<p>The Acheulean of the Iberian Peninsula and southern France share some of the technological characteristics that define the African Acheulean, such as the configuration of handaxes, cleavers and picks, mainly using flakes as supports. The existence of large flake Acheulean lithic assemblages in the middle terraces of all the fluvial valleys of the Atlantic watershed of the Iberian Peninsula allows dating the early expansion of this technocomplex <i>c.</i> MIS 13–11. This paper presents the first techno-morphological and typological analysis of the lithic series of the Transfesa site. The purpose of this study is to confirm the description of the collection and its morphological characteristics to the Acheulean. Flint is the predominant raw material, whereas the presence of quartzite is anecdotic. Most pieces are associated to the production phase (flakes and cores). Among the cores, poorly manufactured, occasional and bifacial schemes stand out, followed by organised peripheral monopolar, centripetal and discoid schemes. The high amount of large flakes (&gt; 10&#xa0;cm) is also outstanding, as this is a characteristic element of the Large Flake Acheulean. As for retouched tools, scraper and retouched flake morphotypes are frequent and in similar percentages. There is a significant amount of <i>façonnage</i> products, especially handaxes, followed by trihedrals and cleavers, among which the main supports are large flakes, the main purpose in the elaboration of the first two types being the configuration of pointed elements. Transfesa is one of the rare lithic series that allows characterising the use of large flint flakes as support for large cutting tools. From a chronological point of view, the expansion of the Acheulean into the Iberian Peninsula can be dated sometime in the Middle Pleistocene (MIS 11–9). The study of this technocomplex contributes to the knowledge of its dispersion throughout southwestern Europe and deepens the debate on the connection with the Acheulean of African roots.&#xa0;</p>

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European Large Flake Acheulean on Flint: The Transfesa Site in the Manzanares Valley (Madrid, Spain)

  • Juan Antonio Martos,
  • Susana Rubio-Jara,
  • Alfredo Pérez-González,
  • Joaquin Panera

摘要

The Acheulean of the Iberian Peninsula and southern France share some of the technological characteristics that define the African Acheulean, such as the configuration of handaxes, cleavers and picks, mainly using flakes as supports. The existence of large flake Acheulean lithic assemblages in the middle terraces of all the fluvial valleys of the Atlantic watershed of the Iberian Peninsula allows dating the early expansion of this technocomplex c. MIS 13–11. This paper presents the first techno-morphological and typological analysis of the lithic series of the Transfesa site. The purpose of this study is to confirm the description of the collection and its morphological characteristics to the Acheulean. Flint is the predominant raw material, whereas the presence of quartzite is anecdotic. Most pieces are associated to the production phase (flakes and cores). Among the cores, poorly manufactured, occasional and bifacial schemes stand out, followed by organised peripheral monopolar, centripetal and discoid schemes. The high amount of large flakes (> 10 cm) is also outstanding, as this is a characteristic element of the Large Flake Acheulean. As for retouched tools, scraper and retouched flake morphotypes are frequent and in similar percentages. There is a significant amount of façonnage products, especially handaxes, followed by trihedrals and cleavers, among which the main supports are large flakes, the main purpose in the elaboration of the first two types being the configuration of pointed elements. Transfesa is one of the rare lithic series that allows characterising the use of large flint flakes as support for large cutting tools. From a chronological point of view, the expansion of the Acheulean into the Iberian Peninsula can be dated sometime in the Middle Pleistocene (MIS 11–9). The study of this technocomplex contributes to the knowledge of its dispersion throughout southwestern Europe and deepens the debate on the connection with the Acheulean of African roots.