Summary (English)
During this season’s excavations and research undertaken by the University of Ferrara on the Palaeolithic site of Isernia La Pineta exploration was extended in quadrants 156-159, 166-169 and 174-179 of quadrant 1, in sector I, already partially excavated in 2015. The intervention removed context 3 formed by fluvial-lacustrine deposits with sands and fine gravel (from top to bottom the layers involved were 3s1-5, 3s6-9, 3colluvium, 3s10 and 3b), with the aim of exposing the palaeo-surface 3c, almost in direct contact with the underlying travertine. Layer 3c, already investigated from the 1980s onwards, represents the first evidence of human occupation at the site of Isernia La Pineta following the reduction of the wet areas. Smaller concentrations of material were found compared with the later archeo-surfaces, these included palaeontological remains, and lithics embedded in a rubified sandy matrix a few centimeters thick.
The lithic industry was characterised by the presence of small flint flakes that did not present traces of post-depositional transport. Unidentifiable bone fragments of various sizes, but also some remains of large herbivores, including elephant vertebrae and bison horns were also found. The osteological materials were cleaned and consolidated. At the end of the excavation, surface 3c was exposed in all quadrants of the research area, except for quadrants 158 and 174-175.
The excavations were planned using a total station and integrated system for data acquisition (registration of finds coordinates, orthophotographs, GIS analyses etc.).The sieving of the sediment produced micro-faunal remains (mainly rodent teeth and fish bones), malaco-fauna, small fragments of macro-fauna, small flakes of flint and sanadine crystals (particularly useful for radiometric dating) and waste products from the working of these materials.
- Carlo Peretto – Università degli Studi di Ferrara – Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici 
- Giuseppe Lembo-Università di Ferrara 
- Brunella Muttillo-Università di Ferrara 
Director
Team
- Dominique Grimaud-Hervé- Museé national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris.
- Giorgio Manzi - Università “La Sapienza”
- Jacopo Moggi-Cecchi - Università degli Studi di Firenze - Dipartimento di Biologia
- Julie Arnaud - Università degli Studi di Ferrara
- Vincent Lebreton - Département de Préhistoire du Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
- Alison Pereira - UMR 8212, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (CEA-CNRS-UVSQ), Gif Sur Yvette, Francia.
- Christophe Falguères – Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle de Paris
- Jean-Jacques Bahain
- Mauro Coltorti - Università degli Studi di Siena
- Sebastien Nomade - UMR 8212, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (CEA-CNRS-UVSQ), Gif Sur Yvette, Francia.
- Ursula Thun Hohenstein - Università di Ferrara - Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici
- Qingfeng Shao - Isotopic mass spectrometer lab., College of Geography Science, Nanjing Normal University, China
- Tristan Garcia - Laboratoire National Henri Becquerel, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Carmela Vaccaro - Università degli Studi di Ferrara
- Marta Arzarello - Università degli Studi di Ferrara
- Rosalia Gallotti
- Benedetto Sala - Università di Ferrara
- Claudio Berto – Università di Ferrara
- Guido Montanari Canini - Università degli Studi di Ferrara
- Marzia Breda- Università degli Studi di Ferrara
- Ronan Orrain
Research Body
- Laboratoire National Henri Becquerel, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, Gif/Yvette, France
- Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle de Paris
- Nanjing Normal University, Cina
- Sapienza Università di Roma
- Università degli Studi di Ferrara
- Università degli Studi di Firenze
- Università degli Studi di Siena
- Utah Valley University, Stati Uniti d’America
Funding Body
- Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle de Paris
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