Testing the impact of environmental change on hunter‐gatherer settlement organization during the Upper Paleolithic in western Iberia

ABSTRACT

Recent cross‐disciplinary research in the Iberian Peninsula has revealed a synchronous pattern between rapid climate change and widespread cultural modifications during the Late Paleolithic. The beginning and development of each traditionally defined techno‐complex is thought to be associated with different environmental conditions. A main contrast is put on the impact of cold and arid conditions at the onset of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and its coincidence with the development of blade/flake‐size projectiles and bifacial technologies, against the dominance of bladelet‐size backed points across more temperate and forested environments. Based on the long‐recognized assumption that lithic technology operates within the broader context of Pleistocene human ecodynamics, here we test the hypothesis that climate‐related lithic techno‐typological changes across the Upper Paleolithic are linked to modifications in land‐use patterns and settlement organization. We present statistical analysis comparing the Shannon–Weaver diversity index for retouched stone tool assemblages (used as proxy for site function) and locational parameters of a series of contexts from Central Portugal. The results show a trend of continuity and change between periods, with some of the most important deviations starting at the onset of the LGM, with the Heinrich Event 2 associated with patterns of technological diversification and biocultural expansion.