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Se presenta en este trabajo una revisión del conjunto material procedente del yacimiento de Cercado de Galera (Liétor, Albacete), un yacimiento en el valle del medio río Mundo conocido desde el año 1971 gracias al hallazgo casual de esculturas y sillares. El objeto de este es actualizar la base material del sitio, a luz de nuevos descubrimientos, y presentar algunas nuevas posibilidades interpretativas emanadas del estado actual de las investigaciones en Protohistoria peninsular; líneas de trabajo que tanto han cambiado desde que el yacimiento cayó en el olvido en los años 90. ABSTRACT: This paper presents a revision of the corpus from the site of Cercado de Galera (Liétor, Albacete), a site in the valley of the middle Mundo River, known since 1971 thanks to the casual discovery of sculptures and ashlars. The purpose of this paper is to uptade the material base of the site, in the light of new discoveries, and to present some new interpretative possibilities derived from the current state of research in Peninsular Protohistory. These lines of work have changed a lot since this site fell into oblivion in the 1990s.

This paper presents a brief overview of fishing in Galicia during Antiquity on the basis of fishing equipment—in particular hooks and weights—recovered from several sites of indigenous origin (castros or hill forts) and newly-established Roman settlements around the basin of the Miño river. Although the topic has often passed unnoticed by archaeological research and suffers from a distinct lack of literature to guide future efforts, the more or less recent publication of papers dealing with this topic in depth has facilitated the study of the Galician record, which is supported by literary and iconographic sources as well as ethnographic documents. The latter have proved relevant in this context, as the world of fishing tends to hold on to traditions. The author sets out to establish a correlation between the remains of fishing implements found and the possible fishing gear they would have been attached to. RESUMEN: Se presenta una síntesis del estado de la cuestión pesquera en Galicia durante la Antigüedad a partir de las evidencias de equipamiento pesquero, esencialmente anzuelos y lastres, registradas en diversos yacimientos de raíz indígena (castros) y de asentamientos romanos ex novo emplazados en la cuenca del río Miño. Pese a la falta generalizada de atención por parte de la investigación arqueológica, ausente de directrices de proyección global, la publicación más o menos reciente de ciertos trabajos que abordan en profundidad esta cuestión facilita el estudio del registro gallego, sustentado por las fuentes literarias, iconográficas y por la documentación etnográfica, la cual revela aquí su relevancia, dado el carácter marcadamente conservador del mundo de la pesca. Se propone un ensayo de correlación entre los restos de instrumental pesquero exhumado y los posibles aparejos y artes de pesca a los que irían adheridos.

El análisis arqueométrico de un hacha de color verde recuperada en los años 20 del pasado siglo en el entorno de Monte Aberto-Elviña (A Coruña), que probablemente habría formado parte del ajuar de uno de los tres túmulos que componían la necrópolis homónima, ha permitido determinar que se trata de un hacha tipo Durrington “goutte d’eau”, fabricada en jadeíta de origen alpino proveniente posiblemente de las formaciones existentes en San Front (Cuneo, Piamonte). Esta circunstancia la convierte –tras el hacha de Vilapedre (Lugo)– en la segunda pieza de procedencia alpina documentada en territorio gallego. En este artículo se intenta determinar el origen arqueológico del hacha de Monte Aberto-Elviña con la mayor exactitud posible, al tiempo que se ofrecen los resultados del análisis arqueométrico y se reflexiona sobre el cómo y el cuándo esta pieza habría llegado al Noroeste Ibérico. ABSTRACT: This paper discusses the results of the archaeometric analysis of a green stone axe recovered in the 1920s around Monte Aberto-Elviña, on the outskirts of the city of A Coruña (Galicia, northwestern Spain). The review of the work carried out by a Galician archaeologist –Luis Monteagudo– in the 30s and 40s of the last century has allowed us to establish, with a high degree of certainty, that the axe analyzed in this paper was part of the grave goods from one of the three burial mounds comprising the necropolis of Monte Aberto-Elviña, which was destroyed at some point in the second half of the twentieth century. The analysis of this artefact through X-Ray Diffraction and SEM-EDX and its subsequent comparison with geological samples from several points of the Alps has allowed us to determine that the Monte Aberto-Elviña is –in fact– a Durrington “goutte d’eau” type axe made of Alpine jadeite, showing a compositional similarity with the geological samples coming from San Front (Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy). In addition to trying to determine –as accurately as possible– the archaeological and geological origin of the Monte Aberto-Elviña axe, this article reflects on its possible way to the Iberian Peninsula (proposing a route through the Bay of Biscay, without ruling out the arrival along the Mediterranean coast, perhaps through the Catalan territory, which may have acted as a redistribution center of Alpine pieces for the rest of the Peninsula). Finally, comparing the chronology of the Durrington “goutte d’eau” axes in other European regions and the chronological dates available for the Galician burial mounds, we suggest an arrival of this artefact in the Iberian northwest sometime in the second half of the 5th millennium BC or, more likely, in the early 4th millennium BC.

En este trabajo se plantea la necesidad de cambiar los discursos museológicos hegemónicos y androcéntricos que muchos museos de arqueología aún mantienen. Se reflexiona sobre qué es un museo hoy y como se interpreta desde el feminismo, cuáles serían las claves de un museo feminista y que debe cambiar en los discursos para mostrar a las mujeres como agentes activos del pasado. ABSTRACT: This paper proposes a change in the hegemonic and androcentric museological discourses that many archaeological museums still maintain. It reflects on the nature of the museum today and how it is interpreted from a feminist perspective. It also considers the characteristics of a feminist museum and what the discourses that should change to show women as active agents of the past. Describes the feminist methodology to achieve narrative change: the standpoint theory, epistemic privilege and the importance of language and images. In short, it is essential to change not only the narratives but also the structures of museums to achieve a feminist museum.

La investigación sobre arte prehistórico ha experimentado una notable evolución en clave de género. Las teorías que durante décadas atribuyeron exclusivamente a los hombres el papel de pintores/artistas y la capacidad artística, y que presentaban a las mujeres simplemente como modelos, están siendo reemplazadas por enfoques de género más inclusivos. Estos enfoques utilizan el arte prehistórico como un medio para reivindicar la presencia femenina en la Prehistoria, y también su participación como autoras y consumidoras del arte. Desde una perspectiva histórica, este giro femenino está íntimamente ligado al impacto de los movimientos feministas en la investigación arqueológica a partir de la década de 1970, así como al aumento del protagonismo de las mujeres en la investigación. Este artículo analiza esta evolución y sintetiza los debates actuales sobre las mujeres y el arte prehistórico y los desafíos que conlleva rastrear su presencia. ABSTRACT: Research on prehistoric art has experienced a significant transformation over time, incorporating gender perspectives, and reshaping research questions in more critical, engaged, and inclusive ways. Theories, long unquestioned, that for decades exclusively attributed artistic roles and abilities to men, while relegating women to the role of mere models, are being replaced by more gender-inclusive approaches. These new approaches use prehistoric art (and particularly the presence of female representations in rock art and portable art) to argue the presence of women in prehistory, as well as their participation as both creators and consumers of art. From a historical perspective, this feminist turn is closely tied to the impact of feminist movements on archaeological research from the 1970s onwards. The significant rise in the presence of women in scientific and academic circles, along with the feminization of research topics, the adoption of innovative methods to determine the biological identity (sex and age) of individuals involved in the creative process (such as morphometric analysis of hands and dermal patterns of fingerprints), new ethnographic approaches that incorporate gender perspectives, and insights drawn from the archaeological context of the art are collectively contributing to a more inclusive rewriting of the history of prehistoric art. This article examines this development and provides an overview of the current debates surrounding women and prehistoric art, as well as the challenges involved in tracking their presence. The paper concludes by noting that while the presence of women in prehistoric art reflects their presence not only in prehistory but also in the symbolic realm of prehistoric societies, using these images to infer the roles of men and women in prehistoric times is problematic. Such interpretations venture into the realm of speculation and should, therefore, be approached with caution.

En este trabajo presentamos los materiales recuperados en la excavación del abrigo de la Font d’Horta (Vilafranca, Castelló). Las características de estos materiales, entre las que destacan las armaduras geométricas (entre ellas un segmento de doble bisel) y la datación obtenida sobre hueso, nos remiten a los momentos de transición entre las últimas poblaciones cazadoras y recolectoras y la llegada de las primeras comunidades neolíticas. La valoración de los datos en el contexto de la zona del Maestrat/Maestrazgo y sus vínculos con el litoral mediterráneo y el valle del Ebro nos permiten discutir su posible vinculación con unas u otras poblaciones, concluyendo que nos encontramos ante una ocupación de las últimas poblaciones mesolíticas de este territorio. ABSTRACT: In this paper we present the materials recovered in the excavation of the Font d’Horta rockshelter (Vilafranca, Castelló). This is a small shelter, about 3 meters long by 2 meters deep, in which an interesting ensemble of materials has been recovered that allow us to discuss the presence of either the last hunter-gatherer populations or the first farmer-herder populations. Among the recovered materials, the geometric projectiles stands out (including a double bevel segment, which is the center of the cultural and chronological debate in this paper) and the absence of pottery must be highlighted. Furthermore, few fauna remains and 3 personal ornaments on marine gastropods have been recovered. To confirm its ascription, we have obtained a bone dating with a result of 7570-7441 cal BP (5621-5492 cal BC). This dating, far from confirming its ascription, shows us that we are front a transitional context between the last Mesolithic and the arrival of the first Neolithic populations in this area. The assessment of the data in the context of the Maestrat / Maestrazgo area and its links with the Mediterranean coast and the Ebro valley allow us to discuss its possible connection with one of these populations. The analysis of the archaeological context show us the existence of several Mesolithic sites with dates close to that obtained in the Font d’Horta and the possibility that we are in a territory with an effective neolithization a bit later than the date obtained. These data, together with the lack of pottery in this site, allow us to conclude that we are facing an occupation of the last Mesolithic populations of this territory.

En este trabajo se presenta el descubrimiento de un nuevo yacimiento del Neolítico antiguo en el interior peninsular (cuenca del Duero), a partir de los resultados preliminares de la campaña de sondeo realizada en septiembre de 2023. El Abrigo de Guachos además de contener un nuevo e interesante registro para analizar el comienzo del Neolítico en el interior peninsular, muestra también evidencias de ocupaciones y actividad humana posterior, en época romana (periodo bajoimperial). Esta nueva secuencia resulta de gran interés para analizar la evolución de la actividad humana en el barranco del río Duratón. En las Hoces del Duratón, a pesar de haber una rica secuencia de arte rupestre que abarca desde el Neolítico hasta la Edad Media, no se han podido localizar aún secuencias arqueológicas que permitan documentar la evolución y características de este amplio poblamiento humano. ABSTRACT: In this paper, the discovery of a new Early Neolithic site in the interior of the Iberian peninsula (Duero basin) is presented, based on the preliminary results of the excavation campaign conducted in September 2023. The Guachos rock shelter is located in the municipality of Sepúlveda (Segovia) within the “Hoces del río Duratón” Natural reserve, approximately 1300 meters downstream from the Talcano Roman bridge. Specifically, it is located on the outer side of a meander on the left bank of the river, which has eroded the Cretaceous dolomites, at UTM coordinates ETRS89 (Zone 30) X. 434.944, Y. 4.571.952, and about 10 meters above the current riverbed. The rock shelter has maximum dimensions of about 50 meters in length and 20 meters in width, with an average height to the overhang of about 13 meters, making it a space of considerable size. In total, an approximate area of 300 square meters for the archaeological deposit has been estimated. The Guachos Rock Shelter, in addition to containing a new and interesting record for analyzing the beginning of the Neolithic in the interior of the Iberian peninsula, also shows evidence of later occupations and human activity during the Roman period (Low Roman Empire). This new sequence is of great interest for studying the evolution of human activity in the Duratón River gorge. In the “Hoces del Duratón”, despite the presence of a rich sequence of rock art spanning from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages, archaeological sequences that would allow for the documentation of the evolution and characteristics of this extensive human settlement have not yet been found.

En este trabajo se estudia y analiza un conjunto lítico y un canto compresor-percutor localizado en el embalse de Urrúnaga (Álava). El compresor, un canto calizo, presenta, en una de sus caras, el gabado de una línea cérvico-dorsal. El canto fue recuperado en superficie junto con un nutrido número de artefactos líticos tallados sobre sílex cuyo estudio tecno-tipológico, también presentado en este trabajo, lo encuadra, mayoritariamente, en momentos finales del Paleolítico superior. ABSTRACT: In this paper we study and analyse the lithic assemblage and a stone hammer located in the Urrúnaga reservoir (Álava). The hammerstone, a limestone pebble, features an engraving of a cervico-dorsal line on one of its faces. The stone was recovered in a surface scatter along with a large number of lithic artifacts made of flint, its technotypological study places it, alongside graphic comparisons with other decorated supports, in the late Upper Paleolithic period.

La arquitectura vernácula vasca ofrece una amplia variedad de tipologías y variantes regionales. Ejemplo prominente de ello son las casas de seroras, construidas durante la Edad Moderna en las inmediaciones de iglesias y ermitas para albergar a las mujeres encargadas de mantener la iglesia y asistir en el culto. En este artículo se aborda el desarrollo geográfico y cronológico de este fenómeno mediante la combinación de fuentes documentales y orales, microtoponimia y el análisis de las arquitecturas conservadas. Se analizan, en especial, dos conjuntos tipológicos. El primero incluye varios edificios de la costa vasca oriental, formando casas aisladas de pequeñas dimensiones con muros laterales en piedra y estructura en entramado de madera. El segundo incluye varios casos del valle del Baztan, con volúmenes elevados, adosados a su correspondiente templo, con un espacio porticado bajo ellos. Ambos grupos forman conjuntos tipológicos bien definidos estrechamente ligados a su función original; pero, al mismo tiempo, pueden relacionarse con las tendencias vigentes en la arquitectura vernácula de sus respectivas regiones. ABSTRACT: Basque vernacular architecture is characterised by a wide variety of typologies and regional variants. Early Modern serora houses, built close to the parish churches as the habitation of the women charged with keeping the church and assisting the offices, are prominent examples of this. By combining documentary and oral sources, micro-toponymy, and the analysis of preserved architectural structures, this paper explores the geographic and chronological development of serora houses, focusing on two specific typological ensembles. The first group includes four examples from the eastern Basque coast, consisting of small buildings with stone side walls and timber-framed structures. The second group includes four examples from the Baztan valley, consisting of raised architectural volumes attached to the corresponding churches, with a porticoed space beneath them. Both groups form distinctive typological ensembles related to their original function, but can equally be related to more general trends in the vernacular architecture of each region.

En este trabajo mostramos los resultados del estudio arqueológico realizado durante la restauración del puente de Puente de Arco (Laviana, Asturias). Como dato importante, podemos referirnos a que el puente actual es reflejo de la reconstrucción llevada a cabo a principios del siglo XIX, ya que desde 1795 se encontraba colapsado completamente. Asimismo, la actuación arqueológica nos permitió documentar un pequeño tramo del pavimento original de la primera fase de dicha reconstrucción. ABSTRACT: In this paper we show the results of the archaeological study carried out during the restoration of the bridge of Puente de Arco (Laviana, Asturias). As important fact, we can refer to the fact that the current bridge is a reflection of the reconstruction carried out at the beginning of the 19th century, being completely collapsed since 1795. Likewise, the archaeological work allowed us to document a small section of the original pavement from the first phase of said reconstruction.

Presentamos un complejo minero dedicado a la extracción del sílex denominado Botorrita-Monegros, demandado en diferentes momentos de la Prehistoria. Para su documentación se programó una prospección a tres escalas: 1) prospección superficial intensiva para acotar las áreas de interés; 2) ortofotografía y MDE de las zonas de mayor potencial mediante RPAS; 3) prospección magnética y georradar, para determinar la estructura del subsuelo. El resultado es la identificación de un complejo de unas 30 ha con restos de minería de transferencia a cielo abierto basada en la excavación de pozos y su ampliación en plataformas, generando modelados superficiales con formas circulares y semicirculares. Las minas reflejan labores sistemáticas, probablemente neolíticas, a cargo de individuos con cierto grado de especialización, que justificarían la dispersión del sílex Botorrita-Monegros por buena parte del valle del Ebro y entorno. ABSTRACT: In this paper we present a new mining complex in the Iberian Peninsula for the supply of flint (Botorrita-Monegros type). The demarcation of exploitation areas and their characteristics has been tackled in a three strategies program: 1) systematic and intense field walking survey of the main exploitation area, 2) photogrammetric drone flight at low altitude to obtain an orthophotograph and a DEM, and 3) geophysical survey (magnetometer and ground-penetrating radar) to obtain a 3-dimensional insight of the subsoil. As a result, we have identified the main exploitation spots in a mining complex that spreads over ca. 30 ha. The morphological evidences are compatible with a systematic surface mining based in the excavation of open-pits that are later on enlarged into platforms that cut the calcareous overburden. The resulting circular or semicircular debris dumps reach 20-25 m in diameter and 2-3 m in depth. These mines reflect systematic carried over time, probably Neolithic, managed by groups of individuals with certain level of specialization. This could explain the broad distribution of flint of the type Botorrita-Monegros in a great part of the Ebro Valley.

El hallazgo de un canto de esquisto con 7 zoomorfos (ciervos, cápridos y/o bóvidos) y restos informes grabados en el yacimiento de Coves del Fem (Ulldemolins, Tarragona), contribuye a enriquecer el exiguo repertorio de arte mueble de tradición paleolítica del noreste de la península Ibérica. Su análisis detallado y su comparación con el registro artístico de la vertiente mediterránea peninsular resultan claves para determinar su adscripción crono-cultural. La pieza conserva un complejo palimpsesto de motivos figurativos y no figurativos distribuidos por ambas caras, cuyas características formales, técnicas y compositivas (asociaciones no escénicas), nos remiten al final del ciclo artístico paleolítico. Este hallazgo amplía el inventario de arte paleolítico catalán, reafirma la importancia de la provincia de Tarragona, que concentra la mayoría de los hallazgos de arte mueble paleolítico de Cataluña, y abre nuevas perspectivas en el estudio del yacimiento, al ampliar su cronología hasta momentos finales del Paleolítico superior. ABSTRACT: This paper reports the discovery of a schist slab with 7 zoomorphic figures (deer, wild goats and/or bulls) and other engraved remains at Coves del Fem site (Ulldemolins, Priorat, Tarragona) in 2020. This find adds to the limited, although unique, repertoire of portable art of Palaeolithic style found so far in the northeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula. A detailed analysis of this piece and comparison with the artistic record known so far for the Mediterranean side of Iberia are key to establish the relative chronology of this find. The themes (a combination of animals and non-figurative motifs), the formal (simplified representations of animals with elongated bodies), technical (a schist slab with fine incised engravings filled with striated strokes) and compositional patterns of the motifs, with a complex palimpsest of figurative and non-figurative engravings distributed on both sides creating two non-scenic compositions, recall an art from the end of the Paleolithic artistic cycle. To these common elements, this slab adds certain singularities. First, two animals of different species are involved in a mirror symmetry composition, which is not unique to this site, but it is more common in older periods and with the animals distributed on both sides of a vertical axis, rather than horizontal, as in this case. Such distribution has no parallels in this final phase of the artistic sequence. Second, the microscopic analysis of the art reveals the preservation of red pigment inside the engraved grooves, showing the use of a mixed technique, involving a combination of incision and painting. This practice, used probably to enhance motifs and improve visualization, has been recorded in a limited number of Palaeolithic sites, most likely due to conservation problems. Third, the slab includes the first example of an engraved goat known in the Catalan repertoire. Overall, this find contributes to expand the repertoire of Catalan Paleolithic art, confirms the importance of the Tarragona province, concentrating most of the finds of Paleolithic portable art in Catalonia, and opens new perspectives in the study of Coves del Fem, substantially expanding the chronology of this site until the end of the Upper Paleolithic period. Finally, it brings a new example with its own peculiarities (the type of composition) for characterizing the art of the Pleistocene/Holocene transition in south-western Europe.

This paper aims to determine the chronology of one of the most significant Neolithic contexts in the Northeast of the Iberian Peninsula: the Can Tintorer mining complex (Gavà, Barcelona). Based on the statistical analysis and Bayesian modelling of a total of 23 radiocarbon dates, 5 of which have not been published until now, the work addresses the temporal relationships and the degree of contemporaneity between the different areas of mining exploitation and their use as a funerary space. Finally, the temporality of the mining complex in the framework of the Neolithic of the NE of the Iberian Peninsula is also tested, based on several comparative statistical analyses with the available radiocarbon dates from settlement and funerary contexts from this period in the region. RESUMEN: Este artículo tiene por objetivo determinar la cronología de uno de los contextos más significativos del Neolítico en el Noreste de la península Ibérica: el complejo minero de Can Tintorer (Gavà, Barcelona). A partir del análisis estadístico y el modelado bayesiano de un total de 23 dataciones radiocarbónicas, 5 de las cuales se publican de forma inédita, el trabajo aborda las relaciones temporales y el grado de contemporaneidad entre las diferentes áreas de explotación minera y su uso como espacio funerario. Finalmente, también se evalúa la temporalidad del complejo minero en el marco del Neolítico del noreste peninsular, a partir de varios análisis estadísticos comparativos con las fechas disponibles en contextos funerarios y de asentamiento de este periodo en la región.

This paper focuses on the study of a group of metal artefacts recently recovered during the archaeological excavations in Vila do Touro (Central Portugal), i.e., 19 artefacts and a small metallic inclusion embedded in a pottery sherd. The objects have been analysed by an X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer to characterise the elemental composition of metal artefacts. A Scanning Electron Microscope with X-ray Microanalysis System and an optical microscope were used to observe and chemically characterise the metal inclusion in the pottery. The fragment of an ingot was also analysed by a multicollector Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer to address issues bound to the provenance of raw material. The results revealed different compositional patterns (pure copper, binary bronze, i.e., Cu+Sn, leaded bronzes, i.e., Cu+Sn+Pb, and gold), while pointing out the Ossa Morena region (Southwest of the Iberian Peninsula) as likely source of copper used to produce the ingot. RESUMEN: Este trabajo se centra en el estudio de un grupo de artefactos metálicos recuperados recientemente durante las excavaciones arqueológicas en Vila do Touro (Portugal Central), es decir, 19 artefactos y una pequeña inclusión metálica incrustada en las paredes de un fragmento de cerámica. Los objetos han sido analizados mediante un espectrómetro de fluorescencia de rayos X para caracterizar la composición elemental de los artefactos metálicos. Se utilizó un microscopio electrónico de barrido con sistema de microanálisis de rayos X y un microscopio óptico para observar y caracterizar químicamente la inclusión metálica en la cerámica. También se analizó el fragmento de un lingote mediante un espectrómetro de masas de plasma acoplado inductivamente multicolector para abordar cuestiones relacionadas con la procedencia de la materia prima. Los resultados revelaron diferentes patrones de composición (cobre puro, bronce binario, es decir, Cu+Sn, bronces con plomo, es decir, Cu+Sn+Pb, y oro), al tiempo que señalaron la región de Ossa Morena (suroeste de la Península Ibérica) como probable fuente del cobre utilizado para producir el lingote.

Megalith’s image along the Atlantic façade is linked to sizeable stone structures. Despite the importance of clay in creating wood and stone structures, this use remains invisible when analysing the skills of megalithic buildings. This paper gathers data from French and Iberian monuments to establish the central role of these construction materials throughout the Atlantic façade. RESUMEN: El megalitismo de la fachada atlántica se asocia a las construcciones de grandes piedras que constituyen su imagen de referencia. Pese al papel del barro en arquitecturas de madera y de piedra, su uso resulta invisible en el estudio de las maestrías identificables en las construcciones megalíticas. Este texto recoge datos de monumentos franceses e ibéricos para establecer algunas reflexiones sobre su protagonismo en los grandes megalitos de la fachada atlántica.

Frente a los numerosos trabajos realizados en torno al caserío, la arquitectura vernácula de las comunidades pesqueras del País Vasco ha sido hasta la fecha muy poco estudiada. Este artículo propone una primera aproximación a esta temática, planteando el primer estudio arquitectónico de una casa de pescadores del arrabal de la Magdalena (Hondarribia, Gipuzkoa), la casa Zeria. Mediante una combinación de fuentes documentales, cartográficas, fotográficas e iconográficas, así como el estudio de las estructuras conservadas y su contexto urbano, se ha podido reconstruir en detalle la historia de la casa y del arrabal, poniéndola en relación con los modos de vida de la comunidad marítima local y su relación con la villa. El estudio abre una línea de trabajo hasta ahora poco explorada en el País Vasco, que tiene sin embargo un gran potencial de investigación en esta y otras localidades del entorno. ABSTRACT: The study of vernacular architecture in the Basque Country has been primarily focused on rural dwellings, baserria, as the main paradigm of constructive typologies in the region. In contrast, the study of maritime vernacular architecture has been barely explored. The present paper proposes a first approach to this question, by presenting the first architectural study of a fishermens’ house in the maritime suburb of Hondarribia (Gipuzkoa, Basque Country). Combining the study of historical documentary sources, cartography, photographs and iconographic records, the preserved architectural structures and their urban context, the history of the suburb and the fishermens’ houses has been reconstructed with a high degree of detail, permitting to correlate it with the general context of the local maritime community, their daily life and their relations with the walled city. The suburb of Madalena is documented since the late-15th century, placed on a strategic position between the Jaizkibel cliffs and the sandbanks of the Bidasoa estuary. The original settlement consisted of a line of houses aligned before the coastline, ampliated to a second line in the 17th century; in contrast, the 18th and early-19th centuries were marked by a prohibition of building new houses, which resulted in several enlargements and reconstructions. In this context, the house Zeria is placed in the southernmost sector of the second house line. The original typology of timber framing architecture can be dated in the second half of the 17th century, much of it still visible in the present-day structures. The analysis of this structure reveals its bounds with the vernacular architecture of the nearby French Basque coast, with some particularities related to the maritime vocation of the inhabitants in Hondarribia. Other houses of the Madalena suburb also show a similar structure in origin, but were later refurbished and ampliated. Hence, a new line of research is proposed around this kind of structures, which can be explored in this and other nearby contexts in the future.

En el transcurso de una intervención arqueológica en el solar nº 6 de la calle Artekale 6 de la villa de Plentzia (Bizkaia) se localizó un conjunto lítico sobre el sustrato rocoso y bajo un depósito de arcillas de 40 cm de espesor. En este trabajo se describe este conjunto de núcleos y lascas, y se propone una atribución del conjunto al Paleolítico Medio, probablemente reciente. Además, se discute el papel de estos breves asentamientos en las estrategias de asentamiento de los Neandertales en esta región. ABSTRACT: In the course of an archaeological intervention in the site of Artekale Street 6 in the town of Plentzia (Bizkaia), a lithic assemblage was found on the bedrock below 40 cm of clayey sediment. This paper describes the assemblage of cores and flakes, and proposes an attribution to the Middle Palaeolithic, probably recent. In addition, the role of these short-term occupations in regional Neanderthal settlement strategies is discussed.

La investigación del Paleolítico superior en el interior peninsular se ha ido intensificando en los últimos años, aunque es un proceso lento. A los yacimientos ya conocidos, como Estebanvela, Buendía o Verdelpino se han ido uniendo nuevos descubrimientos, contribuyendo a apartar definitivamente el panorama de un aparente despoblamiento, algo que ya no es posible mantener al menos a partir del UMG. En este trabajo presentamos el reciente hallazgo y excavación de un yacimiento magdaleniense en Segovia, en el pie de monte sur del Sistema Central. Se trata de un hallazgo de relevancia, que contribuye a plantear nuevas vías de investigación sobre el poblamiento a finales del Paleolítico superior en las zonas interiores de la península, y sus relaciones con el Cantábrico y la zona levantina. ABSTRACT: Upper Palaeolithic research in the interior of Iberia is being intensifying in recent years, although it is a slow process. New discoveries were added to the already known sites such as Estebanvela, Buendía o Verdelpino. This definitively contributed to removing the apparent depopulation panorama of this area at least from the LGM. This paper is focused on the recent discovery and excavation of a Magdalenian site in Segovia, in the southern foothills of the Central System. This is a relevant finding, which contributes to considering new research paths on settlement areas in interior areas of the Peninsula at the end of the Upper Palaeolithic, and its relationships with the Cantabrian and Levantine areas. Peña de Santana archaeological site was discovered in 2014 and only one excavation campaign was carried out to date, in 2020. The site is located on the right bank of the Eresma River, as it passes through the city of Segovia. From a geomorphological point of view, the site is located in a flat area at eh base of a Cretaceous dolomite escarpment of the fluviokarstic canyon formed by the vertical embedding and lateral movement of the Eresma River throughout the Quaternary as it crosses the Mesozoic fringe of the northern foothills of the Central Sierra de Guadarrama. The technotypological characterization and datings in the Peña de Santana lead us to an unquestionably Magdalenian context, located in the middle phase of this chronostratigraphic period, which is located in the final stages of the LGM, specifically between the end of the GS-2.1b and the beginning of the GS-2.1a. Both this site and the Peña de Estebanvela show enough evidence to link these occupations with the Cantabrian-Pyrenean area, much more likely than with the Mediterranean area. Data presented corresponds mainly to level 3, where the fauna shows a very high degree of fragmentation, as a result of the high anthropization of the collection. Faunal remains are dominated by horses, followed by small bovids and red deer. Lithic industry of this level is dominated by lamellar schemes, both for obtaining blades and small blades. There are also many scrapers (small blade end scrapers), burins (mostly dihedral), and backed bladelets.

El hallazgo de parásitos procedentes de contextos arqueológicos nos permite conocer las condiciones socio-económicas y los hábitos alimentarios de las poblaciones pasadas, aportando una visión novedosa en el estudio de dichas sociedades. Pese a su probado interés en la contribución al conocimiento de los estudios arqueológicos, antropológicos y biológicos, apenas se han llevado a cabo investigaciones paleoparasitológicas en España. Este trabajo presenta los resultados de los análisis paleoparasitológicos desarrollados sobre restos esqueletizados de ocho individuos procedentes de la necrópolis romana de Dianium (Dénia, Alicante, España), fechada entre los siglos III a V d.C. Este análisis se ha realizado mediante visualización por microscopía óptica de campo claro. Los resultados han evidenciado la presencia de Ascaris lumbricoides en uno de los individuos. Estos resultados se han integrado con los hallazgos paleopatológicos y antropológicos. La presencia de este parásito se vincula a la falta de higiene, derivada de contaminación ambiental y alimentaria. ABSTRACT: The discovery of parasites remains from archaeological contexts allows us to learn about the socio-economic conditions and eating habits of past populations, providing a bioarchaeological insight into the study of these societies. Despite its proven interest in contributing to the knowledge of archaeological, anthropological and biological studies, very little palaeoparasitological research has been carried out in Spain. This paper presents the palaeoparasitological and anthropological results carried out on Upper and Lower Imperial Roman material from the study of eight skeletonized individuals found at the site of Dianium (Alicante, Spain). Given that these materials were found in previous archaeological campaigns, the sampling was carried out in the laboratory. This is the first time such a is conducted on a Spanish archaeological site. Analysis of ancient parasites were carried out using bright-field optical microscopy. The results showed the presence of Ascaris lumbricoides in one of the individuals. The presence of this parasite is linked to a lack of hygiene, derived from environmental and food contamination. The presence of parasites is related to evidence of bone pathologies. Likewise, the presence of this parasite may be due to the use of human faeces as fertilizer in Roman times. The low number of parasitological evidences may be due to the nature of the materials, as well as the taphonomic processes that took place.

En este trabajo se presenta la secuencia de dataciones absolutas procedentes del oppidum de Monte Ornedo (Valdeolea, Cantabria) así como las características constructivas de las distintas estructuras defensivas. Gracias a ello ha sido posible conocer y fijar sus distintas adscripciones cronoculturales, permitiéndonos conocer su evolución desde la Segunda Edad del Hierro hasta la etapa imperial romana. ABSTRACT: In this paper we present the sequence of the absolute dating from the oppidum of Monte Ornedo (Valdeolea, Cantabria. Spain) and a study of its defensive architecture. Thanks to this, it has been possible to document two different occupation in the site. The first occupation was dated in the Second Iron Age, at which time the oppidum, defended by a stone wall, occupied the entire mount. At the end of 1st century B.C. the oppidum was destroyed by the Roman Army. As was usual in this process of conquest, on the top of Santa Marina was built a castellum, with an agger and a moat. The Iron Age peoble settled in the valley, creating a population center that could be identified with Iuliobriga.

Se realiza una revisión de la Cova de l’Arbonès (Pradell de la Teixeta, Tarragona), una cavidad funeraria calcolítica excavada hace más de 50 años. Se reestudian mediante metodologías actuales los artefactos arqueológicos recuperados, algunos de gran interés (cuentas de alabastro de aletas y glóbulos, botones óseos de apéndices laterales, puñal de lengüeta de cobre). Las técnicas empleadas son la datación C14; la traceología y estudio de materias primas líticas; el análisis tipológico y contextual; y la arqueometalurgia (análisis de isótopos de plomo). Los resultados atestiguan la participación del yacimiento en redes de intercambio a larga distancia, a través de la llegada de productos manufacturados y de la fabricación con materia prima local de modelos tipológicos externos. Ello se inserta en un proceso de jerarquización social vinculado con el fenómeno Campaniforme, donde ciertas élites se enterrarían siguiendo rituales de tipo individualizador dentro de comunidades con enterramientos colectivos. ABSTRACT : The Chalcolithic funerary site of the Cova de l’Arbonès site (Pradell de la Teixeta, Tarragona) was excavated more than 50 years ago. This paper offers an updated review of the archaeological finds, which include some remarkable artefacts — three flanged and globules alabaster beads, two buttons with wing-shaped appendices and one copper tanged dagger — using current methodologies: C-14 dating; lithic use-wear analysis and raw materials; typological and contextual analysis; archaeometallurgy (elemental composition and lead isotopes). The results demonstrate that the site was used during three distinct periods: the Early Copper Age (Calcolítico Antiguo, c. 2900 cal BC), the Late Copper Age (Calcolítico Reciente or Bell Beaker) and at the beginning of the Late Bronze Age (Bronce Final, c. 1200 cal BC). The material culture testifies to long-distance exchange networks. On the one hand, imported manufactured artefacts are made from an exogeneous raw material, like the lacustrine flint blades originating from the French Mediterranean coastline and the Ebro depression. On the other hand, some artefacts seem to have been produced locally, but their shape is based on exogeneous typological models. This category includes the tanged dagger, most likely made of copper from the local Linda Mariquita mine (south of Priorat), and possibly the buttons with wing-shaped appendices —made from bone, in contrast to ivory typically used in its area of origin, the Tagus estuary in Portugal—as well as the flanged and globules alabaster beads, that are commonly found in southern France. These networks take part in a process of social hierarchization linked to the Bell Beaker phenomenon. The elites are buried in single graves within communities with collective burials where social dissymmetry is not observed. Several reasons may explain the absence of Bell Beaker ceramics in the artefact collection from the Cova de l’Arbonès. First, the excavations took place at a time when thorough archaeological investigations were not common. Second, the initial grave good assemblage may have been altered during the subsequent use of the cave, as attested at other collective burials from the North-eastern Iberian Peninsula.

Las fotografías aéreas realizadas por Julio del Olmo en 1999 nos han permitido conocer de primera mano la existencia de un edificio de probable cronología romana junto al lavajo El Monduengo (Puras, Valladolid). Esta zona se localiza inmediatamente al sur de la villa romana de La Calzadilla, también conocida como villa romana de Almenara de Adaja-Puras, que se encuentra al sur de la provincia de Valladolid. Se ubica en una zona muy cercana a Coca (Segovia), la Cauca prerromana y romana cuya influencia seguramente se hizo sentir en el ritmo de colonización del campo de época romana altoimperial. En este trabajo proponemos la revisión de una de esas imágenes aéreas oblicuas tomadas por Julio del Olmo ya que, a pesar de su perspectiva, consta de gran calidad y además es la única que hasta 2020 nos mostraba los restos soterrados de este edificio. Además, hemos explorado las posibilidades para la teledetección que nos brinda la amplia serie de ortofotografías disponibles para la zona, incluyendo series históricas como USAF Serie B y el Vuelo Interministerial. Para la realización de este estudio, hemos empleado los fotogramas infrarrojos junto a la tradicional ortofotografía PNOA tomada en el espectro visible RGB, para calcular una serie de índices de vegetación y suelo que usan principalmente las bandas Roja e Infrarroja. Este trabajo de teledetección se ha realizado únicamente con imágenes públicas y software open-source (QGIS, R Project, SNAP). El estudio de la documentación gráfica nos ha llevado a plantear una prospección geofísica mediante georradar (Noggin 250 MhZ) para obtener una imagen actual y precisa que nos permita conocer la extensión y morfología de dicho edificio. Los datos obtenidos nos permiten comprender la evolución del yacimiento de Almenara de Adaja-Puras a lo largo de la época romana tardía con posterioridad al siglo III d.C. Además, comparamos esta estructura con algunas otras similares conocidas tanto en el propio yacimiento de La Calzadilla, como en otros del valle del Duero. ABSTRACT: In 1999, the aerial photographs taken by Julio del Olmo of several archaeological sites in the Duero valley allowed us to discover the existence of a new Roman building in the area of El Monduengo lagoon. This area is located immediately south of the well-known Roman villa of La Calzadilla, also known as the villa of Almenara de Adaja-Puras, in the south of the province of Valladolid, very close to Coca, the pre-Roman and Roman city of Cauca, whose influence was felt in the pace of Roman expansionism in countryside during the Early Imperial period. In this paper we propose to revisit of one of these oblique aerial images taken by Julio del Olmo, which, despite its oblique perspective, is of great quality. Moreover, even today, it is also the only image to date that shows us the buried remains of this Roman building. In addition, we have explored the possibilities for remote sensing provided by the wide range of publicly available orthophotographs, including historical series such as USAF Series B and the Interministerial Flight. In order to carry out this remote sensing study, we have used the Near Infrared frames recorded alongside the traditional PNOA orthophotography in the visible RGB spectrum. Using both RG and NIR bands we calculate vegetation and soil indices; these indices employ chiefly the Red and Near Infraed band of the electromagnetic spectrum. This remote sensing work has been carried out only with public images and open-source software (QGIS, R Project, SNAP). The study of the graphic documentation has led us to carry out a geophysical survey using Ground Penetrating Radar (Noggin 250 mhz). This way we obtain an updated and accurate image of the extension and morphological characteristics of the new building. This work is carried out in order to improve our understanding of the evolution of the Almenara de Adaja-Puras site from the end of the Late Iron Age to the Late Roman period. In addition, we compare this building with some other structures of a similar type known both at the La Calzadilla site and in other sectors of the Duero Valley.

Los objetos manufacturados con materias orgánicas raramente se conservan excepto bajo condiciones ambientales específicas, ya sea en medios de sequedad constante, en contextos anaeróbicos sumergidos, bajo congelación o por carbonización. Por ello, las técnicas de cestería y cordelería, así como las materias primas utilizadas están escasamente documentadas en el registro arqueológico del Neolítico peninsular. Se aporta aquí nueva información acerca de las técnicas cesteras y de cordelería, así como de las materias primas utilizadas en Coves del Fem (Ulldemolins, Tarragona). Estos restos fueron recuperados en una fosa adscribible al Neolítico antiguo. La cestería estudiada se encuentra manufacturada a través de la técnica de espiral cosida, mientras que en el caso de la cordelería se trata de un único fragmento torsionado. Se discute su funcionalidad en un contexto de hábitat en cueva, así como su tecnología y materias primas usadas, contextualizándolos con otros ejemplos de cestería de espiral cosida de la península ibérica. ABSTRACT: Plant-based artefacts are considered one of the first technologies used by human populations playing an important role in the daily life of all societies. Even though, they are made of perishable material which usually disappears in archaeological contexts except for some specific environmental conditions that permit their conservation as arid, anaerobic, waterlogged atmospheres or carbonization. Some examples of the first implements produced by organic materials are baskets and cords which are documented since the very beginning of human populations. Nevertheless, these fibre-based materials have been excluded from archaeological studies. The lack of knowledge in this vegetal technology is a consequence of the difficulty of organic material preservation and the non-suitable analysis and identification methodologies. Even they represent a living material culture as history and ethnography demonstrate, vegetal fibres were probably used for producing indispensable everyday objects and artefacts in the past. The aim of this paper is to provide new information about vegetal technology as basketry and cordage techniques, as well as the raw materials used in Neolithic chronologies in the North-East of the Iberian Peninsula. The materials analyzed in this study were recovered at the site of Coves del Fem (Ulldemolins, Tarragona) which is a rock shelter preserved thanks to the fallen rock blocks. Basketry and cordage fragments came from the archaeological fieldwork of 2019 and were recovered inside a pit in levels of the final Early Neolithic. They were preserved thanks to the carbonization and dehydration they were submitted to. Both basketry and cordage examples from Coves del Fem, were deeply described considering their morphology and technology, as well as the raw materials they were made of. The methodology consisted of describing the technique used and taking measures of the different fragments aiming to obtain information about the way the basket and the cord were made. The identification of raw materials was performed by observing cross, peridermal and longitudinal sections of samples using a transmitted optical microscope. Descriptions were based on microanatomical observation by comparing with reference modern material and specialized technical literature. The results showed the basketry assemblage was produced using the coiling technique and all the fragments belong to a single object. In the case of the cordage fragment, it was made by twisting the fibres which had been previously mechanically processed. The identification of raw materials revealed at least the use of sedges for basketry and non-identified herbaceous plants for making cordage. The functionality of the objects is discussed, and they are also contextualized with other Neolithic fibre productions examples from the Iberian Peninsula and the Middle East, both technologically and the chosen raw materials. In summary, fibre-based productions from Coves del Fem, along with the assemblage from the lake dwelling site of La Draga, fill the gap of this archaeological record from the Iberian Peninsula to Europe, demonstrating the long history of the technical skills related to plant exploitation.

The aim of this paper is to examine the craftwork on hard materials of animal origin from the Iron Age of the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. We deal with the processes of craftsmanship, transmission of knowledge and the circulation of ivory combs and perforated bone plates. The Cultural Inheritance Theory offers a framework to help identify social dynamics in the craft productions and the transmission of the cultural knowledge between and among individuals (vertical, horizontal or oblique). Therefore, the consequences of these cultural transmission processes will be different for each artefact. This could be used to investigate relative levels of standardization within and between groups. For this we use various morphometric measurements related to the technological process of making combs and perforated plates. The results point to an oblique transmission with particularities linked to each object related to their formal and decorative characteristics and owing to their raw materials. RESUMEN : El objetivo de este artículo es examinar la artesanía sobre materias duras de origen animal de la Edad del Hierro en el sureste la Península Ibérica. Trataremos los procesos de artesanía, transmisión de conocimientos y circulación de peines de marfil y placas perforadas de hueso. La Teoría de la Herencia Cultural ofrece un marco teórico para ayudar en la identificación de la dinámica social de la producción artesanal y las formas de transmisión del conocimiento cultural (vertical, horizontal u oblicua). Por tanto, las consecuencias de estos procesos de transmisión cultural serán diferentes para cada artefacto. Esto puede utilizarse, también, para investigar los niveles relativos de estandarización dentro y entre grupos. Para ello utilizamos varias medidas morfométricas relacionadas con el proceso tecnológico de elaboración de peines y placas perforadas. Los resultados apuntan a una transmisión oblicua con particularidades ligadas a cada objeto, relacionadas con sus características formales y decorativas y sus materias primas.

El caserío, entendido como un paisaje formado por unidades domésticas autónomas distribuidas de manera dispersa, constituye el principal modelo de ocupación del espacio rural en la vertiente atlántica del País Vasco. En las últimas décadas, el estudio arqueológico de muchos caseríos ha permitido definir series tipo-cronológicas de gran detalle para este tipo de edificios. El presente trabajo propone abordar el estudio de los paisajes culturales articulados por el caserío, integrando el estudio de las trazas materiales de los usos agrarios del pasado, como el acondicionamiento de espacios productivos específicos o determinadas prácticas de gestión, con la evolución de las formas arquitectónicas. El análisis se centra en el ejemplo de Zizurkil (Gipuzkoa). Junto con la recopilación de fuentes documentales y orales y el estudio de los elementos arquitectónicos, se ha implementado una metodología geoarqueológica basada en el análisis de diversos parámetros físico-químicos de los suelos de cultivo, con el fin de establecer estratigrafías de alta resolución. Los resultados obtenidos permiten distinguir tres fases en la evolución de este paisaje: un momento de (re)configuración de su estructura básica en los siglos XIV-XIV; una importante intensificación en los siglos XVII-XIX, de la mano de la revolución agraria que siguió a la introducción de cultivos americanos; y una rápida degradación desde mediados del siglo XX. ABSTRACT: The Atlantic sector of the Basque Country is characterised by a particular settlement pattern known as baserria, consisting of dispersed, individual farmsteads with autonomous landholdings. Over the last few decades, the architecture of these farmsteads has been studied from an archaeological point of view, resulting in detailed typo-chronological series on the evolution of aspects like constructive materials and techniques or the functional division of the domestic and productive spaces. In this paper, we propose widening this analytical framework by adopting a landscape-based approach that considers not only the architecture of domestic units, but also the material traces of past social practices in the surrounding agricultural areas (e.g., the creation of specific productive spaces or the imprints of specific management practices, like manuring or liming). To this scope, we propose an intensive local study based on the village of Zizurkil (Gipuzkoa, Basque Country). We have applied a transdisciplinary methodology based on the combined analysis of documentary and oral sources, architectural features present in the local landscape, and geoarchaeological core sampling. Sampled soil records have been analysed using different physical and chemical proxies (XRD, XRF, and LOI, along with radiocarbon dating) to define a high-resolution stratigraphic characterisation. Our results show three main phases in the evolution of the local rural landscape: 1) a moment of (re)configuration that originated the backbone of the ‘traditional’ landscape between the 14th and 16th centuries; 2) a significant intensification linked to the introduction of American crops, such as maize, between the 17th-19th centuries; and 3) a rapid degradation since the mid-20th century.

Architecture is one of the first expressions of human culture. Its development has been a constant throughout the centuries, especially since the appearance of sedentarization processes, when the combination of different materials to improve the durability and isolation of the constructions is observed. The execution of coverings for walls and other domestic structures made smooth surfaces available, on which to express the ideological codes of human communities or simply to develop their aesthetic values. In this paper, a plastered building fragment with remains of paint from the Cabezo Redondo Bronze Age site (Villena, Alicante) is presented. This is the first decorated fragment of render documented in the settlement. The analysis of the archaeological context in which it appeared allows us to relate it to other similar evidence documented in other Bronze Age sites, inside and outside the area of the El Argar culture. On this fragment a wide set of non-destructive analyses have been developed to preserve its patrimonial value. Firstly, a macroscopic observation with the aim of making a detailed description. Furthermore, mineralogical studies have been carried out to address the composition of the covering and the ornamental band, but also the geological characterization of the deposit environment, to contextualize the origin of the materials used. These analyses have also made possible to explore the manufacturing and maintenance processes of the domestic structures built in Cabezo Redondo, through the study of this singular element from these diverse and complementary approaches. RESUMEN: La arquitectura es una de las primeras expresiones de la cultura humana. Su desarrollo ha sido una constante a lo largo de los siglos, especialmente a partir de la aparición de los procesos de sedentarización, momento en el cual se aprecia la combinación de diferentes materiales destinados a mejorar la durabilidad y el aislamiento de las construcciones. El desarrollo de revestimientos de las paredes permitió la aparición de superficies lisas sobre las cuales plasmar los códigos ideológicos de las comunidades humanas o, simplemente, desarrollar sus valores estéticos. En este trabajo se presenta el primer fragmento documentado de revestimiento con restos de pintura procedente del yacimiento de la Edad de Bronce de Cabezo Redondo (Villena, Alicante), sobre el cual se han desarrollado un amplio conjunto de analíticas no destructivas con el objetivo de determinar no solo sus características físicas y de composición, sino también la intencionalidad ornamental de la pintura.

Se analizan los datos que proporciona el estudio antropológico y arqueológico del cementerio altomedieval de Santa María de Tejuela (Bozoó, Burgos) que pueden aportar alguna información sobre aspectos paleodemográficos. El número de individuos exhumados asciende a 182, aunque solo se ha podido asignar edad y sexo a 125 de ellos. El número de individuos infantiles y juveniles es reducido, lo que proporciona un índice de juventud muy bajo. Entre los adultos los resultados sobre la mortalidad son los propios de una población rural medieval que vivió bajo duras condiciones de vida, sobre todo las mujeres. La mayoría de enterramientos de adultos sugiere una población con una aparente baja fertilidad. ______________________________________________________________________________ This paper analyzes the data provided by the anthropological and archaeological study of the Santa María de Tejuela cemetery (Bozoó, Burgos), which may provide some information on paleodemographic aspects, bearing in mind their difficult and sometimes contradictory interpretation. The number of individuals determined from the skeletal remains amounts to 182. However, the number of skeletons with age and sex assigned is 125. This assignment has been carried out by a team of three researchers to minimize inter-observer bias in the application of the different methods utilized. Regarding the distribution by sex, including the three juvenile individuals, males account for the majority of individuals (56.7%) compared to females (43.3%). Among the latter, the majority died before reaching the age of 41 and no woman lived beyond 61 years. The number of children and youth burials is low in relation to that of adults, and the estimated youth index is very low (0.10) and significantly lower than that of other contemporary populations in the region. Non-adults show a very high mortality in the first year of life, somewhat lower in the following two years and with a significant drop from the third year on. The mortality results of adults are consistent with those of a medieval rural population, with low average life expectancy, especially among women. The paucity of infant and youth burials, which provides a mortality profile that does not follow the expected U-shape of pre-industrial populations, cannot be attributed exclusively to taphonomic or methodological factors. Everything points to a population with low fertility, in which there could have been emigrants who did not form families in the place, which could fit with the instability of life in a border area.

Los paisajes de montaña son el reflejo de las interacciones entre los grupos sociales y su medio ambiente, que se materializan en el espacio mediante la activación de los recursos por medio de diversas prácticas sociales. Este trabajo propone el desarrollo de una metodología de prospección basada en el análisis combinado de las coberturas terrestres y de los artefactos presentes en el paisaje, con el fin de reconstruir la historia social, económica y ecológica que subyace a la configuración actual del paisaje de montaña de Aiako Harria (Oiartzun, Gipuzkoa). Ante la aparente ilegibilidad de unos espacios a menudo observados desde un prisma puramente naturalístico, los resultados alcanzados ponen de relieve la densidad histórica de unos paisajes que actualmente se encuentran, en contraste, sujetos a un fuerte proceso de marginalización. ______________________________________________________________________________ Mountain landscapes reflect past interactions between social groups and their environment, materialised in the space by the activation of environmental resources with a variety of social practices. This paper proposes the development of a multi-proxy archaeological survey methodology, based on the combined analysis of the landcovers and manufacts present in the landscape, with the purpose of reconstructing the social, economic and ecological history that lies beneath its present-day layout, taking as a case study the mountains of Aiako Harria (Oiartzun, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country). The oldest practices documented are wooded pastures, present in the area since the Middle Ages in the framework of diversified silvo-pastoral resource management systems. During the Modern period, the expansion of agrarian lands gave origin to new dispersed settlements, often constructed on previous wooded pastures. In contrast, the 19th-20th centuries are marked by the expansion of industry-oriented forest plantations, which are still nowadays the most common landcover. Despite their progressive marginalisation, these spaces therefore appear as historically built features reflecting complex interactions between societies and their environment, in contrast with the purely naturalistic optic that is widespread in the regulation and management of these spaces nowadays.

En este trabajo se presentan los resultados del análisis funcional de las láminas y lascas con muescas o denticuladas, procedentes de los niveles del Mesolítico final y Neolítico antiguo del yacimiento de Aizpea (Arive, Navarra). Las microhuellas identificadas han permitido un preciso diagnóstico funcional para reconstruir la manera en que estos útiles fueron utilizados y el tipo de materias trabajadas. Este estudio ha revelado también la idoneidad de la aplicación de la metodología traceológica para inferir técnicas de transformación de distintos recursos. El trabajo de la madera y el hueso fueron las actividades realizadas con denticulados en Aizpea, obviamente relacionados con las estrategias de subsistencia de los grupos que ocuparon el abrigo en diferentes momentos entre el VIII y la primera mitad del VII milenio BP. ____________________________________________ ABSTRACT The site excavated in Aizpea offers a model about the ways of life of the last groups of prehistoric hunter-gatherers who lived in a Pyrenean environment, in the north of Navarre, during the Late Mesolithic and the beginning of the Neolithic (Barandiarán & Cava, 2001). Whoevers took refuge in this rock-shelter exploited a wide range of resources from different ecosystems, which were close to the site: a wide spectrum of ungulates they were hunted; they fished barbel and trout at the next Irati river, and they also took advantage of a varied representation of plants remains that were been used for food or fuel. The flaked lithic assemblages that they have produced are mainly composed of microlithic elements, geometrics, small blades and backed points. On the other hand, numerous denticulates and, in smaller proportions, scrapers, racloirs, truncations or drills make up the domestic toolkit. Within the industrial dynamic of Aizpea, the evolution of the denticulates, as the third majority typological group, experiences a quantitative decrease from the oldest to the most recent stage. This paper present the results of a use-wear analysis concerning noched or denticulates blades and flakes recovered from the three phases established on the site, Aizpea I and II (geometric Mesolithic) and Aizpea III (early Neolithic). Once defined the state of conservation of the assemblage, a sample of this elements have been observed in the microscope. Some of them presented exclusively one notch, and others were characterized by a truly denticulated edge. The micro traces identified has allowed a precise functional diagnostic to reconstruct how these tools were used and the type of worked materials. The use-wear analysis has shown that these pieces are used as scraping tools. This study has also revealed the suitability of the apliccation of traceological methodology to infer transformation techniques of different resources. Wood and bone working were the activities performated with denticulates at Aizpea, obviously related to the subsistence strategies of the groups that occupied the rock shelter at different times between the VIIIth and first half the VIIth millennium BP.

En el ámbito del proyecto de investigación IGAEDIS (Da civitas Igaeditanorum à Egitânia. A construção e evolução da cidade e a definição dos seus territórios da Época Romana até à doação dos Templários - séculos I a XII) se han realizado diferentes actuaciones arqueológicas en la actual aldea histórica de Idanha-a-Velha (Portugal). Además, la revisión de anteriores intervenciones, complementadas con la realización de dataciones absolutas, han permitido atribuir una cronología más temprana de la asignada hasta ahora a los dos “baptisterios” documentados en el yacimiento. Esta nueva lectura nos lleva a plantear un renovado marco de reflexión y crítica histórica, tanto de estas construcciones - piscinas bautismales - como del contexto en el que se insertan. Un ejercicio presentado en este trabajo de manera diacrónica, con el objetivo de mejorar el conocimiento sobre la evolución histórica de este sitio arqueológico entre los siglos IV-VIII. _____________________________________________ ABSTRACT In the scope of the research project IGAEDIS (From the civitas Igaeditanorum to Egypt. The construction and evolution of the city and the definition of its territories from the Roman era until the donation of the Templars -1st to 12th centuries) several archaeological activities have been carried out in the historic village of Idanha-a-Velha (Portugal). The project, as also the aim to review the previous archaeological interventions, studying the stratigraphy, the correlated archaeological artefacts and promoting several radiocarbon and OSL analysis. In what the two “baptisteries” concerns, the research permitted to review the chronology of these structures, that are earlier than the several chronologies proposed until now. These results implied a new reflection about meaning of the both baptismal fonts and their historical and religious contexts. In this paper is presented and interpretation of the archaeological contexts of these structures and is discussed their meaning within the scope of the urban changes that occurred in Idanha-a-Velha between 4th to 7th centuries.

En este artículo se presentan los resultados del estudio arqueológico del yacimiento fortificado altomedieval de Faro de Budiño (O Porriño, Pontevedra) realizado entre los años 2015 y 2018, bajo una triple metodología basada en la prospección superficial, teledetección y excavación. Los resultados han permitido documentar dos fases de ocupación en la Alta Edad Media: una situada entre finales del imperio romano y el reino suevo y otra vinculada al período de expansión del poder político de la monarquía ovetense. En ambos casos se constata un importante esfuerzo constructivo que refleja poderes con amplios recursos y capacidad de control territorial. Además se plantea el funcionamiento en red de esta fortificación junto a otros yacimientos del entorno. Todo ello aporta nuevas perspectivas cronológicas y funcionales para un tipo de yacimiento escasamente investigado en el noroeste peninsular y nos permite plantear algunas reflexiones preliminares sobre el contexto en el que se insertan. ____________________________________________ ABSTRACT: This paper presents the results of the archaeological study of the early medieval fortified site of Faro de Budiño (O Porriño, Pontevedra) carried out between the years 2015 and 2018. The study was based on a methological approach that combined surface survey, remote sensing and archaeological excavation. The results have allowed us to identify two phases of occupation of the site during the Early Middle Ages: the first one between the end of the Roman Empire and the Suebian kingdom, and the second one during the expansion of the political power from the Oviedo monarchy. In both cases there is a significant constructive effort that reflects powers with ample resources and capacity for territorial control. In addition, it is here suggested that this fortification functioned in a network with other sites in the surrounding area. All of this provides new chronological and functional perspectives for a type of site that has been scarcely researched in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula and allows us to propose some preliminary reflections on the context in which they are inserted.

Se presenta el hallazgo de fragmentos de pizarras numerales procedentes del sitio de El Castillón (Santa Eulalia de Tábara, Zamora). El lugar es un asentamiento rural fortificado con una ocupación de los siglos V-VI, sobre el que se construyó una iglesia en los siglos IX-X. Las pizarras proceden de la intervención en la iglesia, aunque posiblemente deban relacionarse con la ocupación posromana. En el artículo, se estudian esas pizarras numerales y se analizan como materiales de desecho de una posible oficina contable, señalando además cómo las estrategias de gestión de los residuos y el impacto de ocupaciones posteriores han podido ser determinantes en los procesos de conservación de este material. Se considera además que estaríamos ante los restos de un sistema matemático de uso extendido. ____________________________________________ ABSTRACT This paper is focused on the site of El Castillón (Santa Eulalia de Tábara, Zamora) and the numerical slates found there. It was a fortified rural settlement with a strong occupation during 5th and 6th centuries, including domestic units, metallurgical kilns, a lot of pottery sherds, some of them of high-level productions, and faunal remains. After an hiatus, the site was re-occupied in the 9th-10th centuries, when a monumentalized church linked to some burials was constructed. During the excavation of that church, two small fragments of numerical slates were found as removed or reused materials. Those slates have the same features than others from different sites. But there is a clear difference with other fortified rural settlements where great concentrations of slates have been found, probably as a result of accounting needs related to the control of tolls. Those slates were not archive documents if not a preliminary note discarded once the information was copied on a different text. The management of waste was a key to understand the archaeological secondary position of those pieces and their preservation, because an intense occupation of the site may be the cause of the destruction of the slates. The hypothesis is that El Castillón seems to have been an influential “central place” in Post-Roman times, with the use of accountability in slates, a material that came from other near areas. But the construction of the church disturbed the prior waste deposits and some of the slates were part of the building operations of the 9th-10th centuries. Another conclusion is the spread of the mathematical system seen on the slates, with could be used with very different functions, so it must not be understood as a single pattern.

BSTRACT In this paper, a state of the art regarding the available anthracological data from Middle Palaeolithic contexts in Iberia is presented. The information retrieved is still very scarce and fragmented, as many Iberian areas present palaeobotanical gaps leading to the lack of information regarding local landscape dynamics. The use of different sampling methods to recover wood charcoal remains is a decisive factor which hampers the comparative study, although the dominance of Pinus nigra-sylvestris (black-scots pine) is recorded since, at least, Marine Isotopic Stage 6. This would indicate the widespread presence of cryophilous pine woodlands during the Upper Pleistocene in Iberia pointing to the prevalence of supramediterranean conditions (MAT = 8 - 13 ºC). This state of the art aims to contribute to our understanding of Upper Pleistocene Iberian landscapes based on Neanderthal firewood gathering activities.

Las excavaciones llevadas a cabo a finales de los noventa en la fortaleza medieval de Mendikute (Gipuzkoa) permitieron recuperar un amplio conjunto de materiales arqueológicos representativos de la actividad cotidiana de un asentamiento militar de frontera. Entre ellos se documentan algunos materiales cerámicos, abundante material óseo y un amplísimo repertorio de elementos metálicos, preferentemente férricos pero también de bronce. El conjunto de metales de Mendikute permite ilustrar algunos de los elementos propios del armamento bajomedieval y de los enseres de carácter ornamental que componen la vestimenta propia de la soldadesca. Este trabajo presenta una visión de conjunto de todos ellos a fin de definir los principales rasgos de los restos de material mueble de este asentamiento fortificado y su trascendencia para el estudio de la vida cotidiana de una guarnición de frontera. _______________________________________ During the archaeological fieldwork carried out during the latest nineties at the medieval fortress of Mendikute (Gipuzkoa, Basque Country) a vast amount of archaeological materials representative of daily activities in a military border settlement was discovered. Amongst these, some pottery, abundant bone pieces and a vast repertoire of metallic elements were included. The metal assemblage from Mendikute, preferably iron but also bronze, includes some of the characteristic elements of late medieval weaponry and some pieces for soldiers clothes embellishment. This paper introduces a summary view of these materials in order to define the main features of mobile material remains at this fortified settlement and their relevance for the study of daily life in a border fortress.

Ekain cave (Deba, Gipuzkoa) has been researched for the last five decades and has been kept closed to the general public. This fact has allowed an exceptional preservation of the depictions. The re-study of rock art sites discovered during the 20th century and the improvement of the survey and recording methodologies are allowing significant advances in the Upper Palaeolithic research. In this paper we present a new graphic ensemble in the entrance gallery to Ekain cave, also known as Erdibide. We located several pigment stains, a triangular sign and an incomplete depiction of a bison, all drawn in red. This taxon is not new in the cave: other bison have previously been registered in black, red or even engraved; they are incomplete and, in general, lack internal details. Because of this there is a contrast with the horses, technically and stylistically more elaborated. The style of these bison, ascribed mostly to the Niaux morphotype, allows to associate them to the middle-to-late Magdalenian and would, probably, be culturally synchronic to the horses that characterise the cave. _____________________________________________ La cueva de Ekain (Deba, Gipuzkoa) ha sido estudiada durante las últimas cinco décadas y se ha mantenido cerrada al público general por motivos de conservación, hecho que ha permitido que las grafías se preserven de una manera excepcional. El re-estudio de los conjuntos descubiertos durante el siglo XX junto con la mejora de los métodos de prospección y registro está permitiendo nuevos avances en la investigación del arte paleolítico cantábrico. En este artículo presentamos un nuevo conjunto gráfico descubierto en la galería de entrada a la cueva de Ekain conocida como Erdibide. Se han localizado restos de pigmento, un signo triangular y una representación parcial de bisonte en color rojo. Este taxón no constituye una representación nueva en la cueva. Se han registrado previamente otros, tanto pintados en negro o en rojo e incluso grabados; se caracterizan por estar incompletos y carecer, prácticamente, de detalles internos, hecho que contrasta con los caballos, técnica y estilísticamente más elaborados. El estilo característico de estos bisontes, adscritos al tipo Niaux, permite asociarlos a la fase media-avanzada del Magdaleniense y serían, muy probablemente, culturalmente sincrónicos al numeroso conjunto de caballos de la cueva.

A continuación se presentan los resultados relativos a las tumbas con individuos no-adultos halladas en tres necrópolis del yacimiento de Humanejos (Parla, Madrid): la más antigua datada en época tardoantigua, otra medieval islámica y una tercera bajomedieval cristiana. La cronología abarca aproximadamente desde la segunda mitad del siglo VI hasta el siglo XVI. Se han excavado un total de 121 estructuras funerarias que contenían los restos de 154 individuos de los cuales 36 eran no-adultos. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar las tumbas infantiles desde una perspectiva arqueológica y bioantropológica, para conocer cuáles eran las prácticas funerarias hacia este grupo social, así como observar las posibles diferencias existentes entre ambos ritos. _____________________________________________ Graves containing non-adult individuals found in the Late Antiquity and Late Medieval cemeteries of Humanejos (Parla, Madrid) are presented (VIth-16th centuries A.D.). On this graveyard 121 funerary structures belonging to both Muslim and Christian rites were excavated. An exhaustive anthropological report of 154 individuals has been made, 36 of which which were children from all age groups. The aim of this paper was to analyse the non-adult burials from an archaeological and bioanthropological perspective in order to determine the funerary patterns among this social group, as well as to observe potential differences between non-adults and adults in both religious rites and periods. Some of the archaeological variables used in this research were the type of structure, the position and orientation of the bodies or the presence or absence of grave-goods, which have been combined with anthropological variables such us the age at death or the paleo-pathological characteristics of the population. As a result, no big differences in the funerary treatment have been detected between adults and non-adults of both rites and their graves appear mixed throughout the necropolis. Some differences can be however identified among children given that new-borns are extremely scarce in both periods, what would possibly indicate a differential funerary treatment towards them. Certain diversity has also been detected in Christian graves of both periods since children individual tombs are proportionally more abundant in Late Antiquity than in Medieval times. In any case, there is no doubt that non-adults are a crucial part of every society and that the funerary record is one of the best scenario to understand the social role that boys and girls would have in their communities. Indeed the funerary treatment that they received is a true reflection of social consideration and at the same time shows eventual differences that would exist between them.

In this paper, anthracological and palynological records of the Medieval deserted village of Zaballa in Alava (Basque Country, Northern Spain) are used to examine the transformation of rural landscapes. At this site, a large-scale archaeological project was carried out and a long period of occupation (6th-16th century) discovered. A good range of bioarchaeological and eoarchaeological evidence was also found. Archaeobotanical remains provided comprehensive proxies, which can be used to better understand the local economy, landscape dynamics, agrarian terraces and field systems. These data permit an examination of the role of the local community and the external agents that shaped agrarian and domestic spaces as well as the impact of aristocratic powers on rural settlements. The cross use of pollen and charcoal data allow us to relate the progressive reduction of the arboreal component during the Middle Ages with the increasing of the agrarian production, the periodical reorganization of the cultivated spaces, and the introduction of new production strategies. _____________________________________________ En este trabajo se emplean registros antracológicos y palinológicos de la aldea medieval abandonada de Zaballa en Álava (País Vasco, norte de España) para estudiar la transformación de los paisajes rurales. En este enclave se llevó a cabo un proyecto arqueológico a gran escala y se descubrió un largo periodo de ocupación (siglos VI-XVI). Además se encontró una gran variedad de evidencias bioarqueológicas y geoarqueológicas. Los restos arqueobotánicos aportaron indicadores integrales que pueden utilizarse para comprender mejor la economía local, la dinámica paisajística, las terrazas agrícolas y los sistemas para el campo. Estos datos permiten estudiar el papel de la comunidad local y los agentes externos que dieron forma a los espacios agrícolas y domésticos, así como el impacto de los poderes aristocráticos sobre los asentamientos rurales. El uso cruzado de datos procedentes del polen y el carbón nos permite relacionar la reducción progresiva del componente arbóreo durante la Edad Media con el aumento de la producción agraria, la reorganización periódica de los espacios de cultivo y la introducción de nuevas estrategias de producción.

En este artículo se describen los resultados del análisis preliminar de la pintura y de la excavación arqueológica del abrigo de Cova dos Mouros (Baleira, Lugo). En esta pequeña cavidad se han identificado varios paneles de arte esquemático representando motivos tanto geométricos (zigzags, chevrons,…) como naturalistas (antropomorfos) realizados con pintura roja. Esto convierte a Cova dos Mouros en el primer ejemplo de este tipo de arte detectado y excavado en la comunidad gallega. La intervención realizada en el interior de este abrigo ha evidenciado la presencia de ocupaciones humanas episódicas que se habrían prolongado entre, al menos, el IV y el II Milenios cal a.C. Fueron identificadas varias estructuras (un muro a base de tierra y piedras y una zanja conteniendo restos carbonizados de pequeños postes o estacas) así como señales reiteradas de la presencia de fuego intenso en el interior de la cavidad que habrían tenido lugar a lo largo de varios milenios. ___________________________________________________ In this paper, we deal with the archaeological excavation carried out in Cova dos Mouros rock-shelter (Baleira, Lugo) and a preliminary analysis of its results. This is a small cavity where Schematic Art consisting of red paintings displaying both geometric (zig-zags, chevrons…) and naturalistic (anthropomorphs) motifs have been detected. Cova dos Mouros constitutes the first example of this type of art ever detected and excavated in Galician territory. The archaeological excavation inside the rock-shelter has uncovered evidences of episodic human activity along, at least, the IVth and IInd Millennia cal. BC. These included the identification of several structures (a low wall made of earth and stones and a ditch containing the burned remains of several small posts or stakes) and also repeated signs of intense fire inside the cave that would have spanned over several millennia.

Presentamos el estudio conjunto de los registros materiales procedentes de las distintas intervenciones realizadas en la vaguada del castro de las Rabas (Cervatos, Cantabria) en 1968-1969 y en 2011. Los resultados han permitido contribuir a caracterizar la cultura material del enclave, mientras que el estudio antropológico del cráneo conservado revela lesiones perimortales acontecidas en el siglo IV a.C., momento en el que el yacimiento pudo sufrir alguna incursión violenta. _____________________ In this paper, we present the material culture recorded in the hillfort of Las Rabas (Cervatos, Cantabria), between 1968-1969 and 2011. Our results allow us to characterize the material culture of the site and the anthropological study of the human skull shows perimortal injuries as consequence of a possible attack on the town in the 4th century a.C. The valley of the hillfort of Las Rabas is one of the most important areas of the site because most of the archaeological materials come from here. The different studies have led to interpret the valley as one of the areas of habitat or as a possible necropolis. The materials recovered during the archaeological excavation of 2011 allow us to propose that it be a landfill. The study of the archaeological materials has allowed differentiating three types of pottery productions: handmade pottery, wheel made pottery and campanian pottery. This last type could be imitations. Also abundant remains of fauna bones have been recovered, a human skull and iron and bronze objects like arms and fibulae. All archaeological objects date the site in the Second Iron Age, being destroyed during Cantabrian Wars.

El objetivo de este trabajo es el estudio del ara de Cabriana (Lantarón, Álava) –HAEp 2531– dedicada a las Ninfas. El análisis detallado de la pieza permite proponer una nueva lectura e interpretación de la misma en el marco de la religión romana provincial, que modifica las valoraciones históricas anteriores. ________ This paper studies the altar HAEp 2531 discovered out of archaeological context near the Roman villa of Cabriana (Lantarón, Álava, Spain) in 1919. It is currently preserved in the BIBAT-Archaeology Museum in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Álava) with the inventory number 106. In 1925 J. Miguel de Barandiarán published it for the first time with the following transcription: Nymph / bonis et / locos, and the translation “To the good Nymphs and places”. This is the reading that has been accepted by scholars until now. The detailed analysis and review of the altar leads to suggest a new interpretation for the lines 1 and 3: Nymf(is) et / Bo·ni·s / et· Lo·co·s(acrum siue -acro), that could be translated as “Consecrated to the Nymphs and to the Good (Gods) and to the Place” or “To the Nymphs and to the Good (Gods) and to the Sacred Place”. The absence of archaeological context or any other significant chronological indications make it difficult to date the inscription accurately. Therefore, it is only possible to estimate a broad chronology between the 2nd and 3rd centuries. The new interpretation of the text together with the examination of similar inscriptions of the Western Roman Empire change the historical conclusions of previous studies and situate the dedication in a Roman religious context. Thus, the altar has to be understood within the framework of the principles of the well-known ancient polytheism. The inscription is dedicated to the Nymphs, the (Dii) Boni and the sacred space. The association of the Nymphs with other divinities is not surprising, since it is attested in many inscriptions. Additionally, the interpretation of the text as a dedication to a locus sacer would link these divinities with a natural space. Unfortunately, the absence of the mention of the cultor or cultores makes it impossible to determine the private or public nature of the altar.

Este trabajo presenta con las técnicas geoespaciales y estadísticas del SIG un análisis territorial del Neolítico de la sierra de Atapuerca y la cuenca del Arlanzón (Burgos) (VI-IV milenio cal BC). El trabajo de campo está basado en excavaciones (cuevas, túmulos y sitios de exterior) y en 10 prospecciones sistemáticas intensivas de cobertura total sobre un área de 314 km2 (10 km de radio de Cueva Mayor). El mapeo de los sitios con Modelos Digitales del Terreno (MDTs), la clasificación funcional con datos tecnoculturales y las técnicas de análisis espacial del SIG han sido las herramientas más útiles para proporcionar nueva información del poblamiento. El Neolítico del territorio (VI-IV milenio cal BC) manifiesta una densa articulación funcional de sitios con una estrategia de subsistencia agropecuaria: cuevas y galerías (zonas habitacionales y de estabulación del ganado, zonas funerarias y espacios simbólicos), estructuras funerarias megalíticas, poblados, campamentos, talleres de sílex y otros sitios con actividades económicas complementarias. __________________ This paper presents with the GIS geospatial and statistical techniques a territorial analysis of the Neolithic sites from Sierra de Atapuerca and the Arlanzón Basin (Burgos) (VI-IV millennium cal BC). The area around Sierra de Atapuerca is a geostrategic territory for knowledge of the neolithisation process on the Northern Iberian Plateau. The Early Neolithic radiocarbon datings on short-life samples from Mayor Cave and El Mirador Cave (Sierra de Atapuerca) are amongst the oldest of this period on the North Plateau (last third of the VI millennium cal BC; ca. 5400/5300 cal BC). Sierra de Atapuerca is the final Cretaceous spur in the north-western part of the Iberian Range, it is close to the Basque-Cantabrian Mesozoic boundary, the nearby Bureba Depression is a natural corridor, there is a diversity of Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic material around Sierra de la Demanda (Iberian Range), and the boundary between the Duero and Ebro River basins all formed a highly propitious geological, geomorphological, edaphic and palaeoecological context for Neolithic settlements. The Neogene and Cretaceous flint outcrops in the study area, of considerable quality for prehistoric technology, are another aspect of geological and palaeoeconomic importance. The fieldwork was based on several systematic excavations (caves, megalithic mounds and open-air sites) and on ten full-coverage intensive systematic surveys in a 314 km2 study area (10 km radius around Mayor Cave). The results of the full-coverage intensive systematic survey project have proven highly successful, with near of 200 archaeological sites from the Neolithic, Chalcolithic and the Bronze Age in the 314 km2 study area. The mapping of all Neolithic sites with Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) of high resolution (10 m cell size), the site functional classification with techno-cultural data (the Multivariate Analysis of techno-typological variables of the lithic and ceramic tools) and the GIS spatial analysis techniques have been the most useful tools to provide new insights about the Neolithic settlement. The neolithisation process of this territory is one of the oldest on the Northern Iberian Plateau, which refutes the old historiographic claims of settlement gaps and delayed areas. Domestic agrotypes of wheat and barley, ovicaprid livestock, Neolithic pottery, shaped and polished tools are all present in the karst records and the open air sites from the VI millennium cal BC. The Neolithic of this territory shows a dense functional articulation of sites from the VI to the IV millennium cal BC with a subsistence agriculture and livestock strategy: caves and galleries (inhabitation zones and livestock stabling, funerary zones and symbolic spaces), megalithic funerary structures, settlements, campsites, flintknapping workshops and other sites with complementary economic activities.

The Lisbon Strategy objective of turning Europe into a world-leading knowledge-based society, has left the way to the Europe 2020 strategyobjectives of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020) establishes that educational and training systems should provide the means for all citizens to realise their potentials, as well as to acquire and develop skills and competencies needed for their employability and foster further learning, active citizenship and inter-cultural dialogue; from a lifelong learning perspective, covering all levels and contexts (including non-formal and informal learning). The aim of this paper is to present the strategic objectives of EU education and training policies and discuss, accordingly, a place for archaeological heritage in school, higher and adult education.

This paper analyzes and discusses the production and utilization of bone anvils across Europe in light of new evidence found in the Bas-que Country and Madrid, emphasizing the important social and economical function of these tools. A general overview of the stage of the research about these tools and about serrated sickles that were manufactured using them will be given. As an appendix, a catalogue of the evidence that has been published until now is offered.

This paper analyses the suspended objects of adornment made from marine mollusc shells that have been recorded at Mesolithic and Neolithic sites in southwest Europe. Particular attention will be given to taxonomic determination, technological aspects and the strategies utilised to obtain the raw materials for these objects. The distribution of certain species and the types of ornamentation used by the last hunter-gatherers and first farming communities will also be discussed.

In this paper basic concepts concerning radiocarbon dating and Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) technique, and specifically the Centre for Isotopic Research on Cultural and Environmental heritage (CIRCE Laboratory) AMS facility, will be given. Problem of contaminations in radiocarbon AMS measurements will be introduced, and the sample preparation laboratory and the graphitisation lines that are used at the CIRCE Laboratory will be presented. Moreover problems of sampling and interpretation of the archaeological radiocarbon dates will be treated in consideration of the nature of interdisciplinary research and of the impact of radiocarbon dating on archaeology.