Papers by Darío Herranz-Rodrigo
Quaternary Science Reviews
Quaternary Science Reviews
Venta Micena (Orce, Guadix-Baza Basin, Spain) is an Early Pleistocene locality renowned for the r... more Venta Micena (Orce, Guadix-Baza Basin, Spain) is an Early Pleistocene locality renowned for the richness and quality of its palaeontological record. VM is spread over an area of 2.5 km2, where several exposed fossil outcrops are visible amidst its gorges and ravines. The best known of these sites, VM3, has been interpreted as a hyaena den. In addition, a new site, named VM4, has recently been the focus of fieldwork and taphonomic studies. The publication by Luzon et al. (2021) pointed out that VM4 presents a more complex history than VM3. First, two different sub-levels were identified: VM4-I and VM4-II. Secondly, the preliminary taphonomic analysis showed conspicuous differences with regard to VM3. Nevertheless, such interpretation has been challenged by Palmqvist et al. (2022) who proposed that VM3 and VM4 are both the result of a single depositional process, entailing the selective transport of skeletal parts by the giant extinct hyaena Pachycrocuta brevirostris back to its den. Using well-preserved faunal elements whose depositional context and provenance are reliable, in this paper we show that: 1) there are two clearly defined sub-levels in VM4 with some shared taphonomic characteristics as well as some notable differences; 2) VM3 and VM4 exhibit enough divergence to support differences in site formation processes; 3) The interpretation of both VM4-I and VM4-II is more consistent with their characterisation as open-air sites in which multiple agents and depositional processes contributed to its formation, rather than with hyaena dens. Nevertheless, excavations are still in progress at VM4 and therefore any results and interpretations ought to be considered as provisional. © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND
Applied Sciences
Taphonomic studies aim to identify the modifying agents that intervene in bone assemblages found ... more Taphonomic studies aim to identify the modifying agents that intervene in bone assemblages found at archaeopaleontological sites. Carnivores may modify, accumulate, or scavenge skeletal parts inflicting tooth marks, including scores, on the cortical surface. Several works have studied tooth score morphology to discern which carnivore group modified the bone assemblages, achieving different results. In the present study, different methods based on the use of landmarks and semilandmarks have been tested to describe and analyze the score profile cross-sections of spotted and brown hyenas, leopards, and lions. According to our results, the already published seven-landmark method is useful in order to differentiate between carnivore species from different families (e.g., felids and hyenids). Meanwhile, felid species (e.g., leopards and lions) cannot be consistently distinguished using any of the methods tested here. In contrast, hyenid species can be morphologically differentiated. On th...
10.ª Asamblea Hispano-Portuguesa de Geodesia y Geofísica, 2023
The important role of geophysics in archaeology in recent years is well known. The information ob... more The important role of geophysics in archaeology in recent years is well known. The information obtained in a non-intrusive
and non-destructive way has facilitated the documentation of archaeological sites, their excavation and subsequent
interpretation, as well as the maintenance and care of the Heritage.
The C.A.I. of Archaeometry of the UCM is in charge of advising and carrying out geophysical studies in archaeological
sites. In this way, their extension, characteristics and degree of conservation are documented. Thanks to these data,
knowledge of the heritage are achieved without the need to destroy the remains.
Normally, thanks to geophysical studies, large cities, buildings and structures built with elements such as stone, brick,
adobe and even cement are detected and discovered.
However, the documentation with geophysical techniques of negative structures (excavated in the sediment) such as
ditched enclosures, pits, tombs, huts or the negatives of already devastated structures is less common. The reason is that
these structures are usually filled with the same sediment that surrounds them, so the change of medium does not present
hardly any contrast, so its interpretation is very complex.
In this work, we present a series of archaeological finds of this type thanks to the joint work of two geophysical techniques,
such as ground penetration radar and electrical tomography. Due to the difficulty of documentation of this type of
negative elements, interpretation techniques have had to be remodelled and tools adjusted to achieve optimal results.
In the same way, some examples of "false positive" structures documented with ground penetration radar will be shown.
In these cases, the problem arises when geological elements can be interpreted as anthropic structures.
Quaternary Science Reviews
Barranco Leon (Orce, Guadix Baza, Spain) is one of the sites with the oldest evidence of human a... more Barranco Leon (Orce, Guadix Baza, Spain) is one of the sites with the oldest evidence of human activity in south-western Europe. This site has yielded human remains in association with both fauna and lithic artefacts, linked through the presence of anthropogenic cut and percussion marks. Nevertheless, while this site is a clear example of early hominin access to carcasses, the accumulations have been identified as a palimpsest, where multiple agents including carnivorans played a role in modifying and interacting in site formation processes. From this perspective, the interpretation and study of the Barranco Leon site is of great difficulty. Traditionally, interpretations have presented Barranco Leon as an area where hominins as well as the giant hyena, Pachycrocuta brevirostris, competed for access to carcasses left by machairodontine felids, such as the saber-toothed Homotherium latidens. Nevertheless, as will be presented in this study, the complexity and trophic pressure of Barranco Leon is much more complicated than originally hypothesized. This study presents a detailed taphonomic analysis of carnivoran activities in the level D1 of the Barranco Leon assemblage. 3D modelling, geometric morphometrics, and computational learning are used to provide new insights into the tooth pits observed on faunal materials. Here we show that Canis mosbachensis plays a pivotal role in the formation of the site, followed by Pachycrocuta, Homotherium, Ursus etruscus, and Xenocyon (Lycaon) lycaonoides. From this perspective, it can be seen that while Pachycrocuta and Homotherium were active agents in the formation of the site, other carnivorans are also important agents to consider when investigating the Guadix Baza region. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Quaternary International, 2019
Estudios de Historia y Patrimonio. Revista de Estudios académicos de investigación y divulgación del Círculo Cultural de Colmenar Viejo (C3), 2023
Se presentan los resultados obtenidos con motivo de la prospección geofísica realizada en el yaci... more Se presentan los resultados obtenidos con motivo de la prospección geofísica realizada en el yacimiento arqueológico de Fuente del Moro, Colmenar Viejo, mediante el método de escáner 3D, realizado por el equipo técnico del CAI, adscrito a la Facultad de Geografía e Historia de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Su realización no hubiera sido posible sin las facilidades prestadas por la familia Galiana Quintana.
Informes y Trabajos, Dec 15, 2023
Este artículo presenta, analiza e interpreta los resultados de la prospección geofísica realizada... more Este artículo presenta, analiza e interpreta los resultados de la prospección geofísica realizada con georradar multicanal sobre el conjunto monástico de San Pedro de Arlanza (Hortigüela, Burgos). El cenobio ha sido sometido a diferentes intervenciones arqueológicas desde los años ochenta del siglo xx, siempre vinculadas a obras de restauración arquitectónica. Aquí se recaban y exponen secuencialmente todas las intervenciones arqueológicas realizadas hasta la fecha, indicando su localización y principales resultados. Partiendo de esta información, y con el apoyo de las fuentes documentales y bibliográficas, se interpretan los resultados obtenidos a partir de los modelos generados mediante georradar con el objetivo de identificar nuevas evidencias de la fábrica del monasterio, las distintas fases constructivas de su recinto amurallado, el sistema hidráulico de captación y evacuación de las aguas o la transformación de sus claustros.
Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology
Little is known about the subsistence practices of the first European settlers, mainly due to the... more Little is known about the subsistence practices of the first European settlers, mainly due to the shortage of archaeological sites in Europe older than a million years. This article contributes to the knowledge of the subsistence of the first Europeans with new zooarchaeology and taphonomic data from the Palaeolithic site of Barranco León (Orce, Granada, Spain). We present the results of the analysis of the faunal assemblages retrieved in the context of new excavations undertaken between 2016 and 2020. We have followed a standard methodology for the identification and quantification of species, mortality profiles, skeletal representation and taphonomic analysis. With regard to the taphonomic evidence, we have documented the extent of rounding, abrasion and other alterations. Finally, we examined traces from the activities of carnivores and hominins that led to the accumulation and alteration of the bone assemblages. Results indicate that the archaeo-paleontological deposits from Bar...
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in publishe... more Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
Over the last few decades, several types of evidence such as presence of hominin remains, lithic ... more Over the last few decades, several types of evidence such as presence of hominin remains, lithic assemblages, and bones with anthropogenic surface modifications have demonstrated that early human communities inhabited the European subcontinent prior to the Jaramillo Subchron (1.07–0.98 Ma). While most studies have focused primarily on early European lithic technologies and raw material management, relatively little is known about food procurement strategies. While there is some evidence showing access to meat and other animal-based food resources, their mode of acquisition and associated butchery processes are still poorly understood. This paper presents a taphonomic and zooarchaeological analysis of the Fuente Nueva-3 (FN3) (Guadix-Baza, Spain) faunal assemblage, providing a more in-depth understanding of early hominin subsistence strategies in Europe. The present results show that hominins had access to the meat and marrow of a wide range of animal taxa, including elephants, hippo...
Animals
Human populations have been known to develop complex relationships with large carnivore species t... more Human populations have been known to develop complex relationships with large carnivore species throughout time, with evidence of both competition and collaboration to obtain resources throughout the Pleistocene. From this perspective, many archaeological and palaeontological sites present evidence of carnivore modifications to bone. In response to this, specialists in the study of microscopic bone surface modifications have resorted to the use of 3D modeling and data science techniques for the inspection of these elements, reaching novel limits for the discerning of carnivore agencies. The present research analyzes the tooth mark variability produced by multiple Iberian wolf individuals, with the aim of studying how captivity may affect the nature of tooth marks left on bone. In addition to this, four different populations of both wild and captive Iberian wolves are also compared for a more in-depth comparison of intra-species variability. This research statistically shows that lar...
Scientific Reports, 2021
Competition for resources is a key question in the study of our early human evolution. From the f... more Competition for resources is a key question in the study of our early human evolution. From the first hominin groups, carnivores have played a fundamental role in the ecosystem. From this perspective, understanding the trophic pressure between hominins and carnivores can provide valuable insights into the context in which humans survived, interacted with their surroundings, and consequently evolved. While numerous techniques already exist for the detection of carnivore activity in archaeological and palaeontological sites, many of these techniques present important limitations. The present study builds on a number of advanced data science techniques to confront these issues, defining methods for the identification of the precise agents involved in carcass consumption and manipulation. For the purpose of this study, a large sample of 620 carnivore tooth pits is presented, including samples from bears, hyenas, jaguars, leopards, lions, wolves, foxes and African wild dogs. Using 3D mod...
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
Over the last few decades, several types of evidence such as presence of hominin remains, lithic ... more Over the last few decades, several types of evidence such as presence of hominin remains, lithic assemblages, and bones with anthropogenic surface modifications have demonstrated that early human communities inhabited the European subcontinent prior to the Jaramillo Subchron (1.07–0.98 Ma). While most studies have focused primarily on early European lithic technologies and raw material management, relatively little is known about food procurement strategies. While there is some evidence showing access to meat and other animal-based food resources, their mode of acquisition and associated butchery processes are still poorly understood. This paper presents a taphonomic and zooarchaeological analysis of the Fuente Nueva-3 (FN3) (Guadix-Baza, Spain) faunal assemblage, providing a more in-depth understanding of early hominin subsistence strategies in Europe. The present results show that hominins had access to the meat and marrow of a wide range of animal taxa, including elephants, hippo...
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
Scientific Reports
Venta Micena is an area containing several palaeontological sites marking the beginning of the Ca... more Venta Micena is an area containing several palaeontological sites marking the beginning of the Calabrian stage (Early Pleistocene). The richness of the fossil accumulation including species of Asian, African and European origin, makes Venta Micena a key site for the the palaeoecological and palaeoenvironmental study of southern Europe during the Early Pleistocene. Thus, research has been focused on Venta Micena 3, which was originally interpreted as a single palaeosurface associated with a marshy context, in which most of the fauna was accumulated by Pachycrocuta brevirostris. Recent excavations have unearthed a new site, Venta Micena 4, located in the same stratigraphic unit (Unit C) and in close proximity to Venta Micena 3. Here we show the first analyses regarding the taphonomic and spatial nature of this new site, defining two stratigraphic boundaries corresponding to two different depositional events. Furthermore, the taphonomic analyses of fossil remains seem to indicate a dif...
Animals
Human populations have been known to develop complex relationships with large carnivore species t... more Human populations have been known to develop complex relationships with large carnivore species throughout time, with evidence of both competition and collaboration to obtain resources throughout the Pleistocene. From this perspective, many archaeological and palaeontological sites present evidence of carnivore modifications to bone. In response to this, specialists in the study of microscopic bone surface modifications have resorted to the use of 3D modeling and data science techniques for the inspection of these elements, reaching novel limits for the discerning of carnivore agencies. The present research analyzes the tooth mark variability produced by multiple Iberian wolf individuals, with the aim of studying how captivity may affect the nature of tooth marks left on bone. In addition to this, four different populations of both wild and captive Iberian wolves are also compared for a more in-depth comparison of intra-species variability. This research statistically shows that lar...
Applied Sciences
Recent studies using geometric morphometrics for taphonomy have yielded interesting results, open... more Recent studies using geometric morphometrics for taphonomy have yielded interesting results, opening new horizons of research in both archaeological and paleontological sites. Here we present the analysis of tooth pits left by male and female individuals of two different carnivore species (Panthera tigris and Panthera pardus) in order to see if sexual dimorphism influences the morphology of tooth pit marks. In the process, 3D-scanning and applied statistics were used. Based on samples derived from two individuals of different sexes, the present results indicate sexual dimorphism in these felid species to not be a conditioning factor of tooth pit morphology.
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Papers by Darío Herranz-Rodrigo
and non-destructive way has facilitated the documentation of archaeological sites, their excavation and subsequent
interpretation, as well as the maintenance and care of the Heritage.
The C.A.I. of Archaeometry of the UCM is in charge of advising and carrying out geophysical studies in archaeological
sites. In this way, their extension, characteristics and degree of conservation are documented. Thanks to these data,
knowledge of the heritage are achieved without the need to destroy the remains.
Normally, thanks to geophysical studies, large cities, buildings and structures built with elements such as stone, brick,
adobe and even cement are detected and discovered.
However, the documentation with geophysical techniques of negative structures (excavated in the sediment) such as
ditched enclosures, pits, tombs, huts or the negatives of already devastated structures is less common. The reason is that
these structures are usually filled with the same sediment that surrounds them, so the change of medium does not present
hardly any contrast, so its interpretation is very complex.
In this work, we present a series of archaeological finds of this type thanks to the joint work of two geophysical techniques,
such as ground penetration radar and electrical tomography. Due to the difficulty of documentation of this type of
negative elements, interpretation techniques have had to be remodelled and tools adjusted to achieve optimal results.
In the same way, some examples of "false positive" structures documented with ground penetration radar will be shown.
In these cases, the problem arises when geological elements can be interpreted as anthropic structures.
and non-destructive way has facilitated the documentation of archaeological sites, their excavation and subsequent
interpretation, as well as the maintenance and care of the Heritage.
The C.A.I. of Archaeometry of the UCM is in charge of advising and carrying out geophysical studies in archaeological
sites. In this way, their extension, characteristics and degree of conservation are documented. Thanks to these data,
knowledge of the heritage are achieved without the need to destroy the remains.
Normally, thanks to geophysical studies, large cities, buildings and structures built with elements such as stone, brick,
adobe and even cement are detected and discovered.
However, the documentation with geophysical techniques of negative structures (excavated in the sediment) such as
ditched enclosures, pits, tombs, huts or the negatives of already devastated structures is less common. The reason is that
these structures are usually filled with the same sediment that surrounds them, so the change of medium does not present
hardly any contrast, so its interpretation is very complex.
In this work, we present a series of archaeological finds of this type thanks to the joint work of two geophysical techniques,
such as ground penetration radar and electrical tomography. Due to the difficulty of documentation of this type of
negative elements, interpretation techniques have had to be remodelled and tools adjusted to achieve optimal results.
In the same way, some examples of "false positive" structures documented with ground penetration radar will be shown.
In these cases, the problem arises when geological elements can be interpreted as anthropic structures.
We are looking for dissertations that have been submitted after the academic year 2019-2020, whose main topic is Archaeology, with no chronological, geographical or thematic restrictions. If you have a degree in Archaeology, History, Art History or Humanities from any university, this is your opportunity.
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2019-2020 ikasturtetik aurrera aurkeztu diren GrALen bila gabiltza, gai nagusia Arkeologia dutena, muga kronologiko, geografiko zein gaikakorik gabea. Edozein unibertsitatetan Arkeologia, Historia, Artearen Historia edo Humanitateak ikasi badituzu hau da zure aukera.
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Buscamos TFG que hayan sido presentados a partir del año académico 2019-2020, cuyo tema principal sea la Arqueología, sin restricciones cronológicas, geográficas o temáticas. Si eres graduado en Arqueología, Historia, Historia del Arte o Humanidades en cualquier universidad, esta es tu ocasión.
Para participar escríbenos a nuestro correo, tienes de plazo hasta el 30 de noviembre. ¡Te estamos esperando, anímate!