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[EN] Experimental programs focused on various techno-functional issues have been carried out for more than a decade around the research project of the La Draga lacustrine neolithic site (Banyoles-Girona).The extraordinary conservation of archaeological materials made from both inorganic and organic materials has allowed the development of programs that have replicated technical processes of production and use of different tools and artifacts of bone, wood, and stone, used in different activities, such as woodworking and textile production. The Draga experimental project is proposed as a holistic tool for archaeological research, academic training, and dissemination for all audiences., [ES] En torno al proyecto de investigación del yacimiento neolítico lacustre de la Draga (Banyoles-Girona) se lleva a cabo desde hace más de una década programas experimentales centrados en diversas cuestiones tecno funcionales. La extraordinaria conservación de los materiales arqueológicos realizados tanto en materias inorgánicas como orgánicas han permitido desarrollar experimentos que han replicado procesos técnicos de producción y utilización de diferentes herramientas y artefactos de hueso, madera y piedra, utilizados en diferentes actividades, como el trabajo de la madera y la producción textil. El proyecto experimental de la Draga se plantea como una herramienta holística de investigación arqueológica, de formación académica y de divulgación para todos los públicos.

The goal of this article is to discuss the significance of the archaeological evidence from the sites of La Draga (Banyoles, Spain) and Coves del Fem (Ulldemolins, Spain), in the context of the neolithisation of Northeastern Iberia. The 14C dates have been analysed using Bayesian statistics. The stratigraphy of Coves del Fem covers the transition between the last hunter–gatherers of the region and the first farmers. The chronological sequence covers approximately 1,300 years, from 6065–5990 cal BC to 4700–4550 cal BC. The site of La Draga was occupied by the first farmers circa 5300–5230 cal BC when a wooden platform was constructed and first used. Subsequent repairs of the wooden piles have been dated as well. Another use of the wooden platform is documented around 5200–5085 cal BC, although until now new construction evidence has not been documented. La Draga site was reoccupied later, when several travertine structures dated in two moments between the years 5100–4900 cal BC and 4950–4700 cal BC were constructed and used. The radiocarbon dates of Coves del Fem and La Draga support the existence of two different models of neolithisation in Northeastern Iberia. In the southern part of the territory, Coves del Fem suggests that the Holocene hunter–gatherer populations remained in the area until the arrival of the first farmers, in a model similar to the one observed at the Ebro basin. On the contrary, the site of La Draga supports the hypothesis of the first farmers colonising a previously unoccupied territory., This work was supported by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Spain (grant numbers PID2019-109254GB-C21, PID2019-109254GB-C22, and PCI2020-111992). The archaeological excavation at La Draga and Coves del Fem was funded by the Departament de Cultura (Generalitat de Catalunya) CLT009/18/00026 and CLT009/18/. The authors are members of the research group supported by AGAUR-Generalitat de Catalunya: TEDAS 2017 SGR 243 and ASD 2017 SGR 995. Raquel Piqué also acknowledges the support of Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA, Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain), through the ICREA Academia Program.

The purpose of this work is to contribute to the knowledge of the role of fungi in prehistoric human societies and, in particular, to determine their use as tinder in fire-lighting technologies. The case of La Draga (Banyoles, NE Spain), an Early Neolithic site with extraordinary conservation of organic materials, is presented. At this site, a well preserved and abundant assemblage of fruiting bodies of fungi has been recovered in a waterlogged environment. The comparison of the taxa identified with evidence of fungal spores is analysed in order to provide a better understanding of the process of fungi incorporation into the archaeological site. Finds at La Draga demonstrate that the gathering of bracket fungi was a frequent practice during the Early Neolithic occupation. A total of 86 fruiting bodies have been studied and six different taxa have been identified: Ganoderma adspersum, Daldinia concentrica, Daedalea quercina, Lenzites warnieri, Coriolopsis gallica, and Skeletocutis nivea. The taxa identified in the fruiting bodies have not been identified among the fungal spores from the soil sediments. Comparison of the presence of fungal spores and fruiting bodies provides additional arguments to support the hypothesis that bracket fungi were gathered, dried and stored to be used by the inhabitants of La Draga., This work was supported by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Spain (grant numbers HAR2009-13494-C02-01 and 02, HAR2012-38838-C02-01 and 02, HAR2016-76534-C2-1 and 2). The archaeological excavation was funded by the Departament de Cultura (Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain) (2014/100822). The authors are member of the research groups supported by AGAUR-Generalitat de Catalunya: TEDAS 2017 SGR 243 (R.P., A.P.), ASD 2017 SGR 995 (X.T.), GAPS 2017 SGR 836 (J.R.). R.P is a beneficiary of ICREA-Academia grant. J.R. is beneficiary of Juan de la Cierva fellowship (Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades, Spain). The authors would like to thank Ajuntament de Banyoles, the Centre d’Arqueologia Subaquàtica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council–IMF and the Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya for supporting the work at La Draga site, and to the students, researchers and professionals who have participated in the excavation since the 1990s.

The introduction and spread of the Neolithic "way of life"in Europe was a process that took several millennia, followed by different rhythms and displayed singularities in each geographic area. It was therefore a very complex phenomenon that, despite highly significant advances in research in recent decades, is yet to be fully understood. To deepen our understanding of the very early stages of the introduction of herding and agriculture throughout the Old Continent, the 1st Conference on the Early Neolithic of Europe was organised in Barcelona on 6-8 November 2019. The conference was a great success with more than 200 participants, creating a stimulating arena to discuss and debate, exclusively, the transition to the Neolithic in Europe. This special issue brings together 52 of the contributions presented in Barcelona, offering an interesting overview of the current state of research across Europe, from the Anatolia to the Algarve, highlighting the geographical, chronological and socioeconomic diversity of the transformation processes involved in the Neolithisation of Europe and providing useful starting points for future research., he work was financed by a grant generously provided by the Catalan Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) (grant reference: SGR-2017-995) of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

Since its excavation, in the late 1980s, El Collado has been considered a Mesolithic funerary site. Nevertheless, recent studies of the site chronology and other material evidence - excluding the human remains - have indicated more complex dynamics of this site, combining both funerary and habitation uses by Mesolithic communities. First, a Bayesian model of the available radiocarbon dates provides information about the chronological dynamics in the human uses of the site. The model reveals that data are not representative of a single event but rather show the existence of several chronostratigraphic phases. Second, a noteworthy lithic assemblage from the site, which does not appear to be linked to the Mesolithic burials, can be attributed to the Notches and Denticulates Mesolithic facies in Mediterranean Iberia and the Ebro Basin. Technological and use-wear analyses of the lithic tools have been carried out in order to seek new data concerning the subsistence and craft activities performed by the communities that occupied the site. It must be noted that only in few cases similar studies had been applied previously on Mesolithic sites in the area of study. The first results show intense work on hard materials, such as wood, bone or antler, which a priori could lead to this site being considered a not specialized one from the functional point of view. These results are discussed taking into account all the inputs and possible biases due to the nature of the site and sampling carried out in the fieldwork.

Plant resins, tars and organic fossil substances provide valuable insights into the ecological, environmental and cultural contexts of ancient societies. Their study offers evidence of past know-how, production systems, socio-economic networks and mobility. In this paper, we present new data from 16 sites located in the North-West Mediterranean that provide new insights into the exploitation of these substances for their adhesive and hydrophobic properties throughout the Neolithic (6000-2500 cal BCE). The substances investigated are discussed in the light of their molecular composition, their uses and manufacturing processes. Spatial analyses were also performed to elucidate raw material procurement strategies. This study considerably increases the body of data available from the Mediterranean and tells a diachronic story of adhesive production and use throughout the Neolithic, highlighting the variability and complexity of production systems and supply networks at different spatial scales. While most adhesive and hydrophobic substances were probably collected locally, birch bark tar was very likely transported across long distances to reach Mediterranean coastal sites. Birch bark tar exploitation intensified in South-Eastern France during the Middle Neolithic, while the Late Neolithic is characterised by a diversification of the substances employed and their range of uses: bitumen, birch bark tar (pure or mixed with Pinaceae resin, beeswax and possibly fat/oil) were important materials that were used for a variety of purposes. Pure Pinaceae exudates were exclusively employed for waterproofing pottery. We also highlight the standardisation of birch bark tar production for adhesive manufacture observed in Provence during the first part of the 4th millennium cal. BCE., The authors thank the French National Research Agency (ANR) for the funding of the project Exsudarch (2010-2014, M. Regert dir.) which allowed extensive diachronic interdisciplinary investigations on plant exudates and tars as well as researching the biogeography of plant raw materials. We are also grateful to the Academy 5 of the IDEXJEDI from UCA (Université Côte d’Azur), to the MSHS sud-est, to the CNRS-INEE and to the CEPAM for funding the research project ARCHEOPLANTES (2018-2020, M. Regert dir.). The results presented here were obtained during the PhD of Maxime Rageot, funded by the PACA Region, the CNRS and the Université Côte d’Azur; may they find here the expression of our sincere thanks. We are grateful to Nolan Ferar for proofreading the article. Finally, we would like to thank the two reviewers for their constructive suggestions which helped to improve the quality of this article.

[EN] The Qarassa North Tell excavations, conducted between 2007 and 2010 by a French-Syrian-Spanish team, were the final phase of a program of research that began in 2002 with the Leja archaeological surveys. Following the surveys, excavations started on the southern tell of Qarassa in 2007, with the aim of assessing the Bronze and Iron Age sequence identified among modern houses scattered on the southern tell during previous surveys. In 2008, surface collection and limited soundings on the northern tell revealed archaeological material that appeared to derive from the Neolithic period. While microlithic materials near the tell pointed to a possible Khiamian and Natufian occupation on the edge of the basaltic plateau, naviform blades on the tell slopes as well as pottery sherds suggested the possibility of a long Neolithic occupation spanning the Pre- Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) to the Chalcolithic. Two seasons of excavation at different locations on the northern tell and the basaltic plateau facing it have produced improved chronological and cultural models of the Southern Levant in a region that has thus far been lacking in well-preserved archaeological sequences from the Natufian to the Chalcolithic., [FR] Les fouilles de Qarassa North Tell, menées entre 2007 et 2010 par une équipe franco-syrienne-espagnole, ont constitué la phase finale d’un programme lancé en 2002 avec les études archéologiques dans le plateau du Leja. Par la suite, des fouilles ont débuté sur le tell sud de Qarassa en 2007, dans le but d’évaluer la séquence de l’âge du Bronze et du Fer identifiée lors de prospections précédentes parmi les maisons modernes sur le tell sud. Finalement, en 2008, des prélèvements de surface et des sondages limités sur le tell du Nord ont révélé la présence de matériel archéologique apparemment lié à la période néolithique. Si, près du tell, les matériaux microlithiques indiquaient une possible occupation khiamienne et natoufienne au bord du plateau basaltique, des lames naviformes sur les pentes du tell ainsi que des fragments céramiques nous ont suggéré l’existence d’une longue occupation néolithique, allant du PPNB au Chalcolithique. Deux saisons de fouilles, à des endroits différents du tell septentrional et du plateau basaltique qui lui fait face, nous ont permis de progresser dans le diagnostic chronologique et culturel du Levant méridional dans une région jusqu’ici dépourvue de séquences archéologiques bien conservées entre le Natoufien et le Chalcolithique.

Barremian-Bedoulian flint from the Vaucluse region (western Provence, SE France), is traditionally considered one of the most significant chrono-cultural markers of the Chasséen culture during the Middle Neolithic (end of the 5th and beginning of the 4th millennium BC). Diffusion of Provençal flints became massive during the first half of the 4th millennium BC, penetrating in several neighbouring cultural spheres such as the Sepulcros de Fosa culture in north-eastern Iberia. The integrated study of the lithic assemblages from the variscite mines of Gavà (Barcelona) and its contextualization within the Sepulcros de Fosa culture in north-eastern Iberia have revealed unexpected complexity in the modes of consumption, use and status of imported Barremian-Bedoulian industries in north-eastern Iberia during the 5th to 4th millennia cal. BC transition. Local communities within this region, already controlling extraction and regional diffusion of variscite ornaments, exerted control over the fluxes of Vauclusian flint south of the Pyrenees, where it had a triple status (functional, symbolic and both). In addition, the results provide complementary data to better understand relevant aspects of the nature and organisation of Barremian-Bedoulian flint exploitation and early supply systems at the Provençal producing sites during the later phase of the Chasséen culture., This research has been made possible thanks to the financial support of the Generalitat de Catalunya (SGR-2017-995 and CLT009/18/00044) and the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (RYC-2016-21108), and the collaboration of the Museu de Gavà.

This volume sets out to offer the reader an overview of the neolithization process, the origin of the so-called Cardial Ware early Neolithic, in the Western Mediterranean between the last centuries of the seventh millennium and the mid-sixth millennium BC. The initial idea of the coordinators was to bring together a number of researchers of known international prestige, with a long and proven scientific career in that field, who would explain the work that has been carried out or is in progress in that area of the Mediterranean. To maintain certain standardization in the way the information was approached, some thematic guidelines were suggested so that the data from the different regions might be compared more easily. With these regional models, the intention was to obtain a full picture of the patterns and timing of the introduction of the Neolithic economy as well as the interactions between hunter-gatherer groups and neighboring farming communities, taking into account any regional peculiarities. In this way, it might be possible to move on from more traditional debates focused on chrono-cultural aspects. Even if most of papers deal with the origins of the Neolithic from a regional perspective, some other papers show a more global approach, whereas some authors have paid special attention to the cultural interactions between the Western Mediterranean and neighboring areas. Finally, other studies offer a view of the development of economic practices and subsistence habits from a more cross-cutting perspective., The initiative behind this special number and its design are related to the research carried out by the CSIC-IMF research group ‘Archaeology of Social Dynamics’, funded by the Government of Catalonia (2017 SGR 995) and to the projects HAR2016-74999-P, HAR2016-75201-P, HAR2016-76534-C2-1-R and HAR2016-76534-C2-2-R, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, and the Spanish Ministry of Culture (IPCE).

Berihuete-Azorín M, Girbal J, Piqué R, Palomo A, Terradas X (2018) Punk’s not dead. Fungi for tinder at the Neolithic site of La Draga (NE Iberia). PLoS ONE 13(4): e0195846. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0195846, This paper presents the study of the fungi remains preserved in the waterlogged deposits of the Neolithic site of La Draga. These resources had the potential of being used as food and medicine, but also as tinder. Fire was without a doubt one of the most important resources for past people. It was used for lighting, heating, processing food and other materials, cooking and protection, and also possessed social and ritual significance. Hearths are one of the most common features at archaeological sites, but very often little attention is paid to the question of how these fires were lit, and they are seldom reflected in the archaeological record. In order to produce fire by percussion, an intermediate material is required between the sparks and the fuel. Fruiting bodies of fungi are a potential form of tinder, but are less inclined to be well-preserved than other materials. This paper presents the fungal fruiting bodies found at the Neolithic site of La Draga and discusses the meaning of their presence within the archaeological context of the site and European Prehistory., RP, XT, MB, JG, AP: - 2015ACUP0191 and 2014/100822. The Digital Reconstruction of the Prehistoric Past:Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence for understanding social life in the Neolithic. Associació Catalana d'Universitats Públiques (ACUP) and Obra Social "La Caixa). https://obrasociallacaixa.org/ca/investigacion-y-salud/investigacion-ciencias-sociales-humanidades/convocatorias. - HAR2016-76534-C2-1-R and . Simulación computacional de fenómenos históricos de cambio social y tecnológico durante el neolítico. and HAR2016-76534-C2-2-R Producciones, variabilidad técnica e innovación tecnológica en el Neolítico. Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO). http://www.idi.mineco.gob.es. - 437 K117. La Draga en el procés de neolitització del nord-est peninsular. . Departament de Cultura de la Generalitat de Catalunya. http://cultura.gencat.cat/ca/departament/. The funders provide the economic means for the excavations at La Draga site, but the funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. RP: ICREA Acadèmia. Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA). https://www.icrea.cat/en.

[EN] This paper presents the fruiting bodies of fungi found in the early Neolithic site of La Draga (Banyoles, NE Spain), and discusses their intentional transportation to the parking lot for the purpose of potential use as tinder. The remains of 86 fungi represent 6 different polypore taxa. To support the use hypothesis, the environmental characteristics, the distribution over the parking area, evidence of manipulation and dimensions are presented., [RU] В данной работе представлены плодовые тела грибов, обнаруженные на ранненеолитической стоянке Ля Драга (Баньолес, СВ Испания), и обсуждается их намеренная транспортировка на стоянку с целью потенциального использование в качестве трута. Остатки 86 грибов представляют 6 различных таксонов полипоры. Чтобы поддержать гипотезу использования, представлены экологические характеристики, распределение по площади стоянки, свидетельства манипуляций и размеры.

La Draga is an early Neolithic site on the shore of Lake Banyoles (Spain). The archaeological layer corresponding to the earliest occupation phase, dated 5324–4977 cal BC, has been preserved in waterlogged conditions. Several fragments of cords and plant fibres have survived in the site providing a unique example of cord production by early farmers in the western Mediterranean region. The types of cordage recovered at the site are presented here. Several cords made of twisted plant fibres and one made of liana show the diversity of cordage at La Draga. The production of the cords and their possible uses are also discussed. These finds add to the global evidence for advanced fibre technologies associated with the transition to agriculture during the early-to mid-Holocene., This research was funded by Projects HAR2009-13494-C02-01, HAR2012-38838-C02-01, HAR2009-13494-C02-02, HAR2012-38838-C02-02. Archaeological excavation was funded by Departament de Cultura (Generalitat de Catalunya) (2014/100822). Igor Bogdanovic, Antoni Palomo, Raquel Piqué and Xavier Terradas are members of the research Group AGREST (SGR 2014 1169) funded by AGAUR.

[EN] In this paper, we present the various methods used for harvesting during the Neolithic period. In order to put forward a hypothesis about the origin of agricultural practices, it is important to assess the degree of domestication of cereals, analyzing the state of their maturity. Based on the analysis of the distribution and texture characteristics of the polish from the cereals, we can understand how the plants were collected. This may be due to different strategies for the use of agricultural crops., [RU] Вэтой работе мы представляем различные методы, использовавшиеся для сбора урожая в период неолита. Чтобы выдвинуть гипотезу о происхождении земледельческих практик, важно оценить степень одомашнивания злаковых, анализируя состояние их зрелости. На основе анализа распределения и текстурной характеристики заполировки от злаков, мы можем понять, как растения были собраны. Это может быть связано с различными стратегиями использования земледельческих культур.

Reconstructing the colonization and demographic dynamics that gave rise to extant forests is essential to forecasts of forest responses to environmental changes. Classical approaches to map how population of trees changed through space and time largely rely on pollen distribution patterns, with only a limited number of studies exploiting DNA molecules preserved in wooden tree archaeological and subfossil remains. Here, we advance such analyses by applying high throughput (HTS) DNA sequencing to wood archaeological and subfossil material for the first time, using a comprehensive sample of 167 European white oak waterlogged remains spanning a large temporal (from 550 to 9,800 years) and geographical range across Europe. The successful characterization of the endogenous DNA and exogenous microbial DNA of 140 (~83%) samples helped the identification of environmental conditions favoring long-term DNA preservation in wood remains, and started to unveil the first trends in the DNA decay process in wood material. Additionally, the maternally-inherited chloroplast haplotypes of 21 samples from three periods of forest human-induced use (Neolithic, Bronze Age and Middle Ages) were found to be consistent with those of modern populations growing in the same geographic areas. Our work paves the way for further studies aiming at using ancient DNA preserved in wood to reconstruct the micro-evolutionary response of trees to climate change and human forest management., This research was supported by the European Research Council, through the Advanced Grant Project TREEPEACE (#FP7-339728) and the Consolidator PEGASUS (#H2020-681605). Sequencing was performed at the Danish National High-Throughput Sequencing Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark.

La Draga is an archaeological site in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula dating to the Early Neolithic era, more than 7000 years ago. Given the extraordinary preservation of objects made of wood and vegetable fiber, this site offers an exceptional window on a period in human history when agriculture and herding were used for the first time in Europe to produce food and new means of living. In this chapter we concentrate on a single kind of object: archery equipment. We do so not only because these represent an important kind of tool, but also because the way we have researched them involves a combination of detective work, forensic research, and state-of-the art computer technology. It is our view that only by “reversing” the prehistoric engineering, in the same way that modern designers do with objects, we can learn how people lived in the deep past. In our efforts to "revive" prehistoric societies, we sometimes need both state-of-the-art modern computer technology and the careful work of archaeologists.

The consumption of wild resources, including molluscs, continued in the first farming societies together with the consumption of domestic resources. Remains of continental and marine molluscs have been found at the Neolithic site of La Draga (north-eastern Iberian Peninsula), dated in 5320–4800 cal BC, and about 35 or 40 km away from the Mediterranean coast (nowadays and when the site was occupied). The contact between the site and the coast has already been attested due to the presence of other remains like mineral raw materials that come from the coastal ranges. As the presence of continental molluscs must be due to natural processes, the marine molluscs have been studied more exhaustively. The most common species is Mytilus galloprovincialis, followed by Glycymeris sp. and Spondylus sp. These species were used in different ways, as food but also as tools and raw material for making ornaments. The presence of Mytilus galloprovincialis is not very common on the other Mediterranean contemporaneous sites where, in general, species from sandy bottoms are more abundant., All research has been funded by Projects HAR2009-13494-C02-01 and 02, HAR2012-38838-C02-01 and 02, HAR2014-60081-R, HAR2016-76534-C2-1 and 2 of the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness. The archaeological excavation was funded by the Departament de Cultura (Generalitat de Catalunya) (2014/100822). E.V.-C., A.P., R.P. and X.T. are members of the research Group AGREST (SGR 2014 1169) and M.S. is member of the research Group GRAMPO (2014 SGR 1248), both supported by AGAUR-Generalitat de Catalunya. The authors would like to thank Ajuntament de Banyoles, the Centre d’Arqueologia Subaquàtica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council–IMF and the Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya for supporting the work at La Draga site, and to the students, researchers and professionals who have participated in the excavation since the 1990s. We also thank Núria Morera and Igor Bogdanovic for making Fig. 2. Finally, we would like to thank Catherine Dupont and another anonymous reviewer for their comments and suggestions that significantly improved the quality of the manuscript. E.V.-C. is a beneficiary of a Beatriu de Pinós postdoctoral fellowship (AGAUR-Generalitat de Catalunya). The English translation of the original text written in Spanish was by Peter Smith.

The synthetic analysis of several pollen records from sub-Mediterranean lowland Pre-Pyrenean regions evidences expansion of forests during the Early Holocene in Northeastern Iberia and the establishment of dense deciduous broadleaf forests during the Holocene Climate Optimum. Pollen records show the broadleaf deciduous forests resilience against cooling phases during the Mid-Holocene period, with slight regressions of oak woodlands and expansion of conifers or xerophytic taxa contemporary to some cooling episodes (i.e. 8.2 and 7.2 kyr cal. BP). Major vegetation changes influenced by climate change occurred in the transition to the Late Holocene, in terms of the start of a succession from broadleaf deciduous forests to evergreen sclerophyllous woodlands. The lack of evidence of previous occupation seems to support the Neolithisation of the NE Iberian Peninsula as a result of a process of migration of farming populations to uninhabited or sparsely inhabited territories. In that context, remarkable changes in vegetation were recorded from 7.3 kyr cal. BP onwards in the Lake Banyoles area, where the establishment of permanent farming settlements caused the deforestation of oak woodlands. In La Garrotxa region, short deforestation episodes affecting broadleaf deciduous forests, together with expansion of grasslands and presence of Cerealia-t were documented in the period 7.4–6.0 kyr cal. BP. Finally, in the coastal area, where less evidence of Early Neolithic occupations is recorded, evidence of Neolithic impact is reflected in the presence of Cerealia-t in 6.5–6.2 kyr cal. BP, but no strong human transformation of landscape was carried out until more recent chronologies., This research was undertaken through the following projects: ‘Organización social de las primeras comunidades agrícola-ganaderas a partir del espacio doméstico: Elementos estructuralesy áreas de producción y consumo de bienes (HAR2012-38838-C02-01)/Arquitectura en madera y áreas de procesado y consumo de alimentos (HAR2012-38838-C02-02)’, funded by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad- Subdirección General de Proyectos de Investigación (Spain), ‘The digital reconstruction of the prehistoric past: virtual reality and artificial intelligence for understanding social life in the Neolithic (2015ACUP00191)’, funded by La Caixa (RecerCaixa-Obra Social) and Associació Catalana d’Universitats Públiques (ACUP). The research has been carried out in the framework of the research group AGREST (2014 SGR1169).

This paper presents the multi-disciplinary sampling strategy that has been applied at the archaeological site of La Draga during the last three fieldwork campaigns (2010–2012). A preliminary evaluation of the results is presented in order to discuss the efficiency of the strategy in answering the outlined scientific questions. The strategies applied for faunal remains (one hundred per cent recovery), wood remains (selective sampling) and charcoal remains (random sampling of twenty-five fragments per square) proved to be successful. The anticipated levels for ichthyofauna, entomofauna and non-ligneous plant macroremains were not attained using this sampling strategy. Some explanations for this are proposed (e.g. high degree of erosion of the archaeological layer). Further guidelines for future work are established. This strategy could be applied to other Mediterranean wetland sites., FA, LC, OL and RP are members of the research group AGREST (2009 SGR 734). This research is part of the project ‘Organización social de las primeras comunidades agrícola-ganaderas a partir del espacio doméstico: arquitectura en madera y áreas de procesado y consumo de alimentos’ (HAR2012-38838-C02- 02), financed by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain. We acknowledge the accurate revisions to this text made by B. Jennings and two anonymous reviewers.

Several taphonomic factors influence the composition of the palynological record especially in archaeological deposits, where human activities alter the representation of taxa. Spatial analysis by a taphonomic approach to the distribution of pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs (NPP) provides useful information about intra-site spaces and environments in the Early Neolithic lakeside settlement of La Draga (Banyoles, NE Iberia). The spatial correlation of algae, lakeshore and aquatic plants and herbs with an economic value, together with eggs of intestinal parasites and spores of coprophilous fungi, evidence a humid and organic environment beneath a hut, where consumption waste is concentrated. In contrast, high values of arboreal pollen (AP) and spores of fungal indicators of soil erosion show a sub-aerial environment strongly altered by taphonomic processes in outside areas. Finally, the association of the highest values in Cerealia-t and the spatial distribution of grinding stones within Sector D identifies an area of cereal processing, proving the suitability of spatial analysis in archaeopalynology as a powerful tool for reconstructing activity areas within archaeological settlements., This research was undertaken through the following projects: ‘Organización social de las primeras comunidades agrícola-ganaderas a partir del espacio doméstico: Elementos estructurales y áreas de producción y consumo de bienes (HAR2012-38838-C02-01)/Arquitectura en madera y áreas de procesado y consumo de alimentos (HAR2012-38838-C02-02)’, funded by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad- Subdirección General de Proyectos de Investigación (Spain), ‘The digital reconstruction of the prehistoric past: virtual reality and artificial intelligence for understanding social life in the Neolithic (2015ACUP00191)’, funded by La Caixa and ‘LaDraga en el procés de neolitització del nordest peninsular (2014/100822)’ funded by Generalitat de Catalunya. The research has been carried out in the framework of the research group AGREST (2014 SGR1169). Jordi Revelles is currently a pre-doc FPU fellow of the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (Spain). We would like to thank Ferran Antolín for help with macrofossil identifications.

La Draga is an open-air settlement located on the shoreline of Lake Banyoles in the Northeast of the Iberian Peninsula. To date, two occupation phases have been differentiated, both attributed to the Early Neolithic (5300–4900 cal BC). The proximity of the lake has meant that a large part of the site has been covered by the water table; as a consequence organic materials are well preserved. The preservation of wooden artefacts offers an excellent opportunity to study the techniques and crafts developed in the first Neolithic villages. This chapter presents the wooden tools related to agricultural practices. This assemblage consists of 45 pointed sticks, 24 of which can be interpreted as digging sticks according to ethnographic and archaeological parallels and the results of a specific experimental program, and 7 sickle handles, one of which holds a flint blade still inserted in its original position. The information these implements provide for the knowledge of the first agriculture is discussed and compared with data supplied by several archaeobotanical proxies. The two approaches are seen to contribute complementary data allowing a more comprehensive reconstruction of the farming practices of Early Neolithic communities in the Western Mediterranean.

The northeast of the Iberian Peninsula is a region that so far has contributed little information on the transition between the last hunter-gatherer groups and the first farming communities. Although data about the Late Mesolithic is still scanty, in recent years more information has been obtained about the Early Neolithic as a consequence of several research projects and excavations. The few known Mesolithic records and more abundant data on the Early Neolithic are studied here, highlighting the transition between the two periods and the problem of the scarcity of information about the last Mesolithic hunter-gatherers. With the available data, we propose a late extension of the ‘Notches and Denticulates Mesolithic’ phase as the final Mesolithic population in the region. The first evidence of Neolithic communities is then documented after a hiatus of about 500 years (c. 6000-5500 cal BC). These communities initially settled in littoral and pre-littoral zones, although by c. 5300 cal BC they had occupied the rest of northeast Iberia, including high mountain regions. From the start, these groups shared a consolidated agricultural economy despite the fact specific differences are attested depending on their geographic location., Some of the results presented here are framed within the research carried out for projects funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. These are: ‘Ocupaciones lacustres y gestión de recursos en las primeras sociedades agrícola-ganaderas del NE peninsular: Tecnología de las producciones materiales, usos instrumentales, estrategias agroforestales y ganaderas’ (HAR2009-13494-C02-01 and 02), ‘Aproximación a las primeras comunidades neolíticas del NE peninsular a través de sus prácticas funerarias’ (HAR2011-23149), ‘Organización social de las primeras comunidades agrícola-ganaderas a partir del espacio doméstico: Elementos estructurales y áreas de producción y consumo de bienes, arquitectura en madera y áreas de procesado y consumo de alimentos’ (HAR2012-38838-C02-01 and 02), ‘Aproximación a las primeras comunidades neolíticas del Mediterráneo nordoccidental: construyendo respuesta desde los análisis paleoantropológicos y genéticos’(HAR2015-67323-C2), ‘La difusión del neolítico en el Mediterráneo centro-occidental: agricultura, innovaciones tecnológicas y carbono 14’ (HAR2016-75201-P) and ‘Producciones, variabilidad técnica e innovación tecnológica en el Neolítico’ (HAR2016-76534-C2-2-R). The authors of the present study belong to the research groups: SERP (2014SGR-0108) at the University of Barcelona (XO), AGREST (2014SGR-1169) at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (BM) and the Spanish National Research Council CSIC-IMF(JFG and XT), and ICARHEB -Universidade de Algarve- (JFG and XT).

Prehistoric communities carried out quarrying activities to obtain raw materials for tool production. These were produced either directly for immediate or later use by the same groups who quarried the stone, or indirectly by distributing the raw material or partially or completely manufactured products to third parties. All these procedures could be performed within a temporal and spatial sequence of variable extent, giving rise to archaeological evidence of very different types (Nelson 1991; Ingold 2012)., Archaeological surveying was funded by the Government of Catalonia and the Spanish National Research Council within the framework of the LITOcat Project. Excavation and research are sponsored by the Government of Catalonia (‘Prehistoric and historic uses of flint in Catalonia: contexts of extraction and first transformation’, grant 2014/100778) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (‘Productions, technical variability and technological innovation in the Neolithic’, grant HAR2016-76534-C2-2-R).

Chert from the limestones and marly limestones of Castelltallat Formation (Ebro Basin) was widely used throughout prehistoric times in north-eastern Iberia to produce stone tools due to its properties and accessibility. A rough estimate indicates that this rock—either as raw material or as lithic products—was distributed mainly to the north of the outcrops, over an area of 6000–8000 km2. However, other rocks in the area have similar characteristics which can lead to confusion in the interpretation of its prehistoric use and distribution. In order to establish useful archaeometric criteria for differentiating this chert from other similar, the Castelltallat chert is characterised in petrographic, mineralogical and geochemical terms. The chert nodules are found to be homogenous at the macroscopic and microscopic level, with a significant presence of bioclasts, thus indicating they might be formed in a freshwater lake environment by the early diagenetic replacement of carbonates in shallow waters. The mineralogical composition is homogeneously uniform and of a flint type, characterised by an almost exclusive predominance of quartz, without any opaline phases, and a variable proportion of moganite. The iron oxide content is very low, whereas its chemical composition is unusually high in uranium which correlates positively with carbonate content and negatively with silica. Archaeometrical parameters are provided to reach a proper identification of tools knapped with this chert. This way, chert from Castelltallat Formation turns out to be a valuable lithological marker to evaluate the range of mobility of the human groups who lived in the north-eastern Iberia and their contacts with neighbouring areas., The fieldwork to obtain rock samples and the analysis of the samples was cofunded by the Direcció General del Patrimoni Cultural de la Generalitat de Catalunya and IMF-CSIC, within the framework of an interinstitutional collaboration agreement for the development of the Catalan Lithotheque of siliceous rocks (LITOcat project). Specific studies on the petrological characterisation of Castelltallat chert and its prehistoric use were carried out within the research project ‘Aprofitament prehistòric i històric del sílex a Catalunya: contextos extractius i de primera transformació’, funded by the Department of Culture of the Government of Catalonia (ref. núm. 2014/100778). The significance of human use and scope of distribution of Castelltallat chert are being approached within the project ‘Productions, technical variability and technological innovation in the Neolithic’, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Grant HAR2016–76534-C2–2-R).

This paper presents the results of the excavation of an archaeological level at Umm-el-Tlel (El Kowm) belonging to Geometric Kebaran, called I. 2. a. The fi eldwork was conducted between 1991 and 1994. The characteristics of the archaeological materials and their spatial distribution are analyzed. The results suggest that in the excavated area animal carcass processing remains were discarded., Cet article présente les résultats de la fouille du niveau archéologique I. 2. a du site d’Umm-el-Tlel (El Kowm), un niveau appartenant au Kébarien géométrique. Les travaux sur le terrain ont été menés entre 1991 et 1994. Les matériaux archéologiques et leur répartition spatiale ont été analysés. Les résultats de cette analyse suggèrent que la zone fouillée correspondrait à un espace où des déchets de boucherie ont été accumulés., Alcalde Gabriel, Cauvin Marie-Claire, González Jesús Emilio, Helmer Daniel, Ibáñez Juan José, Mateu Joaquim, Molist Miquel, Saña Maria, Terradas Xavier. Les occupations d’Umm-el-Tlel (Syrie centrale) pendant le Kébarien géométrique. Étude du niveau I.2.A (campagnes 1991, 1992 et 1994). In: Paléorient, 2013, vol. 39, n°2. pp. 141-154.

(EN) This article presents the results of a functional study of the stone tools found with the burials at the Neolithic necropolis of Can Gambús-1 (Sabadell, Spain). In this study we aim to reconstruct the activities carried out with the stone tools, made from several raw materials, among which the so-called “honey flint” is especially important at this site. Although this is an interim report, we identify a double trend in the preparation of the grave goods for the buried individuals. Whereas in some cases tools were specifically produced to be deposited as offerings without any previous use, on other occasions implements that had been used in everyday activities were recycled and given a final funerary function., (FR) Cet article présente les résultats de l’étude fonctionnelle de l’outillage lithique associé aux sépultures de la nécropole néolithique de Can Gambús-1 (Sabadell, Catalogne, Espagne). Cette étude vise à identifier les activités réalisées avec les outils taillés sur différentes matières premières, parmi lesquelles le silex "blond" tient une place prépondérante. Malgré le caractère préliminaire de cette étude, deux tendances se distinguent dans la constitution des mobiliers déposés à côté des individus inhumés. Tandis que dans certains cas on constate une production spécifique d’outils en vue de leur dépôt comme offrandes, sans usage préalable, dans d’autres cas des outils utilisés antérieurement dans des activités quotidiennes sont recyclés pour une dernière fonction, funéraire.

(ES) Presentamos el conjunto de inhumaciones de Can Gambús-1, de cronología neolítica y asociadas a la denominada “Cultura de los Sepulcros de Fosa” (finales del V a inicios del IV milenio cal BC). El objetivo principal es informar de las novedades relativas a los procedimientos de construcción de las fosas y a los materiales empleados en la cobertura de las sepulturas, además del tratamiento dado a algunos de los cadáveres. Ello ha sido posible gracias al excepcional estado de conservación de dichas sepulturas, a su riguroso proceso de excavación arqueológica y a su estudio antropológico y taxonómico detallado a partir de todas las evidencias disponibles. Asimismo, se presentan los ajuares recuperados en las inhumaciones cuya riqueza es notable en comparación con la de otros contextos funerarios similares. Probablemente este dato esté relacionado con la presencia exclusiva de individuos adultos entre los inhumados., (EN) In this paper we deal with the Neolithic burials at the site of Can Gambús-1, belonging of the so called “Cultura de los Sepulcros de Fosa” (from end of the fifth to the beginning of the fourth millennia cal BC). The main aim is to present new data on the procedures of excavation of the pits, the materials used in the covering of the graves and the treatment given to some of the corpses. The detailed archaeological reconstruction of the funerary behaviour has been possible thanks to the exceptional state of preservation of the graves, the rigorous process of archaeological excavation, the anthropological study carried out, as well as to the achievement of a detailed taxonomic study of all the available evidences. Likewise, the grave goods recovered in the burials are presented. Their quantity and quality is outstanding compared with other similar funerary contexts. Probably this fact is due to the exclusive presence of adult individuals among the buried ones.

Casa Montero is a mining complex located outside Madrid (Spain), dated from the Early Neolithic (c. 5400-5000 cal bc). An area of some 4 ha has been investigated and some 4000 shafts recorded, of which 324 have been excavated. The characterization of its raw flint materials and the establishment of its diagnostic features are indispensable in the reconstruction of the distribution of the mine's products beyond the immediate site. This work reports the geological study of the mine's Miocene flint layers and their petrological characterization. Archaeological samples from the mine's shafts were classified according to macroscopic features and petrological characteristics.

Human Palaeontology and Prehistory.-- et al., [EN]: The excavations carried out from 1983 to 1985 on an Andorran hillside by the former Andorra National Artistic Heritage Archaeological Research Service revealed one of the most important Neolithic sites in the Pyrenees. Directed by Xavier Llovera and Pere Canturri, the excavations uncovered a settlement with two interesting features: 1) it was located in a high mountain area, and 2) the same place possessed numerous domestic and funerary structures. Both factors have made La Feixa del Moro a key site in the prehistory of both the Pyrenees and the western Mediterranean in general. Three decades later, a pluridisciplinary team has begun a careful review of the documentation, studied the human remains and artefacts in the graves, carried out several forms of biochemical analysis and obtained new radiocarbon determinations for the individuals exhumed in two of the three burials in stone boxes (or cists). The objective is a better understanding of the first farming communities that settled in the Pyrenees., [FR]: Les interventions successives réalisées entre 1983 et 1985 sur un versant des vallées andorranes par l’ancien service de recherches archéologiques du Patrimoine artistique national d’Andorre ont abouti à la découverte de l’un des plus importants gisements néolithiques des Pyrénées : la Feixa del Moro. Les fouilles dirigées par Xavier Llovera et Pere Canturri ont permis de mettre en évidence deux aspects remarquables : 1) il s’agissait d’un site de haute montagne et 2) de nombreuses structures à caractère domestique et funéraire étaient concentrées dans un même espace. Ces deux éléments ont conduit à considérer la Feixa del Moro comme un site de référence pour la Préhistoire des Pyrénées et plus largement de la Méditerranée occidentale. Trois décennies après, une équipe de recherche pluridisciplinaire a débuté une intense révision de la documentation, ainsi qu’une étude approfondie des restes humains et du mobilier mis au jour dans les tombes, diverses analyses biochimiques et de nouvelles datations sur les individus inhumés dans deux des trois sépultures en coffres de pierre (communément appelées cistes), avec pour objectif de mieux connaître les premières communautés d’agropasteurs pyrénéens.

The environmental shifts during the Late Pleistocene had major influences in the landscape and, consequently, in the available resources. This had direct impact on human behavior and ecology, requiring people to constantly adjust to new economical conditions. In coastal areas, the retreat of the shoreline during the colder phases might have made available presently underwater raw material sources in the form of outcrops and gravels, eventually making it easier to gather lithic raw materials. In this paper, we present our preliminary results on the diachronic variability of raw materials in Vale Boi. Vale Boi is a coastal site, located 2.5 km from the present coastline, in the margins of a freshwater stream. The site has three different loci, all rich in lithics, fauna (including marine), bone tools, adornments, charcoal, and ochre, and evidence of continuous human occupation from c. 33 to 15.6 ka cal BP. This chronostratigraphic record makes it a perfect study case for the understanding of coastal populations' behavior and economy throughout the Upper Paleolithic. Our objective is to infer the territory of resources exploitation, landscape, and economic patterns. Raw material sources are usually fixed points on the landscape (in contrast to other resources such as fauna and flora) and, therefore, are one of the best ways of understanding how people moved in the landscape and, consequently, to infer past human behavior. We used a macroscopic approach in both the archaeological and the geological record in order to correlate sources and artifacts. Despite the absence of detailed quantitative data on each chert type, our results show that the hunter–gatherers who occupied Vale Boi during the Upper Paleolithic not only used several raw materials but also a variety of sources of the same raw material. This happened both diachronically and synchronically, suggesting that not only the complete sequence as well as each archaeological layer seem to have had a considerable economic complexity with the use of adjacent and distal sources. With this paper, we aim to present updated information on the variability of raw materials at Vale Boi, including the chert assemblages, along with new chert sources in order to establish a basis for a future detailed study on the raw material sourcing at the site.

At the beginning of the 1980s, a series of archaeological interventions carried out by what was previously called the ‘ Servei d’Investigacions Arqueológiques del Patrimoni Artístic Nacional d’Andorra’ in a Pyrenean valley in Andorra allowed the investigation of the Feixa del Moro site. In a high-altitude area below a series of abandoned terraces, several dwellings and burial structures were located, all of them with chronologies ranging between the Early and the Middle Neolithic (from the mid 5th millennium to the early 4th millennium cal. BC). The distinctiveness of this site does not only lie in its geographical location, nor in the kind of structures discovered, but also in the very good state of preservation of the human bone material recovered from the burials, making Feixa del Moro one of the reference sites for the Neolithic in the Pyrenees and, in general, the Western Mediterranean. So far, sites with a similar conservation of both bones and burial structures are really uncommon. Moreover, the concentration in so small an area, and in the same stratigraphic unit, of such a diversity of evidence, including burials, silos and hearths, is yet more unusual. There are no similar sites in Andorra, or even in the entire Pyrenees. The only other burial site of comparable chronology discovered in the area is the Segudet site, and only a few high-altitude Neolithic dwelling sites are known. Even if cist burials are quite common in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula and in Southern France, Feixa del Moro is the first that has been found at high altitude. The archaeological work undertaken between 1983 and 1985 provided a picture of a farming community belonging to the so-called ‘ Sepulcros de fosa’ Culture, established in the very heart of the Pyrenees and, thus, highlighted the complexity of Neolithic settlement patterns, even in mountainous zones. At the same time, several analyses of the archaeological materials were already carried out, making Feixa del Moro a reference site for archaeological research even now. Nevertheless, three decades later, new methodologies and the technical advances available are allowing archaeologists to refine old interpretations, to reopen old debates and to carry out new analyses that can improve our understanding of the past. In this respect, since 2011, within the research project ‘ Aproximación a las primeras comunidades neolíticas del NE peninsular a través de sus prácticas funerarias’ (HAR2011-23149), funded by the Spanish Ministry for the Economy and Competitiveness, a group of interdisciplinary researchers have begun to study several Neolithic burial contexts in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, among which Feixa del Moro. Following this perspective, in this paper, we present the outcome of the new analyses carried out on the burial goods and of the biochemistry and radiocarbon analyses carried out on the human bone material from the three cist burials of Feixa del Moro, with the aim of better understanding the early farming communities who settled in the Pyrenees. Since the last archaeological work carried out in the 1990s, large quantities of data have been lost. This has produced a certain degree of confusion and misunderstanding that has been repeated in other studies undertaken a posteriori on the site by other scholars. Some of these interpretations need to be revised. That it is why, within the current research project, we are not only bringing in new analyses, but also re-examining all the old written and graphic information available, as well as the state of the conserved archaeological material. The data presented in this paper resume all the available information on the Feixa del Moro site, correcting old mistakes and bias, updating the 1980s archaeological registers and presenting new analyses as well. Our aim is to ensure that Feixa del Moro remains a reference site for the Pyrenean and Western Mediterranean Neolithic. At the same time, we wish to encourage other researchers to undertake new analyses and to embrace new perspectives in order to improve our understanding of Neolithic societies., Au début des années 1980, sur un versant des vallées andorranes, un ensemble d’interventions archéologiques réalisées par l’ancien «Servei d’Investigacions Arqueológiques del Patrimoni Artístic Nacional d’Andorra » permit de documenter le site de la Feixa del Moro. En contrebas de terrasses abandonnées, dans une zone de haute montagne, plusieurs structures d’habitat et d’inhumation furent découvertes, situées chronologiquement entre le Néolithique ancien et le Néolithique moyen (milieu du Ve-début du IVe millénaire cal. BC). La singularité de la Feixa del Moro ne résidait pas uniquement dans son emplacement, ni dans la diversité typologique de ses constructions, mais aussi dans l’excellent état de conservation de ses vestiges et particulièrement de ses sépultures, faisant de cet ensemble un des sites archéologiques de référence du Néolithique des Pyrénées en particulier, et de la Méditerranée occidentale en général. Encore aujourd’hui, les sites présentant des ensembles clos avec un tel degré de conservation de leurs structures sont rares. Il est insolite que dans une zone aussi réduite soient concentrés des structures sépulcrales, des foyers, des silos, etc. qui apparemment coexistent dans une même unité stratigraphique. C’est un site ayant peu de parallèles, et pas seulement dans la zone andorrane, mais également dans toutes les Pyrénées. En effet, en trois décennies fut découverte uniquement une autre sépulture de cette époque à Segudet (Andorre), et seuls quelques sites néolithiques ont été documentés à des altitudes élevées. Bien que les sépultures en ciste soient courantes dans le Nord-Est de la péninsule Ibérique et dans le Sud de la France, aucune n’a été découverte en contexte de haute montagne comme c’est le cas à la Feixa del Moro. L’intervention minutieuse réalisée entre 1983 et 1985 permit d’obtenir un instantané d’une communauté de la culture des «Sepulcros de fosa » , établie en plein coeur des Pyrénées, et prouva l’occupation complexe des territoires de montagne à cette période. Il faut ajouter à cela le pari réalisé par le directeur de l’intervention qui encouragea de nombreuses analyses, ce qui fit de la Feixa del Moro un site de référence pour la recherche, et ce encore aujourd’hui. Trente ans plus tard, les avancées techniques et méthodologiques ont entraîné la révision des anciennes interventions et la réalisation de nouvelles analyses permettant de rouvrir certains débats et en définitive de progresser sur les connaissances du passé. À cet égard, depuis 2011 et dans le cadre du projet «Aproximación a las primeras comunidades neolíticas del NE peninsular a través de sus prácticas funerarias » (HAR2011-23149), financé par le ministère espagnol de l’Économie et de la Compétitivité, une équipe de recherche pluridisciplinaire a repris l’étude de nombreux contextes sépulcraux du Néolithique du Nord-Est de la péninsule ibérique, parmi lesquels celui de la Feixa del Moro. Dans ce cas précis, nous avons décidé de reprendre les études, de revoir les mobiliers funéraires et de mener de nouvelles analyses biochimiques et de datations sur les restes humains issus des trois sépultures en ciste de la Feixa del Moro, dans l’objectif de mieux connaître les premières communautés d’agriculteurs et d’éleveurs qui peuplèrent les Pyrénées. Depuis l’ultime intervention sur le terrain aux débuts des années 1990 jusqu’à l’étude actuelle, de nombreuses données ont été perdues. Par conséquent, ces trente dernières années ont été marquées par des confusions et des contradictions continuelles qui se perpétuèrent dans de nombreuses publications et études réalisées a posteriori par d’autres chercheurs. Cet ensemble combiné de circonstances malchanceuses et malheureuses a très probablement eu des répercussions sur les interprétations qui ont pu être faites. Pour cette raison, le présent projet ne se contente pas de réaliser de nouvelles analyses, mais a aussi pour objectif de revoir toute l’information écrite et graphique conservée, tout comme l’état du matériel déposé. Le travail que nous présentons ici rassemble toutes les données disponibles sur la Feixa del Moro jusqu’à aujourd’hui, expose les confusions détectées dans les sources, actualise les registres archéologiques obtenus dans les années 1980 et présente les résultats des nouvelles analyses effectuées. Grâce à cette démarche nous souhaitons que ce site continue d’être une référence pour le Néolithique dans les Pyrénées et la Méditerranée occidentale. Nous souhaitons également attirer l’attention d’autres chercheurs afin qu’ils continuent d’analyser et d’apporter de nouveaux éléments et de nouvelles approches pour mieux comprendre les sociétés néolithiques., A inicios de los años 80’, en una ladera de los valles andorranos, un conjunto de intervenciones arqueológicas realizadas por el antiguo «Servei d’Investigacions Arqueológiques del Patrimoni Artístic Nacional d’Andorra » , permitieron documentar el yacimiento de la Feixa del Moro. Debajo de un pequeño espacio de bancales abandonados en una zona de alta montaña, se hallaron numerosas estructuras de hábitat y enterramiento atribuidas cronológicamente entre el neolítico antiguo y el neolítico medio (mediados del V milenio – inicios del IV cal BC). No obstante, la singularidad de la Feixa del Moro no sólo residía en su emplazamiento, ni en la diversidad tipológica de las construcciones, sino también en el excelente estado de conservación de los restos y especialmente de las sepulturas, convirtiéndolo en uno de los contextos arqueológicos de referencia y más importante del neolítico de los Pirineos, en particular, y del Mediterráneo Occidental, en general. Aún hoy, son escasos y excepcionales los yacimientos que presentan contextos cerrados y tal grado de conservación en sus estructuras. Ciertamente, es insólito que en un área tan reducida se aglutinen elementos sepulcrales, hogares, silos, etc. que aparentemente coexisten en una misma unidad estratigráfica. Este es un hecho con pocos paralelos no únicamente dentro la geografía andorrana sino en el pirineo mismo. En efecto, después de más de tres décadas sólo se ha descubierto otro enterramiento de estas cronologías en Segudet (Andorra) y apenas se han documentado yacimientos neolíticos en altitudes elevadas. Aunque las sepulturas en cista son habituales en el noreste de la Península Ibérica y en el sur de Francia, nunca se han descubierto en contextos de alta montaña como en el caso de la Feixa del Moro. La intervención minuciosa realizada entre 1983 y 1985 permitió tener una instantánea fidedigna de una comunidad de la cultura de los sepulcros de fosa establecida en pleno corazón de los Pirineos y probó la compleja ocupación de los territorios de montaña en el pasado. A este hecho, se le sumó la apuesta que realizó el director de la intervención por impulsar numerosos análisis, haciendo que la Feixa del Moro sea aún hoy un continuo referente de interés para la investigación. Tres décadas después, los avances técnicos y metodológicos están permitiendo revisar antiguas intervenciones y efectuar nuevos análisis con los que reabrir ciertos debates y en definitiva progresar en el conocimiento del pasado. En este sentido, desde el 2011 y dentro del proyecto «Aproximación a las primeras comunidades neolíticas del NE peninsular a través de sus prácticas funerarias » (HAR2011-23149) un equipo de investigación pluridisciplinar está reestudiando numerosos contextos sepulcrales del neolítico en el noroeste peninsular entre los que se encuentra el yacimiento de la Feixa del Moro. Para este caso nos hemos propuesto retomar los estudios, revisar los ajuares y efectuar nuevos análisis bioquímicos y dataciones sobre los restos humanos exhumados en las tres sepulturas en cista de la Feixa del Moro con el objetivo de conocer mejor las primeras comunidades de agricultores y ganaderos que poblaron el Pirineo. Desde la última intervención sobre el terreno a inicios de la década de los 90’, hasta el actual estudio, se han perdido numerosos datos. Esto ha provocado que a lo largo de estos treinta años se produjeran continuas confusiones y contradicciones que se han ido perpetuando en muchas publicaciones y estudios realizados a posteriori por otros investigadores. Muy probablemente un escenario combinado de desafortunadas coincidencias y desdichas condicionó la calidad del registro que hoy está disponible. Es por esto que el presente proyecto no solamente se ha propuesto realizar nuevos análisis ya mencionados sino también revisar toda la información escrita y gráfica que se conserva, así como el estado del material depositado. El trabajo que aquí presentamos compila todos los datos disponibles sobre la Feixa del Moro hasta la fecha, expone las confusiones detectadas en las fuentes y actualiza los registros arqueológicos que se obtuvieron en los años 80’ con los resultados de los nuevos análisis efectuados. Con todo ello pretendemos que este yacimiento siga siendo un referente a la hora de hablar del neolítico de los Pirineos y del Mediterráneo occidental. Al mismo tiempo, queremos atraer la atención de otros investigadores para que sigan haciendo análisis y aportando nuevos datos y enfoques para entender mejor a las sociedades neolíticas., Remolins Gerard, Gibaja Bao Juan F., Alliese Florence, Duboscq Stéphanie, Fontanals María, Martin Patricia, Masclans Alba, Mazzucco Niccolo, Mozota Holgueras Millán, Oliva Monica, Oms Arias F. Xavier, Santos Francisco J., Terradas Xavier, Subirà Maria Eulàlia, Llovera Xavier. La nécropole néolithique de la Feixa del Moro (Juberri, Andorre) : examen et nouvelles données. In: Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française, tome 113, n°2, 2016. pp. 265-289.

This paper focuses on high-resolution analysis of pollen and sedimentology and botanical macro-remains analysis in a core from Lake Banyoles (Girona, Spain). The core sequence comprises a high resolution mid-Holocene (ca. 8.9-3.35. cal. ka. BP) vegetation succession, and sedimentological, geochemical and geomorphological proxies are related to both climatic and anthropogenic causes. Deforestation processes affected natural vegetation development in the Early Neolithic (7.25-5.55. cal. ka. BP) and Late Neolithic (5.17-3.71. cal. ka. BP), in the context of broadleaf deciduous forest resilience against cooling and drying oscillations. Changes in sedimentation dynamics and in lake water level caused the emergence of dry land on the lake margin where riparian forest was established from 5.55. cal. ka. BP onwards. The data show that in the context of an increasing aridification process, Neolithic land-use played an important role in vegetation history and environmental evolution., This research was undertaken through the following projects: “AGRIWESTMED: origins and spread of agriculture in the southwestern Mediterranean region” project of the European Research Council (ERC-2008-AdG 230561), ‘Organización social de las primeras comunidades agrícola-ganaderas a partir del espacio doméstico: Elementos estructurales y áreas de producción y consumo de bienes (HAR2012-38838-C02-01)/Arquitectura en madera y áreas de procesado y consumo de alimentos (HAR2012-38838-C02-02)’, funded by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad - Subdirección General de Proyectos de Investigación (Spain) and ‘La Draga i les ocupacions lacustres prehistòriques de l'Estany de Banyoles dins del context de l'Europa Occidental. Anys 2008–2013’ funded by Generalitat de Catalunya. The research has been carried out in the framework of the research group AGREST (2014 SGR 1169). Jordi Revelles is currently a pre-doc FPU fellow of the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (Spain).

The discovery in 2012 of a complete yew bow (Taxus baccata) in the lakeside Neolithic site of La Draga, together with two more fragmented bows from previous field seasons, are the oldest evidence of archery among farming communities in Europe. This group of bows has allowed different aspects of prehistoric archery to be considered. Firstly with regard to the manufacturing processes of these weapons, which show great uniformity in terms of the raw material used, but some variety in shapes and sizes. Secondly about the socioeconomic significance of weapons in societies which no longer based their economy on hunting and gathering., We thank Ajuntament de Banyoles and the Centre d'Arqueologia Subaquàtica for their support of the work at La Draga, and to the students, researchers and professionals who have participated in the excavation since the 1990s. The fieldwork was funded by HAR2009-13494-C02-01 and HAR2012-38838-C02-01 to XT; HAR2009-13494-C02-02 and HAR2012-38838-C02-02 to RP; archaeozoological analyses funded by HAR2011-25826 to MS and archaeological excavation funded by Departament de Cultura (Generalitat de Catalunya) (2014/100822).

Located on the Iberian Mediterranean coast, El Collado is an open-air site where a rescue excavation was conducted over two seasons in 1987 and 1988. The archaeological work excavated a surface area of 143m2 where 14 burials were discovered, providing skeletal remains from 15 individuals. We have obtained AMS dates for 10 of the 15 individuals by means of the direct dating of human bones. The ranges of the probability distribution of the calibrated dates suggest that the cemetery was used during a long period of time (781¿1020 years at a probability of 95.4%). The new dates consequently set back the chronocultural attribution of the cemetery from the initial proposal of Late Mesolithic to an older date in the Early Mesolithic. Therefore, El Collado becomes the oldest known cemetery in the Iberian Peninsula, earlier than the numerous Mesolithic funerary contexts documented on the Atlantic façade such as the Portuguese shell-middens in the Muge and Sado Estuaries or the funerary sites on the northern Iberian coast., The radiocarbon determinations reported in this study were performed within an agreement between the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Centro Nacional de Aceleradores-Universidad de Sevilla. The research was supported by the research groups 2009SGR-0566, 2009SGR-0734, 2014SGR-1169 and 2014SGR-1420, funded by the AGAUR-Generalitat de Catalunya. J.F.G and J.F.L. are supported by Ramon y Cajal Program (RYC-2010-06628 and RYC-2011-09363). The results have been obtained in the framework of projects HAR2009-13494-C02-01/02, HAR2011-23149, HAR2012-38838-C02-01/02 and HAR2013-41197, financed by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain.