Lithic technology from the Gravettian of Vale Boi: new insights into Early Upper Paleolithic human behavior in Southern Iberian Peninsula

The Gravettian is the most important phase for the technological and cultural setting of the Upper Paleolithic sequence in the Southwestern Iberian Peninsula. For the Gravettian record in this territory, the archaeological site of Vale Boi (Vila do Bispo, Cape St. Vicente, Portugal) provides one of the most complete chrono-stratigraphic sequences. This paper focus on technological and typological variability of the Gravettian lithic assemblages from Vale Boi, dated from c. 33 to c. 28 ka cal BP, and tests affinities with other Gravettian contexts from central Portugal and southern Spain. Technological analysis shows that Gravettian lithic assemblages from Vale Boi are characterized by reduction strategies focuses on flake and bladelet debitage. Backed technology represents the most important morph-type. However, instead of the so-called typical Gravettian points (i.e. Gravette and Microgravette points), the early Gravettian of Vale Boi is characterized by double backed and bipointed bladelets. Statistical analysis shows that data from Vale Boi represent a new insight on human technological and socio-cultural behaviour during the onset of Upper Paleolithic in Iberia.