The environmental context of Middle Paleolithic occupations at Arbreda Cave (Serinyà, northeastern Iberian Peninsula)

Arbreda Cave in Serinyà (northeastern Catalonia) was periodically occupied by Homo neanderthalensis from 120,000 BP until 42,300–40,300 cal BP. However, the intensity of residential episodes varied significantly throughout the Middle Palaeolithic sequence. During MIS4 and MIS3, the Neanderthal occupations were sparse compared to the pronounced anthropogenic signal of the MIS5 layers. This phenomenon cannot be attributed to the technical capacities of Middle Palaeolithic groups, as types of prey, lithic technology, and raw material procurement practices exhibit a high degree of stability. Conversely, the Neanderthal presence during MIS4 and MIS3 coincides with a notable abundance of Ursus spelaeus . In this context, the cold environmental conditions inferred from other bioarchaeological evidence, particularly, though not exclusively, from remains of Mammuthus primigenius , may suggest that during MIS4 and MIS3 the Neanderthal groups that occupied Arbreda cave followed a pattern of short occupations, thus, developing a high degree of mobility. This scenario could explain the limited archaeological evidence and the compatibility of Mousterian settlements with the regular presence of ursids during MIS4 and MIS3.