RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Fire use and waste management in an Iberian Iron Age village: Geoarchaeological insights into midden formation processes
A1 Tomé, Laura
A1 Iriarte Avilés, Eneko
A1 Blanco González, Antonio
A1 Fernández Palacios, Enrique
A1 Martín Seijo, María
A1 Carrancho Alonso, Ángel
A1 Herrera Herrera, Antonio V.
A1 Mallol, Carolina
K1 Geoarchaeology
K1 Micromorphology
K1 Lipid biomarkers
K1 Iron Age
K1 Combustion features
K1 Midden
K1 Paleomagnetismo
K1 Paleomagnetism
K1 Paleontología
K1 Paleontology
K1 Magnetismo
K1 Magnetism
K1 Arqueología
K1 Archaeology
AB Middens, commonly found in archaeological sites across different chronologies, serve as rich sedimentary archives of daily life by capturing the refuse and discarded artifacts of past human groups. This study focuses on the midden deposits of the Early Iron Age settlement site of Cerro de San Vicente (Central Iberia). We applied a high-resolution, microcontextual geoarchaeological approach, integrating soil micromorphology —including phytolith and charcoal analyses on thin sections—, sedimentary lipid biomarker analysis, X-Ray fluorescence (XRF), X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and magnetic properties analysis to investigate the formation processes and past functionality of the site’s midden deposits. Our findings reveal that the targeted sequences are primarily composed of wood ash and charred plant refuse, as well as trampled and disintegrated earth-based construction materials. These deposits are interpreted as the result of multiple hearth rake-out events, maintenance and construction activities, and possible spatially-related communal storage practices within the village. Stratigraphic connections between deposits from inside and outside the dwellings are proposed, linking the middens to an intermediate phase (ca. 600 BCE) of the village’s history. These results offer relevant insights into the spatial and temporal dynamics of refuse disposal, maintenance practices and space use at Cerro de San Vicente, highlighting the value of microcontextual geoarchaeological methods in unveiling domestic practices. This study contributes to enhancing our understanding of Early Iron Age socio-cultural and daily life practices in Central Iberia.
PB Elsevier
SN 2352-409X
YR 2024
FD 2024
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10259/10164
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10259/10164
LA eng
NO This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Project PID2019-104349GA-I00, AEI/https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033) and a predoctoral contract awarded to LT (TESIS2021010119), co-funded by the Agencia Canaria de Investigación, Innovación y Sociedad de la Información de la Consejería de Universidades, Ciencia e Innovación y Cultura, and by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) Integrated Operational Program of the Canary Islands 2021–2027, Axis 3 Priority Theme 74 (85 %). AC acknowledges the project PID2019105796GB-I00 of the Agencia Estatal de Investigación and project BU037P23 of Junta de Castilla y León and the European Regional Development Fund.
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Burgos
RD 15-mar-2025