Neanderthal footprints in the "Matalascañas trampled surface" (SW Spain): new OSL dating and Mousterian lithic industry
In the Huelva Coast of SW Spain erosion by recent marine storms revealed the presence of a paleosol where an extensive tracksite known as “Matalascañas Trampled Surface” (MTS) has been documented. The MTS includes tracks and trackways of large species of mammals, along with bird trace fossils, inver...
| Autores: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Tipo de documento: | artigo |
| Estado: | Versión aceptada para publicación |
| Data de publicação: | 2023 |
| País: | España |
| Recursos: | Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya) |
| Repositório: | Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:recercat.cat:2445/219270 |
| Acesso em linha: | https://hdl.handle.net/2445/219270 |
| Access Level: | Acceso aberto |
| Palavra-chave: | Icnologia Home de Neandertal Paleolític inferior Utensilis de pedra Empremtes fòssils Paleoantropologia Península Ibèrica Ichnology Neanderthals Lower Paleolithic period Stone implements Trace fossils Paleoanthropology Iberian Peninsula |
| Resumo: | In the Huelva Coast of SW Spain erosion by recent marine storms revealed the presence of a paleosol where an extensive tracksite known as “Matalascañas Trampled Surface” (MTS) has been documented. The MTS includes tracks and trackways of large species of mammals, along with bird trace fossils, invertebrate burrows and root traces. Within this record, the presence of several hominin footprints and trackways stands out. Despite previous uncertainties about the producer of these footprints, new OSL age of 151 ± 11 ka secures their attribution to Neanderthals, the only hominins known to have been present in the Iberian Peninsula during the MIS6-5 transition. Moreover, typical Mousterian lithic industry with Levallois knapping was found associated with the ichnological record. This lithic industry is characterized by the selection of raw materials from outcrops in a short-distance range to the tracksite. The general characteristics of the lithics are derived both from the nature of the raw material and from the nature of the site itself, which cannot be seen as a settlement, but rather as a place of passage for fauna, including Neanderthals, where a few human individuals performed short-term activities, such as food procurement and/or meat processing. |
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