Conference Presentations by Niccolò Mazzucco
Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to invite you to participate to our recently accepted session cal... more Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to invite you to participate to our recently accepted session called: "Approaches to Early Farming Systems: diffusion and development of agricultural practices into the Mediterranean-SESSION #285" within the "23th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists" which will be held in Maastricht (The Netherlands), 30 August-3 September 2017. We invite you to submit your participation abstract on http://www.eaa2017maastricht.nl from 31st of January 2017. All contributions approaching ancient farming system from different perspectives and methodological points of view will be welcomed. Our aim is to organize an interdisciplinary session of a half-day duration (about 4 hours) with a maximum of 14/15 15-minute presentations. A space of discussion and exchange, with contributions from different disciplines. Our best efforts will be made to ensure a high quality publication of all the session's contributions.
SESSION ABSTRACT The emergence of agricultural economies is a defining factor in Neolithic societies not only because a relevant part of subsistence depended on domesticated plants, but also because crop-husbandry practices strongly affected the lifestyle of farming groups in many different aspects.. Therefore, it is not a surprise that the study of farming systems can be addressed from a variety of angles using different approaches, eg. by directly analysing seeds and fruits or, indirectly, by assessing its impact on the environment and the subsequent landscape modifications. It is also possible to explore the influence of crop-husbandry practices in the technological system; new knowledge and novel tools were developed while existing technologies were adapted to new tasks. In this session, we aim at bringing together scientists working on different issues related to Neolithic farming systems of the Mediterranean: crop and weed assemblages, agricultural tools and techniques, field manuring, animal feeding practices, storage techniques, by-product uses, dietary patterns, social aspects of agricultural production and its environmental impact, etc. Our objective is to approach agriculture as a non-divisible system, in which domesticated plants and animals, environment, human techniques and cultural practices continuously and reciprocally interact. To that end, we invite contributions focusing on the origins, diffusion and development of agricultural systems from an array of viewpoints, trying to integrate discipline-specific knowledge into an interdisciplinary framework. Comparative studies about interregional dynamics between different areas of the Mediterranean are welcome as well.
Neolithic Archaeology by Niccolò Mazzucco
The reconstruction of the economy of an archaeological site is a matter of major importance withi... more The reconstruction of the economy of an archaeological site is a matter of major importance within prehistoric research. In this paper, this issue is tackled from the perspective of the Traceological, or Use-Wear, analysis, showing how the lithic record can be used to approach a palaeoeconomic approximation. The principles, perspectives and limits of such method are detailed discussed into the text. As a case-study, a sample of Early Neolithic sites of the N–NE of the Iberian Peninsula has been considered, all of them ranging between the mid-Sixth and mid-Fifth millennium cal BC. As result of the analysis, sites with different status have been identified; more stable and larger settlements have been differentiated from temporary and more specialized occupations on the basis of the economic process inferred through the microscopic observation. Several subsistence and craft processes, such as wood and plant crafting tasks or hide working activities, that otherwise would be difficult to detect in the archaeological record have been highlighted. Obtained results provide fresh data on the Neolithic economic organization, integrating zooarchaeological, archaeobotanical and palaeoenvironmental studies.
Cueva de Chaves represents a paradigm of a fully Neolithic ex-novo occupation. However, despite i... more Cueva de Chaves represents a paradigm of a fully Neolithic ex-novo occupation. However, despite its importance within the chrono-cultural framework of the Iberian Prehistory, there is a lack of empirical evidences about the site's economic organization. While the herding of domesticated animals has been well-documented, agricultural and crafting activities have not been fully characterized. In this paper, we advance a socioeconomic interpretation of the flaked stone assemblage to identify the production processes in which lithic tools were involved. The results of the traceological analysis indicate that both animal and vegetal resources were exploited; food and craft production activities, which could not otherwise have emerged from the archaeological record, have been recognized. A mixed farming economy was practised at Cueva de Chaves, the ‘functional spectrum’ of which can be compared to the one of other open-air stable settlements of the western Mediterranean.
Vale Pincel I is one of the most relevant sites for the study of the Neolithic transition in the ... more Vale Pincel I is one of the most relevant sites for the study of the Neolithic transition in the Southwest Portuguese Coast. Despite that, the acidity of sediments prevented the conservation of the botanical and faunal materials at the site, limiting its interpretation. In this work, we present the results of the traceological analysis of the Vale Pincel I flaked stone assemblage; our objective is to advance a first reconstruction of the site economy on the basis of the working process observed by the microscopic observation of a sample of lithic tools. The results indicate that at Vale Pincel I crop-harvesting activities covered a primary role, suggesting an early onset of agricultural practices in Southwestern Portugal. Moreover, a variety of different production tasks have been detected, pointing toward the existence of a mixed type of economy in which farming interplayed with foraging and crafting practices.
The excavations carried out from 1983 to 1985 on an Andorran hillside by the former Andorra Natio... more The excavations carried out from 1983 to 1985 on an Andorran hillside by the former Andorra National Artistic Heritage Archaeological Research Service revealed one of the most important Neolithic sites in the Pyrenees. Directed by Xavier Llovera and Pere Canturri, the excavations uncovered a settlement with two interesting features: 1) it was located in a high mountain area, and 2) the same place possessed numerous domestic and funerary structures. Both factors have made La Feixa del Moro a key site in the prehistory of both the Pyrenees and the western Mediterranean in general. Three decades later, a pluridisciplinary team has begun a careful review of the documentation, studied the human remains and artefacts in the graves, carried out several forms of biochemical analysis and obtained new radiocarbon determinations for the individuals exhumed in two of the three burials in stone boxes (or cists). The objective is a better understanding of the first farming communities that settled in the Pyrenees.
RESUMEN En este trabajo se presentan y evalúan las 10 datacio-nes disponibles para los niveles ne... more RESUMEN En este trabajo se presentan y evalúan las 10 datacio-nes disponibles para los niveles neolíticos de la Balma Margineda (Andorra). Después de analizar la naturaleza de las muestras y sus contextos arqueoestratigráficos de procedencia, consideramos que únicamente tres de ellas, realizadas recientemente, son aceptables. Éstas confieren una horquilla mucho más rejuvenecida de la ocupación de la que se proponía en base a las dataciones antiguas. En este nuevo escenario se analiza el material cerámico y lítico de los niveles in situ, para situar adecuadamente el yacimiento en el marco actual del conocimiento del Neolítico antiguo en esta región pirenaica. ABSTRACT This work discusses the radiocarbon evidence from the Neolithic layers of the Balma Margineda (Andorra). Since the last excavation campaigns during the '90s, a total of ten 14C dates has been obtained. We discuss their stratigraphic provenance and suggest that only three of the ten 14C dates should be considered reliable. The new dates assign the Neolithic occupations to a more recent chronology. Moreover, we also present a brief revision of the ceramic and lithic materials from the in situ Neolithic layers, in order reinterpret the site using the most recent data on the Early Neolithic of Pyrenean region.
Traditions and innovations in the study of earliest pottery. Materials of the international Conference, May, 24-27, 2016, St. Petersburg, Russia
Until now, a comprehensive study of the entire toolkit used for pottery production has been never... more Until now, a comprehensive study of the entire toolkit used for pottery production has been never attempted. In this paper, we present the first results of an ongoing study focused on both the experimental replication and the analysis of the archaeological materials used for pottery production and repairing from a series of Neolithic sites of the NE of the Iberian Peninsula.
ArchéOrient – Le Blog (Hypotheses.org), Mar 6, 2015
BOLETÍN DEL SEMINARIO DE ESTUDIOS DE ARTE Y ARQUEOLOGÍA
Este trabajo presenta los resultados preliminares obtenidos en la excavación de la Cova de Els
T... more Este trabajo presenta los resultados preliminares obtenidos en la excavación de la Cova de Els
Trocs, desarrollada dentro del proyecto de investigación "Los caminos del Neolítico". La minuciosa labor
de excavación y de registro ha permitido establecer una compleja secuencia estratigráfica en la que, gracias
a una veintena de dataciones radiocarbónicas sobre eventos singulares de vida corta (semillas de cereal, huesos humanos y fauna doméstica), se han podido diferenciar cuatro momentos de ocupación distintos de
la cueva. Con estos datos y algunos análisis, también preliminares, de parte del registro (cerámica, sílex y
restos faunísticos), se ha podido definir, en una época muy temprana (inicios del último tercio del VI milenio
cal. BC.), la presencia en los pastos de montaña del Pirineo axial de un grupo humano que desarrolla
una actividad pastoril trashumante. Una población plenamente neolitizada, que conoce el trigo y la cebada,
aunque no los cultive en el entorno de la cueva, y que, a tenor de ciertas evidencias, practica complejos
rituales tanatológicos.
This paper presents the preliminary results of the excavation of the Valmayor xi rock shelter, in... more This paper presents the preliminary results of the excavation of the Valmayor xi rock shelter, in
the context of the research project ‘The pathways of the Neolithic’. Through the analysis of the radiocarbon dates
and a detailed stratigraphic interpretation three occupations have been established with chronologies within
different periods of the vith millennium cal bc. A general description of the archaeological events documented
in each phase, and of most of the recovered material –pottery, lithic artefacts, bone industry and ornaments,
faunal and carpological remains– is offered. Moreover, in the light of the new dates presented, a review of the
Neolithisation process in the Lower Aragón region, and also in the Ebro valley, is proposed. Also the identification
of archaeological sites as Neolithic ones only on the basis of the presence of some elements considered
as ‘Neolithic markers’, without any consideration of the subsistence strategies or territorial exploitation, is
questioned.
“De la tombe au territoire” & Actualite de la recherche. Actes des lle Rencontres Meridionales de Prehistoire Recente Montpellier (Herault) 25 au 27 septembre 2014, 2016
In this paper, we present the latest results and current on-going analysis of the Neolithic grave... more In this paper, we present the latest results and current on-going analysis of the Neolithic grave godos associated with the communities that lived in the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula between the 5th and 4th millennia cal BC. Aspects such as raw materials, tool morphologies, artefact distributions, production techniques and the degree of tool degree are addressed from a multidisciplinary point of view.
Mountain Archaeology by Niccolò Mazzucco
This paper presents the results of the archaeological and palaeoecological research conducted bet... more This paper presents the results of the archaeological and palaeoecological research conducted between 2000 and 2014 in the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park (PNAESM). This included the systematic survey of the most of the National Park territory, included at altitudes between 1500 and 3000 m a.s.l. During the surveys, 350 archaeological sites have been detected and 78 radiocarbon dates have been realized, providing a sequence of human occupation from 10700 cal BP to modern times. In addition, three archaeological sites with stratified deposits have been fully excavated: Cova del Sardo de Boí, Abric de l’Estany de la Coveta I and Dolmen de la Font dels Coms. In parallel, 5 sedimentary cores have been extracted from lakes and one pigbog, from the Natural Park of Alt Pirineu (PNAP) and National Park (PNAESM) areas, providing a full palaeoecological sequence from the last 17.000 years cal BP. This archaeological and palaeoecological dataset (e.g. soil-sites and lake records) allowed advancing new models about the anthropization of the high-altitude areas and the social construction of pastoral landscapes.
At the current state of research, the first signs of an anthropic input on the mountain landscape in the Pyrenees date back to ca. 5000 cal
BC. The last 15 years of survey and research in the area have demonstrated that first human presence is mainly related to the development of an agro-pastoral economic system, also known as ‘Neolithic’. In this context, mid- and high-altitude areas do not appear to be isolated spaces. In contrast, the latest archaeological data suggests a strong connection between mountains, plains and coastal areas of the NE of the Iberian Peninsula. This area is transitional between the relatively arid inland plains and the alpine landscapes. Here, during a period of 3000 yrs, the palaeoecological and archaeological data shows an increase of anthropic pressure. In this paper we discuss the results of a multidisciplinary research project carried out in the Sant Nicolau valley, a glacial valley located in the western Catalan Pyrenees at altitudes between 1500 to 3000 m a.s.l., and in the rest of the Nacional Park (PNAESM). Our research involves several complementary approaches and disciplines: 1) an extensive survey of the area and the integration of all types of archaeological evidences on a regional GIS; 2) a diachronic study of all the excavated sites, which includes an economic approximation of the archaeological materials and integrated archaeobotanical analyses; 3) an analysis of the landscape evolution through palaeosols and lacustrine sedimentary cores.
The first results of this integrated approach are encouraging, showing dynamics in the occupation of the mountains that otherwise would be
impossible to detect. In the Nacional Park area human presence seems to be sporadic until the first half of the V millennium cal BC. The first
signs of anthropogenic fires, dated between 5200 and 4940 cal BC, seem to anticipate of only a few hundred years the appearance of a major archaeological record at Sant Nicolau button valley. A clear human occupation is dated between 4802 and 4368 cal AC at Cova del Sardo site, and is mainly associated with the exploitation of the subalpine stage for pastoral purposes by groups of southern provenance. Successively, the human presence becomes more discontinuous between 4229 and 3375 cal AC. Gradually moves toward higher altitudes. Indeed an increasing number of sites are established above 2000 m a.s.l., between 3484 and 2345 cal AC. The analysis of the archaeological artefacts suggests that the catchment area of these Neolithic pastoral groups goes from the Ebro Basin to the alpine areas of the Axial Pyrenees. We suggest that the modern landscape, far from being a ‘natural’ environment, is the result of a long-term process of anthropic transformation, starting VII millennia ago.
In this paper, we present a review of the available information about the first agro-pastoral com... more In this paper, we present a review of the available information about the first agro-pastoral communities which occupied the Central Pyrenees,
between the 6th and the 5th millennium cal BC. Our aim is to discuss some aspects related to the paleoeconomical behaviours of such
first settlers, with particular attention to two relevant productive activities: hunting and crop-husbandry. Both are frequently claimed to be used in mountainous areas in integration to domestic animal herding. However, to which extent both economic processes were carried out at midand high-altitudes? Do were they intensively or marginally practiced? Which was their role within the overall economic system? In this review,
we will take in consideration all the available information in the Pyrenean sites; however, most of them have been only partially or fragmentarily
published.
Our results suggest that both activities were only marginally practiced in the mountainous areas of the Pyrenees. Despite both hunting and
crop-husbandry can be considered everyday activities, commonly represented within the archaeological records of the period, they do not
appear to be intensively carried in at higher altitudes. Hunting appears only occasionally practiced as a secondary source of food gathering.
Neolithic groups occupying the mid- and high-altitude of the Pyrenees do not seem to rely on hunting more than the communities settled at
lower altitude; on the contrary the consumption of wild games appears, generally, lower. For what concern crop-husbandry, on the basis of the
available data, we must conclude that there are no clear evidences that cereal cultivation has been carried out at mountain altitude, at least
during Early Neolithic. Despite that, the archaeological record testifies the consumption of agricultural provisions –carried into the site from
elsewhere and not produced or processed locally– in several cave-sites located at mountain and subalpine altitudes. This pattern suggests
that, in the mountainous areas of the Central Pyrenees, crops were mainly exploited as integrative alimentary sources.
In I. Clemente; E. Gassiot & J. Rey (coords.): Sobrarbe antes de Sobrarbe: pinceladas de historia de los Pirineos (Boltaña, 2013): 127-152., 2014
No nos podíamos imaginar a finales de junio de 2009 que aquellos rebaños que veíamos aparecer por... more No nos podíamos imaginar a finales de junio de 2009 que aquellos rebaños que veíamos aparecer por el paso de las Aras y se diseminaban como mancha de aceite por los claros de las montañas, primero hacia las crestas de los “dosmiles” para bajar paulatinamente a las planicies de mil quinientos metros, podrían ser los herederos directos de una tradición ancestral que nos disponíamos, sin ser conscientes todavía de ello, a descubrir.
Iniciábamos entonces la primera campaña de excavación en la Cova de
Els Trocs bajo los auspicios del Gobierno de Aragón y el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (HAR 2009-09027) que nos habían concedido financiación para un proyecto pluridisciplinar, que intentaba profundizar en el conocimiento de la introducción de la economía de rendimientos diferidos en las tierras del Interior peninsular y que llevaba por título “Los Caminos del Neolítico” (Rojo y otros, 2012).
No pretendemos en este trabajo realizar una descripción pormenorizada
de la arqueología de la cueva con sus estratos, sedimentos, estructuras y demás artefactos y ecofactos que, a lo largo ya de cinco campañas, se acumulan en nuestras bases de datos y que han sido objeto de una reciente publicación (Rojo y otros, 2013). Nuestra intención aquí es, simplemente, utilizar una serie de argumentos arqueológicos y arqueobiológicos que nos permitan plantear la hipótesis de que quienes ocuparon la Cova de Els Trocs desde el último cuarto del VI mileno cal ANE hasta finales del IV (ibídem, Tab. I) eran unos grupos humanos
poco numerosos que practicaban una economía primordialmente pastoril.
Debofle, P. & Sánchez, J. C. (eds) Pays Pyréneens et environnement., Dec 2016
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Conference Presentations by Niccolò Mazzucco
SESSION ABSTRACT The emergence of agricultural economies is a defining factor in Neolithic societies not only because a relevant part of subsistence depended on domesticated plants, but also because crop-husbandry practices strongly affected the lifestyle of farming groups in many different aspects.. Therefore, it is not a surprise that the study of farming systems can be addressed from a variety of angles using different approaches, eg. by directly analysing seeds and fruits or, indirectly, by assessing its impact on the environment and the subsequent landscape modifications. It is also possible to explore the influence of crop-husbandry practices in the technological system; new knowledge and novel tools were developed while existing technologies were adapted to new tasks. In this session, we aim at bringing together scientists working on different issues related to Neolithic farming systems of the Mediterranean: crop and weed assemblages, agricultural tools and techniques, field manuring, animal feeding practices, storage techniques, by-product uses, dietary patterns, social aspects of agricultural production and its environmental impact, etc. Our objective is to approach agriculture as a non-divisible system, in which domesticated plants and animals, environment, human techniques and cultural practices continuously and reciprocally interact. To that end, we invite contributions focusing on the origins, diffusion and development of agricultural systems from an array of viewpoints, trying to integrate discipline-specific knowledge into an interdisciplinary framework. Comparative studies about interregional dynamics between different areas of the Mediterranean are welcome as well.
Neolithic Archaeology by Niccolò Mazzucco
Trocs, desarrollada dentro del proyecto de investigación "Los caminos del Neolítico". La minuciosa labor
de excavación y de registro ha permitido establecer una compleja secuencia estratigráfica en la que, gracias
a una veintena de dataciones radiocarbónicas sobre eventos singulares de vida corta (semillas de cereal, huesos humanos y fauna doméstica), se han podido diferenciar cuatro momentos de ocupación distintos de
la cueva. Con estos datos y algunos análisis, también preliminares, de parte del registro (cerámica, sílex y
restos faunísticos), se ha podido definir, en una época muy temprana (inicios del último tercio del VI milenio
cal. BC.), la presencia en los pastos de montaña del Pirineo axial de un grupo humano que desarrolla
una actividad pastoril trashumante. Una población plenamente neolitizada, que conoce el trigo y la cebada,
aunque no los cultive en el entorno de la cueva, y que, a tenor de ciertas evidencias, practica complejos
rituales tanatológicos.
the context of the research project ‘The pathways of the Neolithic’. Through the analysis of the radiocarbon dates
and a detailed stratigraphic interpretation three occupations have been established with chronologies within
different periods of the vith millennium cal bc. A general description of the archaeological events documented
in each phase, and of most of the recovered material –pottery, lithic artefacts, bone industry and ornaments,
faunal and carpological remains– is offered. Moreover, in the light of the new dates presented, a review of the
Neolithisation process in the Lower Aragón region, and also in the Ebro valley, is proposed. Also the identification
of archaeological sites as Neolithic ones only on the basis of the presence of some elements considered
as ‘Neolithic markers’, without any consideration of the subsistence strategies or territorial exploitation, is
questioned.
Mountain Archaeology by Niccolò Mazzucco
At the current state of research, the first signs of an anthropic input on the mountain landscape in the Pyrenees date back to ca. 5000 cal
BC. The last 15 years of survey and research in the area have demonstrated that first human presence is mainly related to the development of an agro-pastoral economic system, also known as ‘Neolithic’. In this context, mid- and high-altitude areas do not appear to be isolated spaces. In contrast, the latest archaeological data suggests a strong connection between mountains, plains and coastal areas of the NE of the Iberian Peninsula. This area is transitional between the relatively arid inland plains and the alpine landscapes. Here, during a period of 3000 yrs, the palaeoecological and archaeological data shows an increase of anthropic pressure. In this paper we discuss the results of a multidisciplinary research project carried out in the Sant Nicolau valley, a glacial valley located in the western Catalan Pyrenees at altitudes between 1500 to 3000 m a.s.l., and in the rest of the Nacional Park (PNAESM). Our research involves several complementary approaches and disciplines: 1) an extensive survey of the area and the integration of all types of archaeological evidences on a regional GIS; 2) a diachronic study of all the excavated sites, which includes an economic approximation of the archaeological materials and integrated archaeobotanical analyses; 3) an analysis of the landscape evolution through palaeosols and lacustrine sedimentary cores.
The first results of this integrated approach are encouraging, showing dynamics in the occupation of the mountains that otherwise would be
impossible to detect. In the Nacional Park area human presence seems to be sporadic until the first half of the V millennium cal BC. The first
signs of anthropogenic fires, dated between 5200 and 4940 cal BC, seem to anticipate of only a few hundred years the appearance of a major archaeological record at Sant Nicolau button valley. A clear human occupation is dated between 4802 and 4368 cal AC at Cova del Sardo site, and is mainly associated with the exploitation of the subalpine stage for pastoral purposes by groups of southern provenance. Successively, the human presence becomes more discontinuous between 4229 and 3375 cal AC. Gradually moves toward higher altitudes. Indeed an increasing number of sites are established above 2000 m a.s.l., between 3484 and 2345 cal AC. The analysis of the archaeological artefacts suggests that the catchment area of these Neolithic pastoral groups goes from the Ebro Basin to the alpine areas of the Axial Pyrenees. We suggest that the modern landscape, far from being a ‘natural’ environment, is the result of a long-term process of anthropic transformation, starting VII millennia ago.
between the 6th and the 5th millennium cal BC. Our aim is to discuss some aspects related to the paleoeconomical behaviours of such
first settlers, with particular attention to two relevant productive activities: hunting and crop-husbandry. Both are frequently claimed to be used in mountainous areas in integration to domestic animal herding. However, to which extent both economic processes were carried out at midand high-altitudes? Do were they intensively or marginally practiced? Which was their role within the overall economic system? In this review,
we will take in consideration all the available information in the Pyrenean sites; however, most of them have been only partially or fragmentarily
published.
Our results suggest that both activities were only marginally practiced in the mountainous areas of the Pyrenees. Despite both hunting and
crop-husbandry can be considered everyday activities, commonly represented within the archaeological records of the period, they do not
appear to be intensively carried in at higher altitudes. Hunting appears only occasionally practiced as a secondary source of food gathering.
Neolithic groups occupying the mid- and high-altitude of the Pyrenees do not seem to rely on hunting more than the communities settled at
lower altitude; on the contrary the consumption of wild games appears, generally, lower. For what concern crop-husbandry, on the basis of the
available data, we must conclude that there are no clear evidences that cereal cultivation has been carried out at mountain altitude, at least
during Early Neolithic. Despite that, the archaeological record testifies the consumption of agricultural provisions –carried into the site from
elsewhere and not produced or processed locally– in several cave-sites located at mountain and subalpine altitudes. This pattern suggests
that, in the mountainous areas of the Central Pyrenees, crops were mainly exploited as integrative alimentary sources.
Iniciábamos entonces la primera campaña de excavación en la Cova de
Els Trocs bajo los auspicios del Gobierno de Aragón y el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (HAR 2009-09027) que nos habían concedido financiación para un proyecto pluridisciplinar, que intentaba profundizar en el conocimiento de la introducción de la economía de rendimientos diferidos en las tierras del Interior peninsular y que llevaba por título “Los Caminos del Neolítico” (Rojo y otros, 2012).
No pretendemos en este trabajo realizar una descripción pormenorizada
de la arqueología de la cueva con sus estratos, sedimentos, estructuras y demás artefactos y ecofactos que, a lo largo ya de cinco campañas, se acumulan en nuestras bases de datos y que han sido objeto de una reciente publicación (Rojo y otros, 2013). Nuestra intención aquí es, simplemente, utilizar una serie de argumentos arqueológicos y arqueobiológicos que nos permitan plantear la hipótesis de que quienes ocuparon la Cova de Els Trocs desde el último cuarto del VI mileno cal ANE hasta finales del IV (ibídem, Tab. I) eran unos grupos humanos
poco numerosos que practicaban una economía primordialmente pastoril.
SESSION ABSTRACT The emergence of agricultural economies is a defining factor in Neolithic societies not only because a relevant part of subsistence depended on domesticated plants, but also because crop-husbandry practices strongly affected the lifestyle of farming groups in many different aspects.. Therefore, it is not a surprise that the study of farming systems can be addressed from a variety of angles using different approaches, eg. by directly analysing seeds and fruits or, indirectly, by assessing its impact on the environment and the subsequent landscape modifications. It is also possible to explore the influence of crop-husbandry practices in the technological system; new knowledge and novel tools were developed while existing technologies were adapted to new tasks. In this session, we aim at bringing together scientists working on different issues related to Neolithic farming systems of the Mediterranean: crop and weed assemblages, agricultural tools and techniques, field manuring, animal feeding practices, storage techniques, by-product uses, dietary patterns, social aspects of agricultural production and its environmental impact, etc. Our objective is to approach agriculture as a non-divisible system, in which domesticated plants and animals, environment, human techniques and cultural practices continuously and reciprocally interact. To that end, we invite contributions focusing on the origins, diffusion and development of agricultural systems from an array of viewpoints, trying to integrate discipline-specific knowledge into an interdisciplinary framework. Comparative studies about interregional dynamics between different areas of the Mediterranean are welcome as well.
Trocs, desarrollada dentro del proyecto de investigación "Los caminos del Neolítico". La minuciosa labor
de excavación y de registro ha permitido establecer una compleja secuencia estratigráfica en la que, gracias
a una veintena de dataciones radiocarbónicas sobre eventos singulares de vida corta (semillas de cereal, huesos humanos y fauna doméstica), se han podido diferenciar cuatro momentos de ocupación distintos de
la cueva. Con estos datos y algunos análisis, también preliminares, de parte del registro (cerámica, sílex y
restos faunísticos), se ha podido definir, en una época muy temprana (inicios del último tercio del VI milenio
cal. BC.), la presencia en los pastos de montaña del Pirineo axial de un grupo humano que desarrolla
una actividad pastoril trashumante. Una población plenamente neolitizada, que conoce el trigo y la cebada,
aunque no los cultive en el entorno de la cueva, y que, a tenor de ciertas evidencias, practica complejos
rituales tanatológicos.
the context of the research project ‘The pathways of the Neolithic’. Through the analysis of the radiocarbon dates
and a detailed stratigraphic interpretation three occupations have been established with chronologies within
different periods of the vith millennium cal bc. A general description of the archaeological events documented
in each phase, and of most of the recovered material –pottery, lithic artefacts, bone industry and ornaments,
faunal and carpological remains– is offered. Moreover, in the light of the new dates presented, a review of the
Neolithisation process in the Lower Aragón region, and also in the Ebro valley, is proposed. Also the identification
of archaeological sites as Neolithic ones only on the basis of the presence of some elements considered
as ‘Neolithic markers’, without any consideration of the subsistence strategies or territorial exploitation, is
questioned.
At the current state of research, the first signs of an anthropic input on the mountain landscape in the Pyrenees date back to ca. 5000 cal
BC. The last 15 years of survey and research in the area have demonstrated that first human presence is mainly related to the development of an agro-pastoral economic system, also known as ‘Neolithic’. In this context, mid- and high-altitude areas do not appear to be isolated spaces. In contrast, the latest archaeological data suggests a strong connection between mountains, plains and coastal areas of the NE of the Iberian Peninsula. This area is transitional between the relatively arid inland plains and the alpine landscapes. Here, during a period of 3000 yrs, the palaeoecological and archaeological data shows an increase of anthropic pressure. In this paper we discuss the results of a multidisciplinary research project carried out in the Sant Nicolau valley, a glacial valley located in the western Catalan Pyrenees at altitudes between 1500 to 3000 m a.s.l., and in the rest of the Nacional Park (PNAESM). Our research involves several complementary approaches and disciplines: 1) an extensive survey of the area and the integration of all types of archaeological evidences on a regional GIS; 2) a diachronic study of all the excavated sites, which includes an economic approximation of the archaeological materials and integrated archaeobotanical analyses; 3) an analysis of the landscape evolution through palaeosols and lacustrine sedimentary cores.
The first results of this integrated approach are encouraging, showing dynamics in the occupation of the mountains that otherwise would be
impossible to detect. In the Nacional Park area human presence seems to be sporadic until the first half of the V millennium cal BC. The first
signs of anthropogenic fires, dated between 5200 and 4940 cal BC, seem to anticipate of only a few hundred years the appearance of a major archaeological record at Sant Nicolau button valley. A clear human occupation is dated between 4802 and 4368 cal AC at Cova del Sardo site, and is mainly associated with the exploitation of the subalpine stage for pastoral purposes by groups of southern provenance. Successively, the human presence becomes more discontinuous between 4229 and 3375 cal AC. Gradually moves toward higher altitudes. Indeed an increasing number of sites are established above 2000 m a.s.l., between 3484 and 2345 cal AC. The analysis of the archaeological artefacts suggests that the catchment area of these Neolithic pastoral groups goes from the Ebro Basin to the alpine areas of the Axial Pyrenees. We suggest that the modern landscape, far from being a ‘natural’ environment, is the result of a long-term process of anthropic transformation, starting VII millennia ago.
between the 6th and the 5th millennium cal BC. Our aim is to discuss some aspects related to the paleoeconomical behaviours of such
first settlers, with particular attention to two relevant productive activities: hunting and crop-husbandry. Both are frequently claimed to be used in mountainous areas in integration to domestic animal herding. However, to which extent both economic processes were carried out at midand high-altitudes? Do were they intensively or marginally practiced? Which was their role within the overall economic system? In this review,
we will take in consideration all the available information in the Pyrenean sites; however, most of them have been only partially or fragmentarily
published.
Our results suggest that both activities were only marginally practiced in the mountainous areas of the Pyrenees. Despite both hunting and
crop-husbandry can be considered everyday activities, commonly represented within the archaeological records of the period, they do not
appear to be intensively carried in at higher altitudes. Hunting appears only occasionally practiced as a secondary source of food gathering.
Neolithic groups occupying the mid- and high-altitude of the Pyrenees do not seem to rely on hunting more than the communities settled at
lower altitude; on the contrary the consumption of wild games appears, generally, lower. For what concern crop-husbandry, on the basis of the
available data, we must conclude that there are no clear evidences that cereal cultivation has been carried out at mountain altitude, at least
during Early Neolithic. Despite that, the archaeological record testifies the consumption of agricultural provisions –carried into the site from
elsewhere and not produced or processed locally– in several cave-sites located at mountain and subalpine altitudes. This pattern suggests
that, in the mountainous areas of the Central Pyrenees, crops were mainly exploited as integrative alimentary sources.
Iniciábamos entonces la primera campaña de excavación en la Cova de
Els Trocs bajo los auspicios del Gobierno de Aragón y el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (HAR 2009-09027) que nos habían concedido financiación para un proyecto pluridisciplinar, que intentaba profundizar en el conocimiento de la introducción de la economía de rendimientos diferidos en las tierras del Interior peninsular y que llevaba por título “Los Caminos del Neolítico” (Rojo y otros, 2012).
No pretendemos en este trabajo realizar una descripción pormenorizada
de la arqueología de la cueva con sus estratos, sedimentos, estructuras y demás artefactos y ecofactos que, a lo largo ya de cinco campañas, se acumulan en nuestras bases de datos y que han sido objeto de una reciente publicación (Rojo y otros, 2013). Nuestra intención aquí es, simplemente, utilizar una serie de argumentos arqueológicos y arqueobiológicos que nos permitan plantear la hipótesis de que quienes ocuparon la Cova de Els Trocs desde el último cuarto del VI mileno cal ANE hasta finales del IV (ibídem, Tab. I) eran unos grupos humanos
poco numerosos que practicaban una economía primordialmente pastoril.
at high altitude in the western Catalan Pyrenees
since 2001 to 2010. Together with palaeoecological studies
of lake cores and peat bogs, these studies (including
a series of 27 radiocarbon dates) permit one to discuss
human occupations of the high mountains from Mesolithic
times to the early Bronze Age. We evaluate the role
played by mountain areas in the development of prehistoric
communities with particular attention to the process
of postglacial colonization, the introduction and development
of farming and other agricultural practices, as well
as complementary economic activities like mining, charcoal-
burning and lumber production, with particular attention
to the relation of mountain communities to those
of other regions.
KEYWORDS: Landscape archaeology, paleoecology, high mountains, livestock.
no empezó con el termalismo, a principios del siglo XX,
ni se corresponde solo con las anotaciones de las primeras
ascensiones a sus cimas o los relatos de los
grandes rebaños recorriendo las cabañeras arriba y
abajo: es más bien la historia de las personas que las
poblaron. Pero estas zonas altas han sido muy poco exploradas
en busca de vestigios arqueológicos, más allá
de manifestaciones puntuales como castillos e iglesias
medievales, y particularmente Sobrarbe. En los últimos
diez años, no obstante, se han realizado en la comarca
nuevas excavaciones y prospecciones arqueológicas
cuyos resultados intenta compilar este libro, a partir
de los trabajos presentados en 2013 en las jornadas
Sobrarbe antes de Sobrarbe, en su contexto geográfico
de alta montaña.
were still living in the Pyrenees high-altitude zones. Pottery deposits dated to the 11 millennium have been lound hidden in stony areas, while a wide series 01 burial evidences, dated alter the I lllillenniulll calAN E, have been lound at high-altitudes. Palaeoecological records lram lakes
and peats also show that human impact on mountain environment was still strang between II and I millennium caIANE. In our opinion, this discrepancy could be explained as a consequence as a change in the settlement pattern, due to the introduction as a new economic model lor the
exploitation of the high-altitude areas, more systematic and intensive.
Cova da Baleia is clearly a distinctive site of the reference framework known of the Early Mesolithic times in Portugal, given the large size of the site (about 1 ha) and its structural complexity.
It was clear that an interdisciplinary approach was mandatory in order to fully guarantee the site interpretation, namely regarding its functionality. The results of the use-wear and archaeobotanical studies show the relevance of wood and other hard materials, whereas the need for fire for these activities remains to be understood.
types of audiences, the reality is clearly different. Museums, archaeological parks, guided visits to archaeological sites usually have a “captive” or faithful audience, such as children and young people from primary or high schools, and families with resources that usually participate in scientific events, such as Science Week or Museum’s Night. In this sense, other target groups are ignored by these programmes and even they are not considered in their design. Among them are included the elderly people, those who have some physical or intellectual disabilities, people in risk of social exclusion or newly immigrants without economic resources. In this paper, we present our experience with elderly people, some of whom are in a difficult economic situation due to the pension they receive or present physical and mental difficulties. This situation become even more critical when, being interested, they cannot afford the payment of a bus or they have difficulties to move alone. The model and methodology employed in our activities can be a reference for other research groups or educators who work or pretend to begin a scientific dissemination program with elderly people.
[ES] Aunque los programas de divulgación científica relacionados con la arqueología parecen preparados para todo tipo de públicos, la realidad es muy diferente. Los museos, los parques
arqueológicos, las visitas a yacimientos, suelen tener un público “cautivo” o fiel como son los niños y jóvenes de escuelas e institutos, y las familias con ciertos recursos que suelen participar en las Semanas de la Ciencia, la Noche de los Museos, etc. En este sentido, muchos otros colectivos quedan al margen de tales programas y ni siquiera se piensa en ellos a la hora de diseñarlos. Entre ellos estarían, por ejemplo, las personas de la Tercera Edad, las que tienen alguna discapacidad física e intelectual, las que por distintos motivos están en riesgo de exclusión social o los inmigrantes recién llegados que no tienen los mínimos recursos económicos. En el presente artículo queremos detenernos en nuestra experiencia con personas de la Tercera Edad, algunas de las cuales se encuentran en una situación económica complicada por la pensión que reciben o presentan ciertas dificultades físicas y psíquicas. Esta situación, evidentemente, se hace aún más crítica cuando, estando interesados, les es imposible costearse un autobús o tienen dificultades para trasladarse solos. El modelo y metodología empleada en las actividades que organizamos pueden servir de referencia para otros grupos de investigación o educadores que trabajan o pretenden iniciar un programa de divulgación científica con nuestros mayores.
SET Parralejos (fourth-third millennia cal BCE), both located on the southern Spanish coast. The analysis of the lithic assemblages by means of use-wear analysis provided evidence of fish-processing activities. The analysis of the archaeological tools has been based on a renewed experimental framework for fish-related use-wear traces. Despite data being still scarce and fragmentary, this study points out the necessity of a more integrating approach, including traceological analysis in the framework of a broader research on prehistoric fishing.