Estudio antropológico de los restos humanos hallados en el yacimiento visigodo de Riocueva (Hoznayo, Entrambasaguas. Cantabria)

Abstract

espanolEntre los anos 2011 y 2014 se llevaron a cabo distintas intervenciones arqueologicas en el yacimiento de Riocueva, un deposito en cueva de caracter sepulcral cuyos materiales han sido az. Se presenta el estudio antropologico y paleopatologico de los restos humanos recuperados en las tres campanas. La muestra se encontraba muy fragmentada y afectada por la accion intencional del fuego. Aun asi, se han podido identificar al menos 8 individuos, 4 de ellos subadultos y otros 4 adultos jovenes, sin patologias graves o traumatismos que justifiquen su fallecimiento, sobre los que se produjeron alteraciones tafonomicas antropicas y faunisticas (fragmentacion de los huesos, dispersion y aplicacion de fuego). Tanto el yacimiento como la poblacion muestras caracteristicas similares a otros yacimientos proximos, como son las cuevas de Las Penas (Mortera, Pielagos) o La Garma (Omono, Ribamontan del Monte). EnglishFrom 2011 to 2014 the Mauranus Research Project team, a project whose purpose is to study the transition between the ancient and medieval world in Cantabria, carried out 3 archaeological interventions in Riocueva site. This site is a cave that corresponds to one of the entries to a karstic complex about 3km long although the archaeological site occupies about 70-80m from the vestibule. Archaeological studies have confirmed the sepulchral character of the deposit, which has been dated by studying the C14 between 7th and 8th centuries AD and by TL between 6th and 9th centuries AD. We report the anthropological and paleopathological study of the human remains recovered after the 8 archeological surveys were completed. The hole sample was very fragmented (498 human bone fragments, most of them very small), because of the action of animals and humans. Moreover, they were affected by the intentional use of fire, so all this circumstances hindered the anthropological study. The aim was to establish the Minimum Number of Individuals deposited in the cave, as well as other anthropological and paleopathological features that characterize the sample. At least 8 individuals have been identified, 4 subadults (a perinatal, a child of 2-3 years, a child of 3-4 years and a child of 6-11 years) and 4 very young adults. No important pathologies neither traumas were recognized, so the cause of death is unidentified. Important intentional anthropogenic and faunal taphonomic alterations were reported (fragmentation of the bones, dispersion and fire damage). Both the site and the population show similarities with other archeological sites, the caves of Las Penas (Mortera, Pielagos. Cantabria) and the Lower Gallery of La Garma (Omono, Ribamontan del Monte. Cantabria), that we review in this report. All of them were used from 650 to 730 a.C. as atipical sepulchral sites, since the normal practice was to bury dead people in necropolis. Furthermore, the demographic profile identified, individuals who died as children subjects, subadults or very young adults, does not correspond to the pattern present in contempo- rary necropolises, such as Santa Maria de Hito (Valderredible. Cantabria), El Conventon de Rebolledo (Valdeolea. Cantabria) or Santa Maria de Retortillo (Retortillo. Cantabria). They belong to groups of ages where mortality should decrease drastically. This can only be explained by the hypothesis of an acute infectious disease as the cause of death: a very contagious infection which causes the death of those individuals no immunized previously. In the pre-vaccination era, several of them may be candidates: smallpox, plague, typhoid fever, flu,.... In this sense, according to the hypothesis proposed by the Mauranus Project team samples have been collected to carry out studies of paleomicrobiology. Euskara2011 eta 2014 urteen artean, Riocuevako aztarnategian hainbat lan arkeologiko egin zuten. Aztarnategiak hilobi izaera du eta bertako materialak K.a. 650 eta 730 urte artekoak dira. Hiru kanpainetan berreskuratutako gorpuzkien ikerketa antropologikoa eta paleopatologikoa jasotzen du. Lagina oso hautsita eta suaren nahitako ekintza zela eta oso kaltetuta zegoen. Hala eta guztiz ere, gutxienez 8 banako identifikatu ahal izan dituzte; haietako 4 azpi-helduak dira, eta beste 4 heldu gazteak, heriotza justifikatuko lukeen patologia larririk edo traumatismorik gabeak. Haiengan asaldura tafonomiko antropikoak eta faunistikoak gertatu ziren (hezurren zatiketa, dispertsioa eta sua aplikatzea). Aztarnategiak zein populazioak gertu dauden beste aztarnategi batzuetakoen antzekoak diren ezaugarriak dituzte: Las Penaseko kobazuloak (Mortera, Pielagos) edo La Garma (Omono, Ribamontan al Monte), adibidez.