Early Iberia Cultures - Geometric Mesolithic

Following the earliest entry into Europe of anatomically modern humans, they initially formed a single general culture during the height of the most recent ice age. As the ice started to melt, that mono-culture fractured in two across a Northern Europe and Southern Europe divide. Within the latter zone was Early Iberia, with 'Iberia' being the ancient name for the sun-drenched south-western European peninsula.

It comprises the modern countries of Portugal and Spain, plus the principality of Andorra and the British crown colony of Gibraltar. The first modern humans arrived in Iberia by about 24,000 BC, soon to form the long-lived Azilian culture which gradually faded as the Iberian Mesolithic began.

The more highly-regionalised but well-studied Asturian was the first solid culture of this period, but the Iberian Mesolithic is very unevenly represented in the known archaeological record, and the European Magdalenian culture seems not to have made much of an impact here. Soil acidity is generally high, making it hard to find the fewer surviving artefacts.

The Iberian Mesolithic is divided into two major cultural phases which correspond to two different technocomplexes. The early Mesolithic generally coincides with what has been termed the 'Notches and Denticulated Mesolithic Technocomplex' which is dated between about 8250-6600 BC (or 6650 BC). In some research this early Mesolithic is framed as the 'First Mesolithic'.

The second phase of the Iberian Mesolithic is its late Mesolithic, or the Geometric Mesolithic technocomplex between about 6600-5500 BC, although that start date can be moved back by about half a century (and DNAgenics reports much broader dates at 7000-4500 BC).

Lithic debitage systems during this phase changed radically towards the production of blades and bladelets, as well as projectiles with geometric microliths using the microburin technique and largely concentrating on trapezes and triangles.

The Geometric Mesolithic represents a widespread adaptation in hunting technology which was shared across Mesolithic Iberia by its population of hunter-gatherers. It can best be understood through four major distinctions which begin with regional technocomplexes. The Geometric Mesolithic was not monolithic: it included two main cultural facies (regional expressions) which tied into broader European trends:

Secondly in terms of distinctions are the Filador facies which primarily are to be found in Catalonia to the north of the River Ebro. This facies is closely related to that of the Sauveterrian culture to the north. The Cocina facies was widespread throughout central and Mediterranean Spain (Iberia's east coast). The Muge Group is located in Portugal's Tagus valley, a distinctive and highly-specialised estuarine and coastal culture which adopted geometric microliths.

There is also a distinction which is referred to as the 'Technological Shift'. This gets its name from a change in forms of lithic technology which moved away from earlier macrolithic and denticulate tools of the early Mesolithic and turned towards the highly-standardised, regular production of geometric microliths which could be used to arm projectiles, in the form of triangles, trapezoids, and crescents.

Rather than being an isolated, standalone cultural definition, the Geometric Mesolithic evolved out of preceding Epi-Palaeolithic traditions. Recent archaeological evidence also shows significant cultural and technological interaction between these last indigenous hunter-gatherers and the early incoming Neolithic Farmers of the Cardial Pottery culture, with both groups utilising similar geometric projectile shapes in their lithic industries.

The region's inhabitants exhibited unique responses to the post-ice age environmental change which was going on around them by developing their own specific technological advances, along with adapting their social structures and artistic expressions.

As with much of Europe, Portugal experienced significant climatic shift as the planet warmed up. Rising temperatures and changing ecosystems led to the further retreat of glacial landscapes and made way for the growth of dense forests and rich coastal environments. This period marked an increase in biodiversity and the availability of resources, particularly in terms of aquatic environments due to the rise in sea levels until around 5000 BC.

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