Joan Carbonell Roca

The Fortress of Vilars d'Arbeca (775-300 cal BC) is a reference site for the transition from the Early Iron Age to the Iberian period in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula. It's noteworthy, however, that zones to the exterior of these fortified settlements have rarely been the object of thorough analyses as archaeology has normally focused on their interiors. This study presents a series of micromorphological analyses to determine the nature of the infill of Reservoir BS-1625, an elongated structure along the site's exterior initially identified as a defensive ditch during fieldwork of 2017 (Alonso et al., 2020). This approach allowed defining the processes of formation and function of its infill and how the structure served the fortress. The analyses broke down the infill's sequence into seven microfacies types, each defined along the lines of its spatial and stratigraphic context. The different findings reveal that BS-1625 served to store rainwater channelled from the interior of the fortification. The evidence clearly demonstrates that the structure thus played a dual role as ditch and reservoir before subsequently serving as a space to produce raw earth for construction. Vilars d'Arbeca is the first site from this timeframe in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula with a feature of this type. This perspective on the uses and transformation of ditches, reservoirs and spaces along the exterior of the fortified settlement of Vilars d'Arbeca thus sheds new light on aspects of the site's daily life.

En este artículo se presentan las principales aportaciones de la micromorfología al estudio del hipogeo del Carrer París en Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, datado entre 2878-2206 cal bc. El hipogeo del Carrer París comienza a utilizarse antes de la adopción del complejo campaniforme, localizándose un primer nivel de inhumación colectiva propio del Neolítico Final-Calcolítico. Le seguirán tres episodios de inhumaciones asociadas a vasos campaniformes de diferentes tipologías. El uso continuado del sepulcro pone de manifiesto la evolución de las prácticas funerarias propias del Neolítico hacia una progresiva tendencia a la individualización de las inhumaciones paralela a la adopción de las cerámicas campaniformes.
Del estudio realizado se deduce que el hipogeo fue concebido y construido con suficiente antelación a su uso y existió un ritual funerario relacionado con el fuego anterior a su utilización como sepulcro. Además, la estructura se colmató por sedimentación geogénica y se han identificado los procesos postdeposicionales que afectaron a las inhumaciones. En resumen, creemos que la micromorfología de suelos constituye una herramienta esencial para el estudio e interpretación de contextos funerarios.

RESUMEN Se presenta el estudio micromorfológico de los niveles calcolíticos precampaniformes del yacimiento de El Portalón de Cueva Mayor (Ata-puerca, Burgos). La identificación y caracterización de arcillas orgánicas, ricas en excrementos de ovicaprinos, esferulitas, cenizas, fitolitos y fosfatos ha confirmado su utilización como redil. El análisis de las diferentes unidades estratigráficas ha permitido caracterizar el registro del área de estabulación como una alternancia de niveles de fumier y otros de excrementos no quemados-hecho poco habitual-, así como detectar un área de hábitat, y la relación entre ambas. El objetivo de este trabajo es, por lo tanto, mostrar los procesos que intervienen en la formación del registro arqueosedimentario de una cueva redil la cual no presenta la típica alternancia de niveles de fumier. ABSTRACT The micromorphological study of the Pre-bell beaker Chacolithic unit from El Portalón de Cueva Mayor site (Atapuerca, Burgos) is presented. The identification and characterization of organic clays, witn abundant ovicaprine excrement remains, spherulites, ashes, phytoliths and phosphates has confirmed its use as a pen. The analysis of different thin sections has allowed characterizing the formation of the livestock stabling area as an alternation of fumier layers and others of unburned excrements-an unusual fact-as well as detecting a habitat area, and the relationship between both. The objective of this work is, therefore, to infer the processes involved in the formation of the sedimentary record of a cave used as a pen, which does not have the typical alternation of fumier levels.

Livestock penning practices often provide a regular and predictable supply of animal products, including dung, that can be subsequently used in multiple ways, such as fuel, manure and as temper in building materials. Their identification often requires laboratory-based analytical techniques. This poster highlights the value of micromorphology to the identification of animal dung exploitation. We present the results of a microstratigraphic study about combustions, carried out inside a structure located at La Fortalesa dels Vilars d'Arbeca (Arbeca, Spain). The data show that the ashes are the result of burns made inside the structure itself and that part of these ashes are derived from the burning of excrement, a practice-currently under study-documented at other levels outside the site during the Iron Age.