We will be known by the tracks we leave behind: Exotic lithic raw materials, mobility and social networking among the Côa Valley foragers (Portugal)

Aubry, Thierry; Luís, Luís; Llach, Javier Mangado; Matías, Henrique

doi:10.1016/j.jaa.2012.05.003

Cited by 83 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…Sixty-two percent of the Oliveira sample's flint comes from the TSB, which can be related to the excellent knapping quality of its Cretaceous flint, abundantly represented in all prehistoric sites of the TSB but also found more than 150 km away in the Upper Paleolithic sites of the Côa Valley (Aubry 2005;Aubry et al 2016;Aubry et al 2012;Aubry & Mangado Llach 2003a;b;Aubry et al 2004;Aubry et al 2014;Mangado Llach 2002). Such a high percentage probably reflects long-term residence in the Tagus plains, with Gruta da Oliveira being used as a temporary camp where the good quality flint, brought from elsewhere, was eventually discarded, and local (<5 km) medium to poor quality Bajocian flint (12%) was used occasionally.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Flint and other silicifications (e.g., silcrete) were typed according to geological origin, paleoenvironment of formation (Bressy 2003;Séronie-Vivien & Séronie-Vivien 1987) and the "evolutionary chain of silica" concept proposed by Fernandes & Raynal (2006;Fernandes et al 2008), adapted by Aubry et al (2012). Sedimentary rocks, like flint, preserve features resulting from complex physico-chemical and mechanical processes related to their deposition environment, making it possible to classify them according to specific genetic and stratigraphic position, paleogeographic environment and aspects of their post-genetic history relating to the present location of the source (Fernandes & Raynal 2006).…”

Section: Analytical Methods and Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Systematic surveys aiming at the identification of raw material sources were carried out in the Côa Valley in the mid-1990's, in the wake of the discovery of its Paleolithic rock art and coeval settlement sites (Aubry 2005;Aubry et al 2012;Aubry & Mangado Llach 2003a;b;Aubry et al 2004;Mangado Llach 2002). Despite their absence in the Hercynian Massif region and therefore in the Côa, flint and silcrete are systematically present in the valley's Upper Paleolithic assemblages, and could be sourced to geological formations located more than 150 km to East and Southwest, including the CLM and TSB regions (2003a;b).…”

Section: Historical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite their absence in the Hercynian Massif region and therefore in the Côa, flint and silcrete are systematically present in the valley's Upper Paleolithic assemblages, and could be sourced to geological formations located more than 150 km to East and Southwest, including the CLM and TSB regions (2003a;b). Using a GIS least-cost algorithm, models of the circulation of these resources and the size of exploitation territories were proposed as proxies for the social networks that knitted together the Upper Paleolithic groups living in the different geographical areas concerned (Aubry et al 2016;Aubry et al 2012).…”

Section: Historical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Raw material sourcing in the Middle Paleolithic site of Gruta da Oliveira (Central Limestone Massif, Estremadura, Portugal)

Matías

2016

JLS

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Abstract:The cave site of Gruta da Oliveira is located in the Almonda karst system, at the interface between the Central Limestone Massif of Portuguese Estremadura (CLM) and the adjacent Sedimentary Basin of the River Tagus (TSB). The cave presents a stratification dated to ~37-107 ka containing hearth features, Neanderthal skeletal remains, as well as fauna, microfauna and wood charcoal remains. The lithic assemblages are large and feature a diverse range of raw materials.Knappable lithic raw materials in primary, sub-primary and secondary position in the CLM and the TSB were systematically surveyed and sampled. The characterization of the geological samples was carried out at both the macro-and the microscopic scales and data were systematized under the petroarcheological and "evolutionary chain of silica" approaches.The study of the lithic assemblage from layer 14 (dated to the ~61-93 ka 95.4% probability interval by TL) indicates that the Gruta da Oliveira Neanderthals used quartzite, quartz and flint from sources located less than 30 km away in both the CLM and the TSB.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Analytical Methods and Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Historical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Historical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Raw material sourcing in the Middle Paleolithic site of Gruta da Oliveira (Central Limestone Massif, Estremadura, Portugal)

Matías

2016

JLS

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“…In Portugal, for instance, there were only four Upper Paleolithic sites known in the early 1960s, and the region was considered largely uninhabited (42). Sensitivity of archaeological distributions to changes in research interests is reflected by the fact that in 50 y the number of sites has multiplied manifold with such discoveries as the Côa Valley dwelling and rock art sites (43,44). However, relatively few of these new sites have been radiocarbon dated (44) and would not show up in our archaeological proxy.…”

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confidence: 99%

Human population dynamics in Europe over the Last Glacial Maximum

Tallavaara

Luoto

Korhonen

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

159

109

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The severe cooling and the expansion of the ice sheets during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), 27,000-19,000 y ago (27-19 ky ago) had a major impact on plant and animal populations, including humans. Changes in human population size and range have affected our genetic evolution, and recent modeling efforts have reaffirmed the importance of population dynamics in cultural and linguistic evolution, as well. However, in the absence of historical records, estimating past population levels has remained difficult. Here we show that it is possible to model spatially explicit human population dynamics from the pre-LGM at 30 ky ago through the LGM to the Late Glacial in Europe by using climate envelope modeling tools and modern ethnographic datasets to construct a population calibration model. The simulated range and size of the human population correspond significantly with spatiotemporal patterns in the archaeological data, suggesting that climate was a major driver of population dynamics 30-13 ky ago. The simulated population size declined from about 330,000 people at 30 ky ago to a minimum of 130,000 people at 23 ky ago. The Late Glacial population growth was fastest during Greenland interstadial 1, and by 13 ky ago, there were almost 410,000 people in Europe. Even during the coldest part of the LGM, the climatically suitable area for human habitation remained unfragmented and covered 36% of Europe.hunter-gatherers | demography | niche modeling | climate change | Paleolithic G rowing populations of anatomically and behaviorally modern humans have been partly responsible for past ecosystem changes such as the extinctions of Pleistocene megafauna and Neanderthal humans (1, 2). In addition to the destiny of other species, human population size also influences our own cultural and genetic evolution. Large pools of interacting individuals can create and maintain adaptive skills, as well as phonological variation, more effectively than small populations, and they are also capable of faster cumulative cultural evolution (3-5). A decrease in population size may even result in a loss of complex cultural traits (6). The effects of population size on cultural variation are thus roughly similar to the effects of population size on genetic variation (7).The study of the role of human population size in cultural and genetic evolution and past ecosystem changes necessitates estimates of population dynamics extending far beyond historical times. The archaeological record illustrates patterns of human population range and size dynamics (8-10), but it does not offer quantitative population size data. Archaeological reconstructions of population dynamics are also bound to the regions and time periods that offer a sufficiently rich archaeological record. In addition to archaeological data, information on past population patterns can be inferred from genetic data using skyline-plot methods (11) and pairwise or multiple sequentially Markovian coalescent analyzes (12, 13). However, these methods depend on estimates of DNA mutation rate and ...

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Petrographic and SEM‐EDX characterization of Mousterian white/beige chert tools from the Navalmaíllo rock shelter (Madrid, Spain)

et al. 2020

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Studying lithic raw material sourcing, processing and distribution is helpful when trying to reconstruct the territory, ecology, and cultural practices of Neanderthal groups. The use of multiple methods in such analyses allows for more refined characterizations to be made, helping to distinguish between materials better than any single method. Although 85% of the raw materials making up the Mousterian assemblage at the Navalmaíllo Rock Shelter (Pinilla del Valle, Madrid Region of Spain) correspond to the available local geological resources, 10% is made of white/beige chert, which is not registered in regional geological cartography. Petrographic and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses were performed to determine the origin of this white/beige chert and thus shed light on the procurement strategies of the Neanderthal groups that occupied the rock shelter. The results show this chert to correspond to three different types of rock: quartz-kaolinite rocks from dykes, cretaceous marine cherts, and quartz fillings of cavities/fractures. These findings are in accordance with the geological features and formations present in the Lozoya valley, as recorded during a geoarchaeological survey, and indicate that the Neanderthals occupying the center of the Iberian Peninsula possessed a detailed knowledge of the landscape that allowed them to exploit its resources during MIS5a-early MIS4.

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We will be known by the tracks we leave behind: Exotic lithic raw materials, mobility and social networking among the Côa Valley foragers (Portugal)

Cited by 83 publications

References 61 publications

Raw material sourcing in the Middle Paleolithic site of Gruta da Oliveira (Central Limestone Massif, Estremadura, Portugal)

Raw material sourcing in the Middle Paleolithic site of Gruta da Oliveira (Central Limestone Massif, Estremadura, Portugal)

Human population dynamics in Europe over the Last Glacial Maximum

Petrographic and SEM‐EDX characterization of Mousterian white/beige chert tools from the Navalmaíllo rock shelter (Madrid, Spain)

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