Changing the Perspective, Adapting the Scale: Macro- and Microlithic Technologies of the Early Mesolithic in the SW Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

Abstract What determines the choice of a particular lithic solution from among the set of knowledge and skills that are part of the cultural background of a group? The Early Mesolithic of the SW Iberian Peninsula shows a high diversity of lithic solutions considering the various aspects of the manufacturing process. At each site, the group selects the most adequate solution to respond efficiently to the needs. Contemporary sites may document quite different lithic components; there are no recurring patterns. Macrolithic and microlithic technologies were adopted, depending on the site, but the selection of one rather than another seems to be independent of the function of the site. Then, what does dictate the choice? A number of factors come to mind such as environmental contingencies, purpose, ability, and ethnicity. This Early Mesolithic defining trait diverges from the pattern observed for the final Upper Palaeolithic, where the same constellation of tools is systematically represented in the archaeological record, as well as flint, even in regions where flint as a natural resource is absent. Macrolithic technologies directed towards the massive production of cutting edges and heavy-duty tools produced from medium coarse-grained rocks co-exist, in SW Iberian Early Mesolithic, with microlithic technologies focused on the production of small bladelets made from good quality chert types and transformed into tiny armatures. Although contemporaneous, each lithic solution has its own geographical identity. How should we study these distinctive productions while at the same time respecting their diversity? No analytical template is sufficiently comprehensible to enable us to understand the multitude of “memories” that lithics carry. However, some approaches can help us to overcome the impasse by letting us read the hidden histories that lie behind lithic artefacts.