The chronological framework for Neanderthal occupation and demise across Europe continues to be debated. In particular, there is still uncertainty regarding the nature, timing and regional expressions of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition associated with the disappearance of Neanderthals and the broader expansion of modern human populations in Europe around 42–40 thousand years ago (ka). The geographical and chronological distribution of Neanderthal populations also remains difficult to evaluate owing to the practical challenges of directly dating human fossils at many sites, and the fact that a large proportion of Neanderthals sites lie close to, or well-beyond, the limits of radiocarbon dating. Cova del Gegant – one of the few sites in north-eastern Iberian Peninsula to yield Neanderthal fossil remains, associated Mousterian archaeological layers, and occupations related to the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic transition – is a key locality for informing these ongoing debates. Here we provide a comprehensive chronological framework for the Cova del Gegant site using multiple radiometric dating techniques (uranium-thorium (U–Th), radiocarbon and luminescence dating), sedimentological and micromorphological analyses, and Bayesian modelling. This integrated chronostratigraphic approach enables us to reliably reconstruct site formation processes and history, and undertake improved correlations with other sites regionally. The results allow us to sub-divide the Cova del Gegant sequence into three sections spanning ∼94 ka to ∼32 ka, namely: a Middle Palaeolithic sequence covering ∼94–59 ka, a Châtelperronian/Aurignacian section spanning ∼43–39 ka, and a Late Aurignacian/Gravettian section spanning ∼34–32 ka. The Neanderthal fossil remains accumulated in the cave between the end of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5/MIS 4 and the beginning of MIS 3, during two different events dated to ∼72–67 ka and ∼60–52 ka. The chronological framework for Cova del Gegant is in accordance with that reported for other Middle and Upper Palaeolithic sites in north-eastern Iberian Peninsula, and reveals a record of successive human occupation coinciding with a period of progressive global cooling and lowering sea levels (end of MIS 5 through to MIS 2). Sedimentological evidence points to the emergence of a coastal platform in front of the cave and indicates that local palaeoenvironmental conditions likely benefited human displacements along the littoral margin, and favoured repeated occupation of the cave during the Late Pleistocene.

尼安德特人在整个欧洲的占领和灭亡的时间顺序框架仍在争论中。特别是，与尼安德特人的消失和大约 42-4 万年前欧洲现代人口的更广泛扩张相关的旧石器时代中期到晚期过渡的性质、时间和区域表现仍然存在不确定性（ka）。由于在许多地点直接确定人类化石年代的实际挑战，以及大部分尼安德特人地点接近或远远超出放射性碳的极限，尼安德特人的地理和时间分布也仍然难以评估。约会。Cova del Gegant - 伊比利亚半岛东北部为数不多的出产尼安德特人化石遗骸的遗址之一，相关的穆斯特考古层，以及与旧石器时代中期和晚期过渡相关的职业——是为这些正在进行的辩论提供信息的关键地点。在这里，我们使用多种放射性测年技术（铀-钍 (U-Th)、放射性碳和发光测年）、沉积学和微形态分析以及贝叶斯建模为 Cova del Gegant 站点提供了一个综合的年代框架。这种综合年代地层学方法使我们能够可靠地重建遗址形成过程和历史，并在区域内改进与其他遗址的相关性。结果使我们能够将 Cova del Gegant 序列细分为三个部分，跨度为~94 ka 到~32 ka，即：旧石器时代中期序列，覆盖~94-59 ka，Châtelperronian/Aurignacian 部分，跨度为~43-39 ka，以及跨越~34-32 ka 的晚 Aurignacian/Gravettian 剖面。尼安德特人化石在海洋同位素阶段 (MIS) 5 / MIS 4 结束和 MIS 3 开始之间的洞穴中仍然积聚，在两个不同的事件中可以追溯到~72-67 ka 和~60-52 ka。Cova del Gegant 的年代框架与伊比利亚半岛东北部其他旧石器时代中期和上部旧石器时代遗址报告的框架一致，并揭示了人类连续占领的记录与全球逐渐变冷和海平面下降的时期（末MIS 5 到 MIS 2)。沉积学证据表明在洞穴前出现了一个沿海平台，并表明当地的古环境条件可能有利于沿海地区的人类迁移，