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Los pinsapares de Abies pinsapo son una de las formaciones boscosas más originales de la península ibérica. A pesar de la singularidad de estos ecosistemas, hasta el momento ningún análisis de microfósiles polínicos había sido emprendido en aquellos territorios donde esta especie, en peligro de extinción, aún pervive. Con este trabajo se presentan los primeros resultados en los que, haciendo uso del registro fósil, han podido ser identificados los impactos climáticos pasados y los cambios de uso de suelo histórico en la evolución de las poblaciones del sur de la península ibérica para el Holoceno final (1180 AD hasta el presente). Los resultados son comparados con las fluctuaciones climáticas y cambios en el manejo forestal documentados en los últimos ocho siglos. La secuencia de polen muestra una fase de estabilidad estructural y estado de conservación óptimo del pinsapar durante el Período Musulmán (~1180-1400 AD), etapa que se desarrolla en la Anomalía Climática Medieval (ACM). A continuación, se inicia un proceso de degradación de estos bosques en el Período Cristiano concurrente con la Pequeña Edad de Hielo, PEH (ca. 1400-1530 AD). El Período Moderno (1530-1800 AD; PEH) está vinculado a la gestión forestal intensiva, relacionada con la industria naval. Posteriormente, se registra una reducción y declive progresivo de estas formaciones que tiene como punto de partida la Edad Contemporánea (Período Industrial; PI) y que culmina con un paisaje profusamente deforestado en el Calentamiento Reciente (CR).

The Doñana area in southern Iberia is one of the most renowned protected areas of Europe, mostly due to the diversity and value of its wetland ecosystems. The large biogeographical significance of this territory and the outstanding availability of sedimentary archives have made this region a hotspot of paleobotanical research in the Iberian Peninsula. Specifically, the organic deposits on El Asperillo Cliff have been studied during the past few decades from the geomorphological and paleobotanical (pollen, macrofossils) points of view. However, large uncertainties remain concerning the chronology of certain sections of the exposed profile and the paleobotanical potential of this site has not been fully exploited yet. In this study, we revisited El Asperillo with the aims of completing the paleobotanical record and refining the chronology of this site. The age of the studied deposits ranges from ca. 22,000 to 30,900 cal. yr BP according to the radiocarbon dates obtained, thus embracing the particularly cold and dry Heinrich Event 2 and the Last Glacial Maximum. Our palynological results allow inferring the presence of a coastal marshland system. Additionally, the new pollen records highlight the relevance and diversity of pines (Pinus nigra-sylvestris type, P. pinaster, P. halepensis-pinea type) in the Late Pleistocene landscape of Doñana, reinforcing the native status of pines. Last but not least, the results stress the persistence of a highly diverse woody flora in Doñana during the harshest periods of the last glacial cycle, highlighting the importance of this enclave in postglacial vegetation recolonization of the Iberian Peninsula.

The Iberian Peninsula is an area of the Western Mediterranean among the most sensitive to climatic and anthropogenic change. It has formed the centre-piece of numerous palaeoenvironmental studies of mountain and valleys, covering different chronologies and historical periods. These studies, however, include no palaeoenvironmental background to the Roman military conquests of the late third to the late first centuries B.C. This paper presents palynological evidence from two Roman military camps, A Recacha and A Granda das Xarras, in the mountains of Northwest Iberia. The main results reflect anthropic activities that shaped the landscape since at least the end of the third millennium B.C., with the presence of montane heaths and deciduous forests. During the first millennium B.C., a modest increase in anthropic activity was detected, possibly due to seasonal grazing. Throughout the Roman conquest, slightly increased signs of anthropogenic activity on the local landscape are detected, leaving a landscape which has changed little throughout the two thousand years that have since passed.

[EN] The motillas are the first settlements in La Mancha during the Bronze Age. They are preferably positioned in the floodplain or the riverbed of the main rivers that cross La Mancha Plain. Researches in the motilla of Azuer (Daimiel, Ciudad Real), revealed the existence of a well (around 18 m depth) inside the fortified complex. The well object could be the calcareous levels of the Pliocene Mancha Occidental regional aquifer. It could be the Europe´s oldest groundwater exploitation system. New geological and hydrogeological investigations obtain relevant advances: all the motillas have a groundwater reservoir that could be exploited under extreme climatic conditions, by a dug well made with prehistoric methods. This confirms the hypothesis of de Motillas Culture development in during an extreme dry period, and groundwater catchment like a decisive factor., [ES] Los yacimientos arqueológicos conocidos como motillas constituyen los primeros poblamientos en la región natural de La Mancha en la Edad de Bronce. Se sitúan en la llanura de inundación o en el cauce de los principales ríos que atraviesan la Llanura Manchega. Los trabajos de investigación llevados a cabo en la motilla del Azuer (Daimiel, Ciudad Real), determinan la existencia de un pozo en el interior del recinto fortificado, de al menos 18 metros de profundidad, que podrían alcanzar los niveles calizos que forman el acuífero superior de la llanura Manchega, de extensión regional. Se considera el sistema de aprovechamiento de las aguas subterráneas más antiguo de Europa. El estudio de la geología e hidrogeología de la Mancha y las nuevas investigaciones llevadas a cabo en otras motillas, han permitido confirmar la existencia de niveles o formaciones en el subsuelo capaces de disponer de recurso de agua suficiente en condiciones de extrema sequía, a profundidad y condiciones asequibles para la época. Se confirma la viabilidad de la hipótesis de la existencia de pozos de aprovechamiento de agua en el interior de las motillas, ante un escenario climatológico de extrema aridez

Syrphids provide valuable ecosystem services such as pollination, pest control or organic matter decomposition. In many cases, adults exploit pollen resources from the landscape to complete their life cycles. Yet, the knowledge about the most suitable plants for enhancing syrphid populations is still insufficient for most habitats. Also syrphid distribution across the landscape is understudied. In this work we analyzed: (i) syrphids distribution across different land uses and seasons in a Mediterranean landscape dominated by olive orchards, (ii) pollen resources exploited by the most abundant syrphid species and (iii) specific pollen resources relevant for egg production. Syrphids were captured weekly in spring, summer and autumn from April to November 2013 with a sweep net in patches with different land uses (olive orchards, herbaceous and scrubland patches). Nine species, generally with predatory aphidophagous larvae, were identified. The most abundant species was Sphaerophoria scripta (L.) followed by Melanostoma mellinum (L.). Sphaerophoria scripta was associated to olive orchards while M. mellinum was associated to herbaceous/scrubland patches. Pollen selection and consumption and number of eggs within gravid females for the most abundant species were determined through gut dissection and identified with a microscope. Several pollen types were showed a positive selection index by syrphid species. During spring and summer, the most ingested pollen types belonged to abundant plants in the patches of capture indicating that syrphids possibly do not need to fly among patches to feed during those periods. In spring, Asteraceae and Plantago type were particularly consumed by S. scripta and M. mellinum gravid females respectively while in summer feeding habits of males, gravid and non-gravid females did not differ. Females consumed more pollen than males but the number of eggs in gravid females was not related with the amount of ingested pollen grains. This study brin

[EN] This paper evaluates the possible impact of the early medieval pandemic known as the “Justinianic plague” as one of the factors that shaped the mountain ecosystems in the Spanish Central System of the Iberian Peninsula. For this purpose, we focus on two high-resolution, radiocarbon-dated natural pollen records from the Gredos Range (Avila). These cores frame the information they offer within the general picture of the socio-political and environmental transformations of Late Antiquity. Along these three centuries, between c. AD 400 and AD 720, the palynological sequence allows us to recognize eight short phases (on a ten-year and even five-year scale) through which the forest formations traversed. This analysis has made it possible to identify olive and chestnut tree arboriculture since the beginning of the studied interval, as well as to characterize the fluctuation in the thinning processes of the high montane pine forests, due to slash-and-burn practices to open pastures, especially from the permanent occupation of the piedmont in Visigothic times (c. AD 450). The sequence also shows a significant decrease in the anthropic signal during a short period (c. AD 540-545) that can be disassociated from the early effects of the Late Antique Little Ice Age (c. AD 450- 660) and which is possibly more related to the plague, as evidenced by the subsequent recovery of anthropic pressure on the pine forest and the extension of the olive and chestnut grove in the 6th and 7th centuries AD, [ES] El presente trabajo evalúa la posible influencia de la pandemia altomedieval conocida como «plaga de Justiniano» como uno de los factores que contribuyeron a configurar los ecosistemas de montaña enclavados en el Sistema Central de la península ibérica. Para ello, el artículo se centra en dos registros polínicos naturales de alta resolución y bien datados mediante radiocarbono, obtenidos en la Sierra de Gredos (Ávila), y enmarca la información que ofrecen en el cuadro general de las dinámicas sociopolíticas y ambientales de la Antigüedad Tardía. En el intervalo de tres siglos, entre c. 400 y 720 A. D., la secuencia palinológica permite reconocer ocho fases breves (de escala decenal e incluso quinquenal) que marcaron las transformaciones del paisaje. Este análisis ha posibilitado identificar la implantación de la arboricultura de olivo y castaño desde el inicio del intervalo estudiado, así como caracterizar la fluctuación en los procesos de clareo de los pinares altimontanos, por la incidencia de talas y rozas con fuego para abrir pastizales, especialmente desde la ocupación permanente del piedemonte en época visigoda (c. 450 A. D.). La secuencia analizada muestra un significativo aminoramiento de la señal antrópica durante un breve intervalo (c. 540-545 A. D.) que cabe desvincular de los efectos tempranos de la Pequeña Edad de Hielo tardoantigua (c. 450-660 A. D.) y resulta más plausible relacionar con la plaga, como avala la subsiguiente recuperación de la presión antrópica sobre el pinar y la extensión del olivar y el castañar en los siglos VI y VII A. D.

Human impact on western Mediterranean mountains is gaining more attention, as they harbour a rich plant diversity threatened by global change. This paper presents an analysis of two pollen records from both sides of Sierra Nevada, the prime plant-diversity centre of the Mediterranean, spanning the last 5400 years. The analysis sought to answer the following key questions: When did natural systems transform to cultural landscapes? What was the intensity and extent of alterations driven by the diverse civilizations? A compilation of archaeological and paleaeoclimatic data supported this analysis, as well as a multi-proxy palaeoecological study using pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs and microcharcoal, searching for the imprint that diverse societies left on these mountains. Results suggest that human influences started earlier than expected, with a strong impact on forest cover, oriented more towards crops on the southern face and towards livestock on the northern one, whereas mining and metallurgy were initial key drivers of population dynamics. Irrigation has supported farming since at least the Islamic period. More recent anthropogenic control and land-use management have allowed a further spread of the tree cover. Proper conservation strategies need long-term perspectives, including palaeoecological studies. The preservation of traditional human activities like grazing, high-elevation cropping or irrigation systems become essential to maintain current biodiversity.

The SW coast of the Iberian Peninsula experiences a lack of palaeoenvironmental and archaeological data. With the aim to fill this gap, we contribute with a new palynological and geochemical dataset obtained from a sediment core drilled in the continental shelf of the Algarve coast. Archaeological data have been correlated with our multi-proxy dataset to understand how human groups adapted to environmental changes during the Early-Mid Holocene, with special focus on the Mesolithic to Neolithic transition. Vegetation trends indicate warm conditions at the onset of the Holocene followed by increased moisture and forest development ca. 10–7 ka BP, after which woodlands are progressively replaced by heaths. Peaks of aridity were identified at 8.2 and 7. 5 ka BP. Compositional, textural, redox state, and weathering of source area geochemical proxies indicates abrupt palaeoceanographic modifications and gradual terrestrial changes at 8.2 ka BP, while the 7.5 ka BP event mirrors a decrease in land moisture availability. Mesolithic sites are mainly composed of seasonal camps with direct access to the coast for the exploitation of local resources. This pattern extends into the Early Neolithic, when these sites coexist with seasonal and permanent occupations located in inland areas near rivers. Changes in settlement patterns and dietary habits may be influenced by changes in coastal environments caused by the sea-level rise and the impact of the 8.2 and 7.5 ka BP climate event

Facing current climate and environmental crises needs long-term series of Earth Dynamics and anthropogenic pressures on the Planet. Numerous geological, chemical and biological natural archives capture large-scale, multi-temporal, abrupt, and often irreversible shifts in environmental and climate systems, providing an opportunity to better understand and therefore predict potential future impacts of the present anthropogenic warming and Humankind impact on the Planet. By providing robust, reliable, quantitative, detailed, high-resolution and long paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental data series, paleoclimatology and paleoenvironmental research place present climate variability and ecological crises in a long-term perspective to understand climate forcing mechanisms and environmental processes and responses. The success of science-based solutions to the global risks in the 21st century will strongly rely on our capacity to transfer this knowledge to politicians, managers, and society.

The Iberian Central System (ICS) is a clue region to reveal Mediterranean/Atlantic inferences over Iberia. We present a multidisciplinary study from western Spain conducted in the Navamuño depression (ND), covering the last 16.8 ka (cal BP). A reconstruction of the palaeotemperature from the resulting geochemical data highlights four cold and dry intervals, namely, the Oldest Dryas, Older Dryas, Intra-Allerød Cold Period (IACP), and the Younger Dryas, along with warmer intervals: the Bølling (14.7–14 ka) and the Allerød (12.9–12.6 ka); however, the Greenland Interstadial GI-1c (13.4–13.1 ka) is barely distinguishable in the ND. Despite the shortage of biomass to sustain fire, the earliest charcoals are from ~14.4–13.8 ka. Evidence of ash/dust events overprinting the geochemical background starts at ~13.8–12.8 ka. Significant fire activity in the Early Holocene at ~11.7–10.6 ka affected the ND, matching the westernmost ICS data. This period includes short oceanic spells inferred from Cl peaks at ~10.9–10.2 ka and three cold intervals at 11.4, 9.3, and 8.2 ka disrupted the progressive temperature increase. The Mid-Holocene showed a continuously increasing trend towards an arid climate, peaking at 4.2 ka under a pervasive dust influx from North Africa, which has prevailed since almost ~7.9 ka. A prominent volcanic event at ~6.8–5.8 ka is in Navamuño and Roñanzas (Asturias, N Spain; Gallego et al., 2013) identified from heavy metal-rich layer, synchronous with the last known eruption of the Calatrava volcanic field (South-Central Spain; Poblete-Piedrabuena et al., 2019). This volcanic eruption could affect many other regions half north of Iberia. The pervasive presence of oceanic aerosols in the last three millennia (2.8 ka ~ ) allowed the formation of a Cl-rich peat layer during the Ibero-Roman humid period ~2.1 ka, before a changing around ~0.4 ka toward colder and drier conditions at the Little Ice Age (LIA) period.

This work presents the anthracological and archeopalynological results obtained within the project AGRIWESTMED (ERC AdG 230561), which has involved a comprehensive retrieval of archeobiological remains based on a systematic sampling strategy, beyond the recovery of the usual archeological materials. These surveys were conducted on three sites located in the North of Morocco: the cave of Kaf Taht-el-Ghar, 8 km southeast from Tetuan, and two caves within the El Khil complex, close to Tanger. Both plant micro- and macro-remains (charred wood) were studied through palynological and anthracological analyses, respectively., Our goal was to assess the vegetation composition of the area as well as the impact of human activities on the landscape. In Kaf Taht-el-Ghar the dynamics of vegetation and land use is recorded over the Paleolithic, Epipaleolithic, Neolithic and Historic times. Clear changes such as the demise of ancient Paleolithic pine and juniper woods during the Epipaleolithic and the subsequent spread of grasslands are shown. Other conifers like Abies pinsapo, Cedrus atlantica and Taxus baccata also disappeared from the pollen and charred wood records. In the palynological study, cereal and broad beans (Vicia faba) are already detected in the Early Neolithic, as well as a lowering of grazing pressure. Both cereal and broad beans, along with the development of grazing activities are also documented around El Khil caves since the Early Neolithic. Throughout the whole pollen and anthracological sequences a progressive retreat of the tree cover and an extensive spread of grasslands could be set as the main features of the vegetation dynamics in this area.

In recent years, the notion of landscape learning has been the object of increasing attention when discussing the neolithization of Europe. The landscape learning model stresses the necessity of gathering environmental information about a previously unfamiliar region. Therefore, it is particularly relevant in cases where the beginning of a farming economy is better explained in relation to the movements of peoples (colonization), rather than to the adoption of crops and livestock by pre-existing hunters and gatherers (acculturation). Unlike other Iberian regions, where the adoption of agriculture runs parallel to that of animal husbandry, the available data on the neolithization process of the Sierra de Gredos mountain range seem to suggest that raising livestock may have preceded plant cultivation. Based on an interdisciplinary and multi-proxy approach, this paper explores the idea that the adoption of a food-producing economy in the Amblés Valley (Ávila, Central Iberia) may have been connected with pastoralism. In this context, landscape learning provides a model for analyzing how Early Neolithic herders in their seasonal movements were capable of wayfinding by memorizing spatial features that functioned as visual landmarks.

As the south-westernmost region of Europe, the Iberian Peninsula stands as a key area for understanding the process of modern human dispersal into Eurasia. However, the precise timing, ecological setting and cultural context of this process remains controversial concerning its spatiotemporal distribution within the different regions of the peninsula. While traditional models assumed that the whole Iberian hinterland was avoided by modern humans due to ecological factors until the retreat of the Last Glacial Maximum, recent research has demonstrated that hunter-gatherers entered the Iberian interior at least during Solutrean times. We provide a multi-proxy geoarchaeological, chronometric and paleoecological study on human–environment interactions based on the key site of Peña Capón (Guadalajara, Spain). Results show (1) that this site hosts the oldest modern human presence recorded to date in central Iberia, associated to pre-Solutrean cultural traditions around 26,000 years ago, and (2) that this presence occurred during Heinrich Stadial 2 within harsh environmental conditions. These findings demonstrate that this area of the Iberian hinterland was recurrently occupied regardless of climate and environmental variability, thus challenging the widely accepted hypothesis that ecological risk hampered the human settlement of the Iberian interior highlands since the first arrival of modern humans to Southwest Europe.

Geological and geophysical studies in complex valley troughs provide a key record for the reconstruction of paleoenvironmental conditions during the Quaternary. Here we present a study of the sedimentary infill of the El Cervunal kame complex or El Cervunal trough (Sierra de Gredos, Iberian Central System) by means of a combined interpretation of near-surface geophysical techniques supported by geomorphological and borehole data. A set of 1D and 2D near-surface geophysical methods, including electrical (Vertical Electrical Sounding and 2D Electrical Resistivity Tomography), seismic (2D Seismic Tomography and 1D Refraction Microtremor) and Magnetic Resonance Sounding techniques, were used to test their applicability in providing better insight on the infill nature and geometry. Because of greater sensitivity and higher resolution and coverage achieved with resistivity methods, the electrical resistivity has proven to be the most informative physical parameter, while seismic and magnetic resonance methods were complementary. The sedimentary infill was classified into three geophysical units and five sub-units with their geological interpretation. Unit 1 consists of a postglacial sedimentary sequence and includes alluvial-plain and alluvial-fan deposits. Units 2 and 3 below the postglacial unit were interpreted as glacial sequences including kame (glacigenetic and fluvio-glacial) and morainic deposits, respectively. Subsoil information combined with the geomorphological data enabled the partial reconstruction of the map-view geometry of the morainic bodies at the El Cervunal trough. The results suggest a complex evolution of the study area where erosive-sedimentary processes dominate, but also structural factors should be considered. At least five well-differentiated stages can be established to explain the occurrence of the trough infill: pre-glacial, maximum glacial extension, trough obturation, glacial retreat and periglacial-postglacial.

This paper focuses on palaeoenvironmental conditions and climate variability during the Upper Late Pleistocene (c. 28,000–11,700 cal BP) in SW Europe (Iberian Peninsula) and their influence on human settlement patterns. All the palaeoenvironmental and archaeological sequences available for this period are analysed, together with a new palaeoenvironmental study related to a key deposit: Verdeospesoa mire (northern Iberian Peninsula). The multiproxy analysis (pollen, spores, non-pollen palynomorphs, magnetic susceptibility, organic content and macrocharcoal) of this sequence, with the support of six Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates, shows the climatic variability of that period, with some dry/cold and humid/temperate episodes. While in vast regions of central and northern Europe very few archaeological sites of this age are known, in the Iberian Peninsula no occupation gaps have been detected in all this period, supporting the idea of SW Europe as a glacial refugium for human groups during the worst periods of the Upper Late Pleistocene.

En el presente trabajo se evalúan los efectos de la peste negra bajomedieval (1348–1351 AD) sobre los bosques y las actividades agroforestales de un valle intramontano de la Meseta sur española, a partir de análisis polínicos de alta resolución. Para comprender mejor los efectos de aquella pandemia se analiza la secuencia paleoambiental de cinco turberas, a lo largo de un amplio recorrido cronológico entre los siglos XII y XIV. Este análisis demuestra que la peste provocó una desaceleración de las actividades agropecuarias –agricultura, arboricultura, ganadería– y la consiguiente recuperación de las masas forestales, salvo en las zonas de montaña donde un menor control de los pasos ganaderos incidió en cierta degradación del bosque.

Recent archaeological excavations (2016–2019) in the city of Tamuda (northern Morocco) yielded evidence of commercial milling and bread-making facilities dated to the Mauretanian period (first century BC). This article presents the results of the excavation of two Mauretanian buildings (E0 7 and E0 8) in the Eastern Quarter, in which evidence for flour milling and, indirectly, the preparation of bread were found. These buildings included four rooms used for milling (with low quern-stones of the rotary, saddle, and Pompeian types), as well as warehouses (full of amphorae) and other rooms of undetermined functions. Palynological analysis has indicated the milling of cereal, peas, and faba beans, while soil micromorphology revealed the roasting of hazelnuts and raised the possibility of using fish bones for the production of fish flour. Especially relevant was the discovery of a circular clay mold decorated with a heroic fishing scene, used for the decoration of bread and pies. These elements demonstrate the chaîne opératoire of bread-making—milling, dough production and decoration, and other food processing activities. This is the first time that archaeometric techniques are applied to study milling facilities in Morocco, and it is the only known association of bread stamps and pre-Roman milling facilities in North Africa.

Este trabajo pretende analizar la construcción de los paisajes medievales en el Sur del Duero. La imagen que se ha elaborado desde los estudios centrados en el registro escrito enfatizan un incremento de la actividad agraria a partir del siglo XII, como consecuencia de la repoblación. Sin embargo, el análisis del caso de Monleras, una población situada en la comarca de la Ramajería (Salamanca) revela una situación más compleja. Mediante el estudio combinado del registro escrito, de los datos arqueológicos y de dos análisis paleopalinológicos sobre sendos bonales, se ha podido reconstruir una evolución distinta. Estos espacios evidencian una ocupación antrópica desde finales del siglo IX y en el siglo X, cuando se había producido aparentemente un cambio en los patrones de asentamiento que habían definido a los siglos posromanos. Por otro lado, se produjo una transformación con una intensificación de la cerealicultura desde comienzos del siglo XII, aprovechando las favorables condiciones medioambientales que habían generado los humedales. En la Baja Edad Media y a comienzos del periodo moderno, los humedales se fueron progresivamente secando, dando lugar a un paisaje de dehesa, que ha caracterizado tradicionalmente a esta comarca. Estos cambios fueron efectuados por la población local, sin que hubiera una injerencia externa (señorial o del poder urbano) y posiblemente como parte de una acción colectiva. Se puede concluir el importante papel de la resiliencia de los habitantes ante los cambios sociales y medioambientales. Aunque estos datos se refieren a un caso de estudio específico, implican la necesidad de profundizar en la agencia local y en el dinamismo en los procesos de construcción de los paisajes medievales., This paper aims to analyze the construction of medieval landscapes in the southern Duero plateau. The image created by the studies focused on written records emphasizes an increase in agricultural activity from the 12th century, as a consequence of the so-called repoblación (repopulation). However, the analysis of the case-study of Monleras, a village located in the region of La Ramajería (Salamanca), reveals a more complex situation. Thanks to the combined study of written records, archaeological data and two palaeopalynological analyses on two bonales (wetlands), a different view of the evolution of those landscapes has been proposed. These areas show an anthropic occupation since the end of the 9th century and during the 10th century, when there had apparently been a change in the settlement patterns that had defined post-Roman centuries. There was also a transformation defined by the intensification of cereal farming since the beginning of the 12th century, which took advantage of the favourable environmental conditions generated by the wetlands. In the Late Middle Ages and the beginning of the early modern period, the wetlands gradually dried up, creating a dehesa (a landscape defined by the presence of holms and oaks in the clearings, which is a traditional feature of region). These changes were made by the local population, without external interference (of lords or towns) and possibly as the consequence of a collective action. We can therefore suggest that the inhabitants’ resilience to social and environmental changes played an important role. Although these data refer to a specific case study, they involve the need to delve into the local agency and into the dynamism of the processes of construction of medieval landscapes.

Research in the Guadalquivir estuary and its environs has revealed evidence of a periodic succession of extreme-wave events in the area from the third millennium BC to the third century AD. Return periods range from 400 to 800 years. Some of these extreme-wave events may have had a magnitude comparable with that of the so-called “Lisbon earthquake” of 1755. Contrary to the tenets of the uniformitarian paradigm in geology—still influential in the archeological literature—these events had short-, mid-, and long-term geomorphological and paleo-environmental, as well as immediately destructive and demographic, effects. Attention should also be called to the reverberations of these events in the cultural development of southwestern Iberia, which is independently known for puzzling interruptions, recommencements, and transformations every few centuries from the Neolithic to the Roman period. The two records, natural and cultural, might be connected. In study areas with a compelling historical and archeological heritage, such as western Andalusia, there is a need for multidisciplinary projects that, by bringing geology and biology to bear on archeology and history, aim to accurately establish the succession of geographical and environmental transformations, the impact of these transformations on the area’s cultural history, and the chronology of the events.

The Eurasian (née European) Modern Pollen Database (EMPD) was established in 2013 to provide a public database of high-quality modern pollen surface samples to help support studies of past climate, land cover, and land use using fossil pollen. The EMPD is part of, and complementary to, the European Pollen Database (EPD) which contains data on fossil pollen found in Late Quaternary sedimentary archives throughout the Eurasian region. The EPD is in turn part of the rapidly growing Neotoma database, which is now the primary home for global palaeoecological data. This paper describes version 2 of the EMPD in which the number of samples held in the database has been increased by 60% from 4826 to 8134. Much of the improvement in data coverage has come from northern Asia, and the database has consequently been renamed the Eurasian Modern Pollen Database to reflect this geographical enlargement. The EMPD can be viewed online using a dedicated map-based viewer at https://empd2.github.io and downloaded in a variety of file formats at https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.909130 (Chevalier et al., 2019).