Back to Uluzzo – archaeological, palaeoenvironmental and chronological context of the Mid–Upper Palaeolithic sequence at Uluzzo C Rock Shelter (Apulia, southern Italy)

The tempo and mode of Homo sapiens dispersal in Eurasia and the demise of Neanderthals has sparked debate about the dynamics of Neanderthal extinction and its relationship to the arrival of H. sapiens. In Italy, the so-called ‘Transition’ from Neanderthals to H. sapiens is related to the Uluzzian technocomplex, i.e. the first archaeological evidence for modern human dispersal on the European continent. This paper illustrates the new chronology and stratigraphy of Uluzzo C, a rock shelter and Uluzzian key site located in the Uluzzo Bay in southern Italy, where excavations are ongoing, refining the cultural sequence known from previous excavations. Microstratigraphic investigation suggests that most of the deposit formed after dismantling of the vault of the rock shelter and due to wind input of loess deflated by the continental shelf. The occasional reactivation of the hydrology of the local karst system under more humid conditions further contributed to the formation of specific layers accumulating former Terra Rossa-type soil fragments. Superposed on sedimentary processes, strong bioturbation and the mobilization and recrystallization of calcite have been detected. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages from Uluzzo C Rock Shelter are congruent with previously published radiocarbon ages obtained on shell beads and tephrachronology from adjacent sites preserving the Uluzzian technocomplex such as Grotta del Cavallo, confirming the onset for the Uluzzian in the area to ca. 39.2–42.0 ka. The OSL chronology from Uluzzo C also provides a terminus post quem for the end of the Mousterian in the region, constraining the disappearance of the Neanderthals in that part of Italy to ≥46 ± 4 ka

An overview of Alpine and Mediterranean palaeogeography, terrestrial ecosystems and climate history during MIS 3 with focus on the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition

This paper summarizes the current state of knowledge about the millennial scale climate variability characterizing Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3) in S-Europe and the Mediterranean area and its effects on terrestrial ecosystems. The sequence of Dansgaard-Oeschger events, as recorded by Greenland ice cores and recognizable in isotope profiles from speleothems and high-resolution palaeoecological records, led to dramatic variations in glacier extent and sea level configuration with major impacts on the physiography and vegetation patterns, both latitudinally and altitudinally. The recurrent succession of (open) woodlands, including temperate taxa, and grasslands with xerophytic elements, have been tentatively correlated to GIs in Greenland ice cores. Concerning colder phases, the Greenland Stadials (GSs) related to Heinrich events (HEs) appear to have a more pronounced effect than other GSs on woodland withdrawal and xerophytes expansion. Notably, GS 9-HE4 phase corresponds to the most severe reduction of tree cover in a number of Mediterranean records. On a long-term scale, a reduction/opening of forests throughout MIS 3 started from Greenland Interstadials (GIs) 14/13 (ca. 55\u201348 ka), which show a maximum in woodland density. At that time, natural environments were favourable for Anatomically Modern Humans (AMHs) to migrate from Africa into Europe as documented by industries associated with modern hominin remains in the Levant. Afterwards, a variety of early Upper Palaeolithic cultures emerged (e.g., Uluzzian and Proto-Aurignacian). In this chronostratigraphic framework, attention is paid to the Campanian Ignimbrite tephra marker, as a pivotal tool for deciphering and correlating several temporal-spatial issues crucial for understanding the interaction between AMHs and Neandertals at the time of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition

From primitivism to a contemporary view of pre-history. A new tale

The essay focuses on the implications for received classical concepts of social and techno- logical evolution, the distinction between foragers and farmers, simple versus complex, egalitarian versus hierarchical, and the dominant narratives of the modern world. The major aim of this essay is to find a common ground for history and archaeology, to examine historical and theoretical questions in a dialogue between the present and the past, and to explore unifying themes that cut across chronology and address historical narratives

Neanderthal mobility pattern and technological organization in the Salento (Apulia, Italy)

The Salento, in the southeast of Italy, is rich in Mousterian sites and Neanderthal fossils, within the chronological time frame of the Upper Pleistocene. This region is well known for the absence of good quality raw materials. This paper presents results from the technological study of five Mousterian sites (Grotta Romanelli, Grotta Uluzzo C, Grotta Mario Bernardini, Grotta Torre dell’Alto, Grotta dei Giganti), showing technological organization, curation and expediency behaviours, probably related to a logistical mobility. This variability is becoming part of our understanding of Neanderthal behaviour, marked by a fragmentation of stone working in space, time and social dimensions and a planned and complex organisation, until recently considered as distinctive to modern Homo sapiens

New investigations in Southern Ethiopia (Yabelo And Gotera). Pleistocene and Holocene archaeological evidence

Vengono qui presentati i risultati della prima campagna di ricerca nell’area di Yabelo e Gotera, in Etiopia meridionale. La ricerca in quest’area è legata al programma (H)ORIGIN, finanziato dal MIUR, che intende investigare il record archeologico relativo all’origine e diffusione di Homo sapiens in Africa. Le aree indagate consistono in due transetti di 100 km² e presentano evidenze promettenti sia per quanto riguarda i siti del Pleistocene, sia per i periodi più recenti. In particolare, sono stati individuati siti stratificati e di superficie con evidenze MSA (Middle Stone Age) in entrambe le aree di interesse. Inoltre, le evidenze relative all’arte rupestre nell’area di Yabelo si sono rivelate più importanti di quanto riscontrato in letteratura, e due nuovi siti sono stati scoperti