Changes in lithic raw material and technological management during the Mesolithic: a view from El Mazo (Northern Iberia)

Abstract

This study investigates the lithic industry at the Mesolithic shell midden site of El Mazo (Andrín, Asturias), on the Asturian coastline in Northern Iberia, focusing on resource management, production strategies, and mobility patterns of the last hunter-gatherer-fishers. El Mazo provides a unique opportunity to examine lithic resource use across the Early-Middle Holocene transition, with a particular emphasis on the dynamic of the 8.2 ka climate event. Raw material analysis reveals that most lithic resources originated locally (< 30 km), although some were transported from distances exceeding 250 km, indicating extensive mobility and exchange networks. Technological trends (bladelet production) and typological changes in microliths (backed points and geometric forms) across the extensive stratigraphy connect this sequence to broader Mesolithic developments in both Iberian and European contexts. The occurrence of trapezoids and microburins at the base of the stratigraphic sequence links this assemblage to the European Second Mesolithic and the Iberian Geometric Mesolithic. The 8.2 ka event stands out as a pivotal period marked by increased mobility and intensified long-distance contacts, influencing both raw material procurement and armature typology. However, post-8000 cal BP stratigraphic units indicate a narrowing of lithic resource acquisition ranges, alongside the introduction of new geometric forms such as triangles and a novel retouch technique (“double bevel”). This highlights diachronic changes around 8000 cal BP that align with broader Iberian trends. These findings challenge traditional conceptions of the Asturian culture as isolated; instead revealing complex adaptive strategies, dynamic territorial organization, and extensive connectivity among Mesolithic groups in northern Iberia.