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Evidence of early Homo sapiens populations at the Atlantic coast of Africa remains relatively poorly known in relation to other regions of the continent. Nevertheless, available data across the continent provides a good starting point for current and future research investigations. The many sites known, documented and studied contribute in an increasingly way to the global understanding of the human emergence, including evidence of human evolutionary and technological advances, specific adaptations to diverse environments, the diffusion of Homo species and how humans interacted with each other from the "Early Stone Age (ESA)" through to the Middle Stone Age (MSA) from northern and southern Africa to the West. The differences of knowledge between the Atlantic coast in regard to other regions might be attributed to a number of reasons including but not limited to the history of scientific interest, site formation processes or economic, institutional and political constraints. However, the region received a renewed attention and funds that, combined with new methods and techniques, has been allowing an increased training of new researchers and the acquisition of high-resolution archaeological, paleoenvironmental and chronological data. Together, these inputs will reduce the differences of knowledge between the Atlantic coast and the Northern, Southern and Eastern Africa regions. The African Atlantic Coast represents more than 40% of the continent's perimeter, covering all Africa's climate zones, the hot arid environments, mountainous regions, and tropical rainforest could become relevant barriers for human mobility, but the shallow continental platform, and the great number of river basins allowed mobility between north and south coastal biomes into the continental interiors. These may have provided predictable patchy clusters of resources allowing human populations to thrive, enabling greater mobility and consequent diffusion of cultural traits, resources, and DNA. In this paper we review the record about the prehistory, paleoenvironments and paleoanthropological visibility and potentiality of Atlantic Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Archaeological evidence for the earliest human presence in western Iberia is summarised and discussed. Western Iberia is geologically characterised by magmatic and metamorphic rocks (Hesperian Massif) but also by siliciclastic and carbonate Mesozoic and Cenozoic formations. The geological context affects the distribution of Pleistocene archaeological sites, as the most of the archaeological evidence known today is located in river terrace formations or in karst deposits. Very few sites have been fully investigated; the older ones are tentatively dated as middle/late Middle Pleistocene. Recent results have been obtained using an archaeological and geomorphological approach carried out in the Portuguese region of Alto Ribatejo. Dating of the lithic assemblages found in fluvial terraces or in cave deposits indicates that the first human presence in Portugal is not older than the OIS 8–9. However, it remains difficult to explain the long chronological gap between the archaeological evidences in western Iberia and the older sites in central and eastern Iberia, such as those in the Sierra de Atapuerca and Guadix Baxa areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality in cultural heritage attractions is mainly approached from the visitors' satisfaction perspective, and the literature does not contain a clear definition of quality in the management of cultural heritage sites open to the public. The present study aims to reframe this trend. By way of theoretical contribution, we propose a definition of quality in cultural heritage attractions management based on dimensions such as the capacity of preserving the cultural assets, the ability to communicate effectively their significance, the quality of commodification for visitor use, and the ability to boost intercultural competence and promote intercultural dialogue. Based on the above, an empirical, qualitative study was conducted on the cultural heritage managers' current perceptions of quality. The results suggest that a profound asymmetry exists among practitioners' opinions and practices, and four types of cultural heritage managers were defined with regard to their perception of quality: Reactionary, Reticent, Pragmatic, Enthusiastic. • We approach quality from a TQM point of view rather than a visitor satisfaction perspective. • We provide the first definition of quality in cultural heritage management. • Based on their perception of quality, a categorisation of cultural heritage managers is proposed. • The principles of the Faro Convention (2005) are still controversial among practitioners. • Non-quality in cultural heritage entails economic and social costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The province of Namibe, in south-western Angola, is rich in rock art, which is distributed throughout the region, from the municipality of Camucuio, with its Cipopilo sites, to the Caraculo area, which has the largest number of shelters with rock art. The distribution extends throughout the region, including the municipality of Virei, where the Citundu-Hulu shelter stands out, and the commune of Iona, with the Monte Negro rock art site. To date, the Caraculo region has the largest number of rock art sites identified in Angola. In this paper, we will discuss the general state of rock art studies in Namibe province and, of the various shelters found in the region. We will focus our study on four new sites firstly published in this paper, as they are a good illustration of the diversity of rock art in the region: Muliolila, Múcua II, Kandombolo and Cikotoue. These four shelters were subjected to a digital documentation protocol that is fundamental to the preservation and understanding of these archaeological sites. The methodology involved the application of a digital documentation protocol that included digital photography of the site, panels, figures and surrounding landscape, digital image processing, enhancement of the visualisation and interpretation of the rock art images using DStretch® software, and digital tracing using Adobe Photoshop© software. This documentation protocol will be used not only to provide accurate and up-to-date information about the site (thus raising awareness of the cultural and historical importance of these sites), but also to identify hazards and threats that may affect the site, to monitor possible damage and to take measures to protect the site. The motifs represented are very diverse, emphasizing zoomorphic figures such as antelopes, cats and serpentine figures, anthropomorphic forms, geometric forms (simple lines, combined lines, and circular forms) and indeterminate figures. The figures are both monochromatic and bichromatic, with white, black and red being the shades that can be observed (although these vary within each colour). The predominant technique is finger painting. Hunting scenes can be seen, either in isolation or in combination. One suggests that there may be indications that figures were made by at least two culturally distinct groups, even if in this paper the authors do not present any scientific proof for this statement but only different characteristics of the rock art. The rock art sites in the Namibe are of great cultural and historical importance, both for Angola and the world. They provide valuable information about the lives and traditions of the peoples who created them and help to promote awareness and conservation of Angola's cultural heritage. It is essential that intensive documentation and awareness of the importance of this Angolan rock art heritage be promoted and practiced on a large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of the first dedicated study of organic residues in Portugal, extracted from pottery excavated from Anta 1 de Val da Laje passage grave. We fully exploit the organic residue extract, to obtain information regarding the diet of the people and their relationship with the environment, the socio-economic aspects of an otherwise elusive society, and we also used a new methodology to obtain direct absolute dates for the pottery, the residue extract being the only datable organic material from the site. Our results suggest a community with diet based on terrestrial resources, that was fully benefitting from a range of domestic animals including their secondary products. We present the first direct evidence of not only meat consumption, but also milk and dairy production in Iberia. The compound-specific radiocarbon dating methodology, opens a door to possibilities for investigating otherwise poorly dated archaeological phenomena in the Iberian Peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]