Ramon Buxó

The study of community practices of consumption in late prehistoric societies in the Iberian Peninsula, above all those aspects related to commensality and banquets, has been specifically emphasised over the last few years. Development in the analysis of the contextual aspects and the functionality of objects and their meanings, together with the improvement of methodology and registration in archaeological sites has led to an important advance with respect to understanding relationship spheres and areas of consumption in the complex societies of the Iberian era. However, in the north-eastern peninsular area there are few projects which centre on this problem, although some pioneers of certain relevance do exist more analytical studies of certain authority have been undertaken. This paper seeks to approach this problem through an analysis of that archaeological evidence which provides some contexts of Iberian habitat in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula; however, our focus will be centred on the domestic arena and the social significance which the eating process implies in the private sphere

In this paper we have aimed to determine the original sources of different raw materials, both biotic and abiotic from the Neolithic settlement of La Draga (Banyoles). Having identified the resources used, we have assessed the territories that have been exploited. All the material productions and instrumental uses have also been examined, focusing on technical designs and traditions shared by the Neolithic communities of the Western Mediterranean.

""Keywords:
Agriculture
Demography
Land use
Near East
Prehistory
Present

Modern Syria, and in particular the Middle Euphrates valley, has been occupied and overexploited since the beginnings of agriculture. Thus, the study of the economic and environmental characteristics of ancient settlements may offer new perspectives on the long-term effects of continuous agriculture in a fragile agroecosystem. In this work, we present a methodological framework that uses archaeological information to understand long-term effects of the extensification of agriculture in present-time arid areas. Specifically, we have compared the main economic features of a Neolithic site of the middle Euphrates, Tell Halula (ca. 10th millennium BP), with present-day data from the surrounding region. Population, crop distribution, cereal yields and arable land requirements during the first millennia after the emergence of agriculture were estimated from archaeological data and compared with a compilation of present-time official statistics and data derived from a field survey. We observed a trend towards a cereal-based farming during the Neolithic, associated to a decrease in the diversity of wild florae. This was accompanied by a growth in population during the earliest phases of the settlement (8200-7000 cal BCE), followed by a decline in population in the late phases (7000-5400 cal BCE), probably as a consequence of exceeding the capacity of the agroecosystem. A comparable situation to that found in early phases of Tell Halula was observed in modern communities, showing similar growth rates and a strong focus on cereal crops.""

Carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) in charred grains from archaeological sites provides reliable information about water availability of ancient crops. However, as cereals are cultivated plants, they may reflect not only climatic fluctuations, but also the effect on water status of certain agronomic practices, such as sowing in naturally wet soils or irrigation. In this work, we propose a methodological approach to combine Δ13C data from different plant species, in order to discriminate between climate-derived and anthropogenic effects on ancient crops. We updated previous models for estimating water inputs from Δ13C of cereal grains of Hordeum vulgare and Triticum aestivum/durum, and we applied them to published data from several archaeological sites, including samples from the Neolithic to the present day in northeast and southeast Spain, as well as from the Neolithic site of Tell Halula (northwest Syria). We found an important decrease in water availability from the Neolithic to the present time in the three areas of study, especially clear for the two driest areas (southeast Spain and northwest Syria). Potential differences in water management practices between wheat and barley, as well as between cereal and legume crops (Vicia faba and Lens culinaris), are also discussed on the basis of the comparison of Δ13C values across several archaeological sites.

The discovery in 2012 of a complete yew bow (Taxus baccata) in the lakeside Neolithic site of La Draga, together with two more fragmented bows from previous field seasons, are the oldest evidence of archery among farming communities in Europe. This group of bows has allowed different aspects of prehistoric archery to be considered. Firstly with regard to the manufacturing processes of these weapons, which show great uniformity in terms of the raw material used, but some variety in shapes and sizes. Secondly about the socioeconomic significance of weapons in societies which no longer based their economy on hunting and gathering

Introducció un sentit tripartit (privat, comunitari, col. lectiu) i, doncs, de la mateixa manera, els sistemes econbmics de les pobla-En aquest estudi s' analitzen els dispositius dombstics de cions afectades. combustió i d'emmagatzematge que constitueixen els principals ...

We present a novel approach to study the sustainability of ancient Mediterranean agriculture that combines the measurement of carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) and nitrogen isotope composition (δ15N) along with the assessment of quality traits in fossil cereal grains. Charred grains of naked wheat and barley were recovered in Los Castillejos, an archaeological site in SE Spain, with a continuous occupation of ca. 1500 years starting soon after the origin of agriculture (ca. 4000 BCE) in the region. Crop water status and yield were estimated from Δ13C and soil fertility and management practices were assessed from the δ15N and N content of grains. The original grain weight was inferred from grain dimensions and grain N content was assessed after correcting N concentration for the effect of carbonisation. Estimated water conditions (i.e. rainfall) during crop growth remained constant for the entire period. However, the grain size and grain yield decreased progressively during the first millennium after the onset of agriculture, regardless of the species, with only a slight recovery afterwards. Minimum δ15N values and grain N content were also recorded in the later periods of site occupation. Our results indicate a progressive loss of soil fertility, even when the amount of precipitation remained steady, thereby indicating the unsustainable nature of early agriculture at this site in the Western Mediterranean Basin. In addition, several findings suggest that barley and wheat were cultivated separately, the former being restricted to marginal areas, coinciding with an increased focus on wheat cultivation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.