Characterization of lithic raw materials from the Middle Paleolithic site of Cova deTeixoneres (NE Iberian peninsula): Project approach and first results

Abstract

In this work we present the characterization lithic raw materials project and the first data from the macroscopic study of the archaeological material from level IIIb of Cova deTeixoneres (NE Iberian peninsula). The Teixoneres cave was a settlement where hominin-carnivors interactions took place during the Middle Palaeolithic. This project proposes the study of the procurement areas of the Neanderthals that occupied the site during short stays, based on the determination of the origin of archaeological lithic raw materials. Through macroscopic and microscopic analysis, we will try to know the mobility patterns as well as the type of occupation. This information will be plotted on lithological maps, together with possible procurement areas, with the aim of developing a graphic and dynamic document which allow us to establish possible routes in relation with the site, the outcrops and the territory.