New magnetostratigraphic and numerical age of the Fuente Nueva-3 site (Guadix-Baza basin, Spain)

Abstract

Sediments of the Plio-Pleistocene Guadix – Baza basin have provided a wealth of information on the first hominin populations in Western Europe. To better constrain the age of the Fuente Nueva-3 archaeological site within the basin, and to complement previous magnetostratigraphic studies, two vertical boreholes were taken that provide a continuous record of the lower part of the sequence. Results indicate that the sequence is dominated by negative inclinations, but some additional intervals with positive inclination are also identified in the lower part of the sequence. A new cosmogenic nuclide burial age of 1.50 ± 0.31 Ma helps constrain the magnetostratigraphic record. The abundance of normal polarity directions at the bottom of a borehole may indicate proximity to the Olduvai Subchron; however, further analyses are required to confirm this hypothesis.