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Close to sunlight or deep underground? New data to reconstruct site formation processes at the Middle Paleolithic Escoural cave (southern Portugal)

2025-11Journal article Open access
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dc.contributor.authorAlzate-Casallas, Guillermo Alfonso
dc.contributor.authorGomes, Ana
dc.contributor.authorFerar, Nolan
dc.contributor.authorTalamo, Sahra
dc.contributor.authorTassoni, Laura
dc.contributor.authorCascalheira, João
dc.contributor.authorBarbieri, Alvise
dc.date.accessioned2025-09-13T12:57:09Z
dc.date.available2025-09-13T12:57:09Z
dc.date.issued2025-11
dc.description.abstractThe ability to exploit the deeper levels of cave systems is regarded as complex human behavior. Evidence that Neanderthals possessed this skill remains limited. The site of Escoural, in southern Portugal, is worldwide renowned for the Upper Paleolithic rock art that was performed in the lowermost level of the cave. The site also preserved Middle Paleolithic sequences in a deep chamber (P1) as well as in an area that today lies outside of the cave (P2). Due to the lack of geoarchaeological analyses, it is currently impossible to clarify whether these materials reflect systematic Neanderthal visits to these site areas. In this study we integrated geoarchaeological data and radiocarbon dating to (i) reconstruct site formation processes, and (ii) explore the interaction between Neanderthals and carnivores at Escoural. Micromorphological, stratigraphic, and geochronological results demonstrate that colluviation moved sediments and archaeological finds from upper cave chambers into P1. This process likely mixed separate and distinct assemblages, possibly leading to co-occurring high concentrations of carnivore coprolites and lithic artifacts. In contrast, P2 preserves in situ Neanderthal occupations alternating with carnivore visits. Neanderthal foragers used this area when it was a large chamber located close to the original cave entrance, which was subsequently lost due to roof collapses and likely impacted by modern quarrying activities. These findings align with broader Eurasian patterns indicating that Neanderthals primarily used well-lit karstic cavities rather than deep, enclosed spaces. Moreover, this study underscores that post-depositional processes may have profound impacts on our interpretation of Neanderthal and carnivore cave use.eng
dc.description.sponsorshipDL57/2016/CP1361/CT0026; 2002.08622.CEECIND; CEECINST/00146/2018; CP1493/CT0002
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109550
dc.identifier.issn0277-3791
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/27693
dc.language.isoeng
dc.peerreviewedyes
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.relationDL57/2016/CP1361/CT0026
dc.relation.ispartofQuaternary Science Reviews
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectMicromorphology
dc.subjectSite formation
dc.subjectMiddle paleolithic
dc.subjectSouthern Portugal
dc.subjectCarnivores
dc.subjectRadiocarbon
dc.subjectGeochemistry
dc.subjectCave
dc.subjectNeanderthals
dc.titleClose to sunlight or deep underground? New data to reconstruct site formation processes at the Middle Paleolithic Escoural cave (southern Portugal)eng
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.startPage109550
oaire.citation.titleQuaternary Science Reviews
oaire.citation.volume368
oaire.versionhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
person.familyNameAlzate-Casallas
person.familyNameGomes
person.familyNameFerar
person.familyNameCascalheira
person.familyNameBarbieri
person.givenNameGuillermo Alfonso
person.givenNameAna
person.givenNameNolan
person.givenNameJoão
person.givenNameAlvise
person.identifier.ciencia-id331B-BA33-96A6
person.identifier.ciencia-idFD10-4F70-0FF0
person.identifier.ciencia-id2C14-231D-A989
person.identifier.orcid0000-0003-2569-7943
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-9793-4816
person.identifier.orcid0009-0006-8548-6231
person.identifier.orcid0000-0003-0321-8892
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-4246-7691
person.identifier.ridC-3969-2015
person.identifier.ridB-8343-2014
person.identifier.scopus-author-id56346514200
person.identifier.scopus-author-id55069924600
relation.isAuthorOfPublication5a6920cc-dadb-4143-a027-6f02ff07ddb5
relation.isAuthorOfPublicationb817de07-1b4e-4fec-a119-387bb392d88f
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relation.isAuthorOfPublication280ba5be-60f4-4f4b-9710-641223b009fc
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery5a6920cc-dadb-4143-a027-6f02ff07ddb5

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