The “Asturian” and its neighbours in the twenty-first century: Recent perspectives on the Mesolithic of northern Spain

Abstract

[EN]For one hundred years the Asturian has been the main reference point for the Mesolithic of northern Spain at both national and international levels. However, from the very beginning of research, some Basque counterparts to the eastern Asturian shell middens were added to the list and were very soon studied by T. de Aranzadi, J. M. de Barandiaran, and E. de Eguren. This research history resulted in a dual research tradition, with a poor definition of the Cantabria Mesolithic, which acted as a firebreak between the two areas. In recent years, a significant amount of research has been carried out in this region. Therefore, it has become possible to compare the Mesolithic in different areas of Cantabrian Spain and to address the issue of the degree of continuity. Can we speak of a northern Spanish Mesolithic; or should we rather define several discrete areas? This paper presents the results of field and laboratory investigations conducted over the last five years, and provides an updated view on the last hunter-gatherers in this part of the Iberian Peninsula