Palaeoloxodon and human interaction: depositional setting, chronology and archaeology at the Middle Pleistocene Ficoncella site (Tarquinia, Italy)

PLoS One. 2015 Apr 21;10(4):e0124498. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124498. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

The Ficoncella site in northern Latium (Italy) represents a unique opportunity to investigate the modalities of a short occupation in an alluvial setting during the Lower Palaeolithic. The small excavation area yielded a lithic assemblage, a carcass of Palaeoloxodon antiquus, and some other faunal remains. The main objectives of the study are to better characterize the depositional context where the Palaeoloxodon and the lithic assemblage occur, and to evaluate with greater precision the occupation dynamics. A 25 m-long well was drilled just above the top of the terrace of the Ficoncella site and faunal and lithic remains were analyzed with current and innovative techniques. The archaeological site contains floodplain deposits as it is located next to a small incised valley that feeds into a larger valley of the Mignone River. A tephra layer capping the site is 40Ar/39Ar dated to 441± 8 ka. Collectively, the geochronologic, tephrochronologic and geologic data, suggest the site was occupied during MIS 13. The new results should prompt further research at Ficoncella in order to improve our understanding of the dynamics of human settlement in Europe during the Early to Middle Pleistocene.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Archaeology
  • Bone and Bones
  • Elephants
  • Fossils
  • Humans
  • Italy
  • Tool Use Behavior*

Grants and funding

The excavations at the site of Ficoncella were made possible thanks to the grant of the Ministero dei Beni Culturali, in collaboration with the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici dell'Etruria meridionale, financial aid from the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Civitavecchia - Cariciv and logistical and administration support of the municipality of Allumiere. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.