Predictive Middle Palaeolithic climatic conditions from Eastern Iberia: a methodological approach based on charcoal anal
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(2020) 12:36
ORIGINAL PAPER
Predictive Middle Palaeolithic climatic conditions from Eastern Iberia: a methodological approach based on charcoal analysis and modelling Paloma Vidal-Matutano 1,2
&
Salvador Pardo-Gordó 3,4
Received: 21 November 2018 / Accepted: 16 October 2019 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Ecological and climate modelling is increasingly common in archaeological science as it is a useful tool to analyse human behaviour and ecological variables that influenced the conformation of landscapes. Predictive vegetation models, mainly based on palynological data, provide meaningful information about the theoretical distribution of plant formations in the past by creating different hypothetical scenarios. However, factors linked to variability in pollen productivity according to taxa and to the regional scale offered by this proxy in palaeoenvironmental reconstructions have led some authors to propose the use of macrobotanical data in order to detect a higher number of ecological nuances on a local scale. In this paper, we present the results of a study aimed at characterising the theoretical distribution of simulated Middle Palaeolithic biogeographic and climatic values in the local area of the Upper Serpis Valley, Eastern Iberia. Our predictive model is based on the anthracological data from two local sites, Abric del Pastor (MIS 4) and El Salt (MIS 3), and the climatic data from a total of 33 current weather stations located in the study area and adjacent distances. The data suggest that the Serpis Valley was a dynamic geographic area where there may have been different biogeographical and climatic conditions, not perceptible only through charcoal analysis. These nuances may represent the presence of several biotopes in the surroundings of these two sites, where plant taxa with different temperature and humidity requirements could have grown. Keywords El Salt . Abric del Pastor . Neanderthals . Charcoal analysis . Climate . Biogeography
Highlights - A predictive Middle Palaeolithic biogeographical and climatic model is presented for the Upper Serpis Valley. - A total of 33 weather stations were included. - Simulated results show nuances not perceptible through charcoal analysis. - Serpis Valley would be a dynamic geographic area during the Middle Palaeolithic. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-019-00993-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Paloma Vidal-Matutano [email protected] 1
TARHA Research Group, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Pérez del Toro 1, 35003 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
2
Université Côte-d’Azur CEPAM, CNRS, Nice, France
3
Departament de Prehistòria, Arqueologia i Història Antiga, Blasco Ibáñez 28, 46010 Valencia, Spain
4
Departament de Prehistòria, GRAMPO Research Group (SGR-2017-1302), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus Bellatera, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
Introduction In archaeology, there has
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