Figure 1.

(a) Geological context of the Guadix-Baza Depression in the Betic Cordillera, SE Spain. The box encloses the Baza subbasin. The points indicate the thermal springs (N = 122) that are nowadays active in the Betic Cordillera, with a range of water output temperatures of 18–60 °C. (b) Tectono-sedimentary map of the Baza subbasin with indication of those points that preserve geochemical, mineralogical, or lithological evidence of thermal activity during the Neogene-Quaternary. 1, External Zones; 2, Internal Zones; 3, Tortonian marine deposits; 4, Plio-Pleistocene alluvial and fluvial deposits; 5, Late Turolian–Ruscinian lacustrine deposits; 6, Middle Villafranchian fluvio-lacustrine deposits; 7, Middle Villafranchian lacustrine marls and evaporites; 8, Late Villafranchian lacustrine deposits; 9, Middle Pleistocene alluvial and lacustrine deposits; 10, Late Pleistocene glacis surface; 11, Holocene fluvial terrace; 12, Modern fluvial sediments; 13, Faults (solid lines; striped lines indicate those faults covered by sediments that have been inferred from aerial photographs); 14, Thermal springs nowadays active; 15, Sulphur deposits; 16, Travertine buildings; 17, Palaeoseismites; 18, Black levels; 19, Silexites; 20, Location of the Venta Micena site. (c) Stratigraphic series of VM4 and VM3 quarries. (d) View of one grid of quarry VM3 during the summer excavation of 2005, which was codirected by Martínez-Navarro and P. Palmqvist. (e) View of one grid of quarry VM4 during the summer excavation of 2015. (f) Palaeogeographical context of the Orce-Venta Micena sector of the Baza Basin during the Late Villafranchian [1, External Zones; 2, Pliocene sediments (emerged relief); 3, Alluvial and fluvial sediments; 4, Extension of the lake during a highstand stage; 5. Extension of the lake in a lowstand stage]. The location of excavation quarries VM4 and VM3 of Venta Micena is shown. The maps depicted in figures (a,b) were generated using the software CorelDRAW Suite X4 (https://www.coreldraw.com).