Abstract
The symbolic behavior of human beings usually is manifested in different ways such as fi... more Abstract The symbolic behavior of human beings usually is manifested in different ways such as figurative art, musical traditions, spoken language or complex funerary behavior. The Paleolithic sites of the Swabian Jura contain a rich archaeological record including the oldest evidence of musical instruments and figurative art which indicates complex cognitive abilities of the Paleolithic Homo sapiens that colonized Europe. Nevertheless, there is no evidence for burials in the Swabian caves during the Paleolithic. This raises questions regarding the kind of mortuary practices that existed in this region during the Paleolithic. In this paper, we address these questions from a taphonomic perspective by analyzing the hominin remains recovered in caves of the Swabian Jura. Whatever the funerary behavior was during the Early and Middle Upper Paleolithic, we have no evidence to document these practices. The Magdalenian hominin remains from Brillenhöhle, however, display anthropic modifications that have been hotly debated in the past. Our taphonomic analysis indicates that the assemblage displays traces of butchery similar to those recorded in the faunal remains. In addition to the cut marks, we have documented intentional breakage and human tooth marks, suggesting that the consumption of human corpses took place during the Magdalenian at Brillenhöhle. Similar anthropic modifications have also been documented in Magdalenian horizon at Hohle Fels. This suggests that the cannibalism practices during the Magdalenian were more common than previously expected during the Magdalenian in the Swabian Jura.
Advances in methods of dating Cave Art are allowing us to deepen every time more on the knowledge... more Advances in methods of dating Cave Art are allowing us to deepen every time more on the knowledge and possible authorship of the first graphic manifestations of the Upper Paleolithic. In this article, we want to join the tribute to our friend Vicente Baldellou, we go back to the study of the main panel of paleolithic engravings which we documented in 2012 in the Segoviana cave of La Zarzamora, within the framework of a research project cofinanced by the Board of Castilla y Leon and under the scientific direction of Nohemí Sala, Milagros Algaba and Juan Luis Arsuaga.
Understanding how fossil assemblages were formed and which species modified the bones recovered i... more Understanding how fossil assemblages were formed and which species modified the bones recovered in archaeological sites is no easy task. Nevertheless, during recent decades taphonomists have been working on the study of living carnivores in order to have a framework available for comparing fossil assemblages. In this paper we provide an overview of the results obtained from taphonomic work with living carnivores, the limitations of the results in relation to the variety of procedures implemented, and the application of the results obtained from the fossil record. The experimental conditions, i.e., wild versus captive carnivores, the prey size of the carcasses, etc., in large part determine the validity of the results obtained from taphonomic observations. For this reason we must be cautious when comparing the data with the fossil record. More studies on carnivores, especially on wild species, are necessary for us to increase our knowledge of the role of carnivores in the fossil record.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2015
Current knowledge of the evolution of the postcranial skeleton in the genus Homo is hampered by a... more Current knowledge of the evolution of the postcranial skeleton in the genus Homo is hampered by a geographically and chronologically scattered fossil record. Here we present a complete characterization of the postcranium of the middle Pleistocene paleodeme from the Sima de los Huesos (SH) and its paleobiological implications. The SH hominins show the following: (i) wide bodies, a plesiomorphic character in the genus Homo inherited from their early hominin ancestors; (ii) statures that can be found in modern human middle-latitude populations that first appeared 1.6-1.5 Mya; and (iii) large femoral heads in some individuals, a trait that first appeared during the middle Pleistocene in Africa and Europe. The intrapopulational size variation in SH shows that the level of dimorphism was similar to modern humans (MH), but the SH hominins were less encephalized than Neandertals. SH shares many postcranial anatomical features with Neandertals. Although most of these features appear to be either plesiomorphic retentions or are of uncertain phylogenetic polarity, a few represent Neandertal apomorphies. Nevertheless, the full suite of Neandertal-derived features is not yet present in the SH population. The postcranial evidence is consistent with the hypothesis based on the cranial morphology that the SH hominins are a sister group to the later Neandertals. Comparison of the SH postcranial skeleton to other hominins suggests that the evolution of the postcranium occurred in a mosaic mode, both at a general and at a detailed level.
The period between the end of the Early Pleistocene and the mid-Middle Pleistocene (roughly betwe... more The period between the end of the Early Pleistocene and the mid-Middle Pleistocene (roughly between 1.0 and 0.4 Ma BP) is of great interest in Western Europe. It witnessed several climatic oscillations and changes in the fauna, the demise of a hominin species and the appearance of another, along with important cultural and technological changes. Thus, the few available sites with these chronologies is vital to the understanding of the tempo and mode of these changes. Middle Pleistocene sites in the Northern Iberian Peninsula are very rare. Here we present the study of the site found at the Punta Lucero Quarry (Biscay province, Northern Iberian Peninsula), which includes for the first time the complete collection from the site. The fossil association from this site includes several ungulates, such as a Megacerine deer, Cervus elaphus, large bovids (likely both Bos primigenius and Bison sp. are present), Stephanorhinus sp., and carnivores, such as Homotherium latidens, Panthera gombaszoegensis, Canis mosbachensis and Vulpes sp. This association is typical of a middle Middle Pleistocene chronology and would be the oldest macro-mammal site in the Eastern Cantabrian region. This site would likely correspond to a chronology after Mode 1 technological complex and before the arrival of Mode 2 technology in this region. Thus, it offers a glimpse into the paleoecological conditions slightly prior to or contemporaneous with the first Acheulian makers in the northern fringe of the Iberian Peninsula. The Punta Lucero Quarry site (Zierbena, Bizkaia): a window into the Middle Pleistocene in the Northern Iberian Peninsula. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277478096_The_Punta_Lucero_Quarry_site_%28Zierbena_Bizkaia%29_a_window_into_the_Middle_Pleistocene_in_the_Northern_Iberian_Peninsula [accessed Jun 8, 2015].
The existence of calcanei in the fossil record prior to modern humans and Neandertals is very sca... more The existence of calcanei in the fossil record prior to modern humans and Neandertals is very scarce. This skeletal element is fundamental to understanding the evolution of the morphology of the foot in human evolution. Here we present and metrically and comparatively describe 29 calcaneus remains from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH) (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain). These calcanei belong to 15 individuals (nine adults, two adolescents and four immature individuals). The metric and morphological differences in the calcanei among Middle and Late Pleistocene hominins tend to be subtle. However, the calcanei from SH are broad and robust with large articular surfaces and most significantly, exhibit a very projected sustentaculum tali. A biomechanical and phylogenetic interpretation is proffered to explain the observed morphology of these calcanei. It has been possible to propose tentative sex assignments for the SH calcanei based on size, using methods similar...
Evidence of interpersonal violence has been documented previously in Pleistocene members of the g... more Evidence of interpersonal violence has been documented previously in Pleistocene members of the genus Homo, but only very rarely has this been posited as the possible manner of death. Here we report the earliest evidence of lethal interpersonal violence in the hominin fossil record. Cranium 17 recovered from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site shows two clear perimortem depression fractures on the frontal bone, interpreted as being produced by two episodes of localized blunt force trauma. The type of injuries, their location, the strong similarity of the fractures in shape and size, and the different orientations and implied trajectories of the two fractures suggest they were produced with the same object in face-to-face interpersonal conflict. Given that either of the two traumatic events was likely lethal, the presence of multiple blows implies an intention to kill. This finding shows that the lethal interpersonal violence is an ancient human behavior and has important ...
The period between the end of the Early Pleistocene and the mid-Middle Pleistocene (roughly betwe... more The period between the end of the Early Pleistocene and the mid-Middle Pleistocene (roughly between 1.0 and 0.4 Ma BP) is of great interest in Western Europe. It witnessed several climatic oscillations and changes in the fauna, the demise of a hominin species and the appearance of another, along with important cultural and technological changes. Thus, the few available sites with these chronologies is vital to the understanding of the tempo and mode of these changes. Middle Pleistocene sites in the Northern Iberian Peninsula are very rare. Here we present the study of the site found at the Punta Lucero Quarry (Biscay province, Northern Iberian Peninsula), which includes for the first time the complete collection from the site. The fossil association from this site includes several ungulates, such as a Megacerine deer, Cervus elaphus, large bovids (likely both Bos primigenius and Bison sp. are present), Stephanorhinus sp., and carnivores, such as Homotherium latidens, Panthera gombaszoegensis, Canis mosbachensis and Vulpes sp. This association is typical of a middle Middle Pleistocene chronology and would be the oldest macro-mammal site in the Eastern Cantabrian region. This site would likely correspond to a chronology after Mode 1 technological complex and before the arrival of Mode 2 technology in this region. Thus, it offers a glimpse into the paleoecological conditions slightly prior to or contemporaneous with the first Acheulian makers in the northern fringe of the Iberian Peninsula.
La existencia de representaciones de arte rupestre prehistórico en la meseta castellano-leonesa y... more La existencia de representaciones de arte rupestre prehistórico en la meseta castellano-leonesa y en concreto en la provincia de Segovia es bien conocida tanto en su vertiente paleolítica, (Domingo García, La Griega) como postpaleolítica (Duratón, La Vaquera, Prádena). Las manifestaciones rupestres que se presentan en este artículo suponen una nueva ampliación de este importante núcleo artístico. Estas manifestaciones artísticas han sido documentadas en el marco del proyecto de investigación dirigido por Dª Milagros Algaba y Dª Nohemi Sala, pertenecientes al equipo interdisciplinar del Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII (Universidad Complutense de Madrid e Instituto de Salud Carlos III), en las cuevas de La Zarzamora y El Portalón en el término municipal de Perogordo (Segovia). El proyecto comienza en 2008 y tiene como objetivo la búsqueda, caracterización y contextualización de nuevos hallazgos arqueológicos y paleontológicos, tanto en la Cueva El Portalón como en la Cueva de La Zarzamora. En el marco de este proyecto fueron localizados estos dos nuevos enclaves con arte rupestre, el primero conteniendo un pequeño panel con representaciones pintadas en color rojo de estilo esquemático situado a la entrada de la cueva de El Portalón y el segundo, un par de paneles en el interior de la Cueva de La Zarzamora con una serie de manifestaciones grabadas de carácter simbólico. En ambos casos las excavaciones arqueológicas que se están realizando en estas cavidades permiten plantear una posible contextualización cronológica y cultural para este nuevo conjunto de arte rupestre prehistórico.
Abstract
The symbolic behavior of human beings usually is manifested in different ways such as fi... more Abstract The symbolic behavior of human beings usually is manifested in different ways such as figurative art, musical traditions, spoken language or complex funerary behavior. The Paleolithic sites of the Swabian Jura contain a rich archaeological record including the oldest evidence of musical instruments and figurative art which indicates complex cognitive abilities of the Paleolithic Homo sapiens that colonized Europe. Nevertheless, there is no evidence for burials in the Swabian caves during the Paleolithic. This raises questions regarding the kind of mortuary practices that existed in this region during the Paleolithic. In this paper, we address these questions from a taphonomic perspective by analyzing the hominin remains recovered in caves of the Swabian Jura. Whatever the funerary behavior was during the Early and Middle Upper Paleolithic, we have no evidence to document these practices. The Magdalenian hominin remains from Brillenhöhle, however, display anthropic modifications that have been hotly debated in the past. Our taphonomic analysis indicates that the assemblage displays traces of butchery similar to those recorded in the faunal remains. In addition to the cut marks, we have documented intentional breakage and human tooth marks, suggesting that the consumption of human corpses took place during the Magdalenian at Brillenhöhle. Similar anthropic modifications have also been documented in Magdalenian horizon at Hohle Fels. This suggests that the cannibalism practices during the Magdalenian were more common than previously expected during the Magdalenian in the Swabian Jura.
Advances in methods of dating Cave Art are allowing us to deepen every time more on the knowledge... more Advances in methods of dating Cave Art are allowing us to deepen every time more on the knowledge and possible authorship of the first graphic manifestations of the Upper Paleolithic. In this article, we want to join the tribute to our friend Vicente Baldellou, we go back to the study of the main panel of paleolithic engravings which we documented in 2012 in the Segoviana cave of La Zarzamora, within the framework of a research project cofinanced by the Board of Castilla y Leon and under the scientific direction of Nohemí Sala, Milagros Algaba and Juan Luis Arsuaga.
Understanding how fossil assemblages were formed and which species modified the bones recovered i... more Understanding how fossil assemblages were formed and which species modified the bones recovered in archaeological sites is no easy task. Nevertheless, during recent decades taphonomists have been working on the study of living carnivores in order to have a framework available for comparing fossil assemblages. In this paper we provide an overview of the results obtained from taphonomic work with living carnivores, the limitations of the results in relation to the variety of procedures implemented, and the application of the results obtained from the fossil record. The experimental conditions, i.e., wild versus captive carnivores, the prey size of the carcasses, etc., in large part determine the validity of the results obtained from taphonomic observations. For this reason we must be cautious when comparing the data with the fossil record. More studies on carnivores, especially on wild species, are necessary for us to increase our knowledge of the role of carnivores in the fossil record.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2015
Current knowledge of the evolution of the postcranial skeleton in the genus Homo is hampered by a... more Current knowledge of the evolution of the postcranial skeleton in the genus Homo is hampered by a geographically and chronologically scattered fossil record. Here we present a complete characterization of the postcranium of the middle Pleistocene paleodeme from the Sima de los Huesos (SH) and its paleobiological implications. The SH hominins show the following: (i) wide bodies, a plesiomorphic character in the genus Homo inherited from their early hominin ancestors; (ii) statures that can be found in modern human middle-latitude populations that first appeared 1.6-1.5 Mya; and (iii) large femoral heads in some individuals, a trait that first appeared during the middle Pleistocene in Africa and Europe. The intrapopulational size variation in SH shows that the level of dimorphism was similar to modern humans (MH), but the SH hominins were less encephalized than Neandertals. SH shares many postcranial anatomical features with Neandertals. Although most of these features appear to be either plesiomorphic retentions or are of uncertain phylogenetic polarity, a few represent Neandertal apomorphies. Nevertheless, the full suite of Neandertal-derived features is not yet present in the SH population. The postcranial evidence is consistent with the hypothesis based on the cranial morphology that the SH hominins are a sister group to the later Neandertals. Comparison of the SH postcranial skeleton to other hominins suggests that the evolution of the postcranium occurred in a mosaic mode, both at a general and at a detailed level.
The period between the end of the Early Pleistocene and the mid-Middle Pleistocene (roughly betwe... more The period between the end of the Early Pleistocene and the mid-Middle Pleistocene (roughly between 1.0 and 0.4 Ma BP) is of great interest in Western Europe. It witnessed several climatic oscillations and changes in the fauna, the demise of a hominin species and the appearance of another, along with important cultural and technological changes. Thus, the few available sites with these chronologies is vital to the understanding of the tempo and mode of these changes. Middle Pleistocene sites in the Northern Iberian Peninsula are very rare. Here we present the study of the site found at the Punta Lucero Quarry (Biscay province, Northern Iberian Peninsula), which includes for the first time the complete collection from the site. The fossil association from this site includes several ungulates, such as a Megacerine deer, Cervus elaphus, large bovids (likely both Bos primigenius and Bison sp. are present), Stephanorhinus sp., and carnivores, such as Homotherium latidens, Panthera gombaszoegensis, Canis mosbachensis and Vulpes sp. This association is typical of a middle Middle Pleistocene chronology and would be the oldest macro-mammal site in the Eastern Cantabrian region. This site would likely correspond to a chronology after Mode 1 technological complex and before the arrival of Mode 2 technology in this region. Thus, it offers a glimpse into the paleoecological conditions slightly prior to or contemporaneous with the first Acheulian makers in the northern fringe of the Iberian Peninsula. The Punta Lucero Quarry site (Zierbena, Bizkaia): a window into the Middle Pleistocene in the Northern Iberian Peninsula. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277478096_The_Punta_Lucero_Quarry_site_%28Zierbena_Bizkaia%29_a_window_into_the_Middle_Pleistocene_in_the_Northern_Iberian_Peninsula [accessed Jun 8, 2015].
The existence of calcanei in the fossil record prior to modern humans and Neandertals is very sca... more The existence of calcanei in the fossil record prior to modern humans and Neandertals is very scarce. This skeletal element is fundamental to understanding the evolution of the morphology of the foot in human evolution. Here we present and metrically and comparatively describe 29 calcaneus remains from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH) (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain). These calcanei belong to 15 individuals (nine adults, two adolescents and four immature individuals). The metric and morphological differences in the calcanei among Middle and Late Pleistocene hominins tend to be subtle. However, the calcanei from SH are broad and robust with large articular surfaces and most significantly, exhibit a very projected sustentaculum tali. A biomechanical and phylogenetic interpretation is proffered to explain the observed morphology of these calcanei. It has been possible to propose tentative sex assignments for the SH calcanei based on size, using methods similar...
Evidence of interpersonal violence has been documented previously in Pleistocene members of the g... more Evidence of interpersonal violence has been documented previously in Pleistocene members of the genus Homo, but only very rarely has this been posited as the possible manner of death. Here we report the earliest evidence of lethal interpersonal violence in the hominin fossil record. Cranium 17 recovered from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site shows two clear perimortem depression fractures on the frontal bone, interpreted as being produced by two episodes of localized blunt force trauma. The type of injuries, their location, the strong similarity of the fractures in shape and size, and the different orientations and implied trajectories of the two fractures suggest they were produced with the same object in face-to-face interpersonal conflict. Given that either of the two traumatic events was likely lethal, the presence of multiple blows implies an intention to kill. This finding shows that the lethal interpersonal violence is an ancient human behavior and has important ...
The period between the end of the Early Pleistocene and the mid-Middle Pleistocene (roughly betwe... more The period between the end of the Early Pleistocene and the mid-Middle Pleistocene (roughly between 1.0 and 0.4 Ma BP) is of great interest in Western Europe. It witnessed several climatic oscillations and changes in the fauna, the demise of a hominin species and the appearance of another, along with important cultural and technological changes. Thus, the few available sites with these chronologies is vital to the understanding of the tempo and mode of these changes. Middle Pleistocene sites in the Northern Iberian Peninsula are very rare. Here we present the study of the site found at the Punta Lucero Quarry (Biscay province, Northern Iberian Peninsula), which includes for the first time the complete collection from the site. The fossil association from this site includes several ungulates, such as a Megacerine deer, Cervus elaphus, large bovids (likely both Bos primigenius and Bison sp. are present), Stephanorhinus sp., and carnivores, such as Homotherium latidens, Panthera gombaszoegensis, Canis mosbachensis and Vulpes sp. This association is typical of a middle Middle Pleistocene chronology and would be the oldest macro-mammal site in the Eastern Cantabrian region. This site would likely correspond to a chronology after Mode 1 technological complex and before the arrival of Mode 2 technology in this region. Thus, it offers a glimpse into the paleoecological conditions slightly prior to or contemporaneous with the first Acheulian makers in the northern fringe of the Iberian Peninsula.
La existencia de representaciones de arte rupestre prehistórico en la meseta castellano-leonesa y... more La existencia de representaciones de arte rupestre prehistórico en la meseta castellano-leonesa y en concreto en la provincia de Segovia es bien conocida tanto en su vertiente paleolítica, (Domingo García, La Griega) como postpaleolítica (Duratón, La Vaquera, Prádena). Las manifestaciones rupestres que se presentan en este artículo suponen una nueva ampliación de este importante núcleo artístico. Estas manifestaciones artísticas han sido documentadas en el marco del proyecto de investigación dirigido por Dª Milagros Algaba y Dª Nohemi Sala, pertenecientes al equipo interdisciplinar del Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII (Universidad Complutense de Madrid e Instituto de Salud Carlos III), en las cuevas de La Zarzamora y El Portalón en el término municipal de Perogordo (Segovia). El proyecto comienza en 2008 y tiene como objetivo la búsqueda, caracterización y contextualización de nuevos hallazgos arqueológicos y paleontológicos, tanto en la Cueva El Portalón como en la Cueva de La Zarzamora. En el marco de este proyecto fueron localizados estos dos nuevos enclaves con arte rupestre, el primero conteniendo un pequeño panel con representaciones pintadas en color rojo de estilo esquemático situado a la entrada de la cueva de El Portalón y el segundo, un par de paneles en el interior de la Cueva de La Zarzamora con una serie de manifestaciones grabadas de carácter simbólico. En ambos casos las excavaciones arqueológicas que se están realizando en estas cavidades permiten plantear una posible contextualización cronológica y cultural para este nuevo conjunto de arte rupestre prehistórico.
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The symbolic behavior of human beings usually is manifested in different ways such as figurative art, musical traditions, spoken language or complex funerary behavior. The Paleolithic sites of the Swabian Jura contain a rich archaeological record including the oldest evidence of musical instruments and figurative art which indicates complex cognitive abilities of the Paleolithic Homo sapiens that colonized Europe. Nevertheless, there is no evidence for burials in the Swabian caves during the Paleolithic. This raises questions regarding the kind of mortuary practices that existed in this region during the Paleolithic. In this paper, we address these questions from a taphonomic perspective by analyzing the hominin remains recovered in caves of the Swabian Jura. Whatever the funerary behavior was during the Early and Middle Upper Paleolithic, we have no evidence to document these practices. The Magdalenian hominin remains from Brillenhöhle, however, display anthropic modifications that have been hotly debated in the past. Our taphonomic analysis indicates that the assemblage displays traces of butchery similar to those recorded in the faunal remains. In addition to the cut marks, we have documented intentional breakage and human tooth marks, suggesting that the consumption of human corpses took place during the Magdalenian at Brillenhöhle. Similar anthropic modifications have also been documented in Magdalenian horizon at Hohle Fels. This suggests that the cannibalism practices during the Magdalenian were more common than previously expected during the Magdalenian in the Swabian Jura.
The Punta Lucero Quarry site (Zierbena, Bizkaia): a window into the Middle Pleistocene in the Northern Iberian Peninsula. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277478096_The_Punta_Lucero_Quarry_site_%28Zierbena_Bizkaia%29_a_window_into_the_Middle_Pleistocene_in_the_Northern_Iberian_Peninsula [accessed Jun 8, 2015].
pertenecientes al equipo interdisciplinar del Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII (Universidad Complutense de Madrid e Instituto de Salud Carlos III), en las cuevas de La Zarzamora y El Portalón en el término municipal de Perogordo (Segovia). El proyecto comienza en 2008 y tiene como objetivo la búsqueda, caracterización y contextualización de nuevos hallazgos arqueológicos y paleontológicos, tanto en la Cueva El Portalón como en la Cueva de La Zarzamora. En el marco de este proyecto fueron localizados estos dos nuevos enclaves con arte rupestre, el primero conteniendo un pequeño panel con representaciones pintadas en color rojo de estilo esquemático situado a la entrada de la cueva de El Portalón y el segundo, un par de paneles en el interior de la Cueva de La Zarzamora con
una serie de manifestaciones grabadas de carácter simbólico. En ambos casos las excavaciones arqueológicas que se están realizando en estas cavidades permiten plantear una posible contextualización cronológica y cultural para este nuevo conjunto de arte rupestre prehistórico.
The symbolic behavior of human beings usually is manifested in different ways such as figurative art, musical traditions, spoken language or complex funerary behavior. The Paleolithic sites of the Swabian Jura contain a rich archaeological record including the oldest evidence of musical instruments and figurative art which indicates complex cognitive abilities of the Paleolithic Homo sapiens that colonized Europe. Nevertheless, there is no evidence for burials in the Swabian caves during the Paleolithic. This raises questions regarding the kind of mortuary practices that existed in this region during the Paleolithic. In this paper, we address these questions from a taphonomic perspective by analyzing the hominin remains recovered in caves of the Swabian Jura. Whatever the funerary behavior was during the Early and Middle Upper Paleolithic, we have no evidence to document these practices. The Magdalenian hominin remains from Brillenhöhle, however, display anthropic modifications that have been hotly debated in the past. Our taphonomic analysis indicates that the assemblage displays traces of butchery similar to those recorded in the faunal remains. In addition to the cut marks, we have documented intentional breakage and human tooth marks, suggesting that the consumption of human corpses took place during the Magdalenian at Brillenhöhle. Similar anthropic modifications have also been documented in Magdalenian horizon at Hohle Fels. This suggests that the cannibalism practices during the Magdalenian were more common than previously expected during the Magdalenian in the Swabian Jura.
The Punta Lucero Quarry site (Zierbena, Bizkaia): a window into the Middle Pleistocene in the Northern Iberian Peninsula. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277478096_The_Punta_Lucero_Quarry_site_%28Zierbena_Bizkaia%29_a_window_into_the_Middle_Pleistocene_in_the_Northern_Iberian_Peninsula [accessed Jun 8, 2015].
pertenecientes al equipo interdisciplinar del Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII (Universidad Complutense de Madrid e Instituto de Salud Carlos III), en las cuevas de La Zarzamora y El Portalón en el término municipal de Perogordo (Segovia). El proyecto comienza en 2008 y tiene como objetivo la búsqueda, caracterización y contextualización de nuevos hallazgos arqueológicos y paleontológicos, tanto en la Cueva El Portalón como en la Cueva de La Zarzamora. En el marco de este proyecto fueron localizados estos dos nuevos enclaves con arte rupestre, el primero conteniendo un pequeño panel con representaciones pintadas en color rojo de estilo esquemático situado a la entrada de la cueva de El Portalón y el segundo, un par de paneles en el interior de la Cueva de La Zarzamora con
una serie de manifestaciones grabadas de carácter simbólico. En ambos casos las excavaciones arqueológicas que se están realizando en estas cavidades permiten plantear una posible contextualización cronológica y cultural para este nuevo conjunto de arte rupestre prehistórico.