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ABSTRACTThe characterization of chert artifacts and the identification of their raw material is a pivotal issue in archaeology for the comprehension of economic and territorial patterns related to prehistoric populations. In the last years, several analytical techniques have been employed to characterize chert and discriminate among different provenances. In this study, cherts collected from different outcrops exploited since the Prehistory in the area of Alcoi (Alacant, Spain) were analyzed. Nucleus and cortex of each sample were divided and separately analyzed to determine their concentrations of major, minor and trace elements. The analyses revealed the elemental difference between both the parts of the chert and pointed out the importance of separation during sample preparation. Eventually, only the results of the nucleus analysis allowed discriminate among the different outcrops.

Tracing hunter-gatherer's mobility has been a recurring topic both in anthropological and archaeological literature. Following Binford's approach (1980), ethnographic comparisons have been brought out in order to better understand mobility patterns among Palaeolithic and Mesolithic groups, and how they relate with their environment, thus formulating a system where a main difference in mobility structure is pronounced on the distinction between residential and logistical camps.