The results of the analyses of elemental composition of red and black pigments of Levantine rock art from La Saltadora rock shelters (Valltorta gorge, Castellón, Spain) are presented in this paper. Nondestructive analyses were carried out using a portable energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer developed for in situ analysis. The results revealed the strong presence of calcium in all the analyzed locations due to the contribution of the underlying calcareous bedrock and the overlying crust. Iron is the main element detected in red pigments and manganese in black pigments. Iron and calcium ratios have been found indicative of the degree of preservation of the pictorial layer. Trace elements detected in the pigment composition confirm the use of different raw materials. Therefore, this work illustrates the potential of the portable EDXRF spectrometers for in situ analysis of rock art paintings.
Neanderthals and modern humans from the Early Upper Palaeolithic had a highly developed knowledge of their environment, where they found the essential resources for their subsistence. Therefore, changes in the local landscape and available resources should have influenced their behaviour, as indicated by faunal and plant remains recovered from archaeological sites. In the central‐eastern Iberian Mediterranean region, the archaeological sites of Cova Negra, Abrigo de la Quebrada, Cova de les Malladetes and Cova de les Cendres have provided wood charcoal, seeds and fauna. The combination of these data allows an accurate reconstruction of the regional landscape from MIS 5 to the beginning of MIS 2. The available evidence suggests that this region could be defined as a refugium in which biodiversity persisted. This type of refugium, containing a high diversity of biotopes and some endemic species, which has lasted until the present day, can be seen at a regional scale, but also locally, especially near the coast. These special characteristics of the region – relatively stable climatic conditions with oscillations mainly in aridity and humidity, and a high diversity of flora and fauna – could explain the high density of Palaeolithic sites throughout Middle and Upper Palaeolithic here.
New excavations carried out at Cova de les Malladetes confirm and improve previous information on the archaeological sequence of this site. A total of 29 new dates allow to specify the chronology of the Aurignacian (levels XIVA–XII) and Gravettian (levels XI–VII). Furthermore, concerning the results obtained during the 1970 excavation, three new levels were identified: level XIVB, which represents a short temporal human occupation hiatus, and levels XV and XVI with some hearths and anthropic evidence, although the lithic material does not permit a cultural attribution. This paper presents data obtained from the analysis of archaeobotanical, micro- and macrofaunal assemblages and lithic and osseous industry. Results are relevant concerning the palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental characterisation of the Early Upper Palaeolithic, as well as for assessing the human occupation patterns during the Gravettian and Aurignacian. Moreover, we evaluate the chronological implications of the basal levels (XIVB, XV and XVI), drawing attention to the absence of an important temporal gap between this phase and the start of the Early Upper Palaeolithic at the site. Finally, our new data extend the information provided by other sites in the Spanish Mediterranean region, allowing a more defined characterisation of the Early Upper Palaeolithic, especially regarding the Evolved Aurignacian chronology and its techno-typological structure, with the presence of Roc-de-Combe subtype Dufour bladelets.
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