Papers by Davide Delpiano
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2020
The early onset of weaning in modern humans has been linked to the high nutritional demand of bra... more The early onset of weaning in modern humans has been linked to the high nutritional demand of brain development that is intimately connected with infant physiology and growth rate. In Neanderthals, ontogenetic patterns in early life are still debated, with some studies suggesting an accelerated development and others indicating only subtle differences vs. modern humans. Here we report the onset of weaning and rates of enamel growth using an unprecedented sample set of three late (∼70 to 50 ka) Nean-derthals and one Upper Paleolithic modern human from northeastern Italy via spatially resolved chemical/isotopic analyses and histomorphometry of deciduous teeth. Our results reveal that the modern human nursing strategy, with onset of weaning at 5 to 6 mo, was present among these Neanderthals. This evidence, combined with dental development akin to modern humans, highlights their similar metabolic constraints during early life and excludes late weaning as a factor contributing to Neanderthals' demise.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2021
Bone retouchers are present in the human toolkit throughout the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic and... more Bone retouchers are present in the human toolkit throughout the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic and appear in many contexts across Europe, sometimes in association with heavily retouched stone tools. Here we present the complete assemblage of bone retouchers recovered in the Mousterian Quina site of De Nadale Cave in the north of Italy dated to the onset of MIS 4. The results show that this assemblage is consistent – both in morphological and technological features - with bone retouchers recovered in the rest of Europe. The predominance of cervid and bovid limb bones is observed, and the study of the retouch-induced stigmata reveals intense modification of the lithic industry carried out on-site. This analysis contributes to our understanding of Neanderthal cultural and economic choices in the Quina complex in Europe.
Plos One, 2020
In the Late Middle Paleolithic of Central Europe, two main cultural complexes have been distingui... more In the Late Middle Paleolithic of Central Europe, two main cultural complexes have been distinguished: the Micoquian or Keilmessergruppe (KMG), and the Mousterian. Their differences mainly consist in the frequence of some retouched tools and the presence of bifacial technology. When these industries coexist, one element of discussion is the application of different concepts to manufacture tools with the same techno-functionality. This is particularly true for backed artifacts, such as Keilmesser (backed, asymmetrical bifacially-shaped knives) opposed to flake-tools equipped with a natural or knapped back. We conducted a techno-functional analysis of the backed tools from the G-Layer-Complex of Sesselfels-grotte, one of the main Late Middle Paleolithic sequences in Central Europe, characterized by a combination of KMG and Mousterian aspects. In order to better understand the mor-pho-metrical data, 3D scans were used for recording technical features and performing semi-automatic geometric morphometrics. Results indicate that the techno-functional schemes of Keilmesser show a moderate variability and often overlap with the schemes of other typological groups. Within bifacial backed knives, a process of imitation of unifacial flake tools' functionaly was recognized particularly in the cutting edge manufacturing. Keil-messer proved to be the long-life, versatile version of backed flake-tools, also due to the recurrent valence as both tool and core. This is why Keilmesser represent an ideal strategic blank when a mobile and multi-functional tool is needed. Based on these data, it is assumed that the relationship between Mousterian and KMG is deeply rooted and the emergence of KMG aspects could be related to constrained situations characterizing the long cold stages of the Early Weichselian. A higher regional mobility caused by the comparably low predictability of resources characterized the subsistence tactics of Neanderthal groups especially at the borders of their overall distribution. For this reason, Keilmesser could have represented an ecological answer before possibly becoming a marker of cultural identity.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 12(9), 2020
Bone retouchers are an important behavioural marker in the definition of several Lower, Middle an... more Bone retouchers are an important behavioural marker in the definition of several Lower, Middle and Upper Palaeolithic cultural complexes. However, their relationship with the assemblages of knapped stone artefacts is still to be investigated particularly in specific but not uncommon lithic contexts of the Middle Palaeolithic in Europe. This paper offers insights to evaluate the use of bone retouchers in a context of Discoid lithic technology, a significant cultural expression largely spread in many regions during MIS3. The study case is the lithic and osseous assemblage of unit A9 at Fumane Cave, in north-eastern Italy. A detailed analysis of the bone retouchers is presented for the first time; their technological features are then correlated with the characteristic of the retouch observed on the lithic tools recovered in the same unit. The study contributes to complete a picture of Neanderthal economic behaviour.
Quaternary International, 2019
Defining the processes involved in the technical/cultural shifts from the Late Middle to the Earl... more Defining the processes involved in the technical/cultural shifts from the Late Middle to the Early Upper Palaeolithic in Europe (~50-39 thousand years BP) is one of the most important tasks facing prehistoric studies. Apart from the technological diversity generally recognised as belonging to the latter part of the Middle Palaeolithic, some assemblages showing original technological traditions (i.e. Initial Upper Palaeolithic: Bohunician, Bachokirian; so called transitional industries: Châtelperronian, Szeletian, Lincombian-Ranisian-Jerzmanowician, Uluzzian; Early Upper Palaeolithic: Protoaurignacian, Early Aurignacian) first appear during this interval.
Explaining such technological changes is a crucial step in order to understand if they were the result of the arrival of new populations, the result of parallel evolution, or of long-term processes of cultural and biological exchanges.
In this debate Italy plays a pivotal role, due to its geographical position between eastern and western Mediterranean Europe as well as to it being the location of several sites showing Late Mousterian, Uluzzian and Protoaurignacian evidence distributed across the Peninsula.
Our study aims to provide a synthesis of the available lithic evidence from this key area through a review of the evidence collected from a number of reference sites. The main technical features of the Late Mousterian, the Uluzzian and the Protoaurignacian traditions are examined from a diachronic and spatial perspective.
Our overview allows the identification of major differences in the technological behaviour of these populations, making it possible to propose a number of specific working hypotheses on the basis of which further studies can be carried out.
This study presents a detailed comparative study of the whole corpus of the lithic production strategies documented during this interval, and crucial element thus emerge: 1. In the Late Mousterian tools were manufactured with great attention being paid to the production phases and with great investment in inizializing and managing core convexities; 2. In contrast, Uluzzian lithic production proceeded with less careful management of the first phases of debitage, mainly obtaining tool morphologies by retouching. 3. In the Protoaurignacian the production is carefully organized and aimed at obtaining laminar blanks (mainly bladelets) usually marginally retouched.
These data are of primary importance in order to assess the nature of the "transition" phenomenon in Italy, thus contributing to the larger debate about the disappearance of Neandertals and the arrival of early Modern Humans in Europe.
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2019
The production of prepared backed artifacts during the Paleolithic is recognized as an important ... more The production of prepared backed artifacts during the Paleolithic is recognized as an important step in the design of stone tools for manual activities and the development of human tool ergonomics. Backed artifacts are generally identified as proxies of so-called “modern” behavior, partly because they tend to be associated with systematic hafting, but mostly because they are widespread within Middle Stone Age (MSA) or Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP) assemblages attributed to anatomically modern humans. However, in Europe these tools were first manufactured by Neanderthal groups associated with the Mousterian of Acheulean Tradition (MAT) techno-complex and Discoid and Levallois technologies, using a range of flake blanks. Investigating the reasons for this behavioral leap forward can help to unravel the development and diffusion of various aspects defining the behavioral complexity of Paleolithic humans. In this paper we present a detailed analysis of one of the oldest and richest collections of prepared backed items preserved in Europe. We study several dozens of what – in a broad sense – are considered backed artifacts, with both natural and predetermined knapped backs, recovered from unit A9 at Fumane Cave, which is dated to at least 47.6 cal ky, and is characterized by discoid technology. Our
methodology integrates results obtained from technological, techno-functional and use-wear analyses, further supported by experimental data. Two distinctive types of anthropogenic modifications have been identified, both aimed at creating a back or at modifying and accommodating an already existing back. By cross-checking our results with use-wear data, we show that some of these modifications were aimed at adjusting the shapes of the tools (knives and/or scrapers) for manual handling, although traces consistent with hafting have been recognized on a few specimens. Contextual information allows us to infer that these adjustments involved mainly tools used in precision activities, whose design and production implies varying levels of expertise and technical skills. Although still not systematic or standardized, the kinds of complex tool-making implied by backing can be considered as typical feature in the technological repertoires of late Neanderthals.
Quaternary International, 2019
The final Middle Palaeolithic of northern Italy is almost exclusively known based on pluristratifie... more The final Middle Palaeolithic of northern Italy is almost exclusively known based on pluristratified sites in caves or rock shelter, which attest a certain technological variability within the Mousterian through the adoption of different knapping methods focused on the production of flakes or blades. The almost total lack of specialized and/or short-term open-air sites framed at this stage contributes to create a fragmentary and incomplete picture with regard to the last Neanderthal occupation of the area. For this reason, the Monte Netto site, an isolated hill at the northern margin of the Po Plain and at the foot of the Prealps, represents a key deposit to investigate this phase. Along the loess-palaeosoil sequence, investigated from a geochronological and pedological point of view, frequentations by Mousterian Neanderthal groups are attested at two different times, of which the most consistent is: associated to sediments dated to 44,400 ± 5.4 ky BP. The findings confirm the sporadic frequentation of marginal open areas during the cold, arid and highly fluctuating climate of the MIS 3, providing a more complete picture of the human occupation along the Po Plain Loess Basin (PPLB). An interregional comparison points out the clear intention, by the last Neanderthal groups of the Po Plain, of producing elongated supports by applying different methods, within a varied and organized system of resources exploitation evidenced by the selection of raw materials coming from more than 60 km.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2019
The knapping methods used between the Middle and Upper Paleolithic show a progressive technical r... more The knapping methods used between the Middle and Upper Paleolithic show a progressive technical refinement that usually implies, for blade technology, a higher conceptual level related to greater productive effectiveness and capacity of adaptation. The analysis of multiple refittings, providing direct information on core reduction modalities, can be useful in order to clarify these aspects, especially when the findings are framed in their respective finding contexts. In addition, the virtual analysis of multiple refittings can expand considerably the information baggage of these tools in order to infer information on the volumetric structuration of the reduction, the sequences productivity, and the analysis of the missing products (voids) within the refittings. All this allows to overcome the physical limitations typical of multiple refittings, making possible the full exploitation of their potentials. The two examined case studies, coming from different contexts of the northern Italian Paleolithic, allow to deepen the theoretical concepts and practical applications of discoid and laminar volumetric reduction, characterized by different technical and behavioral implications. The three-dimensional approach made possible to identify and reconstruct actions, expedients, objectives of the sequences, and the formation dynamics of finding contexts, highlighting technological behaviors directly related to the site’s function and the occupation length. Finally, a different degree of dependence on strictly ecological factors has been recognized for laminar and discoid technologies.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2019
In attempt to enlighten the debate on the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition, this work cont... more In attempt to enlighten the debate on the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition, this work contributes new data from a yet unpublished site, Riparo Broion in the north-east of Italy. Studies confirm the presence of the Uluzzian technocomplex embedded in an archaeological sequence which includes Mousterian, Gravettian and Epigravettian. These layers have yielded finds of bone and lithic technology, shell beads, engraved portable art and the use of red mineral pigments, which make this archive a unique case for evaluating the implications of cultural dynamics in Northern Italy 44.0-42.4 ky BP. The diversity of the faunal assemblage recovered in layers 1f and 1g is representative of the different environments surrounding the site, with ungulates being targeted for hunting and consumption. The lithic assemblage records a high fragmentation rate due to the extensive use of the bipolar knapping technique, responsible for a large variety of splintered pieces and associated chips which also affected the backed pieces, lunates and end-scrapers. The features of the bone tools, as well as those of the marine and freshwater beads echo the technique used in the Uluzzian in the south of Italy, confirming the geographic spread of this technocomplex in the North-Adriatic region, as previously envisaged at Grotta Fumane. However, comparisons between these two sites stimulate a discussion around the possible driving forces responsible for the differences observed in technological, typological and structural lithic assemblages. A definitive scenario for the MP-UP transition in this region of Southern Europe is on-going and Riparo Broion is adding key contributions.
The Gravettian settlements of Europe are considered as an expression of human adaptation to harsh... more The Gravettian settlements of Europe are considered as an expression of human adaptation to harsh climates. In Southern Europe, however, favorable vegetation-climate conditions supported hunters-gatherer subsistence and the maintenance of their large-scale networks. This was also the case of the North-Adriatic plain and the Apennine mountain ridge in Italy. Traditionally considered lacking evidence, the northern part of the Apennine ridge has recently yielded the Early Gravet-tian site of Piovesello, located at 870 m a.s.l. Survey and excavation revealed lithic artifacts in primary position embedded in loamy sediments. Radiocarbon dating, anthracological and extended palynological and microcharcoal analyses have been integrated to reconstruct the palaeoecological context of this camp which was probably positioned above the timber-line in an arid rocky landscape, bounding the fronts of local glaciers close to their maximum expansion at the time of Greenland Stadial (GS) 5 (32.04-28.9 ka cal BP). Human activity left ephemeral traces represented by lithic artefacts, charcoal, and the introduction of radiolarites from sources in proximity to the site and of chert from very far western sources. Evidence from Piovesello contributes to the reconstruction of human and vegetation ecology during Late Pleistocene glaciations and also provides hints for the historical biogeography of petrophytic plants and their orographic relics in the northern Apennine.
Journal of Anthropological Sciences
Neanderthal groups developed different models of mobility and exploitation of resources across th... more Neanderthal groups developed different models of mobility and exploitation of resources across their territory: these differences can be linked to various knapping methods and are probably related to adaptative strategies and responses at many ecological and cultural levels. Neanderthals associated with Discoid knapping are known to depend on an opportunistic exploitation of lithic raw materials for daily food procurement and be more mobile than others using different technologies. However, we have no defined data for most of the geographical contexts where this technocomplex was found. This study analyzes the southern Alpine site of Grotta di Fumane, where the final Mousterian is characterized by the succession of well defined cultural entities. Unit A9 presents with entirely Discoid technology and is embedded between fully Levallois levels. The level was recently extensively investigated for almost 68m 2 on 9,000 lithic pieces. To study the lithic assemblage of Unit A9 we applied a techno-economical analysis designed to infer the spatial fragmentation of the reduction sequences, and results were corroborated through the characterization of cortex and raw materials based on geological surveys and experimental comparisons. Results show that raw materials collected within a radius of 5km, by far the most frequently used, exhibit complete and ordinary reduction sequences, which were further attested by multiple refittings. Beyond this area, semi-local raw materials (5-10 km) are introduced to perform specific tasks, and are reduced according to their different physical qualities. These data, combined with the presence of lithotypes and fossils collected from longer distances (ten to hundreds of kilometers), and to the recycling of old patinated artifacts, indicate a complex and diversified behavior encompassing both: a) opportunistic and daily residential exploitation within a local territory; b) logistical planning of the economical organization in the semi-local to exotic territory according to quality and distance of available raw materials sources.
Results produced from 2014 and 2016 archaeological campaigns at Fumane Cave are here presented. T... more Results produced from 2014 and 2016 archaeological campaigns at Fumane Cave are here presented. The campaigns have been devoted to the excavation of contexts A11 and A10, lying at the base of the Macro-unit A Mousterian sequence with an estimated date of >48 ka cal BP. The excavation took place in the eastern part of the cave entrance with a combined total area of 6 m 2 : this allowed discovering a sequence of thin subunits rich in archaeological findings. Several structures of combustion had been revealed throughout the whole stratigraphic sequence. Faunal remains provide evidence of human exploitation and an overall similarity with the overlied unit A9. On the contrary, the lithic industry is markedly different showing the prevalence of Levallois method, mainly the unipolar modality producing elongated blanks, over the Discoid method which appears only in the higher part of the A10 sequence. The important results achieved reveal the significance of units A10 and A11 in defining Late Neanderthals behaviour in the Central Mediterranean area and stimulate further investigations.
FOLD&R Fasti On Line Documents & Research, 397, 2017
Results produced from 2014 and 2016 archaeological campaigns at Fumane Cave are here presented. T... more Results produced from 2014 and 2016 archaeological campaigns at Fumane Cave are here presented. The campaigns have been devoted to the excavation of contexts A11 and A10, lying at the base of the Macro-unit A Mousterian sequence with an estimated date of >48 ka cal BP. The excavation took place in the eastern part of the cave entrance with a combined total area of 6 m2: this allowed discovering a sequence of thin subunits rich in archaeological findings. Several structures of combustion had been revealed throughout the whole stratigraphic sequence. Faunal remains provide evidence of human exploitation and an overall similarity with the overlied unit A9. On the contrary, the lithic industry is markedly different showing the prevalence of Levallois method, mainly the unipolar modality producing elongated blanks, over the Discoid method which appears only in the higher part of the A10 sequence. The important results achieved reveal the significance of units A10 and A11 in defining Late Neanderthals behaviour in the Central Mediterranean area and stimulate further investigations.
A Diversified Approach in Emilia, ltaly lntroduction §pically small cultural heritage sites that ... more A Diversified Approach in Emilia, ltaly lntroduction §pically small cultural heritage sites that do not attract broad masses of tourists suffer most in terms of adequate evaluation. Management of such sites should be oriented towards an integrated approach, taking in account the social and economic fabric of the region.
Lithic refitting studies can produce highly detailed data on knapping technologies and cores redu... more Lithic refitting studies can produce highly detailed data on knapping technologies and cores reduction strategies, human skills, natural and cultural formation processes, lithic economy, and intra-site land-use. However, lithic refitting analysis is notoriously time-consuming and can be tricky when the specimens must be handled in the search for refits; moreover, estimation of volumes, angles, convexities, cross-sections, and missing pieces can prove difficult. In our opinion, the 3D tool could be used in order to address these problems. We applied this approach to an archaeological sample, performing a multiple refitting analysis on a virtual support. This enabled better preservation of the original pieces, easier handling, a more complete interaction with the model, and finally, better exploration of the archaeological information, including the virtual reconstruction of the missing pieces. Moreover, thanks to the 3D support the ease with which these data can be disseminated negates the limitations caused by distance and subjectivity.
Please cite this article in press as: Delpiano, D., Peresani, M., Exploring Neanderthal skills an... more Please cite this article in press as: Delpiano, D., Peresani, M., Exploring Neanderthal skills and lithic economy. The implication of a refitted Discoid reduction sequence reconstructed using 3D virtual analysis. C. R. Palevol (2017), http://dx.
La campagna di scavo 2012 a Grotta di Fumane, aperta dal 3 Luglio al 29 Settembre, si è incentrat... more La campagna di scavo 2012 a Grotta di Fumane, aperta dal 3 Luglio al 29 Settembre, si è incentrata sul settore atriale occidentale della cavità, interessando un'area di circa 12 m ² , nel settore predisposto nel 2008. Gli scavi, che si sono concentrati sul livello musteriano A9, sono stati diretti dell'Università degli Studi di Ferrara in concessione ministeriale, con il supporto di numerosi studenti e ricercatori provenienti da diversi atenei. La ricerca ha beneficiato del supporto finanziario di: Comunità di Credito Cooperativo della Valpolicella, Albino Armani winegrovers. Il supporto logistico è stato fornito dal Comune di Fumane.
A-This article presents the results of archaeological exploration at De Nadale Cave, a new Late M... more A-This article presents the results of archaeological exploration at De Nadale Cave, a new Late Middle Palaeolithic site recently discovered in the Berici Hills, a karstic plateau in the northeast of Italy. A first survey and field campaigns have brought to light a small cavity almost totally filled with sediments embedding one single Mousterian layer sandwiched by sediments avoid of any relevant archaeological remains. A large herbivore tooth has been U-Th dated, with a minimum age of 70.2 +1/-0.9 ky BP. Several economic and cultural aspects make this site peculiar with respect to the others at the regional scale. The faunal remains record the abundance of large ungulates, mostly Megaloceros giganteus, but also Cervus elaphus and Bos/Bison. Their bone surfaces bear traces of human modification produced during skinning, dismembering, and fracturing of the carcasses and the long bone shafts for marrow recovery. There is a high number of bone retouchers in proportion to the fragmented shafts, used for shaping and rejuvenating different types of scrapers. The lithic industry shows typical Quina characteristics in its technology and typology, with several thin and thick scrapers made of non-local flint due to its absence in proximity of the site. Ongoing research will investigate in more detail a so specific evidence in the Middle Palaeolithic of the North-Adriatic rim. Z-Der Beitrag stellt Ergebnisse von Sondagen in der neu entdeckten De Nadale Höhle vor. Es handelt sich um eine Fundstelle des späten Mittelpaläolithikums in den Berici-Bergen, einem Karstplateau in Nordostitalien. Im Rahmen einer ersten Ausgrabung wurde die vollständig mit Sediment gefüllt Höhle untersucht. Eingebettet in sterile Schichten wurde eine moustérienzeitliche Fundschicht angetroffen. Der Zahn eines großen Herbivoren aus der Fundschicht konnte mit Hilfe der Uran-Thorium-Methode auf ein Mindestalter von 70 200 +1 000/-900 Jahre BP datiert werden. Einige technologische und kulturelle Besonderheiten zeichnen den Fundplatz im Vergleich zu anderen Fundplätzen in der Region aus. Die Faunenreste belegen das Vorkommen von großen Huftieren, hauptsächlich Megalocerus giganteus sowie Cervus elaphus und Boviden. Die Oberflächen der Knochen zeigen deutliche Schnitt-und Schlagspuren vom Häuten und Zerlegen der Tiere sowie vom Aufschlagen der Langknochen zur Markgewinnung. Im Vergleich zu den vorhandenen Schaftfragmenten liegt eine hohe Zahl von Knochenretuscheuren vor, die offenbar zur Formgebung und Nachschärfung verschiedener Schabertypen eingesetzt wurden. Das Steingeräteinventar weist typische Merkmale des Moustérien vom Typ Quina auf mit mehreren dünnen und dicken Schabern aus nicht-lokalem Silex. Weitere Untersuchungen sind geplant, um mehr Daten zur Beurteilung dieses mittelpaläolithischen Fundplatzes des nordadriatischen Bogens zu gewinnen.
The development of open-air cultural heritage and archaeological areas is based upon their optima... more The development of open-air cultural heritage and archaeological areas is based upon their optimal safeguarding and management, and through the public awareness they generate. In this paper, considering different management issues and end goals, we will demonstrate how, through cooperation among specialized professionals, local authorities and the public, it is possible to revitalize public areas with distinct cultural heritage features. Case studies of two sites are considered, both managed by our volunteer archaeological group: the first is the site of Luceria, a Roman vicus located in a hilly rural area, while the second is the St. Paul Garden, an urban green space connected with indoor classical and medieval archaeological excavations. Our current effort is to create a broad range of activities in order to take advantage of the full potential of these areas. The activities are centred on public awareness, and include educational initiatives, experimental reconstructions, safeguarding the historical and archaeological heritage, and informing the public about it. The network of small archaeological sites we are working on is a self-sustainable approach in order to overcoming each area's weak points.
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Papers by Davide Delpiano
Explaining such technological changes is a crucial step in order to understand if they were the result of the arrival of new populations, the result of parallel evolution, or of long-term processes of cultural and biological exchanges.
In this debate Italy plays a pivotal role, due to its geographical position between eastern and western Mediterranean Europe as well as to it being the location of several sites showing Late Mousterian, Uluzzian and Protoaurignacian evidence distributed across the Peninsula.
Our study aims to provide a synthesis of the available lithic evidence from this key area through a review of the evidence collected from a number of reference sites. The main technical features of the Late Mousterian, the Uluzzian and the Protoaurignacian traditions are examined from a diachronic and spatial perspective.
Our overview allows the identification of major differences in the technological behaviour of these populations, making it possible to propose a number of specific working hypotheses on the basis of which further studies can be carried out.
This study presents a detailed comparative study of the whole corpus of the lithic production strategies documented during this interval, and crucial element thus emerge: 1. In the Late Mousterian tools were manufactured with great attention being paid to the production phases and with great investment in inizializing and managing core convexities; 2. In contrast, Uluzzian lithic production proceeded with less careful management of the first phases of debitage, mainly obtaining tool morphologies by retouching. 3. In the Protoaurignacian the production is carefully organized and aimed at obtaining laminar blanks (mainly bladelets) usually marginally retouched.
These data are of primary importance in order to assess the nature of the "transition" phenomenon in Italy, thus contributing to the larger debate about the disappearance of Neandertals and the arrival of early Modern Humans in Europe.
methodology integrates results obtained from technological, techno-functional and use-wear analyses, further supported by experimental data. Two distinctive types of anthropogenic modifications have been identified, both aimed at creating a back or at modifying and accommodating an already existing back. By cross-checking our results with use-wear data, we show that some of these modifications were aimed at adjusting the shapes of the tools (knives and/or scrapers) for manual handling, although traces consistent with hafting have been recognized on a few specimens. Contextual information allows us to infer that these adjustments involved mainly tools used in precision activities, whose design and production implies varying levels of expertise and technical skills. Although still not systematic or standardized, the kinds of complex tool-making implied by backing can be considered as typical feature in the technological repertoires of late Neanderthals.
Explaining such technological changes is a crucial step in order to understand if they were the result of the arrival of new populations, the result of parallel evolution, or of long-term processes of cultural and biological exchanges.
In this debate Italy plays a pivotal role, due to its geographical position between eastern and western Mediterranean Europe as well as to it being the location of several sites showing Late Mousterian, Uluzzian and Protoaurignacian evidence distributed across the Peninsula.
Our study aims to provide a synthesis of the available lithic evidence from this key area through a review of the evidence collected from a number of reference sites. The main technical features of the Late Mousterian, the Uluzzian and the Protoaurignacian traditions are examined from a diachronic and spatial perspective.
Our overview allows the identification of major differences in the technological behaviour of these populations, making it possible to propose a number of specific working hypotheses on the basis of which further studies can be carried out.
This study presents a detailed comparative study of the whole corpus of the lithic production strategies documented during this interval, and crucial element thus emerge: 1. In the Late Mousterian tools were manufactured with great attention being paid to the production phases and with great investment in inizializing and managing core convexities; 2. In contrast, Uluzzian lithic production proceeded with less careful management of the first phases of debitage, mainly obtaining tool morphologies by retouching. 3. In the Protoaurignacian the production is carefully organized and aimed at obtaining laminar blanks (mainly bladelets) usually marginally retouched.
These data are of primary importance in order to assess the nature of the "transition" phenomenon in Italy, thus contributing to the larger debate about the disappearance of Neandertals and the arrival of early Modern Humans in Europe.
methodology integrates results obtained from technological, techno-functional and use-wear analyses, further supported by experimental data. Two distinctive types of anthropogenic modifications have been identified, both aimed at creating a back or at modifying and accommodating an already existing back. By cross-checking our results with use-wear data, we show that some of these modifications were aimed at adjusting the shapes of the tools (knives and/or scrapers) for manual handling, although traces consistent with hafting have been recognized on a few specimens. Contextual information allows us to infer that these adjustments involved mainly tools used in precision activities, whose design and production implies varying levels of expertise and technical skills. Although still not systematic or standardized, the kinds of complex tool-making implied by backing can be considered as typical feature in the technological repertoires of late Neanderthals.
L'obiettivo principale sarà quindi quello di cercare di fornire un ampio quadro, il più possibile comprensivo di tutti i periodi storici dell’antichità, che, utilizzando tutti gli strumenti e i metodi della ricerca storico-archeologica, metta in luce l’importanza e la complessità delle ricerche su questo territorio.
In ragione del vasto taglio cronologico sono, allo stesso tempo, necessari anche alcuni approfondimenti sui territori limitrofi alla Val Tidone, nell'ottica di un confronto aperto e necessario con le realtà vicine.
Da ultimo, ma non meno importante, questo incontro sarà l'occasione per potersi confrontare su i temi della valorizzazione e della crescita dell'offerta culturale del nostro comprensorio, promuovendo il dialogo tra i vari intervenuti e l'elaborazione di proposte concrete.
Why did late Neanderthals who inhabited Europe manufacture their knives using such diverse procedures? In this volume, Davide Delpiano explores the strategies of Neanderthals, who were able to modulate their production according to functional objectives and environmental constraints, and highlights some of their major technical innovations. The volume includes extended chapter summaries in English.