Pierluigi Rosina

<p>Within the scope of construction work conducted within an urban context for the creation of new buildings located in Rua das Olarias in Leiria, a selection of historical and archaeological remains attributable to different time periods were found. Such findings include; Levallois chips, ovens and modern or sub-modern ceramics, and a burial zone. Due to the presence of Palaeolithic evidence, the DGPC (Direção-Geral do Património Cultural) has requested a more in-depth analysis of the sedimentary deposits.</p><p>Geomorphologically, the area of intervention is located in the zone of the Typhonic Valley associated with the diapiric structure of Leiria-Parceiros, which is in the proximity of the Doleritic outcrop, where the Castle of Leiria was constructed. Concerning the stratigraphic-sedimentary component, from what was so far observed in the intervention carried out in the 3 sections researchers were able to identify that the sedimentary deposits of the area are composed, at the base, by marly and clayey layers (probably corresponding to the formations of the Dagorda Margas, from the Mesozoic), these are apparently "in situ" and are identified in the Geological Map (23C -Leiria).</p><p>It was not possible to identify layers of Neogene however, unconsolidated deposits were observed throughout the area with sedimentological characteristics which appear to be deposits of overburdening and flattening due to actions which took place in recent times. Most of the surface area of interest corresponds to the landform surface of the anthropic formation, where the deposits are thought to result from pottery activities (there is presence of clays and ceramics).</p><p>In the area of active archaeological intervention, coarser sediments were noted, but the more clastic deposits do not appear to have associated structures. So far it has not been possible to confirm the presence of a geological level to which the origin of the prehistoric archaeological material could be attributed.</p><p>Thus, the sampling program (sedimentological and palaeoenvironmental) will be oriented towards the recognition of possible natural Pleistocene layers (alluvial and fluvial deposits), the distinction between these, Mesozoic layers and layers of anthropic deposits. The methodology of sediment collection for geoarchaeological and palaeoclimatic purposes (in particular for sedimentological and palynological analyses) will follow established scientific procedures.  These analyses and further information about the terrain will only be possible with the help of sedimentological and palaeoenvironmental studies.</p>

<p>Cadaval cave is located in a karstic canyon of the Nabão River, in the right margin of the Tagus River basin, municipality of Tomar, Centre of Portugal. The site encompasses a long stratigraphic sequence from present days to, at least, the Middle Palaeolithic. Major excavations were made during the 1980’s and restarted in 2019 under the scope of the FCT funded project - Moving tasks across shapes: the agro-pastoralists spread from and into the Alto Ribatejo (MTAS), (PTDC/EPH-ARQ/4356/2014).The Holocene sequence has three main sedimentary units: Layer E (without human occupation), Layer D (with Late early to Middle Neolithic necropolis) and Layer C (with a Late Neolithic necropolis). Because of the lack of detailed geoarchaeological studies, the process of deposition and modification of sedimentary layers remains in question, this being very important to better interpret natural vs human dynamics, including site formation processes. For instance, Layer E is supposed to correspond to an earlier Holocene stage (Greenlandian), a period in which other caves from the region have dwelling and funerary occupations. This can be related to the low demographic density at the time, but also to the roof collapse event, an idea reinforced by the presence of some Middle Neolithic burials on the top of some large slabs. Nevertheless, a better characterization of its formation and the degree of anthropic impact in the diagenetic process will allow for a clearer interpretation of this and other situations.The main objective of the first author`s ongoing PhD project is to characterize the Late Pleistocene and Holocene sedimentary processes and the site formation processes of the archaeological record in the basin of the Tagus River, namely assessing its anthropic component.  For this, a detailed geoarchaeological investigation is being carried out in several sites, including Cadaval cave, giving particular emphasis to the use of micromorphology.</p><p>Keywords: Micromorphology, Cave sediments, Neolithic, Stratigraphy, Holocene.</p>

Abstract Uruguai 1 is a recently discovered site in the Foz do Chapeco Archaeological Area, which contains an exceptional archaeological record, documenting the expansion of Homo sapiens in southern Brazil, within the Rio de la Plata basin. The aim of this paper is to present the results of field investigations within sector 1 of the site, providing a detailed description of the entire stratigraphic sequence that spans the Pleistocene-Holocene transition to the present day. The site comprises a variety of archaeological evidence including six archaeological levels (palaeosurfaces), evidenced by lithic tools, charcoal horizons, combustion features, small faunal remains and, for the youngest one, ceramic fragments. The overlapping of six archaeological levels in an open-air stratigraphic context is unprecedented in inland of southern Brazil and provides evidence for a long-term human presence in the area, which is of great archaeological importance in the southern part of South America..

The lithic assemblage of Ribeira da Ponte da Pedra site (OIS8-9) was produced, almost exclusively, through the exploitation of good quality quartzite fluvial pebbles with a regular morphology. Quartzite fluvial pebbles are the most common raw material found in the Middle Pleistocene occupation sites in Portugal. Such feature results from the easy availability of these pebbles in the valleys where the great majority of the archaeological sites within this chronology are located, and also because of the quartzite’s physical properties and suitability for knapping. In a techno-typological point of view, its lithic assemblage is characterized by the application of two main reduction sequences that result in abundant worked pebbles, retouched pebbles, cortical and semi-cortical flakes, retouched flakes, a few cores and rare bifacial artefacts. Some artefacts present irregular and variable edge modifications described as ‘atypical’ edge modifications that could edge damage resultant from ...

Os estudos arqueológicos sugerem padrões tecnológicos e de liquidação de recorrências e/ou convergências durante a transição do Pleistoceno-Holoceno. A fim de compreender melhor a sequência de ocupações humanas na região do Alto Ribatejo do Tejo inferior, um estudo geoarqueológico foi realizado, incluindo a caracterização sedimentológica de depósitos, a análise estratigráfica e a sua ligação com os contextos arqueológicos. O estudo sedimentar envolveu trabalhos de campo e de laboratório (análises de tamanho de grão e difração de raios X de agregados orientados para a identificação de minerais de argila). Um amplo espaço de tempo foi considerado, à procura de possíveis tendências dentro de uma determinada região de Portugal, o Alto Ribatejo. A fim de resolver esta questão, foram realizados estudos em diferentes depósitos: fluviais, coluviais, eólicos, eluviais e de origem antrópica. Este artigo apresenta os resultados de um estudo com base principalmente em sítios arqueológicos de ar...

O alto rio Uruguai é uma área importante para compreender o povoamento pré-histórico da bacia do rio da Prata. Nela foram localizados sítios de caçadores-coletores, referentes ao passado mais antigo da região, e de grupos ceramistas relacionados às unidades arqueológicas Tupiguarani e Taquara-Itararé. Este artigo apresenta os primeiros resultados das pesquisas realizadas no sítio ACH-LP-07 situado próximo à foz do rio Chapecó na margem direita do rio Uruguai, no oeste de Santa Catarina. O mesmo apresentou várias ocupações por caçadores-coletores no início do Holoceno, caracterizadas por uma variabilidade nas produções de pedra lascada, onde se destaca a produção de lâminas por uma debitagem específica. No último milênio o local também foi povoado por grupos ceramistas Guarani. O sítio tem trazido diferentes contribuições a respeito dessas antigas sociedades, especialmente as modalidades de ocupação e de sucessão dos grupos humanos no alto rio Uruguai.

Os vestígios mais antigos da ocupação humana no vale do Tejo estão frequentemente associados com sítios de ar livre localizados em terraços luviais. Nestes sítios, os seixos rolados de quartzito são a material prima mais abundante e disponível para a produção de artefactos líticos. Até ao momento vestígios orgânicos, nomeadamente restos humanos e faunísticos, só foram encontrados em contextos cársicos. As datas disponíveis indicam uma crescente ocupação humana entre o OIS9 e OIS7. Neste intervalo cronológico, as indústrias líticas provenientes de diferentes sítios mostram alguma variabilidade morfotécnica. Neste artigo apresentamos a análise do conjunto lítico da Ribeira da Ponte da Pedra, associada ao terraço luvial médio do Tejo (Q3/T4) e com datações de 304 ± 20 ka por TL e ≥175±6 ka por IRSL. Este conjunto caracterizase pela predominância de seixos talhados, suportes corticais e não corticais, poucos núcleos e muito raras peças bifaciais. As características morfotécnicas desta indústria, aparentemente atípica, serão discutidas e comparadas com outras observadas nos principais sítios arqueológicos do pleistocénico médio do Vale do Tejo, sublinhando o papel adaptativo no comportamento humano para interpretar a variabilidade morfotécnica. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Vale do Tejo (Portugal Central); Pleistocénico Médio; Indústrias líticas.

Apresenta-se a exposição "4600 Milhões de Anos de Evolução: Dinossauros e Memórias da Pré-História" realizada pelo Centro de Pré-História (CPH) do Instituto Politécnico de Tomar (IPT) e pelo Centro Português de Geo-História e Pré-História (CPGP), no Centro de Interpretação de Arqueologia do Alto Ribatejo (CIAAR), no contexto das atividades expositivas desta última instituição, que se enquadram num contexto global nacional. A exposição foi realizada com base numa série de objetivos que aqui expomos. A ideia geral da evolução da vida na Terra aborda uma vasta temática dividida em paleontologia, evolução humana e numa secção monográfica sobre arqueologia do Alto Ribatejo.

Resumen: La estación rupestre " Friso del Terror " (Parque Nacional de Monfrague, Cáceres, España) comprende más de cincuenta paneles decorados, donde fueron identificadas series y agrupaciones de barras verticales junto a figuras antropomorfas. En el arroyo Barbaón se ha puesto recientemente en práctica un planteamiento metodológico enfocado desde el punto de vista de la caracterización de los pigmentos (su composición mineral, materias primas, aglutinantes orgá-nicos, etc.). La reconstrucción de sus procesos de elaboración constituye el objetivo de la investigación. Un fragmento desprendido de forma natural, con representación de dos barras pintadas de color rojo (Collado et al., 2011), fue recuperado aplicándose a esta muestra técnicas de caracterización como la espectroscopia micro-Raman, la microfluorescencia-x y análisis microestratigráfico. La observación de la sección transversal microestratigráfica reveló el posicionamiento del sustrato de cuarcita, la capa de pig...

Resumo A região do Alto Ribatejo (centro de Portugal) está sob a influência das condições climáticas Mediterrânea e Atlântica. Nesta pequena região (~2.500 km 2), o Rio Tejo atravessa três unidades geomorfológicas, de paisagens muito diversificadas. Apre-senta-se uma síntese de trabalhos publicados e alguns dados sedimentológicos, pa-linológicos e arqueológicos obtidos e apresentados neste trabalho, referentes a vá-rios sítios datados dos últimos 25 mil anos. As análises sedimentológicas, aplicadas essencialmente em depósitos associados a sítios arqueológicos, parecem demonstrar a sequência da influência de variações climáticas e actividades antrópicas. Os dados arqueobotânicos sugerem modificações significativas durante o Holocénico, que po-derão estar relacionadas com as flutuações climáticas e/ou também com o crescente impacte humano sobre a paisagem com a adopção das actividades agro-pastoris.

Um dos aspetos mais interessantes nos variados estudos dos pigmentos utilizados para a realização de pinturas rupestres é a seleção e manipulação das matérias-primas. Para estes estu-dos têm que ser considerados os aspetos relacionados com a disponibilidade dos materiais geoló-gicos, os aspetos culturais e os aspetos relacionados com a preservação e conservação, ou seja, a possibilidade de identificar, através de analises arqueométricas, somente parte dos pigmentos originalmente utilizados (p. ex: os componentes inorgânicos). Os estudos analíticos de pigmentos das pinturas rupestres têm como principal finalidade a identificação dos seus componentes quími-cos-mineralógicos. A determinação das matérias-primas que foram utilizadas no processamento dos pigmentos permite conhecer as tecnologias utilizadas na sua preparação.

Quartzite is the most common raw material in the Middle Pleistocene occupations of Portugal. We discuss the use of this raw material by presenting the technological of the lithic assemblage coming from Ribeira da Ponte da Pedra site (Portuguese middle Tagus valley) with an absolute chronology between 300 ka and 175ka. The lithic assemblage was produced, almost exclusively, over the exploitation of quartzite fluvial pebbles of good quality and is characterized by the application of two main reduction sequences that result in abundant worked pebbles, retouched pebbles, cortical and half‑cortical flakes, few cores and rare bifacial artifacts. Some artifacts present irregular and variable edge modifications described as «informal» retouch that can be the result of the utilization of these blanks.

Microscopic observation correlated with chemical–mineralogical characterization was performed on pigment samples from “Abrigo del Lince” rock art site (V-IV millennium BC), in order to provide contributions to the study of prehistoric schematic art on granite in the province of Badajoz (Spain). The research objectives include the understanding of technological and cultural aspects, as well as of conservation and deterioration issues related to the pictographs. The multi-analytical approach encompasses the integration of microscopic observation, SEM–EDS analysis, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and ATR-FTIR and allowed to achieve a multispectral overview of the samples and to describe their varied composition and the alteration pattern which connects them. The main phases overlying the granitic bedrock and involved in this sequence are as follows: hematite, whewellite, and gypsum. While hematite could be stratigraphically considered the most ancient layer and assigned to the use of red och...

The caves of Escoural and Maltravieso are the only caves with Palaeolithic rock art in the Southwest Peninsula. These two contexts are similar in their geological characteristics, circumstances of their discoveries, state of conservation, location outside the preferential territorial scope of Palaeolithic art and in the absence of a tradition of scientific research. This set of factors is governed by the need to prioritize the conservation of both cavities in the context of the growing social interest in the first manifestations of rock art. The FIRST-ART project intends to improve the knowledge of both caves taking into account their technical, stylistic and iconographic aspects through multidisciplinary research and the application of new analysis and documentation technologies using digital and 3D

Recent investigations within Cathole Cave have revealed several rock engravings that date from the Upper Palaeolithic including a stylised cervid, possibly a reindeer and, as yet indistinguishable engravings above and below the cervid. In advance of the erection of a protective steel grille in 2014, several archaeological trenches revealed evidence of anthropogenic and palaeozoomorphic activity which probably dates from a period when much of the northern and western parts of the British Isles was covered by ice. In November 2010, one of the authors (GHN) discovered the presence of a possible haematite (Fe203) spread that occupied a small section of the western wall of the main gallery of the cave. This spread was either the result of natural secretion from the substrate or it was applied via human agency. No other possible haematite spreads existed within this particular cave, although haematite is common throughout the limestone caves of the Gower Peninsula. In 2015 the Welsh herit...

We present a new dinosaur footprint from Praia do Guincho, Portugal. Praia do Guincho is a seaside locality, situated 2 km north of Cabo Espichel. A loose cast of a tridactyl dinosaur footprint was discovered during fieldwork in 2011. The cliff where the footprint was found is composed of limestones, marls, sandstones and conglomerates that were deposited in shallow marine, lagoon and estuarine environments. The succession belongs to the Papo-Seco Formation (Lower Cretaceous-Barremian). The remains of several groups of vertebrates, including dinosaurs, have been reported in this formation. This paper provides a trackmaker study consisting of a visual analysis under different light angles and photogrammetric 3D modelling. The specimen has a digit III longer than II and IV. However, a substantial part of the shape of digit III is sediment, giving a flawed impression that it belongs to the footprint itself. The photogrammetric modelling revealed that digit III is shorter and more round...

The Quaternary and Prehistory Group of the Geocsciences Centre has developed research lines dedicated to the influence of climatic and environmental conditions in human behavioral dynamics during the Holocene. The research in the Alto Ribatejo (TEMPOAR I/II and Transition Landscapes projects) suggests a possible socio‑economic implication (adoption of agro‑pastoralism) due to the climatic fluctuations in the Holocene. A new project is being prepared, dedicated to the relationship between human behaviour and climate fluctuations. The starting point is the analysis of different bioregional realities (Brazil, Portugal, Spain) between the start of the Younger Dryas and the end of the Atlantic period, taking an interdisciplinary approach through archaeobotanic, archaeofaunistic and sedimentological studies.

This article is a part of the results of the master thesis, which aim was to improve significantly the studies of the conditions of pictorial elements in a rock art mural, that is, to know the materials that were used and their interactions with the open air. This academic exercise introduces new aspects in the research process concerning the materials present in these rock art works and leads up to the works about technology of pigments in the studied area, extending the descriptive possibilities of the conservation conditions of rock art. The study of the materials opens a route towards the conservation work, and constitutes an essential way for the projected studies on dating. In this work, pigments were analyzed, some accretions, the rock substrate and the possible raw material of the rock art paintings. This analysis was done using Spectrometry Infrared. This investigation process is set in the context that the research group GIPRI has developed, as an extension of the methodol...

Interpreting depositional settings of cave sites is generally problematic, especially in absence of palaeontological/archaeological evidence. This is the case of some deposits at San Teodoro Cave (Sicily), a key site for the Mediterranean Palaeolithic. In a stratigraphic level interrupted by a carbonatic concretion, phosphatic nodules are present only in the part enclosed between the concretion and the cave wall. The discovery of these nodules combined with the punctual lack of fossils had initially suggested an erosion phenomenon and subsequent formation of nodules at a vadose level. Here we show the usefulness of an integrated, geochemical-palaeoecological approach in defining stratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. XRD, ICP-OES, ATR-FTIR and EDS analyses allowed the formulation of a new hypothesis regarding the origin of the nodules, the depositional dynamics, and the role played by the guano produced by an extensive colony of bats. The role of barium and rubidium i...