- Prehistoric Archaeology, Lithic Technology, Neanderthals (Palaeolithic Archaeology), Lithic Raw Material Sourcing, Experimental Archaeology, Anthropology, and 9 moreQuaternary Geology, Technical behaviours, Ethnoarchaeology, Middle Palaeolithic, Lithic Refitting, Lithics, Spatial analysis (Archaeology), Palaeolithic Archaeology, and Middle Paleolithicedit
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Research Interests: Cave and Neanderthal
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La interpretación del pasado sufre de los sesgos eurocéntricos y androcéntricos que son propios de nuestra sociedad occidental actual. Esto queda claramente reflejado en los museos arqueológicos en los que solo una parte de la sociedad... more
La interpretación del pasado sufre de los sesgos eurocéntricos y androcéntricos que son propios de nuestra sociedad occidental actual. Esto queda claramente reflejado en los museos arqueológicos en los que solo una parte de la sociedad está representada y valorada por su aportación activa a la construcción de la vida del grupo. En este artículo presentamos el proyecto de investigación VEMOS (2021-2024) que, integrando de manera sistemática la investigación científica en arqueología y la socialización del conocimiento, se propone visibilizar los grupos tradicionalmente marginados de la Historia: mujeres, infancia, senectud, otros grupos étnicos, otras identidades de género. El objetivo es hacer de los museos espacios abiertos e inclusivos de reflexión en el que todos y todas puedan verse representados como individuos activos en la construcción cultural del pasado. Esto no solo es posible porque el registro arqueológico nos permite identificar esta realidad polisémica, sino que también es un deber para construir en el presente una sociedad más igualitaria y justa. El proyecto propone presentar soluciones de fácil realización para que los museos puedan implementar sus exposiciones permanentes integrando la perspectiva inclusiva de género, así como integrar a otros grupos olvidados por la investigación tradicional.
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Paleolithic lithic assemblages are usually dominated by flakes, which display a high degree of morphological variability. When analyzing Paleolithic lithic assemblages, it is common to classify flakes into categories based on their... more
Paleolithic lithic assemblages are usually dominated by flakes, which display a high degree of morphological variability. When analyzing Paleolithic lithic assemblages, it is common to classify flakes into categories based on their morphological and technological features, which are linked to the position of the flake in a reduction sequence and how removals are organized in a given production method. For the analysis of Middle Paleolithic lithic assemblages, two categories of flakes are commonly used: core edge flakes and pseudo-Levallois points. A third type, core edge flakes with a limited back, is also commonly found in the archaeological literature, providing an alternative category with a definition that does not match the two previous types but shares many of their morphological and technological features. The present study addresses whether these three flakes constitute discrete categories based on their morphological and technological attributes. Geometric morphometrics are...
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Shell technology was a Mediterranean technical behaviour that showed a peculiar Neanderthal adaptation to littoral areas and reflects the capacity of this human species to exploit a wide range of coastal resources that have traditionally... more
Shell technology was a Mediterranean technical behaviour that showed a peculiar Neanderthal adaptation to littoral areas and reflects the capacity of this human species to exploit a wide range of coastal resources that have traditionally been considered to be specific to Homo sapiens. The diffusion of this technology in Southern peninsular Europe makes it interesting for the investigation of Neanderthal behaviour as it relates to several factors, including the available resources, environment, economy, mobility, technical traditions, and capacity to generate adaptive information. These tools have been disregarded since their first identification in the late 1950s. In last few years, the author has worked on this topic and created a specific terminology to describe these items and a new, multidisciplinary, analytical methodology for analysis. The aim was to study shell technology with regard to the whole techno-complex and to allow comparisons both between sites and between shell and lithic assemblages. A summary of these studies is presented in the current paper, which focuses on four main topics: (i) the importance of experimental protocols in archaeological research, (ii) the relationship between economy and technology, (iii) the flexibility of the whole technical system, and (iv) the mechanisms of technological innovation. The results of these systematic investigations have contributed to the comprehension of the shell as a raw material and have shown the great potential of this new line of research to discuss central questions in Middle Palaeolithic research. New perspectives are provided on the study of Neanderthal behavioural variability, economic and social dynamics, and mechanisms of technical innovation.
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This paper presents the limestone reduction sequences documented in levels M and Ob at Abric Romaní from a technological point of view. At level M, a recurrent knapping system has been identified, resulting in the frequency of... more
This paper presents the limestone reduction sequences documented in levels M and Ob at Abric Romaní from a technological point of view. At level M, a recurrent knapping system has been identified, resulting in the frequency of pseudo-Levallois blanks. At archaeolevel Ob, the presence of Levallois methods are observed in association with this knapping system. In both cases, retouched tools are rare and dominated by notches and denticulates. Although it is not well-known the degree of similarity and difference between the two levels in relation to occupational patterns is not well understood, Neanderthals employed more opportunistic knapping strategies, investing less time and energy in the procurement of raw materials including for chert. In level Ob, although limestone is still collected in the local fluvial deposits, differences in raw material procurement have been identified for chert. Results show the plasticity and versality that Neanderthals had and how they took advantage of ...
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Risorse litiche e comportamento tecnico dei Neandertaliani: variabilità culturale e adattamento all'ambiente nel Salento. Grotta del Cavallo, strati L-N e Grotta Mario Bernardini, strato D.// Raw materials and Neanderthal technical behaviour: cultural variability and adaptation to the environment...more
The existence of a more or less complex handling technology with the lithic tools during the Lower and Middle Paleolithic is an interesting topic for understanding aspects of the human behavior during these periods. In this work we... more
The existence of a more or less complex handling technology with the lithic tools during the Lower and Middle Paleolithic is an interesting topic for understanding aspects of the human behavior during these periods. In this work we present a preliminary experimental evaluation of the possible functionality of prehensile area in some of the most representative lithic types of the Mousterian assemblages (dorsal elements and levallois chapeau de gendarme proximal area), in which the morphological comparative analysis of imprints and prehensile tool areas, is compared by 3D analysis procedures. Preliminary results indicate that there is a close relationship between the digital grasp morphologie and the prehensile area of some Mousterian techno-types. We also discussed the relevance and significance of these provisional conclusions in the context of hunter gather communities.Key words: Mousterian; experimental archaeology; lithic tools; griping; hafting; 3D.Resumen:La existencia de una t...
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Experimental archaeology is an important methodological resource for academic and historical scientific research, not separated from the rest of archaeological and historical sciences, and usually used to interpret the formation of the... more
Experimental archaeology is an important methodological resource for academic and historical scientific research, not separated from the rest of archaeological and historical sciences, and usually used to interpret the formation of the archaeological record and past human behaviour. Moreover, experimental archaeology has a great significance as part of archaeological diffusion, historical reconstructions, and education purposes.
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Research Interests: Prehistoric Archaeology, Human Evolution, Spatial Analysis, Geostatistics, Archaeological GIS, and 9 moreTaphonomy, Lithic Technology, Lithic Refitting, Evolution and Human Behavior, Lithic Technology (Archaeology), Neandertals, Human Behaviour, Human behavior, and Archaeology Lithic Analysis and Organization of Technology
Approximately 400,000 years bp, novel technological behaviours appeared in the archaeological record, attested by evidence of the exploitation of previously unused resources and the production of new tools. I have reviewed such... more
Approximately 400,000 years bp, novel technological behaviours appeared in the archaeological record, attested by evidence of the exploitation of previously unused resources and the production of new tools. I have reviewed such innovations, and I discuss them in the frame of the anthropological, palaeoneurological, genetic and behavioural changes that appeared in the Middle Pleistocene. I propose that at this chronology humans started to see the resources as ‘other-than-human’ sentient co-dwellers. The technological innovations expressed this novel cognitive complexity and the possible new things–things, human–things and environment–things relationships. Artefacts and technologies acquired multiple semiotic meanings that were strongly interconnected with the functional value. Ethnoarchaeological evidence suggested the possible symbolic acting beyond these innovations in material culture. This perspective has relevant implications in the archaeology of the ancient Palaeolithic. It su...
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Human Evolution, Archaeological Method & Theory, Cognitive archaeology, and 11 moreArchaeological Theory, Neanderthals (Palaeolithic Archaeology), Archaeological Methodology, Evolution and Human Behavior, Prehistory, Palaeolithic, Neandertals, Etnoarchaeology, Prehistoria, Paleolithic Archaeology, and Etnoarqueologia
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Gli Autori presentano i dati essenziali relativi ad uno studio integrato tra analisi delle materie prime litiche e sistemi di produzioni all’interno della sequenza musteriana di Grotta del Cavallo. Le oscillazioni e le differenze nella... more
Gli Autori presentano i dati essenziali relativi ad uno studio integrato tra analisi delle materie prime litiche e sistemi di produzioni all’interno della sequenza musteriana di Grotta del Cavallo. Le oscillazioni e le differenze nella scelta preferenziale delle litologie sono giustificate sulla base delle variazioni delle scelte tecnologiche. La caratterizzazione degli areali di raccolta delle materie prime e la loro correlazione certa con lo strumentario litico consentono di avanzare ipotesi sulla mobilità dei diversi gruppi musteriani, i quali utilizzavano litotipi reperibili in loco e litotipi esogeni di buona qualità reperibili solo su lunghe distanze. The Authors present the essential details of an integrated research including both raw materials analysis and production systems study of the lithic assemblages from the Mousterian sequence of Grotta del Cavallo. Fluctuations and differences in lithologies selection are related to changes in technological choices. The characterization of the picking areas of raw materials and their correlation with certain stone tools allow to put forward some hypotheses on the mobility of different Mousterian groups, who used both local raw materials and exogenous good quality rocks available only over long distances.
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Research Interests: Geography, Archaeology, Geology, Human Evolution, Palaeolithic Archaeology, and 12 moreTaphonomy, Lithic Technology, Lithics, Neanderthals (Palaeolithic Archaeology), Lithic Refitting, Evolution and Human Behavior, Faunal Analysis, Palaeolithic, Neandertals, Neanderthals, Lithic Analysis, and Intrasite Spatial Analysis
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Geology, Paleontology, Human Evolution, and 15 moreEthnoarchaeology, Research Methodology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Palaeolithic Archaeology, Lithic Technology, Lithic Refitting, Hunter-Gatherers (Anthropology), Evolution and Human Behavior, Prehistory, Prehistoric Archeology, Stone tools, Paleolithic Archaeology, Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Archeology, and Hunter Gatherer Archaeology
Research Interests: Geography, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Geology, Human Evolution, and 15 moreSpatial Analysis, Palaeolithic Archaeology, Lithic Technology, Paleolithic Europe, Lithic Refitting, Evolution and Human Behavior, Prehistory, Quaternary, Middle Palaeolithic, Pergamon, Neandertals, Middle Paleolithic, Paleolithic Archaeology, Lithic Analysis, and Archaeology Lithic Analysis and Organization of Technology
This works shows how innovative analytical techniques and original scientific questions shed new light on archaeological traditional issues and significantly contribute to understand past human behaviours in a more all-inclusive way. The... more
This works shows how innovative analytical techniques and original scientific questions shed new light on archaeological traditional issues and significantly contribute to understand past human behaviours in a more all-inclusive way. The ever-continuing methodological developments and pioneering and inventive approaches will further contribute to opening new perspectives regarding the knowledge of past cultural changes. An effective exploitation of this outcome would also depend on the search for samples of new kinds by archaeologists to provide new dimensions for the measuring of time
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Abstract The refitting of both lithic and faunal remains is a basic field of research in Paleolithic archeology. In particular, the spatial dimension of lithic and faunal refitting is essential for resolving questions related to site... more
Abstract The refitting of both lithic and faunal remains is a basic field of research in Paleolithic archeology. In particular, the spatial dimension of lithic and faunal refitting is essential for resolving questions related to site formation processes and the organization strategies of hunter-gatherer bands. Unfortunately, although important insights can be gained by comparing the spatial patterns of faunal and lithic refits there are relatively few sites from which both types are available. Some processes causing the movement of archeological items are common to both bone and lithic remains, but others are specific to each. The similarities and differences between the lithic and faunal connections can be particularly informative when considering the type and timing of the archeological assemblage formation dynamics. This comparison may be especially useful for disentangling the roles of natural and cultural processes in these formation dynamics. To illustrate this, we will compare the refitting patterns of lithic and faunal remains in level M from Abric Romani (Capellades, Barcelona, Spain), a Middle Paleolithic assemblage dated between 51 and 55 kyr BP. The results of such a comparison provide new insights into various formation processes, including the intrasite movement of archeological items and the relationships between activity areas.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anthropology, Human Evolution, Spatial Analysis, and 15 moreArchaeozoology, Taphonomy, Lithic Technology, Neanderthals (Palaeolithic Archaeology), Lithic Refitting, Evolution and Human Behavior, Lithic Technology (Archaeology), Middle Palaeolithic, Faunal Analysis, Middle Paleolithic, Anthropological Archaeology, Neanderthals, Lithic Analysis, Academic, and Archaeology Lithic Analysis and Organization of Technology
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Abstract During Prehistory, shells have been used for subsistence, ornamentation, symbolic behaviour and tools. The investigation of shell tools has been mainly carried out from the viewpoint of functional analysis by investigating... more
Abstract During Prehistory, shells have been used for subsistence, ornamentation, symbolic behaviour and tools. The investigation of shell tools has been mainly carried out from the viewpoint of functional analysis by investigating use-wear traces to reconstruct the functional value of these artefacts. Little attention has been devoted to investigating the mode of operation of shell tools. The aim of this study was to interpret the “potential of use” of shell tools from a socio-economic perspective. We used an innovative experimental approach to analyse Neanderthal tools made of Callista chione , to this end. Shell technology is well documented along the Mediterranean basin between MIS 5 and MIS 3. We designed and performed functional experiments to analyse the technical performance of the cutting edge of Callista chione tools during use, reproducing the artefacts with comparable procedures and technical gestures identified by previous studies. The experiments have allowed us to create a reference collection for the implementation of use-wear analysis on shell tool assemblages. Our results showed that the mode of operation of shell tools was related to (i) the strength and the microstructure of the shell; (ii) the geometry of the cutting edge; (iii) the ergonomics and the kinetics of the tools; and (iv) the social organisation of tasks. The implications of results for the socio-economic and functional interpretation of Quina scrapers are discussed. This study contributed to the comprehension of the variability of behaviours expressed within Neanderthal techno-complexes. This approach is promising to improve the interpretation of raw material selection and tool design.
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Abstract Neanderthal shell tools have been discovered in several coastal sites along the Mediterranean Sea in the past 50 years. These technological artefacts have rarely been investigated, and only typological considerations have been... more
Abstract Neanderthal shell tools have been discovered in several coastal sites along the Mediterranean Sea in the past 50 years. These technological artefacts have rarely been investigated, and only typological considerations have been published. Recent studies have investigated retouched shell tools at Grotta del Cavallo with a new multidisciplinary methodology, and they have found that the use of Callista chione valves was not related to subsistence strategies but rather to the search for a specific cutting edge, reconstructing the whole chaine operatoire . In this paper, we focus on some technical aspects of shell tool production that have not been investigated to date: (i) the technical reaction of the shell to retouching on the basis of its microstructural and physical properties, (ii) the identification of technical gestures used during production and (iii) the economic value of shell technology from a technical perspective. The experiments were conducted along with the analysis of the whole lithic assemblage and the economic, technological and technical characteristics of the lithic techno-complex are presented. The results of shell analysis and shell integration within the stone tool techno-economical strategies clearly show that at Grotta del Cavallo, this Neanderthal technical adaptation to coastal resources could be considered an expression of the Quina system. The data presented in this study are discussed in relation to Middle Palaeolithic behavioural variability, and we emphasise four primary, strictly interdependent concepts: mobility strategies, flexibility of the Quina techno-economic system, social organisation and cognitive features of human groups. The Quina shell technology is the result of a complex modality of adaptation to environmental diversity, and it is related to the Neanderthal capacity for innovation. In this paper, we discuss how and why the innovation of shell technology might have occurred within the Quina system. The data presented in this study represent the first investigation of the technical modalities of Neanderthal adaptation to the seashore.
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ABSTRACT This paper presents the modalities of recycling in lithic assemblage in layer L at Grotta del Cavallo (Middle Palaeolithic, Southeast Italy). The layer exhibits a high diversity of exogenous (>50 km) and local (<5... more
ABSTRACT This paper presents the modalities of recycling in lithic assemblage in layer L at Grotta del Cavallo (Middle Palaeolithic, Southeast Italy). The layer exhibits a high diversity of exogenous (>50 km) and local (<5 Km) raw material, including marine shells for producing retouched tools. Recycling is attested in local raw material and in shell valves. I identified four recycling modalities, related to four object categories, and analysed each one separately: lithic retouched tools, macro tools, short products with sharp edges, and marine-shell tools with two orthogonal edges. I interpreted this behaviour in relation to a time-cost model. The aim was to evaluate the role of recycling in changing technological costs and to investigate if recycling was a planned strategy and how it was incorporated into the techno-economic organisation of the human group. The lithic assemblage displays a high spatio-temporal segmentation of productive sequences based on discoidal methods, the production of small flakes, the majority less than 3 cm in length, and a high technical investment in retouch. The results of the recycling cost-benefit analysis suggest that this behaviour was integrated into an economic setting regulated by time constrictions during tasks performed at the site within a logistic mobility. In this layer, recycling was an occasional behaviour, which allowed humans to respond to unplanned needs, and was facilitated by the low degree of volumetric constraints in the productive methods applied and by the short dimensions of the tools used. Recycling was an element that contributed to define the cultural entity, appearing as a specific trait in a given human group.
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Neanderthal retouched tools made of marine shells have been reported in several sites in southern peninsular Europe. They are an adaptation to the coastal marine environment. Most important are the non-lithic tools that mark Mediterranean... more
Neanderthal retouched tools made of marine shells have been reported in several sites in southern peninsular Europe. They are an adaptation to the coastal marine environment. Most important are the non-lithic tools that mark Mediterranean technical behaviour. Tool production is related to human needs, available resources, technical and social knowledge and innovation. The wide diffusion of shell tools makes them interesting items for investigating the variability of technology and contact among Neanderthal groups. Although these tools were first identified in the last 1950s, they still have not been considered in sufficient detail. In particular, this technology is handicapped by the lack of detailed description and references for technological analysis. This research proposes an original method aimed at reconstructing the process of production and use of these tools. It was conceived for future comparisons, both between shell tool assemblages and between lithic and shell tools, creating a common vocabulary and a set of analytical principles borrowed from lithic analysis, with which to think systematically beyond single cases. The analytical method is organised in five parts: taxonomy, morphometrical analysis, technical analysis of the retouched cutting edge, taphonomy and experimental archaeology. Thereafter, we present data on the shell tools of Grotta del Cavallo, coming from a recent excavation in layer L. It is the first detailed case study of Neanderthal non-lithic artefacts, applied to an assemblage with a significant number of well-preserved elements and with a certain stratigraphic context, and represents a constructive framework for the knowledge of the local adaptation to this raw material and of variability of Neanderthal technical behaviour.
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ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to present a general overview of the lithic recycling identified in the Middle Paleolithic layers of the Abric Romaní site. The archeological layers excavated thus far, spanning from 40 to 56 ka BP, have... more
ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to present a general overview of the lithic recycling identified in the Middle Paleolithic layers of the Abric Romaní site. The archeological layers excavated thus far, spanning from 40 to 56 ka BP, have provided significant evidence suggesting that recycling of artifacts was a behavior fully integrated in lithic provisioning strategies. The characteristics of the Abric Romaní formation processes allow the recognition of most of the different types of data usually considered proxies of recycling: the reuse of patinated or burned artifacts, the use of a single artifact for different functions, successive knapping events on the same core, the reduction of flakes as cores, etc. In particular, the information provided by refitting and spatial analysis should be emphasized. We will pay special attention to the spatial and refitting data from level M, which is dated between 51 and 55 ka BP, by focusing on the intrasite transport of artifacts and of core-on-flake reduction sequences as potential evidence of recycling. The results indicate that recycling may have a spatial dimension that allows the differentiation between source areas and recycling areas in which technical needs are partly fulfilled by picking up previously discarded items.
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Technological changes have been identified in several European Middle Palaeolithic sites. Specifically, the turnover in discoid and Levallois knapping methods has traditionally been explained by raw material constraints that are usually... more
Technological changes have been identified in several European Middle Palaeolithic sites. Specifically, the turnover in discoid and Levallois knapping methods has traditionally been explained by raw material constraints that are usually related to foraging areas and mobility strategies of Neanderthal groups. While Levallois production requires high homogeneous blocks, predominant discoid techno-complexes have generally been interpreted as better adapted to the scarcity of high quality raw material, not only for the lowest degree of control in products morphology, but also for their multitask characteristics. Nevertheless, the impact of the quality of raw material has never been systematically studied. Furthermore, technological analyses usually consider the lithic assemblage as a whole and do not dissect assemblages to identify single events, which are units that are needed to interpret relationships between technological organisation, human mobility, economic strategies, and settle...
Research Interests: Geography, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Human Evolution, Lithic Technology, and 15 moreLithics, Neanderthals (Palaeolithic Archaeology), Lithic Refitting, Evolution and Human Behavior, Prehistory, Lithic Technology (Archaeology), Middle Palaeolithic, Neandertals, Middle Paleolithic, Neanderthals, Lithic Analysis, Lithic Raw Material Sourcing, Lithic Studies, Neanderthal subsistence, and Archaeology Lithic Analysis and Organization of Technology
REVIEW OF THE LITHIC INDUSTRIES OF GROTTA SPAGNOLI B, RIGNANO GARGANICO (FOGGIA) - The Authors present the preliminary results of the Grotta Spagnoli B lithic industries review (excavation 1969-79 by Mara Guerri). In this study all the... more
REVIEW OF THE LITHIC INDUSTRIES OF GROTTA SPAGNOLI B, RIGNANO GARGANICO (FOGGIA) - The Authors present the preliminary results of the Grotta Spagnoli B lithic industries review (excavation 1969-79 by Mara Guerri). In this study all the lithic assemblages is considered, completing the preliminary analysis. Spagnoli B lithic complex is assi- gned to early MIS 4.
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The Montmaneu Formation is located at the NE margin of the Ebro Basin (Catalonia, Spain), and is dated to the Rupelian (Lower Oligocene). It is formed by 120 m of light grey stratified limestones with bedded-nodular chert, the Panadella... more
The Montmaneu Formation is located at the NE margin of the Ebro Basin (Catalonia, Spain), and is dated to the Rupelian (Lower Oligocene). It is formed by 120 m of light grey stratified limestones with bedded-nodular chert, the Panadella chert, associated with the La Segarra lacustrine system. This chert is macroscopically characterized by very fine-grained, homogeneous, opaque greenish black colors, containing bioclasts that generate mudstone-wackestone textures. Thin-sections show a micro-cryptocrystalline quartz matrix with micritic calcite, abundant charophytes, and scattered detrital quartz. These features confer excellent qualities for knapping, as attested by its suitability for manufacturing stone-tools throughout the Abric Romaní sequence (Capellades, Barcelona). The Abric Romaní rock shelter has approximately 50 m of sedimentary infilling ranging from 110 to 40 ka BP. The archaeological assemblages recovered in several levels from 50 to 55 ka BP present this chert as lithic manuports. The Panadella lithotype is scarcely exploited in most of the levels, although differential management strategies are observed. At an intra-assemblage level, there are no differences in the technical strategies for the exploitation of the Panadella chert when compared with other chert lithotypes. Diachronically, however, the Abric Romaní sequence shows a tendency of the Panadella chert to increase when complex reduction methods based on predetermination (e.g., Levallois) are dominant. As we have demonstrated by means of geoarcheological surveys, the Panadella chert was procured in primary formations, confirming the increase in the procurement radius of the Neanderthals who occupied the Abric Romaní site to about 24 km.
Research Interests: Archaeology and Geology
In this paper we discuss the universal selection of exceptional materials for tool making in prehistory. The interpretation suggested in the literature for these non-standard materials is usually limited to a general statement,... more
In this paper we discuss the universal selection of exceptional materials for tool making in prehistory. The interpretation suggested in the literature for these non-standard materials is usually limited to a general statement, considering possible aesthetic values or a general, mostly unexplained, symbolic meaning. We discuss the implications of viewing these materials as active agents and living vital beings in Palaeolithic archaeology as attested in indigenous hunter-gatherer communities all around the world. We suggest that the use of specific materials in the Palaeolithic was meaningful, and beyond its possible ‘symbolic’ meaning, it reflects deep familiarity and complex relations of early humans with the world surrounding them—humans and other-than-human persons (animals, plants, water and stones)—on which they were dependent. We discuss the perception of tools and the materials from which they are made as reflecting relationships, respectful behaviour and functionality from a...
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Risorse litiche e comportamento tecnico dei Neandertaliani: variabilità culturale e adattamento all'ambiente nel Salento. Grotta del Cavallo, strati L-N e Grotta Mario Bernardini, strato D.// Raw materials and Neanderthal technical behaviour: cultural variability and adaptation to the environment...more
Transmission of knowledge implies social relationships among people that interact during learning processes. The multiple expressions of the Prehistoric societies suggest that different knowledge transmission models probably existed... more
Transmission of knowledge implies social relationships among people that interact during learning processes. The multiple expressions of the Prehistoric societies suggest that different knowledge transmission models probably existed through time, space and social organisations, such as: the autodidactic training, the increasing implication of novices in communities of practice and the selection of pupils taught by an expert. These different systems of learning play a key role in developing social relationships among people and building or reinforcing cognitive capacities of novices approaching new skills. Nevertheless, addressing these aspects in archaeological field is not an easy task due to the lack of direct behavioural information regarding the interaction between novices and experts and also the difficulty to reconstruct the transmission processes only through the analysis of tools or objects as the final part of a learning sequence. From a methodological point of view, the multidisciplinary approach is currently the preferred method to address the transmission of technical knowledge. Indeed, behavioural and cognitive studies can be extremely helpful in connecting the archaeological data within a wider framework suggesting which human behaviours and cognitive capacities played a key role in these mechanisms. Furthermore, the application of experimental archaeology allows to test hypotheses on learning systems though dedicated and controlled experiments in order to provide interpretative models explaining how knowledge transmission likely worked in prehistoric communities. On these premises, the session aims to bring together scholars interested in apprenticeship systems and skill development to present their researches on prehistoric contexts and discuss the archaeological evidence supporting knowledge transmission, how to methodologically address the reconstruction of learning behaviours and propose models interpreting mechanisms of technical knowledge transmission in ancient human groups. We invite you to submit your abstract via the official EAA website https://www.e-a-a.org/EAA2020 Call for papers ends on 13 February 2020
Research Interests: Archaeology, Experimental Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Material Culture Studies, Ceramic Technology, and 10 morePalaeolithic Archaeology, Archaeological Method & Theory, Metallurgy, Neolithic Archaeology, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Lithic Technology, Ceramics (Archaeology), Prehistory, Copper age, and European Copper and Bronze Age – Archaeometallurgy – Prehistoric Metalworking in Social Context – Settlement Archaeology – Application of Geophysical Methods in Archaeology – Neolithic – Theory / Cultural Anthropology – Material Culture Studies
Coastal occupation is a central topic in human evolution studies to address human dispersal routes, seasonal movements, and emergence of complex behaviour. Several questions remain unresolved about ancient coastal adaptations: were... more
Coastal occupation is a central topic in human evolution studies to address human dispersal routes, seasonal movements, and emergence of complex behaviour. Several questions remain unresolved about ancient coastal adaptations: were coastal occupations and exploitations influenced by biological, geographical or chronological factors? How has each population adapted its technological, subsistence and mobility strategies to coastal exploitation?
This session aims to bring together researchers working in complementary disciplines including zooarchaeology, malacology, chemical analysis, dating, lithic technology, use-wear, and spatial analysis in coastal sites during Palaeolithic in Africa and Europe. Our goal is to enhance the understanding of ancient human behaviours, the emergence and variability of coastal adaptations in space and time, and to discuss their role in human biological and cultural evolution. Presentations of archaeological case studies and syntheses, as well as methodological, theoretical and ethnoarchaeological papers are welcome.
https://www.e-a-a.org/eaa2019
This session aims to bring together researchers working in complementary disciplines including zooarchaeology, malacology, chemical analysis, dating, lithic technology, use-wear, and spatial analysis in coastal sites during Palaeolithic in Africa and Europe. Our goal is to enhance the understanding of ancient human behaviours, the emergence and variability of coastal adaptations in space and time, and to discuss their role in human biological and cultural evolution. Presentations of archaeological case studies and syntheses, as well as methodological, theoretical and ethnoarchaeological papers are welcome.
https://www.e-a-a.org/eaa2019
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Ethnoarchaeology, Ethnography, and 15 morePaleoclimatology, Mediterranean prehistory, Archaeozoology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Middle Stone Age (Archaeology), Lithic Technology, Neanderthals (Palaeolithic Archaeology), Mediterranean archaeology, North African prehistory (Archaeology), Prehistory, Lithic Technology (Archaeology), Middle Palaeolithic, Middle Paleolithic, African Archaeology, and Neanderthals
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Use-wear analysis of marine shell valves used as tools for butchery activities (Patellidae, Mitilidae, and Veneridae)
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Variability and efficiency of limestone knapping
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During the last 30 years refitting has been used as a privileged methodology to reconstruct and interpret three central topics in human evolution studies: (i) the site formation processes, (ii) the technical behaviors of Paleolithic human... more
During the last 30 years refitting has been used as a privileged methodology to reconstruct and interpret three central topics in human evolution studies: (i) the site formation processes, (ii) the technical behaviors of Paleolithic human groups, and (iii) their social organization as reflected in the spatial patterns of the archeological sites. New methods related to refits have been introduced by researchers to enlarge scientific understanding of economic and social dynamics in Middle and Late Pleistocene: analysis of faunal refits, geo-statistical analysis, and 3D modelling. The project is aimed at presenting the current knowledge in refitting studies, focusing in particular on new multidisciplinary approaches. Furthermore the development of 30 years of research and updated needs in scientific research oblige today to discuss common standard to share data and facilitate international innovation. European specialists in refitting have been invited to propose and discuss innovative and shared strategies that will allow to understand Paleolithic social dynamics overcoming boundaries between research schools and national tradition of studies. The high-resolution paleoethnographic approach based on refits will contribute to improve methods and perspectives in the knowledge of Paleolithic cultural behavior.
Research Interests: Prehistoric Archaeology, Human Evolution, Spatial Analysis, Ethnoarchaeology, Palaeolithic Archaeology, and 8 moreLithic Technology, Neanderthals (Palaeolithic Archaeology), Lithic Refitting, Lithic Technology (Archaeology), Archaeological Site Formation Processes, Archaeology, Lithic analysis and organization of technology, Neandertals, and Lithic Analysis
Ethnographic and archaeological evidences showed that hunter-gatherers adaptive capacity was expressed, among other things, by strategy of raw material selection and diversification. The variability of lithic raw materials used included... more
Ethnographic and archaeological evidences showed that hunter-gatherers adaptive capacity was expressed, among other things, by strategy of raw material selection and diversification. The variability of lithic raw materials used included resources such as limestone, quartz, schist, and other highly inhomogeneous and less isotropic stone resources. Furthermore, hunter-gatherers used organic raw materials such as shells, ivory, and bones among others. The study of raw material selection was in many occasions biased by " high-quality " lithic materials such as, for example, obsidian and fine-grained chert. Nevertheless, the concept of what should be considered as " high-quality " could be questioned and investigated taking into account functional, economic, and social parameters of technical behaviour. In this session we intend to highlight the techno-economic behaviour related to those apparently less valuable raw materials, including both biotic and abiotic. Particular attention will be devoted to the meaning of these evidences to understand human-environment interaction, cost-benefits strategies, mobility, and technological concepts. Ethnographic, archaeological, and experimental data are all welcome. Call for abstract is now open and will run until May 15 th , 2017! Abstracts should not exceed 200 words in length each, should be 1.5 spaced with 2.5 cm margins on all sides, and use Verdana font, 12 point. The title should be centred and in bold letters. The full name(s), institutional affiliation(s) and email address(es) of the author(s) should be included as footnotes, left aligned. When you send your abstract, please specify the title of the session and indicate if the presentation will be given online (a distance presentation) or in person (attending the symposium). Abstracts must
Research Interests: Experimental Archaeology, Human Evolution, Ethnography, Bone and Antler, Lithic Technology, and 13 moreHunter-Gatherers (Anthropology), Evolution and Human Behavior, Bone Technology (Archaeology), Experimental Knapping, Bamboo, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Quartz industries, Archaeology, Lithic analysis and organization of technology, Archaeology of shell middens, Wood Technology, Knapping Techniques, Shellfish, and Flint Knapping
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Conferenza pubblica di divulgazione scientifica nell'ambito del progetto multidisciplinare "Dal Monferrato al mondo passando per l'Etiopia" (http://dalmonferratoalmondo.it/) Polo Universitario Asti Studi Superiori, Associazione Ecomuseo... more
Conferenza pubblica di divulgazione scientifica nell'ambito del progetto multidisciplinare "Dal Monferrato al mondo passando per l'Etiopia" (http://dalmonferratoalmondo.it/)
Polo Universitario Asti Studi Superiori, Associazione Ecomuseo del Basso Monferrato Astigiano, Consiglio Regionale del Piemonte, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Asti, Comune di Piovà Massaia, Associazione Culturale Compagnia Marco Gobetti. Piová Massaia (Italy).
Polo Universitario Asti Studi Superiori, Associazione Ecomuseo del Basso Monferrato Astigiano, Consiglio Regionale del Piemonte, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Asti, Comune di Piovà Massaia, Associazione Culturale Compagnia Marco Gobetti. Piová Massaia (Italy).
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Anatomically modern humans replaced Neanderthals in Europe around 40,000 years ago. The demise of the Neanderthals and the nature of the possible relationship with anatomically modern humans has captured our imagination and stimulated... more
Anatomically modern humans replaced Neanderthals in Europe around 40,000 years ago. The demise of the Neanderthals and the nature of the possible relationship with anatomically modern humans has captured our imagination and stimulated research for more than a century now. Recent chronological studies suggest a possible overlap between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans of more than 5,000 years. Analyses of ancient genome sequences from both groups have shown that they interbred multiple times, including in Europe. A potential place of interbreeding is the notable Palaeolithic site of Riparo Mezzena in Northern Italy. In order to improve our understanding of prehistoric occupation at Mezzena, we analysed the human mandible and several cranial fragments from the site using radiocarbon dating, ancient DNA, ZooMS and isotope analyses. We also performed a more detailed investigation of the lithic assemblage of layer I. Surprisingly we found that the Riparo Mezzena mandible is not from a Neanderthal but belonged to an anatomically modern human. Furthermore, we found no evidence for the presence of Neanderthal remains among 11 of the 13 cranial and post-cranial fragments re-investigated in this study. The process of replacement of Neanderthals by anatomically modern humans around 40,000 years ago in Western Eurasia is one of the most disputed topics in the field of Palaeoanthropology. Although the chronological overlap between the two groups likely lasted more than 5,000 years 1,2 , there is little evidence, if any, of a local coexistence for a significant amount of time. Nonetheless, careful evaluation of geographical scale and of the duration of local interactions between the two populations is critical to assess the possibility of biological admixture and cultural diffusion between 'newly-arrived' moderns and local archaics. As about 2% of Neanderthal ancestry is detected in the genomes of all present-day human populations outside of Africa, the Levant is considered one of the most likely areas where gene flow between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans could have taken place 3. Additional and regionally confined evidence of hybridization comes from a 37,000–42,000 years old modern human from Peştera cu Oase (Romania), which was shown to have had a Neanderthal ancestor four to six generations earlier based on the analysis of its genome 4. Similar cases of local hybridization have been alleged in various parts of Europe based on anatomical or archaeological evidence, but they have not yet been substantiated by palaeogenetic data 5,6. One example is the late Mousterian site of Riparo Mezzena in northern