Abstract
Sourced from the Tyrrhenian Islands and exchanged over long distances, obsidian was used widely across prehistoric Western Europe. An obsidian core and bladelets from a newly discovered rockshelter site in south-eastern Spain, however, raised the possibility of an unrecognised mainland source of obsidian. EDXRF analysis of the Early Magdalenian finds from La Boja links them to a source 125km to the south-west. The artefacts were discarded during two brief activity phases at the site, indicating that obsidian procurement was integral to the technological choices of the site's users. The specificities of the technocomplex may explain the unique nature of this occurrence.
Highlights
Obsidian was a raw material of choice for Stone Age peoples worldwide
In light of this evidence, it becomes all the more significant that obsidian made its way to La Boja on both of the occasions, at most three generations apart, when people visited the rockshelter during OH4
Evidence from La Boja shows that obsidian was exploited as an exotic raw material during the Early Magdalenian of south-eastern Iberia
Summary
Obsidian was a raw material of choice for Stone Age peoples worldwide. Its well-developed conchoidal fracture and the hardness and sharpness of its knapped edges explain why, where available, this silica-rich volcanic glass was so widely used. Among the chert bladelets selected for retouch that, presumably, represent the intended size range, the length of the complete specimens lies between 9.9 and 25.1mm (Figure 6) Based on this evidence, obsidian entered the site both as complete pebbles for on-site knapping and as finished items discarded or lost upon having become worn or blunt. The minimal, if any, rounding of pebbles from these three locations contrasts markedly with the appearance of the pebbles and cobbles found in the Pleistocene coastal deposits seen above the volcanic series along the Carboneras beach and the ramblas that drain into it This observation would seem to preclude the long-distance displacement of these obsidian pebbles, whether from upriver or from landforms submerged by sea-level rise; they must correspond to locally derived material, originally available in the alluvial gravel at the base of the rambla. It is probable that this was the case with the core that travelled from Carboneras to La Boja almost 19 000 years ago
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