Publisher's Synopsis
Traditionally, Middle Pleistocene pre-Neanderthal societies have often been characterized as underdeveloped, with highly rigid and static subsistence strategies focused on acquiring monospecific prey of large herbivores and regular scavenging. However, during the latter half of the Middle Pleistocene, with the emergence of fire use in Mediterranean Europe, a shift towards more flexible and dynamic strategies, reminiscent of anatomically modern humans, occurred. The Cave of the Angel (Lucena, Spain) exemplifies this trend, revealing through zooarchaeological and taphonomic analysis an intricate mechanism of economic amplification. This mechanism, combining traditional subsistence strategies with innovative ones, likely played a crucial role in maintaining social cohesion within the group and balancing risk factors.
