Interdisciplinary methodology for the characterisation of a temporary paleo-wetland in loma de Úbeda (Jaén, Spain)

Abstract

Paleo-wetlands have fragmented in archaeological times associated with human stressors. We present an interdisciplinary analysis of a past temporary paleo-wetland located at an important junction between the valleys of the Rivers Guadalquivir and Guadalimar in the province of Jaén (Eastern Andalusia, Spain). We applied a high-resolution protocol to identify the paleo-wetland used for ritual purposes during the Iron Age. Based on archaeological excavations and analyses (soil micromorphology, pollen and phytoliths analyses, optically stimulated luminescence [OSL] datings, and other techniques), we found a palaeosoil formed in a wetland environment active during the Late Holocene, dating back to the 9th century AD.