Ramírez-Amador José Luis, Molina-Piernas Eduardo, Ramos-Muñoz José, Domínguez-Bella Salvador
UGEA-PHAM, Department of Earth Science, University of Cádiz, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
Department of History, Geography and Philosophy, University of Cádiz, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 30;15(1):27740. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-12977-6.
The study of lithic raw material procurement strategies provides critical insights into the socio-economic organization and territorial mobility patterns of prehistoric societies. This research applies a pioneering geoarchaeological approach by combining advanced analytical techniques, including polarized optical microscopy (POM), cathodoluminescence microscopy (CL), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to characterize archaeological and geological flint samples from Ardales Cave and Sima de las Palomas in southern Iberia. The results reveal a systematic exploitation of secondary deposits in nearby fluvial terraces, within a predominantly local procurement framework, occasionally complemented by supra-regional acquisition episodes. Petrographic analysis, enhanced by cathodoluminescence images, enabled an unprecedented differentiation of flint varieties and identification of their diagenetic processes, significantly refining sourcing and characterization methods in geologically complex regions such as the Betic Cordillera. This study represents a key methodological advance in geoarchaeology, demonstrating the high potential of cathodoluminescence applied to flint analysis and establishing a robust analytical framework to interpret mobility patterns, territorial interaction, and technological resource management in prehistoric contexts.
对石器原材料采购策略的研究为洞察史前社会的社会经济组织和地域流动模式提供了关键视角。本研究采用了一种开创性的地质考古方法，结合了先进的分析技术，包括偏光显微镜（POM）、阴极发光显微镜（CL）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、X射线衍射（XRD）和X射线荧光（XRF），以对来自伊比利亚南部阿尔达莱斯洞穴和西马德拉斯帕洛马斯的考古和地质燧石样本进行特征描述。结果显示，在主要以本地采购为框架的情况下，对附近河流阶地的次生矿床进行了系统开发，偶尔也会有超区域采购事件作为补充。通过阴极发光图像增强的岩相分析，实现了对燧石品种前所未有的区分，并确定了它们的成岩过程，显著完善了在贝蒂克山脉等地质复杂地区的溯源和特征描述方法。这项研究代表了地质考古学在方法上的一项关键进展，展示了阴极发光应用于燧石分析的巨大潜力，并建立了一个强大的分析框架，以解释史前背景下的流动模式、地域互动和技术资源管理。
