Fabio Negrino is Associate Professor at the Department of Antiquities, Philosophy and History of the University of Genoa. His field of research is mainly focused on Italian Middle-Upper Palaeolithic, but also on Neolithic and Copper Age. He has published different papers, paying attention to the lithic production systems. He received his PhD in Rome from the University La Sapienza and was a postdoctoral research at the University of Pisa.
The Palaeolithic and the Mesolithic in Liguria - This pa- per summarises research and studies car... more The Palaeolithic and the Mesolithic in Liguria - This pa- per summarises research and studies carried out in Liguria and in the immediately neighbouring Provençal territories over the last fifty years, highlighting the rich- ness of the discoveries and new acquisitions made also through the study of old collections. Liguria was continuously inhabited by human groups throughout the Palaeolithic and the Mesolithic, given its particular geographical position, facing the upper Tyrrhenian Sea, which made it a refugium during the harshest glacial phases as well as an obligatory corridor between southern France and the Italian Peninsula. Evidence of human activity, dating back more than a million years, is known in the Grotte du Vallonet, at Menton, not far from the Italy-France border. Only few sites, characterised by the occasional presence of hand-axes and the appearance of the Levallois method, can be attributed to the Early Middle Pal- aeolithic. On the other hand, a quite large number of sites and surface finds are referable to the Late Middle Palaeolithic; some Neanderthal bone fragments are also ascribed to this phase. Evidence of one of the earliest European cultures at- tributed to the anatomically modern humans, the Protoaurignacian, has also come to light. During this phase, a circulation of siliceous raw materials covering a very wide area, from the Rhone Valley to the Adriatic Sea, is noticeable, a behaviour that remained almost unchanged until the end of the Upper Palaeolithic. The earli- est decorative elements, including several pierced seashells, abundant red ochre, formal bone tools, as well as a deciduous tooth of Homo sapiens from the Riparo Bombrini, date back to this period. To the Gravettian belongs the richest set of burials known to date in Europe, including the so-called burial of the “giovane principe” from the Caverna delle Arene Candide, as well as the presence of ob- jects of portable art, including the well-known venuses from Balzi Rossi. Also significant are the later Epigravettian remains, including the cemetery of the Cav- erna delle Arene Candide, for which a complex ritual has been highlighted, and various manifestations of rupestrian art. Related to this period is the exceptional evidence of occasional exploration, by a group of very young individuals, of the Grotta della Bàsura, in the Toiranese area. To the Mesolithic, although poorly documented, especially in its second phase, is attributed the oldest burial of a female newborn known till today in Europe, discovered in 2017 at Arma Veirana, in the inland area of Albenga, and dated to around 10,000 years ago. Liguria, like the nearby Provence, lastly saw an early arrival of Neolithic communities from Southern Italy, whose settlement determined dynamics of coexistence and inte- gration that marked the end of the hunter-gatherer’s system.
The exploitation of marine molluscs during the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic is a topic that has ... more The exploitation of marine molluscs during the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic is a topic that has been extensively investigated over the last few years, shedding light on human adaptation in coastal environments. However, such studies mainly focus on the role of marine molluscs in the subsistence practices of the hunter-fisher-gatherers of the Mediterranean Basin. Although small, non-dietary gastropods found in archaeological deposits have the potential to provide important clues regarding past human activities, their role is still little investigated. This research explores the question of whether taphonomy could be useful for the interpretation of these less conspicuous "incidental" shell remains found in archaeomalacological assemblages. In this paper we present the results of a taphonomic study carried out on a total of 314 Bittium shells recovered in the Mousterian and Protoaurignacian levels of Riparo Bombrini, a collapsed rockshelter in the Balzi Rossi Palaeolithic site complex (NW Italy). How did these small, non-dietary gastropods come to be deposited? Are they an unintentional by-product of certain harvesting techniques, or the result of a deliberate gathering? Or, could natural factors be responsible for their presence at the site? To answer these questions, different types of taphonomic processes were considered. Comparing the Bombrini archaeomalacological remains and modern shells accumulated on beaches leads us to propose that the most likely cause of their presence at the site is a correlation between Bittium shells and small sea pebbles, rather than the accidental transport of these shells with algae and seagrasses that could have been brought back to the site.
Evidence of plant food processing is a significant indicator of the human ability to exploit envi... more Evidence of plant food processing is a significant indicator of the human ability to exploit environmental resources. The recovery of starch grains associated with use-wear on Palaeolithic grinding tools offers proof of a specific technology for making flour among Pleistocene hunter-gatherers. Here we present the analysis of five grindstones from two Italian sites, Riparo Bombrini and Grotta di Castelcivita, both inhabited during a crucial phase spanning the decline of the Neanderthals and the establishment of Sapiens. The recovery of starch grains on a Mousterian grindstone at Bombrini suggests that the last Neanderthals not only consumed and processed plants but also made flour 43e41,000 years ago. Starch grains attributable to Triticeae on Protoaurignacian grindstones at both sites testify that Sapiens were processing wild cereals at least 41,500e36,500 years ago when they expanded into Eurasia, long before the dawn of agriculture. These new data suggest a profound knowledge of available plant resources in both human groups.
Our knowledge about the Palaeolithic and the Mesolithic in eastern Liguria is based almost entire... more Our knowledge about the Palaeolithic and the Mesolithic in eastern Liguria is based almost entirely on the study of artefacts collected on surface, more rarely from excavations and test pits. While there is still no clear evidence of Lower Palaeolithic, there are several sites dating back to the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic and the Mesolithic. This evidence, although incomplete and fragmentary, has nevertheless highlighted a continuity of human settlement over a very wide chronological span, from Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene, and involving different altitudinal ranges, from the sea coast to the mountains of the inland.
Personal ornaments are widely viewed as indicators of social identity and personhood. Ornaments a... more Personal ornaments are widely viewed as indicators of social identity and personhood. Ornaments are ubiquitous from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene, but they are most often found as isolated objects within archaeological assemblages without direct evidence on how they were displayed. This article presents a detailed record of the ornaments found in direct association with an Early Mesolithic buried female infant discovered in 2017 at the site of Arma Veirana (Liguria, Italy). It uses microscopic, 3D, and positional analyses of the ornaments as well as a preliminary perforation experiment to document how they were perforated, used, and what led to their deposit as part of the infant's grave goods. This study provides important information on the use of beads in the Early Mesolithic, in general, as well as the relationship between beads and young subadults, in particular. The results of the study suggest that the beads were worn by members of the infant's community for a considerable period before they were sewn onto a sling, possibly used to keep the infant close to the parents while allowing their mobility, as seen in some modern forager groups. The baby was then likely buried in this sling to avoid reusing the beads that had failed to protect her or simply to create a lasting connection between the deceased infant and her community.
This study provides a brief synthesis of the behavioural dimensions of Late Middle (Mousterian) a... more This study provides a brief synthesis of the behavioural dimensions of Late Middle (Mousterian) and Early Upper Palaeolithic (Protoau- rignacian) techno-economic strategies in Liguria. The data are drawn from the most important Ligurian sites dating to this crucial interval, with particular attention being paid to what faunal and lithic assemblages from these key deposits reveal about subsistence strategies.
Constrained by the Maritime Alps and a steep coastal shelf, Liguria served as a biogeographic cor... more Constrained by the Maritime Alps and a steep coastal shelf, Liguria served as a biogeographic corridor linking mainland Western Europe to peninsular Italy throughout the Late Pleistocene. It may also have served as a biogeographic refugium for Neanderthals, since sites in the region have yielded some of the latest Mousterian dates in Western Europe and, paradoxically, some of the earliest dates for Protoaurignacian occupations. This paper presents an overview of the Neanderthal presence in Liguria between Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 and MIS 3, with a particular focus on the record from the Balzi Rossi site complex. This permits a critical evaluation of diachronic shifts in the Neanderthal occupation of Liguria. This is followed by an analysis of new data from 'semi-sterile Mousterian' Level MS at Riparo Bombrini that show it was occupied very ephemerally by the end of the Mousterian, highlighting major late Neanderthal behavioral shifts. We conclude by proposing that this behavioral pattern is best explained by the last Neanderthals of the Balzi Rossi having occupied the region as an ecologically stable, taxon-specific in situ micro-refugium. This has implications for our understanding of Paleolithic refugia more broadly and of the social and ecological conditions in place during the terminal Mousterian period in western Liguria.
We present 3D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) imaging of the archaeological deposits at A... more We present 3D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) imaging of the archaeological deposits at Arma Veirana cave (northern Italy), to date only partially explored. The archaeological importance of the cave is due to the presence of a rich Mousterian layer, traces of Late Upper Palaeolithic (Epigravettian) temporary occupations and an Early Mesolithic burial of a female newborn. ERT is rarely employed in Palaeolithic cave contexts because Palaeolithic remains are typically disseminated in loose deposits and either do not possess high electrical resistivity contrasts or are too small to be detected. Furthermore, some issues can derive from the confined environment in caves. In this view, our study represents an opportunity to assess the capability of this geophysical method to retrieve subsurface information of Palaeolithic cave deposits and create a framework for the improvement of ERT applications in such a peculiar cave context. The aim of this study was to define the features of the deposits (i.e. geometry, thickness and sediment distribution) and to map the morphology of the underlying bedrock. Results reveal that the thickness of the deposits varies both along the primary axis of the cave and transverse to it. This study allowed the recognition of shallow, meter-sized, fine-grained sediment-filled structures with a longitudinal orientation with respect to the primary axis of the cave, as well as a possible erosional-like structure. The cross-validation of geophysical results with the archaeological evidence (the Early Mesolithic newborn burial and Epigravettian artefacts) confirms that the low-resistivity unit could be the most promising from an archaeological point of view.
Bàsura Cave (Toirano, NW Italy) became famous worldwide in 1950 for the discovery of prehistoric ... more Bàsura Cave (Toirano, NW Italy) became famous worldwide in 1950 for the discovery of prehistoric human footprints and of an impressive Ursus spelaeus bone deposit baptized by the first explorers 'Cimitero degli Orsi' (Bear Cemetery). Bear remains belonging to the deeper layer of the deposit have been left in situ and are now one of the principal attractions for visitors. A new research project aimed at re-evaluating the legacy and collections from this important cave involved the taphonomic study of the bones, along with sedimentological and micromorphological analyses and new radiocarbon dates to understand the nature and chronology of the deposit. In the present study, element quantification and state of preservation of bone surfaces displayed by distinct skeletal elements were analysed to assess the origin of bone accumulation, the composition of the assemblage in terms of age and species, and the representation of the different portions of the carcasses. Bone sorting, the orientation of skeletal elements along with oxidation pattern and micromorphological data indicate intense reworking of sediments and bones. The site can be considered among those known in Europe as representative of the last populations of U. spelaeus before the demise of this species during the Last Glacial Maximum.
An opportunistic and local choice of raw materials is typically attested in the Lower and Middle ... more An opportunistic and local choice of raw materials is typically attested in the Lower and Middle Paleolithic industries throughout Italy. The quality of the raw material usually affected the flaking technology and quality of the products. In the Upper Paleolithic and the Mesolithic, raw material procurement strategies were more complex. Flint was exploited both locally, in areas where abundant outcrops of raw materials were available (such as the Lessini mountains), and in distant localities, after which it was transported or exchanged over medium/long distances. Different routes of exchange were thus followed in the various periods; good reconstruction of these routes have been provided by a study of the Garfagnana sites in Northern Tuscany, and the Mesolithic deposit of Mondeval de Sora (Dolomites). An interesting example of a Late Upper Paleolithic flint quarry and workshop were found in Abruzzo, in the San Bartolomeo shelter. The extended trade of obsidian from Lipari, Palmarola...
The authors present a new prehistoric site recently discovered at Ortovero, near Albenga (Savona ... more The authors present a new prehistoric site recently discovered at Ortovero, near Albenga (Savona Province, Italy) in Western Liguria that can be attributed on typological grounds to the Final Epigravettian or to the Sauveterrian. The raw-material characteristics of the chipped stone artefacts resemble those stemming from the red radiolarite outcrops of Eastern Liguria, although the large number of pieces manufactured from this material and the distance from the supposed sources challenge this hypothesis. As a result of field surveys carried out over the last few years, the authors discuss the possibility of a formerly unknown source of vitreous red-coloured radiolarite outcropping in the surroundings of the site that may correspond to the Arnasco radiolarite formation outcropping near Ortovero
The evolution and development of human mortuary behaviors is of enormous cultural significance. H... more The evolution and development of human mortuary behaviors is of enormous cultural significance. Here we report a richly-decorated young infant burial (AVH-1) from Arma Veirana (Liguria, northwestern Italy) that is directly dated to 10,211-9910 cal BP (95.4% probability), placing it within the early Holocene and therefore attributable to the early Mesolithic, a cultural period from which
1. Premessa In questo lavoro vengono presentati alcuni affiora-menti di rocce silicee localizzati... more 1. Premessa In questo lavoro vengono presentati alcuni affiora-menti di rocce silicee localizzati in Liguria orientale, nonché le testimonianze archeologiche relative al loro sfruttamento. La conoscenza delle diverse emergenze geologiche presenti in un determinato territorio è infatti fondamentale per la comprensio-ne degli aspetti sociali ed economici delle diverse comunità umane che si sono avvicendate nel corso del tempo (Barfield 2004; Negrino, Starnini 2003, 2006, 2010). Accanto ad affioramenti localizzati in corrisponden-za di siti archeologici, e quindi con chiare evidenze di utilizzo, verranno segnalate anche potenziali fonti di approvvigionamento prive, almeno per ora, di evidenze antropiche, ma la cui materia prima, vetrosa e compatta, si sarebbe certamente prestata al confezionamento di manufatti. Nel localizzare nuove e potenziali emergenze di materiali silicei e in mancanza di testimonianze archeologiche dirette, si deve inoltre tener presente che la semplice lettura de...
The Palaeolithic site of “I Ciotti” is located in the area of Mortola Superiore (300 m a.s.l.), n... more The Palaeolithic site of “I Ciotti” is located in the area of Mortola Superiore (300 m a.s.l.), near an outcrop of Eocenic conglom- erate, which is characterised by numerous flint and quartzite pebbles. Some pockets of deposits with prehistoric artefacts have been found along the excavation of a country road. The stratigraphy consists of two different units, which have been differentiated on the basis of a sedimentological and pedological point of view. The deeper one is characterised by a partly eroded slightly rubefied soil; it can be referred to a temperate period of isotope stage 5. The second and up- per one is a colluvial deposit, which is attributed to a colder Würmian phase (isotope stages 4-2); this deposit has been weathered during the Holocene by a brown inceptisol. The archaeological deposit yielded 3,745 lithic specimens. They are mainly constituted by debris; two cores and two ham- merstones also occur. No retouched blanks have been found. Imprints of the hammering are...
The Bàsura Cave (Toirano, Savona, NW Italy) hosts important cave bear bone assemblages and a nume... more The Bàsura Cave (Toirano, Savona, NW Italy) hosts important cave bear bone assemblages and a numerous and varied, tracks and traces record left by humans and other producers. An outstanding element of the analysed material is represented by fossil bear fur fragments, which were found in the inner deposits of the cave, and that, to date, are virtually unknown in the cave global record. After analysing and discussing micromorphological features of the inedited material, we integrate and interpret new radiocarbon data, along with taphonomic, sedimentological, geochemical and mineralogical evidences, with the aim of improving our understanding about the nature and chronology of the bear fur-bearing deposit. The bear fur fragments are included in a stratigraphic succession corresponding to a secondary deposit, formed after the dismantling, reworking and redeposition of a former bear-bearing deposit, as a result of short but intensive flooding events that most probably took place at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum. After sediments redeposition, important diagenetic changes have occurred and probably driven by guano deposits, whose pre-existence, in absence of record, is inferred from corrosion features, nutrient concentrations, mineral species identified (REE bearing hydroxyapatite), and claw traces left by bats on the cave ceiling and walls. Diagenetic imprint derived by guano deposits caused mineralization of bear fur fragments by replacement with apatite, which faithfully copied the form and structure of hairs but also of vegetal tissues, phytoliths and pollen found within them. Our study demonstrates for the first time that the bear fur is one of the main vectors in introducing botanical microremains into the interior of the "Old World" caves.
The Palaeolithic and the Mesolithic in Liguria - This pa- per summarises research and studies car... more The Palaeolithic and the Mesolithic in Liguria - This pa- per summarises research and studies carried out in Liguria and in the immediately neighbouring Provençal territories over the last fifty years, highlighting the rich- ness of the discoveries and new acquisitions made also through the study of old collections. Liguria was continuously inhabited by human groups throughout the Palaeolithic and the Mesolithic, given its particular geographical position, facing the upper Tyrrhenian Sea, which made it a refugium during the harshest glacial phases as well as an obligatory corridor between southern France and the Italian Peninsula. Evidence of human activity, dating back more than a million years, is known in the Grotte du Vallonet, at Menton, not far from the Italy-France border. Only few sites, characterised by the occasional presence of hand-axes and the appearance of the Levallois method, can be attributed to the Early Middle Pal- aeolithic. On the other hand, a quite large number of sites and surface finds are referable to the Late Middle Palaeolithic; some Neanderthal bone fragments are also ascribed to this phase. Evidence of one of the earliest European cultures at- tributed to the anatomically modern humans, the Protoaurignacian, has also come to light. During this phase, a circulation of siliceous raw materials covering a very wide area, from the Rhone Valley to the Adriatic Sea, is noticeable, a behaviour that remained almost unchanged until the end of the Upper Palaeolithic. The earli- est decorative elements, including several pierced seashells, abundant red ochre, formal bone tools, as well as a deciduous tooth of Homo sapiens from the Riparo Bombrini, date back to this period. To the Gravettian belongs the richest set of burials known to date in Europe, including the so-called burial of the “giovane principe” from the Caverna delle Arene Candide, as well as the presence of ob- jects of portable art, including the well-known venuses from Balzi Rossi. Also significant are the later Epigravettian remains, including the cemetery of the Cav- erna delle Arene Candide, for which a complex ritual has been highlighted, and various manifestations of rupestrian art. Related to this period is the exceptional evidence of occasional exploration, by a group of very young individuals, of the Grotta della Bàsura, in the Toiranese area. To the Mesolithic, although poorly documented, especially in its second phase, is attributed the oldest burial of a female newborn known till today in Europe, discovered in 2017 at Arma Veirana, in the inland area of Albenga, and dated to around 10,000 years ago. Liguria, like the nearby Provence, lastly saw an early arrival of Neolithic communities from Southern Italy, whose settlement determined dynamics of coexistence and inte- gration that marked the end of the hunter-gatherer’s system.
The exploitation of marine molluscs during the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic is a topic that has ... more The exploitation of marine molluscs during the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic is a topic that has been extensively investigated over the last few years, shedding light on human adaptation in coastal environments. However, such studies mainly focus on the role of marine molluscs in the subsistence practices of the hunter-fisher-gatherers of the Mediterranean Basin. Although small, non-dietary gastropods found in archaeological deposits have the potential to provide important clues regarding past human activities, their role is still little investigated. This research explores the question of whether taphonomy could be useful for the interpretation of these less conspicuous "incidental" shell remains found in archaeomalacological assemblages. In this paper we present the results of a taphonomic study carried out on a total of 314 Bittium shells recovered in the Mousterian and Protoaurignacian levels of Riparo Bombrini, a collapsed rockshelter in the Balzi Rossi Palaeolithic site complex (NW Italy). How did these small, non-dietary gastropods come to be deposited? Are they an unintentional by-product of certain harvesting techniques, or the result of a deliberate gathering? Or, could natural factors be responsible for their presence at the site? To answer these questions, different types of taphonomic processes were considered. Comparing the Bombrini archaeomalacological remains and modern shells accumulated on beaches leads us to propose that the most likely cause of their presence at the site is a correlation between Bittium shells and small sea pebbles, rather than the accidental transport of these shells with algae and seagrasses that could have been brought back to the site.
Evidence of plant food processing is a significant indicator of the human ability to exploit envi... more Evidence of plant food processing is a significant indicator of the human ability to exploit environmental resources. The recovery of starch grains associated with use-wear on Palaeolithic grinding tools offers proof of a specific technology for making flour among Pleistocene hunter-gatherers. Here we present the analysis of five grindstones from two Italian sites, Riparo Bombrini and Grotta di Castelcivita, both inhabited during a crucial phase spanning the decline of the Neanderthals and the establishment of Sapiens. The recovery of starch grains on a Mousterian grindstone at Bombrini suggests that the last Neanderthals not only consumed and processed plants but also made flour 43e41,000 years ago. Starch grains attributable to Triticeae on Protoaurignacian grindstones at both sites testify that Sapiens were processing wild cereals at least 41,500e36,500 years ago when they expanded into Eurasia, long before the dawn of agriculture. These new data suggest a profound knowledge of available plant resources in both human groups.
Our knowledge about the Palaeolithic and the Mesolithic in eastern Liguria is based almost entire... more Our knowledge about the Palaeolithic and the Mesolithic in eastern Liguria is based almost entirely on the study of artefacts collected on surface, more rarely from excavations and test pits. While there is still no clear evidence of Lower Palaeolithic, there are several sites dating back to the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic and the Mesolithic. This evidence, although incomplete and fragmentary, has nevertheless highlighted a continuity of human settlement over a very wide chronological span, from Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene, and involving different altitudinal ranges, from the sea coast to the mountains of the inland.
Personal ornaments are widely viewed as indicators of social identity and personhood. Ornaments a... more Personal ornaments are widely viewed as indicators of social identity and personhood. Ornaments are ubiquitous from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene, but they are most often found as isolated objects within archaeological assemblages without direct evidence on how they were displayed. This article presents a detailed record of the ornaments found in direct association with an Early Mesolithic buried female infant discovered in 2017 at the site of Arma Veirana (Liguria, Italy). It uses microscopic, 3D, and positional analyses of the ornaments as well as a preliminary perforation experiment to document how they were perforated, used, and what led to their deposit as part of the infant's grave goods. This study provides important information on the use of beads in the Early Mesolithic, in general, as well as the relationship between beads and young subadults, in particular. The results of the study suggest that the beads were worn by members of the infant's community for a considerable period before they were sewn onto a sling, possibly used to keep the infant close to the parents while allowing their mobility, as seen in some modern forager groups. The baby was then likely buried in this sling to avoid reusing the beads that had failed to protect her or simply to create a lasting connection between the deceased infant and her community.
This study provides a brief synthesis of the behavioural dimensions of Late Middle (Mousterian) a... more This study provides a brief synthesis of the behavioural dimensions of Late Middle (Mousterian) and Early Upper Palaeolithic (Protoau- rignacian) techno-economic strategies in Liguria. The data are drawn from the most important Ligurian sites dating to this crucial interval, with particular attention being paid to what faunal and lithic assemblages from these key deposits reveal about subsistence strategies.
Constrained by the Maritime Alps and a steep coastal shelf, Liguria served as a biogeographic cor... more Constrained by the Maritime Alps and a steep coastal shelf, Liguria served as a biogeographic corridor linking mainland Western Europe to peninsular Italy throughout the Late Pleistocene. It may also have served as a biogeographic refugium for Neanderthals, since sites in the region have yielded some of the latest Mousterian dates in Western Europe and, paradoxically, some of the earliest dates for Protoaurignacian occupations. This paper presents an overview of the Neanderthal presence in Liguria between Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 and MIS 3, with a particular focus on the record from the Balzi Rossi site complex. This permits a critical evaluation of diachronic shifts in the Neanderthal occupation of Liguria. This is followed by an analysis of new data from 'semi-sterile Mousterian' Level MS at Riparo Bombrini that show it was occupied very ephemerally by the end of the Mousterian, highlighting major late Neanderthal behavioral shifts. We conclude by proposing that this behavioral pattern is best explained by the last Neanderthals of the Balzi Rossi having occupied the region as an ecologically stable, taxon-specific in situ micro-refugium. This has implications for our understanding of Paleolithic refugia more broadly and of the social and ecological conditions in place during the terminal Mousterian period in western Liguria.
We present 3D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) imaging of the archaeological deposits at A... more We present 3D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) imaging of the archaeological deposits at Arma Veirana cave (northern Italy), to date only partially explored. The archaeological importance of the cave is due to the presence of a rich Mousterian layer, traces of Late Upper Palaeolithic (Epigravettian) temporary occupations and an Early Mesolithic burial of a female newborn. ERT is rarely employed in Palaeolithic cave contexts because Palaeolithic remains are typically disseminated in loose deposits and either do not possess high electrical resistivity contrasts or are too small to be detected. Furthermore, some issues can derive from the confined environment in caves. In this view, our study represents an opportunity to assess the capability of this geophysical method to retrieve subsurface information of Palaeolithic cave deposits and create a framework for the improvement of ERT applications in such a peculiar cave context. The aim of this study was to define the features of the deposits (i.e. geometry, thickness and sediment distribution) and to map the morphology of the underlying bedrock. Results reveal that the thickness of the deposits varies both along the primary axis of the cave and transverse to it. This study allowed the recognition of shallow, meter-sized, fine-grained sediment-filled structures with a longitudinal orientation with respect to the primary axis of the cave, as well as a possible erosional-like structure. The cross-validation of geophysical results with the archaeological evidence (the Early Mesolithic newborn burial and Epigravettian artefacts) confirms that the low-resistivity unit could be the most promising from an archaeological point of view.
Bàsura Cave (Toirano, NW Italy) became famous worldwide in 1950 for the discovery of prehistoric ... more Bàsura Cave (Toirano, NW Italy) became famous worldwide in 1950 for the discovery of prehistoric human footprints and of an impressive Ursus spelaeus bone deposit baptized by the first explorers 'Cimitero degli Orsi' (Bear Cemetery). Bear remains belonging to the deeper layer of the deposit have been left in situ and are now one of the principal attractions for visitors. A new research project aimed at re-evaluating the legacy and collections from this important cave involved the taphonomic study of the bones, along with sedimentological and micromorphological analyses and new radiocarbon dates to understand the nature and chronology of the deposit. In the present study, element quantification and state of preservation of bone surfaces displayed by distinct skeletal elements were analysed to assess the origin of bone accumulation, the composition of the assemblage in terms of age and species, and the representation of the different portions of the carcasses. Bone sorting, the orientation of skeletal elements along with oxidation pattern and micromorphological data indicate intense reworking of sediments and bones. The site can be considered among those known in Europe as representative of the last populations of U. spelaeus before the demise of this species during the Last Glacial Maximum.
An opportunistic and local choice of raw materials is typically attested in the Lower and Middle ... more An opportunistic and local choice of raw materials is typically attested in the Lower and Middle Paleolithic industries throughout Italy. The quality of the raw material usually affected the flaking technology and quality of the products. In the Upper Paleolithic and the Mesolithic, raw material procurement strategies were more complex. Flint was exploited both locally, in areas where abundant outcrops of raw materials were available (such as the Lessini mountains), and in distant localities, after which it was transported or exchanged over medium/long distances. Different routes of exchange were thus followed in the various periods; good reconstruction of these routes have been provided by a study of the Garfagnana sites in Northern Tuscany, and the Mesolithic deposit of Mondeval de Sora (Dolomites). An interesting example of a Late Upper Paleolithic flint quarry and workshop were found in Abruzzo, in the San Bartolomeo shelter. The extended trade of obsidian from Lipari, Palmarola...
The authors present a new prehistoric site recently discovered at Ortovero, near Albenga (Savona ... more The authors present a new prehistoric site recently discovered at Ortovero, near Albenga (Savona Province, Italy) in Western Liguria that can be attributed on typological grounds to the Final Epigravettian or to the Sauveterrian. The raw-material characteristics of the chipped stone artefacts resemble those stemming from the red radiolarite outcrops of Eastern Liguria, although the large number of pieces manufactured from this material and the distance from the supposed sources challenge this hypothesis. As a result of field surveys carried out over the last few years, the authors discuss the possibility of a formerly unknown source of vitreous red-coloured radiolarite outcropping in the surroundings of the site that may correspond to the Arnasco radiolarite formation outcropping near Ortovero
The evolution and development of human mortuary behaviors is of enormous cultural significance. H... more The evolution and development of human mortuary behaviors is of enormous cultural significance. Here we report a richly-decorated young infant burial (AVH-1) from Arma Veirana (Liguria, northwestern Italy) that is directly dated to 10,211-9910 cal BP (95.4% probability), placing it within the early Holocene and therefore attributable to the early Mesolithic, a cultural period from which
1. Premessa In questo lavoro vengono presentati alcuni affiora-menti di rocce silicee localizzati... more 1. Premessa In questo lavoro vengono presentati alcuni affiora-menti di rocce silicee localizzati in Liguria orientale, nonché le testimonianze archeologiche relative al loro sfruttamento. La conoscenza delle diverse emergenze geologiche presenti in un determinato territorio è infatti fondamentale per la comprensio-ne degli aspetti sociali ed economici delle diverse comunità umane che si sono avvicendate nel corso del tempo (Barfield 2004; Negrino, Starnini 2003, 2006, 2010). Accanto ad affioramenti localizzati in corrisponden-za di siti archeologici, e quindi con chiare evidenze di utilizzo, verranno segnalate anche potenziali fonti di approvvigionamento prive, almeno per ora, di evidenze antropiche, ma la cui materia prima, vetrosa e compatta, si sarebbe certamente prestata al confezionamento di manufatti. Nel localizzare nuove e potenziali emergenze di materiali silicei e in mancanza di testimonianze archeologiche dirette, si deve inoltre tener presente che la semplice lettura de...
The Palaeolithic site of “I Ciotti” is located in the area of Mortola Superiore (300 m a.s.l.), n... more The Palaeolithic site of “I Ciotti” is located in the area of Mortola Superiore (300 m a.s.l.), near an outcrop of Eocenic conglom- erate, which is characterised by numerous flint and quartzite pebbles. Some pockets of deposits with prehistoric artefacts have been found along the excavation of a country road. The stratigraphy consists of two different units, which have been differentiated on the basis of a sedimentological and pedological point of view. The deeper one is characterised by a partly eroded slightly rubefied soil; it can be referred to a temperate period of isotope stage 5. The second and up- per one is a colluvial deposit, which is attributed to a colder Würmian phase (isotope stages 4-2); this deposit has been weathered during the Holocene by a brown inceptisol. The archaeological deposit yielded 3,745 lithic specimens. They are mainly constituted by debris; two cores and two ham- merstones also occur. No retouched blanks have been found. Imprints of the hammering are...
The Bàsura Cave (Toirano, Savona, NW Italy) hosts important cave bear bone assemblages and a nume... more The Bàsura Cave (Toirano, Savona, NW Italy) hosts important cave bear bone assemblages and a numerous and varied, tracks and traces record left by humans and other producers. An outstanding element of the analysed material is represented by fossil bear fur fragments, which were found in the inner deposits of the cave, and that, to date, are virtually unknown in the cave global record. After analysing and discussing micromorphological features of the inedited material, we integrate and interpret new radiocarbon data, along with taphonomic, sedimentological, geochemical and mineralogical evidences, with the aim of improving our understanding about the nature and chronology of the bear fur-bearing deposit. The bear fur fragments are included in a stratigraphic succession corresponding to a secondary deposit, formed after the dismantling, reworking and redeposition of a former bear-bearing deposit, as a result of short but intensive flooding events that most probably took place at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum. After sediments redeposition, important diagenetic changes have occurred and probably driven by guano deposits, whose pre-existence, in absence of record, is inferred from corrosion features, nutrient concentrations, mineral species identified (REE bearing hydroxyapatite), and claw traces left by bats on the cave ceiling and walls. Diagenetic imprint derived by guano deposits caused mineralization of bear fur fragments by replacement with apatite, which faithfully copied the form and structure of hairs but also of vegetal tissues, phytoliths and pollen found within them. Our study demonstrates for the first time that the bear fur is one of the main vectors in introducing botanical microremains into the interior of the "Old World" caves.
Il Riparo Bombrini si trova a poche centinaia di metri dal confine con la Francia, all’interno de... more Il Riparo Bombrini si trova a poche centinaia di metri dal confine con la Francia, all’interno dell’area archeologica dei Balzi Rossi, ed è noto per conservare una stratigrafia che documenta gli aspetti finali del Musteriano ligure e la successiva diffusione del Protoaurignaziano, qui indubitabilmente associato all’arrivo e all’affermazione dell’Uomo Anatomicamente Moderno grazie al ritrovamento di un incisivo deciduo da un livello datato a circa 40 ky cal BP (Benazzi et alii 2015, Holt et alii c.d.s., Negrino, Riel-Salvatore 2018, Riel-Salvatore et alii 2013, Riel-Salvatore, Negrino. 2017). Scoperto negli anni 30 del secolo scorso è attualmente scavato da una missione congiunta delle Università di Genova e di Montreal con il supporto della Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio della Liguria ed il Polo Museale della Liguria.
MARTEDI 08.03.22 ore 9-11 (Aula E) PREISTORIA E MONDO EGEO
Fabio NEGRINO (UniGe) Il primo cacciat... more MARTEDI 08.03.22 ore 9-11 (Aula E) PREISTORIA E MONDO EGEO Fabio NEGRINO (UniGe) Il primo cacciatore. La caccia durante la preistoria Nicola CUCUZZA – Marta PESTARINO (UniGe) La caccia nella Creta minoica Massimiliano CARBONARI (Univ. Groningen) Θαλεροί τ᾽ αἰζηοί: scene di caccia tra pitture parietali micenee ed epica omerica
MERCOLEDI 13.04.22 ore 11-13 (Aula 8) – CIVILTA’ GRECA Daniela NOVARO (Univ. Strasbourg) La caccia a Creta: dati iconografici, archeologici e fonti letterarie Massimo NAFISSI (Univ. Perugia) La caccia a Sparta Manuela MARI (Univ. di Bari) La caccia in Macedonia
MERCOLEDI 18.05.22 ore 11-13 (Aula F) – CIVILTA’ ETRUSCA E ROMANA Laura AMBROSINI (ISPC-CNR/UniGe) La caccia in Etruria Valentina PESTARINO (UniGe) Le venationes in ambito circense e anfiteatrale in età romana Il seminario si svolgerà in presenza (con prenotazione posto) e su piattaforma Microsoft Teams, codice: gbf73nk Per riservare il posto e per accedere a Teams senza account Unige contattare: nicola.cucuzza@lettere.unige.it; francesca.gazzano@unige.it
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Fabio NEGRINO (UniGe) Il primo cacciatore. La caccia durante la preistoria Nicola CUCUZZA – Marta PESTARINO (UniGe) La caccia nella Creta minoica
Massimiliano CARBONARI (Univ. Groningen) Θαλεροί τ᾽ αἰζηοί: scene di caccia tra pitture parietali micenee ed epica omerica
MERCOLEDI 13.04.22 ore 11-13 (Aula 8) – CIVILTA’ GRECA
Daniela NOVARO (Univ. Strasbourg) La caccia a Creta: dati iconografici, archeologici e fonti letterarie
Massimo NAFISSI (Univ. Perugia) La caccia a Sparta
Manuela MARI (Univ. di Bari) La caccia in Macedonia
MERCOLEDI 18.05.22 ore 11-13 (Aula F) – CIVILTA’ ETRUSCA E ROMANA
Laura AMBROSINI (ISPC-CNR/UniGe) La caccia in Etruria
Valentina PESTARINO (UniGe) Le venationes in ambito circense e anfiteatrale in età romana
Il seminario si svolgerà in presenza (con prenotazione posto) e su piattaforma Microsoft Teams, codice: gbf73nk
Per riservare il posto e per accedere a Teams senza account Unige contattare:
nicola.cucuzza@lettere.unige.it; francesca.gazzano@unige.it