Archaeologist specialized on Early Palaeolithic stone tools (raw materials, knapping processes) and specifically on the Acheulean contexts and Large Cutting Tools, its production patterns and its geographical and temporal variability. She obtained her PhD in 2011 at the University of Burgos (Spain), comparing the Middle Pleistocene industries of Atapuerca (Galeria and Gran Dolina - TD10.1, Spain) and Boxgrove (UK). Her current research focuses on the Middle Pleistocene industries of the Western side of Europe. She has particular interest on the human dispersals occurring from Iberia to the North West Europe between 0.7 - 0.3 Ma, and how we could track these population dynamics through the analysis of the lithic remains. The base of her research is the combination of traditional methods of analysis on lithic tools with geometrics morphometricanalysis, 3D models, and modelling. She has been member of the Atapuerca Research Team since 1999. She is currently sharing the coordination of the Galería site fieldwork in Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain). She is also member of the Method IFG Project (CENIEH, Burgos, Spain) and the Prehistoric Archaeology Research Group (University of Burgos, Spain). Address: Edificio W3, Campus Sescelades URV, Zona Educacional, 4, 43007 Tarragona
The appearance of the Acheulean and the production of new bifacial tools marked a revolution in h... more The appearance of the Acheulean and the production of new bifacial tools marked a revolution in human behavior. The use of longer and complex operative chains, with centripetal and recurrent knapping, adapted to different raw materials, created long useful edges, converging in a functional distal end. How and why these handaxes vary has been the subject of intense debates. Britain provides a clearly defined region at the edge of the hominin occupied world for discussing variation in Acheulean assemblages. The environmental changes from MIS 15 to MIS 11 are significant in understanding population change, with probable breaks in evidence during MIS 14 and MIS 12, followed by several sites during the long stable climate of MIS11c. In this latter period, different Acheulean technological expressions appear to coexist in Britain. This paper draws together different studies, combining technology and geometric morphometrics to analyze handaxes from six British sites: Brandon Fields, Boxgro...
Ponencia presentada en: V International Congress of Experimental Archaeology, Tarragona, Spain, 2... more Ponencia presentada en: V International Congress of Experimental Archaeology, Tarragona, Spain, 25-27 october, 2017
The archaeological sequence of la Noira, in the Middle Loire Basin (Centre region, France) yielde... more The archaeological sequence of la Noira, in the Middle Loire Basin (Centre region, France) yielded two phases of occupation: ca 700 ka (stratum a) and ca 450 ka (stratum c). No site between these two dates has yet been discovered in the area, and this chronological period has thus been interpreted as a gap in settlement from MIS 16 to MIS 12. Here, we compare these two levels and track technological innovations or/and inventions during this time, based on the technological and morphometric comparison of the Large Cutting Tools (LCTs), applying a new method of analysis. We explore inter and intra-level variability in order to address the hypotheses of (1) the filiation over time of populations settling sporadically in the region or (2) the arrival of new populations from other European or extra-European areas. Stratum a presents mainly short shaping sequences on local millstone, taking advantage of natural slab geometry, and with special attention to tips, but with clear management o...
Some areas in Western Europe indicate hiatuses in human occupations, which cannot be systematical... more Some areas in Western Europe indicate hiatuses in human occupations, which cannot be systematically attributed to taphonomic factors and poor site preservation. The site of la Noira in the center of France records two occupation phases with a significant time gap. The older one is dated to around 700 ka (stratum a) with an Acheulean assemblage, among the earliest in Western Europe, and the upper phase of the sequence (stratum c) is dated to ca. 450 ka. Humans left the area at around 670 ka, at the beginning of the marine isotope stage (MIS) 16 glacial stage, when cold conditions became too severe. No sites between 650 and 450 ka have yet been discovered in the center region despite systematic surveys over the past three decades. The archaeological evidence indicates that populations returned to the area, at the end of MIS 12 or the beginning of the long interglacial MIS 11. Here, we use technological behaviors common to the two levels of la Noira-strata a and c to evaluate their dif...
Ponencia presentada en: 20th Congress of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA),... more Ponencia presentada en: 20th Congress of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA), 25-31 de julio 2019, Dublin
In Western Europe, Acheulean cultural evidence is well attested by ca. 0.5 Ma. However, recent wo... more In Western Europe, Acheulean cultural evidence is well attested by ca. 0.5 Ma. However, recent work has proven that it was present earlier; at the end of the Early Pleistocene. The timing and mode of the Western European Acheulean needs still to be investigated, and this knowledge appears to be strongly dependent upon data from sites with sufficiently well preserved archeo-stratigraphical sequences and/or geophysical conditions that guarantee reliable dating. The karstic deposits from the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain) represent one such case. They contain exceptionally long and continuous archeo-paleontological deposits that have yielded hominins, stone tools and faunal remains from a period covering the late Early Pleistocene up to the Holocene. Previous work has allowed us to reconstruct the evolution of technology on a local scale, from the late Early to the Middle Pleistocene, and to situate the appearance of the Acheulean more or less simultaneously in the sites of Galería, Gran Dolina-TD10 and the Sima de los Huesos, at around 0.5 Ma, after a hiatus of archeological evidence of approximately 300 Ka. These Acheulean assemblages appear in association with hominin fossils that have recently been identified as early members of the Neandertal lineage. Delving further into the description of the Acheulean from Atapuerca, we have recently focused on the technological features that we consider to be of particular evolutionary significance and attempted to identify them in other European key sites of comparable chronologies. Indeed, we identified some internal evolutionary trends, which led us to propose that there was a local transition at Atapuerca from the Acheulean to the early Middle Paleolithic techno-complexes. However, the chronological setting resulting from the intensive dating programs carried out in the Galería and Sima de los Huesos sites, and especially, the correlation of these dates with the ones available from Gran Dolina-TD10, confronts us with some apparent paradoxes underlining the need to reconsider the technological interpretation of the lithic technical record from Atapuerca. While great efforts are being made in dating and analysis at many European Middle Pleistocene sites, as well as in establishing correlations with which to build consistent regional sequences, single, long, continuous, and accurately excavated (i.e. over a large surface area) archeological successions remain crucial to properly interpret the appearance and evolution of the Acheulean throughout Europe. We further stress the importance of taking into account conditioning factors such as, raw material availability , environmental constraints and site function issues. Ollé et al. (2016). Quaternary International (411), pp: 316-328. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2016.01.042
Galería is one of the main sites of the Trinchera del Ferrocarril (railway trench) in Atapuerca, ... more Galería is one of the main sites of the Trinchera del Ferrocarril (railway trench) in Atapuerca, together with Gran Dolina and Sima del Elefante. The Galería excavations took place mainly during the 1980s and 1990s and continued until 2010. Work has recently resumed in the upper levels of the sequence, which has prompted us to summarize the previously collected data and plan an entire new set of questions in order to be able to compare that earlier data with information yielded from the new interventions. Galería consists of a long sequence dating from around 500 ka to 250 ka, which has made it possible to conduct a diachronic study of the technology at the site. As a consequence of the sustainment of similar occupational patterns and a similar 'toolkit', the technology at Galería generally enjoyed a broad stability throughout the technology the Middle Pleistocene. Nevertheless, we have isolated technological characteristics which reflect technological changes through time. In this case, we present a synchronic analysis of the human occupation phases of each subunit, which finally led us to a diachronic view of the site. Most of the knapping sequences occurred outside of the cave, making the chaînes op eratoires very fragmented. This was the result of short and sporadic occupations for the basic purpose of obtaining the animals that had fallen into the cave through a natural trap created by the TN shaft, in successful competition with carnivores. Although lithic refits are very scarce, we used them in this study to characterize the spatial distribution not only of the activities performed, but also of the knapping sequences carried out inside the cave. The two knapping locations (outside and inside) reflect different knapping strategies.
ABSTRACT This article focuses on the origins for technological variation during the Middle Pleist... more ABSTRACT This article focuses on the origins for technological variation during the Middle Pleistocene through the analysis of the lithic assemblages from Galería and Gran Dolina-subunit TD10.1 (Atapuerca, Spain). The technological study was organized into three main levels of analysis. The first stage consisted of the technological characterization of the whole assemblage (e.g. the general composition of each sample, the exploitation and shaping methods used, and the characteristics of each item). The second stage involved the morphometric analysis of the large tools, mainly handaxes and cleavers, given the significance of these instruments in Middle Pleistocene assemblages. In this case, we combined traditional technical and metrical analyses with current morphometric methods. Lastly, taking into account the general characteristics of these sites, the third stage consisted of assessing how the different occupational strategies affected the lithic representation. These analyses allowed us to define three technological groups. The first includes unit Galería-GIIa, which corresponds to the appearance of the Acheulean in the Atapuerca caves. The second is represented by the rest of the sequence of the Galería site, mainly the upper part of the sequence (unit GIII). And the third technological corresponds to Gran Dolina-subunit TD10.1. Thus, the Galería sequence shows the technological evolution of the Acheulean over a period of 250 ka. Furthermore, subunit TD10.1 represents a new occupational strategy combining traditional Acheulean tools with more evolved technical strategies.
ABSTRACT This work presents a study of the oldest Acheulean lithic assemblages from the Galería s... more ABSTRACT This work presents a study of the oldest Acheulean lithic assemblages from the Galería site, specifically the GIIa subunit, which has been dated to c. 503 ± 95 ka, and compares them with the subsequent subunit in the sequence, GIIb, dated to around 237–269 ka. The main goals of this study are to offer a detailed technological characterization of the earliest Acheulean presence in Atapuerca and to assess the elements determining the technological variability in a given site by studying the sequence, evaluating the concept of variability and defining the aspects which determine it. The Galería site does not display the features of a living space. It is a cave which was accessed by both humans and carnivores in order to obtain the animal biomass of the herbivores that had fallen down into the cave through a natural shaft. The archaeological record is therefore incomplete and fragmented, since it is the product of highly changeable occupational dynamics. In the lower Galería levels, we identified the development from an almost exclusive use of cobbles as blanks for knapping activities in the earliest periods to an increasing use of flakes. In terms of raw materials, the initially predominant use of Neogene chert and quartzite evolved towards a more balanced use of six raw materials. Furthermore, there was an increase in the size of the large tools. After comparing these two Acheulean assemblages, it is important to put them into context by taking into account a) the significance of cobbles and flakes as blanks; b) the significance of cleavers; and c) the use of raw materials such as quartzite, sandstone or chert. These aspects have traditionally been used to facilitate comparisons of the technologies used within the Iberian Peninsula, and comparisons between the Acheulean technology of the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa and the European (i.e. trans-Pyrenean) Acheulean technology.
ABSTRACT Résumé La variabilité est l’un des sujets les plus débattus dans les études lithiques. E... more ABSTRACT Résumé La variabilité est l’un des sujets les plus débattus dans les études lithiques. En ce qui concerne la période du Pléistocène moyen, ce débat s’est centré spécifiquement autour de la signification des grands outils standardisés comme les bifaces et les hachereaux. Cet article présente l’assemblage lithique de Covacha de los Zarpazos qui fait partie du gisement de Galería à la Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Espagne). Nous analysons ici la gestion des matières premières, les séquences de taille identifiées, et la variation morphologique des grands outils standardisés. Les résultats montrent que, bien qu’elles ne présentent aucune contrainte réelle, les matières premières jouent un rôle important dans la variabilité morphologique définitive. Nous démontrons également que la variabilité globale d’un ensemble lithique est déterminée par une stratégie d’occupation régulière et des activités spécifiques développées dans le site. Abstract Variability is one of the most debated topics in lithic technology studies. For the Middle Pleistocene period, this debate has specifically focused on the significance of large cutting tools such as handaxes and cleavers. This paper presents the stone tool assemblage from Covacha de los Zarpazos site, included in the Galería complex at Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain). We analyse the management of lithic raw materials, the reduction sequences identified, and the morphological variation in the shape of large cutting tools. The results show that raw materials play an important role in the final variability of tool shape, although they do not represent any real constraint. However, what determines the main variability of a whole lithic assemblage is the occupation strategy and the specific activities carried out in a given site.
The Atapuerca localities present evidence of a long series of hominin occupations from the Early ... more The Atapuerca localities present evidence of a long series of hominin occupations from the Early Pleistocene onward and are a key site for understanding the continuity and discontinuity of Western European technological and settlement dynamics. The TD10 unit from Gran Dolina is located in the upper part of the sequence and divided into four lithostratigraphic subunits (TD10.4 to TD10.1, from bottom to top) dated between ca. 450 ka and ca. 250 ka (Marine Isotope Stage 11 to Marine Isotope Stage 8). The technological analysis of the lithic assemblages belonging to the TD10.1 sequence aims to determine the trends among its archeological levels and check its relation to late Middle Pleistocene technological evolution and site functionality. Archeostratigraphic studies have identified several occupation events within its approximately 1.5 m of thickness, whose artifact densities and occupational models differ. However, no remarkable technical differences have been observed among them. Lithic assemblages from those events show more evolved features than other Atapuerca Mode 2 assemblages. These changes are reflected in the selective raw material management strategies; more hierarchized and predetermined reduction methods; and the progressive decrease of large cutting tools in the lithic assemblages with respect to flake tools, the latter defined by a greater typological diversification. These technological changes did not lead to a clear break with respect to previous technological models and were accompanied by other sporadic but significant changes in subsistence and behavioral strategies (bone tools and retouchers; lithic recycling, and so on), which were consolidated during the Middle Paleolithic. Hence, the archeological record from the TD10.1 subunit of Gran Dolina reflects a local stratigraphic transition from Mode 2 to Mode 3 technocomplexes, paralleling that observed in other sites in southwestern Europe.
This paper presents a unified methodology to describe critical features in lithic assemblages, in... more This paper presents a unified methodology to describe critical features in lithic assemblages, in order to better interpret the Middle Pleistocene hominin occupation of western Europe, in the context of the Western European Acheulean Project (WEAP). This project aims to characterise the Acheulean technology of the western side of Europe by the analysis of 10 key assemblages in this area, to generate an in depth regional comparison in particular of the large cutting tools (LCTs). Nevertheless, to go beyond the local perspective and gain a regional point of view requires a deep understanding of the underlying technology to identify the differences or similarities in processes and traditions of manufacture. The different criteria to analyse and to categorise the results make it difficult to compare data from different research traditions (British, French and Spanish). Nevertheless, after decades of intense work on technological analysis and although many technological approaches have been developed, there are still differences in methods between the different countries. It was necessary to develop a unified, yet flexible, protocol to characterise the LCTs that could be adapted to the technological characteristics of each area or site. It also had to be a system that could describe tool technology and morphology, combined with a proper statistical treatment, to summarise all of the data and to compare the results. In addition, due to the recent development of innovative technologies, it is timely to move research forward to make more detailed comparisons between sites. In this paper, we test the WEAP method with three very different European sites, Galería and Gran Dolina-subunit TD10.1 (both in Atapuerca, Spain) and Boxgrove (Sussex, UK).
Nowadays, the fruitful discussion regarding the morphological variability of handaxes during the ... more Nowadays, the fruitful discussion regarding the morphological variability of handaxes during the Middle Pleistocene has reached a decisive moment with the use of more accurate statistical methods, such as geometric morphometrics (GM) and multivariate analyses (MA). This paper presents a preliminary methodological approach for checking the utility of these new approaches on the analysis of the tools" shape. It goes beyond the simple description of morphology and isolates the variables which define the final morphology of a tool. We compared two Middle Pleistocene sites, Boxgrove and Swanscombe, which are morphologically very different. Then, we applied the GM analysis on 1) 2D images, with two semi-landmark distributions: 28 semi-landmarks, specially concentrated on the tip and butt, and 60 equally spaced points; and 2) on 3D models using a new software (AGMT3-D Software) including 5000 semi-landmarks. The more points used to define the tool"s outline, the more accurate will be the interpretation of the variables affecting shape. On the other hand, if the semi-landmarks are localized on specific sectors of the tool, a bias is created, by concentrating on those sectors, rather than the general tool shape. The 3D models offer a new dimension on the shape analysis, as their results mean the combination of plan-shape, profile-shape and the tool"s topography.
The appearance of the Acheulean and the production of new bifacial tools marked a revolution in h... more The appearance of the Acheulean and the production of new bifacial tools marked a revolution in human behavior. The use of longer and complex operative chains, with centripetal and recurrent knapping, adapted to different raw materials, created long useful edges, converging in a functional distal end. How and why these handaxes vary has been the subject of intense debates. Britain provides a clearly defined region at the edge of the hominin occupied world for discussing variation in Acheulean assemblages. The environmental changes from MIS 15 to MIS 11 are significant in understanding population change, with probable breaks in evidence during MIS 14 and MIS 12, followed by several sites during the long stable climate of MIS11c. In this latter period, different Acheulean technological expressions appear to coexist in Britain. This paper draws together different studies, combining technology and geometric morphometrics to analyze handaxes from six British sites: Brandon Fields, Boxgro...
Ponencia presentada en: V International Congress of Experimental Archaeology, Tarragona, Spain, 2... more Ponencia presentada en: V International Congress of Experimental Archaeology, Tarragona, Spain, 25-27 october, 2017
The archaeological sequence of la Noira, in the Middle Loire Basin (Centre region, France) yielde... more The archaeological sequence of la Noira, in the Middle Loire Basin (Centre region, France) yielded two phases of occupation: ca 700 ka (stratum a) and ca 450 ka (stratum c). No site between these two dates has yet been discovered in the area, and this chronological period has thus been interpreted as a gap in settlement from MIS 16 to MIS 12. Here, we compare these two levels and track technological innovations or/and inventions during this time, based on the technological and morphometric comparison of the Large Cutting Tools (LCTs), applying a new method of analysis. We explore inter and intra-level variability in order to address the hypotheses of (1) the filiation over time of populations settling sporadically in the region or (2) the arrival of new populations from other European or extra-European areas. Stratum a presents mainly short shaping sequences on local millstone, taking advantage of natural slab geometry, and with special attention to tips, but with clear management o...
Some areas in Western Europe indicate hiatuses in human occupations, which cannot be systematical... more Some areas in Western Europe indicate hiatuses in human occupations, which cannot be systematically attributed to taphonomic factors and poor site preservation. The site of la Noira in the center of France records two occupation phases with a significant time gap. The older one is dated to around 700 ka (stratum a) with an Acheulean assemblage, among the earliest in Western Europe, and the upper phase of the sequence (stratum c) is dated to ca. 450 ka. Humans left the area at around 670 ka, at the beginning of the marine isotope stage (MIS) 16 glacial stage, when cold conditions became too severe. No sites between 650 and 450 ka have yet been discovered in the center region despite systematic surveys over the past three decades. The archaeological evidence indicates that populations returned to the area, at the end of MIS 12 or the beginning of the long interglacial MIS 11. Here, we use technological behaviors common to the two levels of la Noira-strata a and c to evaluate their dif...
Ponencia presentada en: 20th Congress of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA),... more Ponencia presentada en: 20th Congress of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA), 25-31 de julio 2019, Dublin
In Western Europe, Acheulean cultural evidence is well attested by ca. 0.5 Ma. However, recent wo... more In Western Europe, Acheulean cultural evidence is well attested by ca. 0.5 Ma. However, recent work has proven that it was present earlier; at the end of the Early Pleistocene. The timing and mode of the Western European Acheulean needs still to be investigated, and this knowledge appears to be strongly dependent upon data from sites with sufficiently well preserved archeo-stratigraphical sequences and/or geophysical conditions that guarantee reliable dating. The karstic deposits from the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain) represent one such case. They contain exceptionally long and continuous archeo-paleontological deposits that have yielded hominins, stone tools and faunal remains from a period covering the late Early Pleistocene up to the Holocene. Previous work has allowed us to reconstruct the evolution of technology on a local scale, from the late Early to the Middle Pleistocene, and to situate the appearance of the Acheulean more or less simultaneously in the sites of Galería, Gran Dolina-TD10 and the Sima de los Huesos, at around 0.5 Ma, after a hiatus of archeological evidence of approximately 300 Ka. These Acheulean assemblages appear in association with hominin fossils that have recently been identified as early members of the Neandertal lineage. Delving further into the description of the Acheulean from Atapuerca, we have recently focused on the technological features that we consider to be of particular evolutionary significance and attempted to identify them in other European key sites of comparable chronologies. Indeed, we identified some internal evolutionary trends, which led us to propose that there was a local transition at Atapuerca from the Acheulean to the early Middle Paleolithic techno-complexes. However, the chronological setting resulting from the intensive dating programs carried out in the Galería and Sima de los Huesos sites, and especially, the correlation of these dates with the ones available from Gran Dolina-TD10, confronts us with some apparent paradoxes underlining the need to reconsider the technological interpretation of the lithic technical record from Atapuerca. While great efforts are being made in dating and analysis at many European Middle Pleistocene sites, as well as in establishing correlations with which to build consistent regional sequences, single, long, continuous, and accurately excavated (i.e. over a large surface area) archeological successions remain crucial to properly interpret the appearance and evolution of the Acheulean throughout Europe. We further stress the importance of taking into account conditioning factors such as, raw material availability , environmental constraints and site function issues. Ollé et al. (2016). Quaternary International (411), pp: 316-328. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2016.01.042
Galería is one of the main sites of the Trinchera del Ferrocarril (railway trench) in Atapuerca, ... more Galería is one of the main sites of the Trinchera del Ferrocarril (railway trench) in Atapuerca, together with Gran Dolina and Sima del Elefante. The Galería excavations took place mainly during the 1980s and 1990s and continued until 2010. Work has recently resumed in the upper levels of the sequence, which has prompted us to summarize the previously collected data and plan an entire new set of questions in order to be able to compare that earlier data with information yielded from the new interventions. Galería consists of a long sequence dating from around 500 ka to 250 ka, which has made it possible to conduct a diachronic study of the technology at the site. As a consequence of the sustainment of similar occupational patterns and a similar 'toolkit', the technology at Galería generally enjoyed a broad stability throughout the technology the Middle Pleistocene. Nevertheless, we have isolated technological characteristics which reflect technological changes through time. In this case, we present a synchronic analysis of the human occupation phases of each subunit, which finally led us to a diachronic view of the site. Most of the knapping sequences occurred outside of the cave, making the chaînes op eratoires very fragmented. This was the result of short and sporadic occupations for the basic purpose of obtaining the animals that had fallen into the cave through a natural trap created by the TN shaft, in successful competition with carnivores. Although lithic refits are very scarce, we used them in this study to characterize the spatial distribution not only of the activities performed, but also of the knapping sequences carried out inside the cave. The two knapping locations (outside and inside) reflect different knapping strategies.
ABSTRACT This article focuses on the origins for technological variation during the Middle Pleist... more ABSTRACT This article focuses on the origins for technological variation during the Middle Pleistocene through the analysis of the lithic assemblages from Galería and Gran Dolina-subunit TD10.1 (Atapuerca, Spain). The technological study was organized into three main levels of analysis. The first stage consisted of the technological characterization of the whole assemblage (e.g. the general composition of each sample, the exploitation and shaping methods used, and the characteristics of each item). The second stage involved the morphometric analysis of the large tools, mainly handaxes and cleavers, given the significance of these instruments in Middle Pleistocene assemblages. In this case, we combined traditional technical and metrical analyses with current morphometric methods. Lastly, taking into account the general characteristics of these sites, the third stage consisted of assessing how the different occupational strategies affected the lithic representation. These analyses allowed us to define three technological groups. The first includes unit Galería-GIIa, which corresponds to the appearance of the Acheulean in the Atapuerca caves. The second is represented by the rest of the sequence of the Galería site, mainly the upper part of the sequence (unit GIII). And the third technological corresponds to Gran Dolina-subunit TD10.1. Thus, the Galería sequence shows the technological evolution of the Acheulean over a period of 250 ka. Furthermore, subunit TD10.1 represents a new occupational strategy combining traditional Acheulean tools with more evolved technical strategies.
ABSTRACT This work presents a study of the oldest Acheulean lithic assemblages from the Galería s... more ABSTRACT This work presents a study of the oldest Acheulean lithic assemblages from the Galería site, specifically the GIIa subunit, which has been dated to c. 503 ± 95 ka, and compares them with the subsequent subunit in the sequence, GIIb, dated to around 237–269 ka. The main goals of this study are to offer a detailed technological characterization of the earliest Acheulean presence in Atapuerca and to assess the elements determining the technological variability in a given site by studying the sequence, evaluating the concept of variability and defining the aspects which determine it. The Galería site does not display the features of a living space. It is a cave which was accessed by both humans and carnivores in order to obtain the animal biomass of the herbivores that had fallen down into the cave through a natural shaft. The archaeological record is therefore incomplete and fragmented, since it is the product of highly changeable occupational dynamics. In the lower Galería levels, we identified the development from an almost exclusive use of cobbles as blanks for knapping activities in the earliest periods to an increasing use of flakes. In terms of raw materials, the initially predominant use of Neogene chert and quartzite evolved towards a more balanced use of six raw materials. Furthermore, there was an increase in the size of the large tools. After comparing these two Acheulean assemblages, it is important to put them into context by taking into account a) the significance of cobbles and flakes as blanks; b) the significance of cleavers; and c) the use of raw materials such as quartzite, sandstone or chert. These aspects have traditionally been used to facilitate comparisons of the technologies used within the Iberian Peninsula, and comparisons between the Acheulean technology of the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa and the European (i.e. trans-Pyrenean) Acheulean technology.
ABSTRACT Résumé La variabilité est l’un des sujets les plus débattus dans les études lithiques. E... more ABSTRACT Résumé La variabilité est l’un des sujets les plus débattus dans les études lithiques. En ce qui concerne la période du Pléistocène moyen, ce débat s’est centré spécifiquement autour de la signification des grands outils standardisés comme les bifaces et les hachereaux. Cet article présente l’assemblage lithique de Covacha de los Zarpazos qui fait partie du gisement de Galería à la Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Espagne). Nous analysons ici la gestion des matières premières, les séquences de taille identifiées, et la variation morphologique des grands outils standardisés. Les résultats montrent que, bien qu’elles ne présentent aucune contrainte réelle, les matières premières jouent un rôle important dans la variabilité morphologique définitive. Nous démontrons également que la variabilité globale d’un ensemble lithique est déterminée par une stratégie d’occupation régulière et des activités spécifiques développées dans le site. Abstract Variability is one of the most debated topics in lithic technology studies. For the Middle Pleistocene period, this debate has specifically focused on the significance of large cutting tools such as handaxes and cleavers. This paper presents the stone tool assemblage from Covacha de los Zarpazos site, included in the Galería complex at Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain). We analyse the management of lithic raw materials, the reduction sequences identified, and the morphological variation in the shape of large cutting tools. The results show that raw materials play an important role in the final variability of tool shape, although they do not represent any real constraint. However, what determines the main variability of a whole lithic assemblage is the occupation strategy and the specific activities carried out in a given site.
The Atapuerca localities present evidence of a long series of hominin occupations from the Early ... more The Atapuerca localities present evidence of a long series of hominin occupations from the Early Pleistocene onward and are a key site for understanding the continuity and discontinuity of Western European technological and settlement dynamics. The TD10 unit from Gran Dolina is located in the upper part of the sequence and divided into four lithostratigraphic subunits (TD10.4 to TD10.1, from bottom to top) dated between ca. 450 ka and ca. 250 ka (Marine Isotope Stage 11 to Marine Isotope Stage 8). The technological analysis of the lithic assemblages belonging to the TD10.1 sequence aims to determine the trends among its archeological levels and check its relation to late Middle Pleistocene technological evolution and site functionality. Archeostratigraphic studies have identified several occupation events within its approximately 1.5 m of thickness, whose artifact densities and occupational models differ. However, no remarkable technical differences have been observed among them. Lithic assemblages from those events show more evolved features than other Atapuerca Mode 2 assemblages. These changes are reflected in the selective raw material management strategies; more hierarchized and predetermined reduction methods; and the progressive decrease of large cutting tools in the lithic assemblages with respect to flake tools, the latter defined by a greater typological diversification. These technological changes did not lead to a clear break with respect to previous technological models and were accompanied by other sporadic but significant changes in subsistence and behavioral strategies (bone tools and retouchers; lithic recycling, and so on), which were consolidated during the Middle Paleolithic. Hence, the archeological record from the TD10.1 subunit of Gran Dolina reflects a local stratigraphic transition from Mode 2 to Mode 3 technocomplexes, paralleling that observed in other sites in southwestern Europe.
This paper presents a unified methodology to describe critical features in lithic assemblages, in... more This paper presents a unified methodology to describe critical features in lithic assemblages, in order to better interpret the Middle Pleistocene hominin occupation of western Europe, in the context of the Western European Acheulean Project (WEAP). This project aims to characterise the Acheulean technology of the western side of Europe by the analysis of 10 key assemblages in this area, to generate an in depth regional comparison in particular of the large cutting tools (LCTs). Nevertheless, to go beyond the local perspective and gain a regional point of view requires a deep understanding of the underlying technology to identify the differences or similarities in processes and traditions of manufacture. The different criteria to analyse and to categorise the results make it difficult to compare data from different research traditions (British, French and Spanish). Nevertheless, after decades of intense work on technological analysis and although many technological approaches have been developed, there are still differences in methods between the different countries. It was necessary to develop a unified, yet flexible, protocol to characterise the LCTs that could be adapted to the technological characteristics of each area or site. It also had to be a system that could describe tool technology and morphology, combined with a proper statistical treatment, to summarise all of the data and to compare the results. In addition, due to the recent development of innovative technologies, it is timely to move research forward to make more detailed comparisons between sites. In this paper, we test the WEAP method with three very different European sites, Galería and Gran Dolina-subunit TD10.1 (both in Atapuerca, Spain) and Boxgrove (Sussex, UK).
Nowadays, the fruitful discussion regarding the morphological variability of handaxes during the ... more Nowadays, the fruitful discussion regarding the morphological variability of handaxes during the Middle Pleistocene has reached a decisive moment with the use of more accurate statistical methods, such as geometric morphometrics (GM) and multivariate analyses (MA). This paper presents a preliminary methodological approach for checking the utility of these new approaches on the analysis of the tools" shape. It goes beyond the simple description of morphology and isolates the variables which define the final morphology of a tool. We compared two Middle Pleistocene sites, Boxgrove and Swanscombe, which are morphologically very different. Then, we applied the GM analysis on 1) 2D images, with two semi-landmark distributions: 28 semi-landmarks, specially concentrated on the tip and butt, and 60 equally spaced points; and 2) on 3D models using a new software (AGMT3-D Software) including 5000 semi-landmarks. The more points used to define the tool"s outline, the more accurate will be the interpretation of the variables affecting shape. On the other hand, if the semi-landmarks are localized on specific sectors of the tool, a bias is created, by concentrating on those sectors, rather than the general tool shape. The 3D models offer a new dimension on the shape analysis, as their results mean the combination of plan-shape, profile-shape and the tool"s topography.
PALAEOLITHIC MESOLITHIC CONFERENCE THE BRITISH MUSEUM, Oct 25, 2018
The Acheulean technology marked a revolution and its presence can be clearly tracked along the Eu... more The Acheulean technology marked a revolution and its presence can be clearly tracked along the European seaboard from the lberian Peninsula to Great Britain, mainly between 700 to 300ka. Nevertheless, to go beyond the local perspective and gain a regional point of view requires a deep understanding of the underlying technology to identify the differences or similarities in processes and traditions of manufacture. The different criteria to analyze and to categorize the results make it difficult to compare data from different research traditions. Although many technological approaches have been developed, there are still differences in method between the different countries. The British research has been based on the typological system of Wymer or the morphometric system of Roe for the analysis and classification of handaxes, as well as on the simple description of shaping sequences developed by Newcomer and Wenban- Smith. In turn, the French traditions are mainly based on the typological view proposed Bordes, on the complex approach of the chaîne opératoire, and on the techno-functional approach proposed by Boëda. Meanwhile, the Spanish tradition has been highly influenced by the French school, with significant methodological developments coming from the Logical Analytic System.
This work proposes a common method of analysis for the study of Large Cutting Tools from several sites in UK and France (La Noira, Brandon Fields, Cagny Le Garenne, Elveden, Swanscombe, La Celle, Saint Pierre les Elbeuf, Menez Dregan), based on a selection of technological attributes from the main traditions of lithic analysis (typological, technological, morphometrical and sequential) that are considered to be specially significant. The attributes will be those which give more information about the Large Cutting Tools and how they have been produced. Each tool will be analyzed as a unit and also divided in its three main morpho-potential sections: distal, medium and proximal parts. In addition, taking advantage of new technologies and combining the basic technological analysis with 3D models, will allow us to standardize the process of measurement and documentation of the pieces more objectively. The measurements obtained will be managed through an open-access data base in order the accumulative information of Western European sites.
Western European Acheulean Project, a new methodological approach in the study of the Middle Plei... more Western European Acheulean Project, a new methodological approach in the study of the Middle Pleistocene industries from the western side of Europe
The different criteria used to analyze and to categorize the results through the different resear... more The different criteria used to analyze and to categorize the results through the different research traditions make difficult to compare data. Although many technological approaches have been developed, there are still differences in method between the different countries in the study of the Middle Pleistocene industries in the Western side of Europe. The British research has been based on the typological system of Wymer or the morphometric system of Roe for the analysis and classification of handaxes, as well as on the simple description of shaping sequences developed by Newcomer and Wenban-Smith. In turn, the French traditions are mainly based on the typological view proposed by Bordes, on the complex approach of the chaine operatoire, and on the techno-functional approach proposed by Boëda. Meanwhile, the Spanish tradition has been highly influenced by the French school, with significant methodological developments coming from the Logical Analytic System. This work proposes a common method of analysis of the Acheulean technology to go beyond the local perspective and gain a regional point of view in the Western side of Europe. This requires a deep understanding of the underlying technology to identify the differences or similarities in processes and traditions of manufacture. The new methodology, applied in several sites of UK and France, is based on the selection of those technological attributes which give more information about the LCT and how they have been produced. Each tool will be analyzed as a unit and also divided in its three main morpho-potential sections: distal, medium and proximal parts. And, taking advantage of new technologies and combining the basic technological analysis with 3D models, we willto standardize the process of measurement and documentation of the pieces. This methodological approach is the base of a Post-doctoral Marie Skłodowska Curie project, entitle The Western European Acheulean Project, (ID. 748316).
The Acheulean technology marked a revolution and its presence can be clearly tracked along the Eu... more The Acheulean technology marked a revolution and its presence can be clearly tracked along the European seaboard from the Iberian Peninsula to Great Britain , mainly between 700 to 300ka. Nevertheless , to go beyond the local perspective and gain a regional point of view requires a deep understanding of the underlying technology to identify the differences or similarities in processes and traditions of manufacture. The different criteria to analyze and to categorize the results make it difficult to compare data from different research traditions. Although many technological approaches have been developed , there are still differences in method between the different countries. The British research has been based on the typological system of Wymer or the morphometric system of Roe for the analysis and classification of handaxes , as well ason the simple description of shaping sequences developed by Newcomer and Wenban-Smith. In turn , the French traditions are mainly based on the ty-pological view proposed by Bordes , on the complex approach of the chaine operatoire , and on the techno-functional approach proposed by Bó ' eda. Meanwhile , the Spanish tradition has been highly influenced by the French school , with significant methodological developments coming from the Logical Analytic System. This work proposes a common method of analysis for the study of Large Cutting Tools from several sites in UK and France (La Noira , Brandon Fields , Cagny Le Garenne , Elveden , Swanscombe , La Celle , Saint Pierre les Elbeuf , Menez Dregan) , based on a selection of technological attributes from the main traditions of lithic analysis (typological , technological , morphometrical and sequential) that are considered to be specially significant. The attributes will be those which give more information about the Large Cutting Tools and how they have been produced. Each tool will be analyzed as a unit and also divided in its three main morpho-potential sections: distal , medium and proximal parts. In addition , taking advantage of new technologies and combining the basic technological analysis with 3D models , will allow us to standardize the process of measurement and documentation of the pieces more objectively. The measurements obtained will be man-aged through an open-access data base in order to promote the accumulative information of Western European sites.
Boxgrove –c.500ka– represents one of the richest and more interesting sites at which to analyse s... more Boxgrove –c.500ka– represents one of the richest and more interesting sites at which to analyse shaping strategies and morphological variability inthe European Middle Pleistocene handaxes, due to the high quantity of finished handaxes and also to the presence of complete operative chains. The morphological variability of Large Cutting Tools during the Middle Pleistocene has been traditionally associated with two main variables: raw material constraints and reduction intensity. The Quarry 1/B sample is ideal for assessing the role of some key raw material characteristics (size, form, and homogeneity of the flint nodules) in the shaping process, and to ascertain if they represent real constraints in the production of a handaxe. In addition, because of the large number of handaxes and the intensity of the thinning process at Boxgrove, we aimed to assess the extent to which reduction intensity affected the final shape as proposed by some authors. In Q1/B we found both rough-outs (N=62) and finished tools (N=358). Each piece was systematically measured, and the data subjected to statistical analyses. The morphological variability was analysed using a geometric morphometrics methodology and PCA. In addition , we developed an experimental programme aimed to replicate the Boxgrove shaping strategies, which was especially focused on assessing the raw material role within these processes. Our results show that the knapping strategies were flexible and adapted to the blank's physical characteristics and attributes. These affect the reduction strategy but there is no clear relationship between the initial morphology of the blank and the specific final handaxe shape. Throughout the experimental programme, we also explored the knapper's capacity to solve problems arising from reduction accidents and mistakes, which led to re-configuring the knapping strategy to achieve a " mental template ". The idea set in the knapper's mind was consistent and persistent along the whole process; no substantial morphological differences related to reduction intensity were noticed within the Boxgrove Q1/B handaxes. Only the most invasive distal shaping, usually through tranchet removals, generated minor variations in shape. Thus, systematic re-sharpening as the cause of shape variation seems highly unlikely, and it could be more related to the short use-life of the Boxgrove handaxes.
The re-use and recycling of artefacts can be studied through a number of avenues, including refit... more The re-use and recycling of artefacts can be studied through a number of avenues, including refitting, diacritical and use wear analyses. Reuse could refer to different stages in the life of a tool whilst in the possession of a single hominin individual but sometimes the presence of a discard phase between the different technical/functional episodes, identified by differences in patination, can also be identified. While changes in the surface patination of artifacts is still a poorly understood subject, and might be affected by various processes, identifying phases of reduction distinguished by different surface conditions is a clear indicator of multiple, separate phases of artefact use. Where artifacts previously discarded in the landscape can be shown to be reworked after a period of time, by a different hominin individual we might be seeing an important reuse mechanism which we could characterize as scavenging or recycling. This pattern of reuse of pre-existing artifacts could have important implications and may reduce the energy invested in lithic production, taking advantage of previously manufactured artefacts for which the use-life can be extended. Boxgrove Q1/B provides a good context for analyzing the reuse of Large Cutting Tools (LCT). Together with the abundance of raw material in the same occupational site, there is a high level of discard of handaxes due to the intense mobility pattern of hominins through the landscape. Artifacts are either unpatinated or lightly patinated allowing variations in surface weathering to be easily identified. This pattern could be related to the short-life of the tools and the result of an expeditient way of life. Through examination of surface condition and patterns of LCT tip preparation and re-sharpening through specialized tranchet removal techniques, we explore how extensive the reuse of these tools might have been and how this affects the morphology of tools. The research considers factors such as landscape patterns of movement, intensity of site use and the effective constraints of LCTs for multiple periods of recycling. The work also considers how multiple episodes of re-use might be identified where differential patination is less likely to develop within an assemblage.
The morphological variability of Large Cutting Tools during the Middle Pleistocene has been tradi... more The morphological variability of Large Cutting Tools during the Middle Pleistocene has been traditionally associated with two main variables: the raw material constraints and the reduction intensity. Boxgrove –c.500ka– represents one of the richest and more interesting sites at which to analyse shaping strategies and morphological variability in European Middle Pleistocene handaxes, due to the huge quantity of finished handaxes and also to the presence of complete operative chains. For this paper, we have focused on the entire handaxe sample from the excavations at Quarry 1/B.
The Western European Acheulean Project (WEAP) aims to characterize the occupational pattern of we... more The Western European Acheulean Project (WEAP) aims to characterize the occupational pattern of western Europe during the Middle Pleistocene (MP) -700 to 300Ka-, through the study of Acheulean technology. Recent research has shown that the Atlantic seaboard is the most likely route for colonisation due to the more oceanic climate compared to eastern Europe and to the richer range of resources in coastal areas. Due to cyclical changes in climate with glaciations and interglacials, northern Europe was frequently depopulated and then recolonized through this period probably from source areas in southern France and Iberia. This route-way should therefore bear witness to the cultural links between north and south. From 1 million to 600,000 years ago there is evidence of brief pioneering events in north-west Europe with a small number of sites and small numbers of stone tool artefacts. After 600,000 year ago more sustained occupation is shown by the increase in sites and the much large stone tool assemblages. They also show technological innovation in the form handaxes and possibly in the use of fire, clothing and shelter, which led to the first sustained occupation of northern latitudes. Although there has been much research and new sites excavated over the last twenty years, there has been little integration between the work in Spain, Britain and France. Based on the applicant's previous experience, WEAP proposes to create a common method of analysis for the study of six Middle Pleistocene sites from UK and France -in agreement with three Middle Pleistocene technologists-, the use of the experimental technology to complete the archaeological record, and the use of new methodological approaches, such as the 3D scanning technology as the most appropriated statistical analysis, to improve understanding of behavioural patterns in order to build models of human dispersals from south-west to north-west Europe. https://www.weap.es/project/
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onward and are a key site for understanding the continuity and discontinuity of Western European
technological and settlement dynamics. The TD10 unit from Gran Dolina is located in the upper part
of the sequence and divided into four lithostratigraphic subunits (TD10.4 to TD10.1, from bottom to top)
dated between ca. 450 ka and ca. 250 ka (Marine Isotope Stage 11 to Marine Isotope Stage 8). The
technological analysis of the lithic assemblages belonging to the TD10.1 sequence aims to determine the
trends among its archeological levels and check its relation to late Middle Pleistocene technological
evolution and site functionality. Archeostratigraphic studies have identified several occupation events
within its approximately 1.5 m of thickness, whose artifact densities and occupational models differ.
However, no remarkable technical differences have been observed among them. Lithic assemblages from
those events show more evolved features than other Atapuerca Mode 2 assemblages. These changes are
reflected in the selective raw material management strategies; more hierarchized and predetermined
reduction methods; and the progressive decrease of large cutting tools in the lithic assemblages with
respect to flake tools, the latter defined by a greater typological diversification. These technological
changes did not lead to a clear break with respect to previous technological models and were accompanied
by other sporadic but significant changes in subsistence and behavioral strategies (bone tools and
retouchers; lithic recycling, and so on), which were consolidated during the Middle Paleolithic. Hence,
the archeological record from the TD10.1 subunit of Gran Dolina reflects a local stratigraphic transition from Mode 2 to Mode 3 technocomplexes, paralleling that observed in other sites in southwestern
Europe.
onward and are a key site for understanding the continuity and discontinuity of Western European
technological and settlement dynamics. The TD10 unit from Gran Dolina is located in the upper part
of the sequence and divided into four lithostratigraphic subunits (TD10.4 to TD10.1, from bottom to top)
dated between ca. 450 ka and ca. 250 ka (Marine Isotope Stage 11 to Marine Isotope Stage 8). The
technological analysis of the lithic assemblages belonging to the TD10.1 sequence aims to determine the
trends among its archeological levels and check its relation to late Middle Pleistocene technological
evolution and site functionality. Archeostratigraphic studies have identified several occupation events
within its approximately 1.5 m of thickness, whose artifact densities and occupational models differ.
However, no remarkable technical differences have been observed among them. Lithic assemblages from
those events show more evolved features than other Atapuerca Mode 2 assemblages. These changes are
reflected in the selective raw material management strategies; more hierarchized and predetermined
reduction methods; and the progressive decrease of large cutting tools in the lithic assemblages with
respect to flake tools, the latter defined by a greater typological diversification. These technological
changes did not lead to a clear break with respect to previous technological models and were accompanied
by other sporadic but significant changes in subsistence and behavioral strategies (bone tools and
retouchers; lithic recycling, and so on), which were consolidated during the Middle Paleolithic. Hence,
the archeological record from the TD10.1 subunit of Gran Dolina reflects a local stratigraphic transition from Mode 2 to Mode 3 technocomplexes, paralleling that observed in other sites in southwestern
Europe.
This work proposes a common method of analysis for the study of Large Cutting Tools from several sites in UK and France (La Noira, Brandon Fields, Cagny Le Garenne, Elveden, Swanscombe, La Celle, Saint Pierre les Elbeuf, Menez Dregan), based on a selection of technological attributes from the main traditions of lithic analysis (typological, technological, morphometrical and sequential) that are considered to be specially significant. The attributes will be those which give more information about the Large Cutting Tools and how they have been produced. Each tool will be analyzed as a unit and also divided in its three main morpho-potential sections: distal, medium and proximal parts. In addition, taking advantage of new technologies and combining the basic technological analysis with 3D models, will allow us to standardize the process of measurement and documentation of the pieces more objectively. The measurements obtained will be managed through an open-access data base in order the accumulative information of Western European sites.
This work proposes a common method of analysis of the Acheulean technology to go beyond the local perspective and gain a regional point of view in the Western side of Europe. This requires a deep understanding of the underlying technology to identify the differences or similarities in processes and traditions of manufacture. The new methodology, applied in several sites of UK and France, is based on the selection of those technological attributes which give more information about the LCT and how they have been produced. Each tool will be analyzed as a unit and also divided in its three main morpho-potential sections: distal, medium and proximal parts. And, taking advantage of new technologies and combining the basic technological analysis with 3D models, we willto standardize the process of measurement and documentation of the pieces. This methodological approach is the base of a Post-doctoral Marie Skłodowska Curie project, entitle The Western European Acheulean Project, (ID. 748316).
https://www.weap.es/project/