Landscape and subsistence in NW Iberia during the Middle Palaeolithic (MIS3): Faunal analysis of Cova Eirós (Triacastela, Galicia, Spain)

• Cova Eirós is a key site to understand late Mousterian occupation in NW Iberia. • The zooarchaeological study shows a broad spectrum of 31 taxa and 328 individuals. • Eastern mountains of NW Iberia served as a refuge area during late MIS 3. • Palaeoecological reconstruction suggests a cold, humid climate with forested areas. • Subsistence strategies at the site reflect a high logistical mobility. Cova Eirós is a key reference site for understanding the life of the late Neanderthal groups in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, offering an extensive Mousterian sequence with level 3 standing out due to its late chronology (c. 41 ka cal BP). Its significant zooarchaeological record is a valuable source of information when attempting to reconstruct the environment in which these late Neanderthals lived. In this study, we propose a comprehensive analysis of the macrofaunal and small vertebrates record from the aforementioned level 3 to expand our knowledge of its faunal spectrum and how it was exploited by the various agents that occupied the cave. We also conducted a paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental study employing the Bioclimatic Model and Habitat Weighting methods to reconstruct the conditions in which Neanderthal hunter-gatherers lived. The study has identified 31 taxa (NISP = 3746), with a particular emphasis on the exploitation of Cervus elaphus and Ursus spelaeus , as well as evidence of carnivores contributing smaller ungulates. The environmental reconstruction reflects a colder and slightly less humid climate, dominated by forests interspersed with open spaces. These data serve as an example of the tendency of Mousterian groups to occupy refuge areas along the Cantabrian Mountains, demonstrating that Neanderthal presence in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula during the final phase of the Mousterian took place under favourable climatic conditions.