Spatiotemporal patterns on the appearance of the first trapezes industries in the Late Mesolithic of the Iberian Peninsula

A new study reveals that trapeze industries, characterized by distinctive lithic tools, emerged rapidly in the Late Mesolithic of the Iberian Peninsula between 8600-8400 cal BP. The research, based on a comprehensive analysis of lithic assemblages and radiocarbon dates, demonstrates that these technologies spread from the Western Pyrenees along a northeast-southwest gradient, reaching Central Portugal by approximately 8300 cal BP. This rapid diffusion suggests social diffusion within existing Mesolithic socio-spatial structures rather than external Neolithization processes as the primary driving mechanism. The findings challenge traditional techno-typological models and provide insights into the dynamics of technological spread during this period.

Gómez-Puche, M., & de Pablo, J. F. L. (2022). Spatiotemporal patterns on the appearance of the first trapezes industries in the Late Mesolithic of the Iberian Peninsula. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/b9t5r