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RESEARCH ARTICLE
The intrusive nature of the Cha
ˆtelperronian in
the Iberian Peninsula
Joseba Rios-GaraizarID
1,2
*, Eneko Iriarte
3
, Lee J. Arnold
4
, Laura Sa
´nchez-Romero
5
, Ana
B. Marı
´n-Arroyo
6,7
, Aixa San Emeterio
2
, Asier Go
´mez-Olivencia
8,9,10
, Carflos Pe
´rez-
Garrido
11
, Martina DemuroID
4
, Isidoro Campaña
12
, Laurence Bourguignon
13
,
Alfonso Benito-Calvo
2
, Marı
´a J. Iriarte
14,15
, Arantza Aranburu
8
, Amaia Arranz-Otaegi
16,17
,
Diego Garate
18
, Marı
´a Silva-GagoID
2
, Christelle Lahaye
19
, Illuminada Ortega
20†
1Arkeologi Museoa, Bilbao, Spain, 2Centro Nacional de Investigacio
´n sobre la Evolucio
´n Humana
(CENIEH), Burgos, Spain, 3Laboratorio de Evolucio
´n Humana, Dpto. Historia, Geografı
´a y Comunicacio
´n,
Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain, 4School of Physical Sciences, Environment Institute, and Institute for
Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 5Human Evolution
Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America, 6Grupo de I+D+i
EVOADAPTA (Evolucio
´n Humana y Adaptaciones Econo
´micas y Ecolo
´gicas durante la Prehistoria), Dpto.
Ciencias Histo
´ricas, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain, 7Department of Archaeology, University of
Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 8Dept. Geologı
´a, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnologı
´a, Universidad
del Paı
´s Vasco-Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain, 9Centro UCM-ISCIII de
Investigacio
´n Sobre Evolucio
´n y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain, 10 Sociedad de Ciencias
Aranzadi, Donostia-San Sebastia
´n, Spain, 11 Departamento de Mineralogı
´a y Petrologı
´a, Facultad de
Ciencias Geolo
´gicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain, 12 Departamento de Ecologı
´a y
Geologı
´a, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Ma
´laga, Ma
´laga, Spain, 13 Inrap/AnTet Arscan UMR7041,
Lotissement Actipolis Impasse sur rue Dionysos, Villeneuve-les-Be
´ziers France, 14 Geography, Prehistory
and Archaeology Department, University of the Basque Country Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, 15 Basque
Foundation for Science (IKERBASQUE), Bilbao, Spain, 16 Mu
´seum National d’Histoire Naturelle, UMR
7209, Arche
´ozoologie, Arche
´obotanique: Societe
´s, Pratiques et Environments (AASPE), Paris, France,
17 Dept. of Cross Cultural and Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark,
18 Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehisto
´ricas de Cantabria (IIIPC, Gobierno de Cantabria,
Universidad de Cantabria, Santander), Santander, Spain, 19 Professeure–Ge
´ochronologie, Universite
´
Bordeaux Montaigne, IRAMAT-CRP2A UMR 5060, Pessac, France, 20 Institut National de Recherches
Archeologiques Preventives (INRAP), Paris, France
† Deceased.
*jorios76@gmail.com
Abstract
Multiple factors have been proposed to explain the disappearance of Neandertals between
ca. 50 and 40 kyr BP. Central to these discussions has been the identification of new
techno-cultural complexes that overlap with the period of Neandertal demise in Europe. One
such complex is the Cha
ˆtelperronian, which extends from the Paris Basin to the Northern
Iberian Peninsula between 43,760–39,220 BP. In this study we present the first open-air
Cha
ˆtelperronian site in the Northern Iberian Peninsula, Aranbaltza II. The technological fea-
tures of its stone tool assemblage show no links with previous Middle Paleolithic technology
in the region, and chronological modeling reveals a gap between the latest Middle Paleo-
lithic and the Cha
ˆtelperronian in this area. We interpret this as evidence of local Neandertal
extinction and replacement by other Neandertal groups coming from southern France, illus-
trating how local extinction episodes could have played a role in the process of disappear-
ance of Neandertals.
PLOS ONE
PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265219 March 30, 2022 1 / 18
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OPEN ACCESS
Citation: Rios-Garaizar J, Iriarte E, Arnold LJ,
Sa
´nchez-Romero L, Marı
´n-Arroyo AB, San
Emeterio A, et al. (2022) The intrusive nature of the
Cha
ˆtelperronian in the Iberian Peninsula. PLoS
ONE 17(3): e0265219. https://doi.org/10.1371/
journal.pone.0265219
Editor: Michael D. Petraglia, Max Planck Institute
for the Science of Human History, GERMANY
Received: October 5, 2021
Accepted: February 25, 2022
Published: March 30, 2022
Copyright: ©2022 Rios-Garaizar et al. This is an
open access article distributed under the terms of
the Creative Commons Attribution License, which
permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original
author and source are credited.
Data Availability Statement: All relevant data are
within the paper and its Supporting Information
files.
Funding: Research at Aranbaltza site has been
funded by Diputacio
´n Foral de Bizkaia (2013-2020),
Gobierno Vasco-Eusko Jaurlaritza (2014-2015),
Harpea Kultur Elkartea (2013-2017), Edestiaurre
Arkeologi Elkartea (2018). OSL dating research
conducted by M.D. and L.J.A. was partly supported
by Australian Research Council Future Fellowship
grant FT200100816. AGO was supported by
1. Introduction
The disappearance of Neandertal populations remains a complex, ongoing debate, with multi-
ple factors purported to have affected survivorship between ca. 50 and 40 kyr BP, including
endogenous causes, climate change and the arrival of Homo sapiens in Eastern Europe [1–5].
In the midst of this extinction process, several new techno-cultural complexes appeared in
Europe, some of them introduced by Homo sapiens, while others were developed by Neander-
tal populations. One of these complexes is the Cha
ˆtelperronian, which is found from the Paris
Basin to the Northern Iberian Peninsula. The origins of the Cha
ˆtelperronian remain widely
debated. Some argue that it originated in Western Europe as an evolution of Middle Paleolithic
technology [6,7], possibly under the influence of the growing population of Homo sapiens in
Eastern and Central Europe [5,8,9], while others continue to doubt the links between the
Cha
ˆtelperronian and Neandertals, and thus propose that this technocomplex could have been
made by Homo sapiens populations [10,11]. However, recent technical developments have sig-
nificantly advanced these discussions by presenting paleoproteomic evidence for Neandertal
authorship of the Cha
ˆtelperronian at Arcy-sur-Cure [12]. The fact that the only human
remains directly dated within the Cha
ˆtelperronian age range in Western Europe have Nean-
dertal affinities [13–15] further strengthens this link. In this study we present a new and signif-
icant Cha
ˆtelperronian site, Aranbaltza II, located in the southernmost area of distribution for
this complex. A detailed technological analysis of the lithic assemblage shows that there is no
technological link with previous Middle Paleolithic technology in the Northern Iberian Penin-
sula. This, coupled with evidence of a chronological gap between the latest Middle Paleolithic
(MP) and the Cha
ˆtelperronian (CP) locally [16], suggests that Neandertal groups with MP
technology had abandoned the region before the Neandertal groups with CP technology, likely
coming from Aquitaine, crossed the Pyrenees and expanded through the Cantabrian Region.
This illustrates how episodes of local extinction and population replacement could have played
a role in the process of Neandertal disappearance.
2. Results
2.1 The site of Aranbaltza II
The site of Aranbaltza (Northern Iberian Peninsula) is located in the Basque coastal region, in
a short valley close to the current coastline (800 m NW) (Figs 1and 2). During Marine Isotope
Stage (MIS) 3, sea level was 60–70 m lower than today, with the coastline ca. 4 km further off-
shore according to recently obtained bathymetric surveys [17]. The site is located in an old
sand quarry complex (Ollagorta-Aranbaltza) that exploited Pleistocene fluvial sand deposits
overlaying Upper Cretaceous bedrock (marine marls and limestone alternating with interca-
lated volcanic layers) (Section SI-3 in S1 File). It was discovered in 1957 by A. Aguirre, and in
1959 J.M. Barandiaran opened several test pits, finding a sandy level (C) containing Cha
ˆtelper-
ronian material [18] (Section SI-1 in S1 File). In 2012 a large Cha
ˆtelperronian collection from
the Aranbaltza II disturbed sediments was studied [19] (Section SI-5 in S1 File). The latest
excavation project, which started in 2013, has since revealed a complex of archaeological sites
(Aranbaltza I, II and III) with occupations ranging from Middle Paleolithic to recent prehis-
toric times (Fig 2) [20]. Between 2013 and 2016, the Aranbaltza II site was excavated in three
different areas (ca. 18 m
2
) (Area 1, 2 and 3) (Section SI-2 in S1 File) (Fig 3). All necessary per-
mits were obtained for the excavation and study of materials. The archaeological collection of
Aranbaltza II US4b is currently held at the Archaeologi Museoa in Bilbao (Basque Country,
Spain).
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Ramo
´n y Cajal fellowship (RYC-2017-22558). The
funders had no role in study design, data collection
and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of
the manuscript.
Competing interests: The authors have declared
that no competing interests exist.
2.2 Stratigraphy
The 2 m sedimentary sequence excavated at Aranbaltza II contains a succession of aggrada-
tional, erosive and paleosoil formation events. The Cha
ˆtelperronian occupation is included in
a sedimentary unit (US4) formed from three different sand accumulation intervals (US4a, b
and c subunits) related to enhanced flood activity in the nearby river channel (Fig 4). The
sands from US4b have an intense orange hue and mineralized bioturbations typical of Fe and
Al illuviation in podzols.
2.3 Chronology
Single-grain optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating undertaken on Unit 4c indicates
that a series of aggradation events and paleosol development phases took place between late
marine isotope stage (MIS) 5 and early MIS 3 (78.1 ±5.8 ka to 58.2 ±4.6 ka; Section SI-9 in S1
File) prior to the Cha
ˆtelperronian occupation of Aranbaltza II. Several OSL ages obtained for
US4b and US4c provide bracketing (indirect) age constraint for the US4b layer, with sample
AAM13-10 providing the closest and most secure estimate for the timing of the Cha
ˆtelperro-
nian occupation 43.5 ±2.9 ka (1σ) (Section SI-9 in S1 File).
2.4 Lithic assemblage
The archaeological assemblage is composed exclusively of lithic artifacts, which are found in a
minimally disturbed accumulation (Section SI-4 in S1 File). We have analyzed a well-preserved
Fig 1. Distribution map of the so-called transitional technocomplexes. CP: Cha
ˆtelperronian; LRJ: Lincombian-
Ranisian-Jerzmanowician; ULU: Uluzzian. Base cartographic data obtained from the European Environment Agency
(free of use, downloadable at https://www.eea.europa.eu/ds_resolveuid/070F2DAD-1AED-4B9B-950F-
0047E5ADDF35. Rivers and bathimetry obtained from Natural Earth (free for use). DEM built up with QGIS 2.18.
Infographics made with Inkscape.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265219.g001
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assemblage of 5686 lithic remains, including all the lithic remains bigger than 1 mm (Fig 5),
primarily made from local flint (Flysch flint), but also small quantities made from non-local
flint, including the Salies-de-Be
´arn flint variety (SW France, >150 km away) (Section SI-6 and
S25 Fig in S1 File). Other materials appear in very low proportions, including 30 small lumps
of ochre (S34 Fig in S1 File). A large part of the assemblage (60.4%) is composed of natural
blocks, chunks, thermal flakes and chips under 10 mm size, reflecting intensive block testing,
core flaking and tool production. The cortical flakes and blades generated in the initial stages
of core configuration are particularly abundant (S5 Table in S1 File). Cores appear in relatively
Fig 2. Aranbaltza location maps. A) Digital Elevation Model showing the position of Aranbaltza site; B) Excavation
plan, with the area of the excavated Cha
ˆtelperronian deposits in red. Base cartographic data obtained from National
Geographic Institute of Spain (IGN) under the Creative Commons License CC-BY 4.0. DEM built up with ArcGis
10.3. Infographics made with Inkscape.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265219.g002
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low numbers, which is similar to other open-air Cha
ˆtelperronian sites (Grigoletto et al., 2008).
Most of the cores have been exploited to produce bladelets (n = 10) and blades (n = 7), but
there are also some non-standardized “expedient” flake cores (n = 4) and some core rough-
outs (n = 6), tested blocks (n = 3) and exhausted cores (n = 1). Among the blade cores, 4 are
typical [21–24] bidirectional ones with two, opposed flaking surfaces that are not strictly paral-
lel (bipolaire de
´cale
´), which were used for the production of pointed asymmetrical blades (Fig
5: 29; S26 Fig in S1 File: 1). The unidirectional cores have typical [25,26] quadrangular cross-
Fig 3. Excavation map and sections. A) Detailed map of the excavated Cha
ˆtelperronian deposits with the position of
the sedimentological cores and the coordinated archaeological remains; B) North and east section of Area 3 excavation
with the projected position of the archaeological materials and the positions of the pollen samples and the dated OSL
samples.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265219.g003
Fig 4. Stratigraphic section between Area 1 and 3 (section C) and synthetic stratigraphic section with the position
of the dated OSL samples Stratigraphy. A detail photograph of the sequence in corner C/D is presented in S6 Fig in
S1 File.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265219.g004
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sections for the production of asymmetrical blades (S26 Fig in S1 File: 2). All the bladelet cores
are unidirectional: five of them are nucleiform burins (Fig 5: 23; S28 Fig in S1 File: a; S29 Fig
in S1 File: 1–2), and the other five have been made on blocks (S28 Fig in S1 File: b, c; S29 Fig in
S1 File: 3, 4 and 6). These cores have produced narrow (ca. 4 mm) bladelets and are similar to
the bladelet production described in Quinc¸ay (Fig 2: 24–28; S28 Fig in S1 File: 1–19) [26].
Blanks are dominated by narrow (6.4–13.5 mm width) and wide (>13.6 mm) blades and
Fig 5. Cha
ˆtelperronian lithic assemblage. Aranbaltza II, US4b (Cha
ˆtelperronian) archaeological materials. 1)
Complete thin Cha
ˆtelperronian point; 2–4) Proximal fragments of thin Cha
ˆtelperronian points; 5) Thick
Cha
ˆtelperronian point, with the point made in the proximal part; 6) Distal fragment of wide Cha
ˆtelperronian point;
7–10) Distal fragments of Cha
ˆtelperronian points: #9 exhibits axial diagnostic impact fracture; 11–13) proximal
fragments of backed blades, possible Cha
ˆtelperronian points; 14) Distal fragment of backed blade; 15,16,20) Fragments
of marginally backed blades; 17–19) Distal fragments of marginally backed points; 21–22) Marginally backed points;
23) Nucleiform burin; 24–28) Backed bladelets; 29) Bidirectional blade core for the production of pointed blades; 30–
31) Unidirectional crested blades; 32) Endscraper on natural fragment; 33) Endscraper on blade; 34–35) Blades; 36)
Overshot blade dragging an opposed platform; 37) Platform rejuvenation flake. Figure made by Aixa San Emeterio and
Joseba Rios-Garaizar.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265219.g005
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The intrusive nature of the Cha
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bladelets (<6.4 mm width) (S30 Fig and S6 Table in S1 File). Bladelets show great morphologi-
cal variability, which is also reflected in the variability in terms of productivity and morphol-
ogy of bladelet cores. Flakes are abundant: they have been mostly obtained from unidirectional
elongated flake cores, from non-standardized “expedient” flake cores, or as part of blade core
preparation and maintenance. Typical Levallois, Discoid or Quina flakes are all absent from
the assemblage.
There are 117 retouched tools, all but one made on Flysch flint (S7 Table in S1 File).
Among them, we found typical marginally backed blades (n = 26) [22,24,25,27] including
total, partial, pointed and inversely retouched blades (Fig 2: 15–20; Fig 6: 14–21); typical Cha
ˆ-
telperronian points (n = 10) (Fig 5: 1–10; Fig 6: 1–7, 10–12), some of them broken during the
fabrication process [28]; blade fragments with curved backs (n = 8) which are very likely proxi-
mal fragments of Cha
ˆtelperronian points (Fig 5: 11–13; Fig 6: 8–9); and typical wide endscra-
pers (n = 2) (Fig 5: 32). Among the retouched bladelets, as identified at other Cha
ˆtelperronian
sites like Quinc¸ay [26], there is a single typical Dufour (Fig 6: 24), five backed, five marginally
backed, two partially retouched and one truncated bladelet (Fig 5: 24–28; Fig 6: 22–27). Other
tools such as retouched blades, burins, borers, truncations, notches, denticulates, sidescrapers,
splintered pieces, marginally backed flakes and retouched flakes represent almost half of the
retouched toolkit at the site (Fig 5: 33; S32 Fig in S1 File), but these are not very standardized
and probably represent opportunistic and non-specific tool making and use at the site.
3. Discussion
The technological and typological features of the Aranbaltza II US4b archaeological assem-
blage show direct parallels to other Cha
ˆtelperronian open-air [22–24,29] and cave/rock-shel-
ter sites [23,25,30,31]. Although knapping was the main activity at the site, other tasks were
probably also performed alongside this, as happens at other Cha
ˆtelperronian open-air sites
[24,29,32]. The units below US4b are archaeologically sterile, precluding any possible admix-
ture of the Cha
ˆtelperronian assemblage with Middle Paleolithic materials, which are otherwise
very abundant at Aranbaltza I and III [20,33]. Moreover, the lithic assemblage from Ara-
nbaltza II US4b does not preserve any technological traits that would link it with the local or
regional Middle Paleolithic. In particular, typical Middle Paleolithic tools (denticulates or side-
scrapers on flakes) are rare, and the flakes at Aranbaltza II were obtained as a by-product of
blade core configuration and maintenance, or as the result of non-systematic and rather
opportunistic flake production. No typical Middle Paleolithic Levallois, Discoid or Quina
products have been identified at Aranbaltza II US4b. Furthermore, blank production at Ara-
nbaltza II is basically oriented towards the production of blades and bladelets, following the
same production schemas seen at classic sites such as Roc de Combe, La Co
ˆte and Quinc¸ay
[21,26], Morin level 10 [34], and also evidenced in assemblages such as Labeko Koba [27],
Ekain [35], and Cova Foradada [36]. Blade and bladelet production in the regional Middle
Paleolithic are very rare, and never formed part of the structural productions for the Mouste-
rian Neandertals [37–40]. Additionally, there are no MTA-B assemblages in the Cantabrian
Region [41], while and backed tools associated with Mousterian assemblages, like the Abri
Audi knifes, are very rare in the Northern Iberian Peninsula [33,42,43].
Elsewhere in the Northern Iberian Peninsula there are several Cha
ˆtelperronian cave sites
with small lithic assemblages [35] that have no technological links with the previous Late Mid-
dle Paleolithic [41,44], suggesting that the Cha
ˆtelperronian was not derived from previous Ibe-
rian Peninsula Middle Paleolithic tradition as has been suggested for SW France [6]. There is,
however, one exception to this trend, namely level 10 of Cueva Morı
´n, which is characterized
by the use of different raw materials, including flint and coarse-grained quartzite, ophite and
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sandstone, and by the combination of typical Middle Paleolithic (Discoid) and Cha
ˆtelperro-
nian production schemas [34,45]. Cueva Morı
´n level 10 is situated directly between the Late
Middle Paleolithic (level 11) and Protoaurignacian (level 9). This assemblage has been inter-
preted as an admixture of Middle Paleolithic, Cha
ˆtelperronian and Protoaurignacian materials
[46,47], though other explanations have also been invoked, including the adaptation to raw
material availability and techno-functional demands [45]. Whatever be the case, a part of this
Fig 6. Cha
ˆtelperronian retouched tools. Selected retouched tools from US4b. 1) Complete thin Cha
ˆtelperronian
point; 2) Thick Cha
ˆtelperronian point, with the point made in the proximal part; 3) Distal fragment of wide
Cha
ˆtelperronian point; 4–7) Distal fragments of Cha
ˆtelperronian points: #5 exhibits axial diagnostic impact fracture;
8–12) Proximal fragments of backed blades, possible Cha
ˆtelperronian points; 10–12) Proximal fragments of
Cha
ˆtelperronian points; 13) Distal fragment of backed blade; 14–15) Marginally backed points; 16–18) Fragments of
marginally backed blades; 19–21) Distal fragments of marginally backed points; 22–26) Backed bladelets: #24 presents
typical Dufour ventral semi-abrupt retouch. Drawings made by Joseba Rios-Garaizar.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265219.g006
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collection, which is made basically of flint, represents a clear Cha
ˆtelperronian assemblage with
some features that are very similar to the ones observed at Aranbaltza II [34]. Additionally, a
few sites have provided Cha
ˆtelperronian points in Middle Paleolithic contexts, such as Ermi-
tons, Reclau Viver or L’Arbreda [48], or in disturbed or unclear contexts, such as A Valiña, La
Gu¨elga, El Pendo, Cueva Oscura, Santimamiñe, Mugarduia and Abauntz [49–55]. However, in
terms of Cha
ˆtelperronian occupation dynamics, these sites must be considered with caution.
The settlement system during the Cha
ˆtelperronian around the Bay of Biscay is characterized
by (i) a combination of different site types, including open-air encampments situated near
flint outcrops, which are basically oriented to the production of Cha
ˆtelperronian points (like
Aranbaltza II, Le Baste
´and Bidart); (ii) hunting camps with small assemblages and relatively
abundant Cha
ˆtelperronian points (like Labeko Koba, Ekain or Brassempouy); and (iii) less
abundant, encampments in caves like Cueva Morı
´n. The identification of a Cha
ˆtelperronian
occupation at Aranbaltza II that basically functioned as a flint workshop changes the percep-
tion that the Cha
ˆtelperronian presence in the Northern Iberian Peninsula was marginal [35].
The poor development of open-air Paleolithic archaeology in the Cantabrian Region, the geo-
morphological limitations for the preservation of such sites [56] and the fact that the Cha
ˆtel-
perronian probably lasted only a few hundreds of years here, could explain the limited record
and hence the low visibility of the Cha
ˆtelperronian in this region. This settlement pattern has
not been identified in the regional Late Middle Paleolithic: none of the Late Middle Paleolithic
sites in the Northern Iberian Peninsula has been interpreted as hunting camps, and much of
the open-air occupations near flint outcrops seem less focused on the production of specific
lithic tools in comparison to Aranbaltza II, Le Baste
´or Bidart (see Le Prisse or Aranbaltza I
and III as examples) [33,57].
The chronology of Cha
ˆtelperronian occupations in the Northern Iberian Peninsula and the
Western Pyrenees is primarily based on
14
C ages from Labeko Koba IXinf (S12 Table in S1
File), which place this occupation around 43,850–40,950 cal BP [58]. Unfortunately, all efforts
to date Cueva Morı
´n level 10 have been fruitless, and the age obtained from Ekain level Xa,
34,350±550 BP (OxA-34930, 40,700–37,700 cal BP), is relatively young compared with Labeko
Koba and the earliest Aurignacian for the region [16,58,59]. Three 14C ages obtained from
charcoal samples from Cova Foradada level IV are statistically indistinguishable from each
other and indicate a similarly young age range of 41,450–36,900 cal BP (S12 Table in S1 File)
[36]. A significantly younger fourth age of 31,900±200 BP (36,750–35,750 cal BP) has also been
obtained for Cova Foradada (Mediterranean margin of the Iberian Peninsula) level IV, though
this is probably an artifact of the charcoal pre-treatment procedure [36]. The OSL age of Ara-
nbaltza II US4b (~43.5 ±2.9 ka; 1σ), which is probably slightly older than the occupation itself,
is systematically younger than the latest Middle Paleolithic in the region, dated to 48–45 kyr
cal BP [16]. Comparison of the Aranbaltza II US4b OSL age with all reliable and stratigraphi-
cally well-constrained Cha
ˆtelperronian AMS 14C, TL and OSL ages from France and Iberia
shows a perfect fit with the time range of the Chatelperronian culture for southwest Europe,
which our Bayesian model reveals as occurring between ca. 43,760–39,220 kyr (Fig 7; S14
Table in S1 File; Section SI-9 in S1 File).
The original nature of the Cha
ˆtelperronian assemblages from Aranbaltza II and Labeko
Koba, together with the chronological gap between the latest Middle Paleolithic and the Cha
ˆ-
telperronian in the region, and the absence of any link in lithic management and settlement
strategies between the Cha
ˆtelperronian and the regional Late Middle Paleolithic reveal that
there is a discontinuity between the Middle Paleolithic and the Cha
ˆtelperronian, and that the
latter is intrusive in the Northern Iberian Peninsula (i.e., it originated elsewhere and was then
introduced to the region).
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One possible scenario explaining this discontinuity could be the local extinction of Nean-
dertals in the Cantabrian Region or the abandonment of this territory by Neandertal groups
ca. 45 kyr BP [16]. The Cantabrian Region is a rather isolated coastal area, and due to its abrupt
terrain, the western and central parts are not very well-connected with their neighboring areas
(the Atlantic facade and the Northern Iberian Plateau (Meseta)). In comparison, the eastern
part of the Cantabrian Region has easier access to the Ebro Valley, the Northern Iberian Pla-
teau and the rest of Europe, but even this would have been conditioned by climate
Fig 7. Bayesian modelling results for the timing of the Cha
ˆtelperronian culture in southwest Europe. The
modelled durations of the Cha
ˆtelperronian culture (shown in grey) for sites that contain multiple dating results have
been derived from site-specific Phase models using the Date command (see S39 Fig in S1 File for details). The site-
specific modelled durations have been combined with the new OSL age for the Aranbaltza Cha
ˆtelperronian culture
(unmodelled and modelled OSL age distributions shown as light blue and dark blue, respectively) as part of the
regional Cha
ˆtelperronian Phase model shown here. The combined age range for the Cha
ˆtelperronian culture of
southwest Europe (“Duration Cha
ˆtelperronian”) has been calculated from the modelled posterior probabilities of the
start and end boundaries of this Phase model (also shown in grey) using the Date function. Bayesian modelling has
been undertaken in OxCal v.4.4.4 [70], assuming each likelihood has a 5% prior probability of being an outlier within a
general t-type outlier model [71]. The median ages and 1σuncertainty ranges are shown for the modelled probability
distributions. The 95.4% ranges of the highest posterior probabilities are also indicated by the broader horizontal bars
underneath the probability density functions. The modelled durations are compared against the NGRIP GICC05 δ18O
record, with interstadials (milder climatic periods) numbered accordingly.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265219.g007
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deterioration between ca. 50–40 kyr BP [60–62]. The pollen data from sediment core MD04-
2845, obtained in the Bay of Biscay [63], and glacial and limnological proxies from the Canta-
brian mountains [64], show a succession of temperate and intense cold events between ca. 50
kyr and 39 kyr which dramatically affected tree cover during the coldest periods, likely affect-
ing fauna and human groups. Various proxies (e.g. lithic technology management, subsistence
strategies and landscape use) show that Neandertal groups increased their residential mobility
and enlarged their exploitation areas during harsh climatic episodes of MIS4-3, which has
been linked to a decrease in ecosystem productivity [38,42,65], and would have led to the
same territory only being able to sustain smaller populations. Lower population and larger ter-
ritories likely meant less contact between groups. The studies that suggest the presence of con-
sanguinity in El Sidro
´n Late Middle Paleolithic populations [66] would be consistent with this
pattern: limited gene flow, sporadic contacts with other Neandertal communities, and the
prevalence of genetically related diseases. Under these circumstances, the presence of Nean-
dertal groups in the region after ca. 48 kyr BP was probably very sporadic, as has been corrobo-
rated by the number of available ages [16], and the central and eastern part of the Northern
Iberian Peninsula became an available expansion area for the groups that developed the Cha
ˆ-
telperronian cultural complex in southern France. Very likely, these groups were Neandertals
as it is suggested by the accumulated evidence of Nendertal authorship of the Cha
ˆtelperronian
[12–15]. The earliest Protoaurignacian, traditionally associated to Homo sapiens, appeared in
the Northern Iberian Peninsula shortly after the first regional Cha
ˆtelperronian recognized at
Aranbaltza II. The Protoaurignacian has been identified in El Castillo and Labeko Koba by ca.
43–42 kyr cal BP [59], roughly overlapping with the ages of Labeko Koba level IX Cha
ˆtelperro-
nian (ca. 43–41.4 kyr cal BP) [16,58], and the Aurignacian is, shortly thereafter, present in the
Western Iberian Peninsula [67]. This probably reflects a relatively short duration for the Cha
ˆ-
telperronian in the Northern Iberian Peninsula and a quick replacement of the last Neander-
tals by the first Homo sapiens arriving in Western Europe. This scenario would be consistent
with the complex evolutionary (historical) trajectories of late Neandertal groups just before
their extinction [68,69].
4. Materials and methods
4.1 Sedimentology and coring
Cores of 2 m depth were collected near the excavation profiles using a Van Walt/ Eijkelkamp
window corer, which permits recuperation of the sedimentary record by successive 1 m depth
operations. Each core was replicated to ensure they were representative. Once collected, the
samples were sealed and stored at 3–4˚C. The AAR4 core, obtained near the southern profile
of the excavation area (1 m to the south), was selected as representative of the complete stratig-
raphy observed in the profiles of the excavation pit. The sedimentological study consisted of
the stratigraphical characterization and the description of the sedimentary facies observed in
both the excavation profiles and in the AAR4 core.
4.2 Granulometry and grain morphology analysis
The cores were split into two halves and imaged with a high-resolution digital camera in an
XRF core-scanner. One half of the core was sampled every 10 cm for XRD and particle size
and texture analysis.
The texture of the samples was analyzed using particle size sieving and laser diffraction
techniques. For the sieving techniques, a φsize sieve, range –3 φto 4 φ, was used. A Beckman
Coulter LS13 320 laser diffraction particle size analyzer was used to measure the particle size of
the silt and clay fraction. Particle size was classified following the scheme of Blott and Pye [70].
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The morphological analysis of sand particles was performed using a Malvern Morphologi G3
particle characterization system (Malvern Instruments, Malvern, UK). For this purpose, the
grains in the sample were separated and dispersed over a glass plate by air injection using a
Sample Dispersion Unit (SDU). Next, the instrument took high-resolution gray-scale images
of the complete glass plate using a motorized slide. The particles were identified using a gray-
scale threshold and then the shape parameters were calculated. The analyses were conducted
following the procedures described by Campaña et al. [71]. After each analysis, post-processing
of the data was performed. This post-processing consisted of the elimination of joined parti-
cles, non-minerals (i.e. organic matter, ambient dust) and poorly identified particles. Several
size and shape parameters were measured for each grain. The shape parameters used were
aspect ratio, high sensitivity circularity and convexity. The aspect ratio is the ratio of particle
width to length, and ranges from 0 to 1. High sensitivity circularity (HSC) indicates the simi-
larity of a particle to a circle and the values range from 0 (extremely narrow rod) to near 1 (per-
fect circle). Finally, convexity is calculated from the ratio between the particle perimeter and
the perimeter of its convex hull. This shape parameter indicates the roughness of the particle
[71,72] and its value ranges from 0 (extremely rough) to 1 (extremely polished).
4.3 Mineralogical analysis: X-Ray Diffraction (XRD)
Bulk sample mineralogy was determined by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) using a Bruker
D8 Discover DAVINCI diffractometer at the Science and Technology Park, Burgos University.
Air-dried samples were sieved at 2 mm, finely ground in an agate mortar, and processed using
a continuous scan range of 2˚-80˚ 2θ, a 0.05˚ step size and 1 second time per step. The sample
was irradiated with Cu Kαradiation (ceramic X-ray tube KFL-Cu, 40 kV, 40 mA) with a pro-
grammable divergence slit, and a LynxEye detector was employed. Semi-quantitative estimates
were calculated from peak areas on XRD patterns using DIFFRACplus basic EVA software
with the ICDD database.
4.4 Organic carbon analysis
The organic carbon present in the sediments was measured through thermal oxidation method
or Loss On Ignition (LOI). 0.7–0.8 g of milled and homogenized sample was heated to 110˚C
for 14 hours inside the muffle (Heron HD-230 PAD) and then to 550˚ for 5 hours. The weight
of the sample was measured after each heating using an analytical balance and the lost organic
C calculated in accordance with Santisteban et al. [73].
4.5 OSL dating and bayesian modelling
Eight single-grain OSL dating samples were collected from Units 3 to 4c to provide estimates
of when sedimentary quartz grains were last exposed to light prior to burial. Quartz grains
were processed under safe light (dim red LED) conditions at the CENIEH Luminescence Dat-
ing Laboratory using standard preparation procedures [74], including a 48% hydrofluoric acid
etch (40 minutes) to remove the alpha-irradiated outer layers of the quartz extracts. Single-
grain OSL measurements were made using the experimental apparatus and procedures
described by Arnold et al. [75,76] and further detailed in the (Section SI-9 in S1 File). Between
2800 and 3400 single-grain equivalent dose (D
e
) measurements were made for each sample,
with individual D
e
values being included in the final age calculation if they satisfied a series of
standard quality assurance criteria (Section SI-9 in S1 File). The environmental dose rates for
the Aranbaltza II OSL samples were estimated using a combination of in situ field gamma
spectrometry and low-level beta counting, taking into account cosmic ray contributions, an
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assumed minor internal alpha dose rate, beta-dose attenuation and long-term water content
(Section SI-9 in S1 File).
Bayesian modeling was used to constrain the timing of Cha
ˆtelperronian layers at individual
sites across France and Iberia, and to derive a combined age estimate for the Cha
ˆtelperronian
culture across southwest Europe (Section SI-10 in S1 File). The modeling was undertaken
using OxCal v4.4.3 [77], and Phase models were run using the general Outlier function [78].
To calculate the combined age range of the Cha
ˆtelperronian layer(s) at each site, we have
pooled all published radiometric age estimates that are methodologically reliable, are unaf-
fected by post-depositional complications and have direct or indirect stratigraphic association
with Cha
ˆtelperronian layers, as a single, unordered Phase model with delimiting start and end
boundaries. To constrain the timing of the Cha
ˆtelperronian culture in southwest Europe as a
whole, we have pooled the modeled durations of the Cha
ˆtelperronian layers at individual sites
(derived from the site-specific Phase models using the Date command) with the new OSL age
obtained for the Aranbaltza Cha
ˆtelperronian, as part of a single, unordered regional Cha
ˆtelper-
ronian Phase model.
4.6 Lithic analysis
Raw materials were classified according to the macroscopic petrographic features of the mate-
rials. The technological analysis was carried out through a techno-economic approach that
integrates raw material procurement, production, management and use of lithic artifacts, con-
sidering also the available contextual information [42]. For the technological analysis we fol-
lowed the chaı
ˆne ope
´ratoire concept [21,79–81], identifying various stages in lithic tool
making and investigating the basic conceptual processes which underlie the sequence of
manufacturing steps in stone tool production. Retouched pieces were classified following the
Sonneville-Bordes system [82–85].
Supporting information
S1 File. Supplementary information for the intrusive nature of the Cha
ˆtelperronian in the
Iberian Peninsula. SI-1. Discovery of Aranbaltza and earliest work; SI-2. 2013–2016 excava-
tion project at Aranbaltza II; SI-3. Stratigraphy and site formation processes; SI-4. Spatial anal-
ysis; SI-5. Out.of-context Cha
ˆtelperronian materials; SI.6 Lithic assemblage from Aranbaltza II
US4b; SI-7. AMS 14Cdating; SI-8 Single-grain OSL dating experimental procedures and
results; SI-9 Bayesian modelling of available ages for the Cha
ˆtelperronian culture and associ-
ated hominin remains across France and the Iberian Peninsula; Supplementary S1-S39 Figs;
Supplementary S1-S15 Tables; Supplementary References.
(PDF)
Acknowledgments
The Aranbaltza site stands on the private property of the “Club Hı
´pico Barrika” and during the
fieldwork we have always enjoyed the support and help of the owner, Damia
´n Libano. in addi-
tion, between 2014 and 2018, the Barrika town council helped with the excavation infrastruc-
ture. We want to thank I. Lı
´bano and J.A. Lı
´bano for providing access to the materials picked
up from the excavated soil at Aranbaltza II during the sewage trench excavation. We would
also like to thank all the volunteers who participated in the Aranbaltza excavation. Finally, we
would especially like to remember Illuminada Ortega, co-director of the excavation, who
passed away in March 2019.
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Author Contributions
Conceptualization: Joseba Rios-Garaizar, Laurence Bourguignon, Diego Garate, Illuminada
Ortega.
Data curation: Joseba Rios-Garaizar, Lee J. Arnold, Laura Sa
´nchez-Romero, Aixa San Eme-
terio, Carflos Pe
´rez-Garrido, Martina Demuro, Isidoro Campaña, Alfonso Benito-Calvo,
Marı
´a J. Iriarte, Arantza Aranburu, Amaia Arranz-Otaegi, Christelle Lahaye, Illuminada
Ortega.
Formal analysis: Joseba Rios-Garaizar, Eneko Iriarte, Lee J. Arnold, Laura Sa
´nchez-Romero,
Ana B. Marı
´n-Arroyo, Aixa San Emeterio, Carflos Pe
´rez-Garrido, Martina Demuro, Isidoro
Campaña, Marı
´a J. Iriarte, Arantza Aranburu, Marı
´a Silva-Gago, Illuminada Ortega.
Funding acquisition: Joseba Rios-Garaizar, Lee J. Arnold, Diego Garate, Illuminada Ortega.
Investigation: Joseba Rios-Garaizar, Eneko Iriarte, Lee J. Arnold, Laura Sa
´nchez-Romero,
Ana B. Marı
´n-Arroyo, Aixa San Emeterio, Asier Go
´mez-Olivencia, Carflos Pe
´rez-Garrido,
Martina Demuro, Isidoro Campaña, Marı
´a J. Iriarte, Arantza Aranburu, Amaia Arranz-
Otaegi, Marı
´a Silva-Gago, Christelle Lahaye, Illuminada Ortega.
Methodology: Joseba Rios-Garaizar, Eneko Iriarte, Lee J. Arnold, Laura Sa
´nchez-Romero,
Ana B. Marı
´n-Arroyo, Aixa San Emeterio, Carflos Pe
´rez-Garrido, Martina Demuro, Isidoro
Campaña, Alfonso Benito-Calvo, Arantza Aranburu, Christelle Lahaye, Illuminada Ortega.
Project administration: Joseba Rios-Garaizar, Illuminada Ortega.
Resources: Joseba Rios-Garaizar, Aixa San Emeterio, Diego Garate, Illuminada Ortega.
Software: Lee J. Arnold, Laura Sa
´nchez-Romero, Ana B. Marı
´n-Arroyo, Carflos Pe
´rez-Gar-
rido, Martina Demuro, Isidoro Campaña.
Supervision: Joseba Rios-Garaizar.
Validation: Eneko Iriarte, Lee J. Arnold, Laura Sa
´nchez-Romero, Ana B. Marı
´n-Arroyo.
Visualization: Lee J. Arnold, Laura Sa
´nchez-Romero, Ana B. Marı
´n-Arroyo.
Writing – original draft: Joseba Rios-Garaizar, Eneko Iriarte, Lee J. Arnold, Laura Sa
´nchez-
Romero, Ana B. Marı
´n-Arroyo, Aixa San Emeterio, Asier Go
´mez-Olivencia, Carflos Pe
´rez-
Garrido, Martina Demuro, Isidoro Campaña, Laurence Bourguignon, Alfonso Benito-
Calvo, Amaia Arranz-Otaegi, Diego Garate, Marı
´a Silva-Gago.
Writing – review & editing: Joseba Rios-Garaizar, Eneko Iriarte, Lee J. Arnold, Laura Sa
´n-
chez-Romero, Ana B. Marı
´n-Arroyo, Aixa San Emeterio, Asier Go
´mez-Olivencia, Carflos
Pe
´rez-Garrido, Martina Demuro, Isidoro Campaña, Laurence Bourguignon, Alfonso
Benito-Calvo, Marı
´a J. Iriarte, Arantza Aranburu, Amaia Arranz-Otaegi, Diego Garate,
Marı
´a Silva-Gago, Christelle Lahaye.
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The intrusive nature of the Cha
ˆtelperronian in the Iberian Peninsula
PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265219 March 30, 2022 18 / 18
The intrusive nature of the Châtelperronian in the Iberian Peninsula
Joseba Rios-Garaizar, Eneko Iriarte, Lee J. Arnold, Laura Sánchez-Romero, Ana B. Marín-
Arroyo, Aixa San Emeterio, Asier Gómez-Olivencia, Carlos Pérez-Garrido, Martina Demuro,
Isidoro Campaña, Laurence Bourguignon, Alfonso Benito-Calvo, María J. Iriarte, Arantza
Aranburu, Amaia Arranz-Otaegi, Diego Garate, María Silva, Christelle Lahaye, Illuminada Ortega
Corresponding author: Joseba Rios Garaizar
Email: jorios76@gmail.com
Supplementary Text (SI-1 to SI-9)
Figs. S1 to S39
Tables S1 to S15
Supplementary Text
SI-1. Discovery of Aranbaltza and earliest work
Joseba Rios-Garaizar
Diego Garate
Illuminada Ortega
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cronológica.
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bajo una capa de tierra vegetal reciente (D), existen otras dos de arena (C
y B), siendo de un espesor de tres metros la más profunda, la cual se
asienta sobre una base de arcilla compacta (A).
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si bien existe un punto en el que el estrato C presenta un hoyo que ha sido
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percussion (often preserved, even on the proximal ends of points). The modal
morphology is pronounced Large Châtelperronoid, and the blunting retouch on the
convex backed edges is modally unidirectional and not very abrupt.8/0*9??1G
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