Anthropogenic impacts on vegetation landscapes and environmental implications during the Middle-Late Holocene in the Iberian Central Pre-Pyrenees: An anthracological approach

Cova Colomera is one of the most important archaeological sites to explain early herding activities in the Central Pre-Pyrenees (Iberian Peninsula). Fieldworks have provided a stratigraphy that shows short occupations of the cave by Neolithic and Bronze Age human groups. The sedimentological description has revealed fumiers deposits, that are characteristic of husbandry activities. In this paper, we provide the anthracological results based on 1117 charcoal fragments. The results allow to characterise the Mediterranean vegetation landscape and its transformation, from a local perspective, related to climatic changes and anthropogenic activities. Climate changes and human activities have played a significant role in Mediterranean landscapes dynamics. However, the incidence or impact of both agents on the vegetation landscape occurred unequally among the Mediterranean region. The anthracological results from Cova Colomera suggest that the Central Pre-Pyrenees was dominated by an oak forest ecosystem, with sub- and supra-Mediterranean deciduous taxon and coniferous forest during the Middle Holocene. This ecosystem remained more or less stable during the Late Holocene, although evergreen oak showed a slight increase, and coniferous forest showed a slight decrease. The orographic characteristics of the Central Pre-Pyrenees were able to maintain temperate and humid conditions, with less impact of aridity events recorded in Mediterranean environments. From a diachronic point of view, the herding activities of Neolithic human and Bronze Age human groups do not appear to have affected highly the landscape development of the Central Pre-Pyrenees. Human activities were probably not intensive in terms of forest clearing or land use. •Middle-Late Holocene anthracological sequence of Cova Colomera.•Anthracological data shows local woodland peculiarities and changes.•Local humid conditions would have been favourable for meso-thermophilic taxa.•The earliest evidence of herding activities in the Central Pre-Pyrenees.•Human activities would have had less impact on the local forest's development.