Acheulian flint quarries in the Madrid Tertiary basin, central Iberian Peninsula: First data obtained from geoarchaeological studies

The current study provides geoarchaeological background and explores different models for the formation of the sites and provides a preliminary analysis of the main Acheulean assemblages and techniques for working flint nodules. The research also adds a new, rich perspective to our understanding of the region and the organized human exploitation of raw materials in the Acheulean period. The study complements the well-known river terrace sites in the wider area showing the intensity and prevalence of flint extraction and use during the period, and the handaxe tradition typology of the Madrid region (Pérez de Barradas, 1924, 1929; Santonja et al., 1980; Rus y Querol, 1981; Rus y Vega, 1984; VVAA, 2002; Baena et al., 2010).