2024-03-29T08:43:24Zhttps://riubu.ubu.es/oai/requestoai:riubu.ubu.es:10259/51582021-11-10T09:38:25Zcom_10259.4_2560com_10259_5086com_10259_2604col_10259.4_2561
A structure from the sixth millennium cal BC with no artifactual content at San Quirce (Palencia, Spain): a multidisciplinary study
Terradillos Bernal, Marcos
Allué, Ethel
Carrancho Alonso, Ángel
Díez Fernández-Lomana, Juan Carlos
Iriarte Chiapusso, María José
Jordá Pardo, Jesús F.
Vallverdú, Josep
Open-air camp
Sixth millennium cal BC
Start of Neolithic
Combustion structures
Duero River basin
During the course of the excavations of the San Quirce open-air archaeological site in Spain, an unusual negative structure was identified in the Holocene level dated ca. sixth millennium cal BC. A fire pit alongside a single post-hole and intense fire-burning activity was recorded. Yet, the most striking feature of the structure is the absence of any artifactual or faunal record associated to it, something without a known archaeological parallel. Its interpretation represents an archaeological challenge addressed through a multidisciplinary approach including geoarchaeological, palaeobotanical techniques and experimental archaeology. Fifteen stratigraphically distinguishable combustion events showing a diachronic fire record, the significant structure’s dimensions and particularly the post-hole, indicate its anthropic origin. Archaeomagnetic and micromorphological data allowed reconstructing and temporally sequencing some formation and post-depositional processes, some involving water flows. Maximum heating temperatures between 480 and 525 °C were determined in one of the combustion features studied. The identification of grassy tufts would suggest a seasonal settlement of the site. We cannot yield a definite explanation for the artifactual absence, but the available data and an experimental archaeology recreation suggest that the structure could be used as a small hut/open-air bivouac, over which short-lived occupations were repeatedly carried out.
2019-11-07T11:08:17Z
2019-11-07T11:08:17Z
2019-09
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
1866-9557
http://hdl.handle.net/10259/5158
10.1007/s12520-019-00835-2
eng
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. 2019, V. 11, n. 9, p. 4873–4890
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-019-00835-2
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/JCyL/BU235P18
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Springer