The spread of agriculture in Iberia through Approximate Bayesian Computation and Neolithic projectile tools

Abstract

In the present article we use geometric microliths (a specific type of arrowhead) and Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) in order to evaluate possible origin points and expansion routes for the Neolithic in the Iberian Peninsula. In order to do so, we divide the Iberian Peninsula in four areas (Ebro river, Catalan shores, Xúquer river and Guadalquivir river) and we sample the geometric microliths existing in the sites with the oldest radiocarbon dates for each zone. On this data, we perform a partial Mantel test with three matrices: geographic distance matrix, cultural distance matrix and chronological distance matrix. After this is done, we simulate a series of partial Mantel tests where we alter the chronological matrix by using an expansion model with randomised origin points, and using the distribution of the observed partial Mantel test’s results as a summary statistic within an Approximate Bayesian Computation-Sequential Monte-Carlo (ABC-SMC) algorithm framework. Our results point clearly to a Neolithic expansion route following the Northern Mediterranean, whilst the Southern Mediterranean route could also find support and should be further discussed. The most probable origin points focus on the Xúquer river area.

Spatiotemporal Patterns on the Appearance of the First Trapeze Industries in the Late Mesolithic of the Iberian Peninsula

“…New studies adopting a social network approach can be used to test such a hypothesis (Lozano et al 2020; Romano et al 2021; Fernández-López de Pablo et al 2022). Other suite of novel statistical techniques such as Bayesian Computation Analysis (Cortell-Nicolau et al 2021) and Bayesian hierarchical Gaussian Process Quantum Regression can equally shed light on the spatio-temporal patterns by comparing different origin points, diffusion mechanisms, dispersal routes and diffusion rates (Crema et al 2022).…”

Weaving social networks from cultural similarities on the neolithisation process in the Western Mediterranean: Evolutionary trajectories using projectile tools

“…Information about the total sample used is available in Table 1 and S1 File . In this figure, images of microliths 1, 2 and 5 are published for the first time in this work; geometric 3 is republished from [ 24 ] under CC BY license, with permission from A. Cortell-Nicolau and O. García-Puchol, original copyright 2020; and geometric 4 is republished from [ 25 ], under CC BY license, with permission from A. Cortell-Nicolau and O. García-Puchol, original copyright 2021. The illustration was entirely designed and elaborated by the authors of this work.…”

“…The first neolithic contexts in Iberia are recognized in a wide area around 7600 cal BP including Catalonia, Ebro Valley, Valencia region and Southern Andalusia [ 25 , 26 , 44 , 45 ]. Recent investigations have shown the presence of early impressa contexts in a few numbers of archaeological sites located in the Cap de la Nau/Serpis Valley -Valencia region- [ 45 , 46 ], maybe as the first traces of a pioneering arrival at the Mediterranean Iberian coast following a leapfrog movement [ 6 ].…”

“…The newcomer farmers and herders extend along the diverse territories adapting these new economic patterns to the ecological conditions in an arrhythmic process involving some fast trajectories (coastal areas and Ebro valley), in which interaction with foragers seems to be more rapidly blurred ([ 35 ]; see also [ 47 ] for Portugal). The new cultural package incorporates pottery, polished stone tools, and a renewed toolkit that integrates, among others, glossed blades, bifacial drills, and also, geometric projectiles including renewed shapes and retouch techniques [ 25 , 42 , 48 ]. As mentioned before, here we analyze in deep cultural variability dynamics of geometric projectiles present in a longue durée perspective among Mesolithic and Neolithic groups.…”

¿Falta de concienciación o desconocimiento? La transparencia y la reproducibilidad en la Arqueología Computacional

“…La Arqueología Cuantitativa y/o Arqueología Computacional hace referencia a la aplicación de técnicas y métodos cuantitativos, incluyendo modelizaciones in silico para responder a cuestiones histórico-arqueológicas. A pesar de ser una disciplina tradicionalmente ligada a las escuelas británica y americana dónde los primeros trabajos de simulación se remontan a la década de 1970 (Doran, 1970;Flannery, 1973;Wobst, 1974;ammerman y Cavalli-sForza, 1971, GarDin, 1988, en la última década ésta se ha consolidado en la investigación hispano-lusa no solo por la consolidación de los escasos grupos focalizados en la computacióncuantificación sino también por la emergencia de nuevas investigaciones que bajo el «paraguas» de la Arqueología Computacional están llevando a cabo trabajos novedosos (Cortell-niColau et al, 2021;orenGo et al, 2021;ParDo-GorDó et al, 2022;rubio-CamPillo et al, 2022). Todo ello nos sugiere que las nuevas tecnologías, y especialmente la Arqueología Computacional y Cuantitativa permiten nuevas perspectivas en la forma de visualizar y analizar el registro arqueológico.…”