**3. Results**

### *3.1. Charcoal Analysis*

We identified 1677 charcoal fragments and established the occurrence of 12 taxa (Figure 2; Supplementary Materials, Figure S6).

**Figure 2.** Charcoal percentages of the Serratura Cave plotted against age (y cal BP). Calibrated age BP are expressed as the median probability age.

*Quercus* deciduous type, namely *Q. pubescens,* was the best-represented taxon in almost all investigated layers, ranging from 61% (Layer 8) to 21% (Layer 11, Figure 2). Although deciduous *Quercus* can be hard to distinguish at the species level, the porous ring with only one to two rows of large vessels in the earlywood and their diameter never exceeding 250 μm, allowed us to identify *Q. pubescens*. *Fraxinus ornus*-*oxycarpa* was represented in all the SC layers, apart from Layer 11. Based on the comparison of autecological features, both species are conceivable since *F. ornus* could belong to the mesoxerophilous forest community while *F. oxycarpa* could be restricted to lowland and riparian areas forming the mesohygrophilous azonal forest together with *Populus* and/or *Salix* attested in Layers 9, 8F and 8E. *Acer* (excluded *A. pseudoplatanus* and *A. platanoides*) was present in all samples; the maximum value (28%) is attested in Layer 11 and the minimum (4%) in Layer 8E. *Tilia*, *Carpinus* and *Sambucus* were attested with low values (0.5–1.3%) especially in Layer 9. Coniferous wood was represented by *Pinus sylvestris* type and *Juniperus*. *Pinus sylvestris* type was present in all layers, with its maximum value in the Layer 11 (30%), while *Juniperus* was attested by a few wood charcoals in Layer 9. Rosaceae Maloideae were always attested in all the charcoal assemblages, their value ranging from 3% (Layer 10) to 13% (Layer 11). *Prunus* was present in SC Layers 11, 10C, 8G and 8E with a maximum value of 7.9%.
