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Abstract
We present the results of prospecting in the NE of the Iberian Peninsula, with the aim of identifying the siliceous sources potentially used by the populations that occupied the marginal basins of the Ebro depression during the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic. We intend to define the main characteristics of the cherts in the region studied, taking into account the palaeoenvironment in which silicifications are mainly formed, and the premise that siliceous rocks acquire the attributes of enclosing rocks. The cherts studied are the products of early diagenesis by replacement of carbonate and evaporite sediments. Petrological analyses show that they are made up of microquartz, with high proportion of fibrous forms silica, carbonates, ferric oxides and evaporite relicts. In the future, these characteristics will be useful for ascribing archaeological materials in both geological and geographical terms.
Highlights
Prospecting in the NE of the Iberian Peninsula was the first step in identifying the chert sources potentially frequented by the population that occupied the marginal basins of the Ebro depression during the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic.Since the beginning of the twentieth century many archaeological excavations have been carried out in the area studied, revealing an archaeological record that stretches from the Lower to Upper Palaeolithic
The aim of this research was to locate the existing chert sources in the region defined by Catalan Coast Ranges (CCR), and the Ódena (OB) and Barberà Basins (BB), and to characterise the potential raw materials
Several chert outcrops were located during the field prospecting campaigns and registered in a database containing the main descriptive characteristics - location, accessibility, geological and lithostratigraphical context, raw material present and possible evidences of human exploitation (Masson 1979; Demars 1982; Tarriño & Ullibarri 1992; Bressy 2003)
Summary
Prospecting in the NE of the Iberian Peninsula was the first step in identifying the chert sources potentially frequented by the population that occupied the marginal basins of the Ebro depression during the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic.Since the beginning of the twentieth century many archaeological excavations have been carried out in the area studied, revealing an archaeological record that stretches from the Lower to Upper Palaeolithic. The results of several excavations have confirmed a discontinuous but intensive occupation of the area from Lower to Final Upper Palaeolithic. This work represents part of two authors’ PhD research focalized in the study of raw material usage and mobility patterns of six archaeological sites (Abric Romaní (Capellades), Molí del Salt (Vimbodí i Poblet), Balma de la Vall (Montblanc), St. Gregori (Falset), Cova de les Borres (La Febró) and Picamoixons (Picamoixons)) located at the central part of the Ebro basin margin and ranging from Middle to Upper Palaelolithic. The aim of this research was to locate the existing chert sources in the region defined by Catalan Coast Ranges (CCR), and the Ódena (OB) and Barberà Basins (BB), and to characterise the potential raw materials. Locating and characterising geological chert samples will provide objective criteria for establishing the provisioning area of the archaeological assemblages in the future
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