A step back to move forward: a geological re‐evaluation of the El Castillo Cave Middle Palaeolithic lithostratigraphic units (Cantabria, northern Iberia)

Martín-Perea, David Manuel; Maíllo‐Fernández, José‐Manuel; Marín, Juan; Arroyo, Xabier; Asiaín, Raquel

doi:10.1002/jqs.3473

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…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.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Santamaría

Ruíz

Arnold

et al. 2023

J Quaternary Science

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Hotel California is part of a network of open‐air Neanderthal sites located in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain). In this study, we examine the technology of the lithic assemblages recovered from this site's archaeological levels 3 to 7, which are characterised by the use of local raw materials, non‐hierarchical centripetal exploitation systems, systematic production of flakes and few retouched items. This type of expedient technology is repeated throughout the entire sequence, which spans Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 3 to 4. Through a comparison with the technocomplexes and occupation histories of surrounding sites – including a re‐evaluation of the published chronology for the nearby site of Fuente Mudarra, which is now dated exclusively to MIS 5 – we examine whether the detected pattern is applicable to the rest of the Atapuerca Mousterian record and if this expedient behaviour has equivalents in other sites in the region. Our findings show that the lithic procurement, exploitation and configuration strategies employed at the Sierra de Atapuerca open‐air sites were constant over broad time periods spanning MIS 5 to 3, in contrast to the technological sequences observed at other nearby sites on the Northern Iberian Plateau. The recurrent settlement of these open‐air Neanderthal sites over tens of thousands of years and the consistent use of expedient technologies during different occupation periods is likely attributable to the rich ecological context of the Sierra de Atapuerca environs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Santamaría

Ruíz

Arnold

et al. 2023

J Quaternary Science

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“…Unit 21 is mostly sterile (Cabrera Valdés, 1984;Martín-Perea et al, 2023) and it was dated by ESR yielding a mean date of 69,000 ± 9,200 years BP (Rink et al, 1997). However, Martín-Perea et al ( 2023) suggested some dating uncertainty arising from the interpretation of the initial stratigraphic nomenclature.…”

Section: El Castillo (Puente Viesgo Cantabria)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, Martín-Perea et al ( 2023) suggested some dating uncertainty arising from the interpretation of the initial stratigraphic nomenclature. They suggest that the ESR dates provided for level 21 by Rink et al (1997) were erroneously attributed to this unit and it might correspond to 20E indicating that below that subunit the chronology is older than 70,000 years BP (Martín-Perea et al, 2023). The Mousterian Unit 20 cave is divided into several subunits (Martín-Perea et al, 2023).…”

Section: El Castillo (Puente Viesgo Cantabria)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They suggest that the ESR dates provided for level 21 by Rink et al (1997) were erroneously attributed to this unit and it might correspond to 20E indicating that below that subunit the chronology is older than 70,000 years BP (Martín-Perea et al, 2023). The Mousterian Unit 20 cave is divided into several subunits (Martín-Perea et al, 2023). In Unit 20, a cave roof collapse took place transforming the cave system into an open rock shelter.…”

Section: El Castillo (Puente Viesgo Cantabria)mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ecological evolution in northern Iberia (SW Europe) during the Late Pleistocene through isotopic analysis on ungulate teeth

Fernández-Garcia,

Pederzani,

Britton

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Abstract. During the Late Pleistocene, stadial and interstadial fluctuations affected vegetation, fauna, and human groups that were forced to cope with these pronounced climatic and environmental changes in time and space. These changes were especially abrupt during the Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 3. However, little is still known about the local and regional climatic conditions experienced by hominins in Europe. Here we reconstruct the climatic trends in northern Iberia considering the stable isotopic composition of ungulate skeletal tissues found in archaeological deposits dated between 80 to 15,000 cal BP. The carbon and oxygen isotopic composition preserved in the carbonate fraction of tooth enamel provides a reliable and high-resolution proxy of the food and water consumed by these animals, which is indirectly related to the local vegetation, environment, and climate, allowing us to estimate paleotemperatures and rainfall data. This study presents 44 bovine, equid, and cervid teeth from five archaeological sites in the Vasco-Cantabrian region (El Castillo, El Otero, Axlor, Labeko Koba, Aitzbitarte III) and one in the Mediterranean area (Canyars), where human evidence is attested from the Mousterian to the Magdalenian. The carbon isotope values reflect animals feeding on C3 plants with a mix-feeder diet mainly developed in open environments. However, carbon isotope value ranges point to differentiated ecological niches for equids and bovines, especially during the Aurignacian in the Vasco-Cantabrian region. Temperature estimations based on oxygen isotopic compositions and rainfall obtained from carbon isotopic compositions indicate colder and more arid conditions than nowadays from the Late Mousterian to the Aurignacian. The contemporary Mediterranean site shows slightly lower temperatures related to an arid period when animals mainly graze in open landscapes. In the Vasco-Cantabrian region, during the MIS2, the Gravettian data reflect a landscape opening, whereas the Magdalenian point to warmer conditions but still arid.

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“…Red mud facies are very common in caves (Bull, 1981;Springer & Kite, 1997a, 1997bAuler et al, 2009;Martini, 2011;Iacoviello & Martini, 2012;Laureano et al,;Martín-Perea et al, 2022). Facies B, defined as reddish brown millimetric laminated clay and silt, can be considered like these facies since it shows similar sedimentological features as lamination, color and particle size.…”

Section: Interpretation Of the Facies And Depositional Environments O...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Revision of TD1 and TD2 stratigraphic sequence of Gran Dolina cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain)

et al. 2022

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Gran Dolina is a cavity infilled by at least 25 m of Pleistocene sediments divided into 12 lithostratigraphic units and 19 sedimentary facies. These sedimentary facies have been divided into allochthonous facies, defined as sediment inputs from the outside, and autochthonous facies, defined as sediments generated within the karst; but this division has been challenged in recent works. In this study, TD1 and TD2 units of Gran Dolina have been detailed studied and the use of autochthonous facies has been assessed. For that purpose, we have studied the stratigraphic excavation profile, combining field observation with laboratory sedimentary analysis (sieving, laser diffraction, and XRD) to characterize the texture and structure of the sediments. Based on these studies, a total of 8 sedimentary facies have been identified. Consequently, TD1 unit has been separated into two sub-units and 13 layers, while the TD2 unit has been divided into three sub-units. The facies associations indicate a succession of phreatic and vadose phases that would define together epiphreatic conditions inside the cave, related to the transition between Arlanzón valley terraces T3 and T4. Interior facies (and entrance facies for allochthonous facies) is proposed to define Gran Dolina's sediments since the facies analyses indicate transport by underground flows.

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A step back to move forward: a geological re‐evaluation of the El Castillo Cave Middle Palaeolithic lithostratigraphic units (Cantabria, northern Iberia)

Cited by 5 publications

References 20 publications

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

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

Ecological evolution in northern Iberia (SW Europe) during the Late Pleistocene through isotopic analysis on ungulate teeth

Revision of TD1 and TD2 stratigraphic sequence of Gran Dolina cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain)

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