Geoarchaeological propection of the Sella River fluvial terraces (Eastern Asturias): The site of El Caxili

Abstract

The present work reports findings obtained from the geoarchaeological study of the Sella river fluvial terraces, in the Eastern part of Asturias. The most outstanding results have been the identification of 12 terrace levels, located at + 110, +75-80, + 60-65, +40-50, + 27-30, + 17, + 12, + 10, + 8, + 6 and + 4 m above the actual level of the river; and the representation of the area comprised between Ribadesella and Caño in the geomorphological cartography. Upper level terraces are often overlaid by slope deposits, while those at the lowest levels are fossilized by recent torrential cones, due to the partial dismantlement of the slopes regularized by solifluction and the stratified debris covering the hillsides. Archaeological works have resulted in the discovery of 30 prehistoric sites linked to the terraces, where 118 lithics artefacts have been found on the surface, and the site of El Caxili with 93 pieces in stratigraphic sequence. One torrential cone which recovers partiality the fluvial terrace level + 10 m near Las Rozas has been dated by C14 method at 2.625 ± 55 BP .