The Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition occupations from Cova Foradada (Calafell, NE Iberia)

The Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition in Europe covers the last millennia of Neanderthal life together with the appearance and expansion of Modern Human populations. Culturally, it is defined by the Late Middle Paleolithic succession, and by Early Upper Paleolithic complexes like the Châtelperr...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Morales Hidalgo, Juan Ignacio, Cebrià, Artur, Burguet Coca, Aitor, Fernández Marchena, Juan Luis, García Argudo, Gala, Rodríguez Hidalgo, Antonio, Soto, María, Talamo, Sahra, Tejero Cáceres, José Miguel, Vallverdú Poch, Josep, Fullola Pericot, Josep M. (Josep Maria), 1953-
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2019
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:2445/133517
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/133517
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Paleolític
Home de Neandertal
Estratigrafia
Calafell (Catalunya)
Paleolithic period
Neanderthals
Stratigraphic geology
Calafell (Catalonia)
Descripción
Sumario:The Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition in Europe covers the last millennia of Neanderthal life together with the appearance and expansion of Modern Human populations. Culturally, it is defined by the Late Middle Paleolithic succession, and by Early Upper Paleolithic complexes like the Châtelperronian (southwestern Europe), the Protoaurignacian, and the Early Aurignacian. Up to now, the southern boundary for the transition has been established as being situated between France and Iberia, in the Cantabrian façade and Pyrenees. According to this, the central and southern territories of Iberia are claimed to have been the refuge of the last Neanderthals for some additional millennia after they were replaced by anatomically Modern Humans on the rest of the continent. In this paper, we present the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition sequence from Cova Foradada (Tarragona), a cave on the Catalan Mediterranean coastline. Archaeological research has documented a stratigraphic sequence containing a succession of very short-term occupations pertaining to the Châtelperronian, Early Aurignacian, and Gravettian. Cova Foradada therefore represents the southernmost Châtelperronian-Early Aurignacian sequence ever documented in Europe, significantly enlarging the territorial distribution of both cultures and providing an important geographical and chronological reference for understanding Neanderthal disappearance and the complete expansion of anatomically Modern Humans.