06 February 2024 - João Miguel Mico Cascalheira :
Upper Palaeolithic occupations at the site of Vale Boi (Vila do Bispo, Algarve)
Synopsis
This presentation offers a comprehensive look at the adaptive strategies of ancient human populations in the Iberian Peninsula, especially around the archaeological site of Vale Boi (Vila do Bispo, Algarve), over a span of 10,000 years. Our team brings to this study over 20 years of dedicated excavation work at Vale Boi, deepening the understanding of the Upper Paleolithic period which, in this region, began around 32,000 years ago. I will showcase the unique ways these early hunter-gatherer communities tailored their lifestyles to the local environment. Notably, even as new technologies and methods emerged, these groups clung to lasting strategies, such as specialized hunting practices and the selective use of materials. The presentation delves into the ways these communities absorbed technological changes while retaining their unique regional traits, illustrating a remarkable example of cultural resilience and adaptation
This presentation offers a comprehensive look at the adaptive strategies of ancient human populations in the Iberian Peninsula, especially around the archaeological site of Vale Boi (Vila do Bispo, Algarve), over a span of 10,000 years. Our team brings to this study over 20 years of dedicated excavation work at Vale Boi, deepening the understanding of the Upper Paleolithic period which, in this region, began around 32,000 years ago. I will showcase the unique ways these early hunter-gatherer communities tailored their lifestyles to the local environment. Notably, even as new technologies and methods emerged, these groups clung to lasting strategies, such as specialized hunting practices and the selective use of materials. The presentation delves into the ways these communities absorbed technological changes while retaining their unique regional traits, illustrating a remarkable example of cultural resilience and adaptation
Bio
I am an archaeologist interested in prehistoric hunter-gatherer adaptations, specifically in how these are related to processes of climate and environmental change. I focus on the study of lithic technological organization and its correlation with various aspects of ecological dynamics and human behavior. I currently direct fieldwork in several sites within the context of my ERC Consolidator Grant - FINISTERRA: Population trajectories and cultural dynamics of the late Neanderthals in Far Western Eurasia. I am also a collaborator in different projects on the Middle and Later Stone Age in Mozambique and Sudan. Currently I am also the Director of ICArEHB, a research center for Archaeology at the University of Algarve.
I am an archaeologist interested in prehistoric hunter-gatherer adaptations, specifically in how these are related to processes of climate and environmental change. I focus on the study of lithic technological organization and its correlation with various aspects of ecological dynamics and human behavior. I currently direct fieldwork in several sites within the context of my ERC Consolidator Grant - FINISTERRA: Population trajectories and cultural dynamics of the late Neanderthals in Far Western Eurasia. I am also a collaborator in different projects on the Middle and Later Stone Age in Mozambique and Sudan. Currently I am also the Director of ICArEHB, a research center for Archaeology at the University of Algarve.
