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Papers by francesca romagnoli

Resumen: Desde el siglo XX, se estudian las patologías neandertales mediante el análisis de sus h... more Resumen: Desde el siglo XX, se estudian las patologías neandertales mediante el análisis de sus huesos. Sin embargo, el cuidado de la salud en poblaciones del Paleolítico medio, y sus implicaciones, no han sido estudiadas hasta muy recientemente. En la última década algunos autores comenzaron a considerar este tema para una mejor comprensión de las sociedades paleolíticas a partir de la bioarqueología del cuidado. Este trabajo es la primera síntesis crítica de los datos sobre neandertales. El conjunto estudiado incluye 16 yacimientos en Europa y Asia. Permite discutir los comportamientos sanitarios y sus implicaciones a nivel individual, poblacional y social. Nuestro estudio muestra que los comportamientos asistenciales se atestiguaban sistemáticamente en estas poblaciones y permite discutir aspectos técnicos y sociales e inferir capacidades cognitivas y emocionales. Esta investigación tiene una importante implicación social y contribuye a la creación de un vínculo directo entre el Paleolítico medio y los aspectos sociales de la atención sanitaria que todos hemos experimentado en los últimos años, debido al COVID-19, poniendo la Arqueología del Paleolítico en el centro de una reflexión sobre "qué nos hace humanos" y destacando su papel para proponer temas que tienen repercusión en los debates más actuales en nuestro mundo contemporáneo. Palabras Clave: neandertales; cuidado sanitario; bioarqueología del cuidado; osteología; Arqueología de Género.

Shells as butchery tools? An experimental approach and implications for butchery practices in the Middle Paleolithic in the coastal context of North Africa

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Mar 8, 2021

Updating Neanderthals: Taking stock of more than 160 years of studies

Elsevier eBooks, 2022

Afterword—From a homogeneous population to a great diversity: Discussing perspectives on Middle Palaeolithic studies for the coming years

Elsevier eBooks, 2022

Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, Feb 6, 2023

Midas

La interpretación del pasado sufre de los sesgos eurocéntricos y androcéntricos que son propios d... 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.

Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory

Paleolithic lithic assemblages are usually dominated by flakes, which display a high degree of mo... 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...

Combining quantitative approaches to differentiate between backed products from discoidal and Levallois reduction sequences

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

Le industrie litiche di Cala Camicia : problemi e prospettive

Le industrie litiche di Cala Camicia : problemi e prospettive, 2017

The socio-economic significance of Neanderthal shell 125 technology: a new perspective on Middle Palaeolithic adaptation to intertidal zones from disregarded tools

Palaeolithic Italy: Advanced studies on early human adaptations in the Apennine peninsula, 2018, ISBN 978-90-8890-583-4, págs. 125-146, 2018

Shell technology was a Mediterranean technical behaviour that showed a peculiar Neanderthal adapt... 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.

Sociétés humaines et environnements dans la zone circumméditerranéenne du Pléistocène au début de... more Sociétés humaines et environnements dans la zone circumméditerranéenne du Pléistocène au début de l'Holocène DÉCEMBRE 2022 THÈME 3 | L'apport des approches actualistes à une meilleure perception des relations humain/animal dans le passé PAGES 376 À 395

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2021

This paper presents the limestone reduction sequences documented in levels M and Ob at Abric Roma... 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 ...

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...

TDX (Tesis Doctorals en Xarxa), May 10, 2012

The existence of a more or less complex handling technology with the lithic tools during the Lowe... 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...

Conference Review: Fifth International Congress of Experimental Archaeology, Tarragona (Spain), October 2017

EXARC Journal, 2018

Experimental archaeology is an important methodological resource for academic and historical scie... 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.

Analysis of intra-site spatial patterns helps to characterise the social organisation of the huma... more Analysis of intra-site spatial patterns helps to characterise the social organisation of the human group that lived at the site. Variability in stone tool intensity and spatial distribution on the living floor reflects variability within each activity area in number of individuals, duration of occupation, and number of superimposed events. Specifying the value of these three parameters is usually highly difficult, due to the low resolution and temporal uncertainty that characterise archaeological records. Furthermore, natural processes could have affected the spatial distribution of artefacts and the formation of the archaeological assemblage. In this paper, we investigated taphonomic processes and cluster distribution of lithic remains using, for the first time, quantitative point-pattern modelling and statistical measure of density on a living floor at the Abric Romaní Middle Palaeolithic site. A quantitative approach has been applied to high-resolution lithic assemblage, previously empirically processed for Raw Material Unit and refits to identify single technical events. Multi-scalar horizontal analysis and vertical dispersion of artefacts within the activity areas exhibited different occupational patterns between the inner area of the rock-shelter closely located to the wall and the external area. The external area was well-preserved by water flows also outside from the drip line with almost unspoiled knapping areas. Different occupational patterns have been identified between interior and exterior area. The latter could be related to short events, spatially and temporarily well-delimited and, most likely, to the last phase of occupation of the site, as also discussed in comparison with other categories of archaeological material. In contrast, the inner part located close to the wall and the most protected, have been repeatedly occupied, most likely by small Neanderthal groups that maintained similar occupational patterns during time and generated a horizontal palimpsest. The results demonstrated that the quantitative approach, associated with previous empirical processing of data, is a useful and effective method for approaching temporal uncertainty in point patterns. Zusammenfassung-Die Analyse der Verteilungsmuster von archäologischen Funden innerhalb einer räumlich abgrenzbaren Fundstelle wird als eine Möglichkeit angesehen, die Organisation sozialer Strukturen einer Gruppe von Menschen an dieser Stelle zu untersuchen. Die Dichte und die Verteilung der Steinartefakte auf dem zu untersuchenden Begehungshorizont gelten als Anzeiger der jeweiligen Gruppengröße, Nutzungsdauer und Häufigkeit. Die Angabe eines Wertes für diese drei Parameter ist in der Regel aufgrund der geringen Auflösung und der unsicheren zeitlichen Tiefe der Befunde sehr schwierig. Darüber hinaus können natürliche Prozesse die räumliche Verteilung der Funde und die Bildung der archäologischen Einheiten beeinflusst haben. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden taphonomische Prozesse und die Clusterverteilung von Steinartefakten mit Hilfe der quantitativen Punktwolkenmodellierung und des statistischen Maßes der Dichte an einem mittelpaläolithischen Begehungshorizont des Abric Romaní erstmalig durchgeführt. Der quantitative Ansatz wurde bei einem hochauflösenden Inventar von Steinarten angewendet, bei dem zuvor Rohmaterial-Einheiten gebildet wurden und mittels Zusammensetzung einzelne technologische Ereignisse identifiziert werden konnten. Die multi-skalare horizontale und vertikale Verteilung der Steinartefakte zeigt, dass innerhalb der Tätigkeitsbereiche unterschiedliche Arbeiten zwischen dem inneren Bereich des Abris nahe der Felswand und dem Außenbereich durchgeführt wurden. Auch der Außenbereich außerhalb der Traufkante war gut vor Erosion durch Wasser geschützt. Hier haben sich einige Schlagplätze erhalten. Verschiedene Aktivitäten konnten zwischen Innen-und Außenbereich identifiziert werden. Der Außenbereich kann mit kurzen räumlich und zeitlich gut abgrenzbaren Ereignissen, und wahrscheinlich mit der letzten Begehungsphase in Zusammenhang gebracht werden. Dies wird unterstützt durch das Fundmaterial anderer Kategorien. Im Gegensatz dazu wurde der innere Bereich, gut geschützt nahe der Abriwand, wiederholt genutzt. Es ist anzunehmen, dass hier kleine Gruppen von Neanderthalern ähnliche Arbeiten wiederholt an denselben Stellen durchgeführt haben und sich so ein horizontales Palimpsest bilden konnte. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass der quantitative Ansatz zusammen mit vorhergehenden empirischen Untersuchungen, ein nützlicher und effektiver Ansatz ist, um zeitliche Unschärfen in Punktwolken analysieren zu können.

Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 2021

Approximately 400,000 years bp, novel technological behaviours appeared in the archaeological rec... 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...

Pendidikan yang berkualitas akan lebih maju, jika lembaga-lembaga pendidikan mempunyai sikap yang... more Pendidikan yang berkualitas akan lebih maju, jika lembaga-lembaga pendidikan mempunyai sikap yang positif dan mendorong siswa-siswanya, dalam hal ini adalah buku, baik membaca cukup dirumah maupun membaca buku disekolah. Apabila pada jaman sekarang telah digalakkan untuk selalu membaca pada buku, karena buku adalah sumber informasi atau sumber belajar untuk mengenal diri dan lingkungannya. Pada hakekatnya pendidikan itu sangat penting bagi semua oranng di dalam hidupnya, karena dengan berbekal pendidikan yang cukup akan

Grotta del Cavallo: ipotesi di mobilità dei gruppi umani musteriani sulla base dello sfruttamento delle risorse litiche

Gli Autori presentano i dati essenziali relativi ad uno studio integrato tra analisi delle materi... 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.

Shells as butchery tools? An experimental approach and implications for butchery practices in the Middle Paleolithic in the coastal context of North Africa

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Mar 8, 2021

Updating Neanderthals: Taking stock of more than 160 years of studies

Elsevier eBooks, 2022

Afterword—From a homogeneous population to a great diversity: Discussing perspectives on Middle Palaeolithic studies for the coming years

Elsevier eBooks, 2022

Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, Feb 6, 2023

Midas

Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory

Combining quantitative approaches to differentiate between backed products from discoidal and Levallois reduction sequences

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

Le industrie litiche di Cala Camicia : problemi e prospettive

Le industrie litiche di Cala Camicia : problemi e prospettive, 2017

The socio-economic significance of Neanderthal shell 125 technology: a new perspective on Middle Palaeolithic adaptation to intertidal zones from disregarded tools

Palaeolithic Italy: Advanced studies on early human adaptations in the Apennine peninsula, 2018, ISBN 978-90-8890-583-4, págs. 125-146, 2018

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2021

TDX (Tesis Doctorals en Xarxa), May 10, 2012

Conference Review: Fifth International Congress of Experimental Archaeology, Tarragona (Spain), October 2017

EXARC Journal, 2018

Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 2021

Grotta del Cavallo: ipotesi di mobilità dei gruppi umani musteriani sulla base dello sfruttamento delle risorse litiche

Transmission of knowledge implies social relationships among people that interact during learning... 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

The use of marine shells in pre-Sapiens: Between aesthetic and operational, symbolism and technological innovation.

NeandertART International Conference - University of Turin (Italy), 2018

On colorful stones and animal bones: Human selection, collection and use of exceptional materials in the Paleolithic

NeandertART International Conference - University of Turin (Italy), 2018

For some three million years humans have been collecting various materials - mainly stones and oc... more For some three million years humans have been collecting various materials - mainly stones and occasionally bones - for the production of tools and for other reasons. Many studies emphasize considerations of material's quality, ease of extraction from the enclosing matrix as well as proximity of the occupation sites to the source, as leading reasons for the selection and use of specific materials. Notwithstanding these technological and economic considerations, there might be other factors that influence specific choices of materials. These may embody interesting aspects regarding the perceptions and cultural, ontological and cosmological patterns of behavior of early humans.
Archaeological evidences show that as early as the Lower and Middle Paleolithic, humans had specifically selected certain exceptional materials from a range of suitable sources in order to produce tools. However, in not few cases, exceptional materials were selected and collected but not used in a particular way that can be distinguished by us. Colorful, bright stones with noticeable aesthetics values (such as obsidian and colorful chert, quartzite, and lava) and specific animal bones (such as elephant bones) were selected used for the making of handaxes, blades, scrapers, points etc, while others were brought home and "used" in non-technological manner. The collection and transportation of specific materials is far from being trivial and raises questions concerning the complex relations of early humans with their surrounding – minerals and animals.
Among recent indigenous societies (including hunter-gatherer societies), materials used for tool making such as stones are not perceived as passive objects destined to be exploited for economic benefit. Rather, they are considered as part of the cosmos, not very different than human themselves, and are perceived as playing an active role in the social, cosmological and epistemological realms of life. What can we say, in this light, about the universal phenomenon of the selection of exceptional materials in the Paleolithic?
This proposed session is aimed at exploring human selection of exceptional materials for different reasons and purposes among past and recent hunter-gatherer societies. The session will be open to papers describing the selection of these materials in Paleolithic sites as well as ethnographic documentations, hopefully contributing to our understanding of the powerful inter-reliance of early humans, tools, minerals and animals.

Use-wear analysis of marine shell valves used as tools for butchery activities (Patellidae, Mitil... more Use-wear analysis of marine shell valves used as tools for butchery activities (Patellidae, Mitilidae, and Veneridae)

Variability and efficiency of limestone knapping

During the last 30 years refitting has been used as a privileged methodology to reconstruct and i... 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.

A storey is a floor, but a floor could be many stories! The problem of time in the definition of occupation floor.

La storia dell'Uomo in Etiopia e in Europa: da Lucy ai Neandertaliani

Conferenza pubblica di divulgazione scientifica nell'ambito del progetto multidisciplinare "Dal M... 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).

This conference paper addresses some questions relating to the ‘production’, by modern survey tea... more This conference paper addresses some questions relating to the ‘production’, by modern survey teams, of primary evidence about the distribution of lithics across the landscape. The authors conducted an experimental survey in the autumn of 2012 to find out how much of the ‘lithic landscape’ had been left unobserved by the long-term systematic and intensive Raganello Archaeological Project (RAP) multi-period surveys carried out by the Groningen Institute of Archaeology in the basin of this south-Italian river. The experiment consisted of very intensive (25% – 100% coverage) resurveys of selected areas and fields by a team including several very experienced lithics specialists from the universities of Florence, Siena and Groningen, and aimed to answer basic questions such as:
- What is the significance of the occasional single lithics found by the RAP surveys? Are they ‘the tip of the iceberg’ or not? And if so, what kind of iceberg?
- Can we obtain general distribution parameters for the ‘lithics landscape’ from a limited resurveying program based on a stratified sampling scheme?
- Which are the – personal and environmental – factors that have the most significant effect on our ability to detect lithics across the landscape?
The outcome and significance of the experiment is discussed in detail, with special reference to the question of spatial scales as applied to landscape and site studies.

Anatomically modern humans replaced Neanderthals in Europe around 40,000 years ago. The demise of... 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

REVISTA ARKEOGAZTE es una revista científica de ARQUEOLOGÍA, editada por ARKEOGAZTE: ASOCIACIÓN D... more REVISTA ARKEOGAZTE es una revista científica de ARQUEOLOGÍA, editada por ARKEOGAZTE: ASOCIACIÓN DE JÓVENES INVESTIGADORES EN ARQUEOLOGÍA PREHISTÓRICA E HISTÓRICA con periodicidad anual y en la que los originales recibidos son evaluados por revisores externos mediante el sistema conocido como el de doble ciego. Se compone de las siguientes secciones: MONOGRÁ-FICO, VARIA, ENTREVISTA, RECENSIONES y publica trabajos originales de investigación en torno a una temática definida, trabajos originales de temática arqueológica libre, notas críticas de trabajos arqueológicos actuales o entrevistas a personalidades científicas de la Arqueología. Los originales se publican en castellano, euskera, inglés, portugués, gallego, catalán, francés e italiano. El Consejo de Redacción tiene el castellano, el euskera y el inglés como sus idiomas de trabajo.