Neanderthal Resilience in Two Hotspot Zones of Iberia (Cantabrian and Betic Regions)

Table of Contents:
List of Figures List of Tables Abstract 1. Introduction 1.1. Introduction 1.2. Structure of the Book 2. Theoretical Framework 2.1. Background on Neanderthal behaviour 2.2. Distribution of Neanderthal fossil evidence in Iberia 2.3. The Mousterian variability debate 2.4. Iberia paleaoenvironmental framework during Upper Pleistocene 2.5. The geographic and geological framework of the Iberian Peninsula 3. Objectives 3.1. Hypothesis to be tested 3.2. Research questions 3.2.1. Regarding Neanderthal technical behaviour 3.2.2. Regarding Neanderthal subsistence practices 3.2.3. Regarding Neanderthal bioclimatic occupation patterns 4. Research Design and Methodology 4.1. Selection of chronological period, regions, sites and assemblages to study 4.1.1. Chronological period 4.1.2. Selecting specific regions 4.1.3. Selecting specific sites and assemblages 4.2. Data collection methods 4.2.1. Lithic assemblages 4.2.2. References database 4.2.3. Middle Palaeolithic sites fauna database 4.2.4. Bioclimatic and archaeological sites database 4.3. Methods of data analysis 4.3.1. Technological analysis of the lithic record 5. Neanderthal Technological Behaviour 5.1. Introduction 5.2. Analyses of Mousterian lithic asssemblages from Cantabrian region 5.2.1. Axlor Cave 5.2.2. Esquilleu Cave 5.2.3. Morin Cave 5.2.4. El Castillo Cave 5.3. Analyses of Mousterian lithic asssemblages from the Betic region 5.3.1. Abrigo 3 (Yacimientos Arqueológicos De La Araña, Málaga) 5.3.2. Carihuela Cave 5.3.3. Zafarraya Cave 5.3.4. Gorham'S Cave 5.4. Comparison between lithic assemblages from Betic and Cantabrian regions 5.4.1. Raw Material 5.4.2. Technical categories from cores, flakes and retouched tools 5.5. Summary 6. Neanderthal Subsistence 6.1. Introduction 6.2. Large Game 6.2.1. Faunal assemblages from Cantabrian region 6.2.2. Faunal assemblages from Betic region 6.2.3. Biogeographical faunal analysis 6.3. Cannibalism 6.4. Small Game 6.4.1. Rabbits 6.4.2. Tortoise 6.4.3. Marine resource exploitation 6.4.4. Fish 6.4.5. Avifauna 6.5. Plants 6.6. Summary 7. Bioclimatic Occupation Patterns 7.1. Introduction 7.2. Principles of Bioclimatic maps 7.3. Archaeological sites dataset 7.3.1. Mousterian sites 7.3.2. Châtelperronian sites 7.3.3. Aurignacian sites 7.3.4. Gravettian sites 7.3.5. Solutrean sites 7.4. Archaeological sites scattered within the bioclimatic belt 7.4.1. Thermotype 7.4.2. Ombrotype 7.5. Summary 8. Conclusions 8.1. General Conclusions 8.1.1. Introduction 8.1.2. Technological behaviour 8.1.3. Subsistence practices 8.1.4. Bioclimatic occupation patterns 8.2. Future avenues of research 8.3. Final Conclusions References

About the Author :
Marco Antonio Bernal Gómez has a PhD in archaeology from the University of Oxford, and a master's in quaternary archaeology and human evolution from the University Rovira i Virgili (Tarragona, Spain) and the Institute of Human Palaeontology (Paris, France). He has conducted archaeological research in several of Iberia's Palaeolithic cave sites since 2005. He currently directs PALEOMÁGINA (Prehistoric Research Center of Sierra Mágina, Bedmar, Jaén).

Review :
'This book is truly original. It is the first to compare two different regions of Iberia, and it does so with in-depth analysis and detail.' Dr José-Manuel Maíllo-Fernández, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED) 'The integration of different data and sources provides an exciting opportunity to analyse neanderthal technological behaviour in the Iberian peninsula from a completely new perspective.' Professor Javier Baena Preysler, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid