Clay combustion structures in early Mesolithic at Cova da Baleia (Mafra, Portugal): Approaches to their functionality

Abstract

) is hereby presented and discussed in this paper. In an excavated area of 500 m 2 was identified a large concentration of structures (128), of which 104 were in clay, with two phases of occupation. The absolute chronology indicates a majority occupation of the second half of the 8th millennium cal BCE (Early Mesolithic) and a second phase towards the end of the 7th millennium (Late Mesolithic). Despite the excellent state of conservation of the site, the osteological remains are practically absent, possibly due to taphonomic factors. Cova da Baleia is clearly a distinctive site of the reference framework known of the Early Mesolithic times in Portugal, given the large size of the site (about 1 ha) and its structural complexity.It was clear that an interdisciplinary approach was mandatory in order to fully guarantee the site interpretation, namely regarding its functionality. The results of the use-wear and archaeobotanical studies show the relevance of wood and other hard materials, whereas the need for fire for these activities remains to be understood.

Mesolithic dwelling structures: from methodological approaches to archaeological interpretation

“…The paper by Catarina Sousa et al (2018) discusses around the functionality of the Cova da Baleia site (Mafra, Portugal). This large archaeological site, with more than 500 m 2 and 128 structures, presents the best-preserved group of Mesolithic combustion clay structures of prehistoric Western Europe, structures whose functionality is still debated today.…”