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- Charcoal analyses from Muge shellmidden (Portugal): Comparative analyses from Cabeco da Arruda and Cabeco da AmoreiraPublication . Monteiro, Patrícia Diogo; Caruso Fermre, Laura; Bicho, NunoCabeco da Arruda and Cabeco da Amoreira are shellmiddens that integrate the Mesolithic Muge shell-midden complex. Paleoenvironmental studies indicate that Muge valley was both rich in marine and terrestrial resources. The exploitation of diverse resources from the Muge landscape is a crucial issue to understand the economy, subsistence and social complexity of these Mesolithic societies. This paper aims to shed light on the exploitation and use of woodland resources through charcoal analyses. Results from new samples collected in Cabeco da Arruda are presented and compared with charcoal data from Cabeco da Amoreira in order to understand the acquisition modalities of both sites. The results demonstrate a prevalence of Pinus in Cabeco da Arruda as well as the presence of Quercus. The similar pattern of Pinus and Quercus occurs in the Cabeco da Amoreira assemblages, although in this case some minor taxa were also identified This seem to indicate that both sites were exploiting the same main wood resources and the main species in the environment. The meaning of the absence of minor taxa in Cabeco da Arruda assemblage is still uncertain, it might happen because of the different acquisition modalities of the wood or uses for fuel, or due to the size of the sample. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.
- Neolithic landscape and firewood use: charcoal analysis of domestic and funerary contexts at La Dehesilla (Andalusia, Spain)Publication . Taylor, Ruth; Monteiro, Patrícia; García-Rivero, DanielCueva de la Dehesilla, a cave in the province of C & aacute;diz in southern Spain, was occupied throughout the Neolithic in the 6th to 4th millennia bce. Within this sequence, recent archaeological excavations have identified stratigraphic levels and contexts belonging to domestic and funerary activities dated to the Early, Middle and Late Neolithic periods. In this paper, we present the results of the wood charcoal remains from excavation areas C003, C005 and C006. The results are consistent with the Mediterranean taxa identified from other sites throughout the region and confirm the use of a wide range of woodland resources: Arbutus unedo, cf. Artemisia sp., Erica arborea, Ericaceae, Fraxinus sp., Juniperus sp., Olea europaea var. sylvestris/cf. Olea europaea var. sylvestris, Pinus pinea/pinaster, Pinus sp., Pistacia lentiscus, Quercus (deciduous and evergreen), Rhamnus/Phillyrea, monocotyledon and indeterminate angiosperm and gymnosperm taxa. The widest range of taxa, including trees, is from the Early Neolithic to early Middle Neolithic remains. The diversity of taxa decreases notably in the late Middle Neolithic and Late Neolithic, and becomes mainly shrubs. This pattern is consistent with the modification of the landscape as a result of woodland clearance, previously suggested by the pollen analyses at the site, and documented on a wider scale throughout the region. The procurement of firewood around La Dehesilla appears to have been opportunistic and conditioned by the resources that were available in the immediate landscape. At present, there is mixed evidence for the influence of good burning quality on the choice of fuel, as is illustrated by the concentrated charcoal remains found in particular domestic and ritual funerary contexts.