Middle-Late Pleistocene mountain human occupations in the Karst of Pinilla del Valle (Spanish Central System)

Abstract

The karst system of Calvero de la Higuera (Pinilla del Valle) formed in Late Cretaceous limestones and dolomites at the Upper Lozoya valley pop down located in the Eastern part of the Spanish Central System at the Guadarrama mountain range. The archaeological fieldworks, started in 2002, revealed the presence of a middle elevation mountain (1,100 m asl) fossil multilevel karst modeled by lithological-structural controls and Quaternary local base lowering. At least three levels of subhorizontal caves detected hanging above the current thalweg of the Lozoya River. The whole karst system dismantled as result of bed rock weathering and surface processes, and istotally infilled by Middle-Late Pleistocene alluvial sediments, with debris and colluvium deposits. The systematic fieldwork shown Middle-Late Pleistocene human activity and carnivores inhabitants at the complex karstic system composed by the caves of Buena Pinta, Camino, Des-Cubierta and Navalmaillo rock shelter. Camino and Buena Pinta sites were identified such as carnivores inhabitants where the paleontological record summary includes human remains (Homo neanderthalensis). At the upper level (Des-Cubierta cave) was identified Middle-Late Pleistocene human activity with important paleontological remains. Finally in the Navalmaillo rock shelter recognized like as Neanderthal site with abundance artifact records.