TRENTO, ITALY—Phys.org reports that new investigations at Riparo Mochi, a rock shelter near the border of France and Italy, suggests that hunter-gatherers from Spain entered Italy earlier than previously thought. Previous excavation of the site uncovered a type of pointed stone tool known as a Noailles burin, thought to have been used to engrave or carve grooves in hard materials such as bone and antler by the people of the Noailles culture. A recent excavation at the rock shelter conducted by Fabio Santaniello of the University of Trento and his colleagues uncovered more than 7,500 artifacts, including an intact hearth surrounded by marine shells, Noailles burins, and other tools. Microscopic analysis of these Noailles burins found no signs of wear on the sharp tips, but revealed such marks on the sides. These edges are thought to have been used to cut animal skin and meat. Radiocarbon dating shows that the shells are between 30,000 and 30,800 years old, pushing back the timeline for Noaillian presence in northern Italy by some 2,000 to 3,000 years. At about this time, Europe’s climate became cold and dry, and likely pushed human migration eastward, toward milder climates, the researchers suggest. The new information also brings radiocarbon dates for Noaillian culture in southern Italy, between 31,000 and 30,000 years ago, into line. Additional artifacts uncovered in the rock shelter include blades that had been fitted onto shafts, and scrapers and wedges used to shape wooden shafts and split bone. Read the original scholarly article about this research in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. To read about Paleolithic burials uncovered in northwestern Italy, go to “Ice Age Necropolis.”
