Palaeolithic archaeology in the conglomerate caves of north-eastern Iberia

Abstract

Large, conglomerate caves in north-eastern Iberia have been significant places since the Neolithic through to historical times; however, their significance during the Palaeolithic has barely been explored. This project is the first systematic study of the use of these iconic geological landmarks among Pleistocene hunter-gatherers.

Cova Dones: a major Palaeolithic cave art site in eastern Iberia

“…Its iconographic and technical features make it one of the few major Pleistocene decorated sites of eastern Iberia; the recently discovered Cova de la Font Major (Morales et al . 2022) could also be included in this category if further research confirms its potential. Future work will continue surveying the cave walls and will focus on the apparently unique technical aspects of the rock art as well as its chronology and archaeological context.…”

“…While the project is still in its early stages, preliminary results reveal an enormous potential for research at the site and establish this assemblage as arguably the most important for the eastern Iberian coast. Its iconographic and technical features make it one of the few major Pleistocene decorated sites of eastern Iberia; the recently discovered Cova de la Font Major (Morales et al 2022) could also be included in this category if further research confirms its potential. Future work will continue surveying the cave walls and will focus on the apparently unique technical aspects of the rock art as well as its chronology and archaeological context.…”

MobiLithics: Fingerprinting the exploitation of lithic resources during the Upper Pleistocene

“…Recent investigations in the Mediterranean area of Spain have allowed to discover new archaeological sites dating back between 45-to-35 ka BP recording the complete cultural sequence of the Transition in sites such as Cova Foradada, Griera, Cova Gran de Collbató and Cova del Trader [54], [55]. These archaeological sites show for the first time a continuous record of Late Middle Paleolithic, Chatelperronian and Early Upper Paleolithic occupations in the Mediterranean region, and the analysis of the abundant lithic assemblages will allow to describe whether differential strategies of territorial management and procurement between H. neanderthalensis and AMH occurred.…”

MOBILITHICS: Fingerprinting the exploitation of lithic resources among Homo sapiens and the last Homo neanderthalensis

“…New investigations in the Mediterranean area of Spain have revised the traditional geographicchronological scenario discovering novel sequences [17,18], such as Cova Foradada, Griera, Cova Gran and Mas del Trader. These archaeological sites preserve several stratified occupations associated to the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic Transition phases, including for the first time Chatelperronian evidence far away from the Cantabric and Pyrenees areas (Fig.…”