Work

The Use of Rock Shelters During the Early Neolithic in the North of Alicante (Spain). The Site of Penya Roja de Catamarruc (Alicante, Spain) as a Case Study

Year: 2021

Type: article

Abstract: The first Neolithic communities settled in the East of the Iberian Peninsula developed a complex strategy of land occupation. These strategies evolved as their social, demographic, and economic bases were transformed. In this paper, we focus on the analysis of archaeological sites located under rock shelters, which were recurrently occupied throughout the Early Neolithic. To deepen this analysis, we reviewed the archaeological record of Penya Roja de Catamarruc (Planes, Alicante), as well as other sites of similar characteristics. This information, combined with different spatial analyses – prominence, visibility, and capacity of use of the soils – allowed us to define a series of patterns of occupation and exploitation of the territory of the first Neolithic communities. This study highlights the importance of the forest as a resource related not only to hunting and gathering as traditionally seen, but also to shepherding.

Source: Open Archaeology

DOI: 10.1515/opar-2020-0165

Authors: Gabriel García Atiénzar, Silvia Martínez Amorós, Laura M. Sirvent Cañada

Institution: University of Alicante

Language: English

Topic: Archaeological and Geological Studies

Subfield: Archeology

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $848