Title: Shepherds and karst: the use of caves and rock-shelters in the Mediterranean region during the Neolithic
Abstract: Abstract Several Neolithic to Iron Age sites of the Mediterranean region contain archaeological sediments, called fumiers, which are composed mainly of burnt animal dung and vegetal remains, and are commonly interpreted as the product of pastoral activities. Here we address three main topics about these sediments, which occur almost exclusively in the entrance areas of karstic caves and rock-shelters: their characteristics; methodological aspects of their excavation and study; and their archaeological interpretation. For such purposes, we briefly review the information available about Neolithic fumiers and present the first data from the sites of El Mirador (Burgos, Spain) and Riparo Gaban (Trento, Italy). Keywords: Mediterranean EuropeNeolithic fumiers pastoralismgeoarchaeologysoil micromorphology Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their careful comments. The analysis of Riparo Gaban was undertaken in the context of the project APSAT (‘Environment and landscapes of Trento district's upland-sites’), funded by the Provincia Autonoma di Trento (Italy).
Publication Year: 2009
Publication Date: 2009-06-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 148
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