Abrigo de la Quebrada

Abrigo de la Quebrada is a Middle Palaeolithic rock shelter in Chelva, Valencia, Spain, situated at 728 metres elevation on the left bank of the Barranco de Ahillas ravine [1][2]. The shelter is 38 metres long and 2 to 9 metres deep, containing nine archaeological levels spanning MIS 5 to MIS 3, with the oldest levels dated to approximately 80,000-83,000 years ago [1][2]. Excavations from 2007 to 2015 revealed repeated short-duration Neanderthal occupations, primarily from spring to autumn, focused on hunting medium and large ungulates including ibex, equids and cervids [1][2]. Phytolith analysis shows Neanderthals collected grasses and other plants for fire production and possibly bedding [3]. Flint sourcing studies demonstrate that identical raw materials appear at sites up to 120 km apart, indicating north-south mobility along the Mediterranean coast of central Iberia [4].