The Early Neolithic pottery of Cueva de los Murciélagos (Zuheros, Cordoba, Spain)

Abstract

The Cueva de los Murciélagos de Zuheros (Córdoba, Spain) is one of the most important caves in archaeological historiography for the study of the Neolithic in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. After a review of its archaeological interventions, its radiocarbon dates and a previous state of the knowledge regarding its Neolithic pottery, the main objective of this paper is to present the basis of the study of the pottery assemblage from the Early Neolithic sequence of the 1990-1991 and 1993 excavations. Modern excavation techniques and methods were implemented and, therefore, reliable information on the stratigraphy and the materials from this archaeological site were obtained. This analysis is extensive and quantitative, and focuses on the morphological, technological and especially decorative dimensions, both at the level of techniques and motifs. It allows not only a review of the previous knowledge of the pottery from the site, but also concludes with a detailed characterisation and a current state of the Early Neolithic pottery assemblage of this important enclave located in the Subbetic region of Córdoba.