Abric Romani

Abric Romani
Name	Abric Romani
Map type	Spain
Location	Capellades, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Type	Rock shelter
Epochs	Middle Paleolithic
Cultures	Neanderthal
Excavations	20th century–present
Archaeologists	Jordi Vila, Jean-Jacques Hublin, Emiliano Bruner

Abric Romani is a Middle Paleolithic rock shelter near Capellades in the comarca of Anoia, Barcelona province, Catalonia, Spain. The site has yielded lithic assemblages, faunal remains, and human fossils attributed to Neanderthals, contributing to debates about Middle Paleolithic behavior, cannibalism, and mortuary practice. Excavations and multidisciplinary studies have linked Abric Romani to broader research on Neanderthal populations, Paleolithic chronologies, and Iberian Pleistocene environments.

Location and site description

The shelter is situated on the left bank of the Anoia (river), within the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range near the town of Capellades, adjacent to karstic formations and caves like Cova del Toll and near the Ebro Basin margin. The rock shelter faces south-southwest and overlies a travertine terrace associated with Quaternary fluvial sequences studied in relation to the Pleistocene and the Last Glacial Maximum. The geomorphological setting connects Abric Romani to regional features such as the Garraf Massif, Montserrat (mountain), and other Paleolithic localities in Iberian Peninsula research.

Archaeological discovery and excavation history

Initial recognition of the site occurred during regional surveys by local collectors and archaeologists influenced by work at Atapuerca and Cova Negra, prompting systematic excavation campaigns beginning in the late 20th century under teams connected to the Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya and universities including the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and collaborations with institutions like the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. Key field directors included local researchers associated with projects funded by national bodies such as the Spanish National Research Council and collaborations with international scholars from the University of Cambridge and the Université de Bordeaux. Excavation methods employed stratigraphic trenching, sieving, and taphonomic analysis informed by protocols used at La Ferrassie, Le Moustier, and Zafarraya.

Stratigraphy and dating

Stratigraphic sequences at the shelter preserve multiple Middle Paleolithic layers correlated with Oxygen Isotope Stages through comparisons to chronologies from Sima de los Huesos and radiometric studies like uranium–thorium dating and electron spin resonance. Dating efforts integrated lithostratigraphic correlations with regional terraces and absolute dates that align with phases of the MIS 6 to MIS 3 sequence. Sedimentological analyses referenced approaches used at Grotte du Lazaret and Grotta di Fumane to interpret occupation intensity, site formation processes, and post-depositional disturbances documented by micromorphology specialists.

Material culture and artifacts

Lithic assemblages from Abric Romani comprise flake and retouched tool types consistent with the Levallois technique, discoidal reduction, and Mousterian variability, showing affinities with industries described from Tabun Cave, Kebara Cave, and La Chapelle-aux-Saints. Raw material procurement indicates use of local chert and transport patterns comparable to those documented at Cova Gran, Cova Foradà, and Valle de Tejada. Faunal assemblages include ungulates like horse and Capra pyrenaica, with butchery marks analyzed using comparative frameworks from Grotte XVI and Gran Dolina. Bone tools, retouched fragments, and combustion features situate Abric Romani within discussions linking technical behaviors at Spy (archaeological site), Tabun and Iberian Neanderthal sites.

Human remains and paleopathology

Human remains recovered include fragmented postcranial elements and cranial pieces attributed to Neanderthals, studied within contexts similar to research at Krapina, Kebara Cave, and La Ferrassie. Analyses involved metric comparisons with specimens such as La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 and morphometric studies using methods applied to Shanidar and Sima de las Palomas remains. Paleopathological assessments documented perimortem and antemortem modifications, debated in relation to cannibalism evidence reported at Goyet and El Sidrón, while comparative taphonomic work referenced studies from Moula-Guercy and Trois Frères.

Paleoenvironment and subsistence

Zooarchaeological and palynological data reconstruct local environments with open woodland and steppe components fluctuating with regional climatic oscillations recorded in the Loire Basin and Po Plain records. Stable isotope studies and seasonality analyses paralleled approaches used at Hohle Fels and Kostenki to infer subsistence strategies emphasizing large-mammal hunting, scavenging, and plant resource exploitation similar to patterns at Sibudu Cave and Vindija Cave. Microfaunal and botanical remains contributed to models of Neanderthal mobility and habitat use comparable to reconstructions from Cave of Cueva Morin and El Castillo.

Significance and interpretations

Abric Romani is significant for debates on Neanderthal behavior, mortuary practice, and evidence for anthropogenic bone modification within the Iberian Middle Paleolithic framework alongside sites like Zafarraya and Cova Foradà. Its lithic variability informs discussions of regional lithic traditions vis-à-vis the broader Mousterian record encompassing Le Moustier and Tabun, while human remains contribute to population-level analyses linking Iberian Neanderthals to specimens from Sima de los Huesos and Krapina. Ongoing interdisciplinary research at Abric Romani interfaces with paleoanthropological, taphonomic, and palaeoecological studies shaping interpretations of Neanderthal lifeways, resilience, and interaction with changing Pleistocene landscapes.

Category:Archaeological sites in Catalonia Category:Mousterian sites Category:Neanderthal sites