Malacofauna procedent d’un habitacle dels segle VII-VI a. de C. del jaciment arqueològic del Puig de Vinaròs (el Baix Maestrat) Malacofauna from a building dated to VII-VI centuries BC at the archaeological site of Puig de Vinaròs (the Baix Maestrat)

This work classifies material of the phylum Mollusca, of both marine and continental origin, which was found within a fortified building in an Iron Age Iberian settlement dated to the VII-VI centuries BC, located on a hilltop in Vinaròs (the Baix Maestrat; Valencian Country). It is highly probable that the fortified residence belonged to the elite who controlled the surrounding territory.
The objective of the work is to supplement the information obtained from the rest of the archaeological material with data on the contemporary malacological fauna in the settlement, since much of it shows signs of having suffered from the fire that affected the building.
The material was obtained in the excavation campaigns of 2016 and 2018 and was found in the same stratigraphic level. The shells of 5 species of marine and 4 continental molluscs were found within the building.
Marine molluscs were intentionally collected from the thanatacoenoses of a gravel beach and transported to the fortified residence. Given that the shells had marine encrustations within them, showed obvious signs of having been dragged and eroded through wave action and had perforations caused by marine predators, it is clear that they were empty when collected and could not have been used as a food source. It must therefore be assumed that there was some other reason, maybe recreational, for their collection.
With regards to the continental molluscs, there is no data showing that they were collected intentionally. The presence of some burned specimens could be interpreted as showing that they were contemporary with the fire or buried naturally soon afterwards. The ecological characteristics of the four species allows us to infer that the appearance and vegetation of that time was very similar to the current one (Mediterranean scrub) and that therefore some clearing of the original forests, probably through the use of burning, had already taken place and that could have occurred quite some time prior to the construction of the building.