Earth and Planetary Science

Multi-Proxy Environmental Reconstruction of the Covacha de los Zarpazos in Galería Site (Atapuerca, Spain)

Serena D'Arcangelo

National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), 00143 Rome, Italy

Fátima Martín Hernández

Department of Physics of the Earth and Astrophysics, Faculty of Physics, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain Geosciences Institute (UCM, CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain Institute of Applied Magnetism (UCM), 28230 Las Rozas, Spain

Josep María Parés

Geochronology and Geology, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), 09002 Burgos, Spain

Ana Álvaro Gallo

Geochronology and Geology, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), 09002 Burgos, Spain

Ana Isabel Ortega

Geochronology and Geology, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), 09002 Burgos, Spain

Paula García Medrano

UMR 7149 HNHP (MNHN-CNRS-UPVD), Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France Department Britain, Europe and Prehistory, British Museum, London, United Kingdom Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Tarragona, Spain Department d’Història i Història de l’Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain

Isabel Cáceres

Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Tarragona, Spain Department d’Història i Història de l’Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36956/eps.v3i2.1108

Received: 20 May 2024; Published: 14 August 2024

Abstract

Magnetic properties of iron oxides provide invaluable data for environmental reconstruction during sediment deposition. Encouraged by the results of our previous studies in the near Gran Dolina site, we investigate the GI waterlain facies sediments that fill Galería Complex cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain), in particular the Covacha de los Zarpazos cave considering two vertical profiles at different walls and comparing them with two profiles previously analysed. For the first time in this cave, we propose a correlation among these two walls based on the low field susceptibility values. An environmental reconstruction is proposed based on the pedogenesis and weathering processes, and water activity influencing the composition, concentration and grain size of magnetic minerals. In order to have a more comprehensive interpretation, elemental geochemistry was also analysed. The results allow to identify three different sections with the alternation of environmental characteristics.

Keywords: Environmental magnetism, Galería cave, Waterlain facies, Pedogenesis influence, Weathering degree

References