Woody macroremains from the Acheulian site of Torralba: Occurrence and palaeoecology of Pinus cf. sylvestris in the Middle Pleistocene of the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

The pieces of wood extracted by the Marquis of Cerralbo at the Acheulian site of Torralba constitute one of the few materials from this famous locality that have not been subjected to detailed study by researchers. Over a century after their extraction, the present paper provides the first anatomical results of these 34 woody remains. The results highlight the presence of the taxon Pinus sylvestris–nigra group (Pinus cf. sylvestris) at the site, thus constituting one of the few and oldest references attributable to the aforementioned taxon for the Iberian Peninsula. The anatomical diagnosis confirms the existence of Middle Pleistocene landscapes with pine woods at elevations at least 200 m lower than at present in the site area. From a taphonomic point of view, the wood samples exhibit the typical morphologies of woody macroremains preserved in continental sedimentary environments, and there was no evidence at all that they had previously been manipulated by man.