Latest studies and excavations at the Abrigo de La Malia rock shelter in Tamajón, Guadalajara, Spain have brought exciting discoveries to light. These results provide new insight into the subsistence strategies of early modern humans in the Meseta region. Principal researcher Edgar Téllez from Spain’s Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH) heads this intriguing advance. It is the current capstone of the site’s occupation for at least 10,000 years, dating back to roughly 36,000 years ago. These results upend long-held assumptions of where and how humans lived across the interior of the Iberian Peninsula.
The Abrigo de La Malia (or Cave of La Malia) site is nestled inside of the Sistema Central Mountain range. Today, this city is still blessed with a particularly opportune geography. It was especially important for small, mobile, flexible hunting and gathering bands of early humans. In the process, the research team conducted taphonomic and zooarchaeological analyses of faunal remains found in the site. The conclusions of their work revealed important clues about the animals that these early inhabitants slaughtered for food.
Insights from Faunal Remains
The paleodietary analysis of faunal remains at Abrigo de La Malia uncovers some really intriguing discoveries. The first human inhabitants mainly hunted deer, wild equine, bison and chamois. One day, the researchers made a remarkable find: a phalanx of chamois with clear cutting marks. This discovery offers very tangible proof of human presence at the site. This discovery brings greater nuance to the understanding of the hunting methods used by these ancient cultures.
The research also unpacks how the residents of the climate haven site flourished in an environment marked by ongoing, permanent climate change. This environmental variability would have sharply affected their mobility patterns and adaptive strategies. The wealth of diverse faunal remains shows that early humans made excellent hunters. Among other adaptations, they changed how they hunted, fished, and farmed to meet new needs and realities.
Challenging Existing Paradigms
Téllez’s research challenges long-held beliefs regarding a population void in the interior regions of the Iberian Peninsula during prehistoric times. The bathyphagous evidence we’ve now amassed from Abrigo de La Malia model very poorly with classical models that indicate little human action in these locales. Instead, it presents an image of continued occupancy and resource use by humans for thousands of years.
The discoveries highlight the diversity and challenges of early human existence in Iberia. This study provides important new information on mobility patterns and length of stay on regions. It further identifies the diverse adaptive strategies early Homo sapiens employed to thrive in varying environments.
Implications for Future Research
The analysis published in Quaternary Science Advances lays important groundwork for further study. From our evolutionary past it offers thrilling glimpses of prehistoric human action and adaptation tactics. It emphasizes the importance of examining lesser-studied sites like Abrigo de La Malia to gain a comprehensive understanding of early human life in diverse ecological contexts.
The research team are currently investigating other sites throughout the Iberian Peninsula. What these revelations from Abrigo de La Malia have taught us about these subsistence strategies and mobility patterns will bring us closer to answering these questions regarding early human populations in Europe.