- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, Palaeolithic Archaeology, Paleoecology, Lithics, and 11 morePaleoenvironment, Palaeolithic, Cantabrian Palaeolithic, Upper Palaeolithic boundary, Mobility/Mobilities, Zooarchaeology, Upper Paleolithic, Mobility (Archaeology), Palinology, Taphonomy, and Hunter-Gatherer Archaeologyedit
Understanding the ways in which human groups use the environment for their survival is one of the main fields of study in Prehistory. Subsistence strategies, understood as the set of techniques, processes and activities through which... more
Understanding the ways in which human groups use the environment for their survival is one of the main fields of study in Prehistory. Subsistence strategies, understood as the set of techniques, processes and activities through which human groups organise the tasks related to their survival, are a fundamental element for understanding the economic and sociocultural processes derived from these practices in the past. In this sense, archaeozoological and taphonomic studies are the main tool to reconstruct the ways in which our ancestors acquired, processed, consumed, and managed meat resources for their survival. In this research we examine the ways in which hunter-gatherer groups in the Spanish Cantabrian region exploited ungulates through a palaeoecological and palaeoeconomic analysis of a total of 32 archaeological levels at 19 sites dated between 20 and 17 ky cal BP. To this end, through research on faunal resources in this region, we will address the ways in which prey was acquired and transported, the age ranges, the seasonality of the captures and the nutritional energy contribution to the diet of the human groups, taking into account the cost of acquiring them, thus generating an updated view of subsistence strategies in the Cantabrian region.
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The beginning of the Holocene involved a series of climatic and environmental changes that affected the ways of life of the last hunter-gatherers. In the case of the Spanish Cantabrian region, these changes transformed the material... more
The beginning of the Holocene involved a series of climatic and environmental changes that affected the ways of life of the last hunter-gatherers. In the case of the Spanish Cantabrian region, these changes transformed the material culture and the way human groups interacted with the environment and, therefore, the subsistence strategies of the end of the Upper Pleistocene. In terms of the use of faunal resources, this period was characterised by an increase in the exploitation of coastal resources, mainly molluscs, but also crustaceans and echinoderms, which make up the so-called “shell middens”, while at the same time the percentage of macromammals was reduced and animals considered to have a “low energy range” were introduced into the diet. In this paper we assess the role played by each of these animal resources in the subsistence of Mesolithic human groups, determining their nutritional contribution and establishing a prey ranking based on the caloric intake of each resource. For this purpose, we collected archaeofaunal data from 14 sites from recent archaeological excavations with levels dated between ca. 11.5 and 7.5 ky cal BP in which the consumption of vertebrates and invertebrates is documented. At each of these sites we analysed diversity, homogeneity and species richness using Simpson’s and Shannon’s indexes, as well as the effective numbers of species for terrestrial and coastal resources, assessing the relationship between the two. With the palaeoecological and palaeoeconomic data from these archaeological sites (most of them located in caves), we estimate the weight that the different animal resources consumed by the last hunter-gatherer communities of the Cantabrian region had in their diet.
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We present the results of the zooarchaeological analysis carried out on the fauna recovered in five different areas of ancient Termez (Uzbekistan). The sequence analysed covers the period from c 300 BCE to c 1400 CE... more
We present the results of the zooarchaeological analysis carried out on the fauna recovered in five different areas of ancient Termez (Uzbekistan). The sequence analysed covers the period from c 300 BCE to c 1400 CE (Greco-Bactrian/Yuezhi, Kushan, Sassanian, and Islamic periods). The investigation focused on the main animal species raised, the skeletal profiles represented and their age at death. A taphonomic study was also performed to evaluate the processing of the animals' bone carcasses by the human groups in Termez, and to determine other natural and biological agents that have affected the samples. The results reveal a livestock population dominated by sheep and goats throughout the period of occupation of the settlement, from which meat, wool and other dairy products were obtained. Cattle and horses are represented in the whole stratigraphic sequence, although they were particularly important during the Sassanian period. Swine also appears notably, although its frequency significantly decreases in the Islamic period. The diet included roosters and hens, probably also raised for their eggs. Wild species hunted and processed by the inhabitants of Termez appear in all phases of occupation. We should note the presence of gazelle and, in the Greco-Bactrian/Yuezhi phase, saiga antelope. Camelids are scarce and only documented during the Sassanian phase. The use of bones to manufacture game playing pieces or objects for textile production has also been recognised in ancient Termez.
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The objective of this article is to analyze the use of the studies in archaeobiology for the research about the mobility of the human groups in the Upper Palaeolithic. Specifically , it focuses on outlining the patterns of mobility of the... more
The objective of this article is to analyze the use of the studies in archaeobiology for the research about the mobility of the human groups in the Upper Palaeolithic. Specifically , it focuses on outlining the patterns of mobility of the hunter-gatherer groups who inhabited the Urola river valley (Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Spain) during the 19500 cal BP, using the correlations between the palynological and the faunistic evidences. For this analysis, we have selected the caves of Ekain, Erralla and Amalda, all of them located in the middle Urola River. With the zooarchaeological and palynological evidences correlated, we have proceeded to establish the catchment areas of the faunistic resources consumed by the human groups that inhabited the studied territory , and to establish the relations between the three archaeological sites, presenting a mobility model according to the characteristics of each of the caves.
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A través de estas páginas intentamos acercarnos al modo de vida de los pobladores que habitaron del valle del río Urola a finales del Paleolítico Superior, a su forma de comprender el espacio que les rodeó y a sus estrategias de... more
A través de estas páginas intentamos acercarnos al modo de vida de los pobladores que habitaron del valle del río Urola a finales del Paleolítico Superior, a su forma de comprender el espacio que les rodeó y a sus estrategias de subsistencia. Por ello, la movilidad de muestra como una táctica que permitió a estas gentes economizar el medio mediante una serie de desplazamientos, los cuales responden a una conducta de subsistencia que reconstruimos con los materiales que nos llegan a través del registro arqueológico.
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El proyecto de investigación sobre el poblamiento rural durante la Antigüedad Tardía en la presierra madrileña, desarrollado entre 2008 y 2016, ha permitido obtener una mejor visión sobre la ordenación y gestión de este espacio, modelado... more
El proyecto de investigación sobre el poblamiento rural durante la Antigüedad Tardía en la presierra madrileña, desarrollado entre 2008 y 2016, ha permitido obtener una mejor visión sobre la ordenación y gestión de este espacio, modelado por una nueva red de asentamientos aldeanos. Algunas de estas aldeas, como Navalahija y Navalvillar (Colmenar Viejo, Madrid), compaginaron su labor agropecuaria con una destacada actividad minero-metalúrgica del hierro. Son ejemplos, por tanto, del proceso de transformación que se está dando en los siglos finales de la Tardoantigüedad.
En estas páginas presentamos los resultados obtenidos a partir del análisis arqueozoológico y tafonómico del conjunto óseo de Navalahija. La mayoría de los restos faunísticos apuntan a un consumo cárnico basado principalmente en el ganado ovino, caprino y vacuno. También hemos analizado la representación anatómica de los restos óseos y su distribución por edad, así como los agentes tafonómicos que han intervenido en la formación del registro arqueozoológico de Navalahija.
En estas páginas presentamos los resultados obtenidos a partir del análisis arqueozoológico y tafonómico del conjunto óseo de Navalahija. La mayoría de los restos faunísticos apuntan a un consumo cárnico basado principalmente en el ganado ovino, caprino y vacuno. También hemos analizado la representación anatómica de los restos óseos y su distribución por edad, así como los agentes tafonómicos que han intervenido en la formación del registro arqueozoológico de Navalahija.
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Desde época clásica hasta la actualidad aparecen documentados yunques en hueso para el afilado de hoces dentadas en diferentes contextos europeos y del norte de África. Sin embargo, este tipo de artefacto ha sido poco estudiado en los... more
Desde época clásica hasta la actualidad aparecen documentados yunques en hueso para el afilado de hoces dentadas en diferentes contextos europeos y del norte de África. Sin embargo, este tipo de artefacto ha sido poco estudiado en los yacimientos tardoantiguos de la Península Ibérica. En las excavaciones arqueológicas llevadas a cabo en el poblado de El Castillón (Santa Eulalia de Tábara, Zamora) se han documentado tres yunques de este tipo. La cronología de los contextos en los que aparecen nos indica que estamos ante una de las evidencias más antiguas del registro peninsular. El objetivo de la presente comunicación es mostrar tanto los yunques hallados en el yacimiento citado, como las huellas destinadas al mantenimiento y afilado que en ellos han dejado los diferentes pasos de la cadena operativa. Todo ello se pondrá en relación con el resto de materiales del mismo tipo documentados en la Península Ibérica durante los siglos V y VI d.C.
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El Cierro cave (Ribadesella, Asturias) is located a few kilometers from the mouth of the Sella river. The various excavation works done during the 1950’s and 1970’s, and the current ones, which began in 2014, have pointed out the... more
El Cierro cave (Ribadesella, Asturias) is located a few kilometers from the mouth of the Sella river. The various excavation works done during the 1950’s and 1970’s, and the current ones, which began in 2014, have pointed out the existence of a large stratigraphic sequence which encompasses, at least, the entire Upper Palaeolithic, with numerous faunal remains associated to the occupation levels. The aim of this paper is to show the archaeozoological analysis of the bone remains of the indicated stratigraphic sequence’s levels F and G, ascribed to the Lower Magdalenian due to its radiocarbon dates (15460±75 and 15580±75 BP). Thus, by comparing the results of both levels, we analyze the subsistence strategies carried out by the human inhabitants of El Cierro regarding the consumption and processing of macromammals, assessing the importance and the energy contribution that these resources had for the subsistence of the group.
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El poblado tardoantiguo de El Castillón está situado en el municipio de Santa Eulalia de Tábara (Zamora, noroeste de España). Se trata de un enclave que controla el paso del río Esla, afluente del río Duero, y se encuentra muy próximo a... more
El poblado tardoantiguo de El Castillón está situado en el municipio de Santa Eulalia de Tábara (Zamora, noroeste de España). Se trata de un enclave que controla el paso del río Esla, afluente del río Duero, y se encuentra muy próximo a la Ruta de la Plata (vía romana que une Emerita Augusta con Asturica Augusta). Durante las sucesivas campañas arqueológicas en yacimiento (2007-2015) se ha documentado un número importante de restos arqueozoológicos. De los diferentes sondeos realizados, es el Sondeo 3 el que ha proporcionado, hasta el momento, un mayor número de restos faunísticos (>11000), vinculados mayoritariamente a diferentes procesos alimentarios. En esta comunicación se presenta la información obtenida a partir del estudio de las falanges de mamíferos documentadas en dicho sondeo. Por una parte, se determinan las diversas especies que empleaban para su consumo alimenticio los pobladores de El Castillón. Por otra parte, se analizan e interpretan las alteraciones tafonómicas de estos restos óseos, tanto las de tipo antrópico, lo que posibilita obtener las primeras conclusiones sobre los diferentes procesos de preparación, como las provocadas por otros agentes (carnívoros, plantas, etc.).
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This communication aims to review information available in the literature about macromammalian fauna in Cantabrian Spain in the Lower Magdalenian. For that purpose, in addition to the fauna in El Cierro Cave (Ribadesella, Asturias), a... more
This communication aims to review information available in the literature about macromammalian fauna in Cantabrian Spain in the Lower Magdalenian. For that purpose, in addition to the fauna in El Cierro Cave (Ribadesella, Asturias), a site that we are analysing in the framework of our Ph. D., we will take into account only the archaeozoological data from published sites with radiocarbon information. We will also study how the faunal evidence can help us to understand thesubsistence strategies the human groups that inhabited this region from ca. 17,000 to 14,000 BP (ca.20,000-17,000 cal BP). In this way, after gathering and contrasting all the available data, we will know which are the most represented species, which anatomical parts are represented most, and if there are changes or continuities in the faunal patterns at the different sites.
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BAR International Series 2769.
Oxford: 2015, 190 pp.
ISBN: 9781407314457
Oxford: 2015, 190 pp.
ISBN: 9781407314457