Fuel sources, natural vegetation and subsistence at a high-altitude aboriginal settlement in Tenerife, Canary Islands: Microcontextual geoarchaeological data from Roques de García Rockshelter

Abstract High-altitude island environments, with their characteristic strong seasonal contrast and limited resources, are challenging contexts for human subsistence. However, although archaeological in this kind of setting hold great potential to explore the diversity biological cultural adaptations, such sites rare. In paper, we present results a microcontextual geoarchaeological study carried out at Roques de García Rockshelter, highest altitude cave site Canary Islands (Spain). The was inhabited by aboriginal population has yielded rich context derived from combustion activity. We soil micromorphology characterize function lipid biomarker analysis investigate natural anthropogenic organic record. Our data indicate that groups occupied kept goats them (in rockshelter) probably used Juniperus turbinata (sabina) wood, current distant fuel source. These suggest societies Tenerife highlands regularly, taking herds firewood them. Further research is necessary use exploitation sources, seasonality these occupations differences lowland sites.