Middle Pleistocene hominin presence in the Southern Iberian Plateau: Lithic assemblages from the Cueva de los Toriles site (Carrizosa, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain)

• New Paleolithic record recovered in a cave of the Upper Guadiana Basin. • U-Th dating anchors lithic tools in the Middle and Late Pleistocene. • Lithic assemblage shows traits of both Acheulean and Mousterian traditions. • Quartzite tools and Pleistocene fauna found in association. • The site helps reduce the Paleolithic research gap in inland south-central Iberia. The “La Mancha” area in central Spain has provided valuable insights into the Paleolithic sequence, particularly within the Upper and Middle Guadiana Basin. This study focuses on recent discoveries at Cueva de los Toriles, emphasizing its importance within the regional archaeological framework. The area’s Quaternary deposits have facilitated the identification of numerous Paleolithic sites, primarily yielding quartzite lithic artifacts. The Lower Paleolithic record—mainly documented on the terraces of the Guadiana River and its tributaries—is characterized by Acheulean assemblages dominated by large tools such as handaxes. In contrast, the Middle Paleolithic is marked by an increase in Mousterian sites distributed throughout the region, reflecting diverse lithic exploitation strategies, including discoidal and Levallois core reduction methods. Cueva de los Toriles stands out for the exceptional preservation of its diverse lithic assemblage, despite disturbances caused by historical human activity. The site offers new insights into technological adaptations and cultural practices spanning from the Middle Paleolithic to recent historical periods, as evidenced by the coexistence of bifacial tools and agricultural implements such as threshing blades. The cave’s stratigraphy, though complex and partially reworked, reveals a multilayered sequence of occupation that presents both interpretive challenges and opportunities. Overall, this study contributes novel data to our understanding of prehistoric occupation in inland Iberia. It underscores the significance of Cueva de los Toriles as a key site for investigating the long-term cultural evolution of human populations in the southern sub-plateau of the Iberian Peninsula.