Open-air rock-art, territories and modes of exploitation during the Upper Palaeolithic in the Côa Valley (Portugal)

Aubry, Thierry; Llach, Xavier Mangado; Sampaio, Jorge David; Sellami, Farid

doi:10.1017/s0003598x0008981x

Cited by 20 publications

(31 citation statements)

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“…In Portugal, for instance, there were only four Upper Paleolithic sites known in the early 1960s, and the region was considered largely uninhabited (42). Sensitivity of archaeological distributions to changes in research interests is reflected by the fact that in 50 y the number of sites has multiplied manifold with such discoveries as the Côa Valley dwelling and rock art sites (43,44). However, relatively few of these new sites have been radiocarbon dated (44) and would not show up in our archaeological proxy.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Human population dynamics in Europe over the Last Glacial Maximum

Tallavaara

Luoto

Korhonen

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

161

109

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The severe cooling and the expansion of the ice sheets during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), 27,000-19,000 y ago (27-19 ky ago) had a major impact on plant and animal populations, including humans. Changes in human population size and range have affected our genetic evolution, and recent modeling efforts have reaffirmed the importance of population dynamics in cultural and linguistic evolution, as well. However, in the absence of historical records, estimating past population levels has remained difficult. Here we show that it is possible to model spatially explicit human population dynamics from the pre-LGM at 30 ky ago through the LGM to the Late Glacial in Europe by using climate envelope modeling tools and modern ethnographic datasets to construct a population calibration model. The simulated range and size of the human population correspond significantly with spatiotemporal patterns in the archaeological data, suggesting that climate was a major driver of population dynamics 30-13 ky ago. The simulated population size declined from about 330,000 people at 30 ky ago to a minimum of 130,000 people at 23 ky ago. The Late Glacial population growth was fastest during Greenland interstadial 1, and by 13 ky ago, there were almost 410,000 people in Europe. Even during the coldest part of the LGM, the climatically suitable area for human habitation remained unfragmented and covered 36% of Europe.hunter-gatherers | demography | niche modeling | climate change | Paleolithic G rowing populations of anatomically and behaviorally modern humans have been partly responsible for past ecosystem changes such as the extinctions of Pleistocene megafauna and Neanderthal humans (1, 2). In addition to the destiny of other species, human population size also influences our own cultural and genetic evolution. Large pools of interacting individuals can create and maintain adaptive skills, as well as phonological variation, more effectively than small populations, and they are also capable of faster cumulative cultural evolution (3-5). A decrease in population size may even result in a loss of complex cultural traits (6). The effects of population size on cultural variation are thus roughly similar to the effects of population size on genetic variation (7).The study of the role of human population size in cultural and genetic evolution and past ecosystem changes necessitates estimates of population dynamics extending far beyond historical times. The archaeological record illustrates patterns of human population range and size dynamics (8-10), but it does not offer quantitative population size data. Archaeological reconstructions of population dynamics are also bound to the regions and time periods that offer a sufficiently rich archaeological record. In addition to archaeological data, information on past population patterns can be inferred from genetic data using skyline-plot methods (11) and pairwise or multiple sequentially Markovian coalescent analyzes (12, 13). However, these methods depend on estimates of DNA mutation rate and ...

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Human population dynamics in Europe over the Last Glacial Maximum

Tallavaara

Luoto

Korhonen

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

161

109

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“…El área a prospectar quedaba definida por la existencia de afloramientos rocosos apropiados tanto para la realización de grabados -así como de pinturas-como para permitir su eventual conservación. Las referencias conocidas en la región -estaciones de Foz Côa y Siega Verde principalmente-sugerían que en estos sectores las áreas de mayor interés parecen ser las situadas en los fondos de valle de la época, incluso en el mismo paleocauce que suele corresponder con el lecho mayor actual, o en posiciones inmediatas en las laderas, con una sensibilidad especial de los puntos próximos a vados o a confluencias de arroyos que pudieron constituir buenos caminos de acceso hacia los interfluvios (Aubry et al, 2001).…”

Section: © Universidad De Salamancaunclassified

Arte rupestre paleolítico al aire libre en el paraje de La Salud (valle del Tormes, Salamanca)

et al. 2016

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Resumen: El paraje de La Salud en la ciudad de Salamanca es un nuevo enclave de arte rupestre paleolítico al aire libre descubierto en 2013. Durante 2014 desarrollamos una minuciosa prospección y documentación con el fin de conocerlo de manera detallada. Como resultado hemos podido diferenciar tres sectores decorados en el valle del río Tormes, en los que se reconocen cuatro representaciones animales -dos caballos, una línea cérvi-co-dorsal y una posible cabra-y otros motivos no figurativos compuestos por líneas entrecruzadas. Los problemas de conservación han podido diezmar el conjunto, principalmente, por el desprendimiento y erosión de las pizarras más expuestas a lo largo de todo el afloramiento. A pesar de su escasa cantidad, las características técnicas y formales reconocidas enlazan directamente la estación de La Salud con otros emplazamientos similares, como los sobradamente conocidos de Siega Verde y Foz Côa, extendiendo así su área de influencia a nuevas zonas y evidenciando la necesidad de abordar la localización y estudio de los hábitats relacionados con la cada vez más intensa actividad gráfica de la Meseta.Palabras clave: Paleolítico superior; Meseta; grabado; piqueteado; caballo.Abstract: In 2013 a new open air rock art site was discovered in the place called La Salud in the city of Salamanca. In 2014 we carried out an intensive survey to have a better knowledge. As a result, in three decorated sectors were distinguished containing in total four animal representations -two horses, a cervico-dorsal line and a possible goat-and several non figurative motives composed by crossed lines. Different preservation issues affecting the site, such as landslide and erosion, have probably hampered the conservation of more representations all along the valley. Despite the low number of figures, the technical and the formal procedures used in for these representations link directly La Salud site with other open air rock-art sites as Siega Verde and Foz Côa. This extents considerably the territory of these kind of representations revealing the necessity of more intense work to investigate the Upper Paleolithic habitat in the Meseta.

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“…This region's climatic, morphological and topographic attributes include schist bedrock, poor agricultural soils, low annual rainfall and a dry warm climate, especially in the low-lying riverside areas where temperatures can reach 50°C in high summer (Aubry et al 2002a). Adapted to these harsh conditions, over the last two millennia, was the establishment of a model of land exploitation based on three major monocultures (olives, almonds, and wine), complemented by sheep-farming.…”

Section: General Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The metamorphic bedrock created 'ideal' surfaces for rock art, as the gradual river down-cutting process caused the emergence of smooth vertical panels (Figure 4). The exposure and fracturing of these surfaces are consequences of river down-cutting and tectonic processes upon previously deposited metamorphic rocks (Aubry et al 2002a;García Diez and Aubry 2002).…”

Section: Geology and Seismicitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Conservation Programme of the Côa Valley Archaeological Park: Philosophy, Objectives and Action

Fernandes¹

2007

Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites

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Open-air rock-art, territories and modes of exploitation during the Upper Palaeolithic in the Côa Valley (Portugal)

Abstract: A study of the differential preservation of the famous Côa engravings, in the light of the site of Fariseu, place the distribution of the art in a chronological setting, which is in turn placed within the context of lithic raw material procurement.

Cited by 20 publications

References 13 publications

Human population dynamics in Europe over the Last Glacial Maximum

Human population dynamics in Europe over the Last Glacial Maximum

Arte rupestre paleolítico al aire libre en el paraje de La Salud (valle del Tormes, Salamanca)

The Conservation Programme of the Côa Valley Archaeological Park: Philosophy, Objectives and Action

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