New research from Peña Capón in the Pyrenees region between southern France and northern Spain reveals that hunter-gatherers maintained vast social networks spanning 600-700 kilometers during the Last Glacial Maximum, 26,000-19,000 years ago. Solutrean period stone tools analyzed at the site were made from flint sourced from southwestern France geological outcrops, representing the greatest confirmed distance of lithic raw material movement in European Paleolithic. These long-distance contacts were sustained over multiple millennia, with networks covering a minimum area of approximately 89,000 square kilometers. Materials from the Duero and Ebro basins were also found at the site, suggesting seasonal gathering places fully integrated into these large social networks.
Upper Paleolithic social networks spanned 600+ kilometers across Western Europe
Site mentioned
📍 Peña Capón
Key facts
- Study from Pyrenees region between southern France and northern Spain
- Hunter-gatherers maintained large-scale social networks 26,000-19,000 years ago during last glacial maximum
- Long-distance contacts documented up to 600-700 kilometers
- Solutrian period stone tools analyzed from Peña Capón site
- Flint sourced from southwestern France geological outcrops
- Greatest confirmed distance in European Paleolithic for lithic raw material movement
- Minimum area covered by networks reached approximately 89,000 square kilometers
- Sustained contact over multiple millennia
- Evidence of seasonal gathering places fully integrated into large social networks
- Materials from Duero and Ebro basins also found at site
Sources
Humanity was already weaving social networks spanning thousands ...en.ara.cat
The authors of the study argue that the social networks reached an area of nearly 89,000 square kilometers. The tools would have been ...
(PDF) Far-reaching hunter-gatherer networks during the Last Glacial ...researchgate.net
Social networking is an essential feature of hunter-gatherer societies. It fosters the circulation of goods and information and enables ...
Imported Paleolithic Tools in Spain May Reflect Long-Distance ...archaeology.org
The team members unearthed the yellowish tools at the Peña Capón rock shelter near the Sorbe River, where people fished for salmon and hunted ...
Far-reaching hunter-gatherer networks during the Last Glacial ...science.org
Social networking is an essential feature of hunter-gatherer societies. It fosters the circulation of goods and information and enables ...
Ice Age Hunter-Gatherer Networks Linked Spain and France Across ...greekreporter.com
New research shows Ice Age hunter-gatherer networks stretched across Europe, linking central Spain to France through stone exchange.
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