For a fistful of geometric microliths: Reflections on the Sauveterrian industries from the upper and middle Ebro Basin (Spain)

The Sauveterrian is an industrial complex barely known in Spain. We have a little over a dozen known strati -graphic sequences, and there are very few studies about their industries. In this sense, there are many open research questions: a) about its chronological framework; b) its technological characterisation; c) its connection with the previous epipaleolithic traditions; d) its temporal evolution; and e) its relationship with the Sauveterrian industries of Western Europe. In this state of knowledge we present the main results from the study of raw materials, technology and typology of the sauveterrian levels from two upper and middle Ebro sites: Atxoste (Basque Country) and Pena 14 (Aragon). The reconstruction of the lithic industry production and management strategies carried out allows us to offer an initial characterisation of these industries in the upper and middle Ebro, and offers a good opportunity to re-evaluate this complex and reflect on how it fits into the industrial dynamics of the Iberian Peninsula, the changes and continuities it represents and its meaning.