First modern human settlement recorded in the Iberian hinterland occurred during Heinrich Stadial 2 within harsh environmental conditions
Alcaraz Castaño, Manuel (University of Alcalá. Prehistory Area)
Alcolea‑González, J. J. (University of Alcalá. Prehistory Area)
Andrés‑Herrero, M. de (University of Alcalá. Prehistory Area)
Castillo‑Jiménez, S. (University of Alcalá. Prehistory Area)
Cuartero Monteagudo, Felipe (Atapuerca Foundation)
Cuenca‑Bescós, G. (University of Zaragoza. Department of Geosciences)
Kehl, Martin (University of Cologne. Institute of Geography)
López‑Sáez, J. A. (CSIC. Environmental Archeology Research Group)
Luque, Luis (Universidad de Alcalá)
Pérez‑Díaz, S. (University of Cantabria. Department of Geography, Urban and Regional Planning)
Piqué, R. (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Prehistòria)
Ruiz‑Alonso, M. (CSIC. Environmental Archeology Research Group)
Weniger, G. ‑C. (Neanderthal Museum (Alemanya))
Yravedra, José (Complutense University of Madrid. Department of Prehistory)

Date:	2021
Abstract:	As the south-westernmost region of Europe, the Iberian Peninsula stands as a key area for understanding the process of modern human dispersal into Eurasia. However, the precise timing, ecological setting and cultural context of this process remains controversial concerning its spatiotemporal distribution within the different regions of the peninsula. While traditional models assumed that the whole Iberian hinterland was avoided by modern humans due to ecological factors until the retreat of the Last Glacial Maximum, recent research has demonstrated that huntergatherers entered the Iberian interior at least during Solutrean times. We provide a multi-proxy geoarchaeological, chronometric and paleoecological study on human-environment interactions based on the key site of Peña Capón (Guadalajara, Spain). Results show (1) that this site hosts the oldest modern human presence recorded to date in central Iberia, associated to pre-Solutrean cultural traditions around 26,000 years ago, and (2) that this presence occurred during Heinrich Stadial 2 within harsh environmental conditions. These findings demonstrate that this area of the Iberian hinterland was recurrently occupied regardless of climate and environmental variability, thus challenging the widely accepted hypothesis that ecological risk hampered the human settlement of the Iberian interior highlands since the first arrival of modern humans to Southwest Europe.
Grants:	Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación HAR2017-82483-C3-3-P European Research Council 805478
Note:	Altres ajuts: The sedimentological, micromorphological and part of the radiocarbon analyses were funded by subproject C1 of the CRC 806 "Our way to Europe" (DFG, German Research Foundation) and the Marie Curie Intra European Fellowship project 'Hiatus LPleis Iberia' (FP7-2013-IEF-628179). We gratefully acknowledge contributions made by the wide excavation and laboratory team. Fieldworks at Peña Capón were authorized by the Dirección General de Cultura de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (Spain) (Exp. 14.0955-P4 and Exp.: 19.248) with permission from the Confederación Hidrográfica del Tajo.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Published in:	Scientific reports, Vol. 11 (2021) , ISSN 2045-2322

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94408-w
PMID: 34312431

24 p, 9.8 MB

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