The last Acheulean at El Sotillo complex site (Ciudad Real, Spain). Features, parallels and age

Abstract

The site of El Sotillo has several distinct stratigraphic levels containing Acheulean and Mousterian lithic tools, dated to the final third of the Middle Pleistocene and the later phases of the Upper Pleistocene. It is uncommon to find open-air sites, that preserve such intensive and recurrent human occupations in stratigraphic position over an extended time range, which underscores the complex nature of the site. Excavations carried out between 2017 and 2019 have enabled the integration of El Sotillo into the broader geological and geomorphological context of the area. They have also made it possible to establish the stratigraphic sequence, document its archaeological complexity, and obtain numerical dates that define its chronology. This paper presents the analysis of the most recent Acheulean assemblage, located in Level 4 of the site's Northern Sector. We compare its techno-typological features with those of the assemblage from Level 5 of the Southern Sector, previously published, highlighting both parallels and divergences. Finally, we discuss the overall structure of the site in the context of the Acheulean techno-complex at the regional and peninsular level.