Towards a revised stratigraphy for the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic boundary at La Güelga (Narciandi, Asturias, Spain)soil micromorphology and new radiocarbon data

  1. M. Kehl 1
  2. Álvarez Alonso, David
  3. M. de Andrés-Herrero 1
  4. P. Carral González 2
  5. E. García 3
  6. J. F. Jordá Pardo 3
  7. M. Menéndez 3
  8. J. M. Quesada 3
  9. J. Rethemeyer 1
  10. J. Rojo 3
  11. Y. Tafelmaier 1
  12. Gerd-Christian Weniger 1
  1. 1 University of Cologne
    info

    University of Cologne

    Colonia, Alemania

    ROR https://ror.org/00rcxh774

  2. 2 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
    info

    Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

    Madrid, España

    ROR https://ror.org/01cby8j38

  3. 3 Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia
    info

    Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia

    Madrid, España

    ROR https://ror.org/02msb5n36

Show affiliations +
Journal:
Boletín geológico y minero

ISSN: 0366-0176

Year of publication: 2018

Volume: 129

Issue: 1-2

Pages: 183-206

Type: Article

DOI: 10.21701/BOLGEOMIN.129.1.008 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openOpen access editor

More publications in: Boletín geológico y minero

Abstract

The archaeological sequence of the Palaeolithic site of La Güelga apparently shows an interstratification of Aurignacian between the Mousterian and Châtelperronian layers, a sequence which disagrees with the stratigraphic model for the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in SW-Europe. We analyzed the witness section of the interior sector in archaeological zone D using micromorphology and collected new radiocarbon dates for the Aurignacian and presumably Châtelperronian levels in order to provide detailed sediment descriptions of the site and scrutinize the presumed interstratification. Thin sections from Mousterian levels 8 and 9 show microstratification, signs of trampling and preferential sub-horizontal orientation of elongated particles. These features are less strongly developed in the Aurignacian deposit of levels 5 and 6 and are lacking in the presumably Châtelperronian ones of levels 1 and 2. The deposits of the latter show other features of reworked slope deposits such as a randomized distribution of limestone clasts. Radiocarbon dating on bone samples from level 2 places this layer to between ~41.5 and 45 ka cal BP, hence older than Aurignacian level 5, dated to between ~35.5 and 41.5 ka cal BP. Comparative dating of bones with and without ultrafiltration pretreatment conducted in two different laboratories yielded results in excellent agreement. Overall, the micromorphological observations and new radiocarbon ages strongly suggest that the few finds of presumably Châtelperronian affinity and sediments of levels 1 and 2 were transported by slope processes into the shelter.

€ View funding

Funding information

Financial support of project C1 of the Collaborative Research Centre 806 “Our Way to Europe” funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) is gratefully acknowledged.

Funders

Data source: Dialnet