Papers by Paloma Vidal Matutano
Journal of Archaeological Science Reports, 2024
The first settlers of the Canary Islands arrived at this archipelago from northern Africa between... more The first settlers of the Canary Islands arrived at this archipelago from northern Africa between the 2nd and 5th centuries CE. These communities probably knew metallurgy in their area of origin, although an adaptation process must have taken place for the successful development of woodworking strategies based on stone/bone technologies in a volcanic archipelago. In this paper, the first experimental program focusing on Prehispanic indigenous woodworking activities is presented. Conducted in 2022 in Tenerife, 41 experiments explored technological traces of specific woodworking actions and techniques, using replicas of tools made from obsidian, coarse-grained volcanic and pumice rocks, as well as transformed ovicaprid bones serving as bone chisels, wooden wedges and hammers. The experimentation addressed some of the woodworking chaîne opératoire stages, generating a reference collection of tool marks produced under controlled variables. The obtained experimental dataset enabled statistical comparisons with diverse archaeological artifacts in terms of typology and origin. Our results provide preliminary observations regarding actions, types of tools and techniques. In addition, this data suggests that the technological adaptation of aboriginal societies to woodworking with non-metal tools produced similar results on different islands.
Journal of Open Archaeology Data, 2023
The dataset described in this work represents the first open-access compilation of uncalibrated r... more The dataset described in this work represents the first open-access compilation of uncalibrated radiocarbon dates for the archaeology of the Canary Islands (Spain). This collaborative ongoing dataset will be updated step by step with newly published radiocarbon dates. Finally, this database has a Shiny application hosted at the Universidad de la Laguna and is freely accessible.
Willdenowia, 53 (1), 2023
Tabona, 2022
Since the first days of domestication, high mountain agropastoral societies have provided an exce... more Since the first days of domestication, high mountain agropastoral societies have provided an exceptional example of adaptation and resilience to inhospitable territories, as the maintenance of population groups requires a delicate balance between transhumance and cultivation activities. Archaeological research into these societies has left numerous questions about the relationship between humans and the mountain environment unresolved. These questions have motivated the authors to explore the materiality of the daily life of the agropastoral populations of the Jbel Sirwa. Thus, with this proposal, the ARCHEO-MOBAS project outlines an interdisciplinary methodological approach intended to carry out ethnoarchaeological studies of this kind of community in mountainous territories.
Revista Tabona, 2022
Radiocarbon dating can give rise to problems associated with the nature of the dated sample, with... more Radiocarbon dating can give rise to problems associated with the nature of the dated sample, with the method used itself and with the stratigraphic reliability of the dated site. Consequently, the principal objective of this paper is to carry out a systematic exploration of each of these aspects. To this end, a critical review was conducted of the radiocarbon dates of materials from archaeological sites on the island of Gran Canaria. On the basis of this analysis, a system of categories of radiometric reliability was developed and, simultaneously, objective analytical criteria were used in an attempt to establish the reliability of radiometric dates obtained for archaeological sites in the Canary Islands and, in particular, the island of Gran Canaria.
Tabona, 2022
Desde los orígenes de la domesticación, las sociedades agropastoriles de alta montaña han sido un... more Desde los orígenes de la domesticación, las sociedades agropastoriles de alta montaña han sido un ejemplo excepcional de adaptación y resiliencia a territorios inhóspitos, ya que requieren de un delicado equilibrio entre las actividades de trashumancia y cultivo para poder asegurar la continuidad del grupo. Los trabajos arqueológicos sobre estas sociedades
han dejado tras de sí numerosas preguntas sobre la relación entre los humanos y el medio de montaña. Todos estos interrogantes nos han llevado a estudiar la materialidad de la vida cotidiana de las poblaciones agropastoriles del Jbel Sirwa. Así pues, desde el proyecto ARCHEOMOBAS, ofrecemos esta propuesta metodológica interdisciplinar para llevar a cabo estudios etnoarqueológicos de este tipo de comunidades en territorios montañosos.
Bulletin d'Archéologie Marocain, 27, 2022
Cet article présente les principaux résultats des projets de recherche multidisciplinaires, menés... more Cet article présente les principaux résultats des projets de recherche multidisciplinaires, menés ces dernières années dans le paysage volcanique de haute montagne de Tenerife (dans le Parc National
de Las Cañadas del Teide, dans les Îles Canaries). Cet article a pour objectifs d’étudier l’évolution du peuplement autochtone des Guanches, dont le substrat culturel se rattacheaux populations amazighes de l’Afrique du nord, de proposer les outils basiques, requis pour aborder des modèles d’occupation similaires, et d’élaborer des stratégies de dissémination viables. Le modèle, décrit dans cet article est un modèle d’occupation, de production et de communication complexe, appréhendé dans son ensemble, il s’agit notamment celui mené par les aborigènes dans les montagnes de Tenerife.
Mots clés : Guanches, Teide, haute montagne, archéologie du territoire, substrat amazighe.
Science Advances
Shell beads from Bizmoune Cave (Morocco) show the early appearance and continuity of symbolic beh... more Shell beads from Bizmoune Cave (Morocco) show the early appearance and continuity of symbolic behavior among early Homo sapiens .
Review of Palaeobotany & Palynology, 2022
Archaeological evidence of Middle Palaeolithic sites in Europe dating to MIS 4 remains very scarc... more Archaeological evidence of Middle Palaeolithic sites in Europe dating to MIS 4 remains very scarce compared to those belonging to previous (MIS 5) and later (MIS 3) periods. Of the few documented, a very low number have provided anthracological data reflecting the local landscape and fuel gathering strategies during MIS 4 Neanderthal occupations. This factor especially limits our knowledge of local landscape dynamics and the climatic conditions where these human occupations occurred. In this paper we contribute to this context through charcoal data from De Nadale cave, a single-layered Mousterian site located in northeastern Italy (Berici Hills area) and dated to 70.2 + 1/− 0.9 ka BP. Anthracological data suggests the preferential use of spruce / larch (Picea - Larix) as firewood together with cryophilous pines (Pinus tp. sylvestris) and birch (Betula sp.) indicating prevailing harsh climatic conditions. Additional analysis focused on taphonomic features affecting charcoal point out to advance decay evidence prior to charring caused by fungi and insects. Although further data is needed, our results provide complementary information agreeing with the faunal spectrum, the small mammals assemblage and the nearby terrestrial pollen sequences.
Review of Palaeobotany & Palynology, 2021
Prehispanic sites of the Canary Islands (ca. 2nd-15th centuries CE), fuel gathering strategies ha... more Prehispanic sites of the Canary Islands (ca. 2nd-15th centuries CE), fuel gathering strategies have traditionally been interpreted as the result of a taxonomic selection based on the physical properties of each woody species, while little attention has been paid to other criteria such as the soundness of the wood used, a parameter which could have significantly weighed on indigenous firewood selection, hearth functions and supply areas. To explore this possibility, we created a new experimental dataset of microscopic decay features in charcoal of Pinus canariensis, one of the most valued Prehispanic fuels. Following a previous experimental protocol, our results confirm the correlation between the macroscopic and microscopic state of the wood, with a gradual trend from healthy to rotten according to varying proportions of low to high micromorphological alteration features within each charcoal assemblage. It now becomes possible to assess the state of the wood ante combustion on archeological samples as a marker of fuel gathering strategies. New experimental results were also obtained regarding charcoal vitrification, although the origin of this phenomenon remains unclear. High proportions of vitrified fragments found in a batch composed of resinous heartwood (pitch wood) with highly degraded sapwood raise the hypothesis of a possible relationship between vitrification and the combustion of high resin contents.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2021
There is little direct archaeological evidence as to the agriculture and plant gathering of the G... more There is little direct archaeological evidence as to the agriculture and plant gathering of the Guanches, the indigenous population of the Island of Tenerife (3rd–15th century CE). The current study presents the findings of the first systematic samplings and analyses of macro-botanical remains (wood charcoals and seeds) from Guanche contexts in Tenerife. The remains come from two recently excavated, well-contextualised sites, Chasogo and Cruz de Tea, ranging between the 13–17th centuries AD. This timeframe coincides with the last phase of the indigenous occupation and the period of colonisation by Europeans. The sites are in the Cañadas del Teide National Park, a highland volcanic caldera at c. 2000 m a.s.l. The results of this study, based on archaeobotanical identifications coupled with radiocarbon datings, suggest that most of the finds correspond to wild plants collected for food, fuel, and possibly timber. Noteworthy are the seeds of Cistus cf. osbeckiifolius which certifies the vital role of this local edible plant. Pinus canariensis and Visnea mocanera were also gathered for consumption while woody legumes and pines served for fuel and timber. Spartocytisus cf. supranubius may also have been consumed in the form of seeds. The only evidence of a crop plant consumed by the Guanches is barley (Hordeum vulgare subsp. vulgare). This crop, poorly represented, must have been brought to these sites from the lowlands where it was cultivated. The different data suggest a highly mobile pastoral population taking part in seasonal activities such as rotary quern making.
Quaternary International, 2020
Recovery and analyses of perishable non-charred archaeological wood is extremely rare. Traceologi... more Recovery and analyses of perishable non-charred archaeological wood is extremely rare. Traceological analyses in general are still scarce and mainly focused on waterlogged remains. Ancient desiccated wood from the Canary Islands offers an exceptional opportunity to identify the processes and techniques of the indigenous populations prior to the arrival in the 14th and 15th centuries AD of European colonists. This paper offers xylological and morpho-technological data linked to artefacts recovered in cliffside Prehispanic communal granaries in Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain). The findings gleaned from a combination of xylological and traceological analyses are for the moment the first of their type of the archipelago's indigenous contexts. The data suggest the widespread exploitation of pine (Pinus canariensis) and fig tree (Ficus carica) and advances several analytical categories for wood artefacts and fragments. The identification and description of the different traces is followed by hypotheses as to the technical actions and the nature of the active edges of the stone tools. Thus, work-waste is identified and linked to several technical actions with the aim of reconstructing the chaînes opératoires. Moreover, further experimental research could offer a better understanding of the functions of these wooden artefacts.
Quaternary International, 2020
The island of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) shows great potential for studying the wooden ... more The island of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) shows great potential for studying the wooden raw materials used by the indigenous population during the Prehispanic period based on xylological analyses from domestic and funerary contexts. This paper includes archaeobotanical data from wooden funerary artefacts recovered from several archaeological contexts of the island and deposited at El Museo Canario (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain). Our results provide pioneering data as only a few xylological and anthracological analyses have been carried out on this island. Thus, the preferential use of pinewood (Pinus canariensis) for the manufacture of most of the artefacts is suggested, although dragon tree wood (Dracaena sp.) has also been identified in some funerary boards. Wood selection criteria not focusing on healthy wood has been suggested based on a combination of the microscopic observation of fungal decay patterns and archaeoentomological data. In addition to this, morpho-technological analysis suggests extensive woodworking knowledge in a geographic context lacking metal ores. Further xylological and experimental research, including other islands of the archipelago, is needed to obtain a more comprehensive perspective of wood procurement and use during the Prehispanic period.
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2020
Storage is crucial to the sequence of food management. It is nonetheless at times difficult to re... more Storage is crucial to the sequence of food management. It is nonetheless at times difficult to recognize in the archaeological record due to problems of preservation of ancient food remains. Archaeoentomology in this sense can be of great value as it sheds light on past storage techniques. This study presents the findings of the archaeoentomological analyses carried out at the ancient granary of La Fortaleza (Gran Canaria, Spain, ca. 600-1450 AD), a site where the favorable conditions of preservation allow recording the food plants and insect pests associated with storage. Moreover, the recovery of several taxa of primary and secondary pests connected to
different stages of store infestation (i.e. Sitophilus granarius (L.), Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.), Tenebrioides mauritanicus (L.), Mezium americanum (Laporte de Castelnau), Stegobium paniceum (L.) and Cryptolestes sp.) offers data
as to the storage conditions and time intervals of the Prehispanic Canarian indigenous population. Finally, new radiocarbon-datings of the pests yield data casting light on the origin and spread of several cosmopolitan taxa such as M. americanum and on past relations between Africa, Europe and the New World.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020
Archaeobotanical charcoal and wood analyses rely on the observation of different macro- and micro... more Archaeobotanical charcoal and wood analyses rely on the observation of different macro- and microanatomical features affecting wood structure to variable extents. These features may result from a wide range of intrinsic and extrinsic factors alluding to different stages of the wood’s taphonomical history: initial growth conditions, human selection, transformation/use and discard, post-depositional processes and archaeological sampling strategies. Papers in this volume address taphonomy in this broad sense, through recent methodological work mainly based on experimentation and case studies from a variety of chrono-cultural and geographical contexts. The authors present a number of tools available to wood and charcoal analysts and discuss their archaeological relevance to characterize anthropogenic and/or natural processes. The presented approaches are complementary and well reflect the extent to which wood and charcoal remains provide new insights into past human practices and social dynamics.
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2019
Revista Vegueta, 2020
This article outlines the results of the archaeobotanical analysis of desiccated woods and wood c... more This article outlines the results of the archaeobotanical analysis of desiccated woods and wood charcoal fragments from La Fortaleza granary (Santa Lucía de Tirajana, Gran Canaria). These results constitute
the first xylological and anthracological data from such storage spaces, suggesting wood-gathering activities local to the granary. The most abundant taxon is the Canary Island Pine, which would have been of preferable use for the refurbishment of the space. Anthracological analyses applied to other granaries in Gran Canaria would contribute to a global picture of wood use by aboriginal groups.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2020
Ecological and climate modelling is increasingly common in archaeological science as it is a usef... more Ecological and climate modelling is increasingly common in archaeological science as it is a useful tool to analyse human behaviour and ecological variables that influenced the conformation of landscapes. Predictive vegetation models, mainly based on palynological data, provide meaningful information about the theoretical distribution of plant formations in the past by creating different hypothetical scenarios. However, factors linked to variability in pollen productivity according to taxa and to the regional scale offered by this proxy in palaeoenvironmental reconstructions have led some authors to propose the use of macrobotanical data in order to detect a higher number of ecological nuances on a local scale. In this paper, we present the results of a study aimed at characterising the theoretical distribution of simulated Middle Palaeolithic biogeographic and climatic values in the local area of the Upper Serpis Valley, Eastern Iberia. Our predictive model is based on the anthracological data from two local sites, Abric del Pastor (MIS 4) and El Salt (MIS 3), and the climatic data from a total of 33 current weather stations located in the study area and adjacent distances. The data suggest that the Serpis Valley was a dynamic geographic area where there may have been different biogeographical and climatic conditions, not perceptible only through charcoal analysis. These nuances may represent the presence of several biotopes in the surroundings of these two sites, where plant taxa with different temperature and humidity requirements could have grown.
Scientific Reports, 2019
There is a relatively low amount of Middle Paleolithic sites in Europe dating to MIS 4. Of the fe... more 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.
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2019
This paper presents a multiproxy palaeoenvironmental study from Abric del Pastor (Alcoy, Spain), ... more This paper presents a multiproxy palaeoenvironmental study from Abric del Pastor (Alcoy, Spain), a rock shelter which has yielded evidence for Middle Palaeolithic human occupation. The sedimentary sequence has been analysed for lipid biomarker n-alkane abundances (ACL, CPI), compound specific leaf wax d 2 H and d 13 C, and bulk organic geochemistry (TOC, %N, %S), providing a record of past climate and local vegetation dynamics. Site formation processes have been reconstructed through the application of soil micromorphology. Analyses of anthracological, microvertebrate and macrofaunal assemblages from selected subunits are also presented here. Our data indicates that a variable climate marked by predominantly cold conditions persisted through most of the sequence and that Neanderthal occupations in stratigraphic unit IVd, assigned to MIS 4 or late MIS 5, occurred in a landscape setting characterised by a mosaic of biotopes. The presence of key resources inside the ravine where the site is located suggests that the occupation of the rock shelter may have been strategically motivated by a subsistence and mobility strategy which focused on zones of localised ecological resilience, such as intra-mountainous valleys or ravines, during periods of global or regional environmental downturn.
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Papers by Paloma Vidal Matutano
han dejado tras de sí numerosas preguntas sobre la relación entre los humanos y el medio de montaña. Todos estos interrogantes nos han llevado a estudiar la materialidad de la vida cotidiana de las poblaciones agropastoriles del Jbel Sirwa. Así pues, desde el proyecto ARCHEOMOBAS, ofrecemos esta propuesta metodológica interdisciplinar para llevar a cabo estudios etnoarqueológicos de este tipo de comunidades en territorios montañosos.
de Las Cañadas del Teide, dans les Îles Canaries). Cet article a pour objectifs d’étudier l’évolution du peuplement autochtone des Guanches, dont le substrat culturel se rattacheaux populations amazighes de l’Afrique du nord, de proposer les outils basiques, requis pour aborder des modèles d’occupation similaires, et d’élaborer des stratégies de dissémination viables. Le modèle, décrit dans cet article est un modèle d’occupation, de production et de communication complexe, appréhendé dans son ensemble, il s’agit notamment celui mené par les aborigènes dans les montagnes de Tenerife.
Mots clés : Guanches, Teide, haute montagne, archéologie du territoire, substrat amazighe.
different stages of store infestation (i.e. Sitophilus granarius (L.), Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.), Tenebrioides mauritanicus (L.), Mezium americanum (Laporte de Castelnau), Stegobium paniceum (L.) and Cryptolestes sp.) offers data
as to the storage conditions and time intervals of the Prehispanic Canarian indigenous population. Finally, new radiocarbon-datings of the pests yield data casting light on the origin and spread of several cosmopolitan taxa such as M. americanum and on past relations between Africa, Europe and the New World.
the first xylological and anthracological data from such storage spaces, suggesting wood-gathering activities local to the granary. The most abundant taxon is the Canary Island Pine, which would have been of preferable use for the refurbishment of the space. Anthracological analyses applied to other granaries in Gran Canaria would contribute to a global picture of wood use by aboriginal groups.
han dejado tras de sí numerosas preguntas sobre la relación entre los humanos y el medio de montaña. Todos estos interrogantes nos han llevado a estudiar la materialidad de la vida cotidiana de las poblaciones agropastoriles del Jbel Sirwa. Así pues, desde el proyecto ARCHEOMOBAS, ofrecemos esta propuesta metodológica interdisciplinar para llevar a cabo estudios etnoarqueológicos de este tipo de comunidades en territorios montañosos.
de Las Cañadas del Teide, dans les Îles Canaries). Cet article a pour objectifs d’étudier l’évolution du peuplement autochtone des Guanches, dont le substrat culturel se rattacheaux populations amazighes de l’Afrique du nord, de proposer les outils basiques, requis pour aborder des modèles d’occupation similaires, et d’élaborer des stratégies de dissémination viables. Le modèle, décrit dans cet article est un modèle d’occupation, de production et de communication complexe, appréhendé dans son ensemble, il s’agit notamment celui mené par les aborigènes dans les montagnes de Tenerife.
Mots clés : Guanches, Teide, haute montagne, archéologie du territoire, substrat amazighe.
different stages of store infestation (i.e. Sitophilus granarius (L.), Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.), Tenebrioides mauritanicus (L.), Mezium americanum (Laporte de Castelnau), Stegobium paniceum (L.) and Cryptolestes sp.) offers data
as to the storage conditions and time intervals of the Prehispanic Canarian indigenous population. Finally, new radiocarbon-datings of the pests yield data casting light on the origin and spread of several cosmopolitan taxa such as M. americanum and on past relations between Africa, Europe and the New World.
the first xylological and anthracological data from such storage spaces, suggesting wood-gathering activities local to the granary. The most abundant taxon is the Canary Island Pine, which would have been of preferable use for the refurbishment of the space. Anthracological analyses applied to other granaries in Gran Canaria would contribute to a global picture of wood use by aboriginal groups.
Presentamos en esta comunicación un estudio espacial del carbón recogido a través de los Sistemas de Información Geográfica, herramienta de gran utilidad para representar gráficamente las acumulaciones del carbón y las direcciones de dispersión de éste a lo largo del espacio habitado. Se expondrá, de este modo, la significación cuantitativa y cualitativa del carbón concentrado en estructuras de combustión y del disperso por los sedimentos, así como las áreas con ausencia de material antracológico en el yacimiento. De esta manera presentamos, no sólo los datos antracológicos preliminares en el Abric del Pastor, sino sobre todo la importancia del estudio de su distribución espacial vertical y horizontalmente para obtener información que nos permita caracterizar mejor las recogidas de leña y la flora utilizada por las sociedades neandertales, así como los factores de conservación del carbón.
in Eastern Iberia provided significant palaeoenvironmental data where different plant
formations are represented: extended coniferous woodlands dominated by junipers
(Abric del Pastor, MIS 5/4) and scots pines (El Salt, MIS 3) and Mediterranean mixed
forests made up of evergreen and deciduous taxa together with xerophytic shrubs
species and riverine taxa. The palaeoecological data from both sites is indicative of a
local landscape characterized by the prevalence of supramediterranean conditions (i.e.
MAT 8-13 ºC) where the main change over the chronological frame studied is that
relative to the precipitation regime: whereas semi-arid prevailing conditions (MAP 200-
350 mm) were present during Abric del Pastor human occupations, those from El Salt
took place under sub-humid conditions (MAP 600-1000 mm). Based on
palaeoenvironmental data from these Middle Palaeolithic contexts, we present the
results of a study geared toward the characterization of the local landscape by using GIS
software. The combination of current climatic data (MAT and MAP) from the available
weather stations of the study area with suitable calculations allowed us to obtain
meaningful insight into past climatic simulated values and biogeographic conditions. In
consonance with charcoal analysis results, our simulated biogeographic data point
towards a 650-700 m altitudinal descent of supramediterranean plant communities. The
modelling of past distribution climatic values (temperature and precipitation) provided
significant cartographic data highlighting existing nuances between areas, which helped
to discuss the theoretical geographic distribution of the taxa identified from charcoal
analyses. In conclusion, the simulated scenarios created by GIS-modelling contributed to
our better understanding of past landscapes and the firewood catchment area of
Neanderthal groups from Eastern Iberia.
massif in Northeast Morocco, constitutes one of the few sites in the whole Maghreb –together with Ifri
n’Ammar – that yield a complete Later Stone Age sequence (late Upper Palaeolithic), including the
transition from Late Pleistocene to Holocene, rich in wood charcoal fragments and seeds (Nami,
2007). Based on a systematic sampling of macrobotanical evidence through the flotation of
sediments, we present the results of a study focused on the characterisation of the local landscape
and plant resources management by Later Stone Age populations (ca. 23 – 9 ka calBP). With this
aim, data obtained come from new archaeological interventions (ongoing since 2015) framed in a
collaborative project between CRC 806 “Our Way to Europe” (Universities of Cologne, Bonn, Aachen)
and INSAP (Institut National des Sciences de l'Archéologie et du Patrimoine, Morocco). This
research, addressed toward our better understanding of the chronological, cultural and
palaeoenvironmental sequence by the application of high resolution techniques, provided meaningful
insight into the nature of human occupations and local landscape dynamics during the Lateglacial and
Early Holocene at the Maghreb. Finally, macrobotanical data presented here enrich the discussion
about climatic changes occurred in North Africa from the cold and arid Greenland Stadial 2.1 to the
more favourable conditions of the Greenland Interstadial 1.
fragments in order to obtain paleoenvironmental data. It is also acknowledged that the
anthropic origin of charcoal from archaeological sites makes it a potential marker of
socio-economic behaviours related to fuel management. So far, the available data on
firewood use and management by Neanderthal groups still remain very scarce and only
very few studies draw attention to the socio-economic implications linked to fuel use i.e.,
the existence of firewood selection criteria as well as the use of alternate fuels. Based on
charcoal data from several combustion features from two East Iberian sites, we present
the results of a study geared toward the characterization of Neanderthal behaviours
around firewood. This research, combining the study of fungal decay features and
fragmentation degree with spatial analyses, provides meaningful insights into the nature
of the firewood used by Neanderthal groups as well as specific pyrotechnological Middle
Palaeolithic activities. Our results point towards dead wood gathering practices, also
suggesting smoke-related hearth functions and possible hearth maintenance activities.
Dead/decayed wood would have been a valuable resource, easily accessible and capable
of meeting all the group’s fuel needs especially for the hunter-gatherer way of life which
is based on territorial mobility and seasonal occupation of sites. The preferential use of
degraded wood by Neanderthal groups suggested by our results could have important
implications regarding the firewood catchment area, the wood acquisition strategies and
its relation with specific activities (e.g. smoking).
of a generalized pattern in the use of wood species in different combustion structures has been understood as the absence of
selection criteria. However, ethnographic studies reveal the existence of an organized firewood gathering activity oriented to the different
physiological and phenological states of the wood: green, drift, healthy, dead and rotten wood [1,4]. In order to characterize
the macroscopic state of the firewood used by hunter-gatherer groups during the past, several experimental and ethnoarchaeological
studies have been carried out shedding light on the palaeoeconomical approach from charcoal analysis [3,5].
We present here the results of the charcoal analysis carried out in four Middle Palaeolithic combustion structures from two
sites located in Eastern Iberia: combustion structures H4 and H11 from Abric del Pastor, unit IV (> 75 ka BP) and combustion
structures H50 and H57 from El Salt, unit Xb (ca. 52 ka BP). In Abric del Pastor Juniperus sp. (junipers) and Pistacia sp. (terebinth)
were the main taxa while in El Salt most of the firewood used was from Pinus nigra-sylvestris (Black/Scots pine) and Acer
sp. (maple). We defined a protocol for the microscopic observation of the anatomical alterations caused by fungi activity on wood
before combustion processes. We classified the wood charcoal fragments in three alteration levels (A.L.) and we calculated the alteration
index (A.I.) according to the previous experimental studies . The classification of wood charcoals according to their alteration
degree revealed differences between the hearths studied: while combustion structures H4, H11 and H50 showed values equal or
lower than 0.35, hearth H57 showed a considerably higher degree of alteration (0.46). The comparison between archaeological
remains and the previous experimental and ethnographic data point out to several firewood acquisition criteria: the low values of
alteration from the first three combustion structures suggest a firewood gathering activity based on the collection of dead wood
branches regardless of the taxa. On the other hand, hearth H57 showed an Ai which corresponds to the limit between the dead
and rot wood of the experimental study. In addition to this, a total of 253 seed fragments of cf. Acer sp. were identified inside the
structure suggesting the hypothesis of the use of green Acer sp. wood with the seeds still inserted in the cut branches. In the smoking
hearths from ethnographic contexts the humidity rate of the wood is more important than the species itself and large part of the
fuel is composed of green wood with the addition of dead wood that makes combustion to function . Thus, the selection of green
wood mixed with very altered or rotting conifer firewood could be related with a function of the structure to produce smoke. Finally,
the production cycle of the maple, beside the nut-shells preservation inside the combustion structure, has given us some clues
about the seasonality pattern during the occupation event related to hearth H57.
In conclusion, the applied methodology has allowed us to detect nuances between the anthracological record of the different
combustion structures that would not be visible by merely following the traditional anthracological methodology. Furthermore,
these data support the idea, experimentally and ethnographically defined, that there is no particular ”good fuel” but a diverse range
of physiological and phenological states of the wood linked to the aims pursued and the fuel needs.
The abstract deadline is February 15 th 2018, and you can find more information on the congress website at https://www.e-a-a.org/eaa2018