The Incidence of Potential Insolation on Settlement Dynamics and Site Location Preferences: A Case Study From the Cantabrian Late Palaeolithic

Abstract

This paper proposes a specific methodology for calculating the potential insolation received by a set of Late Palaeolithic (Upper Magdalenian and Azilian) sites in western Cantabria (northern Iberia). The goal of this study is to test whether insolation is linked to the mobility strategies of foraging communities, and if insolation is a conditioning factor when choosing settlement areas or the season in which they are occupied. The potential insolation at the sites is then compared to the available archaeological evidence in order to test if a correspondence exists between the sites' season of occupation and the insolation they each receive during the year.