RT Journal Article
T1 Landscape and subsistence in NW Iberia during the Middle Palaeolithic (MIS3): Faunal analysis of Cova Eirós (Triacastela, Galicia, Spain)
A1 Bal García, Hugo
A1 Rey Rodríguez, Iván
A1 Lombera Hermida, Arturo
A1 Díaz Rodríguez, Mikel
A1 Fernández Rodríguez, Carlos
A1 Rodríguez Álvarez, Xosé Pedro
A1 Fábregas Valcarce, Ramón
K1 Mousterian
K1 Paleoecology
K1 Northwestern Iberian Peninsula
K1 Neanderthals
K1 Zooarchaeology
K1 Upper Pleistocene
AB Cova Eirós is a key reference site for understanding the life of the late Neanderthal groups in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, offering an extensive Mousterian sequence with level 3 standing out due to its late chronology (c. 41 ka cal BP). Its significant zooarchaeological record is a valuable source of information when attempting to reconstruct the environment in which these late Neanderthals lived. In this study, we propose a comprehensive analysis of the macrofaunal and small vertebrates record from the aforementioned level 3 to expand our knowledge of its faunal spectrum and how it was exploited by the various agents that occupied the cave. We also conducted a paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental study employing the Bioclimatic Model and Habitat Weighting methods to reconstruct the conditions in which Neanderthal hunter-gatherers lived. The study has identified 31 taxa (NISP = 3746), with a particular emphasis on the exploitation of Cervus elaphus and Ursus spelaeus, as well as evidence of carnivores contributing smaller ungulates. The environmental reconstruction reflects a colder and slightly less humid climate, dominated by forests interspersed with open spaces. These data serve as an example of the tendency of Mousterian groups to occupy refuge areas along the Cantabrian Mountains, demonstrating that Neanderthal presence in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula during the final phase of the Mousterian took place under favourable climatic conditions.
PB Elsevier
SN 2352-409X
YR 2025
FD 2025-06
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10347/43035
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10347/43035
LA eng
NO Bal-García, H., Rey Rodríguez, I., Lombera Hermida, A. de, Díaz Rodríguez, M., Fernández Rodríguez, C., Rodríguez Álvarez, X. P. and Fábregas Valcárce, R. (2025). Landscape and subsistence in NW Iberia during the Middle Palaeolithic (MIS3): Faunal analysis of Cova Eirós (Triacastela, Galicia, Spain). Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 64, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105149
NO HBG is supported by the grant Ayudas para contratos predoctorales para la formación de doctores (PRE-2020-095452) funded by MCIN/ AEI/https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 and “FSE invierte en tu futuro”. IRR is supported by the Axudas de apoio á etapa de formación posdoutoral grant (ED481B-2023-040), from the Consellería de Cultura, Educación, Formacion Profesional e Universidades, Xunta de Galicia. The archaeological research at Cova Eirós has been funded by Ministry of Science (PID2019-107480GB-I00 and PID2022-142337NB-I00), Xunta de Galicia (2015–2024). This paper contributes to the projects 2021-SGR-01238 (Gov. of Catalonia, AGAUR) and 2023PFR-URV-01238 (URV) and PID2021-12533NB-I00 (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion, Gobierno de España – MCINN/AEI/https://doi.org/10.13039/5011 00011033/FEDER.
DS Minerva
RD 28 abr 2026