Análisis antracológico de los niveles calcolíticos de la parcela C de marroquíes bajos (Jaén)

Abstract

The site of Marroquíes Bajos (Jaén, S Spain) has been under excavation since 1995 by numerous professional archaeological teams, which have uncovered important archaeological remains from several chronological-cultural periods. Among these, especially noteworthy is a Chalcolithic village with 6 concentric fosses documented, which extend over a surface area of 34 ha, making it one of the largest in the Iberian Peninsula. The recent excavations made by the Centro Andaluz de Arqueología Ibérica (Andalusian Centre for Iberian Archaeology) in Plot C has documented the original core of the settlement circumscribed by a fosse of 68 m in diameter. The works conducted have a double objective: the creation of an archaeological park and the compiling of scientific information at this site. The latter aim includes the recording and studying of palaeo-environmental data, from which we here present the anthracological analysis made with charcoal recovered from several structures. The results show a landscape dominated by a thermophilous Holm oak forest, where Holm oaks appear together with such species as mastic plants, wild olive, phillyrea, and strawberry trees, as well as a large quantity of ashes. The forest at this time shows no symptoms of degradation.