Article
Anthropology
Maria Joana Gabucio, Amelia Bargallo, Palmira Saladie, Francesca Romagnoli, M. Gema Chacon, Josep Vallverdu, Manuel Vaquero
Summary: Although intra-site spatial approaches in interpreting archaeological assemblages are often descriptive and subjective, recent studies have employed quantitative and objective techniques like geostatistics and GIS methods. The Abric Romani team also adopts this approach, using GIS and geostatistics methods to analyze faunal and lithic assemblages from archaeolevel Ob. The results reveal clustered distributions in four dense accumulations, ruling out generalized postdepositional movement and identifying single material and mixed accumulations.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Aleix Eixea, Amelia Bargallo, Bruno Gomez de Soler, Francesca Romagnoli, Manuel Vaquero, Palmira Saladie, Eudald Carbonell, Josep Vallverdu, M. Gema Chacon
Summary: This paper discusses the limestone reduction technology at Abric Romani, highlighting the different knapping strategies employed by Neanderthals in levels M and Ob. It also reveals the adaptability and resourcefulness of Neanderthals in utilizing a variety of abiotic resources in their surroundings.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Anthropology
Antoine Muller, Chris Clarkson
Summary: Standardization can be achieved through blank production in lithic assemblages. By analyzing different blank-producing lithic technologies, we found that the level of skill and investment in core preparation affects the level of shape standardization.
Article
Geography, Physical
Laura Centi, Yossi Zaidner
Summary: This study explores the lithic techno-typological variability in the archaeological sequence of Nesher Ramla using shifts in lithic artefact density. The findings suggest that the role of the site in the past hunter-gatherers' mobility systems changed due to morphological changes in the karst sinkhole, leading to different activities and site functions over time.
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Miguel Angel Bel
Summary: This study examines the lithic taphonomy of Cova de les Cendres, analyzing lithic refits and typological characteristics to understand the formation processes of archaeological deposits. The results indicate that most levels have preserved their integrity to some degree and spatial analysis is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the deposits.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Abel Moclan, Rosa Huguet, Belen Marquez, Ana Alvarez-Fernandez, Cesar Laplana, Juan Luis Arsuaga, Alfredo Perez-Gonzalez, Enrique Baquedano
Summary: This study examines the distribution patterns at the Navalmaillo Rock Shelter in Pinilla del Valle, Madrid, Spain, a Neanderthal hunting camp. A main cluster of materials related to nearby hearths was found, indicating collaborative and repetitive activities. Additionally, a small isolated area possibly used for carcass processing and another area slightly altered by water were also detected through spatial analysis.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Sigrid Staurset, Sheila D. Coulson, Sarah Mothulatshipi, Sallie L. Burrough, David J. Nash, David S. G. Thomas
Summary: Studies on early human occupation in Africa have significantly enhanced our understanding of our early ancestors, their inventiveness, and adaptability. This paper focuses on the underexplored aspects of open-air sites and the African interior in Middle Stone Age (MSA) research. The authors present recent surveys and excavations in Ntwetwe Pan, Botswana, which provide valuable insights into MSA adaptations in a hydrologically dynamic landscape. The excavated sites yielded silcrete lithic assemblages dating to dry periods following palaeolake high stands, showcasing a limited toolkit dominated by highly retouched unifacial and bifacial points.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Paloma de la Pena, Fernando Colino, Francesco D'Errico, Lyn Wadley, William E. Banks, Dominic Stratford, Lucinda Backwell
Summary: This study focuses on the lithic assemblage from Border Cave, analyzing it through lithic technology attribute analysis, particle size distribution, and spatial analysis. The results show differences in flaking strategies and raw material selection between different layers, indicating sporadic occupation by different groups at the site. The lowest layers do not support a Howiesons Poort attribution.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Abel Moclan, Lucia Cobo-Sanchez, Manuel Dominguez-Rodrigo, Eduardo Mendez-Quintas, Susana Rubio-Jara, Joaquin Panera, Alfredo Perez-Gonzalez, Manuel Santonja
Summary: Kill/butchering sites are crucial for understanding hunting and gathering strategies. However, they are rare in archaeological records, making analysis of their variability challenging. This study analyzes the spatial characteristics of the Cuesta de la Bajada site in Spain, identifying it as a kill/butchering site. The faunal and lithic tools distribution at the site displays a unique spatial pattern compared to other similar sites, suggesting sporadic occupation and accumulation of animal remains.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Joseba Rios-Garaizar, Aleix Eixea
Summary: This study presents an updated technological analysis of a lithic collection excavated in a high-altitude site in the Ebro Basin in the 1980s. The results reveal the use of local lithic resources combined with few quantities of medium-long distance-transported raw materials, and show technological links with the late Middle Palaeolithic of the Franco-Cantabrian region.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Philip R. Nigst, Timothee Libois, Paul Haesaerts, Marjolein D. Bosch, Tansy Branscombe, Vasile Chirica, Pierre Noiret
Summary: This paper presents preliminary results of fieldwork conducted at the Upper Palaeolithic site Mitoc-Malu Galben in northeastern Romania, focusing on the Aurignacian and Gravettian cultural remains. The study provides new samples and analyses of raw material economy and core exploitation strategies of the Gravettian assemblages, offering insights into the regional context and the Aurignacian-Gravettian transition.
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Archaeology
Bruno Gomez de Soler, Maria Soto, Miguel Soares-Remiseiro, M. Gema Chacon
Summary: This paper presents a virtual field trip organized for the 13th International Symposium on Knappable Materials, showcasing the Abric Romani site and nearby chert procurement areas. It provides a comprehensive overview of the site's Middle Paleolithic stratigraphic sequence and archaeological assemblages, as well as descriptions of the geological formations and characteristics of the chert outcrops. Despite being recorded due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this virtual field trip successfully brought researchers together and highlighted the main source areas frequented by Neanderthal groups at the reference site.
JOURNAL OF LITHIC STUDIES
(2023)
Review
Anthropology
Margarita Vadillo Conesa, Giulia Ricci, Mariel Bencomo Viala, J. Emili Aura Tortosa, Fabio Martini
Summary: This paper analyzes the variability detected within a group of splintered pieces, using technological and traceological readings. By comparing two geographically distant and chronologically disparate assemblages in Italy and Spain, the study establishes distinctions within this broad category and finds correlations between the presence of these pieces and different points in the chaine operatoire. The findings aim to serve as a reference for researchers studying lithic assemblages containing such pieces.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alastair Key, Tobias Lauer, Matthew M. Skinner, Matthew Pope, David R. Bridgland, Laurie Noble, Tomos Proffitt
Summary: The study reveals that Fordwich is one of the earliest Palaeolithic sites in northwestern Europe, with a large assemblage of stone tools dating back to at least 570 to 513 thousand years ago from MIS 14 deposits. Handaxe artefacts discovered at the site are suggested to have a similar MIS 15 age as those found in the 1920s. These findings are crucial for understanding the early Palaeolithic period in northern Europe.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Corey A. O'Driscoll, Alex Mackay
Summary: KFR1, a poorly documented MSA site in South Africa, was examined to test the viability of prevailing technocomplex schemes. The analysis of artifacts from the oldest units showed that they did not align perfectly with existing schemes and were distinct from nearby assemblages of similar age. This study contributes to the understanding of variable technological adaptations during an important phase in human behavioral evolution.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geology
Pablo Rodriguez-Salgado, Oriol Oms, Jordi Ibanez-Insa, Pere Anadon, Bruno Gomez de Soler, Gerard Campeny, Jordi Agusti
Summary: The sedimentary record of Camp dels Ninots reflects mineralogical shifts that correlate with orbitally forced climate changes. Intervals with allogenic minerals correspond to wet periods, while those with carbonates correlate with dry periods. This cyclicity is attributed to variations in rainfall leading to different lake conditions.
SEDIMENTARY GEOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Anthropology
Aleix Eixea, Amelia Bargallo, Bruno Gomez de Soler, Francesca Romagnoli, Manuel Vaquero, Palmira Saladie, Eudald Carbonell, Josep Vallverdu, M. Gema Chacon
Summary: This paper discusses the limestone reduction technology at Abric Romani, highlighting the different knapping strategies employed by Neanderthals in levels M and Ob. It also reveals the adaptability and resourcefulness of Neanderthals in utilizing a variety of abiotic resources in their surroundings.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Anthropology
Stefania Titton, Oriol Oms, Deborah Barsky, Amelia Bargallo, Alexia Serrano-Ramos, Jose Garcia-Solano, Christian Sanchez-Bandera, Jose Yravedra, Hugues-Alexandre Blain, Isidro Toro-Moyano, Juan Manuel Jimenez Arenas, Robert Sala-Ramos
Summary: Barranco Leon in Andalusia, Spain, is one of the oldest and most significant Oldowan open-air sites in Europe, providing evidence of ancient knapping and percussive activities. Through multidisciplinary analyses, the site has revealed insights into tool composition, formation processes, and the importance of in situ action.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Ella Assaf, Viviane Slon, Francesca Romagnoli
Summary: Horashim East is a newly discovered Middle Palaeolithic open-air occurrence in central Israel, with hundreds of lithic items uncovered. The discovery sheds new light on human land-use patterns and indicates that central-eastern Israel was favorable for human settlement throughout the Palaeolithic.
JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Xavier Bolos, Oriol Oms, Pablo Rodriguez-Salgado, Joan Marti, Bruno Gomez de Soler, Gerard Campeny
Summary: Camp dels Ninots is a mixed hard-soft maar-diatreme in the Catalan Volcanic Zone, with one of the most remarkable Pliocene fossil records in Europe preserved in intra-maar lake sediments. A 3D geological model of this maar-diatreme and its basement has been constructed through geophysical surveys and boreholes. The study reveals a progression of explosive events during the formation of the diatreme, highlighting the importance of geological modeling in understanding the complex architecture of such monogenetic systems.
JOURNAL OF VOLCANOLOGY AND GEOTHERMAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Archaeology
Bruno Gomez de Soler, Miguel Soares-Remiseiro, Andion Arteaga-Brieba, Gisela Borras, Javier Camara, Gerard Campeny, M. Gema Chacon, Juan Luis Fernandez-Marchena, Vicenc Guinart, Gerard Lopez, Barbara Mas, Maria Soto, Alfredo Suesta, Kateryna Shkarinska, Ivan Ramirez-Pedraza, Cristina Val-Peon, Josep Vallverdu
Summary: An anthropic accumulation of chert material was discovered in La Guinardera area in 2014, confirming the site as chert workshops. The area is characterized by shallow lacustrine conditions typical of sabkha environments, with layers of gypsums and sandy lutites interspersed with tabular red sandstone levels, providing different varieties of chert. The archaeological intervention and fieldworks revealed distinctive attributes of chert workshops in the St. Genis Formation.
JOURNAL OF LITHIC STUDIES
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Deborah Barsky, Stefania Titton, Robert Sala-Ramos, Amelia Bargallo, Sophie Gregoire, Thibaud Saos, Alexia Serrano-Ramos, Oriol Oms, Jose-Antonio Solano Garcia, Isidro Toro-Moyano, Juan Manuel Jimenez-Arenas
Summary: This paper explores the lithic collections from Barranco Leon and Fuente Nueva 3 in Orce, Spain, revealing subtle but significant differences in the use of local limestone and flint by hominins over a million years ago. These sites provided favorable environmental conditions for both early humans and large mammals.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary
Sandra Girbes-Peco, Javier Sebastian, Xose Pedro Rodriguez-Alvarez, Marta Fontanals, Gerard Campeny, Bruno Gomez de Soler, Marta Soler
Summary: Meaningful citizen participation in research projects can increase the societal impact of science, and co-creation processes help align research with societal needs. While there have been significant advances in citizen participation in science, there are still challenges limiting citizen interaction with scientific creations. This study analyzes co-creation processes employed by projects that have demonstrated societal impact, providing examples from different scientific areas and examining the characteristics and implications of these successful co-creation processes.
INTERNATIONAL AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES-RIMCIS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Federica Grandi, Hector Del Valle, Isabel Caceres, Pablo Rodriguez-Salgado, Oriol Oms, Yolanda Fernandez-Jalvo, Francisco Garcia, Gerard Campeny, Bruno Gomez de Soler
Summary: The taphonomic study of two complete and anatomically connected individuals of Tapirus arvernensis from the Pliocene site of Camp dels Ninots in Spain suggests that the site belongs to a konservat-Lagerstatte deposit. The analysis reveals the preservation of histological features of the bones and possible interference from volcanic activity that led to optimal preservation of the osteological material.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Bruno Gomez de Soler, Maria Soto, Angel Carrancho, Francesc Gispert-Guirado, Hans Mommsen, Juan Ignacio Morales, Alicia Munoz del Pozo, Clodoaldo Roldan, Aleix Eixea, M. Gema Chacon, Miguel Soares-Remiseiro, Josep Vallverdu
Summary: The Sant Genis Formation in Catalonia, Spain, is a Priabonian evaporitic formation consisting of sandy lutites, occasional limestone layers, marls, and stratified gypsum and cherts. The Sant Marti de Tous chert, abundant in specific locations within the region, is an important raw material for prehistoric sites in the area and has been constantly discovered in archaeological excavations. A multi-proxy characterization using mineralogical and geochemical techniques has been carried out to identify the origin and provenance of the cherts within the formation.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Maria Joana Gabucio, Amelia Bargallo, Palmira Saladie, Francesca Romagnoli, M. Gema Chacon, Josep Vallverdu, Manuel Vaquero
Summary: Although intra-site spatial approaches in interpreting archaeological assemblages are often descriptive and subjective, recent studies have employed quantitative and objective techniques like geostatistics and GIS methods. The Abric Romani team also adopts this approach, using GIS and geostatistics methods to analyze faunal and lithic assemblages from archaeolevel Ob. The results reveal clustered distributions in four dense accumulations, ruling out generalized postdepositional movement and identifying single material and mixed accumulations.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
T. Proffitt, A. Bargallo, I. de la Torre
Summary: An experimental study was conducted to assess the effects of varying raw materials on the identification of technological attributes associated with different skill levels in knapping. The results showed that knapping skill levels manifest differently in the material record across raw materials and raw material plays a significant role in identifying knapper skill variation. This has implications for future research on identifying knapper skill within early assemblages of differing raw materials.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL METHOD AND THEORY
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Ella Assaf, Francesca Romagnoli
Summary: This paper discusses the universal selection of exceptional materials for tool making in prehistory and suggests viewing these materials as active agents and living vital beings in Palaeolithic archaeology. The use of specific materials in the Palaeolithic reflects deep familiarity and complex relations of early humans with the world around them, beyond just symbolic meanings. Viewing tools and materials from an ontological point of view can provide insights into the social, cosmological, and ontological world-views of Palaeolithic humans.
CAMBRIDGE ARCHAEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
(2021)