Lithics from the lower gallery at La Garma (Zone IV): new data for an understanding of a Magdalenian site

• Lithic industry provides key information for understanding the Magdalenian occupation in Zon IV. • A technological analysis of the retouched and unretouched artefacts is carried out. • The study of the raw materials suggests a long-distance circulation. • Technological and raw material analysis reinforces the interpretation of symbolic activities in Zone IV The lithic assemblage recovered from Zone IV in the Lower Gallery at La Garma (Cantabria, Spain) is described in terms of raw material procurement (provenance of materials and the relative presence of different flint varieties within the chaîne opératoire ), reduction sequences and retouching activities conducted in situ , and the interaction of the lithic implements in the assemblage with other categories of archaeological remains such as hide, hard animal matter and plants. This paper presents key information for understanding in greater detail the nature of the Magdalenian occupation in Zone IV, which is exceptional due to its state of preservation. The results are discussed within the context of the archaeological complex of La Garma, using a contemporaneous Magdalenian occupation at La Garma A as a comparative element. Finally, lithic technology evidence from Zone IV is evaluated in relation to the Middle Magdalenian in Cantabrian Spain as a whole.