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[EN] This paper evaluates the possible impact of the early medieval pandemic known as the “Justinianic plague” as one of the factors that shaped the mountain ecosystems in the Spanish Central System of the Iberian Peninsula. For this purpose, we focus on two high-resolution, radiocarbon-dated natural pollen records from the Gredos Range (Avila). These cores frame the information they offer within the general picture of the socio-political and environmental transformations of Late Antiquity. Along these three centuries, between c. AD 400 and AD 720, the palynological sequence allows us to recognize eight short phases (on a ten-year and even five-year scale) through which the forest formations traversed. This analysis has made it possible to identify olive and chestnut tree arboriculture since the beginning of the studied interval, as well as to characterize the fluctuation in the thinning processes of the high montane pine forests, due to slash-and-burn practices to open pastures, especially from the permanent occupation of the piedmont in Visigothic times (c. AD 450). The sequence also shows a significant decrease in the anthropic signal during a short period (c. AD 540-545) that can be disassociated from the early effects of the Late Antique Little Ice Age (c. AD 450- 660) and which is possibly more related to the plague, as evidenced by the subsequent recovery of anthropic pressure on the pine forest and the extension of the olive and chestnut grove in the 6th and 7th centuries AD, [ES] El presente trabajo evalúa la posible influencia de la pandemia altomedieval conocida como «plaga de Justiniano» como uno de los factores que contribuyeron a configurar los ecosistemas de montaña enclavados en el Sistema Central de la península ibérica. Para ello, el artículo se centra en dos registros polínicos naturales de alta resolución y bien datados mediante radiocarbono, obtenidos en la Sierra de Gredos (Ávila), y enmarca la información que ofrecen en el cuadro general de las dinámicas sociopolíticas y ambientales de la Antigüedad Tardía. En el intervalo de tres siglos, entre c. 400 y 720 A. D., la secuencia palinológica permite reconocer ocho fases breves (de escala decenal e incluso quinquenal) que marcaron las transformaciones del paisaje. Este análisis ha posibilitado identificar la implantación de la arboricultura de olivo y castaño desde el inicio del intervalo estudiado, así como caracterizar la fluctuación en los procesos de clareo de los pinares altimontanos, por la incidencia de talas y rozas con fuego para abrir pastizales, especialmente desde la ocupación permanente del piedemonte en época visigoda (c. 450 A. D.). La secuencia analizada muestra un significativo aminoramiento de la señal antrópica durante un breve intervalo (c. 540-545 A. D.) que cabe desvincular de los efectos tempranos de la Pequeña Edad de Hielo tardoantigua (c. 450-660 A. D.) y resulta más plausible relacionar con la plaga, como avala la subsiguiente recuperación de la presión antrópica sobre el pinar y la extensión del olivar y el castañar en los siglos VI y VII A. D.

Con autorización de la revista para autores CSIC, [EN] In this work we present the results of pollen analysis of the Medieval archaeological site of Navalvillar (7th-8th centuries AD; Colmenar Viejo, Madrid). The site is a Visigoth rural village on the southern slopes of the Guadarrama range. The results demonstrate the existence of a dehesa landscape with cattle vocation, very plentiful of anthropozoogenous taxa and coprophilous fungi related to such activity. Economic activities of this site within the Visigoth settlement in Madrid are discussed., [ES] En este trabajo se presentan los resultados del estudio palinológico del yacimiento altomedieval (siglos VII-VIII d.C.) de Navalvillar (Colmenar Viejo, Madrid), una aldea rural visigoda emplazada al sur de la Sierra de Guadarrama. Los resultados demuestran la existencia de un paisaje de dehesa con vocación ganadera, abundando pastos antropozoógenos y hongos coprófilos como resultado de dicha actividad. Se plantean las actividades económicas del yacimiento dentro del poblamiento general visigodo en la provincia de Madrid., Este trabajo ha sido financiado por el Proyecto de Investigación “Dinámicas socioecológicas, resiliencia y vulnerabilidad en un paisaje de montaña: el Sistema Central (9000 cal. BC-1850 cal. AD)” (HAR2013-43701-P) del Plan Nacional de I+D+i del Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad

[ES] Se presenta en este trabajo un estudio comparativo de los resultados obtenidos en dos análisis arqueobotánicos en el yacimiento de Peña Parda (Laguardia, Álava). Mediante la combinación de los estudios antracológico y palinológico se pretende una certera aproximación a la composición del paisaje vegetal y la dinámica antrópica de esta zona de la Sierra de Cantabria durante la Edad del Bronce., [EN] This paper presents a comparative study of the results obtained from two different archaeobotanical analyses from the archaeological site of Peña Parda (Laguardia, Álava). Thanks to the combination of both types of analyses, wood charcoal and pollen, we try to carry out a more accurate reconstruction of the vegetal landscape and the anthropic dynamics at this area of the Sierra de Cantabria during the Bronze Age., El trabajo forma parte del: 1) Programa Consolider de Investigación en Tecnologías para la valoración y conservación del Patrimonio Cultural -TCPCSD2007- 00058, 2) Grupo de Investigación de la UPV/EHU IT-288-07 financiado por el Gobierno Vasco, 3) Proyecto HAR2008-03976/HIST del Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia: El medio como catalizador de los comportamientos humanos durante el Pleistoceno Superior y Holoceno en el Pirineo Occidental y proximidades: su articulación en unidades territoriales, 4) Origins and spread of agriculture in the south-western Mediterranean region. (AGRIWESTMED. ERC-AdG 230561 financiado por el European Research Council)

[ES]La síntesis del registro palinológico de Andalucía Occidental permite ubicar los primeros impactos antrópicos y las primeras evidencias de actividades agrícolas en el V y IV milenios cal BC. La dinámica espacio-temporal de la paleovegetación se interpreta en relación con el poblamiento prehistórico y la transformación de las prácticas económicas., [EN]The detailed synthesis of pollen records from western Andalusia confirms the first human impact on the landscape and the primary evidence of farming in the 5th and the 4th millennia cal BC. The spatial and temporal dynamics of plant communities have been interpreted as a result of interactions among human settlements as well as the transformation of economic practices., Este trabajo se ha realizado dentro del Programa Consolider de Investigación en Tecnologías para la valoración y conservación del Patrimonio Cultural - TCP-CSD2007-00058, y ha sido financiado también por los proyectos de investigación HAR2008-06477- C03-03/HIST y HAR2008-09120/HIST (Plan Nacional de I+D+i), y ERC-230561 (European Commission)

Pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs and charcoal from a colluvial soil surrounded by prehistoric petroglyphs (Campo Lameiro, NW Spain) were studied in order to assess the nature of human activities and their impact on Holocene vegetation patterns. Several phases of anthropogenic impact were observed. (i) Between 7.6 and 6.5 ka cal BP, synanthropic taxa (Urtica dioica type, Plantago lanceolata type) and coprophilous fungi (e.g. Sporormiella-type) are indicative of early (pre-agricultural) creation of small patches of pasture using fire, possibly for incipient animal husbandry or as part of a deliberate strategy to improve game availability. Such activities only had a minor effect on the deciduous Quercus-dominated forest established earlier during the Holocene Thermal Maximum. (ii) Between 5.9 and 4.8 ka cal BP a more intense signal indicative of pastoral activity was detected, corresponding to the Neolithic period. (iii) Between 4.8 and 3.4 ka cal BP, which fits within the hypothetical timeframe of petroglyph creation, the synanthropic and humidity (e.g. Cyperaceae, Mougeotia) indicators diminished while charcoal concentration increased, which can be explained by Mid-Holocene cooling/drying (Neoglaciation) in combination with reduced human impact, or by non-pastoral activities in the area possibly in association with the development of the rock art culture, converting pasture to protected open ground through anthropogenic fires. (iv) During the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age (3.4–2.5 ka cal BP), grazing pressure and fire regime intensity are high, coinciding with evidence of regional forest regression, despite an amelioration in climate. (v) Later phases, not corresponding to prehistoric rock art contexts, include a phase of heavy grazing and reduced fire frequency (from ca. 2.5 to 1.2 ka cal BP) as well as the near complete elimination of the deciduous woodland, the expansion of ericaceous shrubland and the evidence of local agriculture and afforestation. These results are consistent with earlier studies in the area and highlight the spatial heterogeneity in the vegetation especially during periods of prehistoric anthropogenic interference., This research was supported financially by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education under the framework of the CONSOLIDER-INGENIO 2010 program “Programa de Investigación en Tecnologías para la conservación y valorización del Patrimonio Cultural (TCP)” (CSD2007-00058) and by “Paleopaisaje y prehistoria del Futuro Parque de Arte Rupestre de Campo Lameiro, Pontevedra” (PGIDT02CCP60601).

During the Iron Age, the Gaulish Arverni and Lemovices influence extended well beyond Auvergne (Central France), into the Mediterranean regions owing to extensive agricultural activities and silver mining. Recent discoveries showed that gold mining in the area of Haute-Combraille (Auvergne) may also has contributed to the wealth of these communities. Gold was possibly extracted as well during the first two centuries AD at the onset of Roman occupation. Our project (MINEDOR) aims to study from an interdisciplinary and diachronic point of view these ancient gold mines, traditionally attributed to the Gaulish period, discovered in large numbers at the fringes of the Arverni and Lemovices territories, in the area of Upper Combraille (Puy-de-Dôme). Our goals are 1) to accurately identify the mines through fieldwalking and aerial surveys, analysis of vertical aerial photographic coverage and localization by dual-frequency DGPS, 2) to assess their environmental impact using palaeoenvironmental (palynology, microfossils) and geochemical (heavy metals, trace elements, stable lead isotopes) analyses in wetlands, and 3) to date transient phases of exploitation. Here we present high-resolution peat core analyses from the Haute-Combraille highlands (900-1000m) that allow to evidence gold mining operational phases since the Iron Age through vegetation cover changes and the release of lead (Pb) from mining activities. These new data highlight important features of the ancient economy of the Massif Central and the transient environmental impact of mining operation on watershed quality., Le projet MINEDOR vise à étudier de manière interdisciplinaire et diachronique les anciennes mines d’or, attribuées traditionnellement à l’époque gauloise, repérées en grand nombre aux confins des territoires des Arvernes et des Lémovices, dans le secteur de la Haute-Combraille (Puy-de-Dôme). L’objectif est 1) de cartographier précisément les minières au moyen de prospections pédestres et aériennes, d’une analyse des couvertures photographiques aériennes verticales et de relevés par GPS bi-fréquence, 2) d’en évaluer l’impact sur le paysage grâce à des analyses paléoenvironnementales (palynologie, microfossiles non polliniques) et géochimiques (métaux lourds, éléments-traces, isotopes du plomb) réalisées à haute résolution sur des carottes prélevées dans des zones humides (tourbières, bas marais, étangs), et 3) par ce biais, d’en dater la (ou les) phase(s) d’exploitation. Ces nouvelles données permettront d’éclairer un pan important de l’économie antique du Massif Central. L’hypothèse d’une exploitation de ces mines à l’époque romaine pourrait expliquer la densité remarquable des établissements repérés en prospection au cours des dernières années dans ces zones de hauts plateaux (900-1000 m), et dont l’occupation date des deux premiers siècles de notre ère. Les zones humides constituant des stocks d’eau considérables à la tête des bassins-versants, il sera également possible d’évaluer les conséquences environnementales d’éventuelles pollutions minières anciennes à court, moyen et long terme. Le poster présente les objectifs du programme, la méthodologie mise en œuvre et les premiers résultats obtenus sur trois secteurs miniers où les séquences tourbeuses prélevées sont en cours d’analyse et de datation. La confrontation des données archéologiques, palynologiques et géochimiques débouchera sur une réflexion relative à la signification spatiale des signatures mises en évidence (signaux globaux vs locaux).

4 páginas, 3 figuras, 1 tabla.-- Trabajo presentado a la 46ª Sesión Científica, Madrid, 2009.-- et al., The content in non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs), constitutes an important tool at the time of reconstructing the paleoenviromental changes of a deposit and explaining them in terms of climate and/or anthropic activity. This work show NPPs data from the peat deposit Pñ appear, of periglacial origin, located in the bulk of Peñalara, (Mountain range of Guadarrama, Madrid). 14C data, locate the formation of this deposit in 1.600±40 BP. During this period, the palinological data show a regional landscape formed by forests of Pinus sylvestris, Pinus pinaster and Quercus, as well as presences of Betula, whereas on local scale anthropozoogenic bivouacs are developed to pastures (Poaceae and Plantago lanceolata). The presence of the higrophic pastures (Cyperaceae) is constant throughout all the profile, like the NPPs, of similar ecological affinity and whose variations have been very useful at the time of establishing the humidity fluctuations. Other NPPs has served to demonstrate: the major or minor pastoral pressure, and the variations in the trophic conditions of the peat bog. The changes observed in the vegetation and the uses of the ground, are also stated through the information provided by the values of the pH and the conductivity of the sediment., Este trabajo se enmarca dentro del proyecto de investigación CCG07-UAH/SAL-2223.

Salvador Rovira Llorens, Manuel García Heras, Marc Gener Moret, Ignacio Montero Ruiz (eds.), [ES] En este trabajo se analizan las evidencias paleoambientales documentadas respecto a un cambio climático abrupto del Holoceno medio, el denominado evento 8200 cal. BP, y su posible relación con el desarrollo del proceso de neolitización en la zona mediterránea occidental de la Península Ibérica durante la transición VII-VI milenios cal. BC. Para entender esta problemática hay que hacer un esfuerzo en la obtención de cronologías precisas de tal proceso y realizar estudios palinológicos a alta resolución capaces de documentar este cambio abrupto de corto recorrido cronológico., [EN] In this work the palaeoenvironmental evidences of an abrupt climatic change during Middle Holocene are analyzed, the so-called 8200 cal. BP event, as well as its possible connection with the development of the neolithisation process on the western Mediterranean area of the Iberian Peninsula during the VII-VI millenia cal. BC transition. To understand this problematic an effort needs to be done to obtain precise chronologies of this process, and high resolution palynological studies able to document this abrupt change, of short chronology, have to be conducted.

International audience; During the Iron Age, the Gaulish Arverni and Lemovices influence extended well beyond Auvergne (Central France), into the Mediterranean regions owing to extensive agricultural activities and silver mining. Recent discoveries showed that gold mining in the area of Haute-Combraille (Auvergne) may also has contributed to the wealth of these communities. Gold was possibly extracted as well during the first two centuries AD at the onset of Roman occupation. Our project (MINEDOR) aims to study from an interdisciplinary and diachronic point of view these ancient gold mines, traditionally attributed to the Gaulish period, discovered in large numbers at the fringes of the Arverni and Lemovices territories, in the area of Upper Combraille (Puy-de-Dôme). Our goals are 1) to accurately identify the mines through fieldwalking and aerial surveys, analysis of vertical aerial photographic coverage and localization by dual-frequency DGPS, 2) to assess their environmental impact using palaeoenvironmental (palynology, microfossils) and geochemical (heavy metals, trace elements, stable lead isotopes) analyses in wetlands, and 3) to date transient phases of exploitation. Here we present high-resolution peat core analyses from the Haute-Combraille highlands (900-1000m) that allow to evidence gold mining operational phases since the Iron Age through vegetation cover changes and the release of lead (Pb) from mining activities. These new data highlight important features of the ancient economy of the Massif Central and the transient environmental impact of mining operation on watershed quality.; Le projet MINEDOR vise à étudier de manière interdisciplinaire et diachronique les anciennes mines d’or, attribuées traditionnellement à l’époque gauloise, repérées en grand nombre aux confins des territoires des Arvernes et des Lémovices, dans le secteur de la Haute-Combraille (Puy-de-Dôme). L’objectif est 1) de cartographier précisément les minières au moyen de prospections pédestres et aériennes, d’une analyse des couvertures photographiques aériennes verticales et de relevés par GPS bi-fréquence, 2) d’en évaluer l’impact sur le paysage grâce à des analyses paléoenvironnementales (palynologie, microfossiles non polliniques) et géochimiques (métaux lourds, éléments-traces, isotopes du plomb) réalisées à haute résolution sur des carottes prélevées dans des zones humides (tourbières, bas marais, étangs), et 3) par ce biais, d’en dater la (ou les) phase(s) d’exploitation. Ces nouvelles données permettront d’éclairer un pan important de l’économie antique du Massif Central. L’hypothèse d’une exploitation de ces mines à l’époque romaine pourrait expliquer la densité remarquable des établissements repérés en prospection au cours des dernières années dans ces zones de hauts plateaux (900-1000 m), et dont l’occupation date des deux premiers siècles de notre ère. Les zones humides constituant des stocks d’eau considérables à la tête des bassins-versants, il sera également possible d’évaluer les conséquences environnementales d’éventuelles pollutions minières anciennes à court, moyen et long terme. Le poster présente les objectifs du programme, la méthodologie mise en œuvre et les premiers résultats obtenus sur trois secteurs miniers où les séquences tourbeuses prélevées sont en cours d’analyse et de datation. La confrontation des données archéologiques, palynologiques et géochimiques débouchera sur une réflexion relative à la signification spatiale des signatures mises en évidence (signaux globaux vs locaux).

During the Iron Age, the Gaulish Arverni and Lemovices influence extended well beyond Auvergne (Central France), into the Mediterranean regions owing to extensive agricultural activities and silver mining. Recent discoveries showed that gold mining in the area of Haute-Combraille (Auvergne) may also has contributed to the wealth of these communities. Gold was possibly extracted as well during the first two centuries AD at the onset of Roman occupation. Our project (MINEDOR) aims to study from an interdisciplinary and diachronic point of view these ancient gold mines, traditionally attributed to the Gaulish period, discovered in large numbers at the fringes of the Arverni and Lemovices territories, in the area of Upper Combraille (Puy-de-Dôme). Our goals are 1) to accurately identify the mines through fieldwalking and aerial surveys, analysis of vertical aerial photographic coverage and localization by dual-frequency DGPS, 2) to assess their environmental impact using palaeoenvironmental (palynology, microfossils) and geochemical (heavy metals, trace elements, stable lead isotopes) analyses in wetlands, and 3) to date transient phases of exploitation. Here we present high-resolution peat core analyses from the Haute-Combraille highlands (900-1000m) that allow to evidence gold mining operational phases since the Iron Age through vegetation cover changes and the release of lead (Pb) from mining activities. These new data highlight important features of the ancient economy of the Massif Central and the transient environmental impact of mining operation on watershed quality., Le projet MINEDOR vise à étudier de manière interdisciplinaire et diachronique les anciennes mines d’or, attribuées traditionnellement à l’époque gauloise, repérées en grand nombre aux confins des territoires des Arvernes et des Lémovices, dans le secteur de la Haute-Combraille (Puy-de-Dôme). L’objectif est 1) de cartographier précisément les minières au moyen de prospections pédestres et aériennes, d’une analyse des couvertures photographiques aériennes verticales et de relevés par GPS bi-fréquence, 2) d’en évaluer l’impact sur le paysage grâce à des analyses paléoenvironnementales (palynologie, microfossiles non polliniques) et géochimiques (métaux lourds, éléments-traces, isotopes du plomb) réalisées à haute résolution sur des carottes prélevées dans des zones humides (tourbières, bas marais, étangs), et 3) par ce biais, d’en dater la (ou les) phase(s) d’exploitation. Ces nouvelles données permettront d’éclairer un pan important de l’économie antique du Massif Central. L’hypothèse d’une exploitation de ces mines à l’époque romaine pourrait expliquer la densité remarquable des établissements repérés en prospection au cours des dernières années dans ces zones de hauts plateaux (900-1000 m), et dont l’occupation date des deux premiers siècles de notre ère. Les zones humides constituant des stocks d’eau considérables à la tête des bassins-versants, il sera également possible d’évaluer les conséquences environnementales d’éventuelles pollutions minières anciennes à court, moyen et long terme. Le poster présente les objectifs du programme, la méthodologie mise en œuvre et les premiers résultats obtenus sur trois secteurs miniers où les séquences tourbeuses prélevées sont en cours d’analyse et de datation. La confrontation des données archéologiques, palynologiques et géochimiques débouchera sur une réflexion relative à la signification spatiale des signatures mises en évidence (signaux globaux vs locaux).

During the Iron Age, the Gaulish Arverni and Lemovices influence extended well beyond Auvergne (Central France), into the Mediterranean regions owing to extensive agricultural activities and silver mining. Recent discoveries showed that gold mining in the area of Haute-Combraille (Auvergne) may also has contributed to the wealth of these communities. Gold was possibly extracted as well during the first two centuries AD at the onset of Roman occupation. Our project (MINEDOR) aims to study from an interdisciplinary and diachronic point of view these ancient gold mines, traditionally attributed to the Gaulish period, discovered in large numbers at the fringes of the Arverni and Lemovices territories, in the area of Upper Combraille (Puy-de-Dôme). Our goals are 1) to accurately identify the mines through fieldwalking and aerial surveys, analysis of vertical aerial photographic coverage and localization by dual-frequency DGPS, 2) to assess their environmental impact using palaeoenvironmental (palynology, microfossils) and geochemical (heavy metals, trace elements, stable lead isotopes) analyses in wetlands, and 3) to date transient phases of exploitation. Here we present high-resolution peat core analyses from the Haute-Combraille highlands (900-1000m) that allow to evidence gold mining operational phases since the Iron Age through vegetation cover changes and the release of lead (Pb) from mining activities. These new data highlight important features of the ancient economy of the Massif Central and the transient environmental impact of mining operation on watershed quality., Le projet MINEDOR vise à étudier de manière interdisciplinaire et diachronique les anciennes mines d’or, attribuées traditionnellement à l’époque gauloise, repérées en grand nombre aux confins des territoires des Arvernes et des Lémovices, dans le secteur de la Haute-Combraille (Puy-de-Dôme). L’objectif est 1) de cartographier précisément les minières au moyen de prospections pédestres et aériennes, d’une analyse des couvertures photographiques aériennes verticales et de relevés par GPS bi-fréquence, 2) d’en évaluer l’impact sur le paysage grâce à des analyses paléoenvironnementales (palynologie, microfossiles non polliniques) et géochimiques (métaux lourds, éléments-traces, isotopes du plomb) réalisées à haute résolution sur des carottes prélevées dans des zones humides (tourbières, bas marais, étangs), et 3) par ce biais, d’en dater la (ou les) phase(s) d’exploitation. Ces nouvelles données permettront d’éclairer un pan important de l’économie antique du Massif Central. L’hypothèse d’une exploitation de ces mines à l’époque romaine pourrait expliquer la densité remarquable des établissements repérés en prospection au cours des dernières années dans ces zones de hauts plateaux (900-1000 m), et dont l’occupation date des deux premiers siècles de notre ère. Les zones humides constituant des stocks d’eau considérables à la tête des bassins-versants, il sera également possible d’évaluer les conséquences environnementales d’éventuelles pollutions minières anciennes à court, moyen et long terme.Le poster présente les objectifs du programme, la méthodologie mise en œuvre et les premiers résultats obtenus sur trois secteurs miniers où les séquences tourbeuses prélevées sont en cours d’analyse et de datation. La confrontation des données archéologiques, palynologiques et géochimiques débouchera sur une réflexion relative à la signification spatiale des signatures mises en évidence (signaux globaux vs locaux).

The palynological study of the La Combette rockshelter gives us information on the evolution of the vegetation surrounding the rock shelter area during the Upper Pleistocene (isotopic stage 3). Although widely dominated by Pinus sylvestris t. , mediterranean species are also present in the different climatic phases revealed by the catalysis. This confirms the refuge character of the area.[es] Paleoambiente durante el Pleistoceno Superior en Vaucluse: análisis palinológico de los niveles inferiores del abrigo de la Combette (Bonnieux, Vaucluse, Francia). El estudio palinológico del Abrigo de La Combette nos informa sobre la evolución seguida por la vegetación en el entorno del yacimiento durante el Pleistoceno Superior, Würm antiguo (inicio del estadio isotópico 3). Se ponen de manifiesto diversas fases climáticas caracterizadas, en general, por el dominio de Pinus sylvestris t. así como por la notable presencia de especies mediterráneas. Se constata el carácter de refugio de la zona estudiada. [fr] L'étude palynologique de l'abri de La Combette nous informe sur l'évolution de la végétation autour du site pendant le Pléistocène supérieur, au Würm ancien (début du stade isotopique 3). Les différentes phases climatiques mises en évidence sont caractérisées par la dominance du pin sylvestre et la présence notable d'espèces méditerranéennes. On constate le caractère refuge du site.

The authors acknowledge the following funding sources: Max Planck Independent Research Group, Palaeo-Science and History Group (A.I., A.M. and C.V.); Estonian Research Council #PRG323, PUT1173 (A.Pos., T.R., N.S. and S.V.); European Research Council #FP7 263735 (A.Bro. and A.Plu.), #MSC 655659 (A.E.); Georgetown Environmental Initiative (T.N.); Latvian Council of Science #LZP-2020/2-0060 (N.S. and N.J.); LLNL-JRNL-820941 (I.T.); NSF award #GSS-1228126 (S.M.); Polish-Swiss Research Programme #013/2010 CLIMPEAT (M.Lam.), #086/2010 CLIMPOL (A.W.); Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education #N N306 275635 (M.K.); Polish National Science Centre #2019/03/X/ST10/00849 (M.Lam.), #2015/17/B/ST10/01656 (M.Lam.), #2015/17/B/ST10/03430 (M.So.), #2018/31/B/ST10/02498 (M.So.), #N N304 319636 (A.W.); SCIEX #12.286 (K.Mar.); Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness #REDISCO-HAR2017-88035-P (J.A.L.S.); Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports #FPU16/00676 (R.L.L.); Swedish Research Council #421-2010-1570 (P.L.), #2018-01272 (F.C.L. and A.S.); Volkswagen Foundation Freigeist Fellowship Dantean Anomaly (M.B.), Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation #RTI2018-101714-B-I00 (F.A.S. and D.A.S.), OP RDE, MEYS project #CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000728 (P.P.)., The Black Death (1347–1352 ce) is the most renowned pandemic in human history, believed by many to have killed half of Europe’s population. However, despite advances in ancient DNA research that conclusively identified the pandemic’s causative agent (bacterium Yersinia pestis), our knowledge of the Black Death remains limited, based primarily on qualitative remarks in medieval written sources available for some areas of Western Europe. Here, we remedy this situation by applying a pioneering new approach, ‘big data palaeoecology’, which, starting from palynological data, evaluates the scale of the Black Death’s mortality on a regional scale across Europe. We collected pollen data on landscape change from 261 radiocarbon-dated coring sites (lakes and wetlands) located across 19 modern-day European countries. We used two independent methods of analysis to evaluate whether the changes we see in the landscape at the time of the Black Death agree with the hypothesis that a large portion of the population, upwards of half, died within a few years in the 21 historical regions we studied. While we can confirm that the Black Death had a devastating impact in some regions, we found that it had negligible or no impact in others. These inter-regional differences in the Black Death’s mortality across Europe demonstrate the significance of cultural, ecological, economic, societal and climatic factors that mediated the dissemination and impact of the disease. The complex interplay of these factors, along with the historical ecology of plague, should be a focus of future research on historical pandemics., Max Planck Independent Research Group, Palaeo-Science and History Group, Estonian Research Council PRG323 PUT1173, European Research Council (ERC) European Commission FP7 263735 MSC 655659, Georgetown Environmental Initiative, Latvian Ministry of Education and Science LZP-2020/2-0060 LLNL-JRNL-820941, National Science Foundation (NSF) GSS-1228126, Polish-Swiss Research Programme 013/2010 086/2010, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Poland N306 275635, Polish National Science Centre 2019/03/X/ST10/00849 2015/17/B/ST10/01656 2015/17/B/ST10/03430 2018/31/B/ST10/02498 N N304 319636, SCIEX 12.286, Spanish Government REDISCO-HAR2017-88035-P FPU16/00676, Swedish Research Council, European Commission 421-2010-1570 2018-01272, Volkswagen Foundation Freigeist Fellowship Dantean Anomaly, Spanish Government RTI2018-101714-B-I00, OP RDE, MEYS project CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000728

This work presents the anthracological and archeopalynological results obtained within the project AGRIWESTMED (ERC AdG 230561), which has involved a comprehensive retrieval of archeobiological remains based on a systematic sampling strategy, beyond the recovery of the usual archeological materials. These surveys were conducted on three sites located in the North of Morocco: the cave of Kaf Taht-el-Ghar, 8 km southeast from Tetuan, and two caves within the El Khil complex, close to Tanger. Both plant micro- and macro-remains (charred wood) were studied through palynological and anthracological analyses, respectively., Our goal was to assess the vegetation composition of the area as well as the impact of human activities on the landscape. In Kaf Taht-el-Ghar the dynamics of vegetation and land use is recorded over the Paleolithic, Epipaleolithic, Neolithic and Historic times. Clear changes such as the demise of ancient Paleolithic pine and juniper woods during the Epipaleolithic and the subsequent spread of grasslands are shown. Other conifers like Abies pinsapo, Cedrus atlantica and Taxus baccata also disappeared from the pollen and charred wood records. In the palynological study, cereal and broad beans (Vicia faba) are already detected in the Early Neolithic, as well as a lowering of grazing pressure. Both cereal and broad beans, along with the development of grazing activities are also documented around El Khil caves since the Early Neolithic. Throughout the whole pollen and anthracological sequences a progressive retreat of the tree cover and an extensive spread of grasslands could be set as the main features of the vegetation dynamics in this area., This study was funded by: -European Research Council Advanced Grant AGRIWESTMED (ERC AdG 230561). MRA; DAS; JALS and FAS are team members of the Research Projects listed below. While drafting this manuscript MRA and DAS have received financial support by c) and a) research projects, respectively. a) Spanish government, State R&D Program Oriented to the Challenges of the Society, MED-REFUGIA Research Project (RTI2018-101714-B-I00). b) Andalusian Plan for Research, Development and Innovation: OROMEDREFUGIA Research Project (P18-RT-4963). c) ERDF Operational Programme in Andalusia (EU regional programme): RELIC-FLORA 2 Research Project (B-RNM-404-UGR18).

Applied Sciences 11(8), 3580 (2021). doi:10.3390/app11083580 special issue: "Special Issue "Archaeoecology. The Application of Palaeoenvironmental Sciences for the Reconstruction of Human-Environment Interactions" / Special Issue Editor: Dr. Jordi Revelles, Guest Editor", Published by MDPI, Basel

Este artículo está sujeto a una licencia CC BY 4.0, Este trabajo pretende analizar la construcción de los paisajes medievales en el Sur del Duero. La imagen que se ha elaborado desde los estudios centrados en el registro escrito enfatizan un incremento de la actividad agraria a partir del siglo XII, como consecuencia de la repoblación. Sin embargo, el análisis del caso de Monleras, una población situada en la comarca de la Ramajería (Salamanca) revela una situación más compleja. Mediante el estudio combinado del registro escrito, de los datos arqueológicos y de dos análisis paleopalinológicos sobre sendos bonales, se ha podido reconstruir una evolución distinta. Estos espacios evidencian una ocupación antrópica desde finales del siglo IX y en el siglo X, cuando se había producido aparentemente un cambio en los patrones de asentamiento que habían definido a los siglos posromanos. Por otro lado, se produjo una transformación con una intensificación de la cerealicultura desde comienzos del siglo XII, aprovechando las favorables condiciones medioambientales que habían generado los humedales. En la Baja Edad Media y a comienzos del periodo moderno, los humedales se fueron progresivamente secando, dando lugar a un paisaje de dehesa, que ha caracterizado tradicionalmente a esta comarca. Estos cambios fueron efectuados por la población local, sin que hubiera una injerencia externa (señorial o del poder urbano) y posiblemente como parte de una acción colectiva. Se puede concluir el importante papel de la resiliencia de los habitantes ante los cambios sociales y medioambientales. Aunque estos datos se refieren a un caso de estudio específico, implican la necesidad de profundizar en la agencia local y en el dinamismo en los procesos de construcción de los paisajes medievales.

A new record from a long sediment core (S3) in Navamuño (1505 m asl, western Iberian Central System) provides the reconstruction of the vegetation history and environmental changes in the region between 15.6 and 10.6 ka cal BP, namely during the Late Glacial and the early Holocene, using a multiproxy analysis (pollen-based vegetation and climate reconstruction, sedimentary macrocharcoals, loss-on-ignition, magnetic susceptibility and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) measurements). The results are then compared with other sequences from the Iberian Central System and the whole Iberian Peninsula in order to better understand the past dynamics of the main forest constituents. The pollen record shows a shift from open pine forests ∼15.6–14.7 ka cal BP (Oldest Dryas) to mixed open pine-birch woodlands ∼14.7–14.0 ka cal BP (Bølling). Woodlands were succeeded by a steppe-like landscape until ∼13.4 ka cal BP (Older Dryas), which was replaced again by high-mountain pine forests and riparian woodlands ∼13.4–12.6 ka cal BP (Allerød). A great development of cold steppe grasslands linked to the decline of birch woodlands is documented ∼12.6–11.7 ka cal BP (Younger Dryas). The early Holocene (11.7–10.6 ka cal BP) was characterized by a progressive reforestation of the study area by pine and birch forests in the highlands and oak woods in the lowlands. Temperate tree taxa (Carpinus betulus, Castanea sativa, Corylus avellana, Fraxinus, Juglans, Tilia, and Ulmus) were also common but likely at lower elevations. Pollen of Fagus sylvatica was already recorded during the Late Glacial and the early Holocene. The marked increasing local fire activity during the warmer and wetter Allerød oscillation could be related to a rise in tree cover, supporting the climatically driven character of these fires. Nevertheless, the strong increase in fire activity during the Younger Dryas would probably be related to growing tree and shrub mortality, as well as to the wet/dry biphasic structure of this stadial. The standard “Modern Analogue Technique” has been also applied to the Navamuño sequence to provide quantitative climate estimations for the Late Glacial and the early Holocene periods. This record is one of the few continental archives that show the climatic trend between the Late Glacial and the early Holocene in central Iberia, agreeing with many other regional records from the Western Mediterranean.

This paper presents a palynological study of the archeological layers from the Neanderthal site Abrigo 3 del Complejo del Humo, in southern Spain (Málaga), with the aim of reconstructing the environmental conditions in the vicinity of this hominin site. The Upper Pleistocene vegetation and its variability are described, revealing a high diversity of thermophilous plant taxa throughout the cold dry phases, together with a long-term persistence of woody taxa, including Mediterranean, mesophytes, xerothermics and conifers. With the pollen records of Maytenus senegalensis as an outstanding finding, this study demonstrates the co-existence of temperate, Mediterranean and Ibero-Maghrebian angiosperms on the southern coastal plains of the Iberian Pleistocene where Neanderthals survived for a long time. It is therefore clear that Neanderthals and early Upper Paleolithic modern humans lived in a litoral refugium, which was a propitious environment for maintaining a high biodiversity, including potentially edible plant species. Besides, this coastal refugium offers broad possibilities for hunting, and interpopulational relationships through coastal platforms., The research of this work was funded by the projects MED-REFUGIA-RTI2018-101714-B-I00 (Plan Nacional I + D + I, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness) and by the ERC-Starting Grant Proposal No. 805478. The development of this work was supported by Project (CGL-BOS2015-68604-P), funded by: FEDER/Ministry of Science and Innovation - Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Project (PID2019-1049449GB-I00), funded by: FEDER/Ministry of Science and Innovation - Agencia Estatal de Investigación and Fundación Séneca (grant number 20788/PI/18). Reyes Luelmo Lautenschlaeger is funded by a FPU contract (Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports). FPU16/00676.

The climatic and environmental history of the SW Iberian Peninsula is explored tofill in the gap ofcontinental palaeoclimate data by a high-resolution study of Lake Medina sediments from core Co1313. Amulti-proxy approach comprising sedimentary facies analysis, elemental geochemistry, mineralogy,palynology and micropaleontology was employed to reconstruct the complex limnological response toclimate change and catchment dynamics since the early Holocene. The further definition of abruptclimate change events was supported by a robust age model and rapid sediment accumulation rate at thestudy site. Proxies indicate arid and warm climate conditions during the Early Holocene, from around 9.5to 7.8 cal ka BP, with a desiccation event at 8.8 cal ka BP as well as tentative evidence for the regionalexpression of a cold and abrupt arid climate event centering on ca. 8.2 cal ka BP. The Holocene ClimateOptimum, from around 7.8 to 5.5 cal ka BP, is characterized by a humid climate and maximum lake level.Anoxic bottom water conditions are indicated by the preservation of sediment laminae and the occur-rences of Sulfur mottles, which were observed for thefirst time within Holocene sediments of salinelakes. Mid-to Late Holocene times are governed by the 4.2 cal ka BP dry event as well as progressivearidification accompanied by the development of typical Mediterranean low-land vegetation. Duringrecent times, further progressive loss in precipitation as well asfluctuating but overall increasinganthropogenic influence on Lake Medina sediments is observed

S. Fernández, J.S. Carrión, J. Ochando, P. González-Sampériz, M. Munuera, G. Amorós, J.M. Postigo-Mijarra, C. Morales-Molino, P. García-Murillo, G. Jiménez-Moreno, J.A. López-Sáez, F. Jiménez-Espejo, L.M. Cáceres, J. Rodríguez-Vidal, G. Finlayson, S. Finlayson, C. Finlayson Erratum to “New palynological data from the Late Pleistocene glacial refugium of South-West Iberia: The case of Doñana” [Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology (2021) PALBO 104431] Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Volume 296, January 2022, Pages 104566, The Doñana area in southern Iberia is one of the most renowned protected areas of Europe, mostly due to the diversity and value of its wetland ecosystems. The large biogeographical significance of this territory and the outstanding availability of sedimentary archives have made this region a hotspot of paleobotanical research in the Iberian Peninsula. Specifically, the organic deposits on El Asperillo Cliff have been studied during the past few decades from the geomorphological and paleobotanical (pollen, macrofossils) points of view. However, large uncertainties remain concerning the chronology of certain sections of the exposed profile and the paleobotanical potential of this site has not been fully exploited yet. In this study, we revisited El Asperillo with the aims of completing the paleobotanical record and refining the chronology of this site. The age of the studied deposits ranges from ca. 22,000 to 30,900 cal. yr BP according to the radiocarbon dates obtained, thus embracing the particularly cold and dry Heinrich Event 2 and the Last Glacial Maximum. Our palynological results allow inferring the presence of a coastal marshland system. Additionally, the new pollen records highlight the relevance and diversity of pines (Pinus nigra-sylvestris type, P. pinaster, P. halepensis-pinea type) in the Late Pleistocene landscape of Doñana, reinforcing the native status of pines. Last but not least, the results stress the persistence of a highly diverse woody flora in Doñana during the harshest periods of the last glacial cycle, highlighting the importance of this enclave in postglacial vegetation recolonization of the Iberian Peninsula., The development of this work was supported by Projects FEDER/Ministry of Science and Innovation, Agencia Estatal de Investigación CGL-BOS2015-68604-P and PID2019-1049449GB-I00), 261-2011 Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales and Fundación Séneca grant 20788/PI/18

[EN] Sixty modern surface samples collected from mosses in different cypress forest communities (Cupressus sempervirens L.) on the island of Crete (Greece) were analysed for their pollen content. The samples were taken from six different cypress phytosociological associations between 23 and 1600 m asl, and fall within distinct rainfall and temperature regimes. The aims of this paper are to provide new data on the modern pollen rain from the Aegean islands, and to perform these data using multivariate statistics (hierarchical cluster analysis and canonical correspondence analysis) and pollen percentages. The discrimination of pollen assemblages corresponds to a large extent to the floristic differentiation of Cupressus sempervirens forest vegetation and indicates the existence of three new associations, [ES] Sesenta muestras de lluvia polínica actual recolectadas en cepellones de musgos, procedentes de distintas comunidades de ciprés (Cupressus sempervirens L.) en la isla de Creta (Grecia), fueron analizadas palinológicamente. Las muestras proceden de seis asociaciones fitosociológicas dominadas por el ciprés entre 23 y 1600 m asl, bajo regímenes de precipitación y temperatura diferentes. El objetivo de este trabajo es prover datos novedosos acerca de la lluvia polínica actual en las islas del Egeo, así como tratar éstos mediante análisis multivariantes (análisis de cluster jerárquico y análisis de correspondencias canónicas) y a partir de sus porcentajes polínicos. La discriminación de los espectros polínicos corresponde en gran medida a la diferenciación florística de la vegetación de los bosques de Cupressus sempervirens e indica la existencia de tres nuevas asociaciones, This study is part of the international PALEOMEX-INEE Research Program, itself a component of the Mediterranean Integrated Studies at Regional and Local Scales (MISTRALS) of the CNRS, France.

Knowledge of the current status of Fagus sylvatica in the Western Pyrenean Region (Northern Iberian Peninsula) is based on its widespread presence in mountain areas. However, the past evolution of this taxon and its links to natural and anthropogenic activities is not well defined. We have compiled all the published palaeobotanical data (macro and micro remains) on this region, including both natural and archaeological deposits and with particular emphasis on available radiocarbon dates. To support our analysis of the evolution of F. sylvatica, we present the palynological study of a new sequence (Gesaleta, Navarre), covering the last 11,400 cal yr BP. The main results of this paper suggest the ancient presence of F. sylvatica in the Western Pyrenean Region from at least the Late Pleistocene and Early and Middle Holocene, with a clear expansion from ca 4,500–3,500 cal yr BP, although with some regional differences. This was the point when European beech became one of the main actors in mountain forests, where it has been exploited for a variety of anthropogenic activities, Mónica Ruiz-Alonso and Sebastián Pérez-Díaz are funded by the Programa Estatal de Promoción del Talento y su Empleabilidad en I + D + i (Juan de la Cierva).

Lake Medina is a small, shallow and endorheic salt lake sensitive to climate variation in south-western Spain, close to Cádiz in western Andalusia. It is located in an evaporitic and karstic environment, and a saline lake affected by highly seasonal precipitation and evaporation. Geochemical and mineralogical data of core CO1313 combined with a robust age model show variation that contributes to the understanding of palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic change. This study shows a pollen record that has been conducted on core CO1313, together with charcoal and non-pollen palynomorph analyses. The environmental and climatological history reconstruction of Lake Medina starts in early Holocene times (at 9.5 cal. ka BP) and shows intensified pasture and land use during middle-Holocene times as well as the 8.2 and 4.2 cal. ka BP abrupt climate events. Oxidation of plant remnants and resulting non-preservation at certain times reinforces the hypothesis of intense climate effects on vegetation during the 4.2 cal. ka BP climate event. Yet, oxidation of plant residues during other episodes shows other periods that were also affected by reduced precipitation. From around 2 cal. ka BP onwards, a recent trend towards aridification and enforced seasonality was detected.

The Toledo Mountains are a mid-elevation mountain range that separates the Tagus and Guadiana basins in the central area of the Iberian Peninsula. The location of these mountains allows the development of typical Mediterranean vegetation with some Atlantic influence. Consequently, typical broadleaved evergreen Mediterranean vegetation currently dominates the regional landscape, with the remarkable presence of more mesophilous species in sheltered and more humid microsites such as gorges (e.g., Prunus lusitanica, Taxus baccata, Ilex aquifolium) and mires/bogs (e.g., Betula pendula susbp. fontqueri, Erica tetralix, Myrica gale). Palaeoecological studies in these mountains are essential to understand the long-term ecology and original distribution of these valuable communities and are key to assess their resilience. Understanding the hazards and opportunities faced in the past by the plant communities of the Toledo Mountains is necessary to enhance the management and protection of those species currently threatened. This study focuses on El Perro mire, a peatland on the southern Toledo Mountains (central Spain) where climatic variability has played a major role in landscape dynamics at multi-decadal to millennial timescales. Climatic events such as the 4.2 ka cal. Before Present (BP) or the Little Ice Age triggered relevant landscape changes such as the spread and latter decline of birch and hazel forests. Human communities also seemed to be affected by these events, as their resilience was apparently jeopardized by the new climatic conditions and they were forced to find new strategies to cope with the new scenarios., This research was funded the project REDISCO-HAR2017-88035-P (Plan Nacional I+D+I, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness). Reyes Luelmo Lautenschlaeger is funded by a FPU contract (Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports).

Palynological and sedimentological investigations carried out around the tell of Dikili Tash (Eastern Macedonia, Greece), one of the oldest Neolithic sites in Europe, improve our understanding of the evolution of the paleoenvironment from the Late Pleistocene to the Neolithic period (6500–3200 cal BC in this region). While global climate reconstructions researches based on the study of the Tenaghi-Philippon pollen record, located 5–8 km from the tell, have focused on forces that drive the environment at regional or global scales, we attempt to use the sediment archives on the edge of the marsh to describe the context of the Neolithization process and related environmental changes. Our aim is to provide new data on environmental change during the Early Holocene by combining pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) and sedimentological analyses to be compared with archaeological information. The data give an overview of the original environment prior to the Neolithic and thereafter a comprehensive view of the first human impacts on the vegetation cover in local lowland areas. Two new pollen records located respectively 1.75 km (Dik4) and 150 m (Dik12) from the archaeological site provide the first evidence of human agropastoral activities on the landscape associated with the Early Neolithic communitiessince at least 6400 cal BC, largely earlier than observed in the reference pollen diagram in the Tenaghi-Philippon marsh which shows a first human impact from the second millennium cal BC. Admittedly, such impact on the local area around the site cannot be extrapolated to a regional scale, raising question of the spatial representativeness of the previous records. It also shows the need to develop multi-scalar investigations to assess the impact of climatic change and human activities on the landscape during the earliest phase of the Neolithic settlement in southeastern Balkans., The funding for the present study derives also from RELICTFLORA (P11RNM-7033) project, provided by the junta de Andalucía (Spain)