2026-10-01T02:58:35Zhttps://riubu.ubu.es/oai/request

oai:riubu.ubu.es:10259/122102026-10-01T00:05:28Zcom_10259.4_2560com_10259_5086com_10259_2604col_10259.4_2561

Dinçkal, Ada 03e5122a-8e78-4310-aae3-73fdad5a449b 600 Feinberg, Joshua M. 2f1a13c2-3f3a-4f4c-bf91-5dfd2590d506 600 Herrejón Lagunilla, Ángela 696 600 0000-0001-6574-5001 Papavasiliou, Dimitri 1ecc9471-109f-4ab9-820f-624ca8b8c5dd 600 Carrancho Alonso, Ángel 104 600 0000-0001-7119-6424 Hernández Gómez, Cristo M. 431be9d2-64d1-48f7-b4cc-d3059285a940 600 Mallol, Carolina 44d425b9-e571-40f7-bb22-5124800c8c5d 600 2026-09-30T11:35:29Z 2026-09-30T11:35:29Z 2026-06 0305-4403 https://hdl.handle.net/10259/12210 10.1016/J.JAS.2026.106612 This study presents an integrative geoarchaeological and microarchaeological case study of combustion features, employing a multi-method analytical approach incorporating archaeomagnetic, rock magnetic, and soil micromorphological methods, alongside Quantum Diamond Microscopy (QDM). The case study focuses on a combustion feature from the Middle Palaeolithic site of El Salt (80 to 45.2ka). The primary aim is to reconstruct the depositional and post-depositional history of this combustion feature, identifying human activities and environmental processes using high-resolution magnetic and micromorphological data. The combustion feature H89/90 was studied as part of the research into a large palimpsest of combustion features located within Unit XI. Archaeomagnetic and rock magnetic microarchaeological analyses of the combustion feature demonstrates that it is relatively well-preserved and in situ. This integrative approach reveals clear evidence of anthropogenic behaviours, including hearth maintenance, the use of grass-based fuels, and potentially the active sustaining of fire through the successive addition of these fuels. Furthermore, the study highlights maghemite as the primary magnetic carrier within the combustion feature. This mineral is not commonly reported as a dominant magnetic phase in archaeological hearths. Its presence suggests either previously unrecognized burning conditions, microenvironmental factors unique to this feature, or a broader need to improve the resolution at which hearth mineralogy is studied. These interpretations are possible through high-resolution rock magnetic analysis, enhanced by QDM's micrometer-scale magnetic field mapping. Representing the first known application of QDM in archaeological science, this method allows researchers to visualize internal magnetic fabrics directly within thin sections, enabling the identification of specific microfacies and magnetic structures that are typically invisible to traditional micromorphological analysis. As a result, this method not only deepens our understanding of the magnetic architecture of the hearth but also strengthens behavioural interpretations of its formation and use. Overall, the study demonstrates the value of a deeply integrated magnetic microarchaeological approach for investigating human behaviour associated with fire use. This work was supported by the Municipality of Alcoy, Spanish Government projects HAR2015- 68321-P (MINECO FEDER/UE) and PID2023-150177NB-I0, and a Spanish Government FPI predoctoral grant to A.D. Á.C. acknowledges the project PID2024-159094NB-I00, funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/ERDF, EU) and the project BU037P23 of Junta de Castilla y León and the European Regional Development Fund.A. H-L also acknowledges a post-doctoral contract associated with the latter project and a Margarita Salas post-doctoral contract (2022-2024; Spanish Ministry of Universities; European Union-NextGenerationEU). application/pdf eng Elsevier Journal of Archaeological Science. 2026, V. 192, art. 106612 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2026.106612 Atribución 4.0 Internacional http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Geoarchaeology Paleolithic fires Archaeomagnetism Archaeological science Archaeological methodology Soil science Geoscience methodology Geoarqueología Archaeological geology The hearth of the matter: A high-resolution magnetic microarchaeological study of a Neanderthal combustion feature utilizing Quantum Diamond Microscopy info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Journal of Archaeological Science 192 106612 THUMBNAIL Herrejon-jas_2026.pdf.jpg Herrejon-jas_2026.pdf.jpg IM Thumbnail image/jpeg 4845 https://riubu.ubu.es/bitstream/10259/12210/4/Herrejon-jas_2026.pdf.jpg c735679c41090d2e6c559b01dda80282 MD5 4 LICENSE license.txt license.txt text/plain; charset=utf-8 999 https://riubu.ubu.es/bitstream/10259/12210/3/license.txt b295bcbce42e2caabeb0c623d3860c06 MD5 3 CC-LICENSE license_rdf license_rdf application/rdf+xml; charset=utf-8 908 https://riubu.ubu.es/bitstream/10259/12210/2/license_rdf 0175ea4a2d4caec4bbcc37e300941108 MD5 2 ORIGINAL Herrejon-jas_2026.pdf Herrejon-jas_2026.pdf application/pdf 14439805 https://riubu.ubu.es/bitstream/10259/12210/1/Herrejon-jas_2026.pdf 33136a85a2b95c00ff5c55f2ea7c8220 MD5 1 10259/12210 oai:riubu.ubu.es:10259/12210 2026-10-01 02:05:28.778 Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Burgos bubrep@ubu.es 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