Carlos Rodríguez Rellán
Universidad de Granada, Prehistoria y Arqueología, Department Member
- Arizona State University, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Department MemberUniversidad de Granada, Departamento de Prehistoria y Arqueología, Department Member, and 4 moreadd
- Archaeology, Experimental Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, Rock Art (Archaeology), Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Lithic Industries, and 62 moreQuartz industries, Upper Paleolithic, Arte Rupestre, Projectile technology, Petroglyphs, Recent Prehistory, Petroglifos, Halberds, Bipolar Flaking, Escutiformes, Costa da Morte, Barbanza, Slate, Anthropology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Landscape Archaeology, Medical Anthropology, Archaeological Method & Theory, Archaeological GIS, Environmental Archaeology, Human Behavioral Ecology, Lithics, Ecological Anthropology, Southwestern Archaeology, Tipos De Estrategias De Abastecimiento, Silex En La Prehistoria, Slate Arrowheads, Silex Prehistoria, Minas De Silex En Galicia, Horizonte Rechaba, Grabado Rupestre, Gestion De Materias Primas, Estrategias De Abastecimiento, Abastecimiento De Materia Prima, Material Culture Studies, Funerary Archaeology, Industrias Liticas, Estrategia De Aprovisionamiento Ejemplo, Geoarchaeology, Prehistory, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Mediterranean prehistory, Lithic Technology, Neolithic Europe, Megalithic Monuments, Rock Art, Iberian Prehistory (Archaeology), Mesolithic/Neolithic, Neolithic Transition, Ethnoarchaeology, Prehistoric Ditched Enclosures, Development of complex societies, Statistics, Spatial Analysis, Statistical Computing In R, Agent Based Simulation, Agent-based modeling, Netlogo, Archaeological Predictive Modeling, Correspondence Analysis, Valencina de la Concepción (Seville, Spain), and Historyedit
- Emergia Scholar (Junta de Andalucía) at the Departamento de Prehistoria y Arqueologia. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras... moreEmergia Scholar (Junta de Andalucía) at the Departamento de Prehistoria y Arqueologia. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Universidad de Granada (Spain) and PI of the projectt ARPA (Análisis Computacional de las Redes de Intercambio en la Prehistoria Reciente Andaluza)
BA in History (2002) and DEA (2006) in Prehistory and Archaeology at the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (Spain). I obtained my Doctoral Degree (2010) by this same institution, being awarded with the Premio Extraordinario de Doctorado (2013).
After obtaining my doctorate, I was the recipient of the prestigious Fulbright Visiting Program (USA) and Fernand Braudel International Fellowship for Experienced Researchers Program (France) scholarships, which have allowed me to develop my research career at the Arizona State University (USA), the Université de Nantes and the CNRS (France). Between 2019 and 2021 I was Assistant Professor at Faculdade de Ciências Socias e Humanas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa.edit
Anthropogenic and environmental processes present unique challenges for preserving cultural heritage in North Africa. Large parts of this region are characterised by unfavourable arid and semi-arid conditions and rapid changes to the... more
Anthropogenic and environmental processes present unique challenges for preserving cultural heritage in North Africa. Large parts of this region are characterised by unfavourable arid and semi-arid conditions and rapid changes to the landscapes caused by heightened regional development (e.g., urban expansion, road building, agricultural intensification, and socio-political conflicts). As a result, we are facing a fast-paced disappearance of heritage sites in regions that are still poorly understood. Following this, the utilisation of Earth observation data through aerial photographs and satellite imagery has emerged as an unmatched tool in the exploration of endangered archaeological heritage. Drawing on this context, this paper underscores the critical significance of incorporating digital research methods, such as remote sensing, GIS, or cartographic analysis, to ensure the evaluation and (digital) preservation of the historical sites along these vulnerable areas. Furthermore, our study seeks to provide new insights into data management and dissemination, fostering open research practices within North African archaeological research.
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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... more
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.
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RESUMEN (1) La prospección sistemática de arte rupestre en el Ayuntamiento de Porto do Son (A Coruña) ha permitido la localización de casi dos centenares de grabados, dos de ellos en abrigos graníticos. A estos últimos se suman otros dos... more
RESUMEN (1) La prospección sistemática de arte rupestre en el Ayuntamiento de Porto do Son (A Coruña) ha permitido la localización de casi dos centenares de grabados, dos de ellos en abrigos graníticos. A estos últimos se suman otros dos casos en las comarcas occidentales de Galicia. La temática presente es idéntica a la del arte galaico al aire libre, datado grosso modo en el III milenio a.C. Estos hallazgos plantean, por otra parte, la intencionada restricción física sobre la visualización de este fenómeno. La convivencia de motivos en el interior de cavidades con otros situados al aire libre e incluso en frisos verti-cales fácilmente perceptibles demuestra la variabilidad de estas manifestaciones y nos permite refl exionar sobre la audiencia a la que habrían estado destinadas las diferen-tes estaciones rupestres. ABSTRACT The systematic survey of rock art in the area of the town council of Porto do Son (A Coruña) has allowed us to fi nd nearly two hundred carved surfaces, two of ...
The increase of the northwestern Iberia rock art catalogue that took place in recent years makes necessary a review of many of the concepts that have dominated this important area of the prehistoric studies during decades. In this sense,... more
The increase of the northwestern Iberia rock art catalogue that took place in recent years makes necessary a review of many of the concepts that have dominated this important area of the prehistoric studies during decades. In this sense, the discovery of new sites with rock art has caused not only a territorial expansion of this phenomenon, but also led to relativize concepts such as open-air rock art itself.
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"Recent research in the field of the rock art of the Northwest coast of Galicia has led to the identification of a huge number of carvings which extends to the north the distribution of this artistic phenomenon and sets... more
"Recent research in the field of the rock art of the Northwest coast of Galicia has led to the identification of a huge number of carvings which extends to the north the distribution of this artistic phenomenon and sets up a framework of quantitative and qualitative progress that supersedes the traditional view of poverty of this area, when compared to the `hard core' of the Galician rock art, around Campolameiro."
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Resumen: Existe dentro de la literatura especializada, una gran escasez de estudios de referencia sobre materias primas" poco frecuentes" que tendría su orígen en lo que podría denominarse una" orientación... more
Resumen: Existe dentro de la literatura especializada, una gran escasez de estudios de referencia sobre materias primas" poco frecuentes" que tendría su orígen en lo que podría denominarse una" orientación silexcentrista" de los especialistas. Ello ha implicado a ...
Research Interests: Humanities and Art
This dataset contains archaeological and heritage sites of the Marmarica region (NE-Libya/NW-Egypt), ranging from the Late Bronze to the Roman times. It has been developed in the framework of the PERAIA project, which aims to analyse the... more
This dataset contains archaeological and heritage sites of the Marmarica region (NE-Libya/NW-Egypt), ranging from the Late Bronze to the Roman times. It has been developed in the framework of the PERAIA project, which aims to analyse the longterm history and interaction patterns along the harsh environments of northeastern Africa. The records contain accurate geographic location of sites, including place names, typology, chronology, and metadata of documented remains, along with information regarding the environmental and ecological context. Additionally, the dataset accounts for the specificities of the region's varying environmental conditions and their potential impact on archaeological heritage. All this information associated with each archaeological site was collected from published field data surveys, maps, archaeological reports, and it was subsequently cross-checked with historical aerial photographs and satellite imagery to detect, and to register known and unknown sites within the study area. Regarding the potential reuse of all this data, the dataset is deposited on the project website and linked to Zenodo.
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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... more
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.
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El análisis arqueométrico de un hacha de color verde recuperada en los años 20 del pasado siglo en el entorno de Monte Aberto-Elviña (A Coruña), que probablemente habría formado parte del ajuar de uno de los tres túmulos que componían la... more
El análisis arqueométrico de un hacha de color verde recuperada en los años 20 del pasado siglo en el entorno de Monte Aberto-Elviña (A Coruña), que probablemente habría formado parte del ajuar de uno de los tres túmulos que componían la necrópolis homónima, ha permitido determinar que se trata de un hacha tipo Durrington “goutte d’eau”, fabricada en jadeíta de origen alpino proveniente posiblemente de las formaciones existentes en San Front (Cuneo, Piamonte). Esta circunstancia la convierte –tras el hacha de Vilapedre (Lugo)– en la segunda pieza de procedencia alpina documentada en territorio gallego. En este artículo se intenta determinar el origen arqueológico del hacha de Monte Aberto-Elviña con la mayor exactitud posible, al tiempo que se ofrecen los resultados del análisis arqueométrico y se reflexiona sobre el cómo y el cuándo esta pieza habría llegado al Noroeste Ibérico.
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Galician open-air rock art has been often considered as an active element in the configuration of the economic and symbolic signification of prehistoric landscapes. Thus, in the last 20 years, the spatial setting of petroglyphs was... more
Galician open-air rock art has been often considered as an active element in the configuration of the economic and symbolic signification of prehistoric landscapes. Thus, in the last 20 years, the spatial setting of petroglyphs was analysed and repeatedly linked to the control of certain resource-rich areas or the routes leading into them. Nevertheless, such considerations have frequently sidestepped the importance of the decorated panels perceptibility as a key factor in determining their agency over the landscape. The use of GIS and high-resolution cartography will allow us to make an initial appraisal of such aspect.
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We undertook an extensive literature review of the distribution of the variscite and other green stone adornments across Western Spain. This region has a crucial importance for the understanding of this phenomenon, since two of the three... more
We undertook an extensive literature review of the distribution of the variscite and other green stone adornments across Western Spain. This region has a crucial importance for the understanding of this phenomenon, since two of the three main variscite mines exploited during the prehistory are located there. Perhaps due to such importance, Western Spain has been the scenario of an ongoing analytical effort that, however, has not yet been accompanied by a global, interpretative synthesis for the entire area. From a database of little more than 130 Neolithic to Early Bronze Age archaeological sites with green stone beads, we offer a state of the art and a first quantification of the distribution of the variscite and other green stone adornments across Western Spain. This step is essential for achieving a basic understanding of the chronological evolution, regional differences and socioeconomic processes that made possible the occurrence of intense mining activities and also the exchange of those trinkets across really long distances. En este trabajo, se ofrece una revisión extensiva de la literatura científica referida a la distribución de adornos realizados en variscita y en otras piedras verdes a lo largo de España Occidental. Esta región tiene una importancia crucial para la comprensión de este fenómeno, puesto que dos de las tres minas principales explotadas durante la prehistoria están situadas allí. Quizás debido a esta importancia, el Occidente Español ha sido el escenario de un esfuerzo analítico –actualmente en marcha– que, sin embargo, no siempre ha ido acompañado de una síntesis interpretativa global para toda el área. A partir de una base de datos de poco más de 130 yacimientos del Neolítico al Bronce Inicial con cuentas realizadas en piedra verde, ofrecemos un estado de la cuestión y una primera cuantificación de la distribución de los adornos en variscita y otras piedras verdes a lo largo de España Occidental. Este paso resulta fundamental para poder alcanzar un conocimiento básico de su evolución cronológica, sus diferencias regionales y de los procesos socioeconómicos que hicieron posible la aparición de intensas actividades mineras así como el intercambio de estos diminutos objetos a lo largo de distancias realmente largas.
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Monuments on the move. Assessing megaliths' interaction with the NW Iberian landscapes". PREPRINT of the paper presented in the Early Monumentality and Social Differentiation in Neolithic Europe: Megaliths, Societies, Landscapes conference (Kiel, Germany, July 2015). Forthcoming publication: M. H...more
Across the millennia spanning from the first peopling of NW Iberia to the last tracts of the Bronze Age, the human groups have adapted themselves to the environment. Moreover, they were affected by the shifting temperatures, the changes... more
Across the millennia spanning from the first peopling of NW Iberia to the last tracts of the Bronze Age, the human groups have adapted themselves to the environment. Moreover, they were affected by the shifting temperatures, the changes of the vegetal cover and other modifications of the landscape and far from being a passive subject, they often played a significant role in those environmental dynamics.
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Research on the provenance of rare green stone materials has produced new insights into the value systems of societies in western and central Europe between the 6th and 3rd millennia cal BC. This contribution presents the results of a... more
Research on the provenance of rare green stone materials has produced new insights into the value systems of societies in western and central Europe between the 6th and 3rd millennia cal BC. This contribution presents the results of a Bayesian statistical analysis of 406 current available radiocarbon results from variscite and turquoise (callais) contexts in Europe, along with the results of provenance analyses, undertaken to investigate the fine-grained temporal pattern for the exploitation, circulation and deposition of callais artifacts.
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HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or... more
HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. Annexe II : Carte ouest-européenne des objets néolithiques en jades et en callaïs Serge Cassen, Frédéric Prodéo, Josep Bosch Argilagós, António Faustino Carvalho, Guirec Querré, Carlos Rodríguez-Rellán, Ramon Fàbregas Valcarce, Miquel Molist Montaña, Jean Vaquer
In an earlier presentation in Kiel in 2011 (› Measuring distinction in the megalithic architecture of the Carnac region ‹), we used the concept of distinction to explore the ways in which identity was expressed in the world of the... more
In an earlier presentation in Kiel in 2011 (› Measuring distinction in the megalithic architecture of the Carnac region ‹), we used the concept of distinction to explore the ways in which identity was expressed in the world of the Neolithic Armorica through materials, object-signs and representations. For this paper, we shall turn to the notion of distance – whether social or geographic in nature – which is also germane to the question of identity and distinction. We shall start by returning to the extraordinary case of an imported Stichbandkeramik vessel, found in a tomb in the Carnac region. The significance of this find will be re-evaluated in the light of the distribution of the irregularly-shaped bracelets, whose epicentre is located in the Alsace region and with a distribution that extends as far as the Atlantic coast. This measurement of a geographic distance will then be compared with the overall length – in metres – of the engravings found on a specific orthostat in the meg...
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International audienc
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Research Interests: Geography, Statistics, Humanities, Galician Studies, Archaeological GIS, and 11 moreNeolithic Archaeology, Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Megalithic Monuments, Remote sensing and GIS applications in Landscape Research, Megaliths (Archaeology), Burial mounds (Archaeology), Gallaecia, Applied Statistics in Archaeology, Statistics in archaeology, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and topographic prominence
Neste traballo preténdese estudar algunhas das evidencias estruturais e gran parte da cultura material documentadas durante a escavación do asentamento prehistórico de Monte dos Remedios (Moaña, Pontevedra) por medio do uso de Sistemas de... more
Neste traballo preténdese estudar algunhas das evidencias estruturais e gran parte da cultura material documentadas durante a escavación do asentamento prehistórico de Monte dos Remedios (Moaña, Pontevedra) por medio do uso de Sistemas de Información Xeográfica (GRASS-GIS, Quantum GIS, etc.) e de programas de análise estatístico de código aberto (R). De esta forma, abórdanse as problemáticas do asentamento e prantéxanse as relacións entre os propios materiais arqueolóxicos recuperados (cerámica, artefactos líticos…) e as principais estruturas identificadas (buratos de poste, pavimentos…) co fin de intentar achegar datos sobre a natureza e finalidade de ditos restos estruturais.
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Research Interests: Prehistoric Archaeology, Humanities, Historical Archaeology, Art, Medieval Architecture, and 15 moreSurvey, Late Bronze Age, Copper age, Calcolítico, Arquitectura medieval, Early medieval, Palimpsesto, Gallaecia, Spatial Distribution and settlement patterns in archaeology and architecture, Highlands Settlement, Ara, Palimpsest, Huts, Bronce final, and Territorial Control
Le releve d’architecture et les fonctions qui doivent etre remplies Pas plus que celle des monuments d’autres epoques, l’etude des -architectures mega-lithiques n’echappe aux progres des techniques d’acquisition tri-dimensionnelle (laser... more
Le releve d’architecture et les fonctions qui doivent etre remplies Pas plus que celle des monuments d’autres epoques, l’etude des -architectures mega-lithiques n’echappe aux progres des techniques d’acquisition tri-dimensionnelle (laser et photogrammetrie), qui permettent de les enregistrer en trois dimensions, selon differentes resolutions et a plusieurs echelles, dans un seul et meme espace de reference. La coherence des donnees permet de jeter sur l’objet d’etude un regard inaccessible da...
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Research Interests: Geography, Humanities, Rock Art (Archaeology), Political Science, Neolithic Archaeology, and 15 moreBronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Megalithic Monuments, Prehistory, Prehistoric Rock Art, Rock Art, Sig, Arte Rupestre, Prehistoria, Galicia, Megalitos, Megaliths, Recent Prehistory, Prehistoria Reciente, NW Iberia, and GIS
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Resumen: El objetivo de esta comunicación es presentar los primeros datos de las excavaciones arqueológicas en la cueva de Valdavara (Becerreá, Lugo). Los trabajos en este yacimiento se iniciaron en 2007, en el marco de un proyecto de... more
Resumen: El objetivo de esta comunicación es presentar los primeros datos de las excavaciones arqueológicas en la cueva de Valdavara (Becerreá, Lugo). Los trabajos en este yacimiento se iniciaron en 2007, en el marco de un proyecto de investigación sobre ...
Research Interests: Humanities and Art
Page 1. Gallaecia ns 26, 55-68 páxs. 2007, ISSN: 0211-8653 UN PETROGLIFO DE TIPO OUTEIRO DO CORNO EN PORTO DO SON (A CORUNA) Por R. FABREGAS VALCARCE \ J. GUITIAN CASTROMIL 2, J. GUITIAN RIVERA ...
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ABSTRACT Richard Bradley’s research on Iberian open-air rock art has proved essential in understanding its relationship with prehistoric landscapes. However, there remain a number of constraints and issues surrounding the interpretation... more
ABSTRACT Richard Bradley’s research on Iberian open-air rock art has proved essential in understanding its relationship with prehistoric landscapes. However, there remain a number of constraints and issues surrounding the interpretation of open-air rock art which are considered here. A consensus about the chronology of this phenomenon (which places it in the local Bronze Age) has been challenged, with some researchers claiming an Iron Age date for many petroglyphs. This is subject to critical scrutiny and here rejected. Matters are not helped by the absence of a comprehensive catalogue of the open-air rock art, and the fact that most sites have never been studied in depth. An opportunity is also taken to review the interpretation of Galician rock art as an open or hardly-restricted phenomenon, drawing attention to physical constraints that existed on its observation. Another controversial issue among specialists has been the precise relationship between Galician rock art and the domestic sphere, leading to a presentation of dichotomous ‘sacred’ versus ‘domestic’ areas. While contemporary settlements might be difficult to detect, this dichotomous image is shown to be erroneous, with human activity being demonstrated in the surroundings of many petroglyphs.
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The Vilapedre axe (Lugo, Northwest Iberia) has been traditionally considered by archaeologists as evidence of prehistoric long-distance contacts along the Atlantic Coast of France and Spain. This artefact - as other “Tumiac type” axes... more
The Vilapedre axe (Lugo, Northwest Iberia) has been traditionally considered by archaeologists as evidence of prehistoric long-distance contacts along the Atlantic Coast of France and Spain. This artefact - as other “Tumiac type” axes (long polished blades, generally butt-perforated) - would have been produced in Brittany during the Neolithic (5th millennium BCE) using jadeitite as raw material, a green-coloured rock for which there are sources in the western Italian Alps. In this paper, we have traced the possible archaeological origin of this artefact back by examining the personal files of one of its first owners, Santiago de la Iglesia. Furthermore, we have conducted a mineralogical (X-Ray Diffraction, XRD) and an elemental analysis (Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Detection, SEM-EDX) of both the Vilapedre axe and geological samples from several places at the Alps where prehistoric quarrying of greenstones has been reported. The aims were physicochemica...
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Research Interests: Geography, Spatial Analysis, Galician Studies, Landscape Archaeology, Funerary Archaeology, and 10 moreNeolithic Archaeology, Remote sensing and GIS applications in Landscape Research, Megaliths (Archaeology), Spatial analysis (Archaeology), Prehistory, Predictive Modelling, R statistics, Cluster Analysis, Megalith, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
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After intensive survey of certain areas and a more extensive examination of the rest, we have compiled a catalogue of 164 carved rocks in the council of Porto do Son (closely corresponding with the Northern section of the Barbanza). Part... more
After intensive survey of certain areas and a more extensive examination of the rest, we have compiled a catalogue of 164 carved rocks in the council of Porto do Son (closely corresponding with the Northern section of the Barbanza). Part of our success lies in the close collaboration with other researchers and local amateurs but it is a result, too, of the systematic observation of the carved rocks under different lighting conditions and the use of electric lamps to illuminate the carvings at night. In this way we managed not just to discover new sites but also to record new images on rocks that had been known for years.
An outlook of the results of JADE II project on the presence of Alpine axes or their imitations in the Iberian Peninsula
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Research Interests: Religion, Mineralogy, Ethnoarchaeology, Italian Studies, Material Culture Studies, and 23 moreSocial and Cultural Anthropology, Neolithic Archaeology, Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Social Archaeology, Archaeological Theory, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Stone axes (Archaeology), Neolithic Europe, Alpine Archaeology, Material Culture, Neolithic, Trade and Exchange, Archaeometry, Commerce and Market Exchange, Conflict, warfare, and relief, Exchanges, Jadeite Axe, Spectroradiometry, Jade Deposits, Lithics Nephrite Jadeitite Neolithic Prehistory, JADE ARCHAEOLOGY, Alpine jadeitite axeheads, Jadeitites, Alpine Jades, European-wide Distribution, and Social Functionning
A vertente Norte da península do Barbanza era até hai duas décadas unha área na que os petróglifos eran practicamente descoñecidos, pero os traballos levados a cabo por afeccionados e arqueólogos permitiron a descoberta dun gran número de... more
A vertente Norte da península do Barbanza era até hai duas décadas unha área na que os petróglifos eran practicamente descoñecidos, pero os traballos levados a cabo por afeccionados e arqueólogos permitiron a descoberta dun gran número de estacións rupestres que sobrancean, asemade, pola variedade das suas representacións.
O presente volume fai unha achega interdisciplinar a estas rechamantes manifestacións gráficas
O presente volume fai unha achega interdisciplinar a estas rechamantes manifestacións gráficas
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Archaeological excavations and explorations carried out in the last decades across the provinces of Pontevedra and Ourense (southern Galicia), have reported a large number of open-air domestic sites corresponding to the Late Prehistory.... more
Archaeological excavations and explorations carried out in the last decades across the provinces of Pontevedra and Ourense (southern Galicia), have reported a large number of open-air domestic sites corresponding to the Late Prehistory. With the information extracted from the inventory of the Dirección Xeral de Patrimonio Cultural of the Xunta de Galicia, we have conducted a spatial study using Geographic Information Systems (GRASS-GIS, QGIS, ...) and statistical analysis programs (R). The tests used range from density and cluster analysis to the study of locational variables (altitude, slope, ...). With these tools we will try to identify land occupation patterns of the domestic sites in the southern regions of Galicia and find out spatial dynamics linked to specific chronologies.
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Between the V and III Millennium BC, the communities in Western Europe were deeply attracted to objects made of certain raw materials, such as jade or variscite. The choice of these rocks may have been due to their rarity as well as to... more
Between the V and III Millennium BC, the communities in Western Europe were deeply attracted to objects made of certain raw materials, such as jade or variscite. The choice of these rocks may have been due to their rarity as well as to physical characteristics such as their tenacity and, especially, a very attractive green color and glossy aspect. Moreover, it is very likely that green would have been imbued with an important set of meanings or sym- bolisms, being associated with such powerful concepts as life, fertility, or power.
In this paper we will present a brief synthesis of the state of the art about two of these green rocks that were particularly popular in Western Europe during a significant part of Late Prehistory: jade and variscite.
In this paper we will present a brief synthesis of the state of the art about two of these green rocks that were particularly popular in Western Europe during a significant part of Late Prehistory: jade and variscite.
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La investigación sobre el fenómeno megalítico en Galicia se remonta a principios del siglo XX y su cultura material ha atraído la atención de los estudiosos desde entonces. Aunque se habían recuperado algunos objetos cultuales en los... more
La investigación sobre el fenómeno megalítico en Galicia se remonta a principios del siglo XX y su cultura material ha atraído la atención de los estudiosos desde entonces. Aunque se habían recuperado algunos objetos cultuales en los túmulos gallegos y del Norte portugués, su presencia en las tumbas era notablemente
escasa. Esta situación va a cambiar en el verano de 1980, cuando una excavación arqueológica realizada en la sepultura de corredor de Cova da Moura -A Coruña- produjo un número sorprendentemente alto de artefactos, entre cerámicas, puntas de flecha y hachas pulimentadas. Igualmente inesperado resultó el hallazgo de decenas de guijarros, lisos o apenas decorados, distribuidos por el exterior del túmulo frente a la entrada que da paso a la construcción ortostática. Dotados de una forma más o menos antropomórfica, fueron identificados como ídolos. Como sucede a menudo en Arqueología, este insólito descubrimiento fue seguido por varios otros en rápida sucesión, aunque generalmente están faltos de una publicación adecuada. Tras más de 3 décadas del primer descubrimiento, queremos reflexionar sobre lo que sabemos en torno a estas singulares representaciones en piedra, todavía relativamente escasas.
escasa. Esta situación va a cambiar en el verano de 1980, cuando una excavación arqueológica realizada en la sepultura de corredor de Cova da Moura -A Coruña- produjo un número sorprendentemente alto de artefactos, entre cerámicas, puntas de flecha y hachas pulimentadas. Igualmente inesperado resultó el hallazgo de decenas de guijarros, lisos o apenas decorados, distribuidos por el exterior del túmulo frente a la entrada que da paso a la construcción ortostática. Dotados de una forma más o menos antropomórfica, fueron identificados como ídolos. Como sucede a menudo en Arqueología, este insólito descubrimiento fue seguido por varios otros en rápida sucesión, aunque generalmente están faltos de una publicación adecuada. Tras más de 3 décadas del primer descubrimiento, queremos reflexionar sobre lo que sabemos en torno a estas singulares representaciones en piedra, todavía relativamente escasas.
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Monuments as such implicitly have a perennial character and act as a presumed means for consecrating or marking out especial places. This would be the case with megalithic mounds, which add their funerary character to the afore- mentioned... more
Monuments as such implicitly have a perennial character and act as a presumed means for consecrating or marking out especial places. This would be the case with megalithic mounds, which add their funerary character to the afore- mentioned features. However, in recent decades an increasing emphasis has been placed on the relationship between megaliths and movement. This was initially understood in the simpler sense of a correlation between mound location and paths across the landscape, before later on taking on a more structural character, relating to the internal change (mobilisation) of the building components, with the incorporation of allochthonous materials into both the construction itself (vg. bringing in orthostats on non-local stones) and as a part of the grave goods. Accordingly, they appear to evoke more or less distant places and the displacements implied to gathering them in the framework of the tomb. Such observations can now be better substantiated in areas such as the Barbanza peninsula (Galicia, Spain), where a relatively thorough cat- alogue of megaliths is available, showing – to start with – that these are far from being bound to the high sierra, despite showing denser concentrations there. The enlisting of Geographical Information Systems and statistics will show how mounds are associated with transit routes and – more locally – with conspicuous areas more often than rock art sites, for instance. As a result, we may contemplate megalithic architecture not as something exclusively or mainly static but rather as dynamic and linked to a cognitive geography developed by communities in the Late Prehistory that carry on the exploitation of different landscapes and resources, from the very coast to the uplands.
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Ever since the first mention was published in 1970, Palazuelo de las Cuevas (Zamora) became known as the variscite source for North-est Iberia. Later geological surveys and casual finds have shown this mineral to be much more... more
Ever since the first mention was published in 1970, Palazuelo de las Cuevas (Zamora) became known as the variscite source for North-est Iberia. Later geological surveys and casual finds have shown this mineral to be much more widespread, including other localities in Zamora, Northern Portugal, (Tras-os-Montes), estern León (Bierzo) and Eastern and South-estern Galicia (Ourense and Pontevedra). Still, the evidence of prehistoric mining is little known, perhaps due to the small size of the veins that otherwise are widely scattered, both circumstances possibly having a strong inuence on the nature of the quarrying works and their archaeological visibility. Even if the exploitation of variscite should not need to be a complex undertaking, we are not in a position to discard that the manufacture of beads and pendants could have been more centralized in later times (Copper Age), in a similar way as that suggested by the massive fabrication of arrowheads or other items in nearby areas.
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We undertook an extensive review of the literature about the distribution of variscite and the other green stone adornments across western Spain. This region has a crucial importance for the understanding of this phenomenon, since two of... more
We undertook an extensive review of the literature about the distribution of variscite and the other green stone adornments across western Spain. This region has a crucial importance for the understanding of this phenomenon, since two of the three main variscite mines, exploited during prehistory, are located there. Perhaps due to such importance, western Spain has been the scenario of an ongoing analytical effort, that – however –, has not yet been accompanied by a global, interpretative synthesis for this entire area. From a database of little more than 130 archaeological sites, from Neolithic to early Bronze Age, with green stone beads, we offer an inventory and a first quantification of the distribution of variscite and other green stone adornments across western Spain. This step is essential for achieving a basic understanding of the chronological evolution, regional differences and socio-economic processes that made possible the occurrence of intense mining activities and also the exchange of those trinkets across extremely long distances.
Research Interests:
Funerary mounds, whether megalithic or not, feature prominently among the Galician archaeology and their sheer number and monumentality have attracted the attention of scholars ever since the end of the 19th century. The Barbanza... more
Funerary mounds, whether megalithic or not, feature prominently among the Galician archaeology and their sheer number and monumentality have attracted the attention of scholars ever since the end of the 19th century. The Barbanza peninsula, set in the western coast of Galicia, stands out for its numerous barrows, with a noticeable cluster of those on the high plateau, where spatial analyses were undertaken by researchers in the early 80’.
One of the aspects on which research has most regularly focused regards the relationship between megaliths and movement, not just as the eventual correlation between mound location and paths across the landscape, but on a more general way by assessing the use of building materials or grave-goods of non-local origin.
In the last decade, there has been a renewed effort at surveying the Barbanza peninsula leading to the discovery of scores of new mounds, thus significantly modifying the distribution of these monuments and breaking somewhat the paramount role of the high sierra with respect to this funerary phenomenon. Moreover, by employing new methodologies, such as Geographical Information Systems and spatial statistics, we can observe that mounds are indeed associated with transit routes and, at a local scale, with conspicuous areas more often than, for instance, rock art sites.
Therefore, an image surges forward where megalithic architecture does not act exclusively as a static milestone but, rather, as a dynamic agent linked to a cognitive geography developed by communities in the Late Prehistory that undertake the exploitation of different landscapes and resources, from the very coast to the uplands. In the framework of this process, however, a marked variability can be observed regarding the conspicuity that these monuments might have had in the prehistoric landscape. This may suggest a multiplicity of roles or audiences, ranging from those intended to be real landmarks to others apparently designed to go unnoticed.
One of the aspects on which research has most regularly focused regards the relationship between megaliths and movement, not just as the eventual correlation between mound location and paths across the landscape, but on a more general way by assessing the use of building materials or grave-goods of non-local origin.
In the last decade, there has been a renewed effort at surveying the Barbanza peninsula leading to the discovery of scores of new mounds, thus significantly modifying the distribution of these monuments and breaking somewhat the paramount role of the high sierra with respect to this funerary phenomenon. Moreover, by employing new methodologies, such as Geographical Information Systems and spatial statistics, we can observe that mounds are indeed associated with transit routes and, at a local scale, with conspicuous areas more often than, for instance, rock art sites.
Therefore, an image surges forward where megalithic architecture does not act exclusively as a static milestone but, rather, as a dynamic agent linked to a cognitive geography developed by communities in the Late Prehistory that undertake the exploitation of different landscapes and resources, from the very coast to the uplands. In the framework of this process, however, a marked variability can be observed regarding the conspicuity that these monuments might have had in the prehistoric landscape. This may suggest a multiplicity of roles or audiences, ranging from those intended to be real landmarks to others apparently designed to go unnoticed.
Research Interests:
Traditionally, the province of A Coruña has not been a particular focus of interest in Galician rock art studies, the main research efforts being devoted to Pontevedra. While not starting from scratch when approaching the subject, it is... more
Traditionally, the province of A Coruña has not been a particular focus of interest in Galician rock art studies, the main research efforts being devoted to Pontevedra. While not starting from scratch when approaching the subject, it is important to keep in mind that the first considerations about the spatial distribution of the petroglyphs were not made until 1979, precisely in the province of Pontevedra.
The first analysis of the rock art sites listed on the Dirección Xeral de Patrimonio Cultural's catalogue for the province of A Coruña (a total of 781 petroglyphs) has shown that the census is much larger than that handled by former quantitative approaches, including sites located in areas with no previous records of inscultures. However, despite the new findings, the weight of coastal rock art (pointed out by almost every work about this phenomenon) is still evident.
The proximity to the sea does not only result in a larger number of rock art sites but also in their greater complexity and diversity of the motifs displayed. Thus, the catalogue of A Coruña shows how the naturalistic motifs (animals, weapons, etc...) are closely related to the south-western coast of the province, while way inland they are virtually non-existent. For their part, geometric figures -albeit with a much wider distribution- show a much higher complexity near the coastline.
Regarding the general coexistence of different types of motifs on the same rock, a first quantitative glimpse on this matter suggests that there are some trends pointing to the existence of a certain correlation between the most common geometrical motifs. As for the naturalistic images, animals show a bigger tendency to coming along with geometric motifs (mainly circular combinations) although they also appear in isolation a significant number of times.
The first analysis of the rock art sites listed on the Dirección Xeral de Patrimonio Cultural's catalogue for the province of A Coruña (a total of 781 petroglyphs) has shown that the census is much larger than that handled by former quantitative approaches, including sites located in areas with no previous records of inscultures. However, despite the new findings, the weight of coastal rock art (pointed out by almost every work about this phenomenon) is still evident.
The proximity to the sea does not only result in a larger number of rock art sites but also in their greater complexity and diversity of the motifs displayed. Thus, the catalogue of A Coruña shows how the naturalistic motifs (animals, weapons, etc...) are closely related to the south-western coast of the province, while way inland they are virtually non-existent. For their part, geometric figures -albeit with a much wider distribution- show a much higher complexity near the coastline.
Regarding the general coexistence of different types of motifs on the same rock, a first quantitative glimpse on this matter suggests that there are some trends pointing to the existence of a certain correlation between the most common geometrical motifs. As for the naturalistic images, animals show a bigger tendency to coming along with geometric motifs (mainly circular combinations) although they also appear in isolation a significant number of times.
Research Interests:
Across the millennia spanning from the first peopling of NW Iberia to the last tracts of the Bronze Age, the human groups have adapted themselves to the environment. Moreover, they were affected by the shifting temperatures, the changes... more
Across the millennia spanning from the first peopling of NW Iberia to the last tracts of the Bronze Age, the human groups have adapted themselves to the environment. Moreover, they were affected by the shifting temperatures, the changes of the vegetal cover and other modifications of the landscape and far from being a passive subject, they often played a significant role in those environmental dynamics.
Research Interests:
Today, despite the notable progress on the knowledge about Galician carvings, we still lack an updated census of these and, as a result, we do not have adequate information about the precise number or the geographical distribution of the... more
Today, despite the notable progress on the knowledge about Galician carvings, we still lack an updated census of these and, as a result, we do not have adequate information about the precise number or the geographical distribution of the main groups of motifs that make up this artistic phenomenon. In order to tackle this problem, we have gone through the Xunta de Galicia’s Catalogue of the Archaeological Heritage, obtaining a database of 3361 petroglyphs.
Research Interests:
Galician open-air rock art has been often considered as an active element in the configuration of the economic and symbolic signification of prehistoric landscapes. Thus, in the last 20 years, the spatial setting of petroglyphs was... more
Galician open-air rock art has been often considered as an active element in the configuration of the economic and symbolic signification of prehistoric landscapes. Thus, in the last 20 years, the spatial setting of petroglyphs was analysed and repeatedly linked to the control of certain resource-rich areas or the routes leading into them. Nevertheless, such considerations have frequently sidestepped the importance of the decorated panels perceptibility as a key factor in determining their agency over the landscape. The use of GIS and high-resolution cartography will allow us to make an initial appraisal of such aspect.
Research Interests:
An analysis of the spatial distribution of the rock art of Porto do Son (A Coruña) has been conducted using both Geographic Information Systems –GRASS GIS– and statistical tools – R–. The results point out that the petroglyphs in the... more
An analysis of the spatial distribution of the rock art of Porto do Son (A Coruña) has been conducted
using both Geographic Information Systems –GRASS GIS– and statistical tools – R–. The
results point out that the petroglyphs in the study area show a heterogeneous distribution and a
nonuniform intensity. The exploratory analysis of the possible causes of such lack of homogeneity
has allowed us to define, through the use of an archaeological potential model, those external variables
that might have conditioned the spatial distribution of the analysed sample. Subsequently, we
have tried to establish –by using several tests based on the Monte Carlo methods– the existence of
eventual dependency relations between the points conforming the studied group.
using both Geographic Information Systems –GRASS GIS– and statistical tools – R–. The
results point out that the petroglyphs in the study area show a heterogeneous distribution and a
nonuniform intensity. The exploratory analysis of the possible causes of such lack of homogeneity
has allowed us to define, through the use of an archaeological potential model, those external variables
that might have conditioned the spatial distribution of the analysed sample. Subsequently, we
have tried to establish –by using several tests based on the Monte Carlo methods– the existence of
eventual dependency relations between the points conforming the studied group.
Research Interests:
Over the last two decades, the traditional descriptive paradigm has given way to other views focusing on the relationship between petroglyphs and prehistoric landscapes, seeking to understand that artistic phenomenon in the framework of... more
Over the last two decades, the traditional descriptive paradigm has given way to other views focusing on the relationship between petroglyphs and prehistoric landscapes, seeking to understand that artistic phenomenon in the framework of societies undergoing deep socioeconomic changes and increasingly altering their environment. We shall review, in the light of the last discoveries, aspects such as the chronology of the regional rock art, the audience it was meant to address or the archaeological context of the carved rocks. Going beyond the perception of the rock art as a mediating element, open to the different communities inhabiting the land, we might acknowledge its possible role as an active agent through which human groups would negotiate its own identity and association with the surrounding space. The relationship between petroglyphs and landscape would be a dialectic one, so that several factors could regulate the access and reading of the decorated panels, eventually restricting these to certain individuals or sectors of the communities. Lastly, the similarities with the rock art in other areas of Atlantic Europe may be just another example of the circulation along the seaways of goods, ideas and people at least from the early Neolithic.
Research Interests:
Richard Bradley’s research on Iberian open-air rock art has proved essential in understanding its relationship with prehistoric landscapes. However, there remain a number of constraints and issues surrounding the interpretation of... more
Richard Bradley’s research on Iberian open-air rock art has proved essential in understanding its relationship with prehistoric landscapes. However, there remain a number of constraints and issues surrounding the interpretation of open-air rock art which are considered here. A consensus about the chronology of this phenomenon (which places it in the local Bronze Age) has been challenged, with some researchers claiming an Iron Age date for many petroglyphs. This is subject to critical scrutiny and here rejected. Matters are not helped by the absence of a comprehensive catalogue of the open-air rock art, and the fact that most sites have never been studied in depth. An opportunity is also taken to review the interpretation of Galician rock art as an open or hardly-restricted phenomenon, drawing attention to physical constraints that existed on its observation. Another controversial issue among specialists has been the precise relationship between Galician rock art and the domestic sphere, leading to a presentationof dichotomous ‘sacred’ versus ‘domestic’ areas. While contemporary settlements might be difficult to detect, this dichotomous image is shown to be erroneous, with human activity being demonstrated in the surroundings of many petroglyphs.
Research Interests:
Despite that there are many archaeological evidences about the fabrication of projectiles by flaking raw materials such as quartz and slate, these industries have been raised little interest among specialists, leading to a general... more
Despite that there are many archaeological evidences about the fabrication of projectiles by flaking raw materials such as quartz and slate, these industries have been raised little interest among specialists, leading to a general ignorance about both the characteristics of these rocks during the flaking and the reliability of the arrowheads made on them.
Research Interests:
"The increase of the northwestern Iberia rock art catalogue that took place in recent years makes necessary a review of many of the concepts that have dominated this important area of the prehistoric studies during decades. In this... more
"The increase of the northwestern Iberia rock art catalogue that took place in recent years makes necessary a review of many of the concepts that have dominated this important area of the prehistoric studies during decades.
In this sense, the discovery of new sites with rock art has caused not only a territorial expansion of this phenomenon, but also led to relativize concepts such as open-air rock art itself."
In this sense, the discovery of new sites with rock art has caused not only a territorial expansion of this phenomenon, but also led to relativize concepts such as open-air rock art itself."
Research Interests:
The supply of raw materials in the NW Iberia is restricted to quartzites and vein quartz, while flint and cryptocrystalline rocks are very scarce in this region. Raw material procurement strategies are generally aimed at exploiting the... more
The supply of raw materials in the NW Iberia is restricted to quartzites and vein quartz, while flint and cryptocrystalline rocks are very scarce in this region. Raw material procurement strategies are generally aimed at exploiting the local resources and only in the Upper Palaeolithic, with a better knowledge and systematic exploitation of the territory, these strategies change with the discovery of new outcrops. Neolithic and Chalcolithic lithic technology and raw material procurement are similar
to those of the Upper Palaeolithic groups, based on the exploitation of local rocks such as quartz and quartzite. But some innovations take place too, such as the incorporation of new rocks as slate, and, specially, with the significant increase of the primary sources exploitation.
Taking into account the constrictions on raw material availability and the technological change, prehistoric groups seek techno-economical strategies that link the mechanical properties of the stones to their functional requirements. An alternative to this is the appearance of specialized Chaines
Operatoires applied on specific raw materials (hyaline quartz). The generalization of Bipolar reduction sequences allows some predetermination of the final product and a maximal use of raw material.
Lastly, some raw materials acquire an important economic and social meaning, maybe related
to its scarcity in NW Iberia.
to those of the Upper Palaeolithic groups, based on the exploitation of local rocks such as quartz and quartzite. But some innovations take place too, such as the incorporation of new rocks as slate, and, specially, with the significant increase of the primary sources exploitation.
Taking into account the constrictions on raw material availability and the technological change, prehistoric groups seek techno-economical strategies that link the mechanical properties of the stones to their functional requirements. An alternative to this is the appearance of specialized Chaines
Operatoires applied on specific raw materials (hyaline quartz). The generalization of Bipolar reduction sequences allows some predetermination of the final product and a maximal use of raw material.
Lastly, some raw materials acquire an important economic and social meaning, maybe related
to its scarcity in NW Iberia.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The absence of studies about the flint industries of the Galician recent prehistory has led to the common place of a foreign origin of these productions. Though this extralocal nature is more than probable in the case of the high quality... more
The absence of studies about the flint industries of the Galician recent prehistory has led to the common place of a foreign origin of these productions. Though this extralocal nature is more than probable in the case of the high quality flint and long blades particularly numerous in the megalithic tombs,we must emphasize as well the coexistence with the exploitation of autocthonous materials such as chalcedony or jasper.
Research Interests:
Richard Bradley’s research on Iberian open-air rock art has proved essential in understanding its relationship with prehistoric landscapes. However, there remain a number of constraints and issues surrounding the interpretation of... more
Richard Bradley’s research on Iberian open-air rock art has proved essential in understanding its relationship with prehistoric landscapes. However, there remain a number of constraints and issues surrounding the interpretation of open-air rock art which are considered here. A consensus about the chronology of this phenomenon (which places it in the local Bronze Age) has been challenged, with some researchers claiming an Iron Age date for many petroglyphs. This is subject to critical scrutiny and here rejected. Matters are not helped by the absence of a comprehensive catalogue of the open-air rock art, and the fact that most sites have never been studied in depth. An opportunity is also taken to review the interpretation of Galician rock art as an open or hardly-restricted phenomenon, drawing attention to physical constraints that existed on its observation. Another controversial issue among specialists has been the precise relationship between Galician rock art and the domestic sphere, leading to a presentation of dichotomous ‘sacred’ versus ‘domestic’ areas. While contemporary settlements might be difficult to detect, this dichotomous image is shown to be erroneous, with human activity being demonstrated in the surroundings of many petroglyphs.
Research Interests:
How can we devise appropriate ways of studying later prehistoric rock art in its wider context, and how can we relate ancient images to the deposits of artefacts found on the same sites? This paper describes the methods adopted in... more
How can we devise appropriate ways of studying later prehistoric rock art in its wider context, and how can we relate ancient images to the deposits of artefacts found on the same sites? This paper describes the methods adopted in recording a series of carved motifs within a cave located outside the defences of a Chalcolithic hillfort on the Spanish/Portuguese border in Castilla y Leon. It features two quite different series of images, located in separate chambers and divided from one another by a kind of tunnel. Excavation on an artificial terrace outside the cave mouth established a chronological sequence which could be applied to the contents of the different parts of the site. This work suggested that the outer chamber, which features a large number of cup-marks, might have been associated with domestic occupation of a kind found elsewhere on the mountain, whilst the elaborately decorated inner chamber was used over a shorter period and may have played a much more specialised role. Its initial use could have been for burial. In a final phase the entire cave saw the deposition of large numbers of artefacts before its entrance was blocked. Its distinctive layout and the organisation of the decoration suggest that by the 2nd millennium bc it was considered as a natural passage grave Vision tunnellaire: Grotte décorée à El Pedroso, Castille, à la lumière de travaux d'arpentage, de Lara Bacelar Alves, Richard Bradley et Ramón Fábregas ValcarceComment pouvons-nous inventer des manières appropriées d’étudier l'art pariétal de la seconde partie de la préhistoire dans son contexte plus étendu, et comment pouvons-nous établir une relation entre de très anciennes images et les dépôts d'artefacts découverts sur ces mêmes sites? Cet article décrit les méthodes adoptées pour répertorier une série de motifs gravés dans une grotte située à l'extérieur des défenses d'une forteresse de sommet de colline chalcolithique à la frontière entre l'Espagne et le Portugal en Castille et Leon. Elle comprend deux séries tout à fait différentes d'images, situées dans des chambres distinctes et séparées l'une de l'autre par une sorte de tunnel. Des fouilles sur une terrasse artificielle à l'extérieur de l'entrée de la grotte ont établi une séquence chronologique qui pourrait s'appliquer au contenu des diverses parties du site. Ces travaux ont donné à penser que la chambre la plus à l'extérieur, qui contient un grand nombre de cupules, pourrait être associée à une occupation domestique d'un type trouvé ailleurs dans la montagne, tandis que la chambre intérieure richement décorée fut utilisée pendant une plus courte période et a peut-être joué un rôle beaucoup plus spécialisé. Son utilisation initiale aurait pu être pour des inhumations. Dans une phase finale, la totalité de la grotte reçut le dépôt de grands nombres d'artefacts avant que son entrée ne soit bloquée. Sa disposition particulière et l'organisation des décors donnent à penser que d'ici le deuxième millénaire av.J.-C. on la considérait comme une tombe à couloir naturelle Tunnelblicke: Eine verzierte Höhle bei El Pedroso, Castile, im Licht der Feldforschung, von Lara Bacelar Alves, Richard Bradley und Ramón Fábregas ValcarceWie können wir Möglichkeiten erarbeiten jüngere vorgeschichtliche Felsbildkunst in ihrem weiteren Kontext angemessen zu erforschen, und wie können wir prähistorische Bilder in Beziehung setzen zu den Deponierungen von Artefakten, die am gleichen Fundplatz geborgen wurden? Dieser Beitrag beschreibt die Methoden, die zur Dokumentation einer Reihe von eingehauenen Motiven in einer Höhle angewandt wurden, die außerhalb der Befestigungen der chalkolithischen Befestigungsanlage von Castilla y Leon an der spanisch-portugiesischen Grenze liegt. Zwei sehr unterschiedliche Serien von Bildern werden vorgestellt, die sich in separaten Kammern befinden und durch eine Art Tunnel voneinander getrennt werden. Ausgrabungen auf einer künstlichen Terrasse vor dem Höhleneingang erbrachten eine chronologische Sequenz, die auf die Funde aus den verschiedenen Bereichen des Fundorts angewandt werden konnte. Die Ergebnisse zeigen an, dass die äußere Kammer, die eine große Zahl an Näpfchen aufweist, mit häuslicher Nutzung verknüpft gewesen sein mag, wie sie an anderen Stellen des Berges nachgewiesen wurde, während die aufwändig dekorierte innere Kammer während einer kürzeren Zeitspanne genutzt wurde und eine weit stärker spezialisierte Rolle gespielt haben kann. Ursprünglich könnte sie für Bestattungen genutzt worden sein. In einer Endphase erfuhr die gesamte Höhle die Deponierung einer großen Zahl von Artefakten bevor der Eingang verschlossen wurde. Die markante Form der Höhle und die Anordnung der Felsbildkunst führen zu der Annahme, dass sie im zweiten vorchristlichen Jahrtausend als natürliches Ganggrab angesehen wurde Visiones de túnel: una cueva decorada en El Pedroso, Castilla, a la luz del trabajo de campo, por Lara Bacelar Alves, Richard Bradley y Ramón Fábregas Valcarce¿Cómo podemos encontrar formas apropiadas para estudiar el arte rupestre prehistórico tardío en su contexto más amplio, y cómo podemos relacionar las representaciones antiguas con los depósitos de objetos encontrados en esos mismos lugares? Este artículo describe los métodos adoptados en el registro de una serie de motivos grabados en el interior de una cueva situada en el exterior de las líneas de defensa de un castro calcolítico, en la frontera hispano-portuguesa de Castilla y León. Estas representaciones se disponen en dos series claramente diferenciadas, localizadas en salas separadas y divididas por una especie de túnel. La excavación de una terraza artificial en el exterior de la boca de la cueva ha permitido establecer una secuencia cronológica que se podría correlacionar con los contenidos de las distintas partes del yacimiento. En este trabajo se sugiere que la sala exterior, caracterizada por un elevado número de cazoletas, podría estar asociada con una ocupación doméstica de un tipo documentado en diversos lugares de la montaña; mientras que la sala interior profusamente decorada fue utilizada durante un corto período de tiempo y pudo haber tenido un papel más especializado. Su uso inicial podría haber sido como enterramiento. En una fase final, la cavidad fue testigo del depósito de gran número de artefactos, antes de que su entrada fuera bloqueada. Su disposición distintiva y la organización de las representaciones sugieren que en el segundo milenio bc la cavidad fue considerada como un sepulcro de corredor natural(Online publication July 18 2013)
The O Barbanza mountain range is located between the Ria de Arousa to the south and the Ria de Muros-Noia to the north, on the Atlantic coast of Galicia. The upper reaches of the Barbanza river flow through a gently sloping area with an... more
The O Barbanza mountain range is located between the Ria de Arousa to the south and the Ria de Muros-Noia to the north, on the Atlantic coast of Galicia. The upper reaches of the Barbanza river flow through a gently sloping area with an open valley following fractures
in a NW-SE direction. The course of the river follows a winding path directed by the pattern of fracturing, in which sediment has accumulated in sections characterized by changes in the direction of the channel. Along the course of the river, archaeological sites have been located
spanning a wide chronological range. Mounds and petroglyphs are preferably located in high places and structures of “huts” are located in areas with alluvial accumulation at the foot of the slopes, slightly away from the current course of the river. The pedo-sedimentary sequence
studied, located in the largest alluvial plain of the stretch of river, is set in an
context. The results suggest that the site is located on an alluvial plain formed by sandy sediments with a high content of silt and clay. Material originating from the granite slopes, and rich in gravels and macrocharcoals, fossilized on this alluvial plain. The results allow us to identify an
alluvial surface on which archaeological structures were built, which have been fossilized by colluvial material. Radiocarbon dating was carried out on two charcoal fragments. The oldest, located at a depth of 82 cm, in the transition between the pedosedimentary levels identified as
alluvial and colluvial facies, consists of a fragment of deciduous Quercus charcoal, with a date of 8595-8455 cal BP (6645-6505 cal BC). The second, at a depth of 40 cm, on a piece of Erica sp. charcoal, was dated at 1235 to 1205 cal BP (cal AD 715-745).
in a NW-SE direction. The course of the river follows a winding path directed by the pattern of fracturing, in which sediment has accumulated in sections characterized by changes in the direction of the channel. Along the course of the river, archaeological sites have been located
spanning a wide chronological range. Mounds and petroglyphs are preferably located in high places and structures of “huts” are located in areas with alluvial accumulation at the foot of the slopes, slightly away from the current course of the river. The pedo-sedimentary sequence
studied, located in the largest alluvial plain of the stretch of river, is set in an
context. The results suggest that the site is located on an alluvial plain formed by sandy sediments with a high content of silt and clay. Material originating from the granite slopes, and rich in gravels and macrocharcoals, fossilized on this alluvial plain. The results allow us to identify an
alluvial surface on which archaeological structures were built, which have been fossilized by colluvial material. Radiocarbon dating was carried out on two charcoal fragments. The oldest, located at a depth of 82 cm, in the transition between the pedosedimentary levels identified as
alluvial and colluvial facies, consists of a fragment of deciduous Quercus charcoal, with a date of 8595-8455 cal BP (6645-6505 cal BC). The second, at a depth of 40 cm, on a piece of Erica sp. charcoal, was dated at 1235 to 1205 cal BP (cal AD 715-745).
Research Interests:
Today, despite the notable progress on the knowledge about Galician’s carvings, we still lack an updated census of these and, as a result, we do not have adequate information about the precise number or the geographical distribution of... more
Today, despite the notable progress on the knowledge about Galician’s carvings, we still lack an updated census of these and, as a result, we do not have adequate information about the precise number or the geographical distribution of the main groups of motifs that make up this artistic phenomenon. In order to tackle this problem, we have gone through the Xunta de Galicia’s Catalogue of the Archaeological Heritage, obtaining a database of 3361 petroglyphs.
By using both GIS and data management programs, we have drawn a series of maps and charts showing the iconographic variability of the panels, correlation patterns of motifs and the dispersion of those across Galician territory.
Preliminary observations confirm that coastal areas have the largest concentrations of carvings, in sharp contrast with the inland districts. On the other hand, geometric motifs tend to associate mostly among themselves, while zoomorphs often share the panel with geometric images. Metallic weapons such as daggers or hallebards have a marked tendency to appear on the same rock and less so with other kind of motifs. Finally, petroglyphs of clear historical chronology –such as crosses, alphabetic forms, etc– are in clear dissociation with prehistoric carvings.
By using both GIS and data management programs, we have drawn a series of maps and charts showing the iconographic variability of the panels, correlation patterns of motifs and the dispersion of those across Galician territory.
Preliminary observations confirm that coastal areas have the largest concentrations of carvings, in sharp contrast with the inland districts. On the other hand, geometric motifs tend to associate mostly among themselves, while zoomorphs often share the panel with geometric images. Metallic weapons such as daggers or hallebards have a marked tendency to appear on the same rock and less so with other kind of motifs. Finally, petroglyphs of clear historical chronology –such as crosses, alphabetic forms, etc– are in clear dissociation with prehistoric carvings.
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An outlook of the results of JADE II project on the presence of Alpine axes or their imitations in the Iberian Peninsula
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A short review on the approximately 40 stones decorated with images of horse-back riding in Galician prehistoric petroglyphs,dealing with their presumed chronology within the IIIrd millennium and rôle in the society of that time.
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An attempt at objectifying observations on the visual command from- and the perception of prehistoric Galician petroglyphs.
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Open-air rock art and Atlantic Rock Art in particular, have been often considered as an active element in the configuration of the economic and symbolic signification of prehistoric landscapes. Thus, in the last 20 years, the spatial... more
Open-air rock art and Atlantic Rock Art in particular, have been often considered as an active element in the configuration of the economic and symbolic signification of prehistoric landscapes. Thus, in the last 20 years, the spatial setting of Galician petroglyphs was analysed and repeatedly associated with the control of certain resource-rich areas or the routes leading into them. Nevertheless, such considerations have been frequently based on relatively shallow spatial analyses and the importance of those paths and areas established ad hoc. Furthermore, the interaction between rock art and the surrounding landscape was often approached in a superficial manner, neglecting the importance of decorated panels' perceptibility as a main element in determining their agency.
The use of GIS applications and high-resolution cartography (LIDAR maps) together with the implementation of new methods for the analysis of the potential intensity of transit through the landscape will allow us to check the hypothesis of the link between Galician petroglyphs and the so-called “geography of movement”. On the other hand, the use of new methodologies such as the Agent Based Modeling makes possible to study and simulate the processes of perception of rock art sites, comparing their theoretical level of perceptibility with that of other monuments allegedly playing an important role in the configuration of the landscape: the mounds.
The use of GIS applications and high-resolution cartography (LIDAR maps) together with the implementation of new methods for the analysis of the potential intensity of transit through the landscape will allow us to check the hypothesis of the link between Galician petroglyphs and the so-called “geography of movement”. On the other hand, the use of new methodologies such as the Agent Based Modeling makes possible to study and simulate the processes of perception of rock art sites, comparing their theoretical level of perceptibility with that of other monuments allegedly playing an important role in the configuration of the landscape: the mounds.
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The paper deals with the importance of Alpine axe production, not only in much of central and Western Europe, but particularly in the Iberian Peninsula. Its distribution from Catalonia to Galicia has led us to consider the relevance that... more
The paper deals with the importance of Alpine axe production, not only in much of central and Western Europe, but particularly in the Iberian Peninsula. Its distribution from Catalonia to Galicia has led us to consider
the relevance that in the Neolithic, as well as in more recent periods, acquired exchange networks. Contacts between groups hundreds of kilometres apart are demonstrated using such axes. Their presence, often in funerary contexts, confers to these instruments a value that exceeds their purely functional aspects
the relevance that in the Neolithic, as well as in more recent periods, acquired exchange networks. Contacts between groups hundreds of kilometres apart are demonstrated using such axes. Their presence, often in funerary contexts, confers to these instruments a value that exceeds their purely functional aspects
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An updated catalogue of the Alpine (or presumably Alpine) long axes known in the Iberian Peninsula.
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Large polished axes of Alpine jade have circulated across Europe during the 5th and 4th Millennia BC. The presence of Alpine axes in the Iberian Peninsula is more restricted than elsewhere in Western Europe, but still... more
Large polished axes of Alpine jade have circulated across Europe during the 5th and 4th Millennia BC. The presence of Alpine axes in the Iberian Peninsula is more restricted than elsewhere in Western Europe, but still significant.Thirty-seven pieces of probable Alpine origin have been catalogued in Iberia. Along with those Alpine jades, there are long axes made on local stones that could be considered as an imitation of the Alpine examples (ie. the Cangas type).
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Often along vast expanses, ancient societies traded certain commodities that were considered valuable either for functional or symbolic reasons –or, rather, a mixture of both factors. We shall address the state of the art with regard to... more
Often along vast expanses, ancient societies traded certain commodities that were considered valuable either for functional or symbolic reasons –or, rather, a mixture of both factors. We shall address the state of the art with regard to the acquisition of jade, turquoise or variscite, all of which share a characteristic greenish color and an engaging appearance once they are polished in the shape of axes or assorted adornments. We wish to explore how, in addition to constituting economic transactions, the transfers of these materials were also statements of social liaisons, personal capacities, relation to places or to unseen forces.
We are centering on two study areas, Western Europe and México/Southwest US, which are far apart not just in geographical terms but also with regard to their chronology and socioeconomic features: while some North and Mesoamerican groups range from relatively complex farming societies up to state-like organizations during the 1st and 2nd Millennia AD, the European counterparts are comparatively simpler polities spanning the 5th/3rd Millennia BC. By contrasting the archaeological evidence from diverse areas we may gain insights into the role that production/movement of those green stones played in their respective political and ritual economies. Also, we think it useful to compare the scientific approaches applied to this question in different parts of the globe.
We are centering on two study areas, Western Europe and México/Southwest US, which are far apart not just in geographical terms but also with regard to their chronology and socioeconomic features: while some North and Mesoamerican groups range from relatively complex farming societies up to state-like organizations during the 1st and 2nd Millennia AD, the European counterparts are comparatively simpler polities spanning the 5th/3rd Millennia BC. By contrasting the archaeological evidence from diverse areas we may gain insights into the role that production/movement of those green stones played in their respective political and ritual economies. Also, we think it useful to compare the scientific approaches applied to this question in different parts of the globe.
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Over the last two decades, the traditional descriptive paradigm has given way to other views focusing on the relationship between petroglyphs and prehistoric landscapes, seeking to understand that artistic phenomenon in the framework of... more
Over the last two decades, the traditional descriptive paradigm has given way to other views focusing on the relationship between petroglyphs and prehistoric landscapes, seeking to understand that artistic phenomenon in the framework of societies undergoing deep socioeconomic changes and increasingly altering their environment.
We shall review, in the light of the last discoveries, aspects such as the chronology of the regional rock art, the audience it was meant to address or the archaeological context of the carved rocks. Going beyond the perception of the rock art as a mediating element, open to the different communities inhabiting the land, we might acknowledge its possible role as an active agent through which human groups would negotiate its own identity and association with the surrounding space. The relationship between petroglyphs and landscape would be a dialectic one, so that several factors could regulate the access and reading of the decorated panels, eventually restricting these to certain individuals or sectors of the communities. Lastly, the similarities with the rock art in other areas of Atlantic Europe may be just another example of the circulation along the seaways of goods, ideas and people at least from the early Neolithic.
We shall review, in the light of the last discoveries, aspects such as the chronology of the regional rock art, the audience it was meant to address or the archaeological context of the carved rocks. Going beyond the perception of the rock art as a mediating element, open to the different communities inhabiting the land, we might acknowledge its possible role as an active agent through which human groups would negotiate its own identity and association with the surrounding space. The relationship between petroglyphs and landscape would be a dialectic one, so that several factors could regulate the access and reading of the decorated panels, eventually restricting these to certain individuals or sectors of the communities. Lastly, the similarities with the rock art in other areas of Atlantic Europe may be just another example of the circulation along the seaways of goods, ideas and people at least from the early Neolithic.
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En el presente estudio, de naturaleza fundamentalmente exploratoria, se ha aplicado el marco teórico de la difusión de la innovación (modelos de E. Rogers, F.M. Bass y G. Moore) con el objetivo de profundizar en el análisis de los niveles... more
En el presente estudio, de naturaleza fundamentalmente exploratoria, se ha aplicado el marco teórico de la difusión de la innovación (modelos de E. Rogers, F.M. Bass y G. Moore) con el objetivo de profundizar en el análisis de los niveles de adopción de las Plataformas de Servicios Bibliotecarios entre bibliotecas académicas y públicas durante el período comprendido entre los años 2010 y 2016. Asimismo, se ha tratado de determinar la existencia de patrones de comportamiento en relación con la implementación de los sistemas de automatización. Los resultados sugieren que, en los años analizados, el proceso de adopción de dicha innovación tecnológica se ha caracterizado por su discontinuidad y por estar dominado por comportamientos de tipo imitativo. Además, la evolución de la adopción ha seguido ritmos diferentes en los distintos tipos de bibliotecas consideradas. Estas diferencias de comportamiento también se han observado en las valoraciones e implementaciones de softwares de gestión bibliotecaria, traduciéndose en lo que podrían considerarse como diferentes perfiles de automatización.
In this approach, fundamentally exploratory, the diffusion of innovation theoretical framework (E. Rogers, F.M. Bass and G. Moore models) has been applied to the analysis of the level of adoption of the Library Services Platforms among academic and public libraries between the years 2010 and 2016. We have also tried to identify different behaviour patterns regarding the implementation of the Integrated Library Systems. The results suggest that, for the timeframe considered here, the process of adoption of this technological innovation has been characterized by its discontinuity and by the predominance of imitative behaviours. Moreover, the adoption rates have been different depending on the type of library considered. Such differences have been also observed in the evaluation and implementation of automated library systems; therefore, resulting in what may be considered different automation profiles.
In this approach, fundamentally exploratory, the diffusion of innovation theoretical framework (E. Rogers, F.M. Bass and G. Moore models) has been applied to the analysis of the level of adoption of the Library Services Platforms among academic and public libraries between the years 2010 and 2016. We have also tried to identify different behaviour patterns regarding the implementation of the Integrated Library Systems. The results suggest that, for the timeframe considered here, the process of adoption of this technological innovation has been characterized by its discontinuity and by the predominance of imitative behaviours. Moreover, the adoption rates have been different depending on the type of library considered. Such differences have been also observed in the evaluation and implementation of automated library systems; therefore, resulting in what may be considered different automation profiles.
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We undertook an extensive literature review of the distribution of the variscite and other green stone adornments across Western Spain. This region has a crucial importance for the understanding of this phenomenon, since two of the three... more
We undertook an extensive literature review of the distribution of the variscite and other green stone adornments across Western Spain. This region has a crucial importance for the understanding of this phenomenon, since two of the three main variscite mines exploited during the prehistory are located there. Perhaps due to such importance, Western Spain has been the scenario of an ongoing analytical effort that, however, has not yet been accompanied by a global, interpretative synthesis for the entire area. From a database of little more than 130 Neolithic to Early Bronze Age archaeological sites with green stone beads, we offer a state of the art and a first quantification of the distribution of the variscite and other green stone adornments across Western Spain. This step is essential for achieving a basic understanding of the chronological evolution, regional differences and socioeconomic processes that made possible the occurrence of intense mining activities and also the exchange of those trinkets across really long distances.
En este trabajo, se ofrece una revisión extensiva de la literatura científica referida a la distribución de adornos realizados en variscita y en otras piedras verdes a lo largo de España Occidental. Esta región tiene una importancia crucial para la comprensión de este fenómeno, puesto que dos de las tres minas principales explotadas durante la prehistoria están situadas allí. Quizás debido a esta importancia, el Occidente Español ha sido el escenario de un esfuerzo analítico –actualmente en marcha– que, sin embargo, no siempre ha ido acompañado de una síntesis interpretativa global para toda el área. A partir de una base de datos de poco más de 130 yacimientos del Neolítico al Bronce Inicial con cuentas realizadas en piedra verde, ofrecemos un estado de la cuestión y una primera cuantificación de la distribución de los adornos en variscita y otras piedras verdes a lo largo de España Occidental. Este paso resulta fundamental para poder alcanzar un conocimiento básico de su evolución cronológica, sus diferencias regionales y de los procesos socioeconómicos que hicieron posible la aparición de intensas actividades mineras así como el intercambio de estos diminutos objetos a lo largo de distancias realmente largas.
En este trabajo, se ofrece una revisión extensiva de la literatura científica referida a la distribución de adornos realizados en variscita y en otras piedras verdes a lo largo de España Occidental. Esta región tiene una importancia crucial para la comprensión de este fenómeno, puesto que dos de las tres minas principales explotadas durante la prehistoria están situadas allí. Quizás debido a esta importancia, el Occidente Español ha sido el escenario de un esfuerzo analítico –actualmente en marcha– que, sin embargo, no siempre ha ido acompañado de una síntesis interpretativa global para toda el área. A partir de una base de datos de poco más de 130 yacimientos del Neolítico al Bronce Inicial con cuentas realizadas en piedra verde, ofrecemos un estado de la cuestión y una primera cuantificación de la distribución de los adornos en variscita y otras piedras verdes a lo largo de España Occidental. Este paso resulta fundamental para poder alcanzar un conocimiento básico de su evolución cronológica, sus diferencias regionales y de los procesos socioeconómicos que hicieron posible la aparición de intensas actividades mineras así como el intercambio de estos diminutos objetos a lo largo de distancias realmente largas.
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Monuments, as such, have implicitly a perennial character and they act as presumed means for consecrating or marking out especial places. That would be the case of megalithic mounds, which add their funerary character to the... more
Monuments, as such, have implicitly a perennial character and they act as presumed means for consecrating or marking out especial places. That would be the case of megalithic mounds, which add their funerary character to the aforementioned features. But, in the last decades, an increasing emphasis has been placed on the relationship between megaliths and movement, at first understood in the simpler sense of a correlation between mound location and paths across the landscape, but later on taking on a more structural character, having to do with the internal change (mobilization) of the building components, the incorporation of allochthonous materials both into the construction itself (vg. bringing in orthostats on non-local stones) and exotic grave goods. In that way, they appear to evoke more or less distant places and the displacements implied to gathering them in the framework of the tomb. Those observations can now be better substantiated in areas such as the Barbanza Peninsula (Galicia, Spain), where a relatively thorough catalogue of megaliths is available, showing –to start with– that these are far from being bound to the high sierra, though showing higher concentrations over there. The enlisting of Geographical Information Systems and statistics will show how mounds are associated with transit routes and, more locally, with conspicuous areas more often than, for instance, rock art sites. As a result, we may contemplate megalithic architecture not as something exclusively or mainly static but, on the contrary, dynamic and linked to a cognitive geography developed by communities in the Late Prehistory that carry on the exploitation of different landscapes and resources, from the very coast to the uplands.
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WORKSHOP "Arqueoloxía en áreas de montaña: últimos desenvolvementos e retos de futuro na Península Ibérica"
Consello da Cultura Galega, Santiago de Compostela
Mércores, 27 de marzo de 2019
Consello da Cultura Galega, Santiago de Compostela
Mércores, 27 de marzo de 2019
Research Interests: History, Archaeology, Classical Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Historical Archaeology, and 11 morePalaeoenvironment, Landscape Archaeology, Commons, Cultural Landscapes, Landscape History, Medieval Archaeology, Upland Archaeology, Land Use Change, High Mountain Archaeology, Landscape and Land-use-history, and Roman Archaeology
"Greenstones were a pervasive presence in the material culture of Iberian Late Prehistory. Mostly in the form of perforated beads or pendants, stones such as variscite and, to a lesser degree chlorite, talc, sericite, steatite, muscovite... more
"Greenstones were a pervasive presence in the material culture of Iberian Late Prehistory. Mostly in the form of perforated beads or pendants, stones such as variscite and, to a lesser degree chlorite, talc, sericite, steatite, muscovite or fluorite were a common occurrence in burial contexts, particularly in the 4th and 3rd millennia cal BC. Other green stones, such as jadeite or serpentine, were used to manufacture other artefacts, especially polished axes, but they occur much more rarely. Most rare of all, however, is the green prase quartz monocrystal studied in this contribution. This exceptional item was found as part of a hoard (including also silver rings, Baltic amber beads, carnelian and rock crystal) dating to the Early Iron Age (c. 850–600 cal BC) that was located below one of the fallen uprights of a much older megalithic monument at the Palacio III megalithic complex. We analyze this item from the point of view of its mineralogy and chemical composition (through XRD and SEM), comparing it to a set of samples from a nearby location where unpublished outcrops of this mineral have been identified by us, as well as its use-wear. As a result, this remarkable object can be understood to have been produced locally, and have been used as a personal amulet or charm over a long period of time, in line with the extended biography of the megalithic complex where it was discovered."