Search

Testing Neanderthal behavioural hypotheses requires a spatial–temporal resolution to the level of a human single occupation episode. Yet, most of the behavioural data on Neanderthals has been obtained from coarsely dated, time-averaged contexts affected by the archaeological palimpsest effect and a diversity of postdepositional processes. This implies that time-resolved Neanderthal behaviour remains largely unknown. In this study, we performed archaeostratigraphic analysis on stratigraphic units ive, ivf, ivg, va, vb and vc from Abric del Pastor (Alcoi, Iberian Peninsula). Further, we isolated the archaeological remains associated with the resulting archaeostratigraphic unit and applied raw material, technological, use-wear, archaeozoological and spatial analyses. Our results show a low-density accumulation of remains from flintknapping, flint tool-use and animal processing around a hearth. These data provide a time-resolved human dimension to previous high-resolution environmental and pyrotechnological data on the same hearth, representing the first comprehensive characterisation of a Neanderthal single occupation episode. Our integrated, multidisciplinary method also contributes to advance our understanding of archaeological record formation processes. This paper has been developed during the research project Clima e interacciones humanas en el Mediterráneo central ibérico durante el MIS 4 (IBEMIS4) funded by the Spanish Government (PID2019-107113RB-I00). This paper is part of SSR’s PhD thesis and all authors agree. Several authors developed their work within different research groups/projects/contrats: SSR by the Generalitat Valenciana through a predoctoral research-staff contracting Grant (ACIF/2021/407); AM by Universitat d’Alacant through a university faculty formation Grant (UAFPU2018-049); MB by the Spanish central government through a university faculty formation Grant (FPU17/02885); LP is beneficiary on postdoctoral research Grant (APOSTD/2020/202) funded by the Generalitat Valenciana and European Social Fund. CMH, BG and CM are part of the research group SCRP (Sociedades cazadoras recolectoras paleolíticas), MB and LP are part of the research group PREMEDOC (GIUV2015-213), CM is part of the research group MBA (Micromorfología y Biomarcadores arqueológicos), and MV is a part of the ‘Neanderthal behaviour and paleoecology in Mediterranean ecosystems’ project (PID2019-103987GB-C31).

This paper presents the limestone reduction sequences documented in levels M and Ob at Abric Romaní from a technological point of view. At level M, a recurrent knapping system has been identified, resulting in the frequency of pseudo-Levallois blanks. At archaeolevel Ob, the presence of Levallois methods are observed in association with this knapping system. In both cases, retouched tools are rare and dominated by notches and denticulates. Although it is not well-known the degree of similarity and difference between the two levels in relation to occupational patterns is not well understood, Neanderthals employed more opportunistic knapping strategies, investing less time and energy in the procurement of raw materials including for chert. In level Ob, although limestone is still collected in the local fluvial deposits, differences in raw material procurement have been identified for chert. Results show the plasticity and versality that Neanderthals had and how they took advantage of the different abiotic resources they had around them. In this paper, we discuss the limestone technology at Abric Romaní in the context of the Iberian Peninsula., Research carried out for this paper has benefited from the following: “Síntesis del Paleolitico medio y superior en Valencia y Murcia: aspectos cronológicos, paleoambientales, económicos y culturales” (HAR2017-85153-P/MICINN), “El pasado lejano: aproximación a la conducta y la ocupación del territorio en el paleolítico valenciano” (PROMETEO/2017/060), “Neanderthal behaviour and paleoecology in Mediterranean ecosystems” (PID2019-103987GB-C31), “Redefiniendo forma, uso y expresión cultural en el Paleolítico medio” (SI1/PJI/2019-00488) and the Research Group nº 2017 SGR 836 of the Catalan Government. The Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA) has received financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the ‘María de Maeztu’ programme for Units of Excellence (CEX2019-000945-M). The research by B.G.d.S, M.V., P.S., E.C., J.V. and M.G.CH is funded by CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. A.E was supported by 2018 Leonardo Grant for Researchers and Cultural Creators, BBVA Foundation. A.B. is supported by a European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action grant PREKARN n:702584 and Juan de la Cierva-Incorporación (IJCI-2019-041546-I). Excavations at the Abric Romaní were performed with the support of the Departament de Cultura (Servei d’Arqueologia i Patrimoni) of the Generalitat de Catalunya (CLT009/18/00054), Ajuntament de Capellades, Oficina Patrimoni Cultural- Diputació de Barcelona, ORROEL SL–Romanyà-VallsTallers Gràfics Romanyà-Valls, Bercontres-Centre de Gestió Medioambiental SL and the Constructora de Calaf SAU.