Porto Maior (As Neves, Galicia) is currently the oldest dated archaeological site in Galicia, with a chronology of the main occupation levels between 312,600 and 210,700 years ago. Of particular importance is level PM4, dated to around 210,000 years ago, as it is the only European case of an occupation level characterised by an extensive anthropic accumulation of large Acheulean bifaces and cleavers. This type of occupation scenario was exclusive to the African continent and the Near East, and its recognition in Porto Maior provides a key reference to prove a close relationship between the Iberian and African Acheulean.

Between the 5th and 3rd millennium BC, Western Europe was the scene of a strong production and circulation of objects (necklace beads, bracelets, axes…) made of stones of an intense green colour, such as variscite or jadeite. From their sources of origin – located in different parts of the Iberian Peninsula (Barcelona, Huelva, Zamora…) and Europe (Italian Alps) – these objects travelled by land and sea over hundreds or even thousands of kilometres. In this conference, we will explore the manufacturing contexts of these pieces and how they spread to reach human groups in different parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Europe. We will also discuss the possible reasons why these greenstone objects were so appreciated by the Neolithic communities of our continent.