From 1 to 20 August, a new archaeological research campaign was carried out at Roca dels Bous (Sant Llorenç de Montgai, La Noguera), led by CEPAP-UAB. The IPHES-CERCA Archaeobotany Unit is involved in several lines of research aimed at improving our understanding of plant use, fire and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction.

One of the main activities involved the excavation and sampling of combustion structures, as part of the doctoral research of Paula Casajoanes-García, a predoctoral researcher within the NEAN-SPARK project. The samples collected will be used for phytolith and mineral analyses using FTIR, with the aim of further characterising the function of hearths associated with the different occupations identified at the Roca dels Bous site.

Reconstructing the Neanderthal environment and fuel use

The campaign also included the sampling of a sedimentary sequence for the analysis of pollen and biomarkers (PAHs and n-alkanes), with the aim of reconstructing ecological and environmental conditions and placing fire-related activities within the landscape in which they took place. This work was carried out by Dr. Isabel Expósito and Dr. Aitor Burguet-Coca within the framework of the NEAN-SPARK project and will provide data on vegetation and the environment to complement the information obtained from the archaeological remains.

Charcoal remains were also recovered from the archaeological units excavated during the campaign. This material will be studied within the framework of the PALFUEL project, led by Dr. Ethel Allué. Charcoal analysis will help expand our knowledge of practices related to the procurement and use of firewood and provide new data on the relationship between Neanderthal groups and the plant resources available in their environment.

Research and public engagement: two sides of the project

The 2026 campaign was not limited to strictly scientific work. Building on the Roca dels Bous research project’s long-standing commitment to public engagement with archaeological heritage, an outreach activity focusing on fire and the Neanderthals of Roca dels Bous was also organised.

The activity was led by Andrea Alías, public engagement officer at IPHES-CERCA, as part of the 8th Firanit Local Fair in Camarasa. The initiative brought the knowledge generated by archaeological research closer to families and highlighted the role of fire in the daily lives of Neanderthal groups.

Finally, as part of the campaign, IPHES-CERCA Head of Research Isabel Cáceres visited the Roca dels Bous site. During her visit, she was able to see first-hand the work currently being carried out and the involvement of members of the Archaeobotany Unit both in fieldwork and in the various archaeobotanical studies being conducted at the site.

Financing

Archaeobotanical research at the Roca dels Bous site is supported by projects PID2024-157476NA-I00 (NEAN-SPARK) and PID2023-148678NB-I00 (PALFUEL), funded by MICIU/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and by the ERDF, EU.