Bayesian modeling and the chronology of the Portuguese Gravettian

The Gravettian in Portugal is known primarily from three main areas: the Côa valley, the central region between the Mondego and Tagus river valleys, and Algarve in the south. Each region seems to be represented by various cultural facies that likely correspond to different social networks with diverse technological, subsistence and settlement organization. Despite these differences, the Portuguese Gravettian appears to have had a similar emergence in each area, beginning at least in central and southern Portugal around 33 ka cal BP, and ending ca. 26.5 ka cal BP with the appearance of the Proto-Solutrean.The present study focuses on the various aspects mentioned above, presenting the more recent dates for Portugal and the boundaries for the beginning and end of the Gravettian phase based on Bayesian modeling. The results suggest that there is a possibility of a two thousand years overlap between the late Mousterian and the Early Gravettian in central and southern Portugal; that the Early Gravettian started with the onset of the Heinrich Event 3 and lasted c. 4000 years, followed by the Late Gravettian and gave place to the Proto-Solutrean around 26.5 ka cal BP, with the beginning of the Heinrich Event 2.