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ebro valley, pyrenees and pre-pyrenees
North-western Atlantic basins.
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Site
Map numbering
Abauntz
25
Arrillor
26
Atxoste
27
Cova del Parco
28
Roca dels Bous
29
Cova Gran de Santa Linya
30
Cova de l’Estret de Tragó
31
Fuente del Trucho
32
Fuentes de San Cristóbal
33
Gabasa
34
Kanpanoste Goikoa
35
Forcas
36
Nerets y Cova de les Llenes
37
Martinarri
38
Mendandia
39
Conjunto del valle del Montsant
40
Pleistocene and Holocene hunter-gatherers in Iberia and the Gibraltar Strait: the current archaeological record
200
elaphus). The relationship between the faunal remains and lithic industry is determined by the presence of some cutmarks as well as anthropogenic fractures. However, the most important activities developed in this cave seem to be related to carnivores. Pending geochronologic and paleoecological information, the faunal composition and the lithic industry seem to be consistent with the end of the Middle Pleistocene of the Iberian Peninsula. In conclusion, Nerets and La Cova de les Llenes are part of a regional project with the aim of studying Neanderthal groups from the Late Middle Pleistocene in an area placed at the gateway to the Pyrenees. The study of these kinds of archaeological sites is important to understand the capacities of these human communities and their development in marginal areas far from places with great
Alfonso Alday*
Acknowledgements This research is financed by the projects CGL2012-38434-C03-03, CGL2012-38358, CGLBOS-2012-34717 y HAR2010-18952-C02-01 of the Ministry of Science and Innovation of the Spanish Government. Ruth Blasco is a post-doctoral fellow of the Beatriu de Pinós-A program of the Generalitat de Catalunya, co-financed with the Marie Curie Actions, EU-FP7. Edgard Camarós is a pre-doctoral fellow FI in the Generalitat de Catalunya, co-financed with funds of the European Social Fund. We would like to thank Jordi Fábregas for the help provided with his comments and all the members of the “Tritons” team for the logistic support during the fieldwork.
Martinarri shelter (Obécuri, Treviño)
Martinarri is a south-facing rock shelter with a roof that rises almost 3m above the current floor, and a 15m long and 3-4 m deep area, followed by a large terrace where prehistoric archaeological work has detected prehistoric activity. It lies in a large basin, now covered by dense forest on sandy, hilly terrain where sandstone outcrops containing shelters are the exception. This suggests that the prehistoric communities which settled here had detailed knowledge and control of the zone, as they chose the shelter with the best conditions in the district. The relatively monotonous catchment area consists of gentle hills and gorges, 80% lying between 700 and 900 m asl, which does not match the usual landscape patterns at Meso-neolithic sites, a possible reason for the smaller potential of the stratigraphic and cultural sequence. The flint supply points were probably the chert outcrops in Loza and Treviño (20 km away), Urbasa (30 km) and the coastal Flysch (100 km). *
genetic flows of the same period, which the Mediterranean corridor might be.
The site is still under excavation, with four annual digs since 2008 directed by A. Alday in a small area which has nevertheless yielded a high density of archaeological material and defined the complete stratigraphic sequence. Stratigraphic sequence and archaeological content Five sedimentary layers have been identified in the shelter, supplemented by several more on the adjacent platform. Each unit is practically horizontal, and basically composed of the substrate sands. Postdeposition phenomena (erosion, gullies, landslides) have not affected the strata, laid down in continuity without sterile units. Several negative structures (mainly post holes) enter each layer (Fig. 1). Surface: A thin layer of humus and loose sands with seemingly recent carbonaceous stains and
Área de Prehistoria Universidad del País Vasco (EHU/UPV). Tomás y Valiente s/n 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz.
[email protected].
ebro valley, pyrenees and pre-pyrenees
Figure 1. Martinarri stratigraphic sections.
a herbaceous layer covering the outer quadrats. Few archaeological materials, including faunal remains, knapping debris, the odd core, a various blade flakes, two endscrapers, retouched blades and an abrupt retouch. Level 100: 15cm deep, with a compacted sandy texture and weathered sandy sections broken off from the shelter. Fifteen small diameter circular/ oval holes have been interpreted as the product of inserted stakes, possibly related to the prehistoric level where ceramic material was found on the adjacent terrace. One thousand lithic items have been recovered from this level, the majority knapping debris and blade flakes, along with
two dozen backs, a dozen scrapers, notches and denticulates and several micro-triangles and a few segmentiforms. There are over 1000 faunal fragments. Culturally this layer is attributed to the Mesolithic microindustry of Sauveterrian inspiration. Level 101: Up to 23cm deep, with light brown soil enriched with material of increasing size with depth. Evidence of lit fires which reached high temperatures. Abundant prehistoric material: over 5,000 lithic items including 300 blade flakes and over 200 retouched items (half of them blades and backed points, four dozen endscrapers, two retouched blades and a series of abrupt re-
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Pleistocene and Holocene hunter-gatherers in Iberia and the Gibraltar Strait: the current archaeological record
touches, burins, notches and denticulates). The assemblage also includes the presence of micro triangles and segments. There are at least 3,000 small faunal fragments. The level shows cultural similarities to the higher level, and is ascribed to the Mesolithic microindustry of Sauveterrian inspiration (Fig. 2). Level 102: 20cm deep, characterized by compacted sand and an increasing larger fraction (many clasts and a few blocks). Its excavation revealed two large sandstone slabs which were part of a hitherto undefined anthropic structure. This is E.U 4, with an oval area of dark soil associated with blocks, interpreted as a hearth. The level has an extraordinary archaeological record consisting of over 6,000 lithic items, the majority knapping debris, many cores and approx. 200 blades without retouch. Amongst the tools (n = 250), the majority are backs (approx. 200), followed by scrapers (n = 60), retouched blades, drills, burins, endscrapers, notches and abrupt retouches. Once again microlithic triangles were collected. The presence of sandstone slabs and cobbles (usually in horizontal association) is also significant. One atrophic deer canine used as a pendant figures amongst more than 4,000 faunal items. This level is ascribed culturally to the Mesolithic microindustry of Sauveterrian inspiration, with typometric and formal variations from the other assemblages. Level 103: This 15 cm deep layer is filled with dry, sandy sediment with no organic elements. Its grainy texture is either compact (a hard to dig breccia) or darker and lenticular, rich in archaeological material. The presence of blocks is irregular. The remarkable material record includes 3,300 lithic items including almost 100 blade flakes, 35 backed flakes, 12 endscrapers, and fewer abrupt retouches, sidescrapers and denticulates. 1,300 faunal fragments were recovered. This level is ascribed culturally to the Upper-late Magdalenian (Fig. 2). A test pit on the open air terrace revealed an even deeper stratigraphy exceeding one metre, which can be subdivided into six units. The most notable feature here is the ceramic material including decorated fragments in Unit B, possibly from the end of Metal Age. We have associated this episode with the above-mentioned posts on level 101. The lower levels maintain the features outlined for the interior of the shelter, with minor nuances.
Table 1. Carbon 14 dating Level
Code
BP Date
101
Beta – 314962
340±30
102
GrA-46014
8455±45
103
GrA-45940
11890±50
Table 1. Radiochronological references for the Martinarri site.
The dating for level 101, based on a charcoal specimen collected in one of the holes, does not match the cultural material recovered, but rather the action of possibly contemporary shepherds. Cultural overview Although fieldwork in Martinarri is still in progress, the material recovered to date shows the quality of the site due to both the richness of its contents and the chronological-cultural periods involved. Martinarri has confirmed an integrated exploitation of today’s Alava province at the end of the Pleistocene, which signalled the definitive ‘colonization’ of inland zones. Not far from this site are other roughly contemporary shelters: Atxoste to the north, and Montico de Charratu and Peña del Castillo to the west. Portugain, Kukuma, Socuevas, Berniollo and possibly Bardallo as well (the latter two open air sites, are a little further away in the same district). One of the features of this series of campsites is the lack of a bone industry, along with backed flakes and endscrapers as the lynchpins of the lithic component, leaving burins to one side, and the substrate –Portugain, linked to the exploitation of the Urbasa siliceous outcrop, diverges from this pattern. The industrial content is compatible with intense hunting. In fact, it is highly likely that the vast Alava plain– whose boundary walls contain other points in this chronology, and the valleys that flank it provided shelter for a wide range of large mammals with a biomass apt for consumption. Moreover, the diversity of occupied spaces and the exploitation of a variety of flint indicate detailed knowledge of this territory
ebro valley, pyrenees and pre-pyrenees
Figure 2. Selection of prehistoric materials from Martinarri.
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and interest in its comprehensive exploitation. The settlement dynamics coincide with a pattern found in the neighbouring Aragon, part of a late glacial process common to other parts of Europe, characterized by settlements in new territories from a base in traditional refuge zones. The upper levels reveal a techno-industrial line which has only been identified relatively recently in this area: microblade assemblages with a Sauveterre inspiration (Fig. 2). The appearance of micro triangles and subsequently segments, along with changes in the styles and dimensions of backed tools, justify this identification. By this stage, it was no longer unusual to find double backed tools, worked bases, items which
Alfonso Alday*
Mendandia (Sáseta, Treviño)
The roof of this east-facing rock shelter covers roughly 52 m2. Alongside there is a 385 m2 platform on a steep slope overlooking the Ayuda River 40/50m below, at a distance of roughly 100m. Its strategic position provides commanding views along the river gorge and also immediate access to the mid-altitude pastures, with a range of local landscapes from valleys, gorges, plateaus and grasslands to forests and abundant wildlife resources. Excavated between 1992-1995 and in 1997 by A. Alday in a 13 m2 area, the site yielded a vast range of material which was classified into five sedimentological divisions and six industrial sections. Stratigraphic sequence This is a continuous sequence –with no erosive or infertile phases– of eminently human origin and gradual changes in the texture, tone and composition of the sediment. It spans several Mesolithic and Neolithic periods between 8500 and 6400 BP *
include fine apical retouches opposite the backs or even arched designs. A tendency towards microliths, more so amongst tips than blades, is another striking evolution between the Magdalenian level and those higher up. Martinarri is not an isolated case, since similar changes have been described at the Atxoste and Socuevas sites, which coexisted with other assemblages such as Mendandia and Las Orcillas with industries which seem to follow similar trends. Parco Cave, at the other extreme of the Ebro River basin, a long series of north Pyrenean sites and Cantabrian assemblages such as Ekain must all be taken into account in assessments and interpretations of this collection from Martinarri.
(Fig. 1 and 2). Level V: Surveyed in a 70cm cut, which only showed prehistoric interest at the top. The malleable clayey soil has an orange colour, gradually lightening. Small coarse fraction. The record includes 920 fauna fragments and 196 lithic items, including 6 retouched endscrapers, 1 awl, 2 denticulates, 1 abrupt retouch and 1 sidescraper. One perforated Nassa reticulata was also found. This level is ascribed culturally to the laminar Mesolithic technology. Level IV: More than 40cm deep in some areas, with a slight dip from west to east. Dark brown with blackish tones, compact silty structure with little large fraction, a wet and greasy aspect, small isolated puddles and breccia. Colonies of helix and frequent presence of charcoal and fire are noteworthy aspects. 47,579 bone fragments were inventoried. The lithic industry includes 11,284 items, with 94 cores and 354 retouched objects (35 endscrapers, 58 awls, 9 burins, 8 abrupt flakes, 2 composite items, 3 backed bladelets, 23 short notches, 139 short
Área de Prehistoria Universidad del País Vasco (EHU/UPV). Tomás y Valiente s/n 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz.
[email protected].
