Chert is traditionally considered the main lithological marker for the analysis of Paleolithic territories. Thus, in those regions like Galicia where that is scarce resource, petrographic analyses are not too common either. Moreover, local raw materials (quartz and quartzite, mainly) have not received much attention from the researchers.
The petrographic and technological study of the Solutrean lithic assemblage from Valverde (Monforte de Lemos, Galicia) led us to attempt the definition of the catchment areas and management strategies concerning the autochthonous and allochthonous lithic resources. To that purpose, several petrographic analyses were conducted (XRD, FXR, etc.) on the quarzites coming from primary and secondary deposits in the Monforte de Lemos Basin and a sample from the archaeological artefacts.
The analysis of those local raw materials allows us to identify a structured and organized management of the lithological resources according to their technological needs and the reduction sequences that were followed. Lastly, the few artefacts made on chert give us an opportunity to assess the socioeconomic territories of the Galician Solutrean groups and the eventual existence of long distance exchanges.
- Présentation