A new chronostratigraphic framework for the Upper Palaeolithic of Riparo Mochi (Italy)

• Published in: Journal of human evolution Vol. 62; no. 2; pp. 286 - 299
• Main Authors: Douka, Katerina, Grimaldi, Stefano, Boschian, Giovanni, del Lucchese, Angiolo, Higham, Thomas F.G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Archaeology; Bayes Theorem; Biological Evolution; Cultural Evolution - history; Early Aurignacian; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Fossils; Geo-stratigraphy; Geochronology; Geologic Sediments; Gravettian; History, Ancient; Humans; Isotope geochemistry. Geochronology; Italy; Marine and continental quaternary; Mollusca; Protoaurignacian; Radiocarbon dating; Radiometric Dating; Surficial geology; Upper Palaeolithic; Southern Europe; Italy; Europe; Radiocarbon dating; Upper Palaeolithic; Italy; Geo-stratigraphy; Gravettian; Protoaurignacian; Early Aurignacian; bayesian analysis; Prehistoric artefacts; Chordata; Eutheria; chronostratigraphy; paleoclimate; Aurignacian; Primates; Theria; dating; Cenozoic; Hominidae; Tetrapoda; Quaternary; Homo sapiens; middle Paleolithic; Homo; upper Paleolithic; Paleolithic; upper Pleistocene; Vertebrata; C-14; Mammalia; fossil man; Phanerozoic; statistical analysis; Pleistocene
• ISSN: 0047-2484; 1095-8606
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.11.009

The rockshelter of Mochi, on the Ligurian coast of Italy, is often used as a reference point in the formation of hypotheses concerning the arrival of the Aurigancian in Mediterranean Europe. Yet, the site is poorly known. Here, we describe the stratigraphic sequence based on new field observations and present 15 radiocarbon determinations from the Middle Palaeolithic (late Mousterian) and Early Upper Palaeolithic (Aurignacian and Gravettian) levels. The majority of dates were produced on humanly modified material, specifically marine shell beads, which comprise some of the oldest directly-dated personal ornaments in Europe. The radiocarbon results are incorporated into a Bayesian statistical model to build a new chronological framework for this key Palaeolithic site. A tentative correlation of the stratigraphy to palaeoclimatic records is also attempted.