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- Searching for traces of human activity in earthen floor sequences: high-resolution geoarchaeological analyses at an Early Iron Age village in Central IberiaPublication . Tomé, Laura; Iriarte, Eneko; Blanco-González, Antonio; Jambrina-Enríquez, Margarita; Égüez, Natalia; Herrera-Herrera, Antonio V.; Mallol, CarolinaThe Northern Iberian Plateau during the Early Iron Age witnessed the proliferation of villages, showcasing wellpreserved earthen architectural remains that offer valuable insights into past daily life practices. However, the application of high-resolution geoarchaeological approaches to these contexts has been largely overlooked, despite their significance in assessing complex sedimentary sequences predominantly composed of earth-based construction materials. This paper presents the outcomes of a microcontextual geoarchaeological study conducted on earthen dwellings from the Early Iron Age village of Cerro de San Vicente (Salamanca, Northern Iberia). Our study employed soil micromorphology, lipid biomarker analysis, XRD, and XRF analyses to investigate site formation processes, characterize construction materials and techniques, and explore aspects of daily life practices, functionality, and dwelling life histories. Our results have enabled the identification of three distinct construction layers within the dwellings, shedding light on recurrent events of floor use, maintenance, and repaving. Additionally, we have detected periods of abandonment and decay of the earth-based construction material that inform on the dynamics of abandonment and reuse within the village. Furthermore, our analysis has revealed the presence of well-preserved lipid biomarkers throughout the sequences, possibly associated with the past functionality of the dwellings. Ongoing and future analyses will further contribute to our understanding of ancient construction practices and the utilization of domestic spaces at Cerro de San Vicente. This study significantly enhances the limited availability of high-resolution, microcontextual data sets concerning Iron Age contexts in Iberia, underscoring the potential of our approach for future consolidation and advancement. By combining different geoarchaeological methodologies, we demonstrate the importance of integrating diverse analytical techniques to gain comprehensive insights into the socio-cultural dynamics of the Early Iron Age settlements.
- Fire use and waste management in an Iberian iron age village: geoarchaeological insights into midden formation processesPublication . Tomé, Laura; Iriarte, Eneko; Blanco-González, Antonio; Fernández-Palacios, Enrique; Martín-Seijo, María; Carrancho, Ángel; Herrera-Herrera, Antonio V.; Mallol, CarolinaMiddens, commonly found in archaeological sites across different chronologies, serve as rich sedimentary archives of daily life by capturing the refuse and discarded artifacts of past human groups. This study focuses on the midden deposits of the Early Iron Age settlement site of Cerro de San Vicente (Central Iberia). We applied a high- resolution, microcontextual geoarchaeological approach, integrating soil micromorphology -including phytolith and charcoal analyses on thin sections-, sedimentary lipid biomarker analysis, X-Ray fluorescence (XRF), XRay diffraction (XRD) and magnetic properties analysis to investigate the formation processes and past functionality of the site's midden deposits. Our findings reveal that the targeted sequences are primarily composed of wood ash and charred plant refuse, as well as trampled and disintegrated earth-based construction materials. These deposits are interpreted as the result of multiple hearth rake-out events, maintenance and construction activities, and possible spatially-related communal storage practices within the village. Stratigraphic connections between deposits from inside and outside the dwellings are proposed, linking the middens to an intermediate phase (ca. 600 BCE) of the village's history. These results offer relevant insights into the spatial and temporal dynamics of refuse disposal, maintenance practices and space use at Cerro de San Vicente, highlighting the value of microcontextual geoarchaeological methods in unveiling domestic practices. This study contributes to enhancing our understanding of Early Iron Age socio-cultural and daily life practices in Central Iberia.