Previous articleNext article FreeBook and Film ReviewsTale of a Cave The Archaeology of Grotta Scaloria: Ritual in Neolithic Southeast Italy. Edited by Ernestine S. Elster, John Robb, Eugenia Isetti, and Antonella Traverso. Monumenta Archaeologica 35. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, 2016.Barbara VoytekBarbara VoytekArchaeological Research Facility, Department of Anthropology, Berkeley, 2251 College Building, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA ([email protected]). Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailQR Code SectionsMoreAnyone who has ever worked on an archaeological site that was located in a cave and experienced loss of light due to a broken generator will appreciate the challenge that was accepted by the Save Scaloria Project. Grotta Scaloria, a cave in Apulia, was first discovered and explored in 1931, excavated briefly in 1967, and then more systematically dug in 1978 and 1979, with a study season in 1980. This most recent research was performed by a joint University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)–University of Genoa team, and the directors of that team were Marija Gimbutas and Santo Tiné. The excavation was never fully published. This volume is the product of efforts to correct that fact. And it is much more. The team, led admirably by Dr. Ernestine S. Elster of UCLA, pulled together (not without strain) the “legacy data” and applied extensive analyses, including new scientific methods.This work goes beyond an archaeological site report. Yes, the archaeology is totally there, but so is the history of the excavation and collaboration between UCLA and the University of Genoa, between Gimbutas and Tiné, during a stirring time for archaeological investigation. In addition, the volume is truly a labor of love. The acknowledgements document the scope of the work. Chapter 1, which gives the history of not just the cave excavations but also Gimbutas and Tiné, presents their efforts in a truly comprehensive and human way. The reader feels a witness to the preliminary discussions and decision-making.“The excavation of an excavation began” in 2002 (7). After meeting with Santo Tiné in 2006, Elster began the quest in earnest. The team was formed: besides Elster and Tiné, it included John Robb of Cambridge University, Eugenia Isetti of the University of Genoa, and Antonella Traverso of the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici di Liguria. These team members are the editors of the volume, but the number of contributors is greater, and I am sorry that space prohibits my listing them all. Chapter 2 paints a vivid picture of the excavations and problems with collecting old excavation data. Again, anyone who has ever visited a museum in the hopes of seeing some specific artifacts only to find that the bags are missing or read a site report that did not provide a clear stratigraphic context can appreciate the frustration that plagued, but never stopped, this team. While reading this publication, I could not help thinking of Sherlock Holmes unveiling hidden facts. For example, 18 new AMS dates were used to uncover important information about the cave: a Late Upper Palaeolithic period of use came to light on the basis of the new dates, study of the fauna, and study of the tools.The volume as a whole is worthwhile, but the individual chapters are valuable on their own, with reference to different techniques and methods of analysis. Also, the fact that experts are involved means that comparative studies with other sites are invoked, and the data are not studied in a vacuum. In addition, the studies in the different chapters often relate to those in other chapters or subchapters. This cross-chapter referencing reflects the excellent work of the editors in creating a publication that is coherent and integrated, not just a collection of research studies.Chapter 3 (“Formation of and Human Use of the Cave”) provides a detailed study of the geoarchaeology of the cave. The results suggest that there was household occupation in part of the cave and not only ritual use. Also part of chapter 3, the faunal analyses are more than thorough. There are data on species but also on age distribution as well as on meat quality and carcass partitioning. This chapter would serve well in a course on faunal analyses. The subchapters that deal with the sensory world of caves and Scaloria in particular as well as with the cult interpretations will be of decided interest to individual readers. Anyone with an interest in water cults will definitely appreciate the efforts made by the authors. Chapter 4 seemed to me the most comprehensive study presented, covering treatment of the skeletal remains. Again, we read of the background to the collection (materials from 1978 and 1979), a story almost painful to read but not completely unfamiliar. The challenges faced by the researchers are clearly presented along with the tough choices that had to be made.Robb refers findings to his other studies. There is a treasure trove of discussion here of different methodologies for studying skeletal remains, from minimum number of individuals to pathologies and further. The second subchapter treats diet and presents one of the few isotopic studies performed for prehistoric Italy (131). It is followed by the study of strontium isotopes to understand mobility and residential patterns. Perhaps one of the most intriguing finds from the study of the skeletal remains is the fact that a large number of bones have evidence of cut marks. And interestingly, referring back to the strontium isotope data, the reader learns that “most samples showing traces of cut-marks cluster within the ‘local’ range” (142). The reasons for the cut marks and their distribution are, of course, open to discussion. Within the subsection on taphonomic analysis, there are many questions posed on the nature of the funerary practices evidenced in the cave. The research is very thorough in attempting to answer the questions, and the reader is not disappointed.Chapter 5 presents the ceramic finds. The authors established classes based on shape and wall thickness and a typology of the different decorative elements. Ceramic typologists will appreciate the work, especially the cross-referencing of drawings and photographs. There is also an archaeometric study of the composition of the clays and temper of some of the pieces and an extensive catalog of the materials. Within this chapter, one also finds reflection of the genius of Marija Gimbutas. Her notes are included here and will thrill those who are interested in the symbols painted on the ceramics and their potential interpretation.The last chapter, chapter 6, deals with the lithic industries, chipped and polished; bone tools and objects; and finds of shell. Concerning lithics, the stratigraphic and contextual problems very much limit interpretations. The Campignian forms uncovered in 1979 are intriguing. Elster’s discussion of the raw materials chosen for the chipped stone tools of the 1979 findings is also very informative (307–309). The subchapter on the ground stone tools provides an excellent catalog of an assemblage of 71 pieces. The photographs are very good. The study of the bone tools is based on approximately 85 pieces. Again the reader finds excellent drawings and also a very useful comparative analysis with other sites. The study of the shell produced a catalog that will be of interest to specialists.This short review cannot really do justice to this major work. The conclusions sum up well the goals, challenges, and success of the Save Scaloria Project. Within this chapter, the editors also deliberate the ritual aspects of Scaloria. The site actually comprises two chambers, an upper cave and a lower cave. The lower cave, rather inaccessible, is arguably a place of “secrecy, remoteness and phenomenological otherness.” Tiné and his then-student Isetti had documented its use for a “cult of waters.” The upper cave had been used for “funerary activities and quotidian activities” (375). The subsection on “Final Speculations on Ritual at Scaloria” (379, 380) is thought-provoking and intriguing; like much of this book, it reflects the intellectual brilliance of the editors and contributors. The illustrations, tables, charts, index, and so on are exceptional, as is the bibliography. Copious appendices with historical data are archived online. Previous articleNext article DetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Current Anthropology Volume 58, Number 1February 2017 Sponsored by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/690136 HistoryAccepted June 21, 2016 For permission to reuse, please contact [email protected]PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.