Characterizing the Sedimentary History of Cave Deposits, Using Archaeomagnetism and Rock Magnetism, Atapuerca (Northern Spain)

A combination of rock magnetism and magnetic polarity analysis reveals that cave deposits at the Atapuerca archaeological site exhibit a primary, depositional sedimentary fabric. The study found that autochthonous deposits show a higher degree of anisotropy compared to allochthonous deposits, suggesting a more dynamic hydrodynamic regime in the former. Furthermore, magnetic lineation (Kmax) defines clusters antipodal to palaeocurrent direction at two localities, enabling the retrieval of palaeoflow directions even in deposits lacking other sedimentary structures. These findings highlight the potential of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) as a powerful tool for understanding the hydrodynamic character of depositional environments in cave sediments, contributing to the reconstruction of karst evolution and human-environment interaction.

PARÉS, J. M., PÉREZ‐GONZÁLEZ, A., ARSUAGA, J. L., BERMÚDEZ DE CASTRO, J. M., CARBONELL, E., & ORTEGA, A. I. (2010). CHARACTERIZING THE SEDIMENTARY HISTORY OF CAVE DEPOSITS, USING ARCHAEOMAGNETISM AND ROCK MAGNETISM, ATAPUERCA (NORTHERN SPAIN). Archaeometry, 52(5), 882–898. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4754.2010.00533.x