written sources in the study of classical past has been transferred onto the practices of praehistorical archaeology. Discussing the role of ancient sources in the research of the so-called “Illyrian question”, this paper addresses the consequences of this dominant role of written sources in the archaeological study of the past and points to the ways in which the interpretation of the classical texts influenced the theoretical-methodological framework of research of the late prehistory of the Balkans.