Lithic recycling in a Middle Paleolithic expedient context: Evidence from the Abric Romaní (Capellades, Spain)

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present a general overview of the lithic recycling identified in the Middle Paleolithic layers of the Abric Romaní site. The archeological layers excavated thus far, spanning from 40 to 56 ka BP, have provided significant evidence suggesting that recycling of artifacts was a behavior fully integrated in lithic provisioning strategies. The characteristics of the Abric Romaní formation processes allow the recognition of most of the different types of data usually considered proxies of recycling: the reuse of patinated or burned artifacts, the use of a single artifact for different functions, successive knapping events on the same core, the reduction of flakes as cores, etc. In particular, the information provided by refitting and spatial analysis should be emphasized. We will pay special attention to the spatial and refitting data from level M, which is dated between 51 and 55 ka BP, by focusing on the intrasite transport of artifacts and of core-on-flake reduction sequences as potential evidence of recycling. The results indicate that recycling may have a spatial dimension that allows the differentiation between source areas and recycling areas in which technical needs are partly fulfilled by picking up previously discarded items.