Abstract
An unresolved issue within the debates on Neolithization processes concerns the role played by rivers. It is known that farmers and herders were capable of navigating, even over long distances. Still, the question arises to what extent this ability was applied in penetration processes. This research investigates the relationship of early Neolithic farmers with the Ebro, Rhône, and Po rivers. The question underlying the research is to what extent waterways may have played a facilitating or hindering role in the movement from coastal areas to the inland regions of the basins. Predictive, spatial, cost-based, geostatistical, and statistical analyses were employed to answer this question. The initial phase of the research focused on studying the composition of the Neolithic groups in motion. The transported livestock consisted of different species, such as ovicaprids, pigs, and cattle with cattle facing the most difficulties. Therefore, it is likely that the pace of the entire group was adjusted to accommodate the movement of bovids. A movement function based on the characteristics of cattle was developed and integrated with different raster grids to create cost maps representing different scenarios where waterways either hindered or facilitated movement. Subsequently, these scenarios were compared and discussed using statistical analyses, which indicated that in the Ebro basin, rivers likely facilitated Neolithic movement and access to inland points. In the Rhône basin, waterways' roles were variable and less clear. In the Po basin, rivers helped Neolithic groups reach the inner Padana plain, albeit less evidently.