Change and continuity in ornament production from the Azilian to the Bronze Age: the long-term stratigraphy of Arangas Cave, Spain

Abstract This paper examines the long-term exploitation of biotic and abiotic resources for personal ornament production at the cave of Arangas (Asturias, Spain). The site provides a valuable diachronic framework to assess continuity and change in the use of different raw materials across an exceptional stratigraphic sequence spanning from ca. 11,200 to 1600 cal BC. Although located approximately 11 km from the present-day coastline, and despite the topographic constraints on access, marine gastropods, particularly Trivia sp. and Tritia reticulata , represent the dominant raw materials throughout the sequence. Their persistent use suggests that the significance of marine materials was not directly dependent on proximity to the coast or their role in subsistence. The analysis considered all 51 personal ornaments recovered from the stratigraphic sequence, including freshwater gastropods, mammal teeth, bone, mineral, and undetermined biotic materials. By integrating stratigraphic, taxonomic, morphometric and technological analyses, including stereomicroscopy, experimental replication of perforation techniques, and micro-XRF elemental characterization of mineral ornaments, this study examines long-term patterns in raw material selection, manufacture and use from the Azilian to the Middle Bronze Age. Specifically, it suggests that marine resources may have maintained a symbolic relevance across the sequence, alongside variability in technical practices.