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

Abstract

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.

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

“…While those with stable sequences in their lithic management, such as the case of Gorhams Cave, more similar to the assemblages presented in the open air at Atapuerca, are also interpreted as sites with a land‐use strategy consisting of localised and relatively low levels of residential mobility (Barton and Jennings 2013). Likewise, outside this area of the northern plateau, multiple open‐air sites show a wide variety of occupation types, from ephemeral workshops to encampments, but most frequently short‐term occupations (Eixea et al 2022).…”

Inland Record of the Last Interglacial Maximum in the Western Mediterranean: Revealing the Aljezares Pleistocene Basin (Alicante, SE-Spain)

“…Here, the Prebetic unit is mainly constituted by Triassic rocks composed of clays, sandstones, dolomites and gypsum attributed to the Upper Triassic Keuper Facies [12]. The deposits in the Cenozoic Basins unit mainly consist of marls, limestones and conglomerates attributed to the Middle to Upper Miocene (Serravallian-Tortonian stages), and are arranged in a complex tectonic structure [11,14,15].…”

“…The first numerical dating of sequences from the study area was carried out by Eixea et al [12] on the calcareous tufa deposits of the P1 unit with a sample of 20 g, analyzed by alpha spectrometry that offered an age of 132.284 + 10.873/−10.022 kyr. This result led these authors to attribute the uppermost part to the Middle to Late Pleistocene, close to the MIS 6/5 boundary.…”

“…It is important to highlight that for the Aljezares deposits, we will use the term "basin" in a hydrological sense, as part of a larger geological configuration that is the Vinalopó River basin. Additionally, the Aljezares Pleistocene basin preserves the record of the activity of Neanderthal communities, mainly in its path from continental to coastal areas [12]. A Middle Paleolithic archaeological site has been described in the Pleistocene deposits and attributed to the Middle Paleolithic (Pleistocene s.l.…”

“…), based on the type of industry collected (Levallois technology). The site has been interpreted as an open-air, temporary site in gravel areas where flint pebbles were abundant [12].…”