From hunter-gatherer subsistence strategies to the Agricultural Revolution: Disentangling Energy Regimes as a complement to cultural phases in Northern Spain

The Holocene is defined by the impact of agricultural societies on their natural environments and resources, a paradigmatic shift triggered Agricultural Revolution. In Cantabrian Spain, adoption sedentary economy (ca. 7000 cal yr BP) remains misunderstood, with contemporary Mesolithic Neolithic sites apparently random dispersed. Energy Regimes, time-independent functional analysis past societies, considers two cultures that cohabit and/or cooperate, based differential pattern use energy as well variation in land-use strategies. We test implement framework Regimes through targeted review, to examine hunter-gatherer subsistence strategies Spain. Archeological proxies such demography, mobility, complexity society, economy, overexploitation resources identified 95 articles books, allow us apply reexamine transitions societies. Neolithization Spain result long process started Solutrean cultural phase ca. 24,000 BP, during Last Glacial Maximum. Hunter-gatherers developed onward novel subtle changes until transition toward economy. provide new insights for other regional contexts where time-bounded analyses conceal processes Europe beyond.