RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article T1 It's getting hot in here – Microcontextual study of a potential pit hearth at the Middle Paleolithic site of El Salt, Spain A1 Leierer, Lucia A1 Carrancho Alonso, Ángel A1 Pérez, Leopoldo A1 Herrejón Lagunilla, Ángela A1 Herrera Herrera, Antonio V. A1 Connolly, Rory A1 Jambrina Enríquez, Margarita A1 Hernández Gómez, Cristo M. A1 Galván, Bertila A1 Mallol, Carolina K1 Middle paleolithic K1 Pit hearth K1 Neanderthal K1 Micromorphology K1 Lipid biomarkers K1 Archaeomagnetism K1 Zooarchaeology K1 Física K1 Physics K1 Arqueología K1 Archaeology AB By studying combustion structures, which conceal information about anthropogenic activity, we might learn about their makers. This is especially important for remote time periods like the Middle Paleolithic, whose archaeological record comprises numerous combustion structures. The majority of these are simple, flat, open hearths, although a small number of features situated in pit-like depressions have been recorded. Given that hearths built on a flat surface can result in pit-like color alteration of the underlying sediment, accurate identification of pit hearths is a crucial step prior to behavioral interpretation. Here we present a comprehensive study of a possible pit hearth from the Middle Paleolithic site of El Salt, Spain, using a microcontextual approach combining micromorphology, lipid biomarker analysis, archaeomagnetism and zooarchaeology. This pit hearth involves a true depression containing a thick plant ash deposit. It reached very high temperatures, possibly multiple burning events and long combustion times. Morphologically distinct combustion structures in a single archaeological context may indicate different functions and thus a diverse fire technology, pointing to Neanderthal behavioral variability. PB Elsevier SN 0305-4403 YR 2020 FD 2020-11 LK http://hdl.handle.net/10259/5600 UL http://hdl.handle.net/10259/5600 LA eng NO ERC Consolidator Grant project PALEOCHAR – 648871 https://erc.europa.eu/funding/consolidator-grants, I + D Project HAR2008-06117/HIST, HAR2015-68321-P (MINECO-FEDER/UE), and the Cultural Heritage Department of the Valencia Government and the Archaeological Museum Camil Visedo of Alcoy, under the direction of Professor Bertila Galván of Universidad de La Laguna, Junta de Castilla y León (project BU235P18), the European Fund for Economic and Regional Development (EFRD) and the project PID2019-105796 GB-I00 of the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI/10.13039/501100011033) DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Burgos RD 22-dic-2024