Papers by Izaskun Sarasketa-Gartzia
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 2016
In many agricultural and hunter-gatherer communities, edible wild plants are still a relevant foo... more In many agricultural and hunter-gatherer communities, edible wild plants are still a relevant food source, although their use has been, in many cases, undervalued. In this sense, acorns have been known as a foodstuff in written sources since antiquity, as well as from scientific analyses in archaeobotany and ethnobotany. We have tried to reconstruct the chaîne opératoire in the preparation of acorn cake, with experiments using materials similar to those potentially used in the western Pyrenees in the past. Furthermore, we have considered some ethnographic data which are available for this area. The results show that the treatment of pre-selected acorns by raw-roasting and leaching is feasible and we emphasise their nutritional value. The results of the experiments improved considerably with the use of pottery and optimal storage conditions. In addition, several by-products useful for other daily tasks were generated which may have been used as well in the past.
En la Arqueología paleolítica de la región cantábrica, a diferencia de lo que ha venido sucediend... more En la Arqueología paleolítica de la región cantábrica, a diferencia de lo que ha venido sucediendo con los periodos postpaleolíticos, el desarrollo a lo largo del último siglo ha atendido más a la esfera metodológica que al cuerpo teórico de la disciplina (con las correspondientes salvedades). Los motivos para ello trascienden al marco cantábrico o peninsular, y entre ellos deberíamos anotar la escasez de referentes etnoarqueológicos para comprender a los grupos de cazadores-recolectores, la escala cronológica (para estas fases, de rango más geológico que histórico), el relativo bajo peso de las corrientes de investigación anglosajona o el asentamiento muy temprano de un estado de opinión que mimetizaba modelos importados del sur de Francia, sin demasiadas adaptaciones. En efecto, desde hace aproximadamente cien años nuestra visión del Paleolítico cantábrico se ha construido sobre la base de la excavación interdisciplinar en yacimientos bajo cueva, con secuencias más o menos prolongadas y la publicación de sus resultados en formato de monografías. Una tradición tan larga ha dado lugar al espejismo de continuidad en el hábitat y de establecimientos muy prolongados en el tiempo, casi estables, con un innegable impacto en el pensamiento. Si queremos avanzar en el conocimiento de aquellas sociedades, debemos superar estas inercias, abriendo la puerta a un nuevo marco teórico, con una visión más dinámica de la movilidad de los cazadores-recolectores, de su noción de territorialidad y de los constructos culturales a los que los pretendemos adscribir.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2018
Carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) stable isotope analyses from bone collagen provide informat... more Carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) stable isotope analyses from bone collagen provide information about the dietary protein input, while strontium isotopes (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) from tooth enamel give us data about provenance and potential territorial mobility of past populations. To date, isotopic results on the prehistory of the Western Pyrenees are scarce. In this article, we report human and faunal values of the mentioned isotopes from the Early-Middle Neolithic site of Fuente Hoz (Anuntzeta) and the Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic site of Kurtzebide (Letona, Zigoitia). The main objectives of this work are to analyse the dietary and territorial mobility patterns of these populations. Furthermore, as an additional aim, we will try to discuss social ranking based on the isotope data and existing literature on this topic in the region of study. Our results show that, based on the bioavailable Sr values, both purported local and non-local humans were buried together at the sites. Additionally, they suggest similar resource consumption based on C 3 terrestrial resources (i.e. ovicaprids, bovids, and suids) as the main part of the protein input. Overall, this study sheds light on how individuals from different backgrounds were still buried together and shared the same Bdietary lifestyle^at a time in the Prehistory of Iberia when social complexities started to appear.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2018
The Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods are poorly understood in northeastern Iberia. Most of... more The Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods are poorly understood in northeastern Iberia. Most of the information comes from the sepulchral structures rather than habitat settlements. The high number of individuals usually recovered from this types of collective burial spaces, together with the low number of direct radiocarbon dates available on them, forces us to be cautious and consider all the studied assemblages as belonging to the so-called Late Neolithic-Chalcolithic time period. To evaluate human dietary patterns of the Late Neolithic-Chalcolithic populations from the northeast of Iberia, stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis was carried out on 78 humans and 32 faunal bones from Cova de la Guineu (Font-rubí, Barcelona) and Cueva de Abauntz (Arraitz, Navarra), both of them sepulchral sites. Results show a common dietary pattern in both sites, indicating an homogeneous protein diet based on C 3 terrestrial resources and no isotopic evidence of the consumption of C 4 plants. Only one individual from Cueva de Abauntz, who directly dates to the first moments of the use of the cave as a burial place, suggests a different protein intake. The inter-population analysis shows a significant difference between both human and faunal δ 13 C values, suggesting an environmental influence on the isotope values depending on the geographic location. This effect should not be discarded and always assessed with baseline isotopic values in future studies at each area of Iberia and for different chronological moments. Keywords Sepulchral caves . Late Neolithic-Chalcolithic . Carbon and nitrogen isotopes . Cova de la Guineu . Cueva de Abauntz
Munibe Antropologia-Arkeologia, 2018
En el yacimiento arqueológico de Karea (Aia, Gipuzkoa), integrado por las cavidades contiguas de ... more En el yacimiento arqueológico de Karea (Aia, Gipuzkoa), integrado por las cavidades contiguas de Karea-A y Karea-B, se recuperaron numerosos restos cerámicos y faunísticos (Karea-A) y vestigios de una inhumación calcolítica (Karea-B). El presente trabajo se ha vertebrado en dos ejes. En primer lugar, el estudio de ambos depósitos mediante diferentes disciplinas: (1) estudio antropológico; (2) estudio del ajuar, compuesto por restos cerámicos y faunísticos; (3) identificación antracológica de los restos leñosos recuperados en el depósito funerario y por último, (4) estudios isotópicos que nos han permitido obtener datos de la alimentación (δ 13 C y δ 15 N) y procedencia ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) del sujeto inhumado en el yacimiento. En segundo lugar, siendo este el objetivo preferente de este trabajo, contextualizar y establecer una comparativa con otras manifestaciones sepulcrales prehistóricas en cueva de la región. Karea-A eta Karea-B haitzuloez konposatutako historiaurreko Kareako (Aia, Gipuzkoa) aztarnategi arkeologikoan, zeramika, fauna zein kalkolitoko ehorzketa baten aztarnak berreskuratu ziren. Honako lan honek ondorioz, bi ardatz ditu. Alde batetik, deposituen azterketa diziplina desberdinen bidez: (1) azterketa antropologikoa; (2) hatua osatzen duten zeramika nahiz fauna aztarnen azterketa; (3) ehorzketan berreskuratutako egur-ikatzen behaketa eta, (4) ehortzitako gizabanakoaren elikaduraren (δ 13 C y δ 15 N) eta jatorriaren ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) inguruan berri ematen diguten analisi isotopikoak. Bestetik, eta artikulu honen helburu nagusi izanez, kobazuloa bere testuinguruan kokatu zein, eskualdean dauden gainontzeko ehorzketa kobazuloekin alderaketa burutu.
Quaternary International, 2017
Abstract The use of isotopic analysis in human and animal remains from the Holocene has proved to... more Abstract The use of isotopic analysis in human and animal remains from the Holocene has proved to be a very useful tool to explore the exploitation and adaptation of past populations to different environments. In this study we present isotopic analysis results of carbon, nitrogen and strontium from the Late Neolithic-Chalcolithic site of San Juan cave (Loarre, Spain). We analysed 33 humans, divided in adult and subadult groups, and 16 animals recovered from the same archaeological context. Stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen has allowed to distinguish an homogeneous subsistence pattern during the Late Neolithic-Chalcolithic transition. The use of strontium isotopes ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) in human dental enamel suggests 19% (4 out of 21) are non-local individuals, based on comparison with the local bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr range calculated using microfauna teeth from the archaeological context, modern plants and snails. This new study gives information about Late Neolithic communities located in the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula, and it allows inference of the socio-economic structure, territorial mobility and individual provenance of humans.
Quaternary International, 2017
Abstract There are few carbon and nitrogen isotope ratio studies for prehistoric periods in the n... more Abstract There are few carbon and nitrogen isotope ratio studies for prehistoric periods in the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula, none of strontium isotopes. While most of the questions so-far addressed have been concerned with the transition to farming, the transition to social complexity has been greatly ignored even if multi-isotope studies could shed new light on internal socioeconomical dynamics during the emergence of complex societies in the region. The present study analyses a total of 67 archaeological samples (28 from human bones, 13 from animal bones and 26 from human tooth enamel) obtained from the deposits at Santimamine (Kortezubi, Bizkaia) and Pico Ramos (Muskiz, Bizkaia) dated to the Mesolithic, Late-Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods, and samples from different geological areas to characterize the bioavailable strontium of the region. These analyses provide new data about the diet on the coast of the Basque Country, confirming that the consumption of seafood was irrelevant already during the later stages of the Neolithic. The first 87 Sr/ 86 Sr analyses suggest the possibility of migration movements from other parts of Northern Iberia (i.e. Navarra) to the sites being studied.
Munibe Antropologia-Arkeologia, 2016
Tradicionalmente, viene considerándose que el paso de los grupos humanos por los Pirineos resulta... more Tradicionalmente, viene considerándose que el paso de los grupos humanos por los Pirineos resulta dificultoso durante el Paleolítico y existen, efectivamente, datos que contradicen este planteamiento. Incluso podemos valorar como verosímil la existencia de una región paleolítica pirenaica, con rasgos culturales específicos y una serie de yacimientos implicados, especialmente durante el Magdaleniense. La existencia de rutas de tránsito a través de los tramos centrales de los Pirineos no es incompatible, sin embargo, con una mayor preferencia por los pasos occidental y oriental entre la Península Ibérica y el resto del continente europeo. Partiendo de esta hipótesis, nos proponemos explorar la ruta occidental del poblamiento peninsular, la que cruza el País Vasco, a partir de diferentes tipos de registro: la propia dispersión de los yacimientos arqueológicos, la distribución de materias primas líticas, los tecnocomplejos y las similitudes o diferencias en los comportamientos culturales y económicos de los grupos humanos. Para ello, partimos de la reflexión teórica efectuada en el Coloquio de Tarascon ( ), para comprobar la validez de aquella propuesta, desde la perspectiva de doce años. Sarritan aipatu da Pirinioetako pasatzea zaila izan dela gizakientzako, Paleolitoan zehar, eta ba dira datuak hipotesi hau ezeztatzeko. Batzuk aipatu dute Pirinioetako eremu kultural bat, adierazle kultural oso espezifikoekin, bereziki Magdalen aldian. Pirinioak zeharkatzen dituzten zenbait pasabideen izatea, aldi berean, bateragarria da beste planteamenduarekin, hain zuzen ere, gizataldeek nahiago izaten dituztela Pirinioetako mendebaldeko eta ekialdeko ertzak Iberiar Penintsula eta kontinentearen arteko pasabideak bezala, erosoagoak direlako. Hipotesi hau abiapuntutzat hartuta, mendebaldeko pasabidea (Euskal Herria zeharkatzen duena) zenbait erregistro materialen arabera aztertuko dugu: aztarnategi arkeologikoen sakabanaketa, harrizko lehengaien hornidura eta gizataldeen portaera kultural eta ekonomikoen arteko aldeak eta desberdintasunak. Aspaldian, 2004ko Tarascon-sur-Ariègen izandako kongresuan egin genuen hausnarketa teoretikoa izan da gure oinarria, hamabi urte beranduago hipotesi horren baliokidetza aztertzeko.
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 2016
In many agricultural and hunter-gatherer communities, edible wild plants are still a relevant foo... more In many agricultural and hunter-gatherer communities, edible wild plants are still a relevant food source, although their use has been, in many cases, undervalued. In this sense, acorns have been known as a foodstuff in written sources since antiquity, as well as from scientific analyses in archaeobotany and ethnobotany. We have tried to reconstruct the chaîne opératoire in the preparation of acorn cake, with experiments using materials similar to those potentially used in the western Pyrenees in the past. Furthermore, we have considered some ethnographic data which are available for this area. The results show that the treatment of pre-selected acorns by raw-roasting and leaching is feasible and we emphasise their nutritional value. The results of the experiments improved considerably with the use of pottery and optimal storage conditions. In addition, several by-products useful for other daily tasks were generated which may have been used as well in the past.
It has traditionally been thought that movement of human groups across the Pyrenees would have be... more It has traditionally been thought that movement of human groups across the Pyrenees would have been difficult in the Palaeolithic, although there are data contradicting this view. It may even be proposed that a Pyrenean region existed in the Palaeolithic with specific cultural traits and a series of sites, especially in the Magdalenian. The existence of routes across the central parts of the Pyrenees is not incompatible, however, with a preference for the western and eastern routes between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe. With this hypothesis, we propose to explore the western route for the movement of populations, the one that crosses the Basque Country, through different kinds of record: the location of the archaeological sites themselves, the distribution of lithic raw materials, the technocomplexes, and the similarities and differences in the cultural and subsistence behaviour of the human groups.
Marco teórico y primeros datos acerca de la división social del trabajo y la desigualdad de géner... more Marco teórico y primeros datos acerca de la división social del trabajo y la desigualdad de género durante el Neolítico (VI-IV milenio a.
The Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods are poorly understood in northeastern Iberia. Most of... more The Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods are poorly understood in northeastern Iberia. Most of the information comes from the sepulchral structures rather than habitat settlements. The high number of individuals usually recovered from this types of collective burial spaces, together with the low number of direct radiocarbon dates available on them, forces us to be cautious and consider all the studied assemblages as belonging to the so-called Late Neolithic-Chalcolithic time period. To evaluate human dietary patterns of the Late Neolithic-Chalcolithic populations from the northeast of Iberia, stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis was carried out on 78 humans and 32 faunal bones from Cova de laGuineu (Font-rubí, Barcelona) and Cueva de Abauntz (Arraitz, Navarra), both of them sepulchral sites. Results show a common dietary pattern in both sites, indicating an homogeneous protein diet based on C3 terrestrial resources and no isotopic evidence of the consumption of C4 plants. ...
Munibe Antropologia-Arkeologia, 2018
En el yacimiento arqueológico de Karea (Aia, Gipuzkoa), integrado por las cavidades contiguas de ... more En el yacimiento arqueológico de Karea (Aia, Gipuzkoa), integrado por las cavidades contiguas de Karea-A y Karea-B, se recuperaron numerosos restos cerámicos y faunísticos (Karea-A) y vestigios de una inhumación calcolítica (Karea-B). El presente trabajo se ha vertebrado en dos ejes. En primer lugar, el estudio de ambos depósitos mediante diferentes disciplinas: (1) estudio antropológico; (2) estudio del ajuar, compuesto por restos cerámicos y faunísticos; (3) identificación antracológica de los restos leñosos recuperados en el depósito funerario y por último, (4) estudios isotópicos que nos han permitido obtener datos de la alimentación (δ 13 C y δ 15 N) y procedencia (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) del sujeto inhumado en el yacimiento. En segundo lugar, siendo este el objetivo preferente de este trabajo, contextualizar y establecer una comparativa con otras manifestaciones sepulcrales prehistóricas en cueva de la región. LABURPENA Karea-A eta Karea-B haitzuloez konposatutako historiaurreko Kareako (Aia, Gipuzkoa) aztarnategi arkeologikoan, zeramika, fauna zein kalkolitoko ehorzketa baten aztarnak berreskuratu ziren. Honako lan honek ondorioz, bi ardatz ditu. Alde batetik, deposituen azterketa diziplina desberdinen bidez: (1) azterketa antropologikoa; (2) hatua osatzen duten zeramika nahiz fauna aztarnen azterketa; (3) ehorzketan berresku-ratutako egur-ikatzen behaketa eta, (4) ehortzitako gizabanakoaren elikaduraren (δ 13 C y δ 15 N) eta jatorriaren (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) inguruan berri ematen diguten analisi isotopikoak. Bestetik, eta artikulu honen helburu nagusi izanez, kobazuloa bere testuinguruan kokatu zein, eskualdean dauden gainontzeko ehorzketa kobazuloekin alderaketa burutu. ABSTRACT Archaeological site of Karea (Aia, Gipuzkoa) was discovered in 2007 by Antxieta Jakintza Taldea (a Basque cultural-speleological aggru-pation from Azpeitia-Gipuzkoa-). This site has two contiguous cavities where different archaeological remains were discovered: Karea-A and Karea-B. Karea-A, which has small dimensions and an easy entrance, was excavated in 2008 by Antxieta Jakintza Taldea and Maria José Iriarte-Chiapusso (archaeologist and IKERBASQUE researcher). Faunal remains and abundant pottery remains were recovered there, suggesting a short time human occupation during prehistorical times. At the same time, the speleological group found a second cave which has a small and hidden entrance: Karea-B. The researchers supposed that the cavities were linked in the past, but, an internal collapse divided both caves. They also found some human bones in a small side gallery. The excavation of Karea-B in 2009 resulted in the discovery of a chalcolithic inhumation. Some pottery and fauna remains, which were identified like grave goods, were also found with the human body. Under this burial, charcoal fragments were recovered, suggesting a ritual or hygienic aim because there is no fire signal into the bones. We here present a multidisciplinary study of this archaeological deposit consisting of: (1) anthropological study; (2) pottery and faunal grave good assemblage study; (3) anthracological study of the wood recovered at the burial; (4) isotopic study to gain information on diet (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) and provenance (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) from the buried individual. Finally, we have contextualized this new finding amongst other cave burials from Gipuzkoa and especially in Urola Valley.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2018
Carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope analyses from bone collagen provide information ... more Carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope analyses from bone collagen provide information about the dietary protein
input, while strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) from tooth enamel give us data about provenance and potential territorial mobility of
past populations. To date, isotopic results on the prehistory of the Western Pyrenees are scarce. In this article, we report human
and faunal values of the mentioned isotopes from the Early-Middle Neolithic site of Fuente Hoz (Anuntzeta) and the Late
Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic site of Kurtzebide (Letona, Zigoitia). The main objectives of this work are to analyse the dietary
and territorial mobility patterns of these populations. Furthermore, as an additional aim, we will try to discuss social ranking
based on the isotope data and existing literature on this topic in the region of study. Our results show that, based on the
bioavailable Sr values, both purported local and non-local humans were buried together at the sites. Additionally, they suggest
similar resource consumption based on C3 terrestrial resources (i.e. ovicaprids, bovids, and suids) as the main part of the protein
input. Overall, this study sheds light on how individuals from different backgrounds were still buried together and shared the
same Bdietary lifestyle^ at a time in the Prehistory of Iberia when social complexities started to appear.
There are few carbon and nitrogen isotope ratio studies for prehistoric periods in the northern p... more There are few carbon and nitrogen isotope ratio studies for prehistoric periods in the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula, none of strontium isotopes. While most of the questions so-far addressed have been concerned with the transition to farming, the transition to social complexity has been greatly ignored even if multi-isotope studies could shed new light on internal socioeconomical dynamics during the emergence of complex societies in the region. The present study analyses a total of 67 archaeological samples (28 from human bones, 13 from animal bones and 26 from human tooth enamel) obtained from the deposits at Santimami~ ne (Kortezubi, Bizkaia) and Pico Ramos (Muskiz, Bizkaia) dated to the Meso-lithic, Late-Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods, and samples from different geological areas to characterize the bioavailable strontium of the region. These analyses provide new data about the diet on the coast of the Basque Country, confirming that the consumption of seafood was irrelevant already during the later stages of the Neolithic. The first 87 Sr/ 86 Sr analyses suggest the possibility of migration movements from other parts of Northern Iberia (i.e. Navarra) to the sites being studied.
Entre Ciência e Cultura. Da interdisciplinaridade à Transversalidade da Arqueologia. Actas das VIII Jornadas de Jovens em Investigação Arqueologica, 2017
Recent Prehistory is characterized not only by a combination of changes in palaeoenvironmental te... more Recent Prehistory is characterized not only by a combination of changes in palaeoenvironmental terms, but also in the daily life of humans, reflected in new economic and cultural habits. Therefore, bioarchaeological studies of human remains
play an important role in archaeology. Within this field, population palaeogenetics, autosomal DNA and isotopic biochemistry analyses can answer several questions in the prehistoric speech. Our present article attempts to reflect this reality through
methodological cases from Neolithic European sites, where these analytics have been performed with satisfactory results. We also propose their application in various sites in the Iberian Peninsula. An integrated approach of these methods reveals some
issues of interest (demographics and daily life), as differential patterns among Mesolithic and Neolithic populations in a diachronic reconstruction. We claim the study of the Mesolithic sites in order to conduct a statistically valid comparative regarding the larger number of Neolithic evidences, with the aim to provide new data about the transition economies to food production, despite the limitations of the archaeological record of the last hunter-gatherer communities.
There are few carbon and nitrogen isotope ratio studies for prehistoric periods in the northern p... more There are few carbon and nitrogen isotope ratio studies for prehistoric periods in the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula, none of strontium isotopes. While most of the questions so-far addressed have been concerned with the transition to farming, the transition to social complexity has been greatly ignored even if multi-isotope studies could shed new light on internal socioeconomical dynamics during the emergence of complex societies in the region. The present study analyses a total of 67 archaeological samples (28 from human bones, 13 from animal bones and 26 from human tooth enamel) obtained from the deposits at Santimami~ ne (Kortezubi, Bizkaia) and Pico Ramos (Muskiz, Bizkaia) dated to the Meso-lithic, Late-Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods, and samples from different geological areas to characterize the bioavailable strontium of the region. These analyses provide new data about the diet on the coast of the Basque Country, confirming that the consumption of seafood was irrelevant already during the later stages of the Neolithic. The first 87 Sr/ 86 Sr analyses suggest the possibility of migration movements from other parts of Northern Iberia (i.e. Navarra) to the sites being studied.
The use of isotopic analysis in human and animal remains from the Holocene has proved to be a ver... more The use of isotopic analysis in human and animal remains from the Holocene has proved to be a very useful tool to explore the exploitation and adaptation of past populations to different environments. In this study we present isotopic analysis results of carbon, nitrogen and strontium from the Late Neolithic-Chalcolithic site of San Juan cave (Loarre, Spain). We analysed 33 humans, divided in adult and subadult groups, and 16 animals recovered from the same archaeological context. Stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen has allowed to distinguish an homogeneous subsistence pattern during the Late Neolithic-Chalcolithic transition. The use of strontium isotopes (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) in human dental enamel suggests 19% (4 out of 21) are non-local individuals, based on comparison with the local bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr range calculated using microfauna teeth from the archaeological context, modern plants and snails. This new study gives information about Late Neolithic communities located in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, and it allows inference of the socioeconomic structure, territorial mobility and individual provenance of humans.
There are few carbon and nitrogen isotope ratio studies for prehistoric periods in the northern p... more There are few carbon and nitrogen isotope ratio studies for prehistoric periods in the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula, none of strontium isotopes. While most of the questions so-far addressed have been concerned with the transition to farming, the transition to social complexity has been greatly ignored even if multi-isotope studies could shed new light on internal socioeconomical dynamics during the emergence of complex societies in the region. The present study analyses a total of 67 archaeological samples (28 from human bones, 13 from animal bones and 26 from human tooth enamel) obtained from the deposits at Santimamiñe (Kortezubi, Bizkaia) and Pico Ramos (Muskiz, Bizkaia) dated to the Mesolithic, Late-Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods, and samples from different geological areas to characterize the bioavailable strontium of the region. These analyses provide new data about the diet on the coast of the Basque Country, confirming that the consumption of seafood was irrelevant already during the later stages of the Neolithic. The first 87Sr/86Sr analyses suggest the possibility of migration movements from other parts of Northern Iberia (i.e. Navarra) to the sites being studied.
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Papers by Izaskun Sarasketa-Gartzia
input, while strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) from tooth enamel give us data about provenance and potential territorial mobility of
past populations. To date, isotopic results on the prehistory of the Western Pyrenees are scarce. In this article, we report human
and faunal values of the mentioned isotopes from the Early-Middle Neolithic site of Fuente Hoz (Anuntzeta) and the Late
Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic site of Kurtzebide (Letona, Zigoitia). The main objectives of this work are to analyse the dietary
and territorial mobility patterns of these populations. Furthermore, as an additional aim, we will try to discuss social ranking
based on the isotope data and existing literature on this topic in the region of study. Our results show that, based on the
bioavailable Sr values, both purported local and non-local humans were buried together at the sites. Additionally, they suggest
similar resource consumption based on C3 terrestrial resources (i.e. ovicaprids, bovids, and suids) as the main part of the protein
input. Overall, this study sheds light on how individuals from different backgrounds were still buried together and shared the
same Bdietary lifestyle^ at a time in the Prehistory of Iberia when social complexities started to appear.
play an important role in archaeology. Within this field, population palaeogenetics, autosomal DNA and isotopic biochemistry analyses can answer several questions in the prehistoric speech. Our present article attempts to reflect this reality through
methodological cases from Neolithic European sites, where these analytics have been performed with satisfactory results. We also propose their application in various sites in the Iberian Peninsula. An integrated approach of these methods reveals some
issues of interest (demographics and daily life), as differential patterns among Mesolithic and Neolithic populations in a diachronic reconstruction. We claim the study of the Mesolithic sites in order to conduct a statistically valid comparative regarding the larger number of Neolithic evidences, with the aim to provide new data about the transition economies to food production, despite the limitations of the archaeological record of the last hunter-gatherer communities.
input, while strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) from tooth enamel give us data about provenance and potential territorial mobility of
past populations. To date, isotopic results on the prehistory of the Western Pyrenees are scarce. In this article, we report human
and faunal values of the mentioned isotopes from the Early-Middle Neolithic site of Fuente Hoz (Anuntzeta) and the Late
Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic site of Kurtzebide (Letona, Zigoitia). The main objectives of this work are to analyse the dietary
and territorial mobility patterns of these populations. Furthermore, as an additional aim, we will try to discuss social ranking
based on the isotope data and existing literature on this topic in the region of study. Our results show that, based on the
bioavailable Sr values, both purported local and non-local humans were buried together at the sites. Additionally, they suggest
similar resource consumption based on C3 terrestrial resources (i.e. ovicaprids, bovids, and suids) as the main part of the protein
input. Overall, this study sheds light on how individuals from different backgrounds were still buried together and shared the
same Bdietary lifestyle^ at a time in the Prehistory of Iberia when social complexities started to appear.
play an important role in archaeology. Within this field, population palaeogenetics, autosomal DNA and isotopic biochemistry analyses can answer several questions in the prehistoric speech. Our present article attempts to reflect this reality through
methodological cases from Neolithic European sites, where these analytics have been performed with satisfactory results. We also propose their application in various sites in the Iberian Peninsula. An integrated approach of these methods reveals some
issues of interest (demographics and daily life), as differential patterns among Mesolithic and Neolithic populations in a diachronic reconstruction. We claim the study of the Mesolithic sites in order to conduct a statistically valid comparative regarding the larger number of Neolithic evidences, with the aim to provide new data about the transition economies to food production, despite the limitations of the archaeological record of the last hunter-gatherer communities.
La cerámica, entre otros, se ha interpretado como símbolo de las relaciones interculturales, debido quizás a la importancia que adquirió en el estudio de la cultura material de época prehistórica. Para analizar dichas relaciones, se examinan, principalmente, la materia prima, la morfología general y el estilo de las decoraciones.
Otra línea de investigación, dejando a un lado el análisis tipológico, la encontramos en la etnoarqueología, que nos aporta datos sobre el papel de la alfarería en la sociedad, y nos permite profundizar en el significado que pudo llegar a tener la producción y transmisión de la cultura material.
Se pretende, asimismo, resaltar las variantes morfológicas que encontramos en la producción de la cerámica. Por ello, se intenta en la medida de lo posible, dotar de un mayor grado de objetividad al análisis de los sistemas de aprendizaje, a través del establecimiento de una serie de patrones consensuados.
Por último, mostraremos dos líneas de investigación en el estudio del aprendizaje y de la adaptación; por un lado, los objetos que suponen reproducciones menos elaboradas que las cerámicas objeto de imitación; y, por otro, las cerámicas con restos de actividades de aprendizaje en las técnicas decorativas.
human groups across the Pyrenees would have been
difficult in the Palaeolithic, although there are data
contradicting this view. It may even be proposed that
a Pyrenean region existed in the Palaeolithic with specific
cultural traits and a series of sites, especially in the
Magdalenian. The existence of routes across the central
parts of the Pyrenees is not incompatible, however, with
a preference for the western and eastern routes between
the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe. With this
hypothesis, we propose to explore the western route
for the movement of populations, the one that crosses
the Basque Country, through different kinds of record:
the location of the archaeological sites themselves, the
distribution of lithic raw materials, the technocomplexes,
and the similarities and differences in the cultural and
subsistence behaviour of the human groups.
decade on, new lines of research were proposed, which provide us data on the reconstruction of the paleodiets, such as the analysis of stable isotopes of δ13C and δ15N.
The main aims of this work are: (1) to present, on the one hand, a compilation of all the stable isotopes results obtained until now from deposits of Mesolithic chronology in the Western Pyrenees (n=13). Additionally, (2) we use the paleodietary information in relation to several social aspects to approach how the resources were exploited in the Mesolithic. Specifically, we test the hypothesis suggested by some authors including P. Arias (1997) about a differential access to marine
resources, which were apparently intensively consumed during this period (Sarasketa-Gartzia, 2015).
The results of these analyses distinguish two groups in the base of the diet: (1) individuals with a diet based on marine resources (J3, Colomba and La Poza l’Egua) and (2) individuals with a terrestrial diet (Los Canes).
Following this interpretative line, we show the possibility of using the results of stable isotopes as tool to learn, not just diet, but also mobility
patterns. However, the preliminary conclusion of this work is that there are not enough data to confirm the existence of the first territorial patterns. Because of that, it becomes essential to analyze other deposits with the same geographical characteristics to let us know if the territoriality began in this chronology.