In 2010 the apical sector of the _Sala Terminale_ was investigated. An in-depth exploration was also made of the _Saletta_ (the excavation area was extended by 1 m2 thus opening almost all of the _Saletta_ area). The sectors investigated in the first excavation area were R6, S6-7 excavating in the first five levels already described (see the 2006, 2007 ff. Reports) and level d. Lev αo – a level present only in the first 45 cm of the rock face, constituted by millimetric aggregates, small clasts with voids and clay present between the voids. The clasts have a maximum diameter of about 6 cm. Yellow matrix. Towards U4 it changes into a whitish line about 1 cm thick (pulverulent). Lev α1 – present in all sections, very similar to αo with a light orangey-red matrix. Lev α – orangey red clay-silt layer, clasts present with diameters of up to 20 cm. Lev b – level of clay with some silt with a high level of plasticity. Brick coloured with some yellow variegation. Almost no clasts. Some bone remains. Lev c – level of clay-silt, less plastic and siltier than both level b and level d. Lev d – similar to level C but more plastic. Overall the levels were fossiliferous and compared to the central portion of the Sala Terminale they contained larger numbers of micro-therological fossils, at least in the upper levels. In the Saletta sectors AB 26 and 27 and AC 26 and 27 were excavated, along the entire stratigraphic sequence, reaching the present ground surface situated at about 1.5 m below the original level. The excavation investigated 7 levels. Lev 0: Brown matrix, presence of silt-clay aggregates (diam. 3-5 mm). Angular clasts with diam. From between 2- 3 cm up to blocks with max. diam. of 50 cm (stratoides). Thickness at metre 26 about 40 cm. Lev 1: Yellow clay matrix with few sub-angular clasts (max. diam. 7-8 cm) Thickness about 25-26 cm. Bones present at the base. Lev 2: It repeats with characteristics very similar to level O. Has the same colour matrix etc. Thickness 33-34 cm. Lev 3: Constituted by a large number of clasts almost all touching each other, diam. About 10-15 cm. Clay aggregates of 1-2 cm. Thickness about 40 cm. Yellow clay matrix. Lev 4: In the upper part clasts of 10-12 cm present, towards the bottom the dimensions seemed to decrease. Brown clay matrix with aggregates of up to 1 cm. Bones present. Lev 4b: Present at about 50 cm from metre 27, similar to level 3 but with slightly smaller clasts and a yellow clay matrix. It tends to slope towards the exterior of the cavern. The finds recovered in this sector are at present being studied as an undergraduate thesis for a degree in Natural Sciences. Lev 5b: only reached towards the end of the campaign but seems to present the same characteristics as seen in 2003 (see 2003 report).

_Two sectors were investigated_ The first was situated at about 26 m from the cave mouth and was characterised by a space that formed a small room and was defined as the “Saletta”. In the “Saletta”, quadrants AC28/ 3-4-4b, AB28/4-5b, AB27/5b-6 were explored. Two new Mousterian red jasper artefacts were found in AC 28/5b and AB27/6. In all the investigated sectors (AB27, AB28, AC28) a surface of 1 m2 was excavated. The stratigraphy in the “Saletta” (levels investigated in 2012) Lev. 4: 10-12 cm diameter clasts were present in the upper part, towards the bottom the size seemed to decrease. Brown clay matrix with aggregates up to 1 cm in diameter. Bones also present. Lev. 4b: Situated at about 50 cm from metre 27, similar to level 3 but with slightly smaller clasts and a yellow clay matrix. It tends to “descend” towards the exterior of the cavern. Lev. 5b: presented the same characteristics as those documented in 2003. Lev. 6: A clay matrix with silt, containing clasts of 7-8 cm in diameter. Variable thickness, in metre 31 between 7-8 cm and 10-12 cm, thicker in metre 30. Pinkish in colour but can appear browner depending on the position. The second sector was situated in the apical position of the “Sala Terminale”, immediately beyond the “Sifone”. Sectors R4-5, S4-5, T4-5-6 were investigated. In R and S level d was excavated to the cavern floor, where the fills in the irregular surface were defined as level e. The cavern floor was at about 1.5 m from ground level. In sector T excavation continued at level c, to then start on level d, where the 2012 campaign stopped. The stratigraphy of the sector in the “Sala Terminale” beyond the “Sifone” (2012 levels) c – Silty clay level, less malleable and containing more silt than both levels b and d. d – Similar to level c but more malleable. dl – Characterised by a greater number of clasts of one centimetre and above in the area towards sector Q close to the cavity wall, this may be the effect of the wall, which often modifies the matrix/clast relationship due to the crumbling of the wall itself produces clasts and greyish clay. e – Fill of the irregular surface of the cave floor, characterised by crumbling Calcare di Moltrasio.

In 2017, excavations were undertaken in quadrants P5 and P6 situated at the mouth of the “Sala Terminale”, just outside the narrow “Syphon” (Fig. 1). The main aim of the 2018 campaign was to slightly extend the excavations towards the centre of the “Sala Terminale” from the area immediately after the “Syphon”. The chosen area was that of quadrants O5 and O6 (continuing on from P5 and P6). Figure 2 shows the stratigraphic section of the investigated area in addition to the section from the previous year. The main aim was to check the sequence. Firstly, 50 cm of material that had been disturbed by the speleologists when they first discovered the cave had to be removed. This was stratigraphically excavated and the bone fragments present retrieved. Once this was done, a similar stratigraphic situation was arrived at as present in the adjacent quadrants excavated last year. The stratigraphic sequence, from the top downwards, was: a recent level of material that had crumbled from the vault – called level 0 – followed by a very thin layer of white lime a few millimetres thick underneath which the Pleistocene sequence began. The upper Pleistocene levels were investigated, specifically level a1 (divided into two sub-levels) and the excavation of b was begun (Fig. 2). Below are the sediment characteristics for each level. The sediments were sieved with a 1 mm mesh in order to recover the micro-fauna (Fig. 4a). ao – level mainly characterised by an accumulation of material disturbed by interventions in the late 1980s – early 1990s. Carbonate concretions – a very thin deposit of white lime covered the Pleistocene deposit _ad_ _Ursus_ _speleaus_. Level a1 was 2-3 mm thick and was divided into a1a and a1b. Both had a clayey-silt matrix that was light orangey red in colour for a1a but tended to be yellower for a1b. Both levels presented occasional fragments of Ursus. Occasional carbonate klasts a few centimetres in size were present together with larger ones from the vault collapse. Level a – clayey-silt, orange-yellow in colour, with the presence of carbonate klasts up to 20 cm in diameter. Level b – clay with a little silt, elevated plasticity, orange-red in colour with a few yellow variegations. Klasts almost absent, very few bone fragments. Very few of the fossil remains recovered during this phase of the excavations could be attributed to Ursus spelaeus. A larger number of micro-mammal remains were found and identified, which provide new information about the Upper Pleistocene climate in northern Italy (Fig. 4b).