New chronological framework (MIS 13–9) and depositional context for the lower Palaeolithic sites north-west of Rome: Revisiting the early hominin in central Italy

Abstract

The Paleolithic period in central Italy is currently undergoing an extensive revision due to a significant chronological re-examination of many archaeological sites. Recently, several lower Palaeolithic sites 20 km NW of Rome previously dated within MIS 9 (335–300 ka) (i.e. La Polledrara di Cecanibbio, Torre in Pietra, Castel di Guido, Malagrotta and four sites along Via Aurelia) have been geochronologically reassessed between 412 and 325 ka. These sites, in which abundant fauna, artifacts and hominin remains have been found, are remarkably well preserved. A combination of geological factors and the peculiar geodynamic conditions of this region, where tectonics, volcanism and glacio-eustatic forcing worked in concert, allowed for the exceptional conservation of the remains In this paper we provide a review of these sites and analyze their depositional contexts, showing that rapid filling of the fluvial incisions during glacial terminations, combined with sudden emplacement of volcanic deposits, caused the sealing of the archaeological materials accumulated at the bottom of the paleo-valleys. The aim of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of these sites as well as to provide the archaeological implications of their new chronology and depositional contexts. Results allow to reconsider the hominin presence in central Italy and highlight the importance to integrate archaeological investigations with modern geological studies, combining sedimentological, geochronological, geomorphological and chronostratigraphical methods.