Raw material sourcing in the Middle Paleolithic site of Gruta da Oliveira (Central Limestone Massif, Estremadura, Portugal)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2218/jls.v3i2.1452Keywords:
Almonda karst system, Gruta da Oliveira, Middle Paleolithic, Neanderthals, petroarcheology, flintAbstract
The cave site of Gruta da Oliveira is located in the Almonda karst system, at the interface between the Central Limestone Massif of Portuguese Estremadura (CLM) and the adjacent Sedimentary Basin of the River Tagus (TSB). The cave presents a stratification dated to ~37-107 ka containing hearth features, Neanderthal skeletal remains, as well as fauna, microfauna and wood charcoal remains. The lithic assemblages are large and feature a diverse range of raw materials.
Knappable lithic raw materials in primary, sub-primary and secondary position in the CLM and the TSB were systematically surveyed and sampled. The characterization of the geological samples was carried out at both the macro- and the microscopic scales and data were systematized under the petroarcheological and “evolutionary chain of silica” approaches.
The study of the lithic assemblage from layer 14 (dated to the ~61-93 ka 95.4% probability interval by TL) indicates that the Gruta da Oliveira Neanderthals used quartzite, quartz and flint from sources located less than 30 km away in both the CLM and the TSB.
References
Almeida, F., Angelucci, D., Gameiro, C., Correia, J. & Pereira, T. 2004, Novos dados para o Paleolítico Superior Final da Estremadura Portuguesa: Resultados preliminares dos trabalhos arqueológicos de 1997-2003 na Lapa dos Coelhos (Casais Martanes, Torres Novas). Promontória, 2: 157-192. (in Portuguese) (“New data on the Late Upper Paleolithic of Portuguese Estremadura: Preliminary results of the 1997-2003 field seasons at Lapa dos Coelhos (Casais Martanes, Torres Novas, Portugal)”)
Almeida, F., Araújo, A.C. & Aubry, T. 2003, Paleotecnologia lítica: Dos objectos aos comportamentos. In: Paleoecologia humana e Arqueociências. Um programa multidisciplinar para a Arqueologia sob a tutela da Cultura (Mateus, J. & Moreno, M., Eds.), Trabalhos de Arqueologia Vol. 29, Instituto Português de Arqueologia, Lisbon: p. 299-349. (in Portuguese) (“Lithic paleotechnology: From the object to the behaviour”)
Angelucci, D.E. & Zilhão, J. 2009, Stratigraphy and Formation Processes of the Upper Pleistocene Deposit at Gruta da Oliveira, Almonda Karstic System, Torres Novas, Portugal. Geoarchaeology, 24(3): 277-310. doi:10.1002/gea.20267
Aubry, T. 2005, Etude de l’approvisionnement en matières premières lithiques d’ensembles archéologiques, remarques méthodologiques et terminologiques. In: Comportements des hommes du Paléolithique moyen et supérieur en Europe: territoires et milieux. Actes du Colloque du G.D.R. 1945 du CNRS, 8-10 janvier 2003 (Vialou, D., Renault-Miskovsky, J. & Patou-Mathis, M., Eds.), ERAUL Vol. 111, Université de Liège, Liège: p. 87-89. (in French) (“The sourcing of lithic raw-materials from archeological assemblages: Methodological and terminological remarks”)
Aubry, T., Gameiro, C., Mangado Llach, J., Luís, L., Matias, H. & do Pereiro, T. 2016, Upper Palaeolithic lithic raw material sourcing in Central and Northern Portugal: Reconstructing Long Distance Social Networks. Journal of Lithic Studies 3(2): 22 p. doi:10.2218/jls.v3i2.1436
Aubry, T., Luís, L., Mangado Llach, J. & Matias, H. 2012, We will be known by the tracks we leave behind: Exotic lithic raw materials, mobility and social networking among the Côa Valley foragers (Portugal). Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 31(4): 528-550. doi:10.1016/j.jaa.2012.05.003
Aubry, T. & Mangado Llach, J. 2003a, Interprétation de l'approvisionnement en matières premières siliceuses sur les sites du Paléolithique supérieur de la vallée du Côa (Portugal). In: Les matières premières lithiques en Préhistoire; table ronde internationale organisée à Aurillac, Cantal, du 20 au 22 juin 2002, Prehistoire du Sud-Ouest Vol. Supplément no. 5, Association Préhistoire du Sud-Ouest, Carcassone: p. 27-40. (in French) (“Interpretation of the procurement of siliceous raw-materials in the Upper Paleolithic sites of the Côa Valley (Portugal)”)
Aubry, T. & Mangado Llach, J. 2003b, Modalidades de aprovisionamento em matérias-primas líticas nos sítios do Paleolítico superior do Vale do Côa: Dos dados à interpretação. In: Paleoecologia humana e Arqueociências. Um programa multidisciplinar para a Arqueologia sob a tutela da Cultura (Mateus, J. & Moreno, M., Eds.), Trabalhos de Arqueologia Vol. 29, Instituto Português de Arqueologia, Lisbon: p. 340-342. (in Portuguese) (“The sourcing of lithic raw-materials from Côa Valley Upper Paleolithic sites: From data to interpretation”)
Aubry, T. & Mangado Llach, J. 2006, The Côa Valley (Portugal). From lithic raw materials characterization to the reconstruction of settlement patterns during the Upper Palaeolithic. In: Notions de territoire et de mobilité. Exemples de l’Europe et des premières nations en Amérique du Nord avant le contact européen; Actes de sessions présentées au Xº congrès annuel de l’E.A.A. 8-11 septembre 2004, Lyon (Bressy, C., Burke, A., Chalard, P. & Martin, H., Eds.), ERAUL Vol. 116, Université de Liège, Liège: p. 41-49.
Aubry, T., Mangado Llach, J., Fullola, J.M., Rosell, L. & Sampaio, J.D. 2004, The rawmaterial procurement at the Upper Palaeolithic settlements of the CôaValley (Portugal). In: New Data Concerning Modes of Resource Exploitation in Iberia. The Use of Living Space in Prehistory; papers from a session at the E.A.A. 6th Annual Meeting,10-17 September 2000, Lisbon (Smyntyna, O.V., Ed.), BAR International Series Vol. 1224, Archaeopress, Oxford: p. 37-50.
Aubry, T., Mangado Llach, J. & Matias, H. 2014, Matérias-primas das ferramentas em pedra lascada da Pré-história do Centro e Nordeste de Portugal. In: Trânsito e proveniências de materiais geológicos: Abordagens sobre o Quaternário de Portugal (Dinis, P., Gomes, A. & Monteiro-Rodrigues, S., Eds.), APEQ - Associação Portuguesa para o Estudo do Quaternário, Coimbra: p. 165-192. (in Portuguese) (“The raw-materials of prehistoric knapped stone tools from the Center and Northeast of Portugal”)
Binford, L.R. 1979, Organization and formation processes: Looking at curated technologies. Journal of Anthropological Research, 35(3): 255-273. doi:10.1086/jar.35.3.3629902
Binford, L.R. 1980, Willow Smoke and Dogs Tails - Hunter-Gatherer Settlement Systems and Archaeological Site Formation. American Antiquity, 45(1): 4-20. doi:10.2307/279653
Bisson, M.S., Burke, A., Meignen, L. & Burke, A. 2011, Moinhos and Mina do Paço; Middle Palaeolithic lithic chipping stations in the Sado Basin, Alentejo, Portugal. O Arqueólogo Português, 5(1): 359-394. URL: http://www.patrimoniocultural.gov.pt/static/data/publicacoes/o_arqueologo_portugues/serie_5/volume_1/moinhos.pdf
Bressy, C. 2003, Caractérisation et gestion du silex des sites mésolitiques et néolitiques du Nord-Ouest de l’arc alpin. Une approche pétrographique et géochimique. BAR International Series Vol. 1114. Archaeopress, Oxford, 295 p. (in French) (“Characterization and management of flint in the Mesolithic and Neolithic sites of the NW Alpine arch. A petrographic and geochemical approach”)
Burke, A., Meignen, L., Bisson, M., Pimentel, N., Henriques, V., Andrade, C., Da Conceição Freitas, M., Kageyama, M., Fletcher, W., Parslow, C. & Guiducci, D. 2011, The Palaeolithic occupation of southern Alentejo: The Sado River Drainage Survey. Trabajos de Prehistoria, 68(1): 25-49. doi:10.3989/tp.2011.11057
Callapez, P.M. 1998, Estratigrafia e Paleobiologia do Cenomaniano-Turoniano. O significado do eixo da Nazaré-Leiria-Pombal. Ph.D. thesis at the Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 478 p. (in Portuguese) (“Stratigraphy and Paleobiology of the Cenomanian-Turonian. Significance of the Nazaré-Leiria-Pombal axis”) URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10316/1780
Delfim de Carvalho, A., Oliveira, J.T., Pereira, E., Ramalho, M., Antunes, M.T. & Monteiro, J.H. 1992, scale 1:500.000, Carta Geológica de Portugal. Serviços Geológicos de Portugal, Lisbon.
Dunham, R.J. 1962, Classification of carbonate rocks according to depositional texture. In: Classification of carbonate rocks: A Symposium (Hamm, W.E., Ed.), Memoir (American Association of Petroleum Geologists) Vol. 1, American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), Tulsa: p. 108-121.
Fernandes, P. & Raynal, J.-P. 2006, Pétroarchéologie du silex: Un retour aux sources. Comptes Rendus Palevol, 5(6): 829-837. (in French) (“The Petroarcheology of flint: Back to the sources”) doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2006.04.002
Fernandes, P., Raynal, J.-P. & Moncel, M.-H. 2008, Middle Palaeolithic raw material gathering territories and human mobility in the southern Massif Central, France: First results from a petro-archaeological study on flint. Journal of Archaeological Science, 35(8): 2357-2370. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2008.02.012
Gameiro, C. 2003, L’industrie lithique de la couche 3 de Lapa dos Coelhos (Torres Novas, Portugal). L’usage des matières premières et la spécificité du débitage lamellaire dans le Magdalénien Final de L’Estremadura portugais. DEA thesis at the UFR 03 Histoire de l'art et Archéologie, Université de Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris, 67 p. (in French) (“The stone tool assemblage from level 3 of Lapa dos Coelhos (Torres Novas, Portugal). Raw-material usage and particularities of bladelet production in the Final Magdalenian of Portuguese Estremadura”)
Gameiro, C. 2012, La variabilité régionale des industries lithiques de la fin du Paléolithique supérieur au Portugal. Doctoral thesis at the UFR 03 Histoire de l'art et Archéologie, Université de Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris, 485 p. (in French) (“Regional variability of the stone tool assemblages at the end of the Upper Paleolithic in Portugal”) URL: http://www.academia.edu/3154767/
Gameiro, C., Aubry, T. & Almeida, F. 2008, L’exploitation des matières premières au Magdalénien Final en Estremadura portugaise: Données des sites de Lapa dos Coelhos et de l’Abrigo dos Covões. . In: Espace et temps: Quelles diachronies, quelles synchronies, quelles échelles? Procedings of the UISPP meeting. 4-9 Setembro, Lisboa, 2006 (Aubry, T., Almeida, F., Araújo, A.C. & Tiffagom, M., Eds.), BAR International Series Vol. 1831, Archaeopress, Oxford: p. 57-67. (in French) (“Raw-material exploitation in the Final Magdalenian of Portuguese Estremadura: The data from the sites of Lapa dos Coelhos and Abrigo dos Covões”)
Gaspar, R. 2009, Estudo petroarqueológico da utensilagem lítica do sítio arqueológico Lajinha 8 (Évora, Portugal). Análise de proveniências. Master thesis at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, 52 p. (in Portuguese) (“Petroarcheological study of the stone tools from the site of Lajinha 8 (Évora, Portugal). Provenience analysis”) URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10451/5945
Gaspar, R., Pedro, J. & Mata, J. 2009, Estudo arqueopetrográfico da utensilagem lítica do sítio neolítico da Lajinha 8 (Évora). Revista Portuguesa de Arqueologia, 12(1): 19-33. (in Portuguese) (“Petroarcheological study of the stone tools from the site of Lajinha 8 (Évora, Portugal)”) URL: http://www.patrimoniocultural.gov.pt/media/uploads/revistaportuguesadearqueologia/12_1/12_1artigos/019_034.pdf
Geneste, J.-M. 1985, Analyse lithique d’industries moustériennes du Périgord: Une approche technologique du comportement des groupes humains au Paléolithique moyen. Doctoral thesis at University of Bordeaux, Talence, 567 p. (in French) (“Lithic analysis of the Périgord Mousterian industries: A technological approach to the behavior of Middle Paleolithic human groups”)
Geneste, J.-M. 1991, L’approvisionnement en matières premières dans les systèmes de production lithique: La dimension spatiale de la technologie. Treballs d’Arqueologia, 1: 1-36. (in French) (“Raw-material procurement in lithic production systems: The spatial dimension of technology”)
Hoffmann, D.L., Pike, A.W.G., Wainer, K. & Zilhão, J. 2013, New U-series results for the speleogenesis and the Palaeolithic archaeology of the Almonda karstic system (Torres Novas, Portugal). Quaternary International, 294: 168-182. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2012.05.027
Jordão, P. 2010, Análise de proveniências de matérias-primas líticas da indústria de pedra lascada do povoado calcolítico de São Mamede (Bombarral). Master thesis at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, 119 p. (in Portuguese) (“Raw-material sourcing of the knapped stone tools from the São Mamede (Bombarral) Copper Age settlement”) URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10451/8269
Leroi-Gourhan, A. 1964, Le Geste et la Parole. Vol. 1: Technique et langage. Albin Michel, Paris, 325 p. (in French) (“Gesture and Speech”)
Mangado Llach, J. 2002, La Caracterizacion y el Aprovisionamiento de los Recursos Abioticos en la Prehistoria de Cataluna: Las Materias Primas Siliceas del Paleolitico Superior Final y el Epipaleolitico. Doctoral thesis at the Departamento de Prehistoria, Historia Antigua y Arqueologia, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 424 p. (in Spanish) (“Characterization and procurement of abiotic resources in the Preshistory of Catalonia: Siliceous raw-materials of late Upper Paleolithic and Epipaleolithic”)
Marks, A., Monigal, K. & Zilhão, J. 2001, The lithic assemblages of the Late Mousterian at Gruta da Oliveira, Almonda, Portugal. In: Les premiers hommes modernes de la Péninsule Ibérique. Actes du Colloque de la Comission VIII de l’UISPP, Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Octobre 1998 (Zilhão, J., Aubry, T. & Faustino Carvalho, A., Eds.), Trabalhos de Arqueologia Vol. 17, Instituto Português de Arqueologia, Lisbon: p. 145-154.
Marks, A., Shokler, J. & Zilhão, J. 1991, Raw Material Usage in the Palaeolithic. The Effects of Local Availability on Selection and Economy. In: Raw Material Economies among Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherers (Montet-White, A. & Holen, S., Eds.), University of Kansas Publications in Anthropology Vol. 19, University of Kansas, Lawrence: p. 127-139.
Marks, A.E., Brugal, J.-P., Chabai, V.P., Monigal, K., Goldberg, P., Hockett, B., Peman, E., Elorza, M. & Mallol, C. 2002, Le gisement pléistocène moyen de Galeria Pesada (Estrémadure, Portugal): Premiers résultats. PALEO, 14: 77-100. (in French) (“The Middle Pleistocene site Galeria Pesada (Estramadura, Portugal): First results”) URL: http://paleo.revues.org/1408
Masson, A. 1979, Recherches sur la provenance des silex préhistorique. Méthode d’étude. Études Préhistoriques, 15: 29-40. (in French) (“Researching the provenience of Prehistoric flints. Study method”)
Masson, A. 1981, Pétroarchéologie des roches siliceuses. Intérêt en Préhistoire. Doctoral thesis no. 1035 at University Claude Bernard, Lyon I, Lyon, 101 p. (in French) (“The Petroarcheology of siliceous rocks. Its interest for Prehistory”)
Matias, H. 2012, O aprovisionamento de matérias-primas líticas na Gruta da Oliveira (Torres Novas). Master thesis at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, 135 p. (in Portuguese) (“Lithic raw material procurement in Gruta da Oliveira (Torres Novas)”) URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10451/8207
Nabais, M. 2011, The neanderthal occupation of Gruta da Oliveira (Almonda karstic system, Torres Novas, Portugal). Analysis of the burnt bones. In: II Jornadas de Jóvenes en Investigación Arqueológica. JIA 2009, 6, 7 y 8 de Mayo de 2009, Madrid Vol. 1 (Moya Maleno, P.R., Charro Lobato, C., Gallego Lletjós, N., González Álvarez, D., González García, I., Gutiérrez Martín, F., Lozano Rubio, S., Marín Aguilera, B., Moragón Martínez, L., de la Peña Alonso, P., Sánchez-Elipe Lorente, M. & Martín, J.M.S., Eds.), Libros Pórtico, Madrid: p. 381-385.
Pereira, T., Andrade, C., Costa, M., Farias, A., Mirão, J. & Carvalho, A.F. 2016, Lithic economy and territory of Epipaleolithic hunter–gatherers in the Middle Tagus: The case of Pena d'Água (Portugal). Quaternary International, 412(A): 135-144. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2015.08.081
Richter, D., Angelucci, D.E., Dias, M.I., Prudêncio, M.I., Gouveia, M.A., Cardoso, G.J., Burbidge, C.I. & Zilhão, J. 2014, Heated flint TL-dating for Gruta da Oliveira (Portugal): Dosimetric challenges and comparison of chronometric data. Journal of Archaeological Science, 41: 705-715. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2013.09.021
Rottlander, R. 1975, Formation of Patina on Flint. Archaeometry, 17(1): 106-110. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4754.1975.tb00120.x
Séronie-Vivien, M. & Séronie-Vivien, M.R. 1987, Les silex du Mésozoïque nord-aquitain. Approche géologique de l’étude des silex pour servir à la recherche préhistorique. Bulletin de la Société Linnéenne de Bordeaux Vol. 15, Supplement. Société Linnéenne de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, 135 p. (in French) (“North-Aquitanian Mesozoic flints. A geological approach to studying flints for Prehistoric research purposes”)
Shokler, J. 2002, Approaches to the sourcing of flint in archaeological contexts: Results of research from portuguese Estremadura. In: Interdisciplinary studies on ancient stone (Herman, J., Herz, N. & Newman, R., Eds.), Asmosia Vol. 5, Archetype Publications, London: p. 176-187.
Tixier, J., Inizan, M.-L. & Roche, H. 1980, Terminologie et techonologie. Préhistoire de la pierre taillée Vol. 1. Cercle de Recherches et d'Études Préhistoriques, Paris, 120 p. (in French) (“Terminology and Technology. The Prehistory of knapped stone”)
Veríssimo, H. 2004, Jazidas siliciosas da região de Vila do Bispo (Algarve). Promontória, 2: 35-47. (in Portuguese) (“Siliceous deposits in the region of Vila do Bispo (Algarve)”) URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/7469
Veríssimo, H. 2005, Aprovisionamento de matérias-primas líticas na Pré-História do concelho de Vila do Bispo (Algarve). In: O Paleolítico. Actas do IV Congresso de Arqueologia Penínsular, 14 a 19 de Setembro de 2004, Faro (Bicho, N., Ed.), Promontória Monográfica Vol. 2, Universidade do Algarve, Faro: p. 509-523. (in Portuguese) (“Lithic raw material procurement in the Prehistory of the Vila do Bispo (Algarve) municipality”)
Vignard, E. & Vacher, G. 1964, Altération des silex paléolithiques de Nemours sous l'influence des climats qui se sont succédés du Périgordien Gravettien au Tardenoisien locaux. Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française. Études et travaux, 61(1): 45-55. (in French) (“The alteration of Paleolithic flints from Nemours as a result of climate change through the local Perigordian-Gravettian to Tardenoisian sequence”) doi:10.3406/bspf.1964.3971
Zilhão, J. 1997, O Paleolítico Superior da Estremadura portuguesa. Colibri, Lisbon, 1159 p. (in Portuguese) (“The Upper Paleolithic of Portuguese Estremadura”)
Zilhão, J., Angelucci, D.E., Argant., J., Brugal, J.-P., Carrión, J.S., Carvalho, R., Fuentes, N. & Nabais, M. 2010, Humans and Hyenas in the Middle Paleolithic of Gruta da Oliveira (Almonda karstic system, Torres Novas, Portugal). In: 1a Reunión de científicos sobre cubiles de hiena (y otros grandes carnívoros) en los yacimientos arqueológicos de la Península Ibérica, Museo Arqueológico Regional, Alcalá de Henares: p. 298-308.
Zilhão, J., Angelucci, D.E., Aubry, T., Badal, E., Brugal, J.-P., Carvalho, R., Gameiro, C., Hoffmann, D., Matias, H., Maurício, J., Nabais, M., Pike, A., Póvoas, L., Richter, D., Souto, P., Trinkaus, E., Wainer, K. & Willman, J. 2013, A Gruta da Oliveira (Torres Novas): Uma jazida de referência para o Paleolítico Médio da Península Ibérica. In: Arqueologia em Portugal - 150 Anos (Arnaud, J.M., Martins, A. & Neves, C., Eds.), Associação dos Arqueólogos Portugueses, Lisbon: p. 259-268. (in Portuguese) (“Gruta da Oliveira: A reference site for the Middle Paleolithic of the Iberian Peninsula”)
Published
Issue
Section
License
This is an Open Access journal. All material is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence, unless otherwise stated.
Please read our Open Access, Copyright and Permissions policies for more information.
