Investigating Complex Neanderthal Behaviour in the Middle Palaeolithic Pre-Pyrenees (PhD Mid Term Review)

You are invited to CHL PhD Candidate Eboni Westbury's Mid Term Review: 

Time: 1pm to 2pm AEDT
Date: Friday, 2 February 2024
Speaker: Eboni Westbury
Venue: Online via Zoom
Meeting ID: 864 8445 6530
Password: 404429

This peer-reviewed doctoral thesis investigates the complex behaviour of Neanderthals during the Middle Palaeolithic era in the Iberian Peninsula, focusing on the Abric Pizarro rockshelter in the southeast Pyrenees. 

Employing rigorous zooarchaeological methods, this study presents the first comprehensive analysis of the faunal assemblage from Abric Pizarro, which dates to the climatically challenging milieu of MIS 4. By examining prey selection and butchery techniques, the research sheds light on Neanderthal adaptability and resilience in response to climatic stress. Through meticulous examination of animal remains, this study reveals the targeted prey species and employed butchery methods by Neanderthals. These findings provide valuable insights into Neanderthal socio-economic organisation, hunting strategies, and subsistence practices, thus illuminating their complex behavioural patterns. 

Moreover, this research investigates Neanderthal responses to climatic stress, elucidating their ability to cope with environmental challenges and exploit available resources. By analysing patterns of prey preference, hunting strategies, and butchery methods, this investigation provides further insights into Neanderthal subsistence practices, socio-economic organisation, and technological capabilities. Integrating zooarchaeological data with contextual and environmental information from Abric Pizarro and surrounding sites from Portugal, Spain and southern France, this study offers a comprehensive scholarly approach to understanding Neanderthal behaviour. 

The outcomes advance our knowledge of the Middle Palaeolithic period in the Iberian Peninsula and provide valuable comparative data for global Neanderthal research. Ultimately, this research contributes significantly to unravelling the evolutionary past and cultural intricacies of our closest extinct relatives, the Neanderthals.