## 3 Archaeological Settings: Case Studies  
Cova del Sardo (code VB-014) is a 19.3 m\({}^{2}\) natural rock shelter, with an exterior terrace of 110 m\({}^{2}\) with evidence of occupation. The site is located at 1774 m asl in a small alluvial semi-plain in the middle Sant Nicolau valley, in the lower subalpine belt, facing south and 60 m above the modern river bed (Figures 1 and 2). The first evidence of human presence in Cova del Sardo was dated in 8 th millennium BP, at 7513-7326 cal BP, from an excavated hearth structure under the rock shelter corrice (Phase 9) [26]. Nevertheless, the lack of pottery does not allow a cultural attribution of this occupation. The first Neolithic occupation of the site took place during the 7 th millennium BP, between 6776-6325 cal BP (Phase 8). This occupation was located both under the corrice and on the terrace surface, where different hearth structures and walls were built and used [27; 28]. Afterwards, the site was reoccupied, especially under the rock shelter between 6179-5325 cal BP (Phase 7). During the late 6 th millennium BP, in the Late Neolithic (Phase 6), a pine wood palisade was identified under the corrice and over the terrace. Finally, in the 5 th millennium BP from 4851 to 4445 cal BP, during the Chalcolithic period, the rock shelter was occupied for the last time in Prehistory (Phase 5). Widespread occupation of different rock shelters is documented in the area of PNAESM in this last period [29], some of them very close to Cova del Sardo: for instance, the sites of Cova de Sarrade and Abric de les Covetes (4521-4296 cal BC) are located in the 1 km\({}^{2}\) surrounding area. All these occupations ended abruptly at a time dated in most sites to 4250 cal BP, around the 4.2 cold/arid event [30]. The present paper discusses the results of the study of plant macro-remains found in the excavation of one of these rock shelters (Cova del Sardo) and its outer terrace, together with pollen and phytolith analyses [31; 32; 33]. The results are then contextualized with a geological core that was taken 530 m from the site, in a river terrace in the valley bottom (Forcall de Sant Esperit-AS 2), which provides environmental information about the occupation area outside the rock shelters but is contemporary with it. Figure 2: (**Left**) General view of the location of Cova del Sardo, the white circle indicates the rock shelter. (**Right**) Detail of the entry of the rock shelter. Photographs by Grup d’Arqueologia de l’Alta Muntanya UAB-CSIC. La Draga is located on the eastern shore of Lake Banyoles (Girona, Spain) at 170 m asl (Figures 1 and 3). The lake, located in a natural tectonic depression, is approximately 2100 m by 750 m in size. The archaeological site covers a surface area of over 15,000 m\({}^{2}\), of which near 1000 m\({}^{2}\) have already been excavated, including 400 m\({}^{2}\) that are waterlogged. Several sectors have been differentiated: in Sector A, the archaeological level is above the water table. In Sector B, the archaeological level is below the water table, and Sector C is currently under water. In Sectors B and C, the waterlogged conditions have favored the preservation of organic remains, including wooden tools and plant crafts (bows, handles, baskets, cords, combs, digging sticks, vessels, spindles, and sickle handles), wooden architectonical elements, fungi and leaves, from the earliest occupation [34; 35; 36; 37; 38; 39; 40; 41; 42]. The available radiocarbon dates have determined an occupation from 7274 to 6927 cal BP (Phase I), and a more recent occupation from 7160 to 6746 cal BP (Phase II) [40; 43], both corresponding to the early Neolithic farmers who settled in the region. According to the dendrochronological data, the first settlement had a minimum duration of 29 years [43]; later the site was recocupied several times. Here the results of the study of wood, charcoal, seeds, fibers and pollen from the archaeological layers are discussed and then contextualized with the results of pollen analysis performed off-site.