RT Journal Article
T1 A step back to move forward: a geological re-evaluation of the El Castillo Cave Middle Palaeolithic lithostratigraphic units (Cantabria, northern Iberia)
A1 Martín Perea, David Manuel
A1 Maíllo Fernández, José Manuel
A1 Marín, Juan
A1 Arroyo Rey, Xabier
A1 Asiaín Román, Raquel
AB El Castillo Cave is one of the most important sites for understanding the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic in Europe. Despite its importance, the absence of a widely used stratigraphic section with detailed lithostratigraphic descriptions and correlations between the different geological and archaeological interpretations has led to confusion in the correct identification of lithostratigraphic units in the lowermost, Middle Palaeolithic sequence. This study establishes a new lithostratigraphic framework for the site, which can be accurately correlated to previous geological and archaeological studies and generates a solid working basis for framing the Mousterian of El Castillo Cave in the Cantabrian region and southwestern Europe. The geological re-evaluation of Unit XX (‘Mousterian Alpha’) has expanded its chronology, now ranging from 49 130–43 260 cal bp to 70 400 ± 9600 bp. Unit XXII (‘Mousterian Bet’) would consequently yield an age older than 70 400 ± 9600 bp and younger than the underlying speleothem (Unit XXIIIb), dated to 89 000 +11 000/-10 000 bp.
PB Wiley
SN 0267-8179
YR 2022
FD 2022-08-28
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/71973
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/71973
LA eng
NO Gobierno de Cantabria
NO Puente Viesgo City Council
DS Docta Complutense
RD 4 abr 2025