Abstract In the Basque-Cantabrian basin, on the northern coast of Spain, a great number of carbonate-hosted Zn-Pb and Fe deposits occur at two distinct stratigraphic positions of Early Cretaceous age. Main genetic controls and features of these ore occurrences, such as their association with carbonate platform margins, sedimentary structures, high porosity, replacements, brecciated rocks, and dolomitization or ankeritization phenomena, are normally considered as typical of Mississippi Valley-type deposits (MVT). These characteristics could have been a consequence of synsedimentary tectonic activity probably related to the origin of the Cretaceous basin. A lithogeochemical survey of Lower Cretaceous sedimentary rocks, based upon 1293 analyses (which include all the major oxides and Ba, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, V, Zn, Zr) of non-mineralized rocks, was carried out in four sectors of the Bilbao Anticline in order to; (i) estimate the background contents in the samples as a function of rock-type, and (ii) identify anomalies related to carbonate-hosted Zn-Pb occurrences. The selection of both anomalous and background subsets subject to discussion was performed by using resistant non-parametric techniques (EDA: Exploratory Data Analysis), which are considered as the most appropriate when strong anomalies are expected in the geochemical dataset. The evaluation of anomalous samples indicates the presence of Zn-Pb anomalies related to known ore occurrences and as well as new anomalies which identify new target areas for more detailed investigation. A close relation between Zn-Pb anomalies and mineralized faults was observed; some of these fractures may have formed in the early stages of sedimentation.