Hunting camps and nucleiform endscrapers in the Cantabrian Lower Magdalenian: A lithic microwear analysis

Abstract

This paper presents a study that includes the factor analysis of some classic deposits from the Cantabrian Middle and Lower Magdalenian and the functional analysis of Rascaño nucleiform endscrapers. Three categories of enclaves are distinguished, based on their main industrial features (two functional: aggregation sites and hunting camps; and one chronological: late Lower or Middle Magdalenian occupations). Finally, the functional analysis relates the abundance of nucleiform endscrapers in Rascaño cave, a hunting camp, to the maintenance or fabrication of bone points.