Did stones speak about people? Flint catchment and Neanderthal behavior from Area 3 (Cañaveral, Madrid-Spain)

Abstract

Middle Paleolithic catchment patterns have been exhaustively studied in the past. However, it is essential to clearly define Neanderthal technical and strategic abilities in relation to raw materials self-provide, from a temporal perspective. Here we present a study of quarrying activities in open air sites occupied during Mousterian period in Madrid (Spain), with different patterns of lithic catchment. At the El Cañaveral archaeological complex, several sites have been identified, in relation with natural flint outcrops. From these we have gained information about flint supplying patterns, both in primary and secondary deposits. In addition, different “operative chains” and diverse systems of ramification and recycling were employed depending on the final objectives. We were able to appreciate additional actions by analyzing the diacritic superposition of knapping series in blanks, cores and supports of different qualities. Changes in categories, dimensions and raw material qualities, allow a first identification of lithic actions throughout time as a proxy of standardized or random human behavior when catchment actions took place.