Moinhos and Mina do Paço; Middle Palaeolithic lithic chipping stations in the Sado Basin, Alentejo, Portugal. (original) (raw)

2011, O Arqueologo Português. Série V, 26

This paper describes the assemblages from three Middle Paleolithic lithic extraction and preliminary reduction sites in the Sado River Basin, Alentejo, Portugal. The sites were discovered as part of the Sado River Drainage Survey (SRDS), the goal of which was to document the Palaeolithic occupation in the region and assess prehistoric land-use patterns over time. The three sites in question (Moinhos 1, Moinhos 2, and Mina do Paço) are located on gentle slopes near jasper outcrops, in relatively elevated positions and exhibit low to moderate artifact densities, despite which assemblage sizes are relatively large. The distribution of lithics appears restricted to the plow zone. The three assemblages are very similar in terms of typological and technological attributes, with a dominance of discoid and centripetally prepared Levallois cores, and only moderate amounts of platform faceting on both cores and flakes. The few typological differences between the sites are primarily attributable to the varying quality of the locally available lithic raw material (jasper). Cores and waste products are common, but end-products are rare, with most probably being exported to task or habitation sites by the knappers. Although retouched tools are scarce at both locations, Levallois flakes are more common at Mina do Paço. The regional context revealed by the SRDS suggests low population density and possibly even intermittent use of the Sado river Basin by Middle Paleolithic hominins.