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[EN] Rock art documentation is a complex task that should be carried out in a complete, rigorous and exhaustive way, in order to take particular actions that allow stakeholders to preserve the archaeological sites under constant deterioration. The pigments used in prehistoric paintings present high light sensitivity and rigorous scientific color degradation mapping is not usually undertaken in overall archaeological sites. Microfading spectrometry is a suitable technique for determining the light-stability of pigments found in rock art paintings in a non-destructive way. Spectral data can be transformed into colorimetric information following the recommendations published by the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage(CIE). The fading degree can be evaluated through the color changes produced, computing both color and chromatic differences. Microfading Tester (MFT) measurements on spot samples are time-consuming and difficult to materialize on-site. This paper presents the results of statistical Gaussian process interpolation to map the potential MFT spectral variations overtime on a scene full of prehistoric rock art paintings. In addition, a descriptive analysis of color variations that may suffer the rock art motifs overtime has been carried out. The advanced statistical methodology implemented can highlight potential changes on some rock support areas, and stable conditions on the painted red motifs over time, which can help to establish future conservation actions in the archaeological site. (C) 2020 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved., This research was partially supported by Research and Development Aid Program PAID-01-16 from the Universitat Politècnica de València [FPI-UPV2016 Sub 1 grant].

The integrity of the different levels that form a sequence and the formation processes of the archaeological deposit must be assessed as a previous step to the construction of behavioural, cultural and evolutionary interpretations. This is especially relevant when dealing with long sequences and cultural evolution constructed on them, as is the case in the research on Upper Palaeolithic. Lithic taphonomy provides insight into these issues and refitting is one of its powerful tools. This approach has been applied to the Aurignacian, Gravettian and Solutrean levels of Cova de les Cendres (Teulada-Moraira, Alicante, Spain), where fracture refits of laminar fragments –including blades, bladelets, and laminar flakes– have been systematically searched. The 29 found refits are quantitatively analysed, with special attention to the type of fracture and the differences of the dimensions of the pieces. Spatial analysis is carried out to evaluate the horizontal and vertical distribution of the connections and their distances. The results reveal a low presence of inter-level conjoins and a minority of long vertical displacements, which is interpreted as evidence of a certain degree of integrity of the stratigraphic sequence.

El Abric de la Ratlla del Bubo (Crevillent, Alicante) es uno de los yacimientos clave para el conocimiento del Paleolítico superior en el área central del Mediterráneo ibérico, especialmente en lo que a sus fases iniciales se refiere. El yacimiento ha sido objeto de varias intervenciones arqueológicas, tanto clandestinas como científicas. Sin embargo, hasta este trabajo, la información disponible era parcial y, en muchos casos, remitía a materiales sin referencia estratigráfica. En este estudio se exponen los resultados del análisis del material lítico, del registro vegetal y de la fauna recuperada en las campañas de 1986 a 1991. Además, se presenta una amplia serie de dataciones radiocarbónicas por AMS. A partir de toda esta información, ha sido posible establecer la secuencia de ocupación de los cuatro niveles a techo de la estratigrafía del abrigo excavados durante las campañas a estudio. Los tres niveles inferiores documentados, a partir de la tecno-tipología lítica y la cronología, han podido ser definidos y relacionados con el tecnocomplejo Gravetiense. El nivel superior carece de datación 14C y ha presentado mayor dificultad de adscripción; las características del material lítico nos llevan a relacionarlo con ocupaciones del Solútreo-gravetiense. Por otro lado, una parte fundamental del trabajo son los resultados del análisis de los restos arqueobotánicos y faunísticos que son coherentes con la propuesta secuencial y permiten comprender de forma precisa la ocupación humana de la zona, además de la utilización de los recursos durante el Gravetiense y el Solútreogravetiense. Uno de los resultados de mayor relevancia del trabajo es que la secuencia de ocupación planteada modifica la adscripción preliminar realizada a principios de los años noventa del siglo XX. El estudio permitirá mejorar la información disponible hasta ahora para el Paleolítico superior inicial en la fachada mediterránea ibérica y, especialmente, en su área central. The rock shelter of Ratlla del Bubo (Crevillent, Alicante) is one of the key sites for the knowledge of the Upper Palaeolithic in the central Iberian Mediterranean basin, especially regarding its initial phases. Several archaeological fieldworks has been carried out in the site, both clandestine and scientific. However, before this paper, the information available was partial and, in many cases, referred to remains without stratigraphic reference. This study presents the results of the analysis of the lithic, archaeobotanical and faunal material recovered during the 1986-1991 campaigns. In addition, we present an extensive series of AMS radiocarbon dates. On the basis of all this information, it has been possible to establish the occupational sequence of the four levels on the top of the rock shelter stratigraphy excavated during the studied campaings. The three lower levels documented, based on the lithic techno-typology and chronology, have been defined and related to the Gravettian technocomplex. The upper-level lacks 14C dating and it has been more difficult to assign; the characteristics of the lithic material lead us to link it to Solútreo-Gravettian occupations. On the other hand, a fundamental part of the paper are the results of the analysis of the archaeobotanical and faunal materials, which are coherent with the proposed sequence and allow a precise understanding of the human occupation of the area, as well as the use of resources during the Gravettian and Solútreo-Gravettian periods. One of the most relevant results of the study is that the proposed occupation sequence modifies the preliminary ascription made at the beginning of the 1990s. The study will improve the information currently available for the Early Upper Palaeolithic in the Iberian Mediterranean basin and, especially, in its central area. Este trabajo se ha realizado en el marco de los proyectos de investigación HAR2017-85153-P del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación y PROMETEO2017/060 de la Generalitat Valenciana.

New excavations carried out at Cova de les Malladetes confirm and improve previous information on the archaeological sequence of this site. A total of 29 new dates allow to specify the chronology of the Aurignacian (levels XIVA–XII) and Gravettian (levels XI–VII). Furthermore, concerning the results obtained during the 1970 excavation, three new levels were identified: level XIVB, which represents a short temporal human occupation hiatus, and levels XV and XVI with some hearths and anthropic evidence, although the lithic material does not permit a cultural attribution. This paper presents data obtained from the analysis of archaeobotanical, micro- and macrofaunal assemblages and lithic and osseous industry. Results are relevant concerning the palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental characterisation of the Early Upper Palaeolithic, as well as for assessing the human occupation patterns during the Gravettian and Aurignacian. Moreover, we evaluate the chronological implications of the basal levels (XIVB, XV and XVI), drawing attention to the absence of an important temporal gap between this phase and the start of the Early Upper Palaeolithic at the site. Finally, our new data extend the information provided by other sites in the Spanish Mediterranean region, allowing a more defined characterisation of the Early Upper Palaeolithic, especially regarding the Evolved Aurignacian chronology and its techno-typological structure, with the presence of Roc-de-Combe subtype Dufour bladelets.

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This paper presents a synthesis of the Early Upper Palaeolithic of Cova de les Cendres. Points of special attention are the sedimentary and micromorphological characterisation of level XVI, the analysis of the vegetal and animal resources and their incidence on the economy of the Gravettian human groups, and the characterisation of the landscape during this period. Furthermore, the paper offers important information of the lithic and bone assemblages, economic behaviour and radiocarbon dates of sub-levels XVIA and XVIB, related to the Gravettian, and XVIC and XVID, corresponding to the Aurignacian. Finally, the Gravettian and Aurignacian regional contexts in the Mediterranean Basin of the Iberian Peninsula are discussed, and the recent proposals for regional technological variation in the Iberian Gravettian industries are critically evaluated.

En el siguiente trabajo se estudian varios conjuntos pertenecientes al Paleolítico medio procedentes del mediterráneo peninsular ibérico con el objetivo de examinar los patrones de ocupación y las estrategias de gestión del territorio. Se presta especial atención al abastecimiento de las materias primas y los comportamientos tecnológicos, los datos procedentes de la fauna y los análisis microespaciales. La variabilidad en los tipos de ocupación de los distintos conjuntos nos muestra una gran diversidad y una multitud de factores, aunque no parece tener una sola explicación cultural, funcional, temporal o ambiental. Más bien son explicaciones que responden a una amplia variabilidad en los comportamientos técnicos observados y que se explican en función de las propias necesidades de las poblaciones dentro de cada región. Los resultados obtenidos nos permiten analizar los datos y compararlos en el contexto del sudoeste de Europa de cara a elaborar un primer enfoque de las estrategias de subsistencia de los neandertales y su movilidad en una región hasta ahora poco conocida desde este punto de vista. HAR2017-85,153-P/MICINN PROMETEO/2017/060 HAR2016-76,760-C3-1-P/MICINN This paper focuses on the study of some Middle Palaeolithic assemblages from Mediterranean Iberia to examine Neanderthal occupation patterns and territory management strategies, paying special attention to raw material procurement and technological behaviours, zooarchaeological data and microspatial patterning. The site occupation types are variable, and some of the results may have more importance than is immediately apparent, but there does not seem to be a single cultural, functional, temporal or environmental explanation. Rather, the wide variability in the technical behaviours observed can be explained with reference to the particular requirements of the populations in each specific region. The results obtained allow us to interrogate the data and, drawing comparisons with the southwest European context, establish an initial approach to Neanderthal subsistence strategies and mobility in a region so far little known in this regard.

This paper presents new data from the reinterpretation of the Cova Negra sequence from a chronological and stratigraphic perspective. The primary aim is to reorder the lithic industry from the excavations of the 1950s in light of the stratigraphic sequence, paying particular attention to raw materials, knapping methods and tools. The reconstruction, carried out from a taphonomic perspective, is specified in sectors B, C and F, and the archaeological levels and the included material are adjusted to the stratigraphic levels. Although the number of remains involved in the proposed chronology is reduced in relation to previous work, it is an arrangement that relies on a more precise chronostratigraphic framework. With these data, it is possible to discuss the techno-typological evolution of the site, initiated around the MIS 9 and which extends during a considerable portion of the Upper Pleistocene. In this sense, the data provided by Cova Negra offer the opportunity to examine the emergence of new technical strategies during a crucial period—the transition from the Lower to Middle Palaeolithic—and the development of the Middle Palaeolithic in the important geographical area of the Iberian Peninsula. PROMETEO/2017/060 HAR2017-85153-P

The Abrigo de la Quebrada (Chelva, Valencia) stratigraphic succession comprises nine Middle Palaeolithic levels. Human selection of this rock shelter for occupation owes to its favourable location—at the gates of a blind valley where the trapping of large herbivores would have been practicable. The immediate environment is varied, with both abrupt and flat terrain, and would have supported a wide range of prey animals. Radiocarbon-dated charcoal samples from level IV, which is characterised by a high density of lithic (> 18,000) and bone (> 100,000) remains, yielded results of 43,930 ± 750 BP (Beta-244002) and > 51,6 ka BP (OxA-24855). There is no evidence of modification by carnivores or birds of prey, so this level’s faunal remains must be anthropogenic in the main. Relative to the inhabited space, the location of level IV’s many combustion features shows little variation. The level’s typical palimpsest structure results from frequent, repeated occupations with intense on-site processing in a context of low sedimentation rates. The study of seasonality, carcass exploitation, taphonomy, stone tool refitting and raw material provenience patterns supports the notion that the different occupations subsumed in the level IV deposit were all short term. The comparison of our results with coeval contexts from the central area of Mediterranean Iberia sheds additional light on the adaptations of western Europe’s Neanderthal groups.

We present a case-study in Palaeolithic archaeology focusing on formation processes at cave- and rock-shelter-sites in a Mediterranean context and on the correlation between site deposits, Quaternary surface sediments and the morphology of the surrounding land. We study three sites located in the basin of River Mula (Murcia, Spain): the cave-site of Cueva Anton and the rock-shelters of Finca Dona Martina and Abrigo de la Boja, in the Rambla Perea valley. They are examined through an integrated geoarchaeological approach that takes into account geomorphological, stratigraphic and soil micromorphological data. The three sites are found within a short distance and cover similar time spans within the Upper Pleistocene but have different formations and show distinct degrees of preservation of the archaeological record. Cueva Anton features a densely-stratified, mostly alluvial succession, with excellent preservation of stratigraphic layout and sedimentary facies. The succession represents a well-preserved record of past activity of the River Mula and can be correlated to its open-air alluvial system. The Rambla Perea sites, despite their immediate vicinity, underwent distinct formation dynamics, with a complex interaction among the site deposits and the hillslope along which they are found, and exhibit different degrees of preservation of archaeological layers and features. We summarise the evidence from these sites and then discuss its implications for site formation, for the preservation of the archaeological record and for the correlation between the ‘inside’ (the archaeological successions preserved within caves and in rock-shelters) and the ‘outside’ (the geomorphological setting of the land and the evolution of Quaternary surface dynamics through time).

Carnivore damage on Neanderthal fossils is a much more common taphonomic modification than previously thought. Its presence could have different explanations, including predatory attacks or scavenging scenarios, which are both situations with important implications concerning Neanderthal behaviour. In the present paper, we analyse several Neanderthal hominin fossils from a taphonomic and forensic perspective in order to infer the nature of the modifications observed on the bone surfaces. Fossils displaying carnivore modifications from Spain, Germany, Belgium and Greece are evaluated from a taphonomic perspective for the first time in a significant sample of hominin specimens. Our results show that the materials analysed have been modified by small to large carnivores and that both attacks and strictly carnivore scavenging events can be inferred. This study also points out the importance of developing taphonomic approaches to the analysis of hominin bone surfaces, which can contribute significantly to knowledge of several aspects of Neanderthal behaviour. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[EN] Prehistoric rock art paintings, specifically rock-shelters exposed to environmental and anthropogenic factors, are usually faint and severely damaged, being them difficult to identify and understand by visitors. Augmented Reality (AR) supplements reality with virtual information superimposed onto the real world. This sensor-based technology in smartphones/tablets can improve the paintings experience displaying the 2D digital tracings overlapped onto the real scene (rock with faint paintings). This paper presents an AR application (app) developed in Cova dels Cavalls that shows a recreation of a possible original composition full of motifs with descriptive information to improve current guided tour user experiences. This case study aims to evaluate the rock art AR app targeting non-expert visitors as a means of improving rock art knowledge and sensibility of a fragile archaeological UNESCO Work Heritage site. To achieve this, a variety of participants with different backgrounds and interests tested the AR app on site and answered a complete questionnaire about the use of AR mobile apps. Overall, the results showed great acceptance of this AR app, mainly because in addition to adding new information interactively, it helps to identify the rock art motifs, as well as to recognise them quickly, improving their understanding., The authors gratefully acknowledge the support from the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad to the project HAR201459873-R. The authors acknowledge the authorisation of the Conselleria d'Educacio, Investigacio, Cultura i Esports the chance to carry out research at this exceptional archaeological site.

The spatiotemporal repartition of Neanderthal populations throughout the late Middle and early Upper Pleistocene is of great interest for our understanding of human evolution. Establishing a reliable chronology for human-bearing layers from prehistoric sites is thus essential for the study of Neanderthal population dynamics prior to modern human arrival in Europe. Cova Negra (Valencia, Spain) is one of the richest sites documenting Neanderthal fossil bones in the Iberian Peninsula (Arsuaga et al., 1989, 2007; Villaverde et al., 2014). The stratigraphic sequence includes 15 Middle Palaeolithic layers. Among them, four were dated by the ESR/U-series dating method on enamel from six herbivore fossil teeth. Equivalent doses were obtained using the additive dose method on multi-aliquots. U-content, 234U/238U and 230Th/234U isotopic ratios were measured using ICP-QMS. Results indicate that dental tissues from two out of six analysed teeth underwent U leaching during burial. Thus, it does not allow the calculation of US-ESR (U-series-ESR, Grun et al., 1988) ages for these samples. However, ages calculated using AU model (Accelerating Uptake, Shao et al., 2012) are discussed together with biochronological data and previous absolute ages obtained for the archaeological sequence. Age results indicate that Neanderthals occupied Cova Negra during MIS 8 to 6, between 273 ± 26 ka and 146 ± 34 ka. These results suggest that human occupation took place at the end of the Middle Pleistocene, and hence it is older than proposed by previous TL ages obtained on sediments (Arsuaga et al., 2007). By contrast, our ESR/U-Th ages suggest that Neanderthals were present in the cave 100 ka earlier than initially proposed, in agreement with TL ages obtained on burnt flint (Villaverde et al., 2014). This implies that the Cova Negra human specimens could represent one the earliest occurrences of Neanderthal presence in the Iberian Peninsula.