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Despite its strategic importance at the furthermost edge of the Neolithic expansion in Europe, archaeogenetic data from Mesolithic and Neolithic human remains from Portugal are still very limited. Here we present ancient mtDNA evidence (mostly unpublished) to fill the gap and discuss the pattern of “genetic resurgence” of huntergatherer (Mesolithic) ancestry, widely reported elsewhere in Europe, among the first megalith builders (Middle Neolithic) of western Iberia. A total of 11 Mesolithic and Neolithic necropolises located in the central and southern regions of Portugal dated to ca. 6200–3000 BC were studied. These sites comprise all Mesolithic–Neolithic cultural stages and include several funerary architectures and spaces. Reproducible mtDNA HVRI haplotypes were obtained from 23 individuals from six different archaeological sites spread across a >3000-year transect, from the Late Mesolithic to the Late Neolithic. Our results support a three-stage explanatory demographic and populational model: i) local hunter-gatherer populations constituted a highly homogeneous genetic pool; ii) the first farming practices were introduced by human groups carrying new, extraneous haplogroups and exhibiting the signature of admixture events occurring at the time of first contact with local hunter-gatherers; iii) the genetic pattern detected among the megalithbuilding populations, showing hunter-gatherer along with farming ancestry, may be explained by the segmentar principles, and attendant endogamic practices, that structured Neolithic societies. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

With very few exceptions, ethnographic data is hardly ever used as a framework for archaeological research in Portugal. However, the systematic work of Orlando Ribeiro (1911–1997) on the traditional forms of transhumant pastoralism in the north-central mountains of Portugal provides a unique ethno-historical framework for studying those practices in earlier times. Combining the abundant field observations and documentary analysis published by this geographer with ongoing archaeological and zooarchaeological research could shed great light on the long history of livestock management in the area. Some of the transhumance variables studied – ranges, itineraries, settlement locations, herd size, duration, community social organization and specific herding practices – serve as research guidelines for future projects. Due to unfavourable taphonomic conditions, zooarchaeological assemblages are scarce and poorly preserved in most of the territory, thus preventing any comprehensive reconstitution of past livestock compositions. This further enhances the importance of Ribeiro’s work.

This article develops an ontological approach to study meditation in practice. Recognizing that social studies of meditation are dominated by critical and humanist standpoints, it suggests that the politics of meditation should not be indexed to hegemonic social forces – capitalism, neoliberalism, medicalization – but to what it can do to bodies, selves and environments through particular performances and engagements with non-humans. In order to develop this argument, the article delves into two popular practices of meditation – Vipassana, in the tradition of S. N. Goenka, and Mindfulness, according to the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. The empirical data stem from fieldwork carried out between 2010 and 2013 in France, Portugal and the United Kingdom. Twenty-four semi-structured interviews were conducted with meditators, as well as participant observation at meditation retreats and local practice groups. The article explores how these two articulations of Vipassana and Mindfulness allow practitioners to reconfigure how they perform their bodies and selves, leaning towards versions of subjectivity that contrast with paradigmatic versions of the modern self. It suggests that the ontological politics of meditation are multiple, involving a wide range of performances, effects and arrangements, requiring social scientists to take into account how meditation unfolds in practice in order to avoid totalizing generalizations.

This article explores narratives and characteristics of sociological transitions displayed by members of the Transition Network (TN) in Portugal. It is informed by scholarly work on grassroots innovations, sociological transition narratives, and environmental engagement in Portugal. It furthers this research in three ways: (1) it analyzes an original case study—the Portuguese TN; (2) it identifies and defines the various socioecological narratives conveyed by its participants; and (3) it interprets the TN’s sociopolitical appeal as a grassroots innovation in the context of environmental mobilization in Portugal. Drawing on 20 semistructured interviews with current and former members of the Portuguese TN, three narratives of sociological transition were identified—utopianism, inevitability, and pessimism—as well as seven characteristics that motivated interviewees’ engagement with the TN.

Despite previous attempts, the Early Neolithic of Portugal was poorly understood until the latter part of the twentieth century. It is only when Guilaine and Ferreira (1970) re-analysed pottery assemblages kept in museums across the country and compared them with parallels elsewhere in Iberia and southern France that they were able to distinguish between an earlier Cardial phase and a more recent stage, named ‘Furninha horizon’ after an important burial cave excavated in 1880. Essentially, most Portuguese prehistorians still use this scheme today. Though some have argued in favour of pre-Cardial phases, either of African or Andalusian origin (e.g. Silva & Soares, 1981) or represented by impressa-type ceramics of Italic origin (e.g. Guilaine, 2018), these hypotheses are still lacking sound empirical support (Carvalho, 2020). It should, however, be noted that these hypotheses are still sometimes taken up in discussions of new finds. This is the case in a recently-published ovoid vase, with a flat base and impressed decoration, retrieved from so-called ‘hearth 8’ at the open-air site of Vale Pincel (coastal Alentejo), which was dated to c. 5650 cal BC. As this predates the oldest Cardial in Portuguese territory and is not a Cardial vessel, the author claims that this ‘ceramic decoration is part of the pre-Cardial impressed world’ (Soares, 2020: 311–2 and fig. 4). info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Work carried out in 1988 at the cave of Igrejinha dos Soidos under the direction of L.G. Straus allowed the identification of an occupation that can be today attributed to the end of the Bronze Age (c. 1400 BC?), placing this site among the few non-funerary contexts of this time period known in the Algarve. In addition to characteristic pottery (flat bases, burnished surfaces), including cheese strainers, there is also a diversified faunal assemblage attesting a pastoral economy (sheep / goat and cattle)., Trabalhos realizados em 1988 na gruta da Igrejinha dos Soidos sob a direção de L.G. Straus permitiram identificar uma ocupação que se pode hoje atribuir ao final da Idade do Bronze (c. 1400 a.C.?), colocando assim este sítio entre os poucos contextos não funerários desta época conhecidos no Algarve. Para além de cerâmica característica deste período (bases planas, paredes brunidas), incluindo cinchos, regista-se ainda um conjunto faunístico diversificado que atesta uma economia pastoril (ovelha / cabra e boi).

Discovered in 2003, the Quinta da Praia archaeological site can be attributed to the Early Neolithic after its material culture (impressed and incised pottery, knapping of flint for the production of a bladelet-based assemblage, etc.). Subsequent testing and field surveying, with systematic retrieval of surface artefacts, allowed the recognition of three main concentrations of lithics and potsherds. Their status (coeval or diachronic) and function are still an open question. The location of the site in the south rim of the Tagus Estuary suggests the exploitation of its resources whereas the coeval settlement system indicates a full farming economy., Descoberto em 2003, o sítio arqueológico da Quinta da Praia pode ser atribuído ao Neolítico antigo com base na sua cultura material (cerâmica impressa e incisa, talhe do sílex para a produção de uma indústria de base lamelar, etc.). Sondagens e prospeções subsequentes, incluindo a recolha sistemática de artefactos de superfície, permitiram o reconhecimento de três concentrações principais de líticos e fragmentos cerâmicos. O estatuto das mesmas (se contemporâneas ou sucessivas no tempo) é ainda uma questão em aberto. A localização do sítio sobre a margem sul do Estuário do Tejo sugere a exploração dos seus recursos enquanto o sistema de povoamento coevo, por seu lado, indica a presença de uma economia agro-pastoril plena formada.

Zooarchaeological studies in Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age Portugal have witnessed important developments in recent years, even if still largely based on taxonomic analyses. Other approaches depend heavily on the abundance and preservation conditions of faunal collections, which are often inadequate such limitation prevents in-depth studies of animal exploitation strategies (e.g. the ?Secondary Products Revolution?). Despite these constraints, some trends in animal exploitation systems have been observed (Valente, M. J., and A. F. Carvalho. 2014. ?Zooarchaeology in the Neolithic and Chalcolithic of Southern Portugal.? Environmental Archaeology 19 (3): 226?240). These observations are now complemented by new zooarchaeological studies and case-studies on isotopic analyses for mobility and diet. The new dataset is addressed in the wider context, thus allowing a comprehensive overview, albeit exploratory, on herding practices and animal exploitation systems in Late Prehistory. The following trends are: the introduction of domesticated animals during the Early Neolithic the non-existence of medium- to large-scale itinerant pastoralism during the Middle Neolithic (though shorter distances itinerancy may have taken place) and different moments for the adoption of secondary animal products (early usage of milk, and perhaps its derivatives, but a later exploitation of other products like wool and draft force). info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

O Antropoceno é uma época geológica proposta para ilustrar o impacto humano no sistema terrestre, exemplificado pelas alterações climáticas. Recorrendo a literatura no âmbito dos estudos de ciência e tecnologia, este artigo reflete sobre a heterogeneidade ontológica do Antropoceno, analisando como diferentes respostas sociais, políticas e tecnológicas são mobilizadas para fazer face aos desafios das alterações climáticas. O artigo analisa três estudos de caso que ilustram a heterogeneidade ontológica do Antropoceno : políticas europeias e nacionais em matéria de ação climática ; o movimento de transição, focado em ações à escala local para a descarbonização das sociedades ; a geoengenharia como tecnologia emergente de manipulação climática. Neste trabalho argumentamos que a diversidade de visões, práticas e intervenções associadas aos estudos de caso reforçam o carácter político e controverso do Antropoceno, colocando novos desafios às ciências sociais. The Anthropocene is a proposed geological epoch to illustrate the human impact on Earth systems – exemplified by climate change. Supported by literature within science and technology studies, this article reflects on the ontological heterogeneity of the Anthropocene, analyzing how different social, political and technological proposals are mobilized to face the challenges of climate change. The article delves into three case studies that illustrate the ontological heterogeneity of the Anthropocene : European and national policies regarding climate change ; the Transition Movement, focused on local actions to foster low carbon transitions ; emerging technologies of climate manipulation – geoengineering. We argue that the diversity of visions, practices and interventions related to the case studies reinforce the political and controversial dimensions of the Anthropocene, posing new challenges for the social sciences.

A datação por radiocarbono e a análise de carbono e azoto sistemáticas dos três indivíduos exumados da Anta de Cabeceira 4.ª (Mora, Évora), indicaram uma cronologia antiga dentro do megalitismo regional e padrões paleodietéticos similares aos anteriormente obtidos no Algar do Bom Santo (Alenquer, Lisboa), os quais indicam percentagens relativamente elevadas (20-25%) de alimentos de origem estuarina/ribeirinha, confirmando assim, pelo menos em boa parte, o modelo interpretativo construído com base no estudo da referida gruta estremenha.

The study of the Early Neolithic in Portugal has been receiving increasing attention in the last quarter century, following initial developments in the 1980s that pushed research to new interpretative levels. However, albeit present in some more recent works, reconstructions of social organizational features of these communities have been only marginally attempted. Aiming at providing a first, preliminary view on such issues, it is suggested in this paper that Early Neolithic communities experienced economic (intensive farming exploitation of small plots) and demographic (a sudden population growth followed by decrease and stabilisation) processes as observed elsewhere in Europe. Social inequality is not a permanent trait—likely, these societies went through “ups and downs”, with “ups” occurring after settlement in new areas and “downs” resulting from subsequent fission and dislocation events. Their integration in the broader context of the Neolithic expansion along both rims of the Western Mediterranean is visible not only in shared economic behaviours and options, but also in indirect evidence for maritime transportation of goods. The latter phenomenon also establishes the second half of the 6th millennium BC as the beginning of systematic maritime connections along the Atlantic facade of Europe.

Previous multi-isotopic research on the human remains of the Neolithic cave-cemetery of Bom Santo (Lisbon, Portuguese Estremadura) led to the conclusion that this fourth millennium BC population was very heterogeneous at several levels. Two in particular were subsistence habits and mobility: although consumption of terrestrial foods was the norm, aquatic food sources totalling > 20% of overall diets were detected in 60% of the population, and, surprisingly, 79% of the individuals were classed as non-local, having lived most of their life in geologically older regions. These figures were however obtained on a sample of 15 individuals. Further isotopic analyses have enlarged the original sample to 35 individuals (i.e., half of the exhumed population) and were also employed in the study of the coeval cave-cemeteries of Barrao and Mureta. This has permitted a sounder depiction of past behaviours, with a structural difference being observed at both levels between Bom Santo and the latter sites: at the former cave, 70% of the population consumed > 20% of aquatic foods and 34% were non-local (23% from outside Estremadura), whereas the latter were all local and showed no signals of aquatic diets. Comparison with other fourth millennium BC populations in central-southern Portugal suggests a model where the exploitation of locally available aquatic/marine food sources was not mandatory but optional and that human mobility represented an important socio-economic behavioural feature of these (presumably) segmentary societies. How both aspects related to the then-emerging megalithic phenomenon is a question that should be investigated in future research. Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Lisbon, Portugal) [PGQNG19] Apoio a Projetos na Area da Arqueologia info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The transition from foraging to farming is certainly one of the most dramatic processes in human history. The use of domesticated plants and animals spread widely across Southwest Europe from the Near East. By contrast, domesticated plants solely moved across the American Southwest from Mexico. Research in Western Europe has traditionally focused on the movement of farming communities across the region which displaced or subsumed local foragers. Recently various aspects of this process have been debated including Mesolithic and Neolithic subsistence packages, continuity versus replacement, regional mobility and sedentism, the nature of early Neolithic villages, and the forager to farmer transition. We will explore this dynamic and varied process through studies conducted in Southwest Europe and the American Southwest. Although these two regions seem quite different, researchers in both areas are grappling with similar research issues. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The discovery of a partially preserved vessel in the course of the excavations carried out in Cova Eirós brings forth new data on the material culture of the regional Neolithic.The pot, both in its bottle-like shape and decoration (shell impressed), recalls strongly the cardial ware, so characteristic of the archaeological record in the Early Neolithic groups of South Iberia.We discuss the circumstances of the finding and the closest parallels to be found among the pottery collections from South Portugal.As a result, we suggest that the vessel found at Cova Eirós would date back to the end of the 6th Millennium BC., El hallazgo de un vaso cerámico parcialmente conservado en el curso de las excavaciones llevadas a cabo en Cova Eirós permite aportar nuevos datos sobre la cultura material del Neolítico regional. El recipiente, tanto por su forma de botella como por su decoración (impresión de concha), recuerda claramente a la cerámica cardial, tan característica del registro arqueológico entre los primeros grupos neolíticos del sur de la península ibérica. Se abordan las circunstancias del hallazgo y los paralelos más cercanos, que se encuentran entre las colecciones cerámicas del sur de Portugal. A modo de conclusión, sugerimos que la pieza analizada se remonta probablemente al final del VI milenio a. C.

A characterisation of the earliest pottery productions in Neolithic Portugal (6th millennium BC) was published in the pages of this journal a few years ago. However, three aspects have been receiving further attention by current research and are discussed here: 1) the relation between Cardial and Boquique-decorated potteries, in which the former are clearly more ancient i f a critical evaluation of the available chrono-stratigraphic evidence is carried out; 2) new finds of so-called "symbolic pottery", which includes abundant evidence for anthropomorphic and zoomorphic depictions along with more scarce examples of plant and solar representations; and 3) petrographic and chemical analyses of ceramics and clays, both pointing to the conclusion that Cardial and corded pots were being transported through long-distance, maritime travels. Some sites currently under analyses may provide in the near future new insights into those research topics. Uma caracterização das primeiras cerâmicas neolíticas de Portugal (VI milénio a.C.) foi há poucos anos publicada nas páginas desta mesma revista. No entanto, a investigação mais recente tem vindo a dar atenção a três aspetos, que são discutidos aqui: 1) a relação entre cerâmica cardial e boquique, em que a primeira se pode considerar mais antiga se se atender a uma avaliação crítica da evidência cronoestratigráfica disponível; 2) os novos achados da chamada “cerâmica simbólica”, que incluem abundante evidência de representações antropomórficas e zoomórficas a par de exemplos, mais escassos, de plantas e representações solares; e 3) as análises petrográficas e químicas de cerâmica e argilas, que apontam para a conclusão segundo a qual peças cardiais e com cordões eram transportadas a longa distância por via marítima. Alguns sítios atualmente em estudo poderão proporcionar novos conhecimentos sobre estes temas num futuro próximo. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The radiocarbon dating and the systematic carbon and nitrogen analysis of the three exhumed individuals from Anta de Cabeceira 4ª (Mora, Évora), indicated an ancient chronology within the regional megalithic and paleodietetic patterns similar to those previously obtained in the Algar do Bom Santo ( Alenquer, Lisboa), which indicate relatively high (20-25%) percentages of estuarine / riverine food, thus confirming, at least in large part, the interpretative model built on base in the study of that Algar., A datação por radiocarbono e a análise de carbono e azoto sistemáticas dos três indivíduos exumados da Anta de Cabeceira 4.ª (Mora, Évora), indicaram uma cronologia antiga dentro do megalitismo regional e padrões paleodietéticos similares aos anteriormente obtidos no Algar do Bom Santo (Alenquer, Lisboa), os quais indicam percentagens relativamente elevadas (20-25%) de alimentos de origem estuarina/ribeirinha, confirmando assim, pelo menos em boa parte, o modelo interpretativo construído com base no estudo da referida gruta estremenha.

The Pena d’Agua Rock-shelter (Torres Novas, Portugal) was excavated in 1992–2000, revealing a long stratigraphic and cultural sequence including Middle Neolithic occupations. A preliminary study on its fauna was published by Valente (1998) based on the 1992–1994 material, but the 1997–2000 campaigns remained unstudied. The aim of this study is to present the full fauna analysis of the layer Db, dated from the earlier phases of that period. Like other assemblages from the same time frame in the area, the fauna collection understudy is small. Its bones showed several surface and chemical alterations due to sediment pressure, exposure to fire and water percolation. Regarding the taxonomical abundances, most remains were classified as rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and sheep and/or goat (Ovis aries/Capra hircus). A few specimens of cervid, fox (Vulpes vulpes) and bird were also identified. The other fauna assemblages from the region show either the prevalence of the caprine component (as in Pena d’Agua) or a higher abundance of cervids. This trend may reflect a specialized animal exploitation and we propose that the Middle Neolithic human communities in the Limestone Massif had a subsistence strategy based on caprine exploration, supplemented by some cervid (red deer) hunting. These hunter-herders groups were probably highly mobile and may have practiced some kind of transhumance (or itinerant pastoralism), for which the details are still unknown. Keywords: Middle Neolithic, Zooarchaeology, Pena d’Agua Rock-shelter, Portuguese Estremadura, Hunter-Herders. Resumo: Cacadores e pastores no macico calcario estremenho: a fauna do Neolitico Medio do sitio do abrigo da Pena d´Agua (Torres Novas, Portugal) O abrigo da Pena d’Agua (Torres Novas, Portugal) foi escavado entre 1992 e 2000, tendo revelado uma longa sequencia estratigrafica e cultural, incluindo ocupacoes pertencentes ao Neolitico Medio. Uma analise preliminar foi publicada por Valente (1998), com base no material de 1992-1994; as campanhas de 1997-2000 permaneceram por estudar. O objetivo deste estudo passa por apresentar a analise zooarqueologica da fauna pertencente a camada Db, atribuida a fase inicial do periodo. Tal como outros contextos do mesmo periodo cronologico da regiao, a colecao faunistica analisada e de pequenas dimensoes. Os restos osseos demonstram varias alteracoes superficiais e quimicas, devido a pressao do sedimento, a exposicao ao fogo e percolacao da agua. Em relacao as abundâncias taxonomicas, a maioria dos restos foram classificados como pertencentes a coelho (Oryctolagus cuniculus) e ovelha e/ou cabra (Ovis aries/Capra hircus). Identificou-se ainda alguns restos como pertencentes a cervideos, raposa (Vulpes vulpes) e ave. Os outros contextos faunisticos da regiao revelam tanto a prevalencia da componente caprina (como na Pena d´Agua) ou uma maior abundancia de cervideos. Esta tendencia pode refletir uma exploracao animal especializada e propomos que as comunidades humanas do Neolitico Medio no Macico Calcario teriam uma estrategia de subsistencia baseada na exploracao caprina, completada pela caca de alguns cervideos (veados). Estes grupos de cacadores e pastores seriam provavelmente bastante moveis e podem ter praticado algum tipo de transumância (ou pecuaria itinerante), para a qual os detalhes sao ainda desconhecidos. Palavras-Chave : Neolitico Medio, Zooarqueologia, Abrigo da Pena d’Agua, Estremadura Portuguesa, Caca-dores e Pastores.

In central Portugal, the basic structures of the Pleistocene economy, technology and social organization patterns remain fairly similar until the 8.2 ky cal BP climatic event. Their impact has not yet been thoroughly analysed with regard to changes in lithic technology. The Epipaleolithic occupation of Pena d’Agua Rock-shelter is dated to ca. 8.19 ky cal BP. In this paper we present a description of its lithic assemblage and put it in context with coeval and later sites of the Middle Tagus, highlighting the observed differences that pre- and post-date this event. Results indicate similarity in raw material acquisition strategies, mainly locally available quartzite cobbles for flake production. After the 8.2 ky event, chert becomes more common, allowing the systematic production of bladelet toolkits with high percentages of geometrics. Reorganized mobility patterns, from forager to logistic, may explain these changes, which remain stable until the Neolithic, ca. 7.4 ky cal BP.

As stated in its foreword, this volume is the outcome of a research project entitled ‘Origins and Spread of Stock-Keeping in the Near East and Europe’ that took place between 2007 and 2011 as the l...

Our knowledge of South Portugal's Neolithic and Chalcolithic subsistence strategies is limited by scarce palaeobotanical evidence (restricted to the latter period) and irregular zooarchaeological data. This framework is also affected by post-depositional biases, unevenly represented sites throughout the territory (i.e. under/over representation of sites according to their functions) and published data with disparate objectives and analytic methodologies. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that a priori theoretical assumption dominates over empirically supported arguments on crucial aspects of the Neo–Chalcolithic time period, such as (1) the relative importance of domestic versus wild species at the Neolithic onset (cal ≈5500 BC), (2) the supposed predominance of caprines herding and cervid hunting among the economic practices of the megalith builders (cal ≈4000–3000 BC) or (3) the real impact of the ‘Secondary Products Revolution’ and its chronology (cal ≈3000 BC onwards?). Using existing publications an...

Lugar do Canto Cave is one of the most relevant Neolithic burial caves in Portugal given not only its extraordinary preservation conditions at the time of discovery but also the quality of the field record obtained during excavation. Its material culture immediately pointed to a Middle Neolithic cemetery but recent radiocarbon determinations also allowed the recognition of an apparent two step phasing of its use within the period (ca. 4000-3400 cal BC): an older one characterized by a single burial and a later reoccupation as a collective necropolis. Comparisons with other well-dated cave cemeteries in Southern Portugal permitted the recognition of changing funerary practices and strategies of cemetery use during the later stages of the Neolithic and the Chalcolithic: 1) ca. 3800 cal BC as the possible turning point from the practice of individual to collective burials; 2) alternating periods of intensive use and deliberate abandonment of cemeteries (evidenced by their intentional closure). Research avenues to investigate the social organization and ideological context underlying these aspects of the Neolithic communities in greater depth are tentatively pointed out in this paper. El yacimiento de Lugar do Canto es una de las grutas-necrópolis neolíticas más relevantes de Portugal, no solo por las extraordinarias condiciones de preservación en el momento de su descubrimiento, sino también por la calidad del registro arqueológico obtenido durante las excavaciones. Aunque su cultura material apuntaba que estábamos ante un yacimiento del Neolítico Medio, las dataciones radiocarbónicas recientemente obtenidas indicaron aparentemente dos fases en su periodo de utilización (ca. 4000-3400 cal BC): una fase más antigua, caracterizada por una deposición funeraria singular, seguida de una reocupación como necrópolis colectiva. La comparación con otras grutas-necrópolis bien fechadas del sur de Portugal permitieron el reconocimiento de transformaciones en las prácticas funerarias y en las estrategias de uso de las necrópolis durante las fases tardías del Neolítico y el Calcolítico: 1) La sustitución de las prácticas funerarias individuales por las colectivas alrededor del 3800 cal BC; 2) La existencia de alternancias durante el uso funerario dilatado en el tiempo de las necrópolis y su abandono deliberado (evidenciado por el sellado intencional de las mismas). En este artículo se apuntan de forma tentativa algunas líneas de investigación posibles para profundizar en el contexto social e ideológico subyacente a estos aspectos de aquellas comunidades neolíticas.

To understand stable isotope (δ15N and δ13C) and radiocarbon results for a batch of 16 burials from the Bom Santo Cave (Portugal) a comprehensive analysis of data from 29 archaeological sites located in the coastal regions of the southern half of the country was undertaken. Results showed that, while some individuals seem to have eaten more marine or aquatic (i.e., freshwater) food as a result of locally available resources, the overall picture indicated a balanced consumption of terrestrial plants and herbivores throughout all stages of the Neolithic. This pattern represents a shift from Mesolithic subsistence focused on locally available resources to the introduction of a farming economic system with its associated changes in settlement and possibly also demography.

Na planície aluvial da várzea da Nazaré (província da Estremadura Portuguesa, na região centro litoral do país), numa área que estabelece o contacto entre o antigo estuário lagunar interior e o oceano, foi identificado um sítio arqueológico conhecido por Meu Jardim, datado do Neolítico Médio (finais do V e IV milénios A.N.E.), com diversos momento de ocupação registados em estratigrafia, e localizado nas proximidades das jazidas de sílex que terão provavelmente sido exploradas pelos seus ocupantes. Trata-se de um concheiro com vários níveis de ocupação de contexto doméstico. Em face das lacunas de conhecimento que caracterizam os estudos líticos deste período, optou-se por analisar apenas, neste primeiro estudo, as suas produções lâmino-lamelares e integrá-las no contexto regional. Estamos perante material de pequenas dimensões, sobretudo em sílex (o quartzo está menos representado), produzido a partir de núcleos prismáticos pré-formatados (o principal método de produção de suportes lâmino-lamelares), que teve lugar nas próprias jazidas de sílex exploradas na área envolvente. As lâminas e lamelas apresentam atributos compatíveis com uma debitagem por pressão, com talões facetados, e terão, no caso do Meu Jardim, sido utilizadas de modo expedito para suprir as necessidades decorrentes de estadias episódicas no local. De um modo geral, as inferências produzidas a partir do material do sítio do Meu Jardim e da sua comparação com outros contextos revelam, para o período em causa, um comportamento económico e tecnológico muito diversificado no que respeita à exploração e circulação do sílex. As estratégias subjacentes a estas práticas parecem determinadas pela proximidade (maior ou menor) de jazidas de sílex e pelo fim a que se destinavam os suportes alongados (uso imediato, dilatado no tempo, ou uso como oferenda funerária). The archaeological site of Meu Jardim (municipality of Nazare) is a shell-midden with several phases of occupation dated to the Middle Neolithic period. It is located near flint deposits, on the Atlantic seaboard of the Portuguese Estremadura. Its excavation, that took place in the context of salvage archaeology, was due to the building of a bridge. The fieldwork consisted of the excavation of three tests, comprising a total area of 102 m(2). Given the gap in knowledge that dominates the lithic studies of the Middle Neolithic period, it was decided to analyse its blade and bladelet productions (from Tests 1 and 3, where the lithic assemblages are more abundant) and integrate them in their regional context. In order to allow for the establishment of systematic inter-site comparisons, an explicit methodological option was the use of the same analytical protocols as employed elsewhere in the study of coeval sites in the region. These protocols consist mainly of the adoption of the proposals initially put forward by Tixier et al. (1980), which were adapted by Carvalho (1998a; 2008) to the Early and Middle Neolithic periods in Portugal. Overall, the knapped stone assemblage from Meu Jardim totals 639 artefacts of locally available raw materials (flint, quartz and quartzite), which form an assemblage composed of cores and core maintenance products, flakes and debris, blades and bladelets and retouched tools. Flint is the most used raw material, which is due to its availability in the area surrounding the shell-midden. It should be noted that flint is an abiotic resource that can be found almost everywhere in Estremadura but it may be absent from more restricted areas within the region. This fact impacted the acquisition strategies during the period. In the case of Meu Jardim, this implied an expedient exploitation of the nearest flint sources to face the needs of short stays at the site, and the abandonment of nodules and cores in their early stages of reduction. The so-called "prismatic method" (see definition in Carvalho 1998a) was employed for the production of elongated blanks. On average, these ranged in 1.8-7.0 cm in length, 0.5-1.4 cm in width and 0.2-0.9 cm thick, thus forming a bladelet-sized assemblage. The knapping techniques may have been comprised of pressure and indirect percussion; however, according to published experimental evidence, the former technique seems to have been dominant. Indeed, the overwhelming presence of overhanging accidents, regular edges and ridges and faceted butts along with the small sizes evidenced by these blanks strongly points to this conclusion and suggests the presence of hand-knapping procedures (i.e., without the use of levers or similar devices). Tools types are composed mostly of side-retouched blades and bladelets; notches, denticulates, perforators and truncations are less well represented. Microliths were not found. Contrasting with the relatively robust evidence available for the Early Neolithic period in Estremadura, little is known regarding the later stages of the period. The most evident feature is likely the increase in sizes of elongated blanks that is recognized in many assemblages dated to the Middle and Late Neolithic. The morphometric and technological study of blanks from Middle Neolithic cemeteries in the region have reveal two main size groups: one of smaller sizes (2.5-10.0 cm in length, 0.8-2.0 cm in width) and a more robust one (12.0-18.0 cm in length, 1.8-2.8 cm in width). One attribute also marks the difference between the two: the absence of heat treatment in the latter group. Up to now, the evidence from habitation contexts is less clear due to the lack of studies. However, all seem to indicate that at other habitation sites the elongated pieces are similar to those identified at Meu Jardim. A factor that introduces more variability in morphotechnic features is the presence at some sites of bipolar knapping for the production of very small and irregular bladelets, the so-called "bipolar method" (see definition in Carvalho 1998a). In these cases, larger blanks likely imported as finished products from sites located near flint sources are found along with the locally produced smaller, irregular ones. This strategy was not observed at Meu Jardim; indeed, this site is testimony of the opposite situation. Overall, these inferences reveal a pattern of highly diversified economic and technological behaviours regarding flint exploitation and exchange in Middle Neolithic Estremadura.

Until a few years ago North-West Africa was ignored in our hypothesis on the neolithization of Western Mediterranean. Moreover, the few excavations focused exclusively on the test of stratigraphies in order to obtain chronological sequences. Recently developed archaeological projects allowed the inclusion of this region in the scientific debate on the origin and evolution of its Neolithic, on the contacts with the Iberian Peninsula through the Strait of Gibraltar, as well as on the documentation of ways of live, habitation structures, and economic strategies. The open area excavation of Zafrin, in the Chafarinas Isles – an archipelago located a short distance from the North African coast – and the full analysis of its lithic industry (technology, typology and use-wear), here presented, represents a novelty on the Neolithic research in North Africa. This in turn will permit us to approach subsistence strategies and the way of life developed by the Neolithic communities of the region.

In Portugal, Mesolithic shellfisher/gatherers persisted in estuary environments, long after agricultural economies were established elsewhere. The co-existence of foragers and farmers makes Portugal an interesting region in which to study whether resource depression is a common factor in the adoption of agriculture. It is difficult to generalize about Mesolithic and Neolithic resource use, since faunal remains at archaeological sites reflect the variation in terrestrial and marine species available to inhabitants of rocky shores, sandy estuary environments, and interior zones. On the Costa Vicentina, where the transition to agriculture occurred quite early, assemblages from a variety of Mesolithic and Neolithic sites show a trend toward lower energetic returns from wild resources, both in shifting species compositions, and in shellfish diminution. The most significant decrease in foraging efficiency occurred across the Mesolithic/Neolithic transition, suggesting a causal relationship between resource stress and the emergence of farming.

Dear Editor, Psoriasis vulgaris deeply affects the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of the patients. 1 Indeed, a major component of the psoriasis assessment is the HRQOL measurement, because improving the patient’s life is the primary goal of therapy. We aimed to assess the impact of psoriasis and of the most used therapies ‐ topical, narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) and psoralen and ultraviolet A therapy (PUVA) ‐ on the HRQOL of Portuguese patients. Another purpose was to evaluate how psoriasis severity, assessed by Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), can define HRQOL.

Resume Le commencement tardif de la recherche sur la neolithisation dans l’Algarve (sud du Portugal) a proportionne, paradoxalement, d’excellentes conditions pour le developpement de projets de recherche interdisciplinaires et le test d’hypotheses de travaux. Les projets systematiques sous l’initiative de l’Universite de l’Algarve nous permettent aujourd’hui de conclure, bien que provisoirement, pour la formation d’une enclave neolithique en ca. 5500 av. J.-C. centre dans les territoires littoraux. Cette enclave est pleinement neolithique en termes economiques et est l’extension la plus occidentale du Cardial mediterraneen. Cependant, quelques particularismes des composantes materielles de ces premiers groupes neolithiques (par exemple, la morphologie et la stylistique de la ceramique et aspects de la production de pierre taillee) nous indiquent l’existence de phenomenes de reformulation partielle de sa culture materielle. Selon les donnees actuellement disponibles, ce processus complexe semble etre commun aussi en Andalousie et dans le littoral maroquin, c’est-a-dire, au moment du passage vers l’Atlantique. Cette individualisation au sein du Neolithique de tradition cardiale est l’equivalent aux memes phenomenes culturels generaux qui ont ete responsables pour la formation, par exemple, du « Cardial franco-iberique » ou du « Cardial tyrrhenien », au moment de l’installation des groupes neolithiques dans ces regions.

In Central Portugal (westernmost Eurasia) the transition from the traditional Pleistocene hunter-gatherer societies to the complex Mesolithic societies of the Holocene has been debated for decades. While some argue that these differences were a progressive phenomenon that started with the shift from the Pleistocene to the Holocene, others defend that the Late Pleistocene patterns were fairly similar to those of the Epipaleolithic and that the major shift was rapid, dramatic and triggered by the necessary adaptation to the 8.2 ka cal BP (8.09-8.25 ka cal BP) climatic event. The study of lithic raw material provenance might be useful for this discussion, since it has been suggested that the Magdalenian and Epipaleolithic populations from this region were collecting this resources within a close range territory, whereas the Mesolithic populations were acquiring them at longer distances.In this paper, we present the results from p-XRF, VP-SEM-EDS and mu-XRD analysis done on the Epipaleolithic lithic assemblage from Pena d'Agua Rockshelter, and in some geological samples from secondary sources located similar to 14 km from this site. This layer is of major relevance for this debate since it is dated from 8.19 ka cal BP. If the transition was gradual, it would be expected that this assemblage would show some traits of higher-complexity seen in the Mesolithic, namely of longer distance acquisition. However, our results indicate correspondence between the archaeological chert types and some of the geological sources. The differences seen between the archaeological specimens and geological samples are mostly present in traits that can be related with manufacture, handling and post-depositional phenomena.The results suggest that, in what concerns to the economy of abiotic resources, the Epipaleolithic populations living at the time of the dramatic 8.2 ka cal BP cold event, were performing a short range acquisition of lithic raw materials which reinforces the idea of continuity from the Late Pleistocene to the 8.2 ka cal BP event and an abrupt and dramatic shift soon after this phenomena. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.

The objective of this paper was to contribute to the discussion regarding the socio-political organization of south-western Iberian Middle Neolithic populations. To that end, the preservation and distribution of human remains and the dispersion of grave goods within two rooms of the Born Santo Cave (Rooms A and B) were investigated and combined with, genetic and isotopic data previously published. Grave goods distribution and skeletal analyses highlighted an important diversity in terms of funerary practices thus corroborating data from ancient DNA and Sr/O isotopic analyses that suggested a great genetic and geographic diversity. Grave goods presented an uneven spatial distribution and were made of raw materials from different sources and using different pottery manufacturing styles albeit typologically homogeneous. The preservation and distribution of human remains suggested that Room A was mainly used for secondary depositions while Room B was used for both primary and secondary depositions. No link between the two rooms was found since remains from the same individuals were apparently exclusive of one room or another. The results suggest that this society presented substantial inner genetic, social and geographical heterogeneity. Most probably, this was due to the presence of distinct but coeval groups in the cave that shared a larger-scale social identity (as in "segmentary societies") or, less likely, to the presence of one single, but internally heterogeneous society (as in fully sedentary, societies) that assimilated foreigners. (C) 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

[EN] The study of the Bom Santo Cave (central Portugal), a Neolithic cemetery, indicates a complex social, palaeoeconomic, and population scenario. With isotope, aDNA, and provenance, analyses of raw materials coupled with stylistic variability of material culture items and palaeogeographical data, light is shed on the territory and social organization of a population dated to 3800–3400 cal BC, i.e. the Middle Neolithic. Results indicate an itinerant farming, segmentary society, where exogamic practices were the norm. Its lifeway may be that of the earliest megalithic builders of the region, but further research is needed to correctly evaluate the degree of this community's participation in such a phenomenon., [FR] L’étude de la nécropole néolithique découverte dans la grotte de Bom Santo (Portugal central) révèle un scénario social, économique et démographique complexe. Les analyses des isotopes, de l'ADN ancien et de la provenance des matières premières ainsi que l'examen des variations stylistiques du mobilier et des données de la paléogéographie donnent un aperçu du territoire et de l'organisation sociale d'une population datant du Néolithique moyen, soit entre 3800 et 3400 cal BC. Nos résultats indiquent la présence d'une communauté agricole itinérante et segmentée où les pratiques de l'exogamie étaient en vigueur. Ce mode de vie était peut-être aussi celui des premiers constructeurs de mégalithes de la région mais cette hypothèse devra être testée par des études ultérieures ayant pour but d’évaluer le degré de participation de notre communauté au phénomène mégalithique., [DE] Die Untersuchung der Betsattungsstätte in der Höhle von Bom Santo (Zentralportugal) ergibt ein komplexes soziales, wirtschaftliches und demografisches Bild. Die Auswertung der Isotopen, der alten DNA (aDNA), der Herkunft der Rohstoffe, sowie auch der stilistischen Variationen in der materiellen Kultur und der paläogeografischen Angaben verdeutlicht wie eine mittelneolithische Gemeinschaft wischen 3800 und 3400 cal BC räumlich und sozial organisiert war. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass es sich um eine wandernde, segmentierte Bauerngesellschaft handelte, die wahrscheinlich Exogamie ausübte. Die ersten Megalithbauer der Gegend haben vielleicht auch solch eine Lebensweise gefolgt, aber weitere Untersuchungen müssen noch unternommen werden, um das Ausmaß der Beteiligung der Bom Santo Bevölkerung am megalithischen Phänomen richtig zu bewerten., This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology within the project Bom Santo Cave and the Neolithic societies of Portuguese Estremadura, 6th–4th millennia BC (PTDC/HIS-ARQ/098633/2008), directed by AFC in 2010–2013.

Nearly 200 rock art sites of Upper Paleolithic age are currently known on the Iberian Peninsula, in both caves and the open air. Over half are still concentrated in Cantabrian Spain and they span the period between c. 30–11 kya, but–tracking the course of human demography in this geographically circumscribed region–many of the images were probably painted or engraved during the Solutrean and, especially, Magdalenian. Dramatic discoveries and dating projects have significantly expanded the Iberian rock art record both geographically and temporally in recent years, in close coincidence with the growth of contemporaneous archeological evidence: cave art loci in Aragon and Levante attributable to the Solutrean and Magdalenian, many cave art sites and a few open-air ones in Andalucia and Extremadura that are mostly Solutrean (in line with evidence of a major Last Glacial Maximum human refugium in southern Spain), the spectacular Coa Valley open-air complex in northern Portugal (together with a growing number of other such loci and one cave) that was probably created during the Gravettian-Magdalenian periods, and a modest, but important increase in proven cave and open-air sites in the high, north-central interior of Spain that are probably Solutrean and/or Magdalenian. Despite regional variations in decorated surfaces, themes, techniques and styles, there are broad (and sometimes very specific) pan-Iberian similarities (as well as ones with the Upper Paleolithic art of southern France) that are indicative of widespread human contacts and shared systems of symbols and beliefs during the late Last Glacial. As this Ice Age world and the forms of social relationships and ideologies that helped human groups survive in it came to an end, so too did the decoration of caves, rockshelters and outcrops, although in some regions other styles of rock art would return under very different conditions of human existence.

We apply GIS techniques to analyze a carefully selected database of 93 Early Neolithic sites in the Iberian Peninsula. This allows us to study the spatial dynamics of the Neolithic transition in Iberia. We study how the Neolithic was introduced into the peninsula in order to test the hypothesis that the Neolithic was introduced almost simultaneously from two sources: one at the northeast (via the Mediterranean coast) and another one at the south (possibly from Northern Africa). We also analyze how the expansion of the Neolithic transition took place within the Iberian Peninsula and measure local rates of spread in order to identify regions with fast and slow rates (such as the slowdown at the Cantabrian coast). In addition, we attempt to reproduce the main results obtained from the GIS analysis by applying reaction–dispersal models to the expansion of the Neolithic transition in the Iberian Peninsula. We conclude that a model with two sources is a reasonable assumption that agrees better with the archaeological data available at present than a model with a single source.

Estimating sex on large assemblages of commingled skeletal human remains is challenging because it prevents the systemic observation of the skeleton and thus reduces the reliability of sex-ratio estimation. In order to tackle this problem, the applicability of sample-specific odontometric methods was assessed on the human skeletal remains from the Middle Neolithic cave necropolis of Bom Santo in Portugal. We present an approach that confirms some of the assumptions – the normal distribution of the data and the 1:1.5 sex ratio – indicated by Albanese et al. (2005) for the application of sample-specific methods. These assumptions are often difficult to assess in archaeological samples and thus prevent the use of sample-specific methods. The mean bucco-lingual diameter of 51 lower right canine teeth was used as a cut-off point to discriminate between sexes within a sample from Bom Santo. Before that, Shapiro–Wilk statistics was used to confirm that the distribution of the data in a sample of 51 lower canine teeth was normal. In addition, the range and central tendency of the data were compared to other samples for which the sex of the individuals was known in order to confirm that those parameters were consistent with those of a sample presenting a balanced sex ratio. The canine sex estimations were then compared with the sex estimation obtained from mandibles where canine teeth were still in situ ( n = 8). No clear disagreement between the two methods was found thus demonstrating good potential of this method for sex estimation and for the sex ratio estimation in commingled human skeletal remains. Results indicated that sex ratios in Room A and Room B at Bom Santo were quite different. This indicates that the two locations may have been used in a different way according to sex.

(EN) Direct evidence of agriculture in Early Neolithic Portugal is almost non-existent, so there are very disparate estimates of the role played by agriculture during the period. Recent excavations at Cortic¸ óis, a newly discovered Early Neolithic site in central Portugal, revealed the first recognizable sickle implements and therefore relevant artefactual evidence of agricultural practices. These are typologically similar to Andalusian and Valencian sickles, reflecting a common technological tradition in southern Iberia during the period (c. 5600–4000 cal BC). Based on this fact, we summarize all available evidence for early agriculture in central Portugal and compare it with the Andalusian and Valencian records in order to tentatively present a model to be tested locally in future research., (FR) Les témoins de l’agriculture durant le Néolithique ancien au Portugal sont presque inexistants, ce qui entraîne des estimations très disparates sur le rôle joué par l’agriculture au cours de cette période. Des fouilles récentes sur le site de Cortic¸ óis, un site du Néolithique ancien, récemment découvert dans le centre du Portugal, ont permis la mise au jour des premiers éléments de faucilles et donc d’une preuve artefactuelle pertinente sur les pratiques agricoles. Elles sont typologiquement similaires aux faucilles andalouses et valenciennes, ce qui reflète une tradition technologique commune dans le Sud de la péninsule Ibérique au cours du Néolithique ancien (c. 5600–4000 cal BC). Partant de ce fait, nous résumons toutes les données disponibles concernant le début de l’agriculture au centre du Portugal et nous les comparons avec les registres andalous et valencien, l’objectif étant de présenter un modèle provisoire, à tester localement dans de futures recherches.

New data and a review of historiographic information from Neolithic sites of the Malaga and Algarve coasts (southern Iberian Peninsula) and from the Maghreb (North Africa) reveal the existence of a Neolithic settlement at least from 7.5 cal ka BP. The agricultural and pastoralist food producing economy of that population rapidly replaced the coastal economies of the Mesolithic populations. The timing of this population and economic turnover coincided withmajor changes in the continental and marine ecosystems, including upwelling intensity, sea-level changes and increased aridity in the Sahara and along the Iberian coast. These changes likely impacted the subsistence strategies of the Mesolithic populations along the Iberian seascapes and resulted in abandonments manifested as sedimentary hiatuses in some areas during the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition. The rapid expansion and area of dispersal of the early Neolithic traits suggest the use of marine technology. Different evidences for a Maghrebian origin for the first colonists have been summarized. The recognition of an early North-African Neolithic influence in Southern Iberia and the Maghreb is vital for understanding the appearance and development of the Neolithic in Western Europe. Our review suggests links between climate change, resource allocation, and population turnover., The results presented in this paper derive from research carried out under the sponsorship of the following projects: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal) and the European Science Foundation (III Community Support Framework), PTDC/HAH/64548/2006, A.F.C. & J.F.G., funded by the European Union and the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnología; HAR 2008-1920 (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain) and European Research Council2008-AdG 230561. Archeological sites management by M.C.S. & M.D.S.V. with permits from the Junta de Andalucía (Spain). This work also benefited from funding from the following projects: CGL2009-07603, CTM2009-07715, CSD2006-00041 and HAR2008-06477-C03-03/HIST, all from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain; 200800050084447 (MARM), Project RNM 05212 and Research Group 0179 (Junta de Andalucía, Spain). E.S. received financial support of the FCT (grant: SFRH/BPD/26525/2006). F.J. Jiménez Espejo acknowledges the CSIC “JAE-Doc” postdoctoral program for funding.

[EN] The cave of Murciélagos de Zuheros (Cordoba, Spain) is one of the most important sites in Southern Iberian Peninsula. Its thick chronostratigraphic sequence includes occupations ranging from the Middle Palaeolithic to Roman times. Occupation levels corresponding to the earliest farming communities that established in modern-day Andalucia are remarkable due to its archaeological richness. This article focuses on the study of the lithic industry from these Early Neolithic levels, which is approached according to various tightly connected questions: raw material characterization, technical systems of production, and morphology and function of tools. Obtained results in their archaeological context are related to the questions on the origin of the Neolithic in Southern Iberian Peninsula., [FR] La Cueva de los Murciélagos de Zuheros (Cordoue, Espagne) est un des gisements les plus importants du sud de la Péninsule ibérique. Sa longue séquence chronostratigraphique montre des occupations du Paléolithique moyen jusqu’à la romanisation. Les niveaux d’occupation correspondant aux premières communautés agropastorales qui s’établirent dans l’actuelle Andalousie sont remarquables par leur richesse archéologique. Cet article est consacré à l’étude de l’industrie lithique des niveaux du Néolithique ancien, abordée à partir de plusieurs questions étroitement liées : caractérisation des matières premières, système technique de production, morphologie et fonction de l’outillage. Les résultats obtenus et leur contextualisation archéologique s’intègrent à la problématique de l’origine du Néolithique dans le sud de la Péninsule ibérique.

Southern Portugal is an interesting case study in the spread of the Middle Eastern Neolithic complex. Similar to sites along the Mediterranean coast, the Portuguese Neolithic was the result of the longitudinal movement of agricultural adaptations. Plants and animals that originally evolved in southwest Asia, therefore, did not have to adapt to extreme changes in the length of the growing season, summer temperatures, or rainfall, as was the case with the latitudinal movement of agriculture into interior and northern Europe. Unlike their contemporaries along the Mediterranean, however, the Mesolithic and Neolithic inhabitants of Portugal had access to the rich marine resources of the Atlantic Ocean upwelling along the western coast of Europe allowed extensive exploitation of fish and shellfish by relatively complex and sedentary groups of foragers throughout the late Pleistocene and early Holocene, from Portugal to Scandinavia (Arias 1999). The large concheiros (shell midden sites) of Mesolithic Portugal are just one example of this phenomenon (Zilhao 1997).

La reconstitution des techniques agricoles préhistoriques constitue un élément fondamental pour lacompréhension du processus d'expansion de l'agriculture en Méditerranée occidentale. Dans le cadred'un projet européen rassemblant des tracéologues et des carpologues espagnols et français, nousavons, dans une première phase, étudié les méthodes de récolte des céréales pratiquées durant leNéolithique en Espagne et dans le Sud de la France, du Néolithique ancien au Néolithique moyen.L'étude des outils de récolte a permis de distinguer trois aires distinctes. Le Sud-Est de l'Espagne estcaractérisé par des faucilles courbes avec des éléments insérés obliquement dans le manche. EnCatalogne, Languedoc et Provence, la majorité des faucilles sont constituées de longues lamesemmanchées parallèlement au manche, mais d'autres modèles existent. En Espagne cantabrique, lescéréales étaient récoltées sans faucille. Nos travaux en cours explorent différents facteurs pouvantexpliquer cette variabilité : conditions environnementales, types de céréales cultivées, finalitéstechniques et alimentaires de la culture des céréales, techniques de conservation des céréales, rôle del'agriculture céréalière dans l'économie, dynamiques historiques de l'expansion et de l'adoption desinnovations néolithiques.