The development of spatial technologies (GPS, remote sensing, digital cartography, aerial photogrammetry and GIS) allows excellent documentation in archaeological site locations, as well as topographic and environmental reconstructions. Similarly, the application of spatial analyses to archaeological evidence, such as site distribution, site viewshed, movement modelling, etc. has provided archaeologists with large, complete and diversified corpus of data.

However, those data set are usually treated as a research goal and as a final result, without any previous theoretical reflections on the historical and anthropological issues to be studied and which methodology is the most suitable to address those issues. At the same time, archaeological interpretations and social models are usually based on preconceived models, without a critical integration between spatial analyses results, archaeological evidence and theoretical paradigms.

The main aim of this work is to discuss the need for the development of a specific methodology for the analysis of the location and characteristics of Palaeolithic sites, as well as the importance of a regional and integrative perspective for a better understanding of forager societies land use patterns and mobility strategies. A case study from the Nalón basin is presented here as an example of the possibilities of the application of this methodology and perspective.