New Palaeolithic sites from the Depresión de Monforte de Lemos (Lugo, Galicia, Spain)

Este artículo presenta el descubrimiento de nuevos yacimientos paleolíticos en la Depresión de Monforte de Lemos (Noroeste de la Península Ibérica). Esta zona fue rellenada con depósitos cuaternarios que han proporcionado más de 30 yacimientos al aire libre. Como consecuencia del descubrimiento casual de artefactos paleolíticos, se ha desarrollado un proyecto de intervención arqueológica sistemática, que ha demostrado el potencial de esta área. Muchos de los artefactos líticos han sido hallados en superficie, pero además contamos con dos yacimientos que tienen materiales en contexto estratigráfico (O Regueiral y Áspera). En la Depresión de Monforte hemos atestiguado poblamiento humano a lo largo del Pleistoceno medio y superior, con implementos líticos clasificados como Modo 2, Modo 3 y Modo 4. Los yacimientos más importantes son As Lamas, Chao de Fabeiro (ambos con industria lítica de Modo 2, que incluye bifaces y hendedores), O Regueiral (Modo 3) y Valverde (Modo 4). Por consiguiente, la Depresión de Monforte reúne las condiciones apropiadas para el desarrollo de un estudio diacrónico sobre la evolución del comportamiento técnico durante el Paleolítico, y su relación con la evolución del medioambiente a lo largo del PleistocenoThis paper reports the discovery of new Paleolithic sites in the Depresión de Monforte de Lemos (Monforte Basin, NW of the Iberian Peninsula). This zone was filled with Quaternary deposits that have yielded 30 open air sites. Due to the casual discovery of Paleolithic artifacts a systematic archaeological work was carried out, assessing the archaeological potential of this area. Most of these lithic artifacts were found on surface, but also we have located two sites with archaeological materials in stratigraphic context (O Regueiral and Áspera). In the basin of Monforte we have recognized a human settlement along the Middle and Upper Pleistocene, with lithic implements classified as Mode 2, Mode 3 and Mode 4. The most important sites are As Lamas, Chao de Fabeiro (both with Mode 2 lithic industry, that includes handaxes and cleavers), O Regueiral (Mode 3), and Valverde (Mode 4). Thus the Monforte Basin has the adequate conditions to accomplish a diachronic study on the evolution of the strategies of technical behavior during the Paleolithic, and its relation with the evolution of Pleistocene environmentEste trabajo se enmarca en el proyecto de investigación “Ocupaciones humanas durante el Pleistoceno de la Cuenca media del Miño” financiado por el Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia y fondos FEDER de la UE (HUM2007-63662/HIST)S

A western route of prehistoric human migration from Africa into the Iberian Peninsula

Being at the western fringe of Europe, Iberia had a peculiar prehistory and a complex pattern of Neolithization. A few studies, all based on modern populations, reported the presence of DNA of likely African origin in this region, generally concluding it was the result of recent gene flow, probably during the Islamic period. Here, we provide evidence of much older gene flow from Africa to Iberia by sequencing whole genomes from four human remains from northern Portugal and southern Spain dated around 4000 years BP (from the Middle Neolithic to the Bronze Age). We found one of them to carry an unequivocal sub-Saharan mitogenome of most probably West or West-Central African origin, to our knowledge never reported before in prehistoric remains outside Africa. Our analyses of ancient nuclear genomes show small but significant levels of sub-Saharan African affinity in several ancient Iberian samples, which indicates that what we detected was not an occasional individual phenomenon, but an admixture event recognizable at the population level. We interpret this result as evidence of an early migration process from Africa into the Iberian Peninsula through a western route, possibly across the Strait of Gibraltar

Ocupacións prehistóricas e históricas nas cavidades das serras orientais galegas: Cova de Eirós (Triacastela) e Valdavara (Becerreá)

The karstic cavities of NW Iberia allow an optimal preservation of the archaeological record which helps resolving those problems identified in the open-air sites. In this sense, the recovery of faunal remains, bone industry, hearths, etc. in the caves at the Eastern Ranges of NW Iberia give us much information about the cultural and social spheres of the Prehistoric societies. Several radiocarbon dates obtained in these archaeological contexts allow us to know the the changes in the use of the caves along Prehistoric and Historic times in NWIberia.As cavidades cársticas do NW peninsular ofrecen unhas condicións de preservación do rexistro arqueolóxico que solventan as deficiencias documentadas nos xacementos ó aire libre. Neste senso, a descuberta de novos materiais como restos faunísticos, industria ósea, fogares, etc. nas cavidades das Serras Orientais están a completar moitas esferas do estudio das sociedades prehistóricas. As numerosas datacións obtidas nestes contextos permiten coñecer a evolución no uso destes hábitats ó longo da Prehistoriae Historia Antiga do NW peninsular

Emergence et diversification des stratégies au Paléolithique moyen ancien (350 000 à 120 000 ans) dans la vallée du Rhône (France) : les sites d’Orgnac 3 et Payre

National audienc

Emergence et diversification des stratégies au Paléolithique moyen ancien (350 000 à 120 000 ans) dans la vallée du Rhône (France) : les sites d’Orgnac 3 et Payre

National audienc

Level TE9c of Sima del Elefante (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain): A comprehensive approach

Level TE9c of the Sima del Elefante site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain) is one of the oldest sites with evidence of human occupation in western Europe. We began excavating level TE9c in 2003, and the work there continues today. The studies of the archaeology, palaeontology and geology from this locality have provided an indispensable dataset with which to capture a picture in the scenario of the origin of humans in Europe. Based on these data, we raise and discuss several topics, such as the possible origin of the lineage of the first hominins that inhabited western Europe; their capacity to have active hunting or scavenging abilities; whether their subsistence strategies were successful; and what the environment and habitats where these hominin groups settled was like. The aim of this paper is to present the results and discussions obtained from the research team and to establish the primary features of early human occupations in southwestern Europe. Tentatively, we may conclude, based on the events recorded at TE9c, that the first humans were in the Iberian peninsula at around 1.2 Ma they used the caves of the Sierra de Atapuerca as shelters probably during their hunting activities; the cavities were surrounded by Mediterranean forest, rivers and water ponds, and varied habitats as suggested by the rich and diverse assemblage of fossils of vertebrates (fish, amphibians and reptiles, birds, large and small mammals); where humans possibly caught what they found in the surroundings.This research project was supported by MINECO projects (CGL2012-38434-C03-03, CGL2012-38434-C03-02, CGL2012-38434-C03-01, HAR 2012-032548/HIST, HAR2013-41197-P) and AGAUR project (2014SGR-899, 2014-SGR 901).Peer Reviewe

Data from: A Western route of prehistoric human migration from Africa into the Iberian Peninsula

Being at the Western fringe of Europe, Iberia had a peculiar prehistory and a complex pattern of Neolithization. A few studies, all based on modern populations, reported the presence of DNA of likely African origin in this region, generally concluding it was the result of recent gene flow, probably during the Islamic period. Here we provide evidence of much older gene flow from Africa to Iberia by sequencing whole genomes from four human remains from Northern Portugal and Southern Spain dated around 4,000 years BP (from the Middle Neolithic to the Bronze Age). We found one of them to carry an unequivocal Sub-Saharan mitogenome of most likely West or West-Central African origin, never reported before in prehistoric remains outside Africa. Our analyses of ancient nuclear genomes show small but significant levels of Sub-Saharan African affinity in several ancient Iberian samples, which indicates that what we detected was not an occasional individual phenomenon, but an admixture event recognizable at the population level. We interpret this result as evidence of an early migration process from Africa into the Iberian Peninsula through a Western route, possibly across the Strait of Gibraltar