Middle Palaeolithic Mode 3 lithic technology in the rock-shelter of Benzú (North Africa) and its immediate environmental relationships

Abstract

The rock-shelter of Benzú is located near the city of Ceuta in North Africa. At the rock-shelter of Benzú there is a sequence of 7 archaeological levels, which are associated with a clearly defined Mode 3 lithic technology. The similarities with other assemblages found in the south of the Iberian Peninsula are clear. We emphasise the exploitation of marine resources by these hunter–gatherer societies from the beginning of the Middle Pleistocene sequence. On the basis of this archaeological evidence and in the context of recent studies on North Africa, this work assesses the possible relationships and contacts between societies on both shores of the historical region of the Straits of Gibraltar.