Biotic resources in the Lower Magdalenian at Cova Rosa (Sardeu, Asturias, Cantabrian Spain)

• Main Authors: Álvarez Fernández, Esteban, Andrés, Miriam, Aparicio Alonso, María Teresa, Elorza, Mikelo, Gabriel, Sonia, García Ibaibarriaga, Naroa, Murelaga, Xabier, Portero, Rodrigo, Sensburg, Martina, Suárez Bilbao, Aitziber, Tapia, Jesús, Uzquiano, Paloma, Bécares, Julián, Cubas, Miriam, Jordá Pardo, Jesús F.
• Other Authors: Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (España), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Elsevier 2019
• Subjects: Anthracology; Archaeozoology; Upper pleistocene; Lower magdalenian northern Spain; Greenland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/224074; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2018.06.017; https://doi.org/10.13039/501100010198; https://doi.org/10.13039/501100004837

Cova Rosa is an archaeological site in Asturias, Spain, excavated by Francisco Jordá Cerdá in 1958, 1959 and 1964. Later, the same archaeologist and Alejandro Gómez Fuentes carried out an excavation from 1975 to 1979. They documented two levels, named Cova Rosa A and Cova Rosa B. The archaeological material resulting from this excavation has remained practically unpublished. This paper presents the biotic remains (ligneous and faunal resources) in Layer B6, dated by radiocarbon to about 15,800 BP (c. 18,700 cal BP), corresponding to the Lower Magdalenian. Anthracological analysis shows that the human groups selected mostly shrub species for their fires. Archaeozoological information indicates that hunting specialising in red deer predominated, while fishing salmonids and shellfishing (mostly limpets and periwinkles) were complementary activities to hunting and gathering plants. Other economic activities practiced in the cave were the fabrication of osseous implements and objects of adornment made with animal raw materials. Through the biotic remains that have been documented, it can be inferred that, at that time in Greenland Stadial 2, conditions were relatively cold and humid, and the vegetation was dominated by grasslands and shrubs. This research was undertaken in the context of the Spanish projects HAR2014-51830-P and HAR2014-53536-P, funded by the Programa Nacional de Humanidades in the R&D Plan of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, and HAR2017-82557-P and HAR2017-82483-C3-1-P, funded by the Programa Estatal de Fomento de la Investigación Científica y Técnica de Excelencia, of the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness.