Examining Neanderthal and carnivore occupations of Teixoneres Cave (Moià, Barcelona, Spain) using archaeostratigraphic and intra-site spatial analysis

Abstract

Teixoneres Cave (Moià, Barcelona, Spain) is a reference site for Middle Palaeolithic studies of the Iberian Peninsula. The cave preserves an extensive stratigraphic sequence made up of eight units, which is presented in depth in this work. The main goal of this study is to undertake an initial spatial examination of Unit III, formed during Marine Isotope Stage 3, with the aim of understanding spatial organization and past activities developed by Neanderthals and carnivores (bears, hyenas and smaller carnivores). The total sample analysed includes 38,244 archaeological items and 5888 limestone blocks. The application of GIS tools allows us to clearly distinguish three geologically-defined stratigraphic subunits. Unit III has been previously interpreted as a palimpsest resulting from alternating occupation of the cave by human groups and carnivores. The distribution study shows that faunal specimens, lithic artefacts, hearths and charcoal fragments are significantly concentrated at the entrance of the cave where, it is inferred, hominins carried out different activities, while carnivores preferred the sheltered zones in the inner areas of the cave. The results obtained reveal a spatial pattern characterized by fire use related zones, and show that the site was occupied by Neanderthals in a similar and consistent way throughout the ˃ 7000 years range covered by the analysed subunits. This spatial pattern is interpreted as resulting from repeated short-term human occupations.

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

“…The results presented are the initial phase in the study of the lithic raw materials from the Teixoneres cave. We are focusing on chert and the macroscopic characterization of the archaeological material from level IIIb recovered in the field seasons from 2007 to 2021 [12]. We have chosen to concentrate on this level because it is where most of the record of hominin activity is located.…”

Low‐cost technologies in a rich ecological context: Hotel California open‐air site at Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain

“…To find sequences similar to the Atapuerca Mousterian sites in terms of chronological duration, it is necessary to consider sites further away from the Iberian Peninsula such as Esquilleu, El Castillo or Axlor, in the Cantabrian range (Baena et al 2021; Martín‐Perea et al 2022; Rios‐Garaizar 2017); Teixoneres, Abric Romani, Cova Negra, el Salt, Abric del Pastor and Abrigo de la Quebrada, near the Mediterranean coast (Zilio et al 2021; Sharp et al , 2016; Chacón et al 2013; Gómez de Soler et al 2019, 2020; Romagnoli et al 2016; Vaquero 1999; Eixea et al 2020; Galván et al , 2014; Machado et al 2013; Machado et al 2019; Mallol et al 2019; Real et al 2020); or Carihuela, Bajondillo and Gorhams Cave in the south of the Iberian Peninsula (Carrión et al 2019; Cortés‐Sánchez et al , 2019; Barton and Jennings 2013; Higham et al 2013; Rhodes 2013) but we do not find examples like these within the geological limits of the northern plateau.…”

The Exceptional Presence of Megaloceros giganteus in North-Eastern Iberia and Its Palaeoecological Implications: The Case of Teixoneres Cave (Moià, Barcelona, Spain)

“…The cave has yielded a 6 m high sedimentary sequence in which eight stratigraphic units were identified and separated into sub-units [18,19,22]. The most recent archaeological unit, Unit II, has been radiocarbon dated to 44,210 to 33,060 cal BP on the basis of seven bones, all located in the main cave (chamber X).…”