Dancing to the rhythms of the Pleistocene? Early Middle Paleolithic population dynamics in NW Iberia (Duero Basin and Cantabrian Region)

Yustos, Policarpo Sánchez; Martín, Fernando Diéz

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.05.005

Cited by 31 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 90 publications

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“…In the Iberian plateau and Cantabrian region, the sites are dated in relatively older chronologies, and technologically, a marked archaic character in their industries can be observed (simple, bifacial, multifacial, tested nodules, indeterminate, etc.) (Montes, 2003; Pérez‐González et al , 2008; Rios‐Garaizar et al , 2008; Sánchez Yustos and Díez Martín, 2015; Díez Martín et al , 2018; Santamaría et al , 2020). This aspect also seems to be closely related to the use or absence of macro‐tooling.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the past few decades, we have witnessed a development in Lower and Middle Palaeolithic open‐air archaeology in the Iberian Peninsula: (1) classic sites such as Ambrona or Torralba have been re‐excavated (Santonja et al , 2014); (2) new sites have been discovered in well‐known areas such as the Manzanares (Pérez‐González et al , 2008; Yravedra et al , 2014); (3) entire areas have been re‐evaluated, such as the Lower Miño (Cunha et al , 2017; Méndez‐Quintas et al , 2018, 2019, 2020), Duero Basin (Sánchez Yustos and Díez Martín, 2015; Díez Martín et al , 2018) or Guadalquivir River (Caro et al , 2011); and (4) new sites have been discovered in poorly explored areas such as the Cantabrian region (Arrizabalaga and Iriarte‐Chiapusso, 2008; Arrizabalaga and Rios‐Garaizar, 2012; Rios‐Garaizar et al , 2018). Nevertheless, the available open‐air archaeological information for the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic in the Iberian Peninsula is still very poor but with some exceptions, such as the end of the Middle Pleistocene (marine isotope stage (MIS) 6–5), where there has been an increasing number of sites in the central Iberian Peninsula, Portugal and the Cantabrian region (Chacón and Raposo, 2001; Rubio‐Jara, 2011; Arrizabalaga et al , 2015; Yravedra et al , 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Los Aljezares archaeological site (Alicante, Spain) and the MIS 6/5 open‐air settlement in the Iberian Peninsula

Eixea

Cuevas-González

Díez-Canseco

et al. 2022

J Quaternary Science

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The record of open-air Middle Palaeolithic sites in the Iberian Peninsula-specifically in the Mediterranean basin-is scarce, hampering the interpretation of the landscape use strategies developed by Neanderthals in this area. In this work, we present Los Aljezares, a new Middle Palaeolithic site found in Pleistocene fluvio-lacustrine deposits in the sedimentary basin of the Vinalopó River. A U/Th age (132 ± 10 ka) from associated carbonate deposits allows us to attribute the site to the uppermost part of the Middle Pleistocene to Late Pleistocene (marine isotope stage 6/5). To date, a total of two levels of human occupation have been identified in which the density of lithic remains is low compared with cave and rock shelter sites in the region. The first results of technology and use-wear, raw material procurement and geological data indicate a settlement in Los Aljezares along a territory characterised by ephemeral channels and their associated palustrine and lacustrine zones. This palaeoenvironmental setting provided biotic and abiotic resources in a transit area between inland and coastal locations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Los Aljezares archaeological site (Alicante, Spain) and the MIS 6/5 open‐air settlement in the Iberian Peninsula

Eixea

Cuevas-González

Díez-Canseco

et al. 2022

J Quaternary Science

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“…In Italy, following the recently revised dating of the remains from Saccopastore to around 250 ka (Marra et al, 2015), the only prehistoric evidence from the time of the MIS 6–7 transition is the human skeleton from Altamura (Lari et al, 2015). Sites from this period are also rare in other parts of Europe, probably because of the concurrent climate cooling (Sanchez Yustos and Diez Martin, 2015). In this context, therefore, the Poggetti Vecchi site offers a noteworthy chance of gaining new insights into early Neanderthal behavioral plasticity and food procurement strategies (cf., Binford, 1987; Weber, 2000; Surovell and Waguespack, 2008; Rabinovich et al, 2012; Yravedra et al, 2014; Scott et al, 2014).…”

Section: Geological Background and Archeology Of The Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Paleoenvironmental context of the early Neanderthals of Poggetti Vecchi for the late middle Pleistocene of Central Italy

et al. 2017

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Work on thermal pools at Poggetti Vecchi in Grosseto, Italy, exposed an up to 3-meter-thick succession of seven\ud sedimentary units. Unit 2 in the lower portion of the succession contained vertebrate bones, mostly of the straight-tusked\ud elephant, Palaeoloxodon antiquus, commingled with stone, bone, and wooden tools. Thermal carbonates overlying Unit 2\ud are radiometrically dated to the latter part of the middle Pleistocene. This time span indicates that early Neanderthals\ud produced the human artifacts from Poggetti Vecchi. The elephant bones belong to seven individuals of different ages.\ud Sedimentary facies analysis and paleoecological evidence suggest a narrow lacustrine-palustrine embayment affected by water-level fluctuations and, at times, by hydrothermal water. Cyclic lake-level variations were predominantly forced\ud by the rapid climatic fluctuations that occurred at Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6–7 transition and throughout the MIS 6.\ud Possibly an abrupt, intense, and protracted cold episode during the onset of MIS 6 led to the sudden death of the\ud elephants, which formed an unexpected food resource for the humans of the area. The Poggetti Vecchi site adds new\ud information on the behavioral plasticity and food procurement strategies that early Neanderthals were able to develop in\ud Italy during the middle to the late Pleistocene transition

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“…Considering the Iberian interior territories, the strongest evidences supporting a late Neandertal survival have been unquestionably refuted. At La Ermita cave (Burgos), dates obtained by Aminoacid Racemization and Uranium/Thorium techniques have reassigned level 5a to MIS 5 [ 132 ], previously radiocarbon dated in the range of c. 36.6–34.7 ka cal BP [ 133 ]. At Jarama VI rockshelter (Guadalajara), the latest Mousterian occupation, previously radiocarbon dated between c. 41 and 30 ka cal BP [ 124 ], have been re-dated by new chronometric analyses, including radiocarbon measurements of bone samples pre-treated with ultrafiltration [ 6 ] and luminescence dating (post-IR IRSL) of associated sediments [ 9 ], to between c. 60 and 50 ka cal BP.…”

Section: The Last Neandertals Of Interior Iberiamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sites with uncertain results are numbered in red. For complete dating results and methods see [ 6 , 9 , 30 , 132 , 134 – 141 , 145 , 146 ]. Radiocarbon dates were calibrated using OxCal 4.3 [ 40 ] and IntCal13 [ 41 ].…”

Section: The Last Neandertals Of Interior Iberiamentioning

confidence: 99%

A context for the last Neandertals of interior Iberia: Los Casares cave revisited

et al. 2017

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Introduction and objectivesAlthough the Iberian Peninsula is a key area for understanding the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition and the demise of the Neandertals, valuable evidence for these debates remains scarce and problematic in its interior regions. Sparse data supporting a late Neandertal persistence in the Iberian interior have been recently refuted and hence new evidence is needed to build new models on the timing and causes of Neandertal disappearance in inland Iberia and the whole peninsula. In this study we provide new evidence from Los Casares, a cave located in the highlands of the Spanish Meseta, where a Neandertal-associated Middle Paleolithic site was discovered and first excavated in the 1960’s. Our main objective is twofold: (1) provide an updated geoarcheological, paleoenvironmental and chronological framework for this site, and (2) discuss obtained results in the context of the time and nature of the last Neandertal presence in Iberia.MethodsWe conducted new fieldwork in an interior chamber of Los Casares cave named ‘Seno A’. Our methods included micromorphology, sedimentology, radiocarbon dating, Uranium/Thorium dating, palinology, microfaunal analysis, anthracology, phytolith analysis, archeozoology and lithic technology. Here we present results on site formation processes, paleoenvironment and the chronological setting of the Neandertal occupation at Los Casares cave-Seno A.Results and discussionThe sediment sequence reveals a mostly in situ archeological deposit containing evidence of both Neandertal activity and carnivore action in level c, dated to 44,899–42,175 calendar years ago. This occupation occurred during a warm and humid interval of Marine Isotopic Stage 3, probably correlating with Greenland Interstadial 11, representing one of the latest occurrences of Neandertals in the Iberian interior. However, overlying layer b records a deterioration of local environments, thus providing a plausible explanation for the abandonment of the site, and perhaps for the total disappearance of Neandertals of the highlands of inland Iberia during subsequent Greenland Stadials 11 or 10, or even Heinrich Stadial 4. Since layer b provided very few signs of human activity and no reliable chronometric results, and given the scarce chronostratigrapic evidence recorded so far for this period in interior Iberia, this can only be taken as a working hypothesis to be tested with future research. Meanwhile, 42,000 calendar years ago remains the most plausible date for the abandonment of interior Iberia by Neandertals, possibly due to climate deterioration. Currently, a later survival of this human species in Iberia is limited to the southern coasts.

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Dancing to the rhythms of the Pleistocene? Early Middle Paleolithic population dynamics in NW Iberia (Duero Basin and Cantabrian Region)

Cited by 31 publications

References 90 publications

Los Aljezares archaeological site (Alicante, Spain) and the MIS 6/5 open‐air settlement in the Iberian Peninsula

Los Aljezares archaeological site (Alicante, Spain) and the MIS 6/5 open‐air settlement in the Iberian Peninsula

Paleoenvironmental context of the early Neanderthals of Poggetti Vecchi for the late middle Pleistocene of Central Italy

A context for the last Neandertals of interior Iberia: Los Casares cave revisited

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