New perspectives on the neolithization at Cueva de Nerja (Málaga-Spain): the pottery from the Vestíbulo Hall

Abstract

This paper presents a collection of ceramic fragments recovered from the Vestíbulo Hall of Nerja Cave. The special features and the radiocarbon dating obtained on a sheep bone suggest the early arrival of groups of Neolithic settlers, whose material culture is hardly comparable to other assemblages of similar chronology. Thus, an alternative Neolithization process via North Africa is considered. Part of this ceramic assemblage has significant affinities with the ones documented for the Andalusian Culture of Caves, so it seems reasonable to link Neolithic groups like this one with the historical process leading to the development of this culture.

Keywords

• cueva de nerja
• neolitización
• cerámica
• cronología radiocarbónica