Carolina Mallol
Datos Biográficos
| ID | 3581002 |
|---|---|
| NOMBRE | Carolina Mallol |
| NOMBRES | Carolina |
| APELLIDO | Mallol |
| FIRMA | MALLOL C |
| AFILIACIONES | Universidad de La Laguna |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5143-4253 |
| VERIFICADO | Sí |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 64 |
| TOTAL DE CITAS | 1122 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 64 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMER AÑO DE PUBLICACIÓN | 1999 |
| AÑO MÁS RECIENTE DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 18 |
Vial Excavation
Over the last decades, archaeology has been undergoing a revolution of sorts driven by advances in the archaeological sciences and the ability to extract data from sediments. These new methods work at the micro- or even molecular scale and thus require extremely high levels of precision for the context of the samples. While there have been significant advances in proveniencing techniques, by and large, basic excavation methods have hardly changed…
The hearth of the matter
This study presents an integrative geoarchaeological and microarchaeological case study of combustion features, employing a multi-method analytical approach incorporating archaeomagnetic, rock magnetic, and soil micromorphological methods, alongside Quantum Diamond Microscopy (QDM). The case study focuses on a combustion feature from the Middle Palaeolithic site of El Salt (80 to 45.2ka). The primary aim is to reconstruct the depositional and pos…
A Millennium of Coastside Occupation. Micromorphological Insights From the Indigenous Site of Las Estacas Cave, Tenerife
The archaeological site of Las Estacas Cave (NW Tenerife, Canary Islands) preserves some of the earliest human occupations in Tenerife, dating to the 2nd century CE, spanning the entire pre‐European time range up to the 15th century. Using soil micromorphology, this study applies a geoarchaeological approach to reconstruct site formation processes and human activities through the analysis of 12 thin sections from 9 stratigraphic units, covering m…
A First Look at the Gravettian Open-Air Site Ollersdorf-Heidenberg (Austria)
The Middle Danube region is a key area for understanding Upper Palaeolithic hunter-gatherer behaviours in a climatic context due to its long loess–palaeosol sequences and rich archaeological record spanning from the onset of the Upper Palaeolithic to the Last Glacial Maximum and beyond. Recently, new approaches focusing on high-resolution studies of the stratigraphy, geoarchaeological studies at microscopic scale and investigations of organic mat…
Knapping… Sleeping and Consuming? Spatial Variability in the High-Resolution Neanderthal Context of Abric del Pastor (Alcoi, Eastern Iberia)
Sequencing and characterising high-resolution units in which both natural and anthropogenic records can be examined on comparable scales is essential for understanding spatial behaviour and site formation processes. This requires a multidisciplinary approach that has previously been applied to the Neanderthal site of Abric del Pastor (Alcoi, eastern Iberia), revealing short-term occupations with high spatiotemporal resolution in stratigraphic uni…
Shell middens and soil terraces as archives of human-littoral interactions since the first settlement of northwestern Tenerife, the Canary Islands
Shell middens on the coasts of the Canary Islands attest to past indigenous lifeways. However, their potential as records of local environmental conditions in coastal areas, where sediment deposits are rare, remains to be assessed. Here we use a multi-proxy approach (malacology, pollen, NPPs, phytoliths and microcharcoal quantification) in two shell middens and one associated soil terrace deposit in the coastal area of the Isla Baja (Buenavista d…
Enhanced functional data retrieval from Palaeolithic stone tools by lipid analysis
Despite the great potential of lipid biomarkers in archaeological science, their analysis in stone tools has been overlooked. The lipid retention capacity of Palaeolithic stone tools, along with the potential utility of the biomarkers they may harbour as a functional proxy, remains largely unknown. Here, we extracted lipid biomarkers from flint flakes and limestone pebbles from the Middle Palaeolithic site of El Salt (SE Spain) and analysed them …
Raised from the ashes
Burnt houses are a recurrent phenomenon in the prehistoric archaeological record, yet the specific processes behind their burning—likely varying across time and place—remain poorly understood. This study focuses on a thoroughly studied dwelling (House 1) from the Iberian Early Iron Age settlement of Cerro de San Vicente and investigates site formation processes associated with its burning. To achieve this, we applied a multi-proxy geoarchaeologic…
Distinguishing between sheep and goat in archaeological fumiers through faecal lipid biomarkers
Lipid biomarker analysis focused on steroids has shown to have great potential for discriminating between animal faecal inputs in archaeology. This is particularly interesting when applied to stabling deposits to assess herding strategies and livestock composition. Here we present the results of a sedimentary faecal biomarker study conducted at Belmaco Cave, a pre-European archaeological site in La Palma (Canary Islands). The site was occupied by…
Fire use and waste management in an Iberian Iron Age village
Early Iron Age village in Northern Iberia, with middens and earthen dwellings. • High-resolution geoarchaeological techniques are applied to midden deposits. • Maintenance practices (rake-out, cleaning, building) result in the formation of middens. • Spatial differences in waste disposal practices are documented. Middens, commonly found in archaeological sites across different chronologies, serve as rich sedimentary archives of daily life by capt…
Phytoliths from modern plants in the Canary Islands as a reference for the reconstruction of long-term vegetation change and culture-environment interactions
The Canary Islands were the first part of the Macaronesian archipelago to have been settled by humans. The various ways in which the indigenous inhabitants and later European colonisers interacted with the native and endemic flora is a central topic for archaeologists, geographers and ecologists. Floristic changes can be studied from phytoliths which are plant microfossils with a high potential for preservation in sediment deposits and they can h…
Improving archaeomagnetic interpretations by reusing magnetically oriented samples for micromorphological analysis
Here we present a novel approach that combines soil micromorphology with the analysis of magnetically oriented samples to improve the interpretation of archaeomagnetic results. The aim is to test whether irregular archaeomagnetic data can be examined with micromorphological soil analysis in a single sample methodology, allowing said archaeomagnetic data to contribute to more meaningful archaeological interpretation. Experimental work included reu…
The Time of the Stones
The dissection of archaeological palimpsests has become a crucial process for achieving a diachronic understanding of the history of human groups. However, its widespread application to archaeological deposits has been hampered by both methodological and theoretical limitations, as well as by the inherent characteristics of the deposits. This paper explores whether overcoming these barriers, both methodological and theoretical, truly represents a…
The geoarchaeology, chronology and environment of Lusakert-1, a Late Middle Palaeolithic rockshelter (Kotayk Province, Armenia)
Lusakert-1 (LKT-1) is a key site in any discussion of the Palaeolithic of the Armenian Highlands. This is in large part because of a long-running campaign of excavation in the 1970–1980s which recovered an obsidian artefact assemblage that was then interpreted as spanning the Lower–Upper Palaeolithic. Our reinvestigation in 2008–2012 revealed evidence of occupation in the interior of the LKT-1 rockshelter comprising spreads of ash, obsidian artef…
Magnetic micro-archaeology
For geoarchaeologists the use of multiproxy and multimethod integrative approaches has become common for studying the sedimentary context of archaeological materials. In this paper, we introduce a novel approach that combines rock magnetic analysis with micromorphological analysis. We first conduct a brief examination of the magnetic properties of organic resins used in micromorphology to understand the potential impact of the resin and manufactu…
Reconstructing formation processes at the Canary Islands indigenous site of Belmaco Cave (La Palma, Spain) through a multiproxy geoarchaeological approach
The indigenous populations of La Palma (Canary Islands), who arrived on the island from Northwest Africa ca. 2000 years B.P., were predominantly pastoralists. Yet, many aspects of their subsistence economy such as the procurement, management, and use of wild plant resources remain largely unknown. To explore this, we studied the 600–1100‐year‐old archaeological site of Belmaco Cave, which comprises a stratified sedimentary deposit representative …
Searching for traces of human activity in earthen floor sequences
The Northern Iberian Plateau during the Early Iron Age witnessed the proliferation of villages, showcasing well-preserved earthen architectural remains that offer valuable insights into past daily life practices. However, the application of high-resolution geoarchaeological approaches to these contexts has been largely overlooked, despite their significance in assessing complex sedimentary sequences predominantly composed of earth-based construct…
Pyrotechnology and lipid biomarker variability in pine tar production
Tar or pitch produced from pine resin and wood played an important role in the past as an adhesive, waterproofing and medicinal product. However, the formation and biomolecular composition of pine tar produced only from resin under different combustion conditions (i.e., temperature and oxygen availability during heating) has not been as widely investigated as pine tar produced by dry distillation of wood or birch bark tar, for which an extensive …
Use-wear analysis applied in a dissected palimpsest at the Middle Palaeolithic site of El Salt (eastern Iberia)
Use-wear analyses are very useful to increase knowledge about the economic and subsistence dynamics carried out by Neanderthals. In general terms, functional results traditionally came from the analysis of tools belonging to stratigraphic units whose timescale refers to geological time. This is due to the fact that many Neanderthal sites are palimpsests of reiterated occupations over time, which must be dissected to approach us to human timescale…
Compound-specific carbon isotope analysis of short-chain fatty acids from Pine tissues
Different types of plant tissues and resin can account for the wax lipids found in sedimentary contexts and archaeological samples. Consequently, there is increasing research to characterize the fatty acid carbon isotope ratios of different plant anatomical parts and their plant exudates (resin). With the aim to explore isotopic differences between plant tissues, state of the fine organic matter, effect of thermal degradation, and to identify pla…
Fire among Neanderthals
Modern human incursion into Neanderthal territories 54,000 years ago at Mandrin, France
Determining the extent of overlap between modern humans and other hominins in Eurasia, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans, is fundamental to understanding the nature of their interactions and what led to the disappearance of archaic hominins. Apart from a possible sporadic pulse recorded in Greece during the Middle Pleistocene, the first settlements of modern humans in Europe have been constrained to ~45,000 to 43,000 years ago. Here, we report …
N-Alkanes and their carbon isotopes (δ13C) reveal seasonal foddering and long-term corralling of pastoralist livestock in eastern Mongolia
Un singular ambiente doméstico del Hierro I en el interior de la península ibérica
Se presentan los resultados de las excavaciones (2006, 2017 y 2021) en un sector de la aldea del Hierro I del Cerro de San Vicente (Salamanca). Se ha exhumado un agregado informal de edificios y estructuras adjetivas de adobe cuyo patrón espacial es afín al esquema transcultural patrilocal. El artículo se centra en la casa 1 y sus cenizales. Tal vivienda fue excepcional por su larga e ininterrumpida biografía, su mobiliario de barro –con dos poyo…
An instance of Neanderthal mobility dynamics
The relationship between hunter-gatherer group mobility and lithic raw material procurement strategies is central to the study of Neanderthal productive behaviours. In this framework, determination of flint procurement sources through lithological analysis is key to infer Neanderthal group mobility patterns. El Salt rockshelter (Alcoi, Alacant, eastern Iberia) features different nearby flint sources, including primary outcrops and secondary depos…
The TD6 level lithic industry from Gran Dolina, Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain)
Earth, wind, and fire
The black layer of Middle Palaeolithic combustion structures. Interpretation and archaeostratigraphic implications
Lithic production, site formation and Middle Palaeolithic palimpsest analysis
Phytolith evidence for hearths and beds in the late Mousterian occupations of Esquilleu cave (Cantabria, Spain)
New evidence of early Neanderthal disappearance in the Iberian Peninsula
Human actions performed on simple combustion structures
Ethnoarchaeology of Paleolithic Fire
International audience
Hearths and bones
The significance of stratigraphic discontinuities in Iberian Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic transitional sites
Neanderthals from El Salt (Alcoy, Spain) in the context of the latest Middle Palaeolithic populations from the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula
Microstratigraphy and diagenesis at the upper Pleistocene site of Esquilleu Cave (Cantabria, Spain)
Contacts under the lens
Radiometric dates and micromorphological evidence for synchronous domestic activity and sheep penning in a Neolithic cave
What's in a beach? Soil micromorphology of sediments from the Lower Paleolithic site of 'Ubeidiya, Israel
A micromorphological and mineralogical study of site formation processes at the late Pleistocene site of Obi‐Rakhmat, Uzbekistan
Site formation processes at the Late Pleistocene rockshelter deposit of Obi‐Rakhmat were reconstructed through soil micromorphology and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The entire sequence has undergone limited diagenesis and is well preserved. The base of the stratified sequence represents a karstic setting with intermittent, low‐energy deposition of autochthonous gravitational debris and anthropogenic material in a wet, muddy env…
On identifying Palaeolithic single occupation episodes
The Collapse of Gran Dolina cave, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain
The last hominin occupations of Gran Dolina cave at Atapuerca are represented by layer TD10‐1. This layer has yielded high densities of anthropogenic bone and lithic remains that suggest the existence of a referential hominin campsite. Micromorphological analysis was carried out in order to reconstruct site formation processes and to find traces of hominin activity in the sediments. Results show that TD10‐1 is an autochthonous deposit whose compo…
Characterisation of charred organic matter in micromorphological thin sections by means of Raman spectroscopy
Burned or charred organic matter in anthropogenic combustion features may provide important clues about past human activities related to fire. To interpret archaeological hearths, a correct identification of the organic source material is key. In the present work, Raman spectroscopy is applied to characterise the structural properties of char produced in laboratory heating- and open-fire experiments. This reference data set is compared to analyse…
It's getting hot in here – Microcontextual study of a potential pit hearth at the Middle Paleolithic site of El Salt, Spain
By studying combustion structures, which conceal information about anthropogenic activity, we might learn about their makers. This is especially important for remote time periods like the Middle Paleolithic, whose archaeological record comprises numerous combustion structures. The majority of these are simple, flat, open hearths, although a small number of features situated in pit-like depressions have been recorded. Given that hearths built on a…
Fire as an Artifact—Advances in Paleolithic Combustion Structure Studies
Hearths present sedimentary features, artifacts, and direct evidence for maintained and controlled fire in the past. The use of hearths reflects regular access to fire and its diverse benefits. Among these benefits are cooked food, protection from the cold and from predators, and fire’s transformative power regarding raw materials. Hearths may have also served as focal points of activity at Paleolithic campsites and triggered changes in social st…
Short contribution
Much of the information in micromorphological thin sections exists at the mesoscopic level. The use of flatbed scanners can improve analysis at this level and aid in preservation of the information. This article describes scanning in both plane and cross‐polarized light and discusses the hardware and software required. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
The Selection of Lithic Raw Materials in the Lower and Middle Pleistocene Levels TD6 and TD10A of Gran Dolina (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain)
The study of hominid behavior as reflected in the selection, procurement, and management of lithic raw materials provides a reliable framework in which to study some of the traditions of particular Paleolithic communities. The raw materials composing the technological assemblages of levels TD6 (Late Lower Pleistocene) and TD10A (Late Middle Pleistocene) from the site of Gran Dolina (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos) were analyzed within this framework…
Fuel sources, natural vegetation and subsistence at a high-altitude aboriginal settlement in Tenerife, Canary Islands
High-altitude island environments, with their characteristic strong seasonal contrast and limited resources, are challenging contexts for human subsistence. However, although archaeological contexts in this kind of setting hold great potential to explore the diversity of human biological and cultural adaptations, such sites are rare. In this paper, we present the results of a microcontextual geoarchaeological study carried out at Roques de García…
Advances in palimpsest dissection
The TD6 level lithic industry from Gran Dolina, Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain)
The Selection of Lithic Raw Materials in the Lower and Middle Pleistocene Levels TD6 and TD10A of Gran Dolina (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain)
The study of hominid behavior as reflected in the selection, procurement, and management of lithic raw materials provides a reliable framework in which to study some of the traditions of particular Paleolithic communities. The raw materials composing the technological assemblages of levels TD6 (Late Lower Pleistocene) and TD10A (Late Middle Pleistocene) from the site of Gran Dolina (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos) were analyzed within this framework…
L’approvisionnement en matières premières lithiques au Pléistocène inférieur et moyen dans la Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos (Espagne)
Short contribution
Much of the information in micromorphological thin sections exists at the mesoscopic level. The use of flatbed scanners can improve analysis at this level and aid in preservation of the information. This article describes scanning in both plane and cross‐polarized light and discusses the hardware and software required. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
Out of Africa in the Pleistocene
What's in a beach? Soil micromorphology of sediments from the Lower Paleolithic site of 'Ubeidiya, Israel
The Collapse of Gran Dolina cave, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain
The last hominin occupations of Gran Dolina cave at Atapuerca are represented by layer TD10‐1. This layer has yielded high densities of anthropogenic bone and lithic remains that suggest the existence of a referential hominin campsite. Micromorphological analysis was carried out in order to reconstruct site formation processes and to find traces of hominin activity in the sediments. Results show that TD10‐1 is an autochthonous deposit whose compo…
Earth, wind, and fire
Geoarchaeology and taphonomy
A micromorphological and mineralogical study of site formation processes at the late Pleistocene site of Obi‐Rakhmat, Uzbekistan
Site formation processes at the Late Pleistocene rockshelter deposit of Obi‐Rakhmat were reconstructed through soil micromorphology and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The entire sequence has undergone limited diagenesis and is well preserved. The base of the stratified sequence represents a karstic setting with intermittent, low‐energy deposition of autochthonous gravitational debris and anthropogenic material in a wet, muddy env…
Microstratigraphy and diagenesis at the upper Pleistocene site of Esquilleu Cave (Cantabria, Spain)
Depositional and Paleoenvironmental setting of the Bizat Ruhama early pleistocene archaeological assemblages, Northern Negev, Israel
Bizat Ruhama, an Early Pleistocene site located in the southern coastal plain of Israel, has yielded a single archaeological horizon dating to the Matuyama chron. Recent technological and zooarchaeological studies suggest evidence of near in situ hominin occupations taking place in a semiarid climatic setting. Such an archaeological context is rare for the Early Pleistocene and must be corroborated through reconstruction of site formation process…
Phytolith evidence for hearths and beds in the late Mousterian occupations of Esquilleu cave (Cantabria, Spain)
The significance of stratigraphic discontinuities in Iberian Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic transitional sites
The black layer of Middle Palaeolithic combustion structures. Interpretation and archaeostratigraphic implications
Human actions performed on simple combustion structures
Lithic production, site formation and Middle Palaeolithic palimpsest analysis
Early Levallois technology and the Lower to Middle Paleolithic transition in the Southern Caucasus
An early assemblage of obsidian artifacts Levallois technology is the name for the stone knapping technique used to create tools thousands of years ago. The technique appeared in the archeological record across Eurasia 200 to 300 thousand years ago (ka) and appeared earlier in Africa. Adler et al. challenge the hypothesis that the technique's appearance in Eurasia was the result of the expansion of hominins from Africa. Levallois obsidian artifac…
The Neanderthal Meal
Neanderthal dietary reconstructions have, to date, been based on indirect evidence and may underestimate the significance of plants as a food source. While zooarchaeological and stable isotope data have conveyed an image of Neanderthals as largely carnivorous, studies on dental calculus and scattered palaeobotanical evidence suggest some degree of contribution of plants to their diet. However, both views remain plausible and there is no categoric…
Early modern human settlement of Europe north of the Alps occurred 43,500 years ago in a cold steppe-type environment
Significance Modern humans dispersed into Europe and replaced Neanderthals at least 40,000 years ago. However, the precise timing and climatic context of this dispersal are heavily debated. Therefore, a new project combining paleoenvironmental and archaeological fieldwork has been undertaken at Willendorf II (Austria), a key site for this time period. This project has concluded that modern humans producing Aurignacian stone tools occupied Central…
New evidence of early Neanderthal disappearance in the Iberian Peninsula
Neanderthals from El Salt (Alcoy, Spain) in the context of the latest Middle Palaeolithic populations from the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula
Advances in palimpsest dissection
Hearths and bones
Radiometric dates and micromorphological evidence for synchronous domestic activity and sheep penning in a Neolithic cave
Archaeology (50 obras) · Geography (49 obras) · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology (49 obras) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (48 obras) · Geology (42 obras) · Paleontology (29 obras) · Geology and Paleoclimatology Research (25 obras) · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies (18 obras) · Cave (17 obras) · Neanderthal (17 obras)