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The archaeological evidence from Cova Gran de Santa Linya suggests that during the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, the site was used as a livestock enclosure where the accumulated excrements were burned, generating a sequence known by the term fumier. Here we present the results of an integrated study of silica phytoliths, dung spherulites, and mineral composition of sedimentary matrix from the remaining Holocene sequence. The use of fire to sanitize the space had important consequences for the preservation of dung spherulites and the accumulation of phytoliths. Phytolith assemblages indicate that the animals enclosed in the cave were mostly sheep that exploited the pastures nearby the site during the year. In this sense, the results from our modern plant reference collection challenge the assumption that grass inflorescence phytolith can be used as a seasonality indicator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microremains entrapped in dental calculus are being used as a source of information to address a number of archeological questions. However, current laboratory procedures may affect the recovery of microremains and this issue has not been thoroughly investigated. This study involved the analysis of dental calculus from five Chalcolithic individuals from El Mirador cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain) from a methodological perspective. Two sample processing protocols published in the archeological literature were used for this purpose, and results were compared to the El Mirador archaeobotanical record published elsewhere. Analyzed as a whole, the microremains found in the dental calculus samples are consistent with a population immersed in a farming economy, although they are not representative of the richness of the archaeobotanical record of the site. Furthermore, the two protocols delivered different results, in terms of the number of microremains identified, the time required for analysis, and associated contamination problems. This data indicates that the method selected may affect the results. We recommend further research using a larger sample set to fully understand how methodological factors affect the preservation and observation of microremains embedded in dental calculus. We also call for a discussion on the role of dental calculus in archeological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original version of this article, unfortunately, contained errors. The corresponding author failed to notice that there is a mistake in the fourth author last name. It says "Francisco Javier Aceituno Bocanera" when it should say "Francisco Javier Aceituno Bocanegra", letter "G" is missing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]