Sleeping Activity Area within the Site Structure of Archaic Human Groups. Evidence from Abric Romaní Level N Combustion Activity Areas

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Sleeping Activity Area within the SiteStructure of Archaic Human Groups

Evidence from Abric Roman Level N CombustionActivity Areas

Josep Vallverdu , Manuel Vaquero , Isabel Caceres , EthelAllue, Jordi Rosell , Palmira Saladie , Gema Chacon ,Andreu Olle , Antoni Canals , Robert Sala , M. A.Courty , and Eudald Carbonell

IPHES (Institut Catala de Paleoecologia Humana i EvolucioSocial), Placa Imperial Tarraco, 1, 43005 Tarragona, Spain([email protected]). 5 II 09

CA Online-Only Material: Supplement A

The identication of different prehistoric activity areas andNeanderthal behavior is one of the main research goals at theAbric Roman site, which is a well-preserved and microstra-tied Mousterian archaeological site. A conspicuous occu-pation surface excavated in level N yielded a remarkably pre-served set of aligned combustion activity areas in the innerzone of the living surface. This set of combustion activity areas suggests analogy with sleeping-and-resting activity areasof modern foragers. Multidisciplinary analysessuggest (1) dia-chronic occupation and (2) similar use of the inner zone of the living oor. The sleeping area comprises ve combustionactivity areas, spaced at approximately 1 m distance from eachother. A large wood imprint of travertine was found near theinner zone, suggesting an architectural remain of a prehistoricdwelling. Descriptions of archaic human sleeping activity ar-eas are very few in Paleolithic archaeology. This identicationis a proxy for estimating the number of individuals of Mous-terian groups that occupied the Abric Roman rock shelteraround 55 kyr BP.

Comparative behavioral capabilities and cultural repertoiresremain largely unresolved in Paleolithic archaeology. The re-search reported here is especially relevant to document a rarearchaic human-activity-area analogue to sleeping-and-restingactivity areas of modern foragers (Binford 1988). Argumentsabout archeological-visibility inquiry is a task of great im-portance when interpreting the past, and the preserved ex-cavated surfaces are indispensable conditions for continuingtheoretical and analytical research on human evolution (Con-ard 1994; Kent 1991).

Fire use reported in the archaeological level N of the AbricRoman rock shelter contributes to Paleolithic archaeology research on Neanderthal behavior in domestic living spaces.

2010 by The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research.All rights reserved. 0011-3204/2010/5101-0021$10.00. DOI: 10.1086/649499

We consider that actual research about domestic spaces inPaleolithic archaeology has received little empirical attention(Henry et al. 2004; Julien 2002). Distinct trends and argu-ments about behavioral differences between modern and ex-tinct humans are currently based on a few old site structure

studies (Hayden 1993; Henry et al. 2004; Kolen 1999; Mellars1995; Pettit 1997). New eld strategies and analyses are re-quired for investigating ancient human behavior on a com-parative basis (Kroll 1994; Rolland 2004; Rose and Marshall1996).

This preliminary report summarizes an extensive rock-shelter archaeological excavation through multidisciplinary studies. Level N combustion activity areas are recorded by means of sedimentary facies analysis in order to demonstratedifferent re uses in the living-oor zones. The spatial patternof re use in the inner zone, with a distance of 1 m betweencombustion activity areas, helps to identify a sleeping activity area (Binford 1988; Gamble 1990). An architectural element

of wood, preserved in a travertine cast close to the sleepingactivity area, suggests existence of a dwelling. Highly mobilehuman groups and dwelling constructionsprobablyconstitutea different spatial behavior and a singular record of humansettlement systems and home bases (Rolland 2004; Rose andMarshall 1996).

The few, small archaeological remains at the sleeping ac-tivity area cannot be explained by cleaning behavior only (Nadel et al. 2004). The thresholds that determine the ap-pearance of maintenance activities can vary according to thehuman group and the size of the shelter (Fisher and Strickland1991). A congruent use of the inner zone can explain thearchaeological visibility of the level N sleeping-and-restingactivity area (Brooks and Yellen 1987). Integration of sedi-mentary facies analysis of combustion activity areas into amultidisciplinary processual and behavioral paradigm can ex-plain factors such as the duration of residence, the numberof residents, and the type of activity area (Kent 1991). Thesemultidisciplinary studies are discussed in this preliminary report.

Abric Roman Rock-Shelter Site

The Abric Roman archaeological site is a rock shelter locatedat the northeast side of the Cinglera del Capello cliff in thetown of Capellades, 45 km northwest of Barcelona, Spain (g.1a ). Its coordinates are 41 32 N and 1 41 E, its altitude is 280m asl, and the cliff wall faces north-northeast (g. 1 b ). Thestratigraphy is made up of 20 m of well-stratied travertinesediments. Rock fragmentation and alluvial and biochemicalsedimentary processes generated boundstones, gravels, cal-carenites, and calcilutites interbedded with very ne archae-ological levels. U-series and radiocarbon dates put the AbricRoman chronostratigraphy between 70 and 40 kyr. The sed-imentation rate is estimated around 0.6 m/kyr (Bischoff, Julia ,and Mora 1988).


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Figure 1. Regional (a ) and zonal ( b ) position of the Abric Roman rock shelter and archaeological level N topography and distribution and num-ber of combustion activity areas ( c ). a , The village Capellades is locatedin northeast of the Iberian Peninsula. b , The Abric Roman site is situatednorth of the Cinglera del Capello cliff. Note the prominent concavity of the cliff with a general north-northeast solar orientation. The highlightedline is the topographic upper contour of the Capellades cliff above theAbric Roman rock shelter. c , Cartography of archaeological level N. 1,Distribution and number of combustion activity areas. 2 , Inner zone. 3,Frontal zone. 4 , Central zone. 5 , External zone. 6 , Dripline. 7 , Travertinecliff wall. 8 , Travertine dripping domes.


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The Abric Roman archaeological levels have yielded a greatnumber of combustion activity areas ( ). Spatial anal-n p 187 ysis of the combustion activity areas has enabled the spatialpattern of re use in the Abric Roman rock shelter during10 kyr of diachronic occupation (archaeological levels IN).We have generated a central point (centroid) related to the

overall combustion activity areas in every archaeological level.Central points of each archaeological level indicate an east-west axis, suggesting that the west wall of the rock shelter wasthe structural back wall during the prehistoric occupations of levels IN (Carbonell, Lorenzo, and Vallverdu 2007).

Archaeological Level N

Ordering the level N remains in the structural back wall of the rock shelter, we divide the living oor into three zones(g. 1c ): (1) the inner zone, in front of the west wall (hearthnumbers 1 to 5); (2) the frontal zone, or interdome (hearthnumbers 6, 7, and 8); and (3) the central zone (hearth num-bers 9 to 19). The archaeological level N represents an almosthorizontal 75-m 2 surface sheltered by a large travertine cur-tain. This surface is found approximately 15 m below the topof the cliff. The total excavated area is 170 m2 . An accretionary ramp consisting of fallen blocks makes up the outer driplineof the rock shelter, which is found at 7 m distance from thecliff wall (g. 1c ). The rock-shelter wall comprises two arches:one is located in the west, receiving sun exposure from theeast; the other one is located in the south, exposed to thenorth (g. 1 c ). Sunlight hits the rock shelter during a few hours in the morning, shining on the area of the west wall.

The archaeological level N has been dated around 55 kyrBP (Bischoff, Julia , and Mora 1988). This deposit is composedof graded calcarenites and granules of travertine, and its max-imum thickness is about 10 cm. It is contained in thickersedimentary deposits without traces of archaeological re-mains. Toward the shelter wall and the dripping domes of the external zone, the level N becomes a discontinuous surface(g. 1c ). Graded bedding in the level N archaeological depositsuggests episodic sedimentation. They reect a brief dry pe-riod during which dripping processes stopped and the rock shelter became t for human habitation. Interbedding withthicker sedimentary deposits and the absence of carnivore

remains suggest that the rock shelter was uninhabitable beforeand after the occupation of level N, when wet sedimentary microenvironments such as dripping were active (Vallverduet al. 2004).

The pollen record of level N corresponds to one part of biozone 3 (phase), showing a predominance of Artemisia,Poaceae, and Pinus (Burjachs and Julia 1994). Zone 3 is con-sidered a cold phase with open-space taxa and signicantuctuations marked by the appearance of thermophilic taxa,which suggest very brief warm periods.

Lithic Artifacts

Lithic remains are scarce and predominantly of small size.The assemblage is composed of 541 artifacts recorded three-dimensionally; most of them (73%) are smaller than 20 mm.In addition, some hundreds of microakes have been recov-ered from the sediment sieving. Chert is the dominant raw material, representing more than 90% of the artifacts. Othermaterials, such as limestone and quartz, are also found. Thesepercentages are similar to those recorded in other levels of the Abric Roman sequence. Some limestone fragments seemto correspond to the use of unworked limestone cobbles.From a morpho-technical point of view, the information pro-vided by level N is scarce.

The lithic remains are clustered in well-delimited accu-mulations (see CA online supplement A). Most artifacts areconcentrated in two accumulations located in the centralzone, around hearth numbers 9 to 11 and 14 to 16, respec-tively (g. 1c ; supplement A). There is a more scattered ac-

cumulation close to hearth number 13. In the frontal zone,there is a scattered accumulation in hearth numbers 6 and 7and a very dense cluster in hearth number 8. The lithic ar-tifacts close to hearth number 8 are concentrated in an areaof only 30 cm in diameter. This accumulation can be relatedto another in the central zone because a second knappingepisode corresponds to the same chert nodule that was carriedout in this area. Quartz remains are distributed around hearthnumbers 13 and 16 in the central zone (g. 1 c ; supplementA).

The number of knapping episodes carried out in the shelteris low. The macroscopic and technological characteristics of the lithic assemblage indicate at least 45 raw material units

(RMUs). Only seven of these RMUs show the developmentof knapping sequences at the site. The others are representedby isolated elements produced in reduction sequences thatwere performed outside the Abric Roman . Nearly half of thelithic remains recovered in level N correspond to a singleknapping episode carried out close to hearth number 8.

All the identied knapping episodes show a marked frag-mentation of the cha nes operatoires. They correspond toadvanced phases of the reduction sequence; the initial andintermediate phases are totally absent. Only small akes wereproduced during these knapping episodes. The microlithiccharacter of the artifacts produced on the spot contrasts withthe items introduced as isolated objects. This transportedtoolkit tends to be formed by large and medium-sized arti-facts. Volumetric differences create a clear distinction betweenthe remains produced at the site and those introduced fromoutside.

Faunal Remains

The recovered bone remains consist of about 200 bone andtooth fragments. The faunal spectrum is formed by Cervidae,Equidae, Bovinae, and Leporidae. Each of these families pro-


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vides at least one individual. Most of the remains belong todeer ( ).n p 25%18%

The faunal record of level N shows a biased skeletal rep-resentation. Cranial skeleton is scarce ( ), andn p 17%8.5%postcranial elements are predominated by unidentied longshaft fragments (43%). The recovered remains are small sized,

with up to 61% being smaller than 30 mm long.Human modication on the faunal record is high, iden-tied on 26% of the recovered remains. Different activitiesrelated to nutrient extraction have been identied: deeshing,identied through cut marks, and intense bone breakage toaccess the marrow. There is evidence of mild burning in 12%of the faunal remains recorded close to combustion activity areas, which points to the preparation of meat forconsumption.

The faunal record is mainly distributed in the central zone,in the space between hearth numbers 9 to 12 and 14 to 16(g. 1c ). There is a particularly dense accumulation in squareQ47, in frontal zone, and between combustion activity areas

4 and 5, there is a low-density accumulation (g. 1 c ; supple-ment A). The remains are very well preserved, although they exhibit abundant taphonomic modications: weak water pol-ishing, marks produced by moss (10%), and dispersed man-ganese oxide pigmentations (9%). There is no evidence of resedimentation or reworking; consequently, taphonomicmixing can be discarded. For the same reason, it is possiblethat the low skeletal representation is not due to differentialpreservation. Instead, it could be the effect of the intensity of activities carried out by the hominids.

Vegetal Remains

The 186 charcoal fragments analyzed have provided two taxa:Pinus sylvestris /nigra (Scots/Austrian pine) and Sambucus sp.(elder). Elder has been identied for the rst time at this site.The charcoal record shows an overall dispersed patternaround the hearths. There is only one accumulationin squaresQ46 and Q47 that also contains abundant faunal remains andfew lithic artifacts.

Between the frontal and central zones, one large piece of travertine wood imprint was found. Taxonomic identicationof the wood imprints, lacking charcoal remains, has not beenpossible. Nevertheless, the morphological features observedon the long wood imprint point to pine wood. The travertinewood imprint measures 510 cm in length and 6 cm in widthat one end and 3 cm at the other. It has a rectilinear form,an absence of branches, and it is fragmented, indicating prob-ably that this piece of wood was subject to human modi-cations (g. 2).

Sedimentary Record of the Combustion Activity Areas

Combustion activity areas were recordedthroughsedimentary facies analysis and according to their topographic features(table 1). The analysis of combustion activity areas concerns

the identication of carbonaceous and rubeed facies that aregenerated during human re use on the living oor. Car-bonaceous facies consist of a charcoal sediment rich withunburned sedimentary components (heterogeneous) or withtotally burned sedimentary components (homogeneous; table1). Rubefaction facies concern thermal transformations and

enhance iron crystallinity, causing sediment reddening whenoxidizing, and carbon-rich ground conditions prevail (Cantiand Linford 2000).

The sedimentary record of the combustion activity areasdocumented for the different types of occupational palimp-sests at the Abric Roman site has yielded enough signicantdata to develop a distinctive method of analysis. Measure-ments and observations carried out in the eld and in thelaboratory are presented in table 1. The homogeneous andheterogeneous carbonaceous facies suggest low temperaturesduring re use (Courty 1983; Wattez 1988).

Classication of the Combustion Activity Areas. All the com-

bustion activity areas are simple and at, although some strat-igraphic sections suggest basinlike forms. These make use of natural concavities in the topography. The mean surface areaof the combustion activity areas is 0.27 m 2 . They have beenclassied into three size classes: (1) small combustion areas(! 0.3 m2 ), (2) medium-size combustion areas (between 0.3and 0.6 m 2 ), and (3) large combustion areas ( 1 0.6 m2 ).

Each combustion area shows a moderate correlation withthe number of stratied carbonaceous lenses observed in theircombustion activity area prole or stratigraphy ( andr p 0.6948% r 2 ; ). This correlation suggests that the strati-n p 19cation of carbonaceous lenses can explain the size of some of the combustion activity areas from level N. The linear di-mension of carbonaceous lenses shows a mode of 0.20 m.

The number of stratied carbonaceous lenses measured inthe stratigraphic sections of the combustion activity areasseems partially to account for the total area of re use. Wethink that the area of combustion and the rubefaction thick-ness can be better described by means of the vertical andlateral stratication of carbonaceous lenses. A signicance testapplied to the observed and estimated rubefaction thickness(with a mean value of 3 cm) does not reject the null hy-pothesis. It explains the uniform distribution of the rubefac-tion thickness. This is the expected relationship when the totalcombustion area contains laterally stratied carbonaceouslenses. Although we have a limited number of observations,the maximum rubefaction thickness tends to appear in themedium-sized combustion activity areas (between 0.3 m 2 and0.6 m2 ), not in the largest ones. This suggests that the com-bustion activity areas can be described according to two typesof rubefaction thickness associated with two mechanisms of carbonaceous lenses stratication: (1) rubefaction thickness! 5 cm and lateral stratication of carbonaceous lenses in allthe small, medium, and large combustion areas; and (2) max-imum rubefaction thickness ( 1 5 cm) and vertical straticationof carbonaceous lenses in medium-sized combustion areas.


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Figure 2. a , Imprint of the wooden trunk of the Abric Roman level N.b , Detailed view of the travertinic wood imprint. c , General view of thearchaeological level N with the travertinic wood imprint, hearths, andthe travertine dripping dome (down to the right). A color version appearsin the online edition of Current Anthropology .

The thickest rubefaction facies have been found in com-bustion zones at the inner part of the shelter. In three of thefour cases, rubefaction has been found in sloping combustionareas. Slope increases the oxidizing character of the combus-tion (Courty 1984), but it does not explain the fourth case.We think that the rubefaction process must be accumulativein the substrates because the observed linear dimension of the carbonaceous lenses limits the amount of fuel. This canexplain the absence of a relationship between the rubefactionthickness and its chromatic differentiation based on the dif-ference between the value of rubefaction and the value of unmodied substrate (table 1). It seems that the temperaturesreached by the combustion activities have the same gradient.We also hypothesize that only the accumulated number of combustion activities and the modality of stratication canexplain the observed rubefaction thickness.

The slope of the combustion activity areas close to the wallis due to a cultural choice. Some authors (Meignen et al.2001; Movius 1966) have suggested that heat reverberationwould be a reason to locate combustion activities near thecave or rock-shelter walls. But these combustion activitiesmade very small hearths. We must also consider that a slopingsurface improves the air management of the combustion. Thiskind of air administration and the absence of carbonaceous

waste produce thin, burned, and charred carbonaceous lensesand enhance rubefaction (Courty 1984). On a sloping oc-cupation oor without residues, the transmission of constanttemperatures from repeated combustion activities can explainthe features of two sloping hearths that exhibit the thickestrubefaction (7 cm) and at the same time comprise thin char-coal lenses (1 cm; table 1).

Distance between Combustion Activity Areas. Hearth numbers1 to 5 in the inner zone are separated by a mean modulardistance of 1.3 m (g. 2). The large hearths from the centralzone are separated by a 3-m distance, while the small hearthsin the central zone are located 12 m away from the largeones.

The distribution of hearths in level N of the rock sheltershows a regular pattern (Orton 1988). We should highlightthe radial relationship between hearth number 8 in the frontalzone, which acts like a central hearth, and the arch formedby hearth numbers 1 to 5 from the inner zone, 3 m away from the central hearth. Another radial arrangement is givenby the double arch around hearth numbers 6 and 7. The rstarch, 3 m away from the center, is formed by hearth numbers9 to 13. The second one, at 5 m from hearth numbers 6 and7, is constituted of hearth numbers 14 to 19.


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Table 1. Topographic, morphologic, and stratigraphic features of archaeological level N combustion activity areas

Hearthno.

Distanceto wall

(m)Slope(%)

Area(m 2 )

Homogeneouscarbonaceous strata Rubeed strata

Heterogeneouscarbonaceous

strata

A B C A B C A B

1 .28 10 .34 3 2 25 3 3 5 . . . . . .2 .7 21 .46 1 2 25 7 2 3 . . . . . .3 .43 13 .16 1 1 40 1 1 4 . . . . . .4 .43 26 .45 2 2 30 6 2 6 . . . . . .5 .6 17 .32 5 2 20 6 2 5 . . . . . .6 1.6 3 .6 1 2 20 7 2 5 1 17 1 20 .94 3 3 20 2 3 4 . . . . . .8 3 3 1 4 6 50 3 4 4 . . . . . .9 3.7 2 .17 2 1 25 3 1 4 1 110 3 1 .6 5 2 30 5 2 5 . . . . . .11 3 2 .11 2 1 30 3 1 . . . . . . . . .12 1.8 2 .5 2 4 20 3 2 . . . . . . . . .13 1.4 10 .72 4 3 20 4 3 5 . . . . . .14 6 6 .2 3 1 30 3 2 3 4 115 5 5 .24 5 3 20 3 3 . . . . . . . . .16 4 6 1 4 3 45 5 4 5 . . . . . .17 2.2 3 .06 1 2 20 1 2 . . . . . . . . .18 1 18 .24 1 3 30 3 1 4 5 119 1.5 5 .07 2 1 20 3 1 4 5 2

Note: Characteristics of carbonaceous (homogeneous and heterogeneous) and rubefacted (carbonaceous) strata observed on combustion activity areas stratigraphy: A p maximum strata thickness (cm); B p number of strata; C p estimated diameter of carbonaceous strata (cm); C p Munsellvalue difference, at 10-yr sheet, between rubeed and natural or unmodied sedimentary strata located below the former.

Discussion

The inner zone of level N contains combustion activity areaswith very few archaeological remains, suggesting sleeping-and-resting activity areas. These activity areas are very rare inthe Middle Paleolithic archaeological record (Henry et al.2004; Nadel et al. 2004). The sleeping activity area of theinner zone of level N consists of ve aligned hearths with aregular spacing of 1.3 m. This spatial pattern is in accordancewith the hearth distribution established for sleeping-and-rest-ing activity areas (Binford 1988; Gamble 1990). The AbriPataud hearth line is the classical occurrence established by coupled ethnoarchaeological research and prehistoric archae-ology (Binford 1988; Movius 1966). In the French MiddlePaleolithic, there are descriptions of aligned hearths (e.g.,Baume des Peyrards). Hearths arranged in an arch have beendocumented in front of the entrance of Pech de lAze IB (deLumley and Boone 1976) and close to the wall in Trou de laChevre. Aligned hearths have been also described in La Quina(Movius 1966; Yar and Dubois 1999). In some open-air sites,such as Telmanskaya (Kostenki) and other sites in central andeastern Europe, the regular distribution of hearths has oftenbeen used to infer the location of prehistoric dwellings (Hay-den 1993; Jelnek 1976; Meignen et al. 2001; Yar and Dubois1999).

Analysis of the sedimentary record of re use indicates thatthe lateral stratication of carbonaceous lenses partially ex-plains the total area the combustion activities occupy. Lateral

stratication of carbonaceous lenses suggests a gradual de-velopment from the small combustion areas to the mediumand large ones. The mechanism of lateral stratication is sim-ilar to the formation processes of external hearths described

in ethnoarchaeological research (Binford 1988). Because of the repeated lighting of a hearth in the same area, the com-bustion structure tends to expand. This lateral straticationof carbonaceous lenses has been found in the frontal andcentral zones of level N and is indicative of the vast surfaceavailable for re use.

Fire use in the inner zone probably represented a morereduced space available. The inner zone contains medium-sized combustion activity areas that are plausibly formed by vertical stratication of very thin carbonaceous lenses, sug-gesting a certain functional analogy with braziers. The di-mensions of carbonaceous re-use lenses evidence long-termrepeated and accumulative re use, probably with limitedamounts of wood consumption. According to this re-usemechanism, we suggest that this space represents a sleeping-and-resting activity area in the Roman record. A congruentreuse of activity areas has been pointed out as a key factorin the formation processes of the activity areas in the ar-chaeological record (Brooks and Yellen 1987). Similar re usein caves and rock shelters has also been proposed for otherconstrained Middle Paleolithic living oors in rock shelters(Henry et al. 1996; Mellars 1995).

The analysis of the level N archaeological remains points


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2010 by The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research. All rights reserved. DOI: 10.1086/649499

Supplement A from Vallverdu et al., Sleeping Activity Area within theSite Structure of Archaic Human Groups(Current Anthropology, vol. 51, no. 1, p. 137)


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Suppl. A from Vallverdu et al., Sleeping Activity in Archaic Human Groups

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Figure A1. 1 , Total chert artifacts. Density and coordinate point. 2 , Total chert artifacts ! 2 cm. Density andcoordinate point.


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Figure A2. 3 , Total faunal remains. Density and coordinate point. 4 , Total faunal remains ! 2 cm. Density andcoordinate point.


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Figure A3. 5 , Total quartz artifacts. Density and coordinate point.


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Figure A4. Basic statistics presented in the report.

Documents

Sleeping Activity Area within the Site Structure of Archaic Human Groups. Evidence from Abric Romaní Level N Combustion Activity Areas