The silica road: Field trip notes
Keywords:
lithic raw materials, chert, Montsant Massif, Ulldemolins Complex, Middle Palaeolithic, Abric Romaní
Abstract
During the 10th International Symposium on Knappable Materials (ISKM) held at Barcelona (Spain) in 2015, a field trip along “The Silica Road” was organized. It included the visit to different chert outcrops located along the Montsant Massif (Tarragona, NE Iberian Peninsula), and to the Middle Palaeolithic site of the Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona), as important locations for the Prehistory of the North East of the Iberian Peninsula.
This paper present some keynotes distributed to the symposium attendants. It consists on: 1) a brief geological framework of the Montsant Massif, located at the southern margin of the Catalan Central Depression. It includes the definition of their Palaeozoic to Cenozoic depositional sequence and the localization of some points of interests with panoramic views and source areas where Tertiary chert nodules were available. They represent a significant focus for the raw materials procurement of several Paleolithic occupations since Lower Pleistocene. 2) A general presentation of the Middle Palaeolithic site of the Abric Romaní site, including a brief reference of the three research phases initiated at the beginning of 20th Century, the description of its 50 meters stratigraphic sequence, where 27 archaeological levels have been identified dating since 110 to 39 ka BP, and some of the main traits of the archaeological assemblages recovered.
References
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Bischoff, J.L., Julia, R. & Mora, R. 1988, Uranium-series dating of the Mousterian occupation at Abric Romani, Spain. Nature, 332(6159): 68-70. doi:10.1038/332068a0
Bischoff, J.L., Ludwig, K., Garcia, J.F., Carbonell, E., Vaquero, M., Stafford, T.W. & Jull, A.J.T. 1994, Dating of the Basal Aurignacian Sandwich at Abric Romanı́ (Catalunya, Spain) by Radiocarbon and Uranium-Series. Journal of Archaeological Science, 21(4): 541-551. doi:10.1006/jasc.1994.1053
Burjachs, F., López-García, J.M., Allué, E., Blain, H.-A., Rivals, F., Bennàsar, M. & Expósito, I. 2012, Palaeoecology of Neanderthals during Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles in northeastern Iberia (Abric Romaní): From regional to global scale. Quaternary International, 247: 26-37. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2011.01.035
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Carbonell, E., Giralt, S. & Vaquero, M. 1994, Abric Romani (Capellades, Barcelone, Espagne): Une importante séquence anthropisée au Pléistocène supérieur. Bulletin de la Sociétè Prehistorique Française, 91(1): 47-55. (in French) (“Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona, Spain): an important anthropized sequence for the Upper Pleistocene”) doi:10.3406/bspf.1994.9703
Chacón, M.G. 2009, El Paleolítico medio en el suroeste europeo: Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona, España), Payre (Rompón, Ardèche, Francia) y Tournal (Bize, Aude, Francia). Análisis comparativo de los conjuntos líticos y los comportamientos humanos. Doctoral thesis. Unpublished. Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Tarragona, 607 p. (in Spanish) (“The Middle Palaeolithic in the southwestern Europe: Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona, España), Payre (Rompón, Ardèche, Francia) and Tournal (Bize, Aude, Francia). Comparative analysis of the lithic assemblages and human behaviours”)
Colombo, F. 1986, Estratigrafía y sedimentología del Paleógeno continental del borde meridional occidental de los catalánides (Provincia de Tarragona, España). Cuadernos de Geología Ibérica, 10: 55-115. (in Spanish) (“Palaeogene continental stratigraphy and sedimentology from the south-western edge of the Catalanids (Tarragona Province, Spain)”)
Colombo, F. & Vergés, J. 1992, Geometria del margen S.E. de la Cuenca del Ebro: discordancias progresivas en el Grupo Scala Dei. Serra de La Llena. (Tarragona). Acta Geologica Hispanica, 27(V-2 (Homenaje a Oriol Riba Arderiu)): 33-53. (in Spanish) (“Geometry of the SE margin of the the Ebro basin: progressive discordances in the Scala Dei Group. Serra de La Llena (Tarragona)”) URL: http://revistes.ub.edu/index.php/ActaGeologica/article/view/5028
Giralt, S. & Julià, R. 1996, The sedimentary record of the Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition in the Capellades area (NE Spain). In: The Last Neandertals, the First Anatomically Modern Humans: A Tale about the Human Diversity (Carbonell, E. & Vaquero, M., Eds.), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona: p. 337-349.
Gómez de Soler, B. 2016, Procedencia del aprovisionamiento lítico durante el Paleolítico medio en el yacimiento del Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona). Niveles M, Oa y P. Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, 387 p. (in Spanish) (“Lithic procurement provenance during the Middle Palaeolithic at the Abric Romaní site (Capellades, Barcelona). Levels M, Oa and P”)
Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya (ICGC) 2016a, Mapa geològic comarcal de Catalunya 1:50.000, UTM 31N (ETRS89). Retrieved 15 August 2016. (in Catalonian) (“Geologic Map of Catalunya, 1:50,000”) URL: http://www.icgc.cat/Administracio-i-empresa/Descarregues/Cartografia-geologica-i-geotematica/Cartografia-geologica/Mapa-geologic-comarcal-de-Catalunya-1-50.000
Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya (ICGC) 2016b, VISSIR v3.26 - Ortofoto 1:25.000, UTM 31N (ETRS89). Retrieved 15 August 2016. (in Catalonian) (“VISSIR v3.26 - Ortophoto 1:25,000”) URL: http://www.icgc.cat/Administracio-i-empresa/Descarregues/Cartografia-geologica-i-geotematica/Cartografia-geologica/Mapa-geologic-comarcal-de-Catalunya-1-50.000
Laplace, G. 1962, Le Paleolithique Superieur de l’Abri Romani. L’Anthropologie, 66: 36-43. (in French) (“The Upper Palaeolithic from the Abric Romaní”)
Marín, J., Saladié, P., Rodríguez-Hidalgo, A. & Carbonell, E. 2017, Ungulate carcass transport strategies at the Middle Palaeolithic site of Abric Romaní (Capellades, Spain). Comptes Rendus Palevol, 16(1): 103-121. doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2015.11.006
Rosell, J. (2001). Patrons d’Aprofitement de les biomasses animals durant el Pleistocè Inferior i Mig (Sierra de Atapuerca) i Superior (Abric Romaní, Barcelona). Doctoral thesis. Unpublished. Univesritat Rovira i Virgili. Tarragona, 338 p. (in Catalan) (“Use patterns of biomass animals during the Lower and Middle Pleistocene (Sierra de Atapuerca) and Upper Pleistocene (Abric Romaní, Barcelona)”)
Sharp, W.D., Mertz-Kraus, R., Vallverdu, J., Vaquero, M., Burjachs, F., Carbonell, E. & Bischoff, J.L. 2016, Archeological deposits at Abric Romaní extend to 110 ka: U-series dating of a newly cored, 30 meter-thick section. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 5: 400-406. doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2015.12.015
Soto, M. 2015, Áreas y estrategias de aprovisionamiento lítico de los últimos cazadoresrecolectores en las Montañas de Prades (Tarragona). Doctoral thesis thesis no. T 230-2016 at the Departamento de Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, 715 p. (in Spanish) (“Areas and lithic procurement strategies among the last huntergatherers in the Prades range (Tarragona)”) URL: http://www.tdx.cat/handle/10803/348554
Vallverdú, J., Alonso, S., Bargalló, A., Bartrolí, R., Campeny, G., Carrancho, Á., Expósito, I., Fontanals, M., Gabucio, J., Gómez, B., Prats, J.M., Sañudo, P., Solé, À., Vilalta, J. & Carbonell, E. 2012, Combustion structures of archaeological level O and mousterian activity areas with use of fire at the Abric Romaní rockshelter (NE Iberian Peninsula). Quaternary International, 247: 313-324. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2010.12.012
Vaquero, M. 1997, Tecnología lítica y comportamiento humano: organización de las actividades técnicas y cambio diacrónico en el Paleolítico Medio del Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona). Doctoral thesis. Unpublished. Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Tarragona, 872 p. (in Spanish). Lithic technology and human behaviour: organization of the technical activities and diachronical change in the Middle Palaeolithic of the Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona)”)
Vaquero, M. & Pastó, I. (2001). The definition of spatial units in Middle Palaeolithic sites: the Hearth-related assemblages. Journal of Archaeological Science, 28, pp. 1209-1220. doi:10.1006/jasc.2001.0656
Vaquero, M., Allué, E., Bischoff, J.L., Burjachs, F. & Vallverdú, J. 2013, Environmental, depositional and cultural changes in the Upper Pleistocene and early Holocene: the Cinglera del Capelló sequence (Capellades, Spain). Quaternaire, 24(1): 49-64. doi:10.4000/quaternaire.6481
Vilaseca, S. 1953, Las industrias del sílex Tarraconenses. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Instituto Rodrigo Caro, Madrid, 526 p. (in Spanish) (“The chert lithic industries from Tarragona”)
Bartrolí, R., Cebrià, A., Morales, I., Riu-Barrera, E. & Vaquero, M. 1995, A frec de Ciencia. L’Atles d’Amador Romaní I Guerra. Ajuntament de Capellades, Capellades, 232 p. (in Catalan) (“Rubbing Science. Amador Romani Guerra’s Atlas”)
Bischoff, J.L., Julia, R. & Mora, R. 1988, Uranium-series dating of the Mousterian occupation at Abric Romani, Spain. Nature, 332(6159): 68-70. doi:10.1038/332068a0
Bischoff, J.L., Ludwig, K., Garcia, J.F., Carbonell, E., Vaquero, M., Stafford, T.W. & Jull, A.J.T. 1994, Dating of the Basal Aurignacian Sandwich at Abric Romanı́ (Catalunya, Spain) by Radiocarbon and Uranium-Series. Journal of Archaeological Science, 21(4): 541-551. doi:10.1006/jasc.1994.1053
Burjachs, F., López-García, J.M., Allué, E., Blain, H.-A., Rivals, F., Bennàsar, M. & Expósito, I. 2012, Palaeoecology of Neanderthals during Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles in northeastern Iberia (Abric Romaní): From regional to global scale. Quaternary International, 247: 26-37. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2011.01.035
Cáceres, I. 2002, Tafonomía de yacimientos antrópicos en Karts. Complejo Galería (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos), Vanguard Cave (Gibraltar) y Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona). PhD thesis at Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Tarragona, 661 p. (in Spanish) (“Taphonomy of anthropic sites in Karts. Complejo Galería (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos), Vanguard Cave (Gibraltar) and Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona)”)
Carbonell, E., Giralt, S. & Vaquero, M. 1994, Abric Romani (Capellades, Barcelone, Espagne): Une importante séquence anthropisée au Pléistocène supérieur. Bulletin de la Sociétè Prehistorique Française, 91(1): 47-55. (in French) (“Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona, Spain): an important anthropized sequence for the Upper Pleistocene”) doi:10.3406/bspf.1994.9703
Chacón, M.G. 2009, El Paleolítico medio en el suroeste europeo: Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona, España), Payre (Rompón, Ardèche, Francia) y Tournal (Bize, Aude, Francia). Análisis comparativo de los conjuntos líticos y los comportamientos humanos. Doctoral thesis. Unpublished. Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Tarragona, 607 p. (in Spanish) (“The Middle Palaeolithic in the southwestern Europe: Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona, España), Payre (Rompón, Ardèche, Francia) and Tournal (Bize, Aude, Francia). Comparative analysis of the lithic assemblages and human behaviours”)
Colombo, F. 1986, Estratigrafía y sedimentología del Paleógeno continental del borde meridional occidental de los catalánides (Provincia de Tarragona, España). Cuadernos de Geología Ibérica, 10: 55-115. (in Spanish) (“Palaeogene continental stratigraphy and sedimentology from the south-western edge of the Catalanids (Tarragona Province, Spain)”)
Colombo, F. & Vergés, J. 1992, Geometria del margen S.E. de la Cuenca del Ebro: discordancias progresivas en el Grupo Scala Dei. Serra de La Llena. (Tarragona). Acta Geologica Hispanica, 27(V-2 (Homenaje a Oriol Riba Arderiu)): 33-53. (in Spanish) (“Geometry of the SE margin of the the Ebro basin: progressive discordances in the Scala Dei Group. Serra de La Llena (Tarragona)”) URL: http://revistes.ub.edu/index.php/ActaGeologica/article/view/5028
Giralt, S. & Julià, R. 1996, The sedimentary record of the Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition in the Capellades area (NE Spain). In: The Last Neandertals, the First Anatomically Modern Humans: A Tale about the Human Diversity (Carbonell, E. & Vaquero, M., Eds.), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona: p. 337-349.
Gómez de Soler, B. 2016, Procedencia del aprovisionamiento lítico durante el Paleolítico medio en el yacimiento del Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona). Niveles M, Oa y P. Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, 387 p. (in Spanish) (“Lithic procurement provenance during the Middle Palaeolithic at the Abric Romaní site (Capellades, Barcelona). Levels M, Oa and P”)
Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya (ICGC) 2016a, Mapa geològic comarcal de Catalunya 1:50.000, UTM 31N (ETRS89). Retrieved 15 August 2016. (in Catalonian) (“Geologic Map of Catalunya, 1:50,000”) URL: http://www.icgc.cat/Administracio-i-empresa/Descarregues/Cartografia-geologica-i-geotematica/Cartografia-geologica/Mapa-geologic-comarcal-de-Catalunya-1-50.000
Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya (ICGC) 2016b, VISSIR v3.26 - Ortofoto 1:25.000, UTM 31N (ETRS89). Retrieved 15 August 2016. (in Catalonian) (“VISSIR v3.26 - Ortophoto 1:25,000”) URL: http://www.icgc.cat/Administracio-i-empresa/Descarregues/Cartografia-geologica-i-geotematica/Cartografia-geologica/Mapa-geologic-comarcal-de-Catalunya-1-50.000
Laplace, G. 1962, Le Paleolithique Superieur de l’Abri Romani. L’Anthropologie, 66: 36-43. (in French) (“The Upper Palaeolithic from the Abric Romaní”)
Marín, J., Saladié, P., Rodríguez-Hidalgo, A. & Carbonell, E. 2017, Ungulate carcass transport strategies at the Middle Palaeolithic site of Abric Romaní (Capellades, Spain). Comptes Rendus Palevol, 16(1): 103-121. doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2015.11.006
Rosell, J. (2001). Patrons d’Aprofitement de les biomasses animals durant el Pleistocè Inferior i Mig (Sierra de Atapuerca) i Superior (Abric Romaní, Barcelona). Doctoral thesis. Unpublished. Univesritat Rovira i Virgili. Tarragona, 338 p. (in Catalan) (“Use patterns of biomass animals during the Lower and Middle Pleistocene (Sierra de Atapuerca) and Upper Pleistocene (Abric Romaní, Barcelona)”)
Sharp, W.D., Mertz-Kraus, R., Vallverdu, J., Vaquero, M., Burjachs, F., Carbonell, E. & Bischoff, J.L. 2016, Archeological deposits at Abric Romaní extend to 110 ka: U-series dating of a newly cored, 30 meter-thick section. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 5: 400-406. doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2015.12.015
Soto, M. 2015, Áreas y estrategias de aprovisionamiento lítico de los últimos cazadoresrecolectores en las Montañas de Prades (Tarragona). Doctoral thesis thesis no. T 230-2016 at the Departamento de Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, 715 p. (in Spanish) (“Areas and lithic procurement strategies among the last huntergatherers in the Prades range (Tarragona)”) URL: http://www.tdx.cat/handle/10803/348554
Vallverdú, J., Alonso, S., Bargalló, A., Bartrolí, R., Campeny, G., Carrancho, Á., Expósito, I., Fontanals, M., Gabucio, J., Gómez, B., Prats, J.M., Sañudo, P., Solé, À., Vilalta, J. & Carbonell, E. 2012, Combustion structures of archaeological level O and mousterian activity areas with use of fire at the Abric Romaní rockshelter (NE Iberian Peninsula). Quaternary International, 247: 313-324. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2010.12.012
Vaquero, M. 1997, Tecnología lítica y comportamiento humano: organización de las actividades técnicas y cambio diacrónico en el Paleolítico Medio del Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona). Doctoral thesis. Unpublished. Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Tarragona, 872 p. (in Spanish). Lithic technology and human behaviour: organization of the technical activities and diachronical change in the Middle Palaeolithic of the Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona)”)
Vaquero, M. & Pastó, I. (2001). The definition of spatial units in Middle Palaeolithic sites: the Hearth-related assemblages. Journal of Archaeological Science, 28, pp. 1209-1220. doi:10.1006/jasc.2001.0656
Vaquero, M., Allué, E., Bischoff, J.L., Burjachs, F. & Vallverdú, J. 2013, Environmental, depositional and cultural changes in the Upper Pleistocene and early Holocene: the Cinglera del Capelló sequence (Capellades, Spain). Quaternaire, 24(1): 49-64. doi:10.4000/quaternaire.6481
Vilaseca, S. 1953, Las industrias del sílex Tarraconenses. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Instituto Rodrigo Caro, Madrid, 526 p. (in Spanish) (“The chert lithic industries from Tarragona”)
Published
15-Sep-2016
How to Cite
Soto, M., & Gómez de Soler, B. (2016). The silica road: Field trip notes. Journal of Lithic Studies, 3(2), 761-777. https://doi.org/10.2218/jls.v3i2.1873
Issue
Section
Excursions
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