The Transition between the Last Hunter-Gatherers and the First Farmers in Southwestern Europe: The Basque Perspective

The dynamism of the Mesolithic in the Iberian peninsula offers new perspectives for the study of the process of Neolithization. In particular, in the Basque region we observe in Early Holocene times a well-established population that received and adopted Neolithic innovations. The archaeological elements clearly indicate cultural continuity across the transition; here we deal with those related to territoriality, economy, chronology, and lithic and ceramic industries. Whatever the mechanisms by which Neolithic innovations were accessed, these changes were accepted by autochthonous groups that in turn adapted them according to own their tastes and technologies (e.g., with regard to lithic manufacture and pottery decoration). The model presented here is in clear opposition to the "Mediterranean Cardial colonization" model: we do not need to resort to massive demographic movements to understand the progress of the Neolithic within the Iberian peninsula.