Can the study of Middle Palaeolithic Lithic assemblages of Cardina- Salto do Boi site (Côa Valley) help to understand site formation processes?

A shift in the preferred type of quartz used by Neanderthals between 51-39 ka and 80-51 ka has been identified at the Cardina-Salto do Boi site in Portugal, offering new insights into Middle Palaeolithic dwelling dynamics. This discovery was made through a detailed analysis of lithic assemblages from two test areas, N/O-15/17 and Z/A’-6/8, which were compared with findings from a previously studied area, H’/I’-17/19. The study involved raw material and technological analysis, revealing five distinct groups that suggest the most recent phase of Neanderthal occupation may be present at the base of the stratigraphic sequences in the newly analyzed areas.

Ramos, P., & Aubry, T. J. (2024). Can the study of Middle Palaeolithic Lithic assemblages of Cardina- Salto do Boi site (Côa Valley) help to understand site formation processes? https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/s3jd2