La ocupación de la costa durante el Mesolítico en el Oriente de Asturias: primeros resultados de las excavaciones en la cueva de El Mazo (Andrín, Llanes)

Abstract

The discovery of Paracentrotus lividus remains in archaeological sites is an important source of information that is not always possible to assess due to the difficulty of quantifying the debris and its contribution to the overall study. Recently, several authors have designed systems for the MNI calculation based on the mouthparts of the sea urchin or interspecific identification systems based on the genital tract. This paper presents an MNI calculation system based on the application of fragmentation categories on the reproductive system. To test this method, remains from the sites Punta Atalaia and A Lanzada (Galicia, Northwest Spain) were used. Combining this system with the existing ones permits to amplify the identification and quantification of Paracentrotus lividus in archaeological sites.