Fecal biomarkers and micromorphological indicators of sheep penning and flooring at La Fortaleza pre-Hispanic site (Gran Canaria, Canary Islands)

Autor: Antonio V. Herrera-Herrera, Héctor Padrón-Herrera, Eneko Iriarte, Verónica Alberto-Barroso, Marco Antonio Moreno-Benítez, Carolina Mallol
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: iScience, Vol 27, Iss 3, Pp 109171- (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2589-0042
DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109171
Popis: Summary: This study explores the lipid content and micromorphological features of sediment samples from two dwelling structures at the pre-Hispanic site of La Fortaleza in Santa Lucía de Tirajana (Gran Canaria, Spain). Previous field identification of possible sedimentary excrements inside the dwellings motivated chromatographic fecal biomarker analysis and micromorphology. The micromorphological samples reveal a complex dung-rich stratified sequence involving different layers of mixed composition, including reworked dung, clay, wood ash, and domestic refuse. The results of the lipid analysis corroborate the fecal nature of the sample and indicate the source animal: sheep. Coupled with the field evidence, the data suggest that the deposit is anthropogenic and represents a sequence of floor foundations, dung floors, and domestic and architectural refuse. This study provides valuable taxonomic and site use data for the understanding of the aboriginal societies of the Canary Islands and shows the efficacy of combining field observations with high-resolution geoarchaeological methods.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals