RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 A structure from the sixth millennium cal BC with no artifactual content at San Quirce (Palencia, Spain): a multidisciplinary study
A1 Terradillos Bernal, Marcos
A1 Allué, Ethel
A1 Carrancho Alonso, Ángel
A1 Díez Fernández-Lomana, Juan Carlos
A1 Iriarte Chiapusso, María José
A1 Jordá Pardo, Jesús F.
A1 Vallverdú, Josep
K1 Open-air camp
K1 Sixth millennium cal BC
K1 Start of Neolithic
K1 Combustion structures
K1 Duero River basin
K1 Arqueología
K1 Archaeology
AB 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.
PB Springer
SN 1866-9557
YR 2019
FD 2019-09
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10259/5158
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10259/5158
LA eng
NO Junta de Castilla y León (project BU235P18) with also FEDER founding.
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Burgos
RD 29-abr-2024