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The study of adornments found in the necropolis at Valle de las Higueras (Huecas, Toledo) has determined the morphotypology and mineral composition of one quadrangular pendant and 341 stone beads. Most of the beads are short (length = 5 mm), but within this regularity series can be differentiated that might be the result of standardised fabrication processes and different times of acquisition. Portable X-ray fluorescence (p-XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis identified the use of phyllosilicates as sepiolite and clinochlore, and above all variscite, a mineral that became especially important for adornments in the Iberian Peninsula in the 3rd millennium BC. The inland location of the necropolis, distant from source areas, certifies its remote origin, as far away as northwest Zamora according to the chronological framework. It is still not possible to determine for sure the source of the variscite at Valle de las Higueras. However, the inland location of the necropolis, distant from source areas, certifies its remote origin. The chronology suggests that it might have come from the north-west, in the area of Zamora. Archaeological and chronological data obtained in tombs in the necropolis, together with other inland sites, contribute to understanding variscite circulation in the Iberian Peninsula in the Chalcolithic. It was restricted to a few individuals, both adults and children, who wore necklaces and bracelets. Distance did not condition the arrival of variscite, but the small amounts suggest it was traded together with other ostentation elements, such as sea shells, cinnabar and amber. The heterogeneous regional panorama displays differences in the demand, use and acquisition of variscite depending on the socioeconomic organisation and connection to exchange networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a wide concept in Megalithic Art that includes the decorations in the interior of the monuments, and also the similar graphics detected in the open air, either on rocks, on menhirs and in various spatial contexts (habitational areas, economic areas, funeral areas). The Megalithic Art so understood appears as very similar in all their regional versions. This model can’t be understood as a settling model of some groups above the other. We understand better an interpretation that advocates by the absorptive capacity and the cultural vivacity of all the implied regions. A capillarity model similar as the one, which is applied to the origin of the European producing peoples. The graphics that we analyse here, while deep expression of the symbolic thought, express strong continuity instead of remarkable breaks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Plant material culture can offer unique insights into the ways of life of prehistoric societies; however, its perishable nature has prevented a thorough understanding of its diverse and complex uses. Sites with exceptional preservation of organic materials provide a unique opportunity for further research. The burial site of Cueva de los Murciélagos in southern Iberia, uncovered during 19th-century mining activities, contained the best-preserved hunter-gatherer basketry in southern Europe, together with other unique organic artifacts associated with the first farming communities, such as sandals and a wooden hammer. We present 14 14 C dates for the perishable artifacts ( N = 76), situating the assemblage between the Early and Middle Holocene (c. 7500 to 4200 cal BCE). Our integrated analysis includes raw material determination and technological and chrono-cultural contextualization of this unique and important set of materials.

Agriculture first reached the Iberian Peninsula around 5700 BCE. However, little is known about the genetic structure and changes of prehistoric populations in different geographic areas of Iberia. In our study, we focus on the maternal genetic makeup of the Neolithic (~ 5500-3000 BCE), Chalcolithic (~ 3000-2200 BCE) and Early Bronze Age (~ 2200-1500 BCE). We report ancient mitochondrial DNA results of 213 individuals (151 HVS-I sequences) from the northeast, central, southeast and southwest regions and thus on the largest archaeogenetic dataset from the Peninsula to date. Similar to other parts of Europe, we observe a discontinuity between hunter-gatherers and the first farmers of the Neolithic. During the subsequent periods, we detect regional continuity of Early Neolithic lineages across Iberia, however the genetic contribution of hunter-gatherers is generally higher than in other parts of Europe and varies regionally. In contrast to ancient DNA findings from Central Europe, we do not observe a major turnover in the mtDNA record of the Iberian Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, suggesting that the population history of the Iberian Peninsula is distinct in character.