SESSION 6 - Characterising lithic sources
The Escalada Formation: characterization of a potential supply source of chert during Prehistory in Cantabrian mountains (NW Spain)

Studies developed in order to characterize lithic raw materials in prehistoric sites in the Cantabrian Mountains (NW Spain) highlight the importance of chert nodules found in the Sierra de Gobezanes (Concejo de Caso, Asturias) as a potential source of supply.
The aim of this work is to define those cherts coming from the Escalada Formation and check whether both outcrops, the Sierra de Gobezanes and the Puerto de San Isidro, are equivalent. For this purpose, we will provide a characterization from various points of view, such as macroscopic and textural, with petrographic analysis of thin sections. The geological and geographic distribution of this lithology will allow us to check the exploitation area of the cited raw material during prehistory.