Abstract
Gruta Nova of Columbeira is one the most important late middle Palaeolithic sites of Portuguese Estremadura and one of the few Portuguese sites in which Neandertal remains have been found. In this paper, we present the zooarchaeological analysis of layers 6 to 9 of the 1962 excvations. Our work provides information about site functionality, human occupation dynamics and the activities these involved. The cave was used both by hominids and carnivores. Furthermore, both human and non-human (biological, hydrological) taphonomical agents seem to have been involved during the formation of the bone assemblages. These facts, together with the dates published by Zilhao et al. (2011), lead us to dismiss the hypothesis that Gruta Nova contains one of the last vestiges of Neanderthals in the Iberian Peninsula.
Highlights
One of the few Portuguese sites in which Neandertal remains have been found
We present the zooarchaeological analysis of layers 6 to 9 of the 1962 excvations
Our work provides information about site functionality, human occupation dynamics and the activities these involved
Summary
Gruta Nova (Columbeira, Portugal) (Fig. 1), excavada en 1962, contiene diferentes niveles arqueológicos con una importante acumulación de restos líticos, debido a las actividades desarrolladas por grupos de neandertales (Raposo y Cardoso 1997, 1998; Cardoso et al 2002). A través del estudio zooarqueológico de los restos óseos de los ma-. Un buen ejemplo del método excavación llevado a cabo en Gruta Nova hace medio siglo lo encontramos en el propio diario de campo (Cardoso 1993; Cardoso et al 2002), donde se describe el empleo de cargas explosivas en los sectores de los niveles que presentaban mayor dureza
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