Papers by Adrián Mora-González
Complutum
Se presenta una nueva hipótesis sobre el modo de vida y el grado de control social de la producci... more Se presenta una nueva hipótesis sobre el modo de vida y el grado de control social de la producción agrícola en la sociedad argárica (2200-1550 BCE). Si bien hace décadas se propuso para la cuenca de Vera (Almería) que en la fase final de su desarrollo se daría un proceso de intensificación productiva basado en un monocultivo extensivo de cebada (Hordeum vulgare L.), la revisión efectuada del conjunto de los datos paleobotánicos disponibles, con las limitaciones existentes y analizados de forma global a nivel cronológico, permiten considerar otras posibilidades interpretativas. Los datos apuntan hacia la práctica de una agricultura diversa durante todo el desarrollo de la sociedad argárica, aunque de base esencialmente cerealista, asociada a la puesta en práctica de diferentes estrategias coherentes con los principios de la racionalidad de la economía campesina.
Cueva de Biniedrís: una historia por contar
Revista de Menorca, Jul 1, 2016
La cueva de Biniedrís junto a la cueva de Mussol, Càrritx y Pas conforma unos registros arqueológ... more La cueva de Biniedrís junto a la cueva de Mussol, Càrritx y Pas conforma unos registros arqueológicos de excepcional valía para la reconstrucción de la identidad social de la isla de Menorca. Todas ellas comparten una misma función, unos restos de cultura material y un excelente grado de conservación. En las siguientes páginas nos acercaremos a la primera de las cuevas mencio-nadas, Biniedrís, ya que es la última de las cuales que está siendo objeto de un proyecto de investigación financiado por la Fundació Rubió i Tudurí de la islade Menorca
JOURNAL OF ANCIENT HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY, 2020
The need for interdisciplinary studies is the basis of ambitious research (ARCHEM Project) that i... more The need for interdisciplinary studies is the basis of ambitious research (ARCHEM Project) that is carried out in the argaric settlement of Peñalosa (Baños de la Encina, Jaén), combining organic residues analysis and techno-typological studies of pottery found in funerary contexts. Manufacture and use of pottery could inform us about customs and traditions that remain hidden in time and in the archaeological record. Knowing the implications and decisions of potters as well as the functionality of those vessels deposited inside the graves can approach the idiosyncrasy of a society in the Bronze Age in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. The methodology used to identify patterns of functionality is highlighted by the combination of cutting-edge analysis techniques in both fields such as the application of different chromatographic techniques (GC-MS, UPLC-HRMS and GC-C-IRMS) that allow to identify the organic compounds in the ceramics and the application of analytical techniques from Earth Sciences (Stereomicroscopic, X-Ray Diffraction and Petrography), which allow us to characterize ceramic pastes and knowing the catchment of raw materials. This study highlights the Peñalosa site as a melting pot of new research and it brings us closer with the use of a complex methodology combined to the societies 4000 years ago.
Journal of world prehistory, 2018
The great site of Valencina de la Concepción, near Seville in the lower Guadalquivir valley of so... more The great site of Valencina de la Concepción, near Seville in the lower Guadalquivir valley of southwest Spain, is presented in the context of debate about the nature of Copper Age society in southern Iberia as a whole. Many aspects of the layout, use, character and development of Valencina remain unclear, just as there are major unresolved questions about the kind of society represented there and in southern Iberia, from the late fourth to the late third millennium cal BC. This paper discusses 178 radiocarbon dates, from 17 excavated sectors within the c. 450 ha site, making it the best dated in later Iberian prehistory as a whole. Dates are modelled in a Bayesian statistical framework. The resulting formal date estimates provide the basis for both a new epistemological approach to the site and a much more detailed narrative of its development than previously available. Beginning in the 32nd century cal BC, a long-lasting tradition of simple, mainly collective and often successive ...
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 2017
In addition, we measured samples of a current rainfed Triticum sp. (year 2014), which averaged Δ ... more In addition, we measured samples of a current rainfed Triticum sp. (year 2014), which averaged Δ 13 C 15.56‰. The changes between the three phases could indicate the development of mixed models of exploitation that combine strategies based on the use of rainfed and potentially irrigated areas during the 2nd millennium bc. The implementation of such a cropping technique, taking advantage of the river banks, could be a response to the processes of climatic degradation that begin in the Middle Holocene. The situation of the Cerro del Castillo reservoir between the rivers of the Guadiana and Matachel rivers is consistent with the development of this type of practice indicated by the isotopic and archaeobotanical data.
The isotopic footprint of irrigation in the western Mediterranean basin during the Bronze Age: the settlement of Terlinques, southeast Iberian Peninsula
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 2016
The isotopic composition of the remains of cereals and pine has been studied, from three differen... more The isotopic composition of the remains of cereals and pine has been studied, from three different chronological phases from 2140 to 1500 cal bc at the Terlinques site, southeast Iberian Peninsula. The δ13C values range between −24.91 and −21.19 ‰ (V-PDB), with an average of −23.05 ‰ (STD = 0.69). The archaeological cereals show an average isotopic discrimination (Δ13C) with the past atmospheric CO2 of 16.96 ‰, which is much greater than the average Δ13C of 13.89 ‰ of the rainfed Triticeae (wheat and barley) in modern times. However, considering the effect of the atmospheric CO2 concentration, which is included in the WUEi (intrinsic water-use efficiency), this difference is even greater, 77 for archaeological samples versus 144 for present-day rainfed cereals. This could represent some of the earliest evidence of the use of irrigation techniques in Europe. Modern cereals which have been irrigated show a general Δ13C average of 17.17 ‰, very similar to those of the middle Holocene. However, when the WUEi is calculated, the value of 108 indicates that present-day irrigated cereals are more stressed than the archaeological samples. For comparison, we have included pine trees, since these have an extensive root development which is capable of reaching the water table. In the past, both cereals and pine present similar WUEi values (77 vs. 72), however at present only irrigated cereals show similar WUEi values to pine (108 vs. 107). This again suggests irrigation of cereals in the past. The processes of climatic degradation towards drier conditions which started in the middle Holocene could be responsible for the use of land near water sources, on riverbanks and near shallow lakes. According to the isotopic and plant macrofossil data, irrigation or water management techniques were used at the Terlinques site, located close to the Laguna de Villena, a lake which has now dried out.
Poblamiento prehistórico en el valle del Tajo (área de Alconétar): técnicas de análisis geo-espacial y primeros resultados
Vi Encuentro De Arqueologia Del Suroeste Peninsular 2013 Isbn 978 84 616 6306 4 Pags 733 758, 2013
El estudio integral del paisaje del área de Alconétar (Cáceres) ha permitido obtener nuevos datos... more El estudio integral del paisaje del área de Alconétar (Cáceres) ha permitido obtener nuevos datos sobre la dinámica de ocupación durante la Prehistoria reciente de sector. Prospecciones y sondeos realizados en tres sectores aledaños a las márgenes del Tajo han servido para trazar una imagen integral de la evolución del paisaje, en el que se incluye el poblamiento, manifestaciones megalíticas y arte rupestre. Dentro del proyecto, las técnicas de análisis geo-espacial y la fotografía aérea han jugado un papel muy relevante a la hora de analizar la información arqueológica
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
Agricultura y control social: de la tendencia al monocultivo a la diversidad agrícola en el Argar
Complutum, 2022
Se presenta una nueva hipótesis sobre el modo de vida y el grado de control social de la producci... more Se presenta una nueva hipótesis sobre el modo de vida y el grado de control social de la producción agrícola en la sociedad argárica (2200-1550 BCE). Si bien hace décadas se propuso para la cuenca de Vera (Almería) que en la fase final de su desarrollo se daría un proceso de intensificación productiva basado en un monocultivo extensivo de cebada (Hordeum vulgare L.), la revisión efectuada del conjunto de los datos paleobotánicos disponibles, con las limitaciones existentes y analizados de forma global a nivel cronológico, permiten considerar otras posibilidades interpretativas. Los datos apuntan hacia la práctica de una agricultura diversa durante todo el desarrollo de la sociedad argárica, aunque de base esencialmente cerealista, asociada a la puesta en práctica de diferentes estrategias coherentes con los principios de la racionalidad de la economía campesina.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2018
The practice of agriculture across the Mediterranean basin has had significant social and economi... more The practice of agriculture across the Mediterranean basin has had significant social and economic consequences, including the development of social inequalities. To inform on plant water status and thus on agricultural management techniques and environmental conditions during the first half of the second millennium BCE, we measured stable carbon isotopes in a set of 280 seeds of Hordeum vulgare L. and Pisum sativum from the archaeological site of Peñalosa (Baños de la Encina, southern Iberian Peninsula). The ranges in stable carbon isotope values for archaeological samples were wider than those observed for modern reference samples collected in 2014 and 2015, suggesting that archaeological samples experienced more varied water status conditions. This variability was associated with the location of the seeds within the site and could be a consequence of the cultivation of different plots and/or from temporal variations in local environmental conditions. For absolute comparisons of water status between modern and past samples, we introduced a novel correction to account for temporal changes in the concentration of atmospheric CO 2 in addition to the usual adjustment that accounts for the variability in atmospheric CO 2 stable carbon isotope values. This comparison showed that past samples had greater water availability than modern references, and thus, irrigation or intentional selection of naturally irrigated soils was practiced at the site.
Irrigación y secano en el Mediterráneo occidental (III-I milenio a.n.e): Un estudio isotópico
Esta tesis doctoral se basa en el analisis de composicion isotopica del carbono (δ13C) sobre rest... more Esta tesis doctoral se basa en el analisis de composicion isotopica del carbono (δ13C) sobre restos arqueobotanicos, con el objetivo de abordar el problema de la existencia de la irrigacion durante la Prehistoria reciente en la peninsula iberica. Para ello hemos obtenido resultados de un total de 1693 restos arqueobotanicos. El muestreo ha sido realizado a lo largo de 13 asentamientos con una cronologia entre el III y I milenio a.n.e. Adicionalmente, y por el hecho de contar con referencias locales, hemos tomado muestras de plantas actuales (anos 2014 y 2015) en las proximidades de varios de estos yacimientos. Los valores medios obtenidos (y el rango) en el caso de la discriminacion isotopica del carbono (Δ13C ‰) y la eficiencia en el uso del agua (WUEi µmol CO2 mol-1 H2O) serian los siguientes: - Terlinques: Δ13C = 16,96‰ (15,15-19,02); WUEi= 77 µmol CO2 mol-1 H2O (61-91) - Lloma de Betxi: 16,89‰ (15,19-18,89); WUEi = 78 (62-91). - Marroquies Bajos: 17,54‰ (15,28-20,51); WUEi = 73 ...
This paper deals with the lattest data obtained after the find of a dump containing archaeometall... more This paper deals with the lattest data obtained after the find of a dump containing archaeometallurgical remains, located at the exterior of Peñalosa site. Its study and documentation is to provide important information about a very topical issue on Archaeometallurgy of the southern Iberian Peninsula during the Bronze Age: the scale of production. To this end there have been performed numerous analyses of slags and fragments of vessels used in the reduction of copper ores and melting metal. Technological data obtained along with the quantification of archaeometallurgical material from the whole Penalosa site allow us to conclude the importance of the scale of production of copper in the area, with a major focus on Sierra Morena.
La cronología radiocarbó- nica del tholos de Montelirio = The radiocarbon chronology of the Montelirio tholos
Abstract: A study of the chronology of tholos of Montelirio is presented from 22 radiocarbon date... more Abstract: A study of the chronology of tholos of Montelirio is presented from 22 radiocarbon dates and its formal modeling using Bayesian statistics. After considering in detail the problems and limitations associated with each of the available dates, two alternative chronological models are proposed in relation to the temporality of this great megalithic monument. The results suggest that Montelirio was built sometime between late 29th and late 28th century ANE and that burial activity within it could occur either as a result of a single event or as a product of several relatively close events in Time (separated by several decades at most). The discussion of these results includes references to the results of a large study of Valencina's radiocarbon chronology currently in the press (Garcia Sanjuan et al., En Prensa), in terms of the temporality of this great Chalcolithic settlement and Montelirio's position in the same. Keywords: Tholos, Megalithic Monument, Copper Age, Ch...
De la materialidad a la interpretación arqueológica: Análisis de las desigualdades sociales en el poblado argárico de Peñalosa
espanolEl mundo argarico ha sido interpretado en clave de desigualdad y estratificacion social, c... more espanolEl mundo argarico ha sido interpretado en clave de desigualdad y estratificacion social, caracterizado como una sociedad de clases. Para ello se han tomado entre otras variables analiticas la ausencia o presencia de la cultura material que componian los ajuares funerarios de los individuos inhumados; si estos eran hombres o mujeres, adultos o individuos infantiles; y, en una menor medida, las relaciones de produccion, distribucion y consumo en terminos de aumento de la extraccion de excedente por parte de unos individuos sobre otros. En este momento hemos de preguntarnos: ?permite el estado actual de la investigacion afirmar la existencia de diferencias sociales cristalizadas en clases contrapuestas? ?Hemos confundido nuestras variables analiticas con desigualdades irreconciliables? ?Que relaciones se establecen entre los grupos sociales y las diferencias de genero? Intentando dar respuestas, este trabajo pretende entre otras cuestiones, releer todas aquellas variables asumid...
Un Poblado De La Edad Del Bronce Que Tiene Mucho Que Decir, Peñalosa: Últimas Novedades en La Acropolis Oriental
P enalosa , e s e l unic o yacimient o d e l a Cultur a A r garic a qu e vien e siend o objet o d... more P enalosa , e s e l unic o yacimient o d e l a Cultur a A r garic a qu e vien e siend o objet o d e un a i n v esti gacion arqueologica sistematica desde mediados de los anos 80. Nueve campanas de excavacion regidas por una metodologia microespacial han dado como resultado un amplio conocimiento sobre este grupo humano de Sierra Morena oriental. Todo este trabajo ha quedado plasmado en una amplia bibliografia, referente indiscutible para cualquier investigacion de la cultura argarica en el sureste peninsular. Continuando con esta estela, en este articulo se exponen los resultados de excavacion obtenidos en una zona concreta del yacimiento def inida como Zona Alta o Acropolis oriental.
Although seeds remains studies have been carried out from several archaeological sites located on... more Although seeds remains studies have been carried out from several archaeological sites located on the southeast of the iberian peninsula, our knowledge about argaric agriculture is still very scarce. With this study we aim to launch a series of reflections about the current status of research, as well as some theoretical proposals in order to deepen our knowledge about agriculture as a step towards a better understanding of argaric society itself.
Agricultural production in the 1st millennium BCE in Northwest Iberia: results of carbon isotope analysis
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
This work presents the first results of carbon isotope (δ13C) analysis of seeds (Triticum dicoccu... more This work presents the first results of carbon isotope (δ13C) analysis of seeds (Triticum dicoccum, Triticum aestivum/durum, Triticum cf. spelta and Hordeum vulgare L.) from archaeological contexts from the settlement sites of A Fontela and Castrovite in Northwest Iberia, which cover a chronological range between 1050 cal BC and 25 cal AD. In addition, 142 present-day wheat seeds from 16 plots cultivated in 2014 and 2015 across this region were analysed. The results obtained for A Fontela and Castrovite were − 23.6‰ (between − 25.3 and − 21.4) and − 24.0‰ (between − 26.6 and − 21.8), respectively. Taking into account changes in the isotope composition of atmospheric carbon (δ13Catm), the Δ13C values were 17.5‰ (A Fontela) and 18.0‰ (Castrovite). In Castrovite, differences between storage facilities were detected, which could be related to the exploitation of different areas for cultivation, possibly indicating a family-based organization of agricultural production.
Journal of Ancient History and Archaeology, 2020
The need for interdisciplinary studies is the basis of ambitious research (ARCHEM Project) that i... more The need for interdisciplinary studies is the basis of ambitious research (ARCHEM Project) that is carried out in the argaric settlement of Peñalosa (Baños de la Encina, Jaén), combining organic residues analysis and techno-typological studies of pottery found in funerary contexts. Manufacture and use of pottery could inform us about customs and traditions that remain hidden in time and in the archaeological record. Knowing the implications and decisions of potters as well as the functionality of those vessels deposited inside the graves can approach the idiosyncrasy of a society in the Bronze Age in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. The methodology used to identify patterns of functionality is highlighted by the combination of cutting-edge analysis techniques in both fields such as the application of different chromatographic techniques (GC-MS, UPLC-HRMS and GC-C-IRMS) that allow to identify the organic compounds in the ceramics and the application of analytical techniques from Earth Sciences (Stereomicroscopic, X-Ray Diffraction and Petrography), which allow us to characterize ceramic pastes and knowing the catchment of raw materials. This study highlights the Peñalosa site as a melting pot of new research and it brings us closer with the use of a complex methodology combined to the societies 4000 years ago.
Agricultural production in the 1st millennium BCE in Northwest Iberia: results of carbon isotope analysis
This work presents the first results of carbon isotope (δ13C) analysis of seeds (Triticum dicoccu... more This work presents the first results of carbon isotope (δ13C) analysis of seeds (Triticum dicoccum, Triticum aestivum/durum, Triticum cf. spelta and Hordeum vulgare L.) from archaeological contexts from the settlement sites of A Fontela and Castrovite in Northwest Iberia, which cover a chronological range between 1050 cal BC and 25 cal AD. In addition, 142 present-day wheat seeds from 16 plots cultivated in 2014 and 2015 across this region were analysed. The results obtained for A Fontela and Castrovite were − 23.6‰ (between − 25.3 and − 21.4) and − 24.0‰ (between − 26.6 and − 21.8), respectively. Taking into account changes in the isotope composition of atmospheric carbon (δ13Catm), the Δ13C values were 17.5‰ (A Fontela) and 18.0‰ (Castrovite). In Castrovite, differences between storage facilities were detected, which could be related to the exploitation of different areas for cultivation, possibly indicating a family-based organization of agricultural production.
Journal World Prehistory, 2018
The great site of Valencina de la Concepción, near Seville in the lower Guadalquivir valley of so... more The great site of Valencina de la Concepción, near Seville in the lower Guadalquivir valley of southwest Spain, is presented in the context of debate about the nature of Copper Age society in southern Iberia as a whole. Many aspects of the layout, use, character and development of Valencina remain unclear, just as there are major unresolved questions about the kind of society represented there and in southern Iberia, from the late fourth to the late third millennia cal BC. This paper discusses 178 radiocarbon dates, from 17 excavated sectors within the 450ha site, making it the best dated in later Iberian prehistory as a whole. Dates are formally modelled in a Bayesian statistical framework. The bulk of samples were chosen from the varied mortuary contexts, from pits and artificial caves to megalithic tholos tombs, which constitute a major part of the archaeology of Copper Age Valencina. The resulting formal date estimates provide the basis for both a new epistemological approach to the site as well as a much more detailed narrative of its development than previously available. Beginning in the 32nd century cal BC, a long-lasting tradition of simple, mainly collective and often successive burial was established at the site. There is plenty of evidence for a wide range of other activity, but no clear sign of permanent, large-scale residence or public buildings or spaces. Probably by the 30th or 29th century cal BC, a new form of mortuary practice had emerged alongside older traditions, in the shape of the distinctive megalithic tholos tombs, some of which contained exotic and abundant goods accompanying the dead. Though the models lack precision, this phase of showy funerals and social display, perhaps aimed at establishing new forms of descent and social hierarchisation partly based on the manipulation of the past, may not have lasted much beyond the 28th century cal BC. It is possible that activity as a whole had declined before the middle of the third millennium cal BC, and around 2500 cal BC,
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Papers by Adrián Mora-González