Technical systems of lithic production in the lower and middle Pleistocene of the Iberian Peninsula: technological variability between northeastern sites and Sierra de Atapuerca sites

This thesis examines lithic assemblages from six Middle Pleistocene sites in north-east Iberia and sites in the Sierra de Atapuerca region near Burgos of central Iberia, with a view to revealing the development of lithic technology across this extensive period, and also the nature, duration and intensity of occupation at these sites. The aims, problems and hypotheses of this piece of research are outlined in the initial chapter, followed by detailed analysis and comparison of lithic assemblages between the various sites. The results are placed in a broader Iberian and European context, examining what this evidence means for debates on the early settlement of Europe.