Geomorphic evolution of the ancient site of Los Millares, Andalucia (Spain) –mid-Holocene sedimentation, eustacy, and tectonic activity

Abstract

The material remains of the Copper-Age (ca. 5200-4200 BP) site of Los Millares (Almeria province), currently 19 km inland from the Mediterranean, suggest marine connections. It is architecturally complex, and its clifftop setting above the aggrading Andarax River suggests defensibility. Its mid-Holocene age suggests the possibility of formerly extensive estuarine environments (net tectonic base-level control being locally minor despite regional tectonic activity), thus giving the site unusual trade potential. In spite of substantial subsurface data, geomorphic reconstruction becomes ambiguous past known medieval estuarine morphology due to the difficulty of acquiring datable material from depth. Certainly Los Millares when occupied had much closer access to marine waters than at present, and protecting cliffs were more formidable. Our conclusions suggest that additional investigations of several types are warranted.