Browsing by Subject "Zooarchaeology"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Embargo
    Fire in the Early Palaeolithic: evidence from burnt small mammal bones at Cueva negra del Estrecho del Río Quípar, Murcia, Spain
    (Elsevier, 2016-10) Rhodes, S.E.; Walker, M.J.; López Jiménez, A.; López Martínez, M.; Haber Uriarte, María; Fernández Jalvo, Y.; Chazan, M.; Prehistoria, Arqueología, Historia Antigua, Historia Medieval y Ciencias y Técnicas Historiográficas
    The development of pyrotechnology is a hallmark of human history, providing our ancestors with warmth, security and cooked food. Evidence for fire use before 400 thousand years ago (kya) remains contentious due largely to the taphonomically fragile nature of charcoal and ash. As such, it is imperative to the study of prehistoric fire that we develop techniques and methodologies for identifying anthropogenic fire use via more robust materials. A new methodology described by Fernández-Jalvo and Avery (2015) based on small mammal taphonomy to identify high intensity fire events from the distant past is replicated herein. When we applied this method to assemblages from Cueva Negra del Estrecho del Río Quípar, an upland rock-shelter in southeastern Spain, dated to between 780 kya and 980 kya, we recognized a spatial relationship between highly heat modified micromammal specimens and a previously reported delineated feature of thermally altered and carbonate rich sediment which also includes heat-fractured chert and calcined bone (the fire feature). The proportion of heavily heat-modified specimens (charred and/or calcined specimens) identified within the stratigraphic context associated with the fire feature proved statistically significant (x2 = 169.18, p < 0.001) when compared with the proportion of similarly modified specimens from overlying deposits (within other stratigraphic layers). The degree of discolouration seen on the micromammal remains within the fire feature has been linked to temperatures exceeding 600 °C (Shipman et al., 1984), and as such supports claims that the fire feature may have an anthropogenic origin. Environmental scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) of bone specimens confirms that this discolouration is due to burning rather than post-depositional mineral staining. This confirms that methodology, which represents a novel line of evidence for identifying pyrotechnical events at early Palaeolithic sites, can be used to identify potentially anthropogenic fire events from the distant past when alternative scenarios are excluded. Furthermore, studies of this type showcase the value of including detailed taphonomic studies of microfauna assemblages within multidisciplinary research projects.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Open Access
    Indicadores arqueológicos para la identificación de las poblaciones judías medievales hispánicas
    (2017-01-09) Eiroa, Jorge A.
    El estudio de las comunidades judías medievales hispánicas a partir del registro arqueológico se remontaa los orígenes de la arqueología medieval en España, en el siglo XVIII. Sin embargo, el desarrollo deuna arqueología medieval del judaísmo en España (una "arqueología medieval de Sefarad") ha sidomuy limitado por haberse centrado, casi exclusivamente, en la epigrafía, en el análisis arquitectónicoo artístico de los edificios religiosos (sinagogas y baños rituales) y en el estudio de los cementerios.Ante las dificultades para caracterizar la cultura material hispanojudía (si esto fuera posible) y poderconfirmar la presencia de población judía en los contextos arqueológicos medievales, se proponen dosestrategias de investigación. En primer lugar, la identificación de fragmentos cerámicos de januquiot(candiles empleados durante la celebración de la festividad de la Janucá) en ámbitos domésticos. Ensegundo lugar, el desarrollo de análisis arqueozoológicos que posibiliten la identificación de dietas yprácticas alimenticias propias de las poblaciones judías (Shejitá y Cashrut). Para ello, se exponen losexitosos resultados de la puesta en práctica de ambas estrategias en algunos yacimientos arqueológicosespañoles durante los últimos años, en especial en la judería bajomedieval del castillo de Lorca (Murcia).