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Vandevelde S. Precision dating pinpoints time between use of ancient fireplaces. Nature 2024; 630:566-568. [PMID: 38839999 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-024-01501-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
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Herrejón-Lagunilla Á, Villalaín JJ, Pavón-Carrasco FJ, Serrano Sánchez-Bravo M, Sossa-Ríos S, Mayor A, Galván B, Hernández CM, Mallol C, Carrancho Á. The time between Palaeolithic hearths. Nature 2024; 630:666-670. [PMID: 38839951 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07467-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Resolving the timescale of human activity in the Palaeolithic Age is one of the most challenging problems in prehistoric archaeology. The duration and frequency of hunter-gatherer camps reflect key aspects of social life and human-environment interactions. However, the time dimension of Palaeolithic contexts is generally inaccurately reconstructed because of the limitations of dating techniques1, the impact of disturbing agents on sedimentary deposits2 and the palimpsest effect3,4. Here we report high-resolution time differences between six Middle Palaeolithic hearths from El Salt Unit X (Spain) obtained through archaeomagnetic and archaeostratigraphic analyses. The set of hearths covers at least around 200-240 years with 99% probability, having decade- and century-long intervals between the different hearths. Our results provide a quantitative estimate of the time framework for the human occupation events included in the studied sequence. This is a step forward in Palaeolithic archaeology, a discipline in which human behaviour is usually approached from a temporal scale typical of geological processes, whereas significant change may happen at the smaller scales of human generations. Here we reach a timescale close to a human lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángela Herrejón-Lagunilla
- Departamento de Física, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain.
- Departamento de Física de la Tierra y Astrofísica, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Juan José Villalaín
- Departamento de Física, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain
| | - Francisco Javier Pavón-Carrasco
- Departamento de Física de la Tierra y Astrofísica, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Dinámica Terrestre y Observación de la Tierra, Instituto de Geociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario Serrano Sánchez-Bravo
- Departamento de Física de la Tierra y Astrofísica, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Dinámica Terrestre y Observación de la Tierra, Instituto de Geociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Santiago Sossa-Ríos
- Àrea de Prehistòria; Departament de Prehistòria, Arqueologia i Història Antiga, Facultat de Geografia i Història, Universitat de València, València, Spain
| | - Alejandro Mayor
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Departament de Prehistòria, Arqueologia, Història Antiga, Filologia Llatina i Filologia Grega, Facultat de Filosofia i Lletres, Universitat d'Alacant, Sant Vicent del Raspeig, Spain
| | - Bertila Galván
- Área de Prehistoria, Unidad de Docencia e Investigación de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna;, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Cristo M Hernández
- Área de Prehistoria, Unidad de Docencia e Investigación de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna;, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers Laboratory, Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Área de Prehistoria, Unidad de Docencia e Investigación de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna;, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers Laboratory, Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Ángel Carrancho
- Área de Prehistoria, Departamento de Historia, Geografía y Comunicación, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain
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Herrera-Herrera AV, Padrón-Herrera H, Iriarte E, Alberto-Barroso V, Moreno-Benítez MA, Mallol C. Fecal biomarkers and micromorphological indicators of sheep penning and flooring at La Fortaleza pre-Hispanic site (Gran Canaria, Canary Islands). iScience 2024; 27:109171. [PMID: 38414849 PMCID: PMC10897890 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
This study explores the lipid content and micromorphological features of sediment samples from two dwelling structures at the pre-Hispanic site of La Fortaleza in Santa Lucía de Tirajana (Gran Canaria, Spain). Previous field identification of possible sedimentary excrements inside the dwellings motivated chromatographic fecal biomarker analysis and micromorphology. The micromorphological samples reveal a complex dung-rich stratified sequence involving different layers of mixed composition, including reworked dung, clay, wood ash, and domestic refuse. The results of the lipid analysis corroborate the fecal nature of the sample and indicate the source animal: sheep. Coupled with the field evidence, the data suggest that the deposit is anthropogenic and represents a sequence of floor foundations, dung floors, and domestic and architectural refuse. This study provides valuable taxonomic and site use data for the understanding of the aboriginal societies of the Canary Islands and shows the efficacy of combining field observations with high-resolution geoarchaeological methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio V Herrera-Herrera
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, 2, 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, s/nº., 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna (Tenerife), Spain
| | - Héctor Padrón-Herrera
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, 2, 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Eneko Iriarte
- Laboratory of Human Evolution-IsoTOPIK Stable Isotope Laboratory, Department of History, Geography & Communication, Edificio de I+D+i, Universidad de Burgos, Pl. Misael Bañuelos s/n, 09001 Burgos, Spain
| | - Verónica Alberto-Barroso
- Tibicena. Arqueología y Patrimonio, C/ Arco, 6, 35004 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Gran Canaria), Spain
| | | | - Carolina Mallol
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, 2, 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Guajara, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
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Jambrina-Enríquez M, Mallol C, Herrera Herrera AV, Gonzalez-Urquijo J, Lazuen T. Microstratigraphic, lipid biomarker and stable isotope study of a middle Palaeolithic combustion feature from Axlor, Spain. iScience 2024; 27:108755. [PMID: 38269094 PMCID: PMC10805663 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Archaeological research has increasingly focused on studying combustion features as valuable sources of information regarding past technological and cultural aspects. The use of microstratigraphic and biomolecular techniques enables the identification of combustion residues and substrate components, and infer about past fire-related activities and the environments. Our study conducted on a combustion feature (Level N, ∼100 Ka) at the Axlor cave, a Middle Paleolithic site in northern Iberia, exemplifies the interdisciplinary approach to combustion features. Micromorphological features revealed depositional activities associated with occupations such as hearth rake-out and trampling. Through molecular (n-alkanes, n-alcohols, and n-fatty acids) and isotopic analysis (δ13C16:0 and δ13C18:0), we infer the good preservation of organic matter, the contributions of non-ruminant fats, and the dead-wood gathering strategies by Neanderthal groups. By combining microstratigraphic and biomolecular approaches, our study significantly contributes to the advancement of our current understanding of Neanderthal pyrotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Jambrina-Enríquez
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Unidad Departamental de Petrología y Geoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Unidad Departamental de Prehistoria, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- ICArEHB - Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Antonio V. Herrera Herrera
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Química, Unidad Departamental de Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Jesús Gonzalez-Urquijo
- Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria-IIIPC (UC, Santander, Gobierno de Cantabria), Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - Talía Lazuen
- Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria-IIIPC (UC, Santander, Gobierno de Cantabria), Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, UMR 5199 - PACEA, Pessac, France
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Jambrina-Enríquez M, de Vera CR, Davara J, Herrera-Herrera AV, Mallol C. Compound-specific carbon isotope analysis of short-chain fatty acids from Pine tissues: characterizing paleo-fire residues and plant exudates. ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2023; 15:114. [PMID: 37441360 PMCID: PMC10333141 DOI: 10.1007/s12520-023-01815-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Different types of plant tissues and resin can account for the wax lipids found in sedimentary contexts and archaeological samples. Consequently, there is increasing research to characterize the fatty acid carbon isotope ratios of different plant anatomical parts and their plant exudates (resin). With the aim to explore isotopic differences between plant tissues, state of the fine organic matter, effect of thermal degradation, and to identify plant residues we measured the δ13C values of short-chain fatty acids (δ13C16:0 and δ13C18:0) in: i) dead and fresh (collected and immediately dried) pine needles and branches (Pinus canariensis) and pine resin from laboratory-controlled heating experiments and ii) sediment and charred pine tissue samples from a wild pine forest fire. Our results are compared to previously published experimental open-air fire experiments and pine-fuelled archaeological combustion features. We found that for both fatty acid types, there are differences in δ13C signatures among anatomical parts and initial moisture content. These data allow us to characterize the isotopic signature of pine tissue and the effect of degradation on isotopic biomarkers, as well as to estimate combustion temperatures in pine-fuelled anthropogenic fires. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12520-023-01815-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Jambrina-Enríquez
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
| | - Caterina Rodríguez de Vera
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
| | - Javier Davara
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
| | - Antonio V. Herrera-Herrera
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
- ICArEHB - Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour, Universidade Do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
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Reidsma FH. Laboratory-based experimental research into the effect of diagenesis on heated bone: implications and improved tools for the characterisation of ancient fire. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17544. [PMID: 36323729 PMCID: PMC9630262 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21622-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of fire is considered to be one of the most important cultural innovations in human evolution. Understanding the taphonomy of fire remains is an important prerequisite for valid interpretations of hominin fire-related behaviour. Presented here are the results of a series of laboratory-based experiments testing the effect of different pH conditions (acidic, neutral, alkaline) on the physical and chemical properties of heated bone (charred and combusted). By taking a fundamental-research approach the study gives insight into the specific effect of pH exposure and its underlying chemical processes, and provides data that can be applied to heated bone from any context and time period. Results show that diagenesis has a significant impact on the preservation potential of heated bones, as well as on the reliability of the analytical techniques used to reconstruct past heating conditions. The study provides reference data and a toolkit for the analysis of heated bone, that explicitly takes diagenesis into account, and in doing so offers a significant improvement to the accuracy with which we can reconstruct heating conditions and fire-related human behaviour in the past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Femke H. Reidsma
- grid.5132.50000 0001 2312 1970Human Origins Group, Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands ,grid.5477.10000000120346234GeoLab, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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The influence of smoke density on hearth location and activity areas at Lower Paleolithic Lazaret Cave, France. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1469. [PMID: 35087107 PMCID: PMC8795116 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05517-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We analyze the influence of hearth location and smoke dispersal on potential activity areas at Lower Paleolithic Lazaret Cave, France, focusing on archaeostratigraphic unit UA25, where a single hearth was unearthed, and GIS and activity area analysis were performed by the excavators. We simulated smoke dispersal from 16 hypothetical hearth locations and analyzed their effect on potential working spaces. Four activity zones were defined, according to the average smoke exposure recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We found that the size of the low smoke density area and its distance from the hearth are the main parameters for choosing hearth location. The simulation results show an optimal hearth location zone of about 5 × 5m2, and it is precisely in this zone that the Lower Paleolithic humans of Lazaret Cave placed their hearth. We demonstrate that the optimal hearth location zone correlates not only with the archaeological hearth in UA25 but also with the locations of hearths in other layers. In addition, our smoke density analysis confirmed the detailed GIS and activity area reconstruction conducted by the excavators, strongly reinforcing their interpretation regarding the spatial organization of human behavior at Lazaret Cave.
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Blanco G, Sánchez-Marco A, Negro JJ. Night Capture of Roosting Cave Birds by Neanderthals: An Actualistic Approach. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.733062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence is accumulating on the regular and systematic Neanderthal exploitation of birds. However, the motivations, mechanisms, and circumstances underlying this behavior remains little explored despite their potential implications on Neanderthal ecology and capabilities. Fossil remains of choughs (Pyrrhocorax, Corvidae) are among the most abundant in cave sites with Mousterian technology. We reviewed the evidence showing that Neanderthals processed choughs for food, and confirmed that it occurred frequently over a widespread spatial and temporal scale. This lead us to propose the hypothesis that the cave-like refuge is the keystone resource connecting Neanderthals and choughs captured at night in rocky shelters eventually used by both species. By adopting an actualistic approach, we documented the patterns of refuge use and population dynamics of communally roosting choughs, the strategies and technology currently used to capture them, and their behavioral response against experimental human predators at night. Actualistic experiments showed that large numbers of choughs can be captured without highly sophisticated tools at night regularly and periodically, due to their occupation year-round during long-term periods of the same nocturnal shelters, the constant turnover of individuals, and their high site tenacity at these roost-sites even after recurrent disturbance and predation. Captures even with bare hands are further facilitated because choughs tend to flee confused into the cavity in darkness when dazzled and cornered by human (experimental) predators. Given the extreme difficulty of daylight chough capturing in open country, nocturnal hunting with the help of fire in the roosting caves and consumption in situ are proposed as the most plausible explanations for the strong association of choughs and Neanderthals in fossil assemblages. Night hunting of birds has implications for the social, anatomical, technological, and cognitive capacities of Neanderthals.
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Connolly R, Jambrina-Enríquez M, Herrera-Herrera AV, Mallol C. Investigating Hydrogen Isotope Variation during Heating of n-Alkanes under Limited Oxygen Conditions: Implications for Palaeoclimate Reconstruction in Archaeological Settings. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26071830. [PMID: 33805066 PMCID: PMC8037755 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26071830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper reports on a series of heating experiments that focus on n-alkanes extracted from leaf, bark, and xylem tissues of the Celtis australis plant. These lipid biomarkers were analysed for their compound-specific hydrogen isotopic composition (δ2Hwax) under limited oxygen conditions at 150, 250, 350, and 450 °C. Our results reveal isotopic variations in wax lipids of different plant organs during short-term low-temperature combustion. We conclude that, in the absence of a detailed characterisation of the depositional environment in advance of sampling, δ2Hwax values in archaeological or otherwise highly anthropogenic environments should be interpreted cautiously. In addition, we observed that variation in δ2Hwax of leaves is minimal at temperatures ≤ 350 °C, highlighting the potential for δ2Hwax in thermally altered combustion substrates to yield palaeoclimate information, which could allow researchers to investigate links between archaeological and climatic records at a high spatial and temporal resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory Connolly
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Organica Antonio Gonzalez (IUBO), Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 Canary Islands, Spain; (R.C.); (M.J.-E.); (A.V.H.-H.)
- Departmento de Geografia e Historia, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Margarita Jambrina-Enríquez
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Organica Antonio Gonzalez (IUBO), Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 Canary Islands, Spain; (R.C.); (M.J.-E.); (A.V.H.-H.)
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Antonio V. Herrera-Herrera
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Organica Antonio Gonzalez (IUBO), Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 Canary Islands, Spain; (R.C.); (M.J.-E.); (A.V.H.-H.)
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Organica Antonio Gonzalez (IUBO), Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 Canary Islands, Spain; (R.C.); (M.J.-E.); (A.V.H.-H.)
- Departmento de Geografia e Historia, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 Canary Islands, Spain
- Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Edificio 1, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Correspondence:
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Zilio L, Hammond H, Karampaglidis T, Sánchez-Romero L, Blasco R, Rivals F, Rufà A, Picin A, Chacón MG, Demuro M, Arnold LJ, Rosell J. Examining Neanderthal and carnivore occupations of Teixoneres Cave (Moià, Barcelona, Spain) using archaeostratigraphic and intra-site spatial analysis. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4339. [PMID: 33619340 PMCID: PMC7900232 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83741-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Teixoneres Cave (Moià, Barcelona, Spain) is a reference site for Middle Palaeolithic studies of the Iberian Peninsula. The cave preserves an extensive stratigraphic sequence made up of eight units, which is presented in depth in this work. The main goal of this study is to undertake an initial spatial examination of Unit III, formed during Marine Isotope Stage 3, with the aim of understanding spatial organization and past activities developed by Neanderthals and carnivores (bears, hyenas and smaller carnivores). The total sample analysed includes 38,244 archaeological items and 5888 limestone blocks. The application of GIS tools allows us to clearly distinguish three geologically-defined stratigraphic subunits. Unit III has been previously interpreted as a palimpsest resulting from alternating occupation of the cave by human groups and carnivores. The distribution study shows that faunal specimens, lithic artefacts, hearths and charcoal fragments are significantly concentrated at the entrance of the cave where, it is inferred, hominins carried out different activities, while carnivores preferred the sheltered zones in the inner areas of the cave. The results obtained reveal a spatial pattern characterized by fire use related zones, and show that the site was occupied by Neanderthals in a similar and consistent way throughout the ˃ 7000 years range covered by the analysed subunits. This spatial pattern is interpreted as resulting from repeated short-term human occupations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro Zilio
- grid.440495.80000 0001 2220 0490Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia “San Juan Bosco”, Facultad de Humanidades y Cs. Sociales, 9200 Esquel, Argentina
| | - Heidi Hammond
- grid.440495.80000 0001 2220 0490Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia “San Juan Bosco”, Facultad de Humanidades y Cs. Sociales, 9200 Esquel, Argentina
| | - Theodoros Karampaglidis
- MONREPOS, Archaeological Research Centre and Museum for Human Behavioural Evolution, Schloss Monrepos, 56567 Neuwied, Germany
| | - Laura Sánchez-Romero
- grid.47840.3f0000 0001 2181 7878Human Evolution Research Center, University of California, 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, 94720 USA
| | - Ruth Blasco
- grid.452421.4Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007 Tarragona, Spain ,grid.410367.70000 0001 2284 9230Departament d’Història i Història de l’Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), 43002 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Florent Rivals
- grid.452421.4Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007 Tarragona, Spain ,grid.410367.70000 0001 2284 9230Departament d’Història i Història de l’Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), 43002 Tarragona, Spain ,grid.425902.80000 0000 9601 989XICREA, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Rufà
- grid.503132.60000 0004 0383 1969University of Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Andrea Picin
- grid.419518.00000 0001 2159 1813Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - M. Gema Chacón
- grid.452421.4Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007 Tarragona, Spain ,grid.410367.70000 0001 2284 9230Departament d’Història i Història de l’Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), 43002 Tarragona, Spain ,grid.420021.50000 0001 2153 6793UMR7194 Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique (HNHP), Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), CNRS, Université Perpignan Via Domitia, Alliance Sorbonne Université-Musée de l’Homme, Place du Trocadéro 17, 75016 Paris, France
| | - Martina Demuro
- grid.1010.00000 0004 1936 7304School of Physical Sciences, Environment Institute, and Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), University of Adelaide, North Terrace Campus, Adelaide, 5005 Australia
| | - Lee J. Arnold
- grid.1010.00000 0004 1936 7304School of Physical Sciences, Environment Institute, and Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), University of Adelaide, North Terrace Campus, Adelaide, 5005 Australia
| | - Jordi Rosell
- grid.452421.4Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007 Tarragona, Spain ,grid.410367.70000 0001 2284 9230Departament d’Història i Història de l’Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), 43002 Tarragona, Spain
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11
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Rodríguez de Vera C, Herrera-Herrera AV, Jambrina-Enríquez M, Sossa-Ríos S, González-Urquijo J, Lazuen T, Vanlandeghem M, Alix C, Monnier G, Pajović G, Tostevin G, Mallol C. Micro-contextual identification of archaeological lipid biomarkers using resin-impregnated sediment slabs. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20574. [PMID: 33239666 PMCID: PMC7689525 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77257-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterizing organic matter preserved in archaeological sediment is crucial to behavioral and paleoenvironmental investigations. This task becomes particularly challenging when considering microstratigraphic complexity. Most of the current analytical methods rely on loose sediment samples lacking spatial and temporal resolution at a microstratigraphic scale, adding uncertainty to the results. Here, we explore the potential of targeted molecular and isotopic biomarker analysis on polyester resin-impregnated sediment slabs from archaeological micromorphology, a technique that provides microstratigraphic control. We performed gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectromety (GC-IRMS) analyses on a set of samples including drill dust from resin-impregnated experimental and archaeological samples, loose samples from the same locations and resin control samples to assess the degree of interference of polyester resin in the GC-MS and Carbon-IRMS signals of different lipid fractions (n-alkanes, aromatics, n-ketones, alcohols, fatty acids and other high polarity lipids). The results show that biomarkers within the n-alkane, aromatic, n-ketone, and alcohol fractions can be identified. Further work is needed to expand the range of identifiable lipid biomarkers. This study represents the first micro-contextual approach to archaeological lipid biomarkers and contributes to the advance of archaeological science by adding a new method to obtain behavioral or paleoenvironmental proxies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Rodríguez de Vera
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers Laboratory (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica "Antonio González", Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
| | - Antonio V Herrera-Herrera
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers Laboratory (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica "Antonio González", Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Margarita Jambrina-Enríquez
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers Laboratory (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica "Antonio González", Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Santiago Sossa-Ríos
- Departamento de Historia e Historia del Arte, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avenida de Cataluña, 35, 43002, Tarragona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleoecología Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades Universitat Rovira I Virgili (Edificio W3), 43007, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Jesús González-Urquijo
- Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria, IIIPC-University of Cantabria, Edificio Interfacultativo, Universidad de Cantabria, Avenida de Los Castros, 52, 39005, Santander, Spain
| | - Talia Lazuen
- CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, Université de Bordeaux, 33600, Pessac Cedex, France
| | - Marine Vanlandeghem
- UMR 7041 ArScAn, Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, 21 allée de l'université, 92023, Nanterre Cedex, France
| | - Claire Alix
- Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, 8096 ArchAm, 21 allée de l'université, 92023, Nanterre Cedex, France
| | - Gilliane Monnier
- Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Goran Pajović
- National Museum of Montenegro, Novice Cerovića, 7, 81250, Cetinje, Montenegro
| | - Gilbert Tostevin
- Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers Laboratory (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica "Antonio González", Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, UDI Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Facultad de Geografía e Historia, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
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12
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Schroeder L. Revolutionary Fossils, Ancient Biomolecules, and Reflections in Ethics and Decolonization: Paleoanthropology in 2019. AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/aman.13410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Schroeder
- Department of Anthropology University of Toronto Mississauga Mississauga ON Canada
- Human Evolution Research Institute University of Cape Town Rondebosch Western Cape South Africa
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13
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Herrera-Herrera AV, Mohamed-Rodríguez N, Socas-Rodríguez B, Mallol C. Development of a QuEChERS-based method combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the analysis of alkanes in sediments. Microchem J 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2020.104774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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14
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Mallol C, Hernández C, Mercier N, Falguères C, Carrancho Á, Cabanes D, Vidal-Matutano P, Connolly R, Pérez L, Mayor A, Ben Arous E, Galván B. Fire and brief human occupations in Iberia during MIS 4: Evidence from Abric del Pastor (Alcoy, Spain). Sci Rep 2019; 9:18281. [PMID: 31797875 PMCID: PMC6892787 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54305-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a relatively low amount of Middle Paleolithic sites in Europe dating to MIS 4. Of the few that exist, several of them lack evidence for anthropogenic fire, raising the question of how this period of global cooling may have affected the Neanderthal population. The Iberian Peninsula is a key area to explore this issue, as it has been considered as a glacial refugium during critical periods of the Neanderthal timeline and might therefore yield archaeological contexts in which we can explore possible changes in the behaviour and settlement patterns of Neanderthal groups during MIS 4. Here we report recent data from Abric del Pastor, a small rock shelter in Alcoy (Alicante, Spain) with a stratified deposit containing Middle Palaeolithic remains. We present absolute dates that frame the sequence within MIS 4 and multi-proxy geoarchaeological evidence of in situ anthropogenic fire, including microscopic evidence of in situ combustion residues and thermally altered sediment. We also present archaeostratigraphic evidence of recurrent, functionally diverse, brief human occupation of the rock shelter. Our results suggest that Neanderthals occupied the Central Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula during MIS 4, that these Neanderthals were not undergoing climatic stress and they were habitual fire users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Mallol
- UDI de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain. .,Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab, University of La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain.
| | - Cristo Hernández
- UDI de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain
| | - Norbert Mercier
- Institute of Archaeomaterials Research, Université Bordeaux Montaigne, Pessac, France
| | - Christophe Falguères
- UMR 7194, Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Ángel Carrancho
- Área de Prehistoria, Departamento de Historia, Geografía y Comunicación, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain
| | - Dan Cabanes
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, USA
| | - Paloma Vidal-Matutano
- Departamento de Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain.,Université Côte-d'Azur, CEPAM, CNRS, Nice, France
| | - Rory Connolly
- UDI de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain
| | - Leopoldo Pérez
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Tarragona, Spain.,Área de Prehistoria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Alejandro Mayor
- Departament de Prehistòria, Arqueologia, Història Antiga, Filologia Grega i Filologia Llatina; Facultat de Filosofia i Lletres, Universitat d'Alacant, Sant Vicent del Raspeig, Spain
| | - Eslem Ben Arous
- UMR 7194, Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Bertila Galván
- UDI de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain
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15
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Herrejón Lagunilla Á, Carrancho Á, Villalaín JJ, Mallol C, Hernández CM. An experimental approach to the preservation potential of magnetic signatures in anthropogenic fires. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221592. [PMID: 31465517 PMCID: PMC6715203 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Archaeomagnetic and rock-magnetic methods are of great value in the identification of archaeological fire, especially in Palaeolithic sites where evidence is usually scarce, ambiguous or poorly preserved. Although taphonomic processes can significantly modify Palaeolithic combustion structures, the extent to which such processes affect the magnetic record remains unknown. Here we report the results of an archaeomagnetic study involving five, two-to-five-year-old experimental combustion structures in open-air and cave settings. Some of these combustion structures involved post-combustion human actions such as trampling and relighting. Our results show pseudo-single domain (PSD) magnetite as the main magnetic carrier. Wood ash layers of combustion structures are the most magnetic facies followed by thermally altered sediments constituting the combustion substrates. A decreasing magnetic concentration pattern in depth was observed as a function of temperature. Positive correlation was found between good-quality directional data and macroscopically well-preserved combustion structures. Partial thermoremanent magnetization (pTRM) was the main magnetization mechanism identified in the combustion substrate facies. These data coupled with partial thermomagnetic curve experiments show the potential of these methods to estimate maximum temperatures of the last combustion event. Relightings show very good directional results, but they cannot be identified because the time between them is not enough to statistically distinguish directional variations of the local Earth´s magnetic field. The substrate sediment of an intensively trampled combustion structure yielded reliable archaeomagnetic directions. The results are discussed in terms of magnetization preservation potential and the effects of taphonomic processes on the archaeomagnetic record.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ángel Carrancho
- Área de Prehistoria, Departamento de Historia, Geografía y Comunicación, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain
| | | | - Carolina Mallol
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Área de Prehistoria (Facultad de Humanidades), Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Guajara, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Cristo Manuel Hernández
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Área de Prehistoria (Facultad de Humanidades), Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Guajara, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
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