Neanderthals in Porto Selvaggio, Southern Italy

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Peninsular Southern Europe Refugia during the Middle Paleolithic" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Porto Selvaggio of southern Italy is where the Uluzzian culture was first identified and documented, providing key insights into the transition of the Middle to the Upper Paleolithic. The area has also yielded evidence of continuous Neanderthal occupations spanning MIS 5-3. Situated in the Natural Park of Porto Selvaggio, several sites were excavated by Brozatti von Lowenstern in 1960’s and 70’s. As a part of research initiatives at the Museo della Preistoria di Nardo, we began to revisit the artifacts and fauna recovered from these sites. Based on the analysis of the production sequences and techno-functional classification of the lithics, we document the development of Levallois technique prior to the end of MIS 4 when this lithic technology purportedly emerged in this region. In addition, the reanalysis and correlation of chronostratigraphic, paleoenvironmental, and zooarchaeological data provide us clues into the role that this region played as a possible refugium for Neanderthals during unfavorable climatic conditions.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)   •
• Peninsular Southern Europe Refugia during the Middle Paleolithic

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24130