The carved lithic artefacts from the littoral of vila nova de gaia: Generic characterization, geoarchaeological contextualization, problems and perspectives [Os artefactos líticos talhados do litoral de vila nova de gaia: Caracterização genérica, contextualização geoarqueológica, problemas e perspectivas]

Abstract

The coast of Vila Nova de Gaia, south of the city of Porto, constitutes a unique geoarchaeological stretch for the study of the quaternary occupation of the western facade of Iberia. This work presents some techno-typological characteristics of the lithic industries from Vila Nova de Gaia coastline and hypotheses concerning their chronostratigraphic context are presented. According to general observations carried out during the last three decades it is suggested that: a) The earliest lithic industry seems to be associated with marine level I (20-30 a.s.l.); however, it may have been subsequently remobilized by colluvial processes. The presence of handaxes and cleavers among the artefacts connect this assemblage with the Acheulean; b) The presence of rolled handaxes in colluvial deposits overlying marine level II (10-20 m a.s.l.) suggests that their primary context may have been the mentioned marine level; c) At the bottom of the marine level III deposit from Praia da Aguda (< 10 m a.s.l) there are lithics of Acheulean age (presence of handaxes and cleavers); d) In the colluvial deposits overlying marine levels I and II there are lithic artefacts with a very high degree of aeolisation-apparently younger than the marine formations and older than the colluvial processes-and artefacts with no patina - possibly synchronous of the colluvia. Technical and typological features observed in these two sets suggest that the first one may date from the last glacial period (minimum age) and the second one from the Holocene.