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The Ebro Basin constitutes one of the most representative territories in SW Europe for the study of prehistoric societies during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. The correlation of palaeoenvironmental and geomorphological proxies obtained from sedimentary records with chronologically well-constrained reference archaeological sites has allowed defining this time frame precisely, such that three main pilot areas haven been broadly depicted: the Alavese region, the Pre-Pyrenees and the Bajo Aragón. Overall, the human imprint in the Ebro Basin was rare during the Upper Palaeolithic, but more visible from the Upper Magdalenian (14500 to 13500 cal BP) to Neolithic times (up to 5500 cal BP). Local environmental resources were continuously managed by the prehistoric communities in the different areas of study. In fact, the Ebro Basin acted during those millennia as a whole, developing the same cultural trends, industrial techniques and settlement patterns in parallel throughout the territory. However, some gaps exist in the 14 C frequency curve (SCDPD curve). This is partially related to prehistoric sites in particular lithologies and geological structures that could have partly been lost by erosional processes, especially during the Early Holocene. In addition, this gap also parallels the reconstructed climate trend for the Pre-Pyrenean and the Bajo Aragón areas, which are defined by high frequencies of xerophilous flora until ca. 9500 cal BP, suggesting that continental climate features could have hampered the presence of well-established human communities in inland regions. The interdisciplinary research (archaeology, geomorphology and palaeoclimatology) discussed in this paper offers clues to understand the existence of fills and gaps in the archaeological record of the Ebro Basin, and can be applied in other territories with similar geographic and climate patterns.

The Anthropocene is related to the origin of current landscape configuration, and in terms of vegetation, with the consideration of human action as main forcing of clear, intense and permanent changes through time. In this paper we compile and compare data from palynological sequences, microcharcoal records, archaeological sites and radiocarbon dates from palaeofires located in the Central Pyrenees besides historical documents, and we argue that some evidences related to early deforestation processes and use of human fire are not so clear than some authors point. Conversely, indicators of unequivocal human use and the origin of cultural landscapes are located only a few centuries and not a few millennia ago. In fact, high temporal and spatial variability is recorded until the Middle Ages (last 700 years, 1300 AD), when a series of consistent and permanent changes suggest the onset of the Anthropocene.

18The geochemical characterization of several lacustrine chert formations outcropping in the Central-19Eastern Pre-Pyrenean area is presented. Four geological formations were considered: one Upper 20Cretaceous (Tremp formation), two Oligocene (Castelltallat and Tartareu-Alberola formations) and one 21Miocene (Aragonian limestones formation). Furthermore, lacustrine cherts appearing in the 22Magdalenian levels of Forcas I and Cova Alonsé (Huesca, Spain) were also considered. Analyses were 23 done using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) and laser ablation inductively coupled 24 plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Results show different geochemical features between 25 formations, in some cases also between outcrops, concerning major, minor and trace elements. 26 Archaeological samples from Cova Alonsé and Forcas I fit in some of the stablished groups, being the 27 dispersion area slightly different between sites. Consequently, results determine the presence of 28 diversified lithic procurement strategies. 29 30 Keywords 31 Magdalenian, lithic procurement, human mobility, geochemistry, chert 32 33 34

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