The communities who lived there hunted mainly horses (Equus caballus) and to a
lesser extent ibex (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica) and red deer (Cervus elaphus). The
implements found are knapped lithic fragments, with a significant representation of
laminar debitage. The raw materials identified are flint from the head of the
Llobregat river basin, in the southern Pre-Pyrenean range, jasper from the terraces
of the River Tet in the north, and other materials from more distant sources,
possibly in the Ebro valley or the Corberas and Narbonne–Sigean areas to the south
and north of the range. Beads have been found made from marine mollusc shells
obtained in the Mediterranean, except for one from an Atlantic source. The results
are coherent with an occupation by nomadic communities who moved both north
and south, possibly along the Segre valley. In this area, the pass across the
mountains, Coll de la Perxa, is at 1570 m a.s.l. and may have been open at certain
times of the year.
The second site is Balma Margineda (Fig. 4.1), a rock-shelter at 970 m altitude
on the side of the River Valira, in Sant Julià de Lòria (Andorra). It was occupied
from about 14,000 years ago to at least 7000 (Guilaine and Martzluff 1995, 2007)
and thus its archaeological sequence covers the time from the Late Glacial period to
the so-called Holocene Atlantic Optimum. The excavation identified a series of
occupations by hunter-gatherer groups in the late Pleistocene (Levels 12–8)
and early Holocene (Levels 7–4), covered by a thick Neolithic layer (Level 3).
Fig. 4.1 Geographic localisation of the study area and the main archaeological sites mentioned in
the text. 1 Coro Trasito, 2 La Puyascada, 3 Els Trocs, 4 Tuc deth Lac Redon, 5 Sites in the
PNAESM (1): Covetes, Cova de Sarradé, Cova del Sardo, 6 Sites in the PNAESM (2): Abric del
Lac Major de Saboredo II, Portarró, Obagues de Ratera, 7 Sites in the PNAESM (3): Girada Gran
de Monestero, Abric de l’Estany de la Coveta I, Coma d’Espós, Dolmen de la Font dels Coms,
8 Cova Colomera, 9 Cova Gran de Santa Linya, 10 Cova del Parco, 11 Balma Margineda,
12 Juverri, 13 Cista de Segudet, 14 Sites in the VMPC, 15 Montlleó abd Sanavastre, 16 Sites in
the Enveig mountains, 17 Font del Ros and Ca l’Oliaire, 18 Vall de Núria, 19 Balma del Serrat
del Pont
4 The Beginning of High Mountain Occupations in the Pyrenees …
79
lesser extent ibex (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica) and red deer (Cervus elaphus). The
implements found are knapped lithic fragments, with a significant representation of
laminar debitage. The raw materials identified are flint from the head of the
Llobregat river basin, in the southern Pre-Pyrenean range, jasper from the terraces
of the River Tet in the north, and other materials from more distant sources,
possibly in the Ebro valley or the Corberas and Narbonne–Sigean areas to the south
and north of the range. Beads have been found made from marine mollusc shells
obtained in the Mediterranean, except for one from an Atlantic source. The results
are coherent with an occupation by nomadic communities who moved both north
and south, possibly along the Segre valley. In this area, the pass across the
mountains, Coll de la Perxa, is at 1570 m a.s.l. and may have been open at certain
times of the year.
The second site is Balma Margineda (Fig. 4.1), a rock-shelter at 970 m altitude
on the side of the River Valira, in Sant Julià de Lòria (Andorra). It was occupied
from about 14,000 years ago to at least 7000 (Guilaine and Martzluff 1995, 2007)
and thus its archaeological sequence covers the time from the Late Glacial period to
the so-called Holocene Atlantic Optimum. The excavation identified a series of
occupations by hunter-gatherer groups in the late Pleistocene (Levels 12–8)
and early Holocene (Levels 7–4), covered by a thick Neolithic layer (Level 3).
Fig. 4.1 Geographic localisation of the study area and the main archaeological sites mentioned in
the text. 1 Coro Trasito, 2 La Puyascada, 3 Els Trocs, 4 Tuc deth Lac Redon, 5 Sites in the
PNAESM (1): Covetes, Cova de Sarradé, Cova del Sardo, 6 Sites in the PNAESM (2): Abric del
Lac Major de Saboredo II, Portarró, Obagues de Ratera, 7 Sites in the PNAESM (3): Girada Gran
de Monestero, Abric de l’Estany de la Coveta I, Coma d’Espós, Dolmen de la Font dels Coms,
8 Cova Colomera, 9 Cova Gran de Santa Linya, 10 Cova del Parco, 11 Balma Margineda,
12 Juverri, 13 Cista de Segudet, 14 Sites in the VMPC, 15 Montlleó abd Sanavastre, 16 Sites in
the Enveig mountains, 17 Font del Ros and Ca l’Oliaire, 18 Vall de Núria, 19 Balma del Serrat
del Pont
4 The Beginning of High Mountain Occupations in the Pyrenees …
79