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[EN] Experimental programs focused on various techno-functional issues have been carried out for more than a decade around the research project of the La Draga lacustrine neolithic site (Banyoles-Girona).The extraordinary conservation of archaeological materials made from both inorganic and organic materials has allowed the development of programs that have replicated technical processes of production and use of different tools and artifacts of bone, wood, and stone, used in different activities, such as woodworking and textile production. The Draga experimental project is proposed as a holistic tool for archaeological research, academic training, and dissemination for all audiences., [ES] En torno al proyecto de investigación del yacimiento neolítico lacustre de la Draga (Banyoles-Girona) se lleva a cabo desde hace más de una década programas experimentales centrados en diversas cuestiones tecno funcionales. La extraordinaria conservación de los materiales arqueológicos realizados tanto en materias inorgánicas como orgánicas han permitido desarrollar experimentos que han replicado procesos técnicos de producción y utilización de diferentes herramientas y artefactos de hueso, madera y piedra, utilizados en diferentes actividades, como el trabajo de la madera y la producción textil. El proyecto experimental de la Draga se plantea como una herramienta holística de investigación arqueológica, de formación académica y de divulgación para todos los públicos.

The goal of this article is to discuss the significance of the archaeological evidence from the sites of La Draga (Banyoles, Spain) and Coves del Fem (Ulldemolins, Spain), in the context of the neolithisation of Northeastern Iberia. The 14C dates have been analysed using Bayesian statistics. The stratigraphy of Coves del Fem covers the transition between the last hunter–gatherers of the region and the first farmers. The chronological sequence covers approximately 1,300 years, from 6065–5990 cal BC to 4700–4550 cal BC. The site of La Draga was occupied by the first farmers circa 5300–5230 cal BC when a wooden platform was constructed and first used. Subsequent repairs of the wooden piles have been dated as well. Another use of the wooden platform is documented around 5200–5085 cal BC, although until now new construction evidence has not been documented. La Draga site was reoccupied later, when several travertine structures dated in two moments between the years 5100–4900 cal BC and 4950–4700 cal BC were constructed and used. The radiocarbon dates of Coves del Fem and La Draga support the existence of two different models of neolithisation in Northeastern Iberia. In the southern part of the territory, Coves del Fem suggests that the Holocene hunter–gatherer populations remained in the area until the arrival of the first farmers, in a model similar to the one observed at the Ebro basin. On the contrary, the site of La Draga supports the hypothesis of the first farmers colonising a previously unoccupied territory., This work was supported by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Spain (grant numbers PID2019-109254GB-C21, PID2019-109254GB-C22, and PCI2020-111992). The archaeological excavation at La Draga and Coves del Fem was funded by the Departament de Cultura (Generalitat de Catalunya) CLT009/18/00026 and CLT009/18/. The authors are members of the research group supported by AGAUR-Generalitat de Catalunya: TEDAS 2017 SGR 243 and ASD 2017 SGR 995. Raquel Piqué also acknowledges the support of Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA, Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain), through the ICREA Academia Program.

The purpose of this work is to contribute to the knowledge of the role of fungi in prehistoric human societies and, in particular, to determine their use as tinder in fire-lighting technologies. The case of La Draga (Banyoles, NE Spain), an Early Neolithic site with extraordinary conservation of organic materials, is presented. At this site, a well preserved and abundant assemblage of fruiting bodies of fungi has been recovered in a waterlogged environment. The comparison of the taxa identified with evidence of fungal spores is analysed in order to provide a better understanding of the process of fungi incorporation into the archaeological site. Finds at La Draga demonstrate that the gathering of bracket fungi was a frequent practice during the Early Neolithic occupation. A total of 86 fruiting bodies have been studied and six different taxa have been identified: Ganoderma adspersum, Daldinia concentrica, Daedalea quercina, Lenzites warnieri, Coriolopsis gallica, and Skeletocutis nivea. The taxa identified in the fruiting bodies have not been identified among the fungal spores from the soil sediments. Comparison of the presence of fungal spores and fruiting bodies provides additional arguments to support the hypothesis that bracket fungi were gathered, dried and stored to be used by the inhabitants of La Draga., This work was supported by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Spain (grant numbers HAR2009-13494-C02-01 and 02, HAR2012-38838-C02-01 and 02, HAR2016-76534-C2-1 and 2). The archaeological excavation was funded by the Departament de Cultura (Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain) (2014/100822). The authors are member of the research groups supported by AGAUR-Generalitat de Catalunya: TEDAS 2017 SGR 243 (R.P., A.P.), ASD 2017 SGR 995 (X.T.), GAPS 2017 SGR 836 (J.R.). R.P is a beneficiary of ICREA-Academia grant. J.R. is beneficiary of Juan de la Cierva fellowship (Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades, Spain). The authors would like to thank Ajuntament de Banyoles, the Centre d’Arqueologia Subaquàtica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council–IMF and the Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya for supporting the work at La Draga site, and to the students, researchers and professionals who have participated in the excavation since the 1990s.

The early Neolithic site of La Draga (Banyoles, Spain) has provided a singular sample of plant-crafts, wooden tools, and other plant remains preserved in waterlogged conditions. This exceptional context of plant remains preservation provides an incomparable frame to study past botanical knowledge and the emergence and devel- opment of plant transformation technologies. The goal of this paper is to provide an integrated synthesis of the plant resources used by the inhabitants of La Draga, paying special attention to the main taxa used, the environ- ments exploited and the plant acquisition strategies. Through the results of the analysis of plant-crafts, timber and wooden tools, charcoal remains, exudates, fungi, and microremains as pollen, we discuss types of forest and plants exploited to obtain raw materials and the human impact on vegetation. The plant raw materials identified at La Draga indicate the exploitation of local resources available in deciduous and riparian forests where an anthropic disturbance is documented contemporary with the occupation., This work was supported by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades, Spain, projects: WOOD- PDLAKE -Archaeological Wooden Pile-Dwelling in Mediterranean European lakes: strategies for their exploitation, monitoring and conservation, JPICH -Conservation, Protection and Use Joint Call (PCI2020-111992)-, PID2019-109254GB-C21 -Paleoambiente, modelización del paisaje y análisis del uso de plantas en la transición a la agricultura en el Noreste de La Península Ibérica-. The archaeological excavation at La Draga was funded by the Departament de Cultura (Generalitat de Catalunya) CLT009/18/00050. The authors are member of the research group supported by AGAUR- Generalitat de Catalunya: TEDAS 2017 SGR 243 and ASD 2017 SGR 995. RP also acknowledges the sup- port of Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA, Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain), through the ICREA Academia Program. M. Berihuete-Azorín (2018 BP 00272) received funding from the postdoctoral fellowships pro- gramme Beatriu de Pinós, funded by the Secretary of Universities and Research (Government of Catalonia) and by the Horizon 2020 programme of research and innovation of the European Union under the Marie Skfodowska-Curie grant agreement 801370.M.

The introduction and spread of the Neolithic "way of life"in Europe was a process that took several millennia, followed by different rhythms and displayed singularities in each geographic area. It was therefore a very complex phenomenon that, despite highly significant advances in research in recent decades, is yet to be fully understood. To deepen our understanding of the very early stages of the introduction of herding and agriculture throughout the Old Continent, the 1st Conference on the Early Neolithic of Europe was organised in Barcelona on 6-8 November 2019. The conference was a great success with more than 200 participants, creating a stimulating arena to discuss and debate, exclusively, the transition to the Neolithic in Europe. This special issue brings together 52 of the contributions presented in Barcelona, offering an interesting overview of the current state of research across Europe, from the Anatolia to the Algarve, highlighting the geographical, chronological and socioeconomic diversity of the transformation processes involved in the Neolithisation of Europe and providing useful starting points for future research., he work was financed by a grant generously provided by the Catalan Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) (grant reference: SGR-2017-995) of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

Lithic tools made with siliceous rocks form one of the most representative categories of archaeological artefacts attributed to prehistoric societies. Hard siliceous rocks like flint are exceptionally resistant and, together with their wide geographic availability, are therefore key witnesses to prehistoric productions and the technical skills and technological knowledge that were applied to transform them into tools and utensils. In recent years, it has been considered appropriate to group these sedimentary siliceous rocks, formed by chemical, biochemical or diagenetic precipitation of SiO2, under the term of silicites (Přichystal, 2010). The geological origin of the silicites used by humans can be determined by their specific lithological and mineralogical characteristics. This information can then be used to put forward hypotheses about the mobility of humans, the distribution and exchange of mineral raw materials and products, the circulation of technical knowledge and the reconstruction of subsistence territories, among other points. This enables an approach to the technological development reached by the human groups and allows the formulation of hypotheses about the economic behaviour of prehistoric societies. Since they are such a vital source of historical information, in the last few years, studies devoted to siliceous raw material sourcing at prehistoric sites have become increasingly common (Pereira et al., 2017). Because of this growing demand, service and analytical offers are also expanding. However, there is still no consensual analytical approach that allows archaeologists choosing the most appropriate method based on the specific problems of the exploited raw materials or the geological framework in which the studied sites are inscribed. Given the potential transcendence of these interpretations, it was seen necessary to reach a consensus on the analytical procedures to use by confronting their technical limitations and the significance of their results. Therefore, a large number of research teams and scientific institutions met to present and discuss their respective research projects in a workshop. This took place in the University of Bern in October 2017, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation. The workshop was an opportunity for fruitful exchange, which led to the proposal of this special issue. Two main research traditions were brought together in this meeting. On one hand, the German-speaking world, which tends to attempt determination using conventional petrography based on thin-sections; on the other hand, the sphere of Latin languages, where research focuses on chemical analysis by applying various methods. The workshop enabled actors at the forefront of the respective lines of research to share their knowledge.

Since its excavation, in the late 1980s, El Collado has been considered a Mesolithic funerary site. Nevertheless, recent studies of the site chronology and other material evidence - excluding the human remains - have indicated more complex dynamics of this site, combining both funerary and habitation uses by Mesolithic communities. First, a Bayesian model of the available radiocarbon dates provides information about the chronological dynamics in the human uses of the site. The model reveals that data are not representative of a single event but rather show the existence of several chronostratigraphic phases. Second, a noteworthy lithic assemblage from the site, which does not appear to be linked to the Mesolithic burials, can be attributed to the Notches and Denticulates Mesolithic facies in Mediterranean Iberia and the Ebro Basin. Technological and use-wear analyses of the lithic tools have been carried out in order to seek new data concerning the subsistence and craft activities performed by the communities that occupied the site. It must be noted that only in few cases similar studies had been applied previously on Mesolithic sites in the area of study. The first results show intense work on hard materials, such as wood, bone or antler, which a priori could lead to this site being considered a not specialized one from the functional point of view. These results are discussed taking into account all the inputs and possible biases due to the nature of the site and sampling carried out in the fieldwork.

Plant resins, tars and organic fossil substances provide valuable insights into the ecological, environmental and cultural contexts of ancient societies. Their study offers evidence of past know-how, production systems, socio-economic networks and mobility. In this paper, we present new data from 16 sites located in the North-West Mediterranean that provide new insights into the exploitation of these substances for their adhesive and hydrophobic properties throughout the Neolithic (6000-2500 cal BCE). The substances investigated are discussed in the light of their molecular composition, their uses and manufacturing processes. Spatial analyses were also performed to elucidate raw material procurement strategies. This study considerably increases the body of data available from the Mediterranean and tells a diachronic story of adhesive production and use throughout the Neolithic, highlighting the variability and complexity of production systems and supply networks at different spatial scales. While most adhesive and hydrophobic substances were probably collected locally, birch bark tar was very likely transported across long distances to reach Mediterranean coastal sites. Birch bark tar exploitation intensified in South-Eastern France during the Middle Neolithic, while the Late Neolithic is characterised by a diversification of the substances employed and their range of uses: bitumen, birch bark tar (pure or mixed with Pinaceae resin, beeswax and possibly fat/oil) were important materials that were used for a variety of purposes. Pure Pinaceae exudates were exclusively employed for waterproofing pottery. We also highlight the standardisation of birch bark tar production for adhesive manufacture observed in Provence during the first part of the 4th millennium cal. BCE., The authors thank the French National Research Agency (ANR) for the funding of the project Exsudarch (2010-2014, M. Regert dir.) which allowed extensive diachronic interdisciplinary investigations on plant exudates and tars as well as researching the biogeography of plant raw materials. We are also grateful to the Academy 5 of the IDEXJEDI from UCA (Université Côte d’Azur), to the MSHS sud-est, to the CNRS-INEE and to the CEPAM for funding the research project ARCHEOPLANTES (2018-2020, M. Regert dir.). The results presented here were obtained during the PhD of Maxime Rageot, funded by the PACA Region, the CNRS and the Université Côte d’Azur; may they find here the expression of our sincere thanks. We are grateful to Nolan Ferar for proofreading the article. Finally, we would like to thank the two reviewers for their constructive suggestions which helped to improve the quality of this article.

[EN] The Qarassa North Tell excavations, conducted between 2007 and 2010 by a French-Syrian-Spanish team, were the final phase of a program of research that began in 2002 with the Leja archaeological surveys. Following the surveys, excavations started on the southern tell of Qarassa in 2007, with the aim of assessing the Bronze and Iron Age sequence identified among modern houses scattered on the southern tell during previous surveys. In 2008, surface collection and limited soundings on the northern tell revealed archaeological material that appeared to derive from the Neolithic period. While microlithic materials near the tell pointed to a possible Khiamian and Natufian occupation on the edge of the basaltic plateau, naviform blades on the tell slopes as well as pottery sherds suggested the possibility of a long Neolithic occupation spanning the Pre- Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) to the Chalcolithic. Two seasons of excavation at different locations on the northern tell and the basaltic plateau facing it have produced improved chronological and cultural models of the Southern Levant in a region that has thus far been lacking in well-preserved archaeological sequences from the Natufian to the Chalcolithic., [FR] Les fouilles de Qarassa North Tell, menées entre 2007 et 2010 par une équipe franco-syrienne-espagnole, ont constitué la phase finale d’un programme lancé en 2002 avec les études archéologiques dans le plateau du Leja. Par la suite, des fouilles ont débuté sur le tell sud de Qarassa en 2007, dans le but d’évaluer la séquence de l’âge du Bronze et du Fer identifiée lors de prospections précédentes parmi les maisons modernes sur le tell sud. Finalement, en 2008, des prélèvements de surface et des sondages limités sur le tell du Nord ont révélé la présence de matériel archéologique apparemment lié à la période néolithique. Si, près du tell, les matériaux microlithiques indiquaient une possible occupation khiamienne et natoufienne au bord du plateau basaltique, des lames naviformes sur les pentes du tell ainsi que des fragments céramiques nous ont suggéré l’existence d’une longue occupation néolithique, allant du PPNB au Chalcolithique. Deux saisons de fouilles, à des endroits différents du tell septentrional et du plateau basaltique qui lui fait face, nous ont permis de progresser dans le diagnostic chronologique et culturel du Levant méridional dans une région jusqu’ici dépourvue de séquences archéologiques bien conservées entre le Natoufien et le Chalcolithique.

Barremian-Bedoulian flint from the Vaucluse region (western Provence, SE France), is traditionally considered one of the most significant chrono-cultural markers of the Chasséen culture during the Middle Neolithic (end of the 5th and beginning of the 4th millennium BC). Diffusion of Provençal flints became massive during the first half of the 4th millennium BC, penetrating in several neighbouring cultural spheres such as the Sepulcros de Fosa culture in north-eastern Iberia. The integrated study of the lithic assemblages from the variscite mines of Gavà (Barcelona) and its contextualization within the Sepulcros de Fosa culture in north-eastern Iberia have revealed unexpected complexity in the modes of consumption, use and status of imported Barremian-Bedoulian industries in north-eastern Iberia during the 5th to 4th millennia cal. BC transition. Local communities within this region, already controlling extraction and regional diffusion of variscite ornaments, exerted control over the fluxes of Vauclusian flint south of the Pyrenees, where it had a triple status (functional, symbolic and both). In addition, the results provide complementary data to better understand relevant aspects of the nature and organisation of Barremian-Bedoulian flint exploitation and early supply systems at the Provençal producing sites during the later phase of the Chasséen culture., This research has been made possible thanks to the financial support of the Generalitat de Catalunya (SGR-2017-995 and CLT009/18/00044) and the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (RYC-2016-21108), and the collaboration of the Museu de Gavà.

This volume sets out to offer the reader an overview of the neolithization process, the origin of the so-called Cardial Ware early Neolithic, in the Western Mediterranean between the last centuries of the seventh millennium and the mid-sixth millennium BC. The initial idea of the coordinators was to bring together a number of researchers of known international prestige, with a long and proven scientific career in that field, who would explain the work that has been carried out or is in progress in that area of the Mediterranean. To maintain certain standardization in the way the information was approached, some thematic guidelines were suggested so that the data from the different regions might be compared more easily. With these regional models, the intention was to obtain a full picture of the patterns and timing of the introduction of the Neolithic economy as well as the interactions between hunter-gatherer groups and neighboring farming communities, taking into account any regional peculiarities. In this way, it might be possible to move on from more traditional debates focused on chrono-cultural aspects. Even if most of papers deal with the origins of the Neolithic from a regional perspective, some other papers show a more global approach, whereas some authors have paid special attention to the cultural interactions between the Western Mediterranean and neighboring areas. Finally, other studies offer a view of the development of economic practices and subsistence habits from a more cross-cutting perspective., The initiative behind this special number and its design are related to the research carried out by the CSIC-IMF research group ‘Archaeology of Social Dynamics’, funded by the Government of Catalonia (2017 SGR 995) and to the projects HAR2016-74999-P, HAR2016-75201-P, HAR2016-76534-C2-1-R and HAR2016-76534-C2-2-R, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, and the Spanish Ministry of Culture (IPCE).

Berihuete-Azorín M, Girbal J, Piqué R, Palomo A, Terradas X (2018) Punk’s not dead. Fungi for tinder at the Neolithic site of La Draga (NE Iberia). PLoS ONE 13(4): e0195846. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0195846, This paper presents the study of the fungi remains preserved in the waterlogged deposits of the Neolithic site of La Draga. These resources had the potential of being used as food and medicine, but also as tinder. Fire was without a doubt one of the most important resources for past people. It was used for lighting, heating, processing food and other materials, cooking and protection, and also possessed social and ritual significance. Hearths are one of the most common features at archaeological sites, but very often little attention is paid to the question of how these fires were lit, and they are seldom reflected in the archaeological record. In order to produce fire by percussion, an intermediate material is required between the sparks and the fuel. Fruiting bodies of fungi are a potential form of tinder, but are less inclined to be well-preserved than other materials. This paper presents the fungal fruiting bodies found at the Neolithic site of La Draga and discusses the meaning of their presence within the archaeological context of the site and European Prehistory., RP, XT, MB, JG, AP: - 2015ACUP0191 and 2014/100822. The Digital Reconstruction of the Prehistoric Past:Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence for understanding social life in the Neolithic. Associació Catalana d'Universitats Públiques (ACUP) and Obra Social "La Caixa). https://obrasociallacaixa.org/ca/investigacion-y-salud/investigacion-ciencias-sociales-humanidades/convocatorias. - HAR2016-76534-C2-1-R and . Simulación computacional de fenómenos históricos de cambio social y tecnológico durante el neolítico. and HAR2016-76534-C2-2-R Producciones, variabilidad técnica e innovación tecnológica en el Neolítico. Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO). http://www.idi.mineco.gob.es. - 437 K117. La Draga en el procés de neolitització del nord-est peninsular. . Departament de Cultura de la Generalitat de Catalunya. http://cultura.gencat.cat/ca/departament/. The funders provide the economic means for the excavations at La Draga site, but the funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. RP: ICREA Acadèmia. Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA). https://www.icrea.cat/en.

[EN] This paper presents the fruiting bodies of fungi found in the early Neolithic site of La Draga (Banyoles, NE Spain), and discusses their intentional transportation to the parking lot for the purpose of potential use as tinder. The remains of 86 fungi represent 6 different polypore taxa. To support the use hypothesis, the environmental characteristics, the distribution over the parking area, evidence of manipulation and dimensions are presented., [RU] В данной работе представлены плодовые тела грибов, обнаруженные на ранненеолитической стоянке Ля Драга (Баньолес, СВ Испания), и обсуждается их намеренная транспортировка на стоянку с целью потенциального использование в качестве трута. Остатки 86 грибов представляют 6 различных таксонов полипоры. Чтобы поддержать гипотезу использования, представлены экологические характеристики, распределение по площади стоянки, свидетельства манипуляций и размеры.

La Draga is an early Neolithic site on the shore of Lake Banyoles (Spain). The archaeological layer corresponding to the earliest occupation phase, dated 5324–4977 cal BC, has been preserved in waterlogged conditions. Several fragments of cords and plant fibres have survived in the site providing a unique example of cord production by early farmers in the western Mediterranean region. The types of cordage recovered at the site are presented here. Several cords made of twisted plant fibres and one made of liana show the diversity of cordage at La Draga. The production of the cords and their possible uses are also discussed. These finds add to the global evidence for advanced fibre technologies associated with the transition to agriculture during the early-to mid-Holocene., This research was funded by Projects HAR2009-13494-C02-01, HAR2012-38838-C02-01, HAR2009-13494-C02-02, HAR2012-38838-C02-02. Archaeological excavation was funded by Departament de Cultura (Generalitat de Catalunya) (2014/100822). Igor Bogdanovic, Antoni Palomo, Raquel Piqué and Xavier Terradas are members of the research Group AGREST (SGR 2014 1169) funded by AGAUR.

[EN] In this paper, we present the various methods used for harvesting during the Neolithic period. In order to put forward a hypothesis about the origin of agricultural practices, it is important to assess the degree of domestication of cereals, analyzing the state of their maturity. Based on the analysis of the distribution and texture characteristics of the polish from the cereals, we can understand how the plants were collected. This may be due to different strategies for the use of agricultural crops., [RU] Вэтой работе мы представляем различные методы, использовавшиеся для сбора урожая в период неолита. Чтобы выдвинуть гипотезу о происхождении земледельческих практик, важно оценить степень одомашнивания злаковых, анализируя состояние их зрелости. На основе анализа распределения и текстурной характеристики заполировки от злаков, мы можем понять, как растения были собраны. Это может быть связано с различными стратегиями использования земледельческих культур.

Reconstructing the colonization and demographic dynamics that gave rise to extant forests is essential to forecasts of forest responses to environmental changes. Classical approaches to map how population of trees changed through space and time largely rely on pollen distribution patterns, with only a limited number of studies exploiting DNA molecules preserved in wooden tree archaeological and subfossil remains. Here, we advance such analyses by applying high throughput (HTS) DNA sequencing to wood archaeological and subfossil material for the first time, using a comprehensive sample of 167 European white oak waterlogged remains spanning a large temporal (from 550 to 9,800 years) and geographical range across Europe. The successful characterization of the endogenous DNA and exogenous microbial DNA of 140 (~83%) samples helped the identification of environmental conditions favoring long-term DNA preservation in wood remains, and started to unveil the first trends in the DNA decay process in wood material. Additionally, the maternally-inherited chloroplast haplotypes of 21 samples from three periods of forest human-induced use (Neolithic, Bronze Age and Middle Ages) were found to be consistent with those of modern populations growing in the same geographic areas. Our work paves the way for further studies aiming at using ancient DNA preserved in wood to reconstruct the micro-evolutionary response of trees to climate change and human forest management., This research was supported by the European Research Council, through the Advanced Grant Project TREEPEACE (#FP7-339728) and the Consolidator PEGASUS (#H2020-681605). Sequencing was performed at the Danish National High-Throughput Sequencing Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark.

La Draga is an archaeological site in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula dating to the Early Neolithic era, more than 7000 years ago. Given the extraordinary preservation of objects made of wood and vegetable fiber, this site offers an exceptional window on a period in human history when agriculture and herding were used for the first time in Europe to produce food and new means of living. In this chapter we concentrate on a single kind of object: archery equipment. We do so not only because these represent an important kind of tool, but also because the way we have researched them involves a combination of detective work, forensic research, and state-of-the art computer technology. It is our view that only by “reversing” the prehistoric engineering, in the same way that modern designers do with objects, we can learn how people lived in the deep past. In our efforts to "revive" prehistoric societies, we sometimes need both state-of-the-art modern computer technology and the careful work of archaeologists.

The consumption of wild resources, including molluscs, continued in the first farming societies together with the consumption of domestic resources. Remains of continental and marine molluscs have been found at the Neolithic site of La Draga (north-eastern Iberian Peninsula), dated in 5320–4800 cal BC, and about 35 or 40 km away from the Mediterranean coast (nowadays and when the site was occupied). The contact between the site and the coast has already been attested due to the presence of other remains like mineral raw materials that come from the coastal ranges. As the presence of continental molluscs must be due to natural processes, the marine molluscs have been studied more exhaustively. The most common species is Mytilus galloprovincialis, followed by Glycymeris sp. and Spondylus sp. These species were used in different ways, as food but also as tools and raw material for making ornaments. The presence of Mytilus galloprovincialis is not very common on the other Mediterranean contemporaneous sites where, in general, species from sandy bottoms are more abundant., All research has been funded by Projects HAR2009-13494-C02-01 and 02, HAR2012-38838-C02-01 and 02, HAR2014-60081-R, HAR2016-76534-C2-1 and 2 of the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness. The archaeological excavation was funded by the Departament de Cultura (Generalitat de Catalunya) (2014/100822). E.V.-C., A.P., R.P. and X.T. are members of the research Group AGREST (SGR 2014 1169) and M.S. is member of the research Group GRAMPO (2014 SGR 1248), both supported by AGAUR-Generalitat de Catalunya. The authors would like to thank Ajuntament de Banyoles, the Centre d’Arqueologia Subaquàtica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council–IMF and the Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya for supporting the work at La Draga site, and to the students, researchers and professionals who have participated in the excavation since the 1990s. We also thank Núria Morera and Igor Bogdanovic for making Fig. 2. Finally, we would like to thank Catherine Dupont and another anonymous reviewer for their comments and suggestions that significantly improved the quality of the manuscript. E.V.-C. is a beneficiary of a Beatriu de Pinós postdoctoral fellowship (AGAUR-Generalitat de Catalunya). The English translation of the original text written in Spanish was by Peter Smith.

The synthetic analysis of several pollen records from sub-Mediterranean lowland Pre-Pyrenean regions evidences expansion of forests during the Early Holocene in Northeastern Iberia and the establishment of dense deciduous broadleaf forests during the Holocene Climate Optimum. Pollen records show the broadleaf deciduous forests resilience against cooling phases during the Mid-Holocene period, with slight regressions of oak woodlands and expansion of conifers or xerophytic taxa contemporary to some cooling episodes (i.e. 8.2 and 7.2 kyr cal. BP). Major vegetation changes influenced by climate change occurred in the transition to the Late Holocene, in terms of the start of a succession from broadleaf deciduous forests to evergreen sclerophyllous woodlands. The lack of evidence of previous occupation seems to support the Neolithisation of the NE Iberian Peninsula as a result of a process of migration of farming populations to uninhabited or sparsely inhabited territories. In that context, remarkable changes in vegetation were recorded from 7.3 kyr cal. BP onwards in the Lake Banyoles area, where the establishment of permanent farming settlements caused the deforestation of oak woodlands. In La Garrotxa region, short deforestation episodes affecting broadleaf deciduous forests, together with expansion of grasslands and presence of Cerealia-t were documented in the period 7.4–6.0 kyr cal. BP. Finally, in the coastal area, where less evidence of Early Neolithic occupations is recorded, evidence of Neolithic impact is reflected in the presence of Cerealia-t in 6.5–6.2 kyr cal. BP, but no strong human transformation of landscape was carried out until more recent chronologies., This research was undertaken through the following projects: ‘Organización social de las primeras comunidades agrícola-ganaderas a partir del espacio doméstico: Elementos estructuralesy áreas de producción y consumo de bienes (HAR2012-38838-C02-01)/Arquitectura en madera y áreas de procesado y consumo de alimentos (HAR2012-38838-C02-02)’, funded by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad- Subdirección General de Proyectos de Investigación (Spain), ‘The digital reconstruction of the prehistoric past: virtual reality and artificial intelligence for understanding social life in the Neolithic (2015ACUP00191)’, funded by La Caixa (RecerCaixa-Obra Social) and Associació Catalana d’Universitats Públiques (ACUP). The research has been carried out in the framework of the research group AGREST (2014 SGR1169).

This paper presents the multi-disciplinary sampling strategy that has been applied at the archaeological site of La Draga during the last three fieldwork campaigns (2010–2012). A preliminary evaluation of the results is presented in order to discuss the efficiency of the strategy in answering the outlined scientific questions. The strategies applied for faunal remains (one hundred per cent recovery), wood remains (selective sampling) and charcoal remains (random sampling of twenty-five fragments per square) proved to be successful. The anticipated levels for ichthyofauna, entomofauna and non-ligneous plant macroremains were not attained using this sampling strategy. Some explanations for this are proposed (e.g. high degree of erosion of the archaeological layer). Further guidelines for future work are established. This strategy could be applied to other Mediterranean wetland sites., FA, LC, OL and RP are members of the research group AGREST (2009 SGR 734). This research is part of the project ‘Organización social de las primeras comunidades agrícola-ganaderas a partir del espacio doméstico: arquitectura en madera y áreas de procesado y consumo de alimentos’ (HAR2012-38838-C02- 02), financed by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain. We acknowledge the accurate revisions to this text made by B. Jennings and two anonymous reviewers.

Several taphonomic factors influence the composition of the palynological record especially in archaeological deposits, where human activities alter the representation of taxa. Spatial analysis by a taphonomic approach to the distribution of pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs (NPP) provides useful information about intra-site spaces and environments in the Early Neolithic lakeside settlement of La Draga (Banyoles, NE Iberia). The spatial correlation of algae, lakeshore and aquatic plants and herbs with an economic value, together with eggs of intestinal parasites and spores of coprophilous fungi, evidence a humid and organic environment beneath a hut, where consumption waste is concentrated. In contrast, high values of arboreal pollen (AP) and spores of fungal indicators of soil erosion show a sub-aerial environment strongly altered by taphonomic processes in outside areas. Finally, the association of the highest values in Cerealia-t and the spatial distribution of grinding stones within Sector D identifies an area of cereal processing, proving the suitability of spatial analysis in archaeopalynology as a powerful tool for reconstructing activity areas within archaeological settlements., This research was undertaken through the following projects: ‘Organización social de las primeras comunidades agrícola-ganaderas a partir del espacio doméstico: Elementos estructurales y áreas de producción y consumo de bienes (HAR2012-38838-C02-01)/Arquitectura en madera y áreas de procesado y consumo de alimentos (HAR2012-38838-C02-02)’, funded by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad- Subdirección General de Proyectos de Investigación (Spain), ‘The digital reconstruction of the prehistoric past: virtual reality and artificial intelligence for understanding social life in the Neolithic (2015ACUP00191)’, funded by La Caixa and ‘LaDraga en el procés de neolitització del nordest peninsular (2014/100822)’ funded by Generalitat de Catalunya. The research has been carried out in the framework of the research group AGREST (2014 SGR1169). Jordi Revelles is currently a pre-doc FPU fellow of the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (Spain). We would like to thank Ferran Antolín for help with macrofossil identifications.

La Draga is an open-air settlement located on the shoreline of Lake Banyoles in the Northeast of the Iberian Peninsula. To date, two occupation phases have been differentiated, both attributed to the Early Neolithic (5300–4900 cal BC). The proximity of the lake has meant that a large part of the site has been covered by the water table; as a consequence organic materials are well preserved. The preservation of wooden artefacts offers an excellent opportunity to study the techniques and crafts developed in the first Neolithic villages. This chapter presents the wooden tools related to agricultural practices. This assemblage consists of 45 pointed sticks, 24 of which can be interpreted as digging sticks according to ethnographic and archaeological parallels and the results of a specific experimental program, and 7 sickle handles, one of which holds a flint blade still inserted in its original position. The information these implements provide for the knowledge of the first agriculture is discussed and compared with data supplied by several archaeobotanical proxies. The two approaches are seen to contribute complementary data allowing a more comprehensive reconstruction of the farming practices of Early Neolithic communities in the Western Mediterranean.

The northeast of the Iberian Peninsula is a region that so far has contributed little information on the transition between the last hunter-gatherer groups and the first farming communities. Although data about the Late Mesolithic is still scanty, in recent years more information has been obtained about the Early Neolithic as a consequence of several research projects and excavations. The few known Mesolithic records and more abundant data on the Early Neolithic are studied here, highlighting the transition between the two periods and the problem of the scarcity of information about the last Mesolithic hunter-gatherers. With the available data, we propose a late extension of the ‘Notches and Denticulates Mesolithic’ phase as the final Mesolithic population in the region. The first evidence of Neolithic communities is then documented after a hiatus of about 500 years (c. 6000-5500 cal BC). These communities initially settled in littoral and pre-littoral zones, although by c. 5300 cal BC they had occupied the rest of northeast Iberia, including high mountain regions. From the start, these groups shared a consolidated agricultural economy despite the fact specific differences are attested depending on their geographic location., Some of the results presented here are framed within the research carried out for projects funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. These are: ‘Ocupaciones lacustres y gestión de recursos en las primeras sociedades agrícola-ganaderas del NE peninsular: Tecnología de las producciones materiales, usos instrumentales, estrategias agroforestales y ganaderas’ (HAR2009-13494-C02-01 and 02), ‘Aproximación a las primeras comunidades neolíticas del NE peninsular a través de sus prácticas funerarias’ (HAR2011-23149), ‘Organización social de las primeras comunidades agrícola-ganaderas a partir del espacio doméstico: Elementos estructurales y áreas de producción y consumo de bienes, arquitectura en madera y áreas de procesado y consumo de alimentos’ (HAR2012-38838-C02-01 and 02), ‘Aproximación a las primeras comunidades neolíticas del Mediterráneo nordoccidental: construyendo respuesta desde los análisis paleoantropológicos y genéticos’(HAR2015-67323-C2), ‘La difusión del neolítico en el Mediterráneo centro-occidental: agricultura, innovaciones tecnológicas y carbono 14’ (HAR2016-75201-P) and ‘Producciones, variabilidad técnica e innovación tecnológica en el Neolítico’ (HAR2016-76534-C2-2-R). The authors of the present study belong to the research groups: SERP (2014SGR-0108) at the University of Barcelona (XO), AGREST (2014SGR-1169) at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (BM) and the Spanish National Research Council CSIC-IMF(JFG and XT), and ICARHEB -Universidade de Algarve- (JFG and XT).

Prehistoric communities carried out quarrying activities to obtain raw materials for tool production. These were produced either directly for immediate or later use by the same groups who quarried the stone, or indirectly by distributing the raw material or partially or completely manufactured products to third parties. All these procedures could be performed within a temporal and spatial sequence of variable extent, giving rise to archaeological evidence of very different types (Nelson 1991; Ingold 2012)., Archaeological surveying was funded by the Government of Catalonia and the Spanish National Research Council within the framework of the LITOcat Project. Excavation and research are sponsored by the Government of Catalonia (‘Prehistoric and historic uses of flint in Catalonia: contexts of extraction and first transformation’, grant 2014/100778) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (‘Productions, technical variability and technological innovation in the Neolithic’, grant HAR2016-76534-C2-2-R).

Chert from the limestones and marly limestones of Castelltallat Formation (Ebro Basin) was widely used throughout prehistoric times in north-eastern Iberia to produce stone tools due to its properties and accessibility. A rough estimate indicates that this rock—either as raw material or as lithic products—was distributed mainly to the north of the outcrops, over an area of 6000–8000 km2. However, other rocks in the area have similar characteristics which can lead to confusion in the interpretation of its prehistoric use and distribution. In order to establish useful archaeometric criteria for differentiating this chert from other similar, the Castelltallat chert is characterised in petrographic, mineralogical and geochemical terms. The chert nodules are found to be homogenous at the macroscopic and microscopic level, with a significant presence of bioclasts, thus indicating they might be formed in a freshwater lake environment by the early diagenetic replacement of carbonates in shallow waters. The mineralogical composition is homogeneously uniform and of a flint type, characterised by an almost exclusive predominance of quartz, without any opaline phases, and a variable proportion of moganite. The iron oxide content is very low, whereas its chemical composition is unusually high in uranium which correlates positively with carbonate content and negatively with silica. Archaeometrical parameters are provided to reach a proper identification of tools knapped with this chert. This way, chert from Castelltallat Formation turns out to be a valuable lithological marker to evaluate the range of mobility of the human groups who lived in the north-eastern Iberia and their contacts with neighbouring areas., The fieldwork to obtain rock samples and the analysis of the samples was cofunded by the Direcció General del Patrimoni Cultural de la Generalitat de Catalunya and IMF-CSIC, within the framework of an interinstitutional collaboration agreement for the development of the Catalan Lithotheque of siliceous rocks (LITOcat project). Specific studies on the petrological characterisation of Castelltallat chert and its prehistoric use were carried out within the research project ‘Aprofitament prehistòric i històric del sílex a Catalunya: contextos extractius i de primera transformació’, funded by the Department of Culture of the Government of Catalonia (ref. núm. 2014/100778). The significance of human use and scope of distribution of Castelltallat chert are being approached within the project ‘Productions, technical variability and technological innovation in the Neolithic’, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Grant HAR2016–76534-C2–2-R).

This paper presents the results of the excavation of an archaeological level at Umm-el-Tlel (El Kowm) belonging to Geometric Kebaran, called I. 2. a. The fi eldwork was conducted between 1991 and 1994. The characteristics of the archaeological materials and their spatial distribution are analyzed. The results suggest that in the excavated area animal carcass processing remains were discarded., Cet article présente les résultats de la fouille du niveau archéologique I. 2. a du site d’Umm-el-Tlel (El Kowm), un niveau appartenant au Kébarien géométrique. Les travaux sur le terrain ont été menés entre 1991 et 1994. Les matériaux archéologiques et leur répartition spatiale ont été analysés. Les résultats de cette analyse suggèrent que la zone fouillée correspondrait à un espace où des déchets de boucherie ont été accumulés., Alcalde Gabriel, Cauvin Marie-Claire, González Jesús Emilio, Helmer Daniel, Ibáñez Juan José, Mateu Joaquim, Molist Miquel, Saña Maria, Terradas Xavier. Les occupations d’Umm-el-Tlel (Syrie centrale) pendant le Kébarien géométrique. Étude du niveau I.2.A (campagnes 1991, 1992 et 1994). In: Paléorient, 2013, vol. 39, n°2. pp. 141-154.

(EN) This article presents the results of a functional study of the stone tools found with the burials at the Neolithic necropolis of Can Gambús-1 (Sabadell, Spain). In this study we aim to reconstruct the activities carried out with the stone tools, made from several raw materials, among which the so-called “honey flint” is especially important at this site. Although this is an interim report, we identify a double trend in the preparation of the grave goods for the buried individuals. Whereas in some cases tools were specifically produced to be deposited as offerings without any previous use, on other occasions implements that had been used in everyday activities were recycled and given a final funerary function., (FR) Cet article présente les résultats de l’étude fonctionnelle de l’outillage lithique associé aux sépultures de la nécropole néolithique de Can Gambús-1 (Sabadell, Catalogne, Espagne). Cette étude vise à identifier les activités réalisées avec les outils taillés sur différentes matières premières, parmi lesquelles le silex "blond" tient une place prépondérante. Malgré le caractère préliminaire de cette étude, deux tendances se distinguent dans la constitution des mobiliers déposés à côté des individus inhumés. Tandis que dans certains cas on constate une production spécifique d’outils en vue de leur dépôt comme offrandes, sans usage préalable, dans d’autres cas des outils utilisés antérieurement dans des activités quotidiennes sont recyclés pour une dernière fonction, funéraire.