An analysis of over 3,000 lithic tools from the Cova Gran de Santa Linya site (Lleida, Spain) reveals that anatomically modern human communities during the Upper Paleolithic exclusively used flint and adapted their selection and management of raw materials in response to technological, climatic, and mobility changes over 25,000 years.
Study Scope and Methodology
The study, published in Quaternary International, analyzed lithic cores and retouched tools from 19 archaeological levels dated between approximately 13,500 and 39,000 years ago. Researchers used an archaeopetrological approach to identify the sedimentary origin of flint artifacts and propose potential catchment areas.
Two Main Flint Groups Identified
Two main flint groups were identified: evaporitic varieties (from saline environments, widespread in the pre-Pyrenees) and lacustrine varieties (from ancient lakes, present in the Ebro Basin, of high quality).
A Major Shift After the Last Glacial Maximum
After the last glacial maximum (~25,000 years ago), there was a shift toward predominant use of lacustrine flint, coinciding with a change to manufacturing smaller tools (scrapers, truncates, projectiles).
Flint of marine origin, from areas over 100 km away (including northern Pyrenees and possibly southwest France), was found, especially during coldest phases.
Interpretations of Mobility and Exchange
The presence of long-distance flint, primarily as retouched tools, suggests it was introduced to the site as part of toolkits carried by mobile populations or through sustained contact networks.
The co-authors (Jorge Martínez Moreno, UB; Javier Sánchez, IPHES and CEPAP-UAB) note that the findings indicate flint supply and management strategies changed according to technological, social, and cultural choices.
Institutional Collaboration
The study involved IPHES, ICArEHB, UB, CENIEH, and UAB.