Description
Altamira No. 10: The Basque-Cantabrian Solutrean. A New Perspective
Book Summary
This work offers an exhaustive review of the Solutrean period in the Basque-Cantabrian region, a key moment in European prehistory. The author, Lawrence Guy Straus, presents a new perspective based on the analysis of lithic industry, subsistence strategies, and territorial occupation. The reader will find a rigorous study that updates knowledge regarding Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherer societies, combining archaeological data with innovative interpretations of their social organization and environmental adaptation.
What is it about?
The book analyzes in depth the archaeological evidence of the Solutrean in the Cantabrian coast and the Basque Country, a key area for understanding human evolution in Europe. Through the study of iconic sites and lithic collections, the author reconstructs the knapping techniques, settlement patterns, and hunting strategies of these human groups. The characteristic projectile points of the Solutrean, their regional variability, and their possible social and symbolic functions are examined. The work proposes a reinterpretation of the chronology and the relationships between different Solutrean facies, offering an explanatory model of the cultural and environmental changes that marked this phase of the Paleolithic.
Main Topics
- Typological and technological analysis of the Solutrean lithic industry in the Basque-Cantabrian region.
- Subsistence strategies and territorial exploitation during the Upper Paleolithic.
- Critical review of the chronology and stratigraphic sequences of key sites.
- Interpretation of Solutrean regional variability and its cultural implications.
- Relationship between the climate changes of the Last Glacial Maximum and human adaptations.
Who is it recommended for?
This monograph is aimed at archaeologists, prehistorians, university students of History and Archaeology, as well as specialists in the Paleolithic. It is also of interest to advanced enthusiasts of Prehistory who are looking for a rigorous and updated reference work on the Cantabrian Solutrean.
What this book contributes
- A renewed and critical view of the Basque-Cantabrian Solutrean, based on the direct study of archaeological materials.
- An interpretive model that integrates technological, economic, and environmental data to understand the dynamics of prehistoric societies.
- Detailed and contextualized information on reference sites and collections in peninsular archaeology.
- An essential reference tool for researchers and students working on the Prehistory of northern Spain.
Technical Details
- Author: Guy Straus, Lawrence
- Publisher: Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. Area o
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: PREHISTORIC ARCHAEOLOGY
- Collection: MONOGRAPHS. MUSEUM AND RESEARCH CENTER
- Binding: Other
- Publication date: January 1983
- Number of pages: 173
- Weight: 1000 g
Editorial Review
This is a reference work within the studies of the peninsular Upper Paleolithic, published by the Altamira Museum in its monograph series. Although it was published in 1983, its methodological approach and the depth of its analysis keep it a relevant text for specialists. Its value lies in the systematization of data from multiple sites and in the proposal of an interpretive perspective that continues to be discussed in current literature. Recommended for those seeking a solid and documented foundation on the Cantabrian Solutrean.