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- Was fire use a cultural trait of the Gravettian? New micro-archaeological data from Fuente del Salín cave (Val de San Vicente, Cantabria)Publication . Alzate-Casallas, Guillermo Alfonso; Miguel Angel Sánchez-Carro; Barbieri, Alvise; Manuel R. González-MoralesMicro-archaeological data from sites located in central and eastern Europe show that, in comparison with other Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers, Gravettian foragers used fire more intensively and for a wider range of purposes. At these sites, this shift in pyrotechnology overlaps with the onset of periglacial conditions. Gravettian occupations of non-periglacial regions have been poorly investigated with micro-archaeological methods, and it remains to be further demonstrated whether these foragers also made a similar intensive and multipurpose use of fire. To further investigate this topic, we studied the sequence preserved at the cave of Fuente del Salín, in Cantabria, where previous excavations unearthed potential fire residues of Gravettian age. Using micromorphology, µ-X-ray fluorescence, and Scanning Electron Microscopy we reconstructed multiple phases of human visits to the site. Our results show that, during the main Gravettian occupation, foragers made intensive use of fire, as indicated by abundant heated bones and seashells, charcoals, amorphous char, fat-derived char, and in situ remains of potential stacked open hearths as well as burnt grass beddings. The intensive burning, systematic reuse of combustion features, and multiple purposes of the fires at Fuente del Salín are comparable with Gravettian sites from central and eastern Europe, indicating that these fire-use behaviors probably do not reflect a regional adaptation to periglacial environments but a cultural trait of the Gravettian tradition across Europe.
- Close to sunlight or deep underground? New data to reconstruct site formation processes at the Middle Paleolithic Escoural cave (southern Portugal)Publication . Alzate-Casallas, Guillermo Alfonso; Gomes, Ana; Ferar, Nolan; Talamo, Sahra; Tassoni, Laura; Cascalheira, João; Barbieri, AlviseThe ability to exploit the deeper levels of cave systems is regarded as complex human behavior. Evidence that Neanderthals possessed this skill remains limited. The site of Escoural, in southern Portugal, is worldwide renowned for the Upper Paleolithic rock art that was performed in the lowermost level of the cave. The site also preserved Middle Paleolithic sequences in a deep chamber (P1) as well as in an area that today lies outside of the cave (P2). Due to the lack of geoarchaeological analyses, it is currently impossible to clarify whether these materials reflect systematic Neanderthal visits to these site areas. In this study we integrated geoarchaeological data and radiocarbon dating to (i) reconstruct site formation processes, and (ii) explore the interaction between Neanderthals and carnivores at Escoural. Micromorphological, stratigraphic, and geochronological results demonstrate that colluviation moved sediments and archaeological finds from upper cave chambers into P1. This process likely mixed separate and distinct assemblages, possibly leading to co-occurring high concentrations of carnivore coprolites and lithic artifacts. In contrast, P2 preserves in situ Neanderthal occupations alternating with carnivore visits. Neanderthal foragers used this area when it was a large chamber located close to the original cave entrance, which was subsequently lost due to roof collapses and likely impacted by modern quarrying activities. These findings align with broader Eurasian patterns indicating that Neanderthals primarily used well-lit karstic cavities rather than deep, enclosed spaces. Moreover, this study underscores that post-depositional processes may have profound impacts on our interpretation of Neanderthal and carnivore cave use.