ANTHROPOLOGIE

Volume 36/1-2, 1998, pp. 85-90

PIPERNO M., LEFEVRE D., RAYNAL J.-P., TAGLIACOZZO A.
Notarchirico. An Early-Middle Pleistocene Site in the Venosa Basin

Our knowledge concerning the most ancient phases of the Southern Italy Early Paleolithic has been greatly increased in the last years through the systematic excavations and studies of the early Middle Plesitocene site of Notarchirico (Venosa, Basilicata, Italy). The new geo-stratigraphical (Raynal et al. 1997, Lefevre et al. 1997), paleontological (Cassoli et al. 1997, Tagliacozzo et al. 1997) and paleoethnological (Piperno 1997) evidences, together with a series of absolute dates obtained by different methods (Piperno et al. 1990, Belluomini, Delitala 1991, Pilleyre et al. 1997, Rhodes, Grün 1997) allowed the reconstruction of a detailed framework of this sequence and its better correlation with the Levels A/B of Loreto, the Acheulian sites of the Atella basin and the other late Middle Pleistocene Acheulian assemblages known from several surface finds in the Venosa basin. One of the main conclusions obtained by the stratigraphical identification and correlation of the Piano Regio (Notarchirico) and the Tufarelle (Loreto) Formations has been that these sedimentary events took part in a relatively short period, largely and continuously influenced by the volcanic activity of Monte Vulture dated K/Ar to a period comprised between 740 and 600 ky. The more important paleoethnological consequence which can be deduced by this conclusion is that the variability observed in the composition and structure of the lithic assemblages from different levels at Notarchirico and Loreto, where techno-complexes with and without hand-axes are both present and alternate along the entire sequence, cannot be explained by a phyletic approach, due to the very short chronological distance reflected within the two sequences. It seems therefore possible to suggest the hypothesis that an even strong variability between lithic assemblages in a limited area as, for example, the Venosa basin, could not necessarily depend on significant cultural changes but do rather reflect some kind of rapid adaptive answers to moderate climatic fluctuations combined with the locally more significant consequences of the volcanic activity of Monte Vulture. The model of the replacement of landscapes modified by the volcanic eruptions by other paleoenvironments where the previous ecological conditions were quickly restored, can also be used to explain the different paleoecology revealed by the faunal association of Notarchirico, characterized by a predominance of Elephas and Cervids, and the one of Loreto, where Pseudodama and Equus predominate. Such a variability could not therefore have been influenced, if not to a limited extent documented also by some palynological indications, by important climatic degradation which did not occur during this short period of time.

Middle Pleistocene – Notarchirico – Chronology – Technological diversity