On the southern border. Hort de Cortés·Volcán del Faro (Valencia, Spain): paleogeography, paleoclimatology, chronology, and human activity at a paleolithic site (35 – 19 cal kBP)

Abstract

The Iberian Mediterranean Region has been considered a refuge during the stadial episodes of the Late Pleistocene, in comparison with more northern regions. Bioclimatic conditions and the ways in which humans coped with the identified fluctuations have been analyzed based on organic records, mainly plant and animal remains obtained from archaeological sites located in inland valleys. At the same time, the study of the effects of sea level rise on the paleogeography of the continental margin has revealed uneven flooding between regions, depending on their morphology and geology. These dynamics have been linked to changes in the production systems of the lithic and osseous industries, in subsistence and mobility, comparing their trends with other regions. The study of the Paleolithic site of Cova de Hort de Cortés-Volcán del Faro (HC-VF), in the Gulf of Valencia, has quantified the flooding of the extensive alluvial plain by sea level rise. The review of a significant sample of archaeological materials obtained in previous excavations has enabled the identification of a long sequence of human occupations dating from approximately 35 to 19 cal kBP. For the first time, data on the entire deposit have been obtained from the study of plant (charcoal) and animal remains (mammals, birds, fish, and mollusks), radiocarbon dating, and lithic and osseous production systems. The results provide relevant information on paleogeographic changes and the increase in arid conditions at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum. Both processes could have affected the distribution of humans, favoring concentration in areas with higher biodiversity. This allows us to propose a hypothesis about the differences observed in the record of the central area of Mediterranean Iberia compared to the southern region.