Abstract
The Upper Paleolithic of SW Iberia is marked by the presence of chopper and flake assemblages in quartzite. Detailed characterization at regional and chronological levels of these assemblages is of the utmost importance because, in the most Paleolithic recent phases, they can be found without type-fossils associated or in non-datable deposits. In this study, we used 24 quartzite assemblages from SW Iberia, to test the diagnostic character of this raw material through attribute analysis and refitting. Results indicate that Gravettian, Solutrean and Magdalenian can be distinguished on their quartzite assemblages, enabling, by itself, the differentiation of the Upper Paleolithic key-sequence. They also indicate that Gravettian and Magdalenian assemblages are technologically closer to each other than to Solutrean, a pattern possibly related with the adaptation to the Last Glacial Maximum.
Highlights
Chopper and flake assemblages on non-flint raw materials are worldwide known and omnipresent through all diachrony of hominid tool production
The combination of stratigraphy, artifact seriation with absolute dating allowed the clarification of their temporal organization, resulting in the creation of a fairly accurate Western Iberian Upper Paleolithic key-sequence (Heleno 1956, Marks et al 1994; Bicho 1996, 2000, 2001, 2004; Zilhão 1997; Gameiro and Almeida 2001; Zilhão and Almeida 2002; Almeida et al 2002; Almeida et al 2004: Almeida et al 2008; Aubry 2009; Cascalheira 2010)
The resulting big and thick flakes, the remaining core and, sometimes, bigger fragments that resulted from this knapping were subsequently used as base for the recurrent obtainment of flakes that fall into the standard dimensions
Summary
Chopper and flake assemblages on non-flint raw materials are worldwide known and omnipresent through all diachrony of hominid tool production. In the case of the Portuguese Upper Paleolithic and Epipaleolithic, their crude aspect and often non prepared reduction is a clear deceiver of the intrinsic complexity of their production. This was shown, for instance, by refitting at Barca do Xerêz (Araújo and Almeida 2007), Lagar Velho (Zilhão and Almeida 2002), Gato. The result tended to be twisted blanks, while in the second the result was the creation of thick blanks, known as burin spalls These studies brought about the local recognition of several sub-stages of the Early Gravettian, Middle, Late and Terminal Gravettian; Proto and Upper Solutrean, Early, Middle, Final and Terminal Magdalenian. The combination of stratigraphy, artifact seriation with absolute dating allowed the clarification of their temporal organization, resulting in the creation of a fairly accurate Western Iberian Upper Paleolithic key-sequence (Heleno 1956, Marks et al 1994; Bicho 1996, 2000, 2001, 2004; Zilhão 1997; Gameiro and Almeida 2001; Zilhão and Almeida 2002; Almeida et al 2002; Almeida et al 2004: Almeida et al 2008; Aubry 2009; Cascalheira 2010)
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