Geochemical Study of Chert Artefacts from Xicotó Rockshelter (NE Iberia) Archaeological Site. New Data on Neolithic and Mesolithic Human Occupations

Abstract

Xicotó Rockshelter (Alòs de Balaguer, Lleida, Spain) is located in the eastern Pre-Pyrenean range in north-east Iberia, in the middle Segre River Basin. Since 2013, archaeological works have been developed by a team from the Prehistoric Studies and Research Seminar (SERP) at the University of Barcelona and up to three sedimentary levels have been identified. The preserved archaeological remains have allowed determining that the site was occupied during at least two different periods: the Ancient Neolithic and the Middle Mesolithic. The relative chronology given by the archaeological assemblage has been confirmed by several radiocarbon dates that place the occupations of the site to be during the VI and VII millennia cal BC. This paper presents the results obtained after the analysis of lithic raw materials from the entire lithic assemblage. The analysis was performed using the classic petroarchaeological approach, comprising textural and micropalaeontological descriptions, combined with the application of geochemical methods, using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) and laser-ablation inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The results show that several rock types were selected for confectioning the lithic tools, among which chert was the preferred. Different types and origins have been identified, with similar sourcing strategies that involved local and regional procurement.