The first arrivals of hominin populations into Eurasia during the Early Pleistocene are currently considered to have occurred as short and poorly dated biological dispersions. Questions as to the tempo and mode of these early prehistoric settlements have given rise to debates concerning the taxonomic significance of the lithic assemblages, as trace fossils, and the geographical distribution of the technological traditions found in the Lower Palaeolithic record. Here, we report on the Barranc de la Boella site which has yielded a lithic assemblage dating to ∼1 million years ago that includes large cutting tools (LCT). We argue that distinct technological traditions coexisted in the Iberian archaeological repertoires of the late Early Pleistocene age in a similar way to the earliest sub-Saharan African artefact assemblages. These differences between stone tool assemblages may be attributed to the different chronologies of hominin dispersal events. The archaeological record of Barranc de la Boella completes the geographical distribution of LCT assemblages across southern Eurasia during the EMPT (Early-Middle Pleistocene Transition, circa 942 to 641 kyr). Up to now, chronology of the earliest European LCT assemblages is based on the abundant Palaeolithic record found in terrace river sequences which have been dated to the end of the EMPT and later. However, the findings at Barranc de la Boella suggest that early LCT lithic assemblages appeared in the SW of Europe during earlier hominin dispersal episodes before the definitive colonization of temperate Eurasia took place.

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In this paper, we present the first palaeomagnetic data (51 sites) for Mesozoic (Lower–Middle Jurassic) sediments of the Moroccan Central High Atlas and address the study of a widespread remagnetization. The remagnetization is characterized by a very stable component with systematic normal polarity, carried by magnetite. The relationship between the magnetic properties and location within the basin suggests that the acquisition of the remagnetization is controlled by basin geometry. Fold-tests indicate that the overprint acquisition is syn-folding in some structures but clearly predates the Tertiary compressional stage. Using the small circle intersection method we have calculated the remagnetization direction ( D = 336.4°, I = 29.2°). Comparison with the global apparent polar wander path indicates that the remagnetization was acquired during the Late Cretaceous (probably Cenomanian). Considering both the basinal confinement of remagnetization and the connection with other remagnetization events in the western Tethys, we propose a scenario explaining widespread remagnetizations in the region, concerning both basin-scale conditions mainly related to sediment thickness and a regional-scale thermal event acting as catalyst of remagnetizations in those sedimentary basins that satisfy the basin-scale conditions.

Evidence of late Early Pleistocene elephant butchery activity has been excavated in the Pit 1 locality at Barranc de la Boella (Catalonia, Spain). The fossil assemblage mainly comprises the remains of one prime adult individual of Mammuthus meridionalis, together with 125 lithic artefacts, among which several refitting groups of chert have been identified. The lithic assemblage from the Pit 1 locality is composed of cobbles, cores, simple and retouched flakes, together with a large, well-fashioned pick of hard-wearing schist. Spatial, zooarchaeological, taphonomic, technical and use-wear analyses confirm that the occupation was devoted to butchery of the mammoth carcass. The activity zone is in a fluvio-deltaic area that incises the terrace Tþ60 of the lower Francolí river basin, 50 m a.s.l. Palaeomagnetic and cosmogenic analyses, as well as microfaunal (Mimomys savini, Victoriamys chalinei) and macrofaunal biostratigraphy (Mammuthus meridionalis), support the timing of the occupation to the late Matuyama chron. These various lines of evidence point to Barranc de la Boella being the oldest Early Acheulean butchering site in Europe. Ongoing excavations at several localities at Barranc de la Boella are yielding new data on the palaeoenvironmental, geochronological and technological framework of these occupations. Finally, the evidence is integrated into current understanding of the subsistence strategies practised by Early Pleistocene hominins.