Acheulean quartzite procurement strategies at el Sotillo – Ciudad Real (Spain)

Abstract

El Sotillo (Malagón, Ciudad Real) is an open-air site in the upper Guadiana basin. It locates in the central-southwestern area of the Iberian Peninsula within the Palaeozoic synclinorium of El Robledo-Porzuna-Malagón, a large Variscan structure forming an extended depression in the NW-SE direction. Sotillo was excavated between 2017-2019 and is the first dated Early and Middle Palaeolithic stratigraphic sequence in a region known for the abundant Palaeolithic superficial findings. Here we present the lithic raw material results from levels 4 and 5, studied under the project CEN154P20, co-financed by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) and Junta de Castilla y León. Level 4 contains Acheulean industry (currently under study). The level 5 Acheulean industry was recently published and is the highest concentration of industry recorded in the Iberian Peninsula in fluvial gravel bars, dated by OSL of 303 ± 25 ka and 258 ± 17 ka. Quartzite represents 99,9% of the exploited raw materials. It is also the most abundant material in the region and seems to be a form of expedient exploitation without many degrees of predetermination or source selection. However, not all quartzites are the same. It is possible to distinguish different grain sizes, degrees of metamorphization, and levels of alteration affected by post-depositional processes and influenced by the spacing between quartz grains and other physical characteristics of the material. Altogether, these aspects influence how the material behaves during knapping and use. We analyzed the variability of quartzite present in the landscape surrounding El Sotillo and compared it with the proportions present in the archaeological assemblage. In this way, we try to see if it is possible to determine some form of selection and transport of local material. We look to discuss the importance of analyzing local raw materials to understand human interaction with local resources.