Reconsidering lithic transport in Middle Palaeolithic assemblages: curated and expedient strategies in the Abric Romaní mobile toolkits

Abstract Mobility and its relationship with lithic technology is a major debate in the study of Neanderthal groups, especially regarding the selection of mobile tools for transport. This study analyses the mobile toolkits from levels M and P of the Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona), a key site for studying Neanderthal behaviour due to its high stratigraphic resolution. The mobile toolkits, introduced already knapped into the site, come from two distinct technological contexts: level M, with a discoid and expedient technology, and level P, with a more curated Levallois and laminar technology. The aim of this paper is to determine whether the composition of these toolkits is primarily influenced by the need for mobility or by the technological strategies of the context. The results indicate that the composition of the mobile toolkits is at least partly related to the general technological context of each level. However, an increase in complexity is observed in some of the selected elements in both mobile toolkits, as well as an interest in backed flakes and combined with the presence of ordinary flakes. This analysis will provide new insights into the interactions between lithic technology and mobility, enhancing our understanding of how Neanderthals adapted their behaviour to the needs of movement and subsistence.