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Prehistoria, frontera del conocimiento: Homenaje a L. Gerardo Vega Toscano

We describe fossils of a new species of fallow deer, Dama celiae. It is the end member of the lineage Dama farnetensis–D. vallonnetensis–D. roberti–D. celiae, which reduced the number of points of the antler from four to two, while the parallel lineage leading to the living fallow deer evolved more complex and palmate antlers. The fossils are from localities Pedro Jaro I and Orcasitas in the+25–30-m terrace of the Manzanares river, which is correlated to MIS9 (337–300 ka) and which also yielded fossils of Megaloceros matritensis, a recently named species, end member of a lineage that survived longer than previously believed. A younger terrace of the Manzanares yielded remains of Haploidoceros, a rare deer known from two older localities in southern France and one younger locality in Spain. So many rare deer species in this valley indicates either endemism and a very special environment or that the record of fossil deer is much less known than generally assumed. Until recently, the European Middle Pleistocene record of deer had only one middle-sized species at a time. Now, it appears that there were up to three contemporaneous species of the size of a fallow deer. Acheulean lithic assemblages have been documented from the same sites as Dama celiae. This species was contemporaneous to Neanderthals with Acheulean culture. Cut marks suggest that it was consumed by them and probably was hunted.

Although in the Iberian Peninsula the consumption of small mammals by humans, especially in Pleistocene sites, is mainly restricted to lagomorphs, in other areas such as Argentina, the easy capture by humans of fossorial micro- and mesomammals that live in colonies (caviomorphs, rodents and armadillos) is commonly observed in archaeological sites. A review of the palaeoenvironmental evolution of the Pampean region (Argentina) demonstrates that humans are an important taphonomic agent that could cause distortive effects in taphonomic patterns of non-human predators and palaeoecological interpretations [1]. Humans acted as selective predators, and when they are present, an increment in the number of small mammal prey with larger sizes is observed. However, the origin of small mammal remains in fossil sites is a key issue as they are also an important source of food for a large number of non-human predators. In the Iberian Peninsula, rabbits are usually predated by humans but also by other predators such as the European Eagle Owl, the Spanish Imperial Eagle, Fox, Iberian Lynx and Wild Cat. Therefore, the presence of rabbits in archaeological contexts could be the consequence of human and non-human predation. Valdocarros-II is an open-air fossil site located in a fluvial environment associated to an abandoned meander in the Valdocarros unit from the Complex Terrace of Arganda in the Jarama valley (Madrid, central Spain). The site yielded ages of 254 ± 47 ka BP and 262 ± 0.7 ka BP, corresponding to the end of MIS8 and the beginning of MIS7. Several bone remains of large mammals have been recovered from the site and the zooarchaeological analysis suggested that hominids were the main accumulating agent of these bone remains. Apart from large mammal remains, small-vertebrate remains were also found, and rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), are dominant in the assemblage.Results obtained from the taphonomic analysis reveal the absence of possible transport events, and a high in

In this paper we present the experimental results obtained for the formation of use-wear traces on four types of basalt rocks from the Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania) and one from the Deba River (Spain). The objective of this study is to create a reference collection that will allow the posterior analysis and identification of archeological use-wear traces on lithic industries made on these different types of basalt, such as the Acheulean lithic industry from Thiongo Korongo site (TK) (Olduvai’s Bed II, ca. 1.353 ± 0.035 Ma.). This study includes five types of basalt, under the objective of understanding in more detail the formation of the use-wear traces. Additionally, we include their individual petrographic, chemical, and traceological interpretations, allowing for an assessment of the intrinsic characteristics in relation to the development of use-wear. The final step of this process includes microscopic analysis for the detailed characterization and description of these use-wear traces. The results obtained reveal the internal structure of basalts as a significant conditioning factor in the development of use-wear traces. Despite this, we have been able to establish several criteria that discriminate between actions and different worked materials. These results offer a fundamental experimental basis for the future interpretation of use-wear traces found in archeological basalts.

Owing to its geographical position relative to northwestern Europe, the Iberian Peninsula was a refuge for many species during periods of harsh environmental conditions in the Quaternary. Despite this, the Pleistocene history of non-marine molluscs in Spain has been scarcely addressed. In this study, we examine the malacofauna of Valdocarros II, a site within the Complex Terrace of Arganda in the Jarama river valley tributary of the Tagus River in central Spain. This large, minutely-excavated site consists of five flood sequences identified in five archaeological levels and has been dated to the late Middle Pleistocene (end MIS 8¿beginning MIS 7). Specimens of twelve freshwater and eighteen land mollusc taxa were identified. The most abundant species observed was Xerotricha madritensis, a land snail endemic to the Iberian Peninsula that today inhabits exposed surfaces with scarce plant cover. The most abundant freshwater species found was Anisus spirorbis, which currently thrives in tributaries of the Jarama River. This malacofauna assemblage features different ecological components, though dry, open-ground terrestrial species predominate. A correspondence analysis of the most frequently appearing land animals and the archaeological levels revealed a slight separation of level 2 from the other levels, indicative of its mesophilous character. However, few differences among these levels were identified in three correspondence analyses performed on the land or freshwater species datasets. Our observations of the malacofauna assemblage of Valdocarros II indicate a site characterized by a temperate climate and open areas with riverside vegetation. Furthermore, we propose the assignment of this site to an interstadial given the observed malacofauna of the five levels.

Most Middle Palaeolithic sites with faunal remains processed by humans in the Iberian Peninsula are located in rock shelters or caves. PRERESA is one of the few open-air sites, dating to the end of the Middle or early Late Pleistocene, in which faunal remains associated with lithic industry has been recorded. At least one individual of Mammuthus/Elephas has been identified, as well as two individuals of Bos primigenius, a further two of Haploidoceros mediterraneus, and other mammals of different sizes. The sample is well preserved; carnivore activity is scant and the remains were buried shortly after death. The site is located in the floodplain of the Manzanares river, in an environment of forest and open areas, characterized by herbaceous plants and river woodlands which developed in a mild climate with some humidity. One Haploidoceros and one auerochs were almost complete and semi anatomically connected. A proboscidean, one of the auerochs and an unidentified mammal show conspicuous evidence of having been exploited by human beings. Lithic knapping was aimed at flake production. All phases of the operational chain are represented, which suggests that the lithic assemblage was manufactured with the purpose of processing meat. The scantly elaborated technical schemes of the lithic industry, together with the limited evidence of human processing of faunal remains as well as the presence of animals deposited in a natural way could suggest that this site was used by Neanderthals only sporadically. However, the presence of certain taxa such as proboscidea, auerochs and four other mammal species of different sizes, which were a anthropically processed, could indicate that the site was visited recurrently by human groups with the purpose of processing such mammals. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the taphonomic history of the site, as well as to add to the knowledge of the Neanderthal group behaviour patterns.

The aim of this work is to study from a taphonomic view the small mammals assemblage located on the Pleistocene site known as PRERESA. The small mammal fossiliferous layer is a silt level located at a fluvial terrace. The samples studied included remains from rodents (Minimum Number of Elements: MNE = 373) and lagomorphs (MNE = 372). During the excavation seasons, a distinct high concentration of small mammals was recovered apart, named as fossil ‘pellet’. We consider this ‘fossil pellet’ to be an aggregation of several pellets and it has been taphonomically analyzed apart and included in this study. The presence of such concentrations/aggregations is uncommon in this type of open-air sites. This aggregation contains 253 MNE fossil bones. The taphonomic study has considered three main aspects: anatomical representation, fragmentation, and corrosion by digestion. Due to the location of the site on a fluvial system, transport effects and abrasion were analyzed as well. The results obtained show a high representation of cranial elements (especially lagomorphs) as well as a high fragmentation of both cranial and postcranial elements. Digestion observed in this assemblage affects dental remains below 30% in both rodents and lagomorphs, being light and moderate digestion the most frequent degrees, but all samples reach extreme grades of digestion (in molars < 3%). Transport was analyzed using Voorhies groups (1969). All groups were present, even the easiest to transport. Group III (cranial remains) was the best represented. The simultaneous presence of all Voorhies groups suggests a low or null rate of transport. Results could indicate that the small mammal assemblage of PRERESA were produced by a nocturnal raptor, most likely an Eagle owl (Bubo bubo), whose nest or roosting site was installed near the fluvial channel.