The study of lithic raw material procurement strategies provides critical insights into the socio-economic organization and territorial mobility patterns of prehistoric societies. This research applies a pioneering geoarchaeological approach by combining advanced analytical techniques, including polarized optical microscopy (POM), cathodoluminescence microscopy (CL), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to characterize archaeological and geological flint samples from Ardales Cave and Sima de las Palomas in southern Iberia. The results reveal a systematic exploitation of secondary deposits in nearby fluvial terraces, within a predominantly local procurement framework, occasionally complemented by supra-regional acquisition episodes. Petrographic analysis, enhanced by cathodoluminescence images, enabled an unprecedented differentiation of flint varieties and identification of their diagenetic processes, significantly refining sourcing and characterization methods in geologically complex regions such as the Betic Cordillera. This study represents a key methodological advance in geoarchaeology, demonstrating the high potential of cathodoluminescence applied to flint analysis and establishing a robust analytical framework to interpret mobility patterns, territorial interaction, and technological resource management in prehistoric contexts.

The creation of the LitUCA lithotheque represents a significant methodological advance in geoarchaeological research in the southwest of Spain. This article presents a systematic framework for the conservation, documentation, and digital integration of lithic collections, with particular emphasis on data traceability, reproducibility, and interoperability. The methodology adopted is inspired by international standards, adapted to the regional context, and incorporates rigorous protocols for sampling, analytical documentation, and a relational database system. The collection comprises over 5000 items, all of which are catalogued, photographed, and characterised both petrographically and morphometrically, with metadata being progressively aligned with FAIR principles, aiming for full compliance in the future. Preliminary analysis demonstrates the collection’s capacity to facilitate comparative studies of procurement, mobility, and lithic technological organisation. Furthermore, the digital infrastructure developed promotes remote access and fosters both academic and societal collaboration. Despite ongoing challenges regarding sample representativeness and interoperability, LitUCA stands as a scalable and versatile model for the management of lithotheques. This study highlights the importance of integrated lithotheques for scientific progress, heritage management, and interdisciplinary education.

The archaeological complex of the Benzú rock shelter and cave, located in Ceuta (Spain), represents a heritage site of significant scientific and historical value that is currently at risk due to natural processes and, in particular, the activity of a nearby quarry. This site has been occupied from the Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age and consequently has been the subject of systematic research since 2002, focusing on its stratigraphic sequence, lithic technology, exploitation of marine resources, and the connection between both shores of the Strait of Gibraltar. With the aim of preserving this endangered heritage, a methodology based on advanced digital technologies such as photogrammetry, 3D laser scanning, and GNSS georeferencing has been implemented. These tools have enabled the creation of high-precision, three-dimensional models of the rock shelter and the cave, which are useful for both documentation and monitoring of their structural condition. In addition, fracture networks have been identified, revealing a high degree of geotechnical vulnerability, exacerbated by blasting activities at the nearby quarry. The project has produced a digital twin of the site in an open access format, serving not only for preventive conservation but also for its enhancement through virtual tours, augmented reality, and accessible outreach activities. This digitalization has been essential to facilitate the access to heritage, particularly in areas that are physically difficult to access. Finally, the integration of these digital resources into institutional policies for the sustainable management of heritage is proposed, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary approaches that combine archaeology, geotechnology, and scientific communication. The experience at Benzú is presented as a replicable model for the protection, interpretation, and dissemination of heritage sites located in fragile and threatened environments.

The use of lithotheques, libraries or collections of rocks is relatively recent in archaeological research in Spain. These collections have mostly been formed through isolated initiatives in different institutions, without any scientific strategy to guide their development and growth. The perspective in the last few years has changed substantially as these infrastructures are now regarded as a scientific resource of great interest and potential in research on the mobility of human groups, their contacts, interactions, and subsistence strategies throughout prehistory. However, owing to their territorial scale, the collections had not developed joint initiatives to share data on integrated digital platforms that may be consulted in accordance with a policy of open science. This article presents the first results of a thematic network that aims to solve these deficiencies in Spain. Its first action has been to gather information from thirteen lithotheques of siliceous rocks. The results allow a first diagnosis of their potential and shortcomings, as an initial step towards the development of more extensive future collaborative strategies.

The accurate characterisation of flint in geologically complex regions remains a major challenge in geoarchaeology, particularly in secondary deposits such as fluvial terraces, where materials derived from multiple geological formations may converge. This study applies combined petrographic and cathodoluminescence (CL) microscopy to flint from the fluvial terraces of the Guadalete River (southwestern Iberian Peninsula). More than 1000 geological samples were examined macroscopically and by stereomicroscopy. A purposive subset of 120 specimens was studied in thin sections, of which 80 were additionally analysed by CL, in order to capture the principal petrographic variability observed in the secondary deposits. Four petrographic groups were identified—oolitic–peloidal flint, bioclastic flint, radiolarian flint with other biogenic components, and pelagic radiolarian flint—together with massive/dolomitised flint, a diagenetically defined type. CL revealed internal structures, carbonate relics, silicification halos and dolomitisation zones that complement transmitted-light observations and support the interpretation of replacement processes and internal variability. Its contribution varies among groups and is limited for pelagic radiolarian flint, whose identification relies primarily on conventional petrography. The integrated observations provide a geological characterisation of the flint varieties represented in the Guadalete terraces and their diagenetic histories. They do not, by themselves, permit attribution of individual specimens to a specific terrace level or demonstrate archaeological provenance. The resulting reference framework provides a basis for future comparisons with archaeological flint assemblages in the Strait of Gibraltar region.