The end of Solutrean in Cantabrian East region through the Arlanpe Cave occupations (Lemoa, Biscay)

Abstract

Arlanpe Cave site, situated in a strategic halfway between the Cantabrian coast and the Alavese Plateau, yielded a Solutrean level (level II) dated at the end of this period, between 21047 and 19909 cal BP. The lithic industry displays some unique characteristics, among which the most striking are the use of poor quality local raw materials (silicified mudstone), the transport of flint from distant locations situated at the North (Flysch) and South (Treviño) of the site, the abundance of backed bladelets and the scarcity of typical Solutrean points. The bone industry is poor, having recovered both domestic and hunting tools. The ornaments are scarce and no standardized. The faunal assemblage is mainly composed by rocky environment animals as Capra pyrenaica or Rupicapra pyrenaica whose bones have been heavily processed. The characteristics of the occupation suggest that Arlanpe served as a complex hunting camp where not only tasks related with hunting but also some domestic activities were carried out. The results of the archaeological analysis of Arlanpe level II allows us to assess the nature of the processes of change that happened to human groups at the end of Solutrean and propose explanatory hypothesis for it.

Keywords

• paleolítico
• transición
• dataciones
• industria lítica
• alto de caza
• análisis territorial