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International audience; Direct and indirect evidence of weaponry in the Pleistocene archaeological record provides a framework for evaluating numerous facets of human evolution, including hominin subsistence behaviours, hunting strategies, cooperative group behaviours, cognitive flexibility, technological complexity, innovation, use of landscape, and the ability to adapt to different ecological niches. In the last few decades in particular, our ability to identify and evaluate the use of hunting weapons during the Middle and Late Pleistocene has been improved through remarkable archaeological discoveries and advances in methodological approaches. This has reshaped the dialogue around perceptions of performance differences between weapon technologies and hunting strategies of different species of *Homo*. Therefore, this session invites abstracts from researchers currently looking at the diversity of evidence on Middle and early Late Pleistocene use of early weapons (with a specific focus on hand-delivered weapon technologies) for hunting and/or confrontational events, including evidence of early weapons or hunting lesions, experimental archaeology, biomechanical approaches, use-wear methodologies, social perspectives (e.g. gender, age, learning, cooperation), ethnoarchaeology, indigenous perspectives, and zooarchaeological studies that provide evidence for hunting. We also invite contributions that aim to contextualise both existing evidence and/or newer research within the developing comparative models of weaponry and hunting strategies utilised by different species of *Homo*.

RESUMEN: La Cueva del Niño, situada en el reborde sudeste de la Meseta castellana, alberga una secuencia discontinua que abarca desde el Paleolítico Medio hasta el Neolítico, además de pinturas rupestres paleolíticas y de estilo Levantino. Se trata por lo tanto de un yacimiento clave para comprender la ocupación del interior de la Península Ibérica durante el Paleolítico y la Prehistoria Reciente. Este artículo recoge los principales resultados de un proyecto multidisciplinar destinado a definir las diferentes ocupaciones del yacimiento a lo largo de la Prehistoria. ABSTRACT: El Niño cave, located on the south-eastern border of the Spanish Meseta, hosts a discontinuous sequence including Middle Palaeolithic and Neolithic levels, along with Upper Palaeolithic and Levantine style paintings. It is a key site for understanding human occupations of inland Iberia during the Palaeolithic and early prehistory. This paper summarises the main results of a multidisciplinary project aimed at defining the prehistoric human occupations at the site.

Resumen: Uribe Kosta is one of the regions of Biscay with the highest density of prehistoric archaeological sites, due in large part to the first-order abiotic resources provided by the flint from the flysch. However, the intensity of research and degree of knowledge of the archaeological heritage have not been commensurate with its importance. Only in recent years specific projects to address this deficit have been established. Abstract: Uribe Kosta is one of the regions of Biscay with the highest density of prehistoric archaeological sites, due in large part to the first-order abiotic resources provided by the flint from the flysch. However, the intensity of research and degree of knowledge of the archaeological heritage have not been commensurate with its importance. Only in recent years specific projects to address this deficit have been established.

A large number of sites dated to the Late Middle Paleolithic and the Early Upper Paleolithic have been recorded in the Cantabrian region (northern Iberia), making this area a key location to investigate the lifeways of the last Neanderthals and the first anatomically modern humans. The stratigraphic sequence from El Cuco rock-shelter was originally attributed to the Early Upper Paleolithic based on radiocarbon dates performed on bone apatite. However, new radiocarbon dates on shell carbonates from the lower levels produced inconsistent dates with those previously published. In order to clarify this anomaly, a reassessment of the chronology of levels VI to XIV was undertaken. The review was based on new radiocarbon dates performed on bones and shells, and a re-evaluation of the lithic assemblages. Bone samples did not produce radiocarbon dates due to lack of collagen preservation but radiocarbon dating of shell carbonates provided dates ranging from 42.3 to 46.4 ka BP. These dates are significantly older than that previously obtained for level XIII using biogenic apatite from bones (~30 ka uncal BP), suggesting that the bone apatite used for radiocarbon dating was rejuvenated due to contamination with secondary carbonate. Lithic assemblages, defined in the first place as Evolved Aurignacian, have now been now confidently attributed to the Mousterian techno-complex. These results suggest a Middle Paleolithic chronology for this part of the sequence. The new chronology proposed for El Cuco rock-shelter has significant implications for the interpretation of Neanderthal subsistence strategies and settlement patterns, especially for coastal settlement and use of marine resources, not only in northern Iberia, but also in Atlantic Europe.

El yacimiento de Arlanpe, situado en un área estratégica a medio camino entre la costa cantábrica y la Llanada Alavesa, presenta un nivel solutrense (nivel II) datado al final de este periodo, entre 21047 y 19909 cal BP. La industria lítica destaca respecto a otros yacimientos contemporáneos por el uso de materias primas locales de calidad mediocre (lutita), el transporte de sílex desde localidades lejanas situadas al N (Flysch) y al S (Treviño) del yacimiento, la abundancia de laminillas de dorso y la escasez de utillaje típico solutrense. El nivel es pobre en industria ósea, habiéndose recuperado tanto utillaje doméstico como de caza. Los objetos de adorno son escasos y están poco estandarizados. La fauna recuperada está dominada por animales de roquedo, especialmente Capra pyrenaica y Rupicapra pyrenaica, y aparece intensamente procesada. Las características del conjunto permiten interpretar las ocupaciones como un alto de caza complejo en el que se realizan tareas relacionadas con la preparación de la caza junto a otras actividades de carácter más doméstico. Los resultados del análisis detallado del conjunto arqueológico del nivel II de Arlanpe nos permiten valorar la naturaleza de los procesos de cambio acaecidos en las sociedades del final del Solutrense y proponer hipótesis que expliquen estas transformaciones. Arlanpe Cave site, situated in a strategic halfway between the Cantabrian coast and the Alavese Plateau, yielded a Solutrean level (level II) dated at the end of this period, between 21047 and 19909 cal BP. The lithic industry displays some unique characteristics, among which the most striking are the use of poor quality local raw materials (silicified mudstone), the transport of flint from distant locations situated at the North (Flysch) and South (Treviño) of the site, the abundance of backed bladelets and the scarcity of typical Solutrean points. The bone industry is poor, having recovered both domestic and hunting tools. The ornaments are scarce and no standardized. The faunal assemblage is mainly composed by rocky environment animals as Capra pyrenaica or Rupicapra pyrenaica whose bones have been heavily processed. The characteristics of the occupation suggest that Arlanpe served as a complex hunting camp where not only tasks related with hunting but also some domestic activities were carried out. The results of the archaeological analysis of Arlanpe level II allows us to assess the nature of the processes of change that happened to human groups at the end of Solutrean and propose explanatory hypothesis for it.

Since its excavation in the summer of 1973, El Niño cave has been considered a key site to understand the process of production economy and pottery technology introduction in South-eastern Iberian Peninsula, and especially to approach how such process could have affected people already settled in the Segura mountains. However, data from El Niño cave was very fragmentary, due to the lack of a broad study of Neolithic occupations of the site. In this paper, we present the analysis of pottery, lithic industry and faunal remains, as well as the existing dates from the site´s Holocene levels. The review of different evidence from the site allows suggesting that El Niño cave would have probably acted as a hunting and shepherding station, being a logistical site of larger places. However, limitations due to the fact that we are dealing with a 40- year-old excavation, prevent specifying how the process of Neolithic introduction in the Segura Mountains occurred. Desde su excavación en el verano de 1973, la Cueva del Niño ha sido considerada un yacimiento de gran importancia para conocer el proceso de introducción de la economía de producción o de la tecnología cerámica en el sureste de la Península Ibérica, y especialmente para establecer cómo dicho proceso pudo haber afectado a las poblaciones ya asentadas en la región de la Sierra del Segura. Sin embargo, la información proporcionada por la Cueva del Niño resultaba muy fragmentaria, debido a la falta de un estudio de conjunto de las ocupaciones neolíticas del yacimiento. En este artículo, se presenta el análisis de las producciones cerámicas, la industria lítica y los restos de fauna, así como las dataciones existentes para los niveles holocenos del depósito. La revisión de las diversas evidencias proporcionadas por el yacimiento permite plantear que la Cueva del Niño habría actuado probablemente como una estación para el pastoreo y la caza, sirviendo como satélite de otros yacimientos de mayor entidad. No obstante, las limitaciones impuestas por el hecho de tratarse de una excavación efectuada hace cuarenta años impide aportar aspectos concluyentes sobre la dinámica del proceso de introducción del Neolítico en la Sierra del Segura.

Resumen: En este artículo se presentan los resultados de la revisión de los materiales arqueológicos procedentes de la excavación realizada en 1973 en la Cueva del Niño (Aýna, Albacete) correspondientes a ocupaciones del Paleolítico Medio. Esta revisión se realizó fundamentalmente mediante el análisis tecnológico de la industria lítica, el estudio arqueozoológico y tafonómico de los restos de macromamíferos y el análisis de los restos carpológicos. Además, se presentan las dataciones obtenidas para los niveles revisados. Estas dataciones sitúan la ocupación de la cavidad a finales del MIS3. A pesar del reducido número de restos arqueológicos disponibles,la información resultante permite situar el yacimiento de la Cueva del Niño en el contexto del final del Paleolítico Medio del sureste de la Península Ibérica, y aportar nuevos datos a la problemática de la desaparición de las últimas poblaciones neandertales. Abstract: This paper reviews the results obtained from the 1973 excavation of El Niño cave (Aýna, Albacete), corresponding to the Middle Palaeolithic occupations of the site. We present the technological analysis of lithic assemblages, the archaeozoological and taphonomical analysis of faunal remains, the analysis of plant macro remains, and the dates obtained for the archaeological levels. These dates place the Mousterian occupations of El Niño during MIS3. Despite the reduced number of archaeological remains, the results obtained permit the cave of El Niño cave to be placed within the context of Late Middle Palaeolithic in south-eastern Iberia, and provide new data regarding the process of extinction of the last Neanderthal populations.

Se presentan los resultados del estudio del conjunto rupestre inédito de la cueva de Aitzbitarte IV (Errenteria, Gipuzkoa). En una prospección realizada en 2012 se localizaron dos paneles decorados con pintura roja, uno cerca de la entrada y otro en el fondo de la cavidad. Ambos presentan unas condiciones de conservación y unas características estilísticas y técnicas que permiten atribuirlos al Paleolítico, convirtiéndose así en la quinta cavidad con arte rupestre de Gipuzkoa. La interpretación de los mismos resulta compleja: el del fondo ofrece restos de una figura quizás zoomorfa y el de la entrada presenta una mancha circular. Además de estos paneles se han localizado numerosos restos de tizonazos asociados a depósitos de carbón; la datación de dos de ellos los siglos XI-XIII sugiere que, con posterioridad al tránsito humano por la cueva en la Edad Media, se producen en la misma profundos procesos de reactivación kárstica. This paper presents the results of the study of cave paintings in Aitzbitarte IV Cave (Errenteria, Gipuzkoa). Prospecting carried out in 2012 located two panels decorated with red paint, one near the entrance and the other at the back of the cave. Both were in a good state of conservation with stylistic and technical characteristics that date them in the Paleolithic. This is the fifth cave containing cave paintings discovered to date in the province of Gipuzkoa. The interpretation of the paintings is complex. The one at the back of the cave consists of the remains of a possible zoomorphic figure, while the one near the entrance consists of a round mark. In addition to these panels, numerous char marks have also been found, which are associated with coal deposits dating from the 11-13 centuries. This suggest that, after human passage through the cave during Middle Ages, severe processes of karstic reactivations happened there.

The late Roman (4th century AD) archaeological materials from Arlanpe cave (Lemoa, Bizkaia) are presented in this paper. They are shards of Samian ware and Roman common pottery, glass fragments, metallic objects, animal remains, etc., which were found inside two pits dug into the ground of the cavity. Both of these structures are interpreted as “offering pits” related to some kind of magical-religious ritual of pagan origin. En este trabajo se presentan los materiales arqueológicos tardorromanos (siglo IV d.C.) de la cueva de Arlanpe (Lemoa, Bizkaia). Se trata de fragmentos de terra sigillata y de cerámica común romana, vidrios, objetos metálicos, restos de fauna, etc., que fueron encontrados en el interior de dos fosas excavadas en el suelo de la cavidad. Ambas estructuras son interpretadas como “fosas de ofrendas” y se relacionan con algún tipo de ritual mágico-religioso de origen pagano.

En aquest article s’analitza la variabilitat en els models d’organització tecnològica de les societats neandertals del paleolític mitjà dels Pirineus Occidentals. S’hi presenten els resultats de l’anàlisi dels conjunts lítics del nivell VII d’Amalda i dels nivells N, D i B d’Axlor a partir dels quals ens interroguem sobre la variabilitat i el seu significat a l’hora d’interpretar l’evolució històrica de les societats neandertals., En este artículo se analiza la variabilidad en los modelos de organización tecnológica de las sociedades neandertales del Paleolítico Medio del Pirineo Occidental. Se presentan los resultados del análisis de los conjuntos líticos del nivel VII de Amalda y de los niveles N, D y B de Axlor a partir de los cuales nos interrogamos acerca de la variabilidad y de su significado a la hora de interpretar la evolución histórica de las sociedades neandertales., This contribution analyzes variability in the technological organization modes among the Neanderthal societies of the Western Pyrenees Middle Palaeolithic. The study focuses on the lithic assemblages of Amalda Level VII and levels N, D and B of Axlor. Results lead to discuss about the issue of variability and its meaning to interpret the historical evolution of Neanderthal societies.