This book presents the study of a natural region, the Alto Almanzora, in the north of the province of Almería (Spain), in which 6 campaigns of systematic archaeological prospection were carried out. It is a large basin of 1675 km², at the eastern end of the Betic Cordillera, which slopes towards the Mediterranean Sea, with large differences in altitude between its mountainous edges (reaching over 2000 m a.s.l.) and the valley floor. Its geological formation has provided all kinds of lithic, mineral, forest, agricultural and pastureland resources, in addition to its water resources. All this constitutes a mosaic of different environments and contrasts over short distances. This work presents a historical study on an area of the Southeast of the peninsula that constituted a research gap, considering the societies that occupied it for more than 4000 years until the end of the Roman occupation.

The authors expose the theoretical-methodological assumptions that formed the basis of the study, the previous documentation, the analysis of the obtained data and finally its interpretation, coherent with all the above. The results of the Thermoluminescence analysis were essential for this long-term diachronic study. Other specific studies on archaeological elements such as carved lithic industry and archaeometallurgy are also included.