Telmo Pereira

TELMO JORGE RAMOS PEREIRA, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal, receive a grant in April 2016 to aid research on ‘EcoPLis–AdP: Human Ocupations in the Pleistocene Ecotones of River Lis — Abrigo do Poco.’ Funding supported the high-resolution excavation of Abrigo do Po’o (AdP) in 2016 and 2017. The site is located in Ribeira das Chitas, a canyon in Central Portugal that links the inland mountains to the basin of the river Lis and the western Atlantic coast of Iberia Peninsula. The canyon is highly rich in multiple resources and has optimal conditions to have work as a refugium during the harsher climatic events. The 14 layers that were exposed are from two periods: Epipaleolithic (8.200 years) and Solutrean (18.000-22.000 years), that were periods of extreme cold and had major repercussions with regard to available resources and the necessary subsequent human adaptation. During the Epipaleolithic the site was associated with the exploitation of cockles and clams (using fire that resulted in abundant charcoal and fire-cracked rocks) and stone tools, primarily resources from muddy-sand intertidal areas. Due to the distance to the coast, it is likely that groups from inland territories on their way ‘back home’ performed such activity after resource harvesting at the coast. During the Solutrean the site was associated with the exploitation of a flint outcrop located immediately above and in front of the site to produce exquisite bifacial spear/arrow points for hunting, while were eating deer.