Middle Paleolithic mobility patterns and settlement system variability in the Eastern Cantabrian Region (Iberian Peninsula): a GIS-Based resource patching model

Abstract

In this chapter we discuss if the behaviour variability of Neanderthal societies is the result of a simple adaptive response to environment transformations or if it reflects changes in the social structure of these societies. We focus on the Mousterian record of the rich and variable western Pyrenees region. We propose a hypothetical reconstruction of past environments and landscapes, as well as the distribution and availability of specific resources. With this reconstruction we can model the potential resource availability in stadial and interstadial conditions and compare it with the actual resource consumption in the different archaeological levels under consideration. The results of this comparison show that the variability in hunting strategies and tool provisioning strategies are not strictly related with the resource availability in the immediate territory. We interpret this as a result of a planned, conscious and socially driven selection. Our analysis provides new perspectives in explaining Neanderthal behaviour variability.