[FR]: Valdavara 3 est un nouveau site paléontologique et archéologique du début du Pléistocène supérieur dans le Nord-Ouest de l’Ibérie. Plus de 1400 fossiles ont été collectés, représentant environ 40 espèces. La faune est d’aspect interglaciaire et correspond aux dates OSL de la couche fossilifère, qui indiquent un âge de 103–113 ka. La grande diversité taxonomique caractérise un paysage varié. Une petite collection d’artéfacts lithiques a été trouvée, associée aux fossiles témoignant de la présence humaine, et suggère de courtes visites non résidentielles à la grotte. Le site fossilifère a été principalement formé par des processus naturels. Nombre de localités fossilifères ont des listes fauniques courtes ou biaisées, mais la faune fossile retrouvée à Valdavara 3 est remarquablement diverse, et peut refléter celle qui y vivait autrefois.

[EN]: Valdavara 3 is a new early late Pleistocene paleontological and archeological cave site in northwestern Iberia. Over 1400 fossils have been collected, representing about 40 species. The fauna is of interglacial aspect and is in accordance with the OSL dates from the fossiliferous layer, which indicate an age of 103–113 ka. The great taxonomical diversity indicates a varied landscape. A small collection of lithic artifacts was found associated with the fossils, demostrating presence of humans and suggesting short non-residential visits to the cave. The fossiliferous site was predominantly formed by natural processes. Many fossil localities have short or biased faunal lists, but the fossil fauna recovered from Valdavara 3 is remarkably diverse and may reflect the fauna which once lived there.

This work was supported by the Xunta de Galicia, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (grant numbers CGL2016-80000-P/BTE, HAR2013–48784-C3-1-P and HAR2016-76760-C3-1-P) and the Generalitat de Catalunya (grant numbers SGR2009-324, SGR2014-900 and SGR2017-836). Archeological excavations at Valdavara 3 were carried out thanks to the financial support of the Xunta de Galicia, Concello de Becerreá and Canteiras do Penedo SA (CANPESA). JvdM received support from and contributes to project CGL20l5 65387-C3-3-P. M. F.-G. is beneficiary of a PhD scholarship founded under the Erasmus Mundus Programme – International Doctorate in Quaternary and Prehistory. J.M.L.-G. was supported by a Ramón y Cajal contract (RyC-2016-193860) with financial sponsorship of Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.

Peer Reviewed