Everything in its place. Neanderthals and occupation models in the Manzanares-Jarama interfluvial platform along the Upper Pleistocene

Abstract

In this work, we present a regional study with which we intend to analyze the possible exploitation models that on different ecosystems, were used the human groups throughout the Upper Pleistocene in the Madrid region. This area is not only characterized by abundant resources of different nature and especially abiotic, but also by its varied ecological contrasts existing between the pre-mountainous areas of the foot of the Central System, the basin areas of the main rivers, the deposits of terraces connected to ramps next to these, and as well by the interfluvial platforms with a clear dominance of the Miocene materials. Each of these places provided differentiated environments, landscapes and resources which, as an adaptive response, generated different exploitation models in each one during the Pleistocene. In addition to ecological reconstruction of the Pleistocene deposits of the region through the study of fauna and flora, it is essential to analyze the relationship between tools and the exploitation models in each area. Based on a detailed analysis of the archaeological records, we intend to interpret the main functionality of each of them within each environmental context, in order to propose a reconstruction of the landscape occupation and exploitation that in this region took place throughout the Middle and Upper Pleistocene.