The Neolithisation of the Amblés Valley in the light of the Excavation of the Prehistoric site of La Atalaya (Muñopepe, Ávila)

Abstract

The evidence for Neolithic settlement sites in the province of Ávila (Spain) is still very scanty and consists mainly of certain archaeological items (pottery with fluted or impressed decorations of the Early Neolithic ceramic tradition, flint microliths and a few polished stone tools), which have been found during the excavation of sites of a later date. These excavations have therefore produced inconclusive dating evidence for those findings. Archaeological investigations at La Atalaya, in Muñopepe, revealed a long and complex history of occupation going from the Early Neolithic to the Copper Age, located around granite outcrops some of which are decorated with prehistoric rock paintings. In this paper, we present the cultural sequence of La Atalaya, based on stratigraphic information, chronological data and a techno-typological analysis of the pottery and lithic collections. Environmental and economic information is also provided. Finally, some hypotheses about the Neolithization process in the south-western area of the Spanish Northern Meseta are suggested.