Down by the Seaside: New Data on Lithic Provisioning by Early Upper Palaeolithic Populations in the Central Mediterranean Iberian Coast

Abstract Understanding hunter-gatherer mobility dynamics requires a comprehensive approach that considers interactions across entire territories rather than isolated archaeological sites. This study investigates lithic raw-material procurement at two early Upper Palaeolithic sites in the central Mediterranean Iberian region: the Foradada (i.e. Aurignacian; Xàbia, Alacant) and the La Barriada caves (i.e. Gravettian; Benidorm, Alacant). By adopting an approach centred on both macroscopic and microscopic analyses on siliceous raw materials, we recognise provisioning potential areas and their implications for past human mobility strategies. We identify lithotypes and postgenetic alterations to establish raw-material sources and pathways. Early Upper Palaeolithic groups acquired siliceous raw materials from the surroundings, either at the near beaches or going upstream through the contiguous basins, but raw materials also travelled more than 50 km from inland. Notably, occupations related to the Aurignacian record at Foradada display a balanced exploitation of both littoral and inland resources, reflecting flexible mobility and access to coastal and fluvial environments, whereas the Gravettian lithic record at La Barriada predominantly was made of raw materials from more distant inland basins, indicating distinct procurement strategies potentially linked to differing mobility strategies across sites and technocomplexes. These results contribute to the broader understanding of hunter-gatherer mobility and technoeconomic behaviour, highlighting the importance of integrated territorial studies in reconstructing prehistoric productive strategies.