Reconsidering prehistoric chert catchment sources: new data from the Central Pyrenees (Western Europe)

Torre, Marta Sánchez de la; Bourdonnec, François‐Xavier Le; Gratuze, Bernard

doi:10.1007/s12520-017-0581-7

Cited by 11 publications

(13 citation statements)

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“…In Chaves cave have been recognised similar procurement strategies as the ones from other Central and Eastern Pre‐Pyrenean sites, regarding the exploited chert types. Thus, recent studies have also demonstrated the regular presence of lacustrine cherts and marine cherts as the defined in Chaves cave (types 1, 3 and 4) at the Magdalenian archaeological levels from Parco cave (Alòs de Balaguer, Lleida) (Sánchez de la Torre, Le Bourdonnec, & Gratuze, 2019), Forcas I Shelter (Graus, Huesca) (Sánchez de la Torre, Le Bourdonnec, Gratuze, Domingo, et al, 2017) and also at the open‐air site of Montlleó (Prats i Sansor, Lleida; Sánchez de la Torre, Mangado, et al, 2019). It seems that during the Upper Palaeolithic in the southern slopes of the Central and Eastern Pyrenees lithic raw material procurement strategies remained unchanged through time.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…Macroscopically, the cherts recovered at the three sources possess similar features, with abundant metal oxides and detrital quartz crystals as well as sponge spicules and some macroforaminifera. At the microscopical scale, a microquartz mosaic fabric is also the main texture in the three sources (Sánchez de la Torre, Le Bourdonnec, & Gratuze, 2019).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With the aim of comparing results obtained after the analysis of archaeological remains, geological formations with cherts outcropping in NE Iberia and specifically in the Pyrenean region and the nearby Ebro Basin have been surveyed, sampled and studied during recent years (García‐Simón, 2018; Sánchez de la Torre, 2015; Sánchez de la Torre, Le Bourdonnec, Dubernet, et al, 2017; Sánchez de la Torre & Mangado, 2016; Sánchez De la Torre, García‐Simón, Le Bourdonnec, & Domingo, 2019; Sánchez de la Torre, Le Bourdonnec, & Gratuze, 2019; Sánchez de la Torre, Mangado, & Fullola, 2017). As these studies have already been partially or totally published, in this paper, we do not provide a complete description of each geological formation and their characteristics in‐depth.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lithic raw material procurement at the Chaves cave (Huesca, Spain): A geochemical approach to defining Palaeolithic human mobility

et al. 2020

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The Chaves cave (Huesca, Spain) is located in the central Pre-Pyrenean range in NE Iberia. It is a huge cave opening to the east, which was systematically excavated between 1975 and 2007. Several human occupations from the Upper Palaeolithic and the Neolithic periods were documented. Archaeological investigations had barely covered a tenth of the total area when they were abruptly interrupted by the destruction in 2007 of most of the archaeological sediments and all the preserved Neolithic levels that had not yet been excavated. While the most intensive prehistoric occupations of the cave were Neolithic, several components from the Upper Palaeolithic were also detected and excavated before 2007. The recovered lithic tools, as well as the radiocarbon dates, revealed that the Chaves cave was frequented by hunter-gatherer groups during the Upper Solutrean and the Upper Magdalenian. Lithic raw materials from the Palaeolithic levels are diverse, with several chert types identified. The recovered lithic set was subjected to micropaleontological, petrographic and geochemical analyses (energy-dispersive X-ray Fluorescence and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry). The results revealed several origins for the chert, not only from the southern Pyrenees but also from the northern versant, demonstrating that this mountain range was regularly crossed during the Upper Palaeolithic.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lithic raw material procurement at the Chaves cave (Huesca, Spain): A geochemical approach to defining Palaeolithic human mobility

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“…The Montsaunès-Buala chert are inserted in the Nankin limestones dating from the Middle Maastrichtian and outcropping in the ancient quarry of Montsaunès (Haute-Garonne, France) [11] and the ancient quarry of Buala, near the town of Montgaillard (Hautes-Pyrénées, France) [12]. The micropalaeontological content of these limestones is rich an an association of classical benthic Maastrichtian foraminifera was identified [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1). As first geochemical analyses were already done and had shown some differences between outcrops regarding some trace elements [12,22], the main goal was to determine where trace elements were placed -within the matrix or in a specific inclusion-, as a means of then being able to detect differences or similarities between specific geological products and artefact raw materials. The most suitable analytical method to achieve the planned goals was Particle Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE), as it allows obtaining surface analysis and elemental mapping non-destructively.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Micro-PIXE studies on prehistoric chert tools: elemental mapping to determine Palaeolithic lithic procurement

Torre

Angyal

Kertész

et al. 2018

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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This paper contributes to an understanding of the distances and choices involved in raw material procurement strategies by Upper Palaeolithic communities through a Pyrenean geoarchaeological case study. Methodologically it involved using Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) with a focused proton beam to determine the concentration and distribution of elements in geological samples from three natural primary outcrops belonging to two geological formations outcropping in the French side of the Pyrenees. While it was not possible to distinguish the formation through reference to major and minor elements, some variations were revealed at the trace elemental level. With the aim to determine if these elements were associated with the Si matrix or to a specific inclusion, elemental maps were acquired and the elemental composition of the identified inclusions were also determined. These chemical signatures were then compared to those generated from archaeological artefacts from sites in northern Spain as a means of reconstructing the catchment areas used by prehistoric groups for their chert procurement. The results indicate the existence of trans-Pyrenean long distance procurement strategies during the Magdalenian (13700 to the 18800 cal BP).

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Patterns of lithic procurement strategies in the Pre‐Pyrenean Middle Magdalenian sequence of Cova del Parco (Alòs de Balaguer, Spain)

Jiménez,

Mangado,

González

et al. 2024

Geoarchaeology

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Archaeological studies carried out in recent decades have demonstrated that the Pre‐Pyrenees, a mountain range in north‐east Iberia, were regularly frequented by several human groups during the Late Pleistocene. The Cova del Parco archaeological site is an example of this large‐scale and regular human presence. The site was discovered and first excavated in the 1970s, and since the 1980s, a team from the University of Barcelona has been conducting archaeological work. So far, we have found that the site was at least frequented from the Middle Magdalenian upon historical times. In this paper, we present the results of the archaeopetrological, geochemical and geographic information system (GIS) analyses of chert tools ascribed to the Middle Magdalenian sequence. The textural, micropalaeontological and geochemical analysis of the lithic artefacts has allowed us to identify several chert types from local, regional and long‐distance sources. Some of these cherts had their origin in the northern slopes of the Pyrenean chain, suggesting that this mountain chain was regularly crossed by Magdalenian groups. Next, we performed GIS analyses to determine the paths and connections that may have linked the archaeological site with the different chert outcrops, and to identify the best routes for crossing the Pyrenean Mountain range. Moreover, this study provides a larger vision of the mobility and the complex economic interactions between the different Magdalenian groups that settled Cova del Parco at the end of the Late Pleistocene.

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Reconsidering prehistoric chert catchment sources: new data from the Central Pyrenees (Western Europe)

Cited by 11 publications

References 12 publications

Lithic raw material procurement at the Chaves cave (Huesca, Spain): A geochemical approach to defining Palaeolithic human mobility

Lithic raw material procurement at the Chaves cave (Huesca, Spain): A geochemical approach to defining Palaeolithic human mobility

Micro-PIXE studies on prehistoric chert tools: elemental mapping to determine Palaeolithic lithic procurement

Patterns of lithic procurement strategies in the Pre‐Pyrenean Middle Magdalenian sequence of Cova del Parco (Alòs de Balaguer, Spain)

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