Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 35 (2021) 102692 Available online 17 December 2020 2352-409X/© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. The basketry at the early Neolithic site of La Draga (Banyoles, Spain) Susagna Romero-Brugu´ es * , Raquel Piqu´ e Huerta , Maria Herrero-Otal Departament de Prehist` oria, Universitat Aut` onoma de Barcelona, Spain A R T I C L E INFO Keywords: Plant fbres Basketry Early Neolithic La Draga ABSTRACT The goal of this work is provide new data about early basketry techniques based on remains found at the site of La Draga (Banyoles, Spain). La Draga has yielded a series of basketry fragments dated to 5300–5000 cal. BC that introduce novel information about the use of natural materials to make baskets and the techniques involved in their fabrication. The 34 fragments of basketry were recovered from waterlogged levels. All the remains of basketry found at La Draga were made with the same sewn coiled technique, although variations are seen in the type of stitches. The inhabitants of La Draga used a limited number of species for basket-making: mono- cotyledons, lime bast fbres and hazel wands. The technology, number of individuals and function are discussed in this paper. 1. Introduction Baskets have played an important role in all societies. Today their use is limited and mainly related to ornamental and non-utilitarian purposes. However, in the past, they were used for storage and trans- port and to make artefacts for different purposes. The origins of basketry are not well known because of the scarce archaeological record; how- ever direct and indirect evidence has been invoked to propose the early origin of these crafts. Anthropologists and archaeologists have argued that the use and fabrication of baskets preceded the invention of pottery and textiles (Kuoni, 1981). This antiquity is supported by indirect evi- dence such as the impressions of basketry on clay, as in the case of the small clay fragments with basket imprints recovered at the sites of Dolní Vˇ estonice I and Pavlov I. These pieces date from the Upper Palaeolithic, between 29,000 and 24,000 BCE (Soffer et al., 1998, 2000; Wigforss, 2014). According to Soffer et al. (2000) they represent the frst evidence of basketry, cordage, and weaving in the world. Also noteworthy are the remains of basketry imprints on clay and some braided plant fbres recovered from Coves de Santa Maira, located in the Mediterranean region of Spain (Alicante, Iberian Peninsula), an Epipalaeolithic occu- pation which date from 12,900 to 10200 cal BC (Aura Tortosa et al., 2019). Some of the oldest preserved basketry remains are the fragments of sandals and twined basketry made by hunter-gatherer societies from the Great Basin of western North America, dated in 8500–7200 cal. BC (Berger et al. 1998, Connolly, 1994). However, almost all the remains of baskets and mats recovered in the Near East and Europe are related to farming societies. This is the case of the coiled basketry fragments from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B levels at Nahal Hemar (Israel), dated in 8200–7300 cal. BC (Schick, 1988). Other more recent examples are the basketry imprints on bitumen, plaster and ceramic fragments found in Tell Sabi Abyad (Syria) and dated between 7000 and 5300 BCE (Berghuijs, 2013). Basketry remains have also been recovered in such other Neolithic sites as Çatal Hüyük (Turkey), ca. 7400–6200 cal. BC (Mellaart, 1967: 116-18, 218-20, Wendrich and Ryan, 2012), El Fayum and Badari, 4000 cal. BC (Egypt) (Lucas, 1948), and Kefar Samir (Israel), 5517–5038 cal. BC (Galili and Schick, 1990). This attests the diversity of basketry techniques used since both coiled and woven basketry are documented in these sites. In Europe, one of the oldest known basketry fragments were found in Cueva de los Murci´ elagos (Granada, Spain). Thanks to the exceptionally constant dry conditions in this burial cave, a set of objects made with plant fbres was conserved, including basketry made from esparto grass (Stipa tenacissima). The calibrated radiocarbon dates obtained for es- parto samples situates this Neolithic assemblage in the period between 5200 and 4600 cal. BC (Cacho et al., 1996). The objects were made with a wide range of techniques, especially sewn coiling, twining and continuous plaiting. However, most basketry remains found in Europe are more recent. These include the set of recovered plant remains (knit fabrics and twisted braids) from the lakeside settlements in the canton of Zurich, with a great number of vegetal remains that include an ample chronology, in the Neolithic Layers from the Egolzwiler culture (approx. 4300–4000 BCE) to the Corded Pottery Culture (approx. 2750–2400 BCE) (Rast-Eicher and Dietrich, 2015). It should also be mentioned the recovered plant remains found for the period of the Neolithic lake-shore * Corresponding author. E-mail address: sr.brugues@gmail.com (S. Romero-Brugu´ es). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jasrep https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102692 Received 19 May 2020; Received in revised form 22 November 2020; Accepted 30 November 2020