Neandertals on the beach: Use of marine resources at Grotta dei Moscerini (Latium, Italy)
Paola Villa
(1)
,
Sylvain Soriano
(2, 3, 4)
,
Luca Pollarolo
(5)
,
Carlo Smriglio
,
Mario Gaeta
(6)
,
Massimo D’orazio
,
Jacopo Conforti
(7)
,
Carlo Tozzi
(8)
1
University of Colorado [Boulder]
2 AnTET - Anthropologie des techniques, des espaces et des territoires au Pliocène et au Pléistocène
3 ArScAn - Archéologies et Sciences de l'Antiquité
4 CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
5 WITS - University of the Witwatersrand [Johannesburg]
6 ENEA - Italian National agency for new technologies, Energy and sustainable economic development [Frascati]
7 University of Pisa - Università di Pisa
8 Dipartimento di Civiltà e Forme del Sapere
2 AnTET - Anthropologie des techniques, des espaces et des territoires au Pliocène et au Pléistocène
3 ArScAn - Archéologies et Sciences de l'Antiquité
4 CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
5 WITS - University of the Witwatersrand [Johannesburg]
6 ENEA - Italian National agency for new technologies, Energy and sustainable economic development [Frascati]
7 University of Pisa - Università di Pisa
8 Dipartimento di Civiltà e Forme del Sapere
Sylvain Soriano
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 178042
- IdHAL : sylvain-soriano
- ORCID : 0000-0002-4288-9763
- IdRef : 076484564
Carlo Smriglio
- Fonction : Auteur
Massimo D’orazio
- Fonction : Auteur
Résumé
Excavated in 1949, Grotta dei Moscerini, dated MIS 5 to early MIS 4, is one of two Italian Neandertal sites with a large assemblage of retouched shells (n = 171) from 21 layers. The other occurrence is from the broadly contemporaneous layer L of Grotta del Cavallo in southern Italy (n = 126). Eight other Mousterian sites in Italy and one in Greece also have shell tools but in a very small number. The shell tools are made on valves of the smooth clam Callista chione. The general idea that the valves of Callista chione were collected by Neandertals on the beach after the death of the mollusk is incomplete. At Moscerini 23.9% of the specimens were gathered directly from the sea floor as live animals by skin diving Neandertals. Archaeological data from sites in Italy, France and Spain confirm that shell fishing and fresh water fishing was a common activity of Neandertals, as indicated by anatomical studies recently published by E. Trinkaus. Lithic analysis provides data to show the relation between stone tools and shell tools. Several layers contain pumices derived from volcanic eruptions in the Ischia Island or the Campi Flegrei (prior to the Campanian Ignimbrite mega-eruption). Their rounded edges indicate that they were transported by sea currents to the beach at the base of the Moscerini sequence. Their presence in the occupation layers above the beach is discussed. The most plausible hypothesis is that they were collected by Neandertals. Incontrovertible evidence that Neandertals collected pumices is provided by a cave in Liguria. Use of pumices as abraders is well documented in the Upper Paleolithic. We prove that the exploitation of submerged aquatic resources and the collection of pumices common in the Upper Paleolithic were part of Neandertal behavior well before the arrival of modern humans in Western Europe.
Format du dépôt | Notice |
---|---|
Type de dépôt | Article dans une revue |
Titre |
en
Neandertals on the beach: Use of marine resources at Grotta dei Moscerini (Latium, Italy)
|
Résumé |
en
Excavated in 1949, Grotta dei Moscerini, dated MIS 5 to early MIS 4, is one of two Italian Neandertal sites with a large assemblage of retouched shells (n = 171) from 21 layers. The other occurrence is from the broadly contemporaneous layer L of Grotta del Cavallo in southern Italy (n = 126). Eight other Mousterian sites in Italy and one in Greece also have shell tools but in a very small number. The shell tools are made on valves of the smooth clam Callista chione. The general idea that the valves of Callista chione were collected by Neandertals on the beach after the death of the mollusk is incomplete. At Moscerini 23.9% of the specimens were gathered directly from the sea floor as live animals by skin diving Neandertals. Archaeological data from sites in Italy, France and Spain confirm that shell fishing and fresh water fishing was a common activity of Neandertals, as indicated by anatomical studies recently published by E. Trinkaus. Lithic analysis provides data to show the relation between stone tools and shell tools. Several layers contain pumices derived from volcanic eruptions in the Ischia Island or the Campi Flegrei (prior to the Campanian Ignimbrite mega-eruption). Their rounded edges indicate that they were transported by sea currents to the beach at the base of the Moscerini sequence. Their presence in the occupation layers above the beach is discussed. The most plausible hypothesis is that they were collected by Neandertals. Incontrovertible evidence that Neandertals collected pumices is provided by a cave in Liguria. Use of pumices as abraders is well documented in the Upper Paleolithic. We prove that the exploitation of submerged aquatic resources and the collection of pumices common in the Upper Paleolithic were part of Neandertal behavior well before the arrival of modern humans in Western Europe.
|
Auteur(s) |
Paola Villa
1
, Sylvain Soriano
2, 3, 4
, Luca Pollarolo
5
, Carlo Smriglio
, Mario Gaeta
6
, Massimo D’orazio
, Jacopo Conforti
7
, Carlo Tozzi
8
1
University of Colorado [Boulder]
( 302215 )
- Boulder, Colorado 80309
- États-Unis
2
AnTET -
Anthropologie des techniques, des espaces et des territoires au Pliocène et au Pléistocène
( 461550 )
- Maison René Ginouvès UMR 7041 21 allée de l'université F 92023 NANTERRE cedex
- France
3
ArScAn -
Archéologies et Sciences de l'Antiquité
( 1003 )
- MSH Mondes (bâtiment René-Ginouvès). 21, allée de l’Université 92023 NANTERRE Cedex
- France
4
CNRS -
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
( 441569 )
- France
5
WITS -
University of the Witwatersrand [Johannesburg]
( 12196 )
- Private Bag 3 2050 WITS Johannesburg, South Africa
- Afrique du Sud
6
ENEA -
Italian National agency for new technologies, Energy and sustainable economic development [Frascati]
( 64413 )
- Via Enrico Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Roma)
- Italie
7
University of Pisa - Università di Pisa
( 366408 )
- Lungarno Pacinotti 43 - 56126 Pisa
- Italie
8
Dipartimento di Civiltà e Forme del Sapere
( 501803 )
- Italie
|
Langue du document |
Anglais
|
Nom de la revue |
|
Vulgarisation |
Non
|
Comité de lecture |
Oui
|
Audience |
Internationale
|
Date de publication |
2020-01-15
|
Volume |
15
|
Numéro |
1
|
Page/Identifiant |
e0226690
|
Domaine(s) |
|
DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0226690 |
PubMed Central | PMC6961883 |
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