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QuartziteArch is dedicated to archaeological artefacts made on quartzite and the humans behind. I am Alejandro Prieto, a Prehistorian working on raw materials

Joined May 2020
Photo by QuartziteArch (@QuartziteArch)Photo by QuartziteArch (@QuartziteArch)Photo by QuartziteArch (@QuartziteArch)
🧵 What can quartzite tell us about Gravettian mobility and technological organisation? Our new paper explores the role of quartzite at Level 6 of Coímbre Cave, a short-term Gravettian occupation in the Cantabrian Region. Here’s what we found 👇 xitter.cf/QuartziteArch/status/2…
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What does Coímbre tell us? Raw material variability is not just a geological background to Palaeolithic technology. It can influence procurement, mobility, technological organisation and ultimately the composition of archaeological assemblages. xitter.cf/QuartziteArch/status/2…
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📄 New paper: The role of quartzite in a Gravettian short-term camp: Insights from raw material procurement and management strategies at level 6 of Coímbre cave Prieto, A., et al. (2026). JAS: Rep 🔗 sciencedirect.com/science/ar… #Archaeology #LithicAnalysis #Geoarchaeology
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CAST: 🧵 ¿Qué puede contarnos la cuarcita sobre la movilidad y la organización tecnológica durante el Gravetiense? Nuestro nuevo trabajo explora el papel de la cuarcita en Coímbre, una ocupación gravetiense de corta duración en la Región Cantábrica Esto es hemos encontrado 👇
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En Coímbre, todos estos factores parecen estar conectados. Más que un modelo sencillo de “aprovisionamiento local vs. distante”, las evidencias apuntan hacia estrategias más complejas de movilidad y gestión de los recursos. La cuarcita fue una parte activa de este sistema.
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📄 Nuevo artículo: The role of quartzite in a Gravettian short-term camp: Insights from raw material procurement and management strategies at level 6 of Coímbre cave Prieto, A., et al. (2026). JAS: Reports 🔗 sciencedirect.com/science/ar… #Archaeology #LithicAnalysis #Geoarchaeology
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🧵 Quartzite research is challenging. Understanding its properties, origins, and role in human behaviour requires robust petrographic frameworks. Here’s how we’ve been advancing this 👇
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This work is the result of great collaborations: N. Taipale, D. Cnuts, R. Oberholzer, V. Roots (@traceolab ), J. Baena (@ArqExpUAM ), D. Álvarez-Alonso, E. Álvarez-Fernández, A. Pastoors. doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.202… #Archaeology #LithicAnalysis #Geoarchaeology
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Prieto, A., Taipale, N., Álvarez-Alonso, D., Álvarez-Fernández, E., Baena-Preysler, J., Cnuts, D., Oberholzer, R., Pastoors, A., Rots, V. The application of quartzite petrogenesis in Palaeolithic research: Methodological basis, ongoing narratives, future directions. JAS: Reps 72
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