The Riparo (refuge) del Broion opens at 135 m a.s.l. in the eastern flank of the Colli Berici, near the Grotta del Broion (locality of Lumignano). The upper part of the deposit below the refuge (US 1) was divided into seven sub-layers: excavations begun in 1998 recovered flint artefacts and other objects that can be attributed to the archaic phase of the late Paleolithic, probably to the Aurignacian culture (sub-layer 1g÷1f, dated to circa 30,000-32,000 years ago), the Gravettian (sub-layer 1e÷1c, dated to circa 26,000 years ago) and the early Epigravettian (sub-layer 1b÷1a, dated to circa 18,000 years ago). In June and July 2006 the ninth excavation campaign took place. The stratigraphy was partially disturbed, sometimes constituted by reworked earth and often with unclear limits between the layers. The only layer that was clearly identifiable was 1g, which contained amongst other things an ogival tipped scraper and three lamellated nuclei. During its occupation in the early Epigravettian period the site was immersed in a typically periglacial environment, as attested by the dominance of the marmot in association with the chamois and ibex. The assemblages from sub-layers 1f and 1g were less homogeneous, with examples that indicate very different environments: together with marmot, hare, chamois, ibex, bison and probable aurochs, are the remains of mainly boar and some deer and roe deer. The presence in all the assemblages of remains of elk, beaver, pike and aquatic birds (wild duck and teal) attest the constant presence of water on the plain below. The lower sub-layers attest more intense occupation than the upper ones and are characterised by the more abundant remains showing clear signs of butchering and some concentration of flakes around a hearth S3. (Alberto Broglio, Marco De Stefani, Fabio Gurioli)

The ten metre-long Riparo del Broion is protected by an outcrop of circa 7 m and contains a fill that was partially removed in order to level the surface for agricultural use. The surface was cut some years ago by an illegal excavation, over a total surface area of 14 m2, to a depth of 2m. In 1998 systematic excavations began which revealed a stratigraphy in which 16 distinct units have been identified, the lowest of which (13, 9, 7 and 4) containing artefacts of the Middle Paleolithic. The overlying levels contained artefacts of the Upper Paleolithic. Levels 3 and 2, investigated over a surface of 8 m2, produced no traces of anthropological evidence. The upper layer 1, circa 80 cm thick, had a clearly defined lower edge and was subdivided into seven sub-layers (1g – 1a) almost all of which clearly distinct. Up against the rock face the sediments were incoherent, some effected by erosion and animal burrows. Two hearths (1g and 1f) dated to the early part of the Upper Paleolithic. In the central sector of the excavation a sub-circular structure S2, diameter of 50 cm, depth 8 cm, cut into layer 2. The fill comprised a fine sediment with an abundance of organic material, small clasts, occasional charcoal, burnt bones and some flint artefacts that showed signs of burning. The C14 (AMS) dating for this material is 32.100±400 (UtC-11.790), 25.980±190 (UtC-11.791), 30.480±300 (UtC-11.792) BP. In the western sector, structure S3, cutting layer 2, was constituted by a sub-circular depression 80 cm wide and 10 cm deep, surrounded by five lumps of local limestone. The depression was filled with silts rich in organic materials, with some charcoal, one piece of which dated to 31.700±400 (UtC-12.509)BP. The interface 1f/1g was dated 30.650±300 (LTL-1637A) BP. The extremely fragmentary faunal remains included among the carnivores the cave bear, common fox and wild cat; among the ungulates boar, elk, deer, roe deer, chamois; among the rodents and lake dwellers, hare and beaver. The remains of fish and marsh birds were also present. The assemblage suggests a marshy environment at the foot of the hills surrounded by forests with ample clearings. The assemblage of lithics from 1g and 1f are attributed to the early part of the Upper Paleolithic. The flint used came from the Biancone and Scalglia Rossa formations, with the exception of an allocthonous flint blade. All phases of working were present; the production phase was represented by a few blade fragments. The cores had been exploited to the extreme, and all presented flaked detachments. In 1g there were three flat scrapers, three retouched blades, two backed knife blades; in 1f a retouched blade cf. Aurignacian blade, one curved backed knife cf. Ulzziano and two flaked fragments, one with direct and alternating edge retouch , were present. There were also one small piercer and a punch, both made from pieces of bone, and four shells (3 from the sea and 1 freshwater) used as personal ornaments, as attested by the clear traces of red ocra inside them. Two occupation phases were identified for the middle Upper Paleolithic in sub-layer 1c and 1b for which four C 14-AMS dates were obtained: 25.860±200 (UtC-13321) BP from sub-layer 1c and 27.960±300 (UtC-10.504), 17.830±100 (UtC-10.506) and 28.460±260 (UtC-260) BP relating to 1b. The date UtC-10.506 was given by a sub-circular hearth, 1 m in diameter and 7 cm deep (S1). The scarce faunal remains comprised cave bear, abundant marmot, goat, ox, fox, mustelids, birds and fish. Sub-layers 1e – 1a produced a Gravettian sequence within which it seemed possible to distinguish: a scarce assemblage (1e, 1d, 1c), perhaps attributable to the Gravettian period (on the basis of the radiometric dating relating to sub-layer 1c); an early Gravettian assemblage of backed points and rare leaf points (1b, 1b alfa, 1b beta e 1b gamma) for which two radiometric dates were obtained. This assemblage was notably homogeneous. The implements were rare (two burins, one frontal scraper, one point, some re-touched blade fragments). Weapons were well represented, even though almost all fragments or residual: small, long, thin points of La Gravette facies, characterised by bipolar backs and complementary re-touches at the tip or base opposite the back; backed and truncated flakes. Lastly, of note the presence of a mesial fragment from a leaf point with a flat, narrow, long face, obtained by bilateral re-touching on the back and flat partial re-touching on the ventral face. A similar fragment came from the fill of a burrow together with other Gravettian artefacts. The lithic assemblage from the sub-layers overlying 1aα is consistent with this picture. The analysis of the traces of use revealed the points had been used as throwing weapons or as elements of composite tools used for cutting or sawing.

The Buso Doppio del Broion, known by speleologists since the beginning of last century, is one of the many karstic caves opening in the Oligocenic carbonate rocks which form the ancient coral reef of Lumignano. This cave, situated at circa 135 m a.s.l., between the Riparo del Broion and the Grotta del Sengio Longo, takes its name from the presence of two more or less circular entrances, the largest of which gives access to the main gallery (gallery A) which develops on a north/west-south/east alignment for circa 12 metres and is circa 3 metres wide. In front of and at the base of the main entrance there was a large collapsed mass containing a patch of archaeological deposit from the surface of which a number of pottery fragments emerged. Beyond this access to the entrance was facilitated by a series of manmade steps cut into the bed rock below the vault. Towards the end of the gallery A a second branch opened leading to a chamber developing in a northerly direction (gallery B) circa 5 metres long and 3 metres wide. Three other offshoots opened from gallery B, two to the west (galleries C and D) and one to the east (gallery E). Another two galleries, without deposits, departed from the second entrance. During removal of the disturbed deposit, by volunteers from CAI, Vicenza, it immediately became clear that finds attesting a sporadic occupation of the cave during the last glacial maximal episode, circa 20,000 years, were present. In fact, the discovery of three “a cràn” points, similar to those found in the deposits of the Grotta di Paina at Mossano and di Trene at Nanto, made from Apennine flint, dated the origins of the upper part of the deposit inside the cave to the height of the II Wurmian Pleniglaciale period. The excavation extended over an area of 13 m2, where the stratigraphic units US1 – US6 were investigated. These layers formed a thickness of 2.5 m. The US1, maximum thickness 80 cm, was constituted by large masses that had collapsed from the vault and walls of the cave in a loessic sediment containing the remains of cave bear, elk, marmot, beaver, small and medium carnivores, fish vertebrae, birds and micro-mammals (rodents, chiropterans and other insectivores). The deepest section (US1 tt and III and IV) produced lithic industry characterised by the presence of a few waste products from flint working, mostly from the Berico-Euganean and/or Lessinean hills, and fragments of points with bipolar backs with thinning at the base and tip (cf. Gravettes, Vachones variant), one bi-point and fragments of early Gravettian backed blades. The US2 consisted of lenses limited to quadrants B7 and C7. It had a loessic matrix with a scarce limestone skeleton. The paleontological evidence was constituted by cave bear, large and medium mammals, fish vertebrae and micro-mammals. There was no lithic industry. The US3 had a loessic matrix with lumps of sub-rounded limestone and had been affected by post-depositional hill-wash and subsequent deformation caused by the weight of the overlying material. The faunal remains were constituted by middle to large mammals (including cave bear), fish vertebrae and a very few bird bones. In quadrant B7 3 sub-units were identified denominated 3a, 3b and 3c. US4 was a micro-stratified (laminated) organic layer with a loessic matrix. The latter comprised laminae only millimetres thick, more or less rich in organic material. The unit had a tabular morphology up to 30 cm thick. The faunal remains included cave bear, large, medium and small mammals, including carnivores; abundant micro-mammals and fish. Isolated fragments of carbonised wood were also present. There was no lithic industry. US5 had a clastic support with numerous interstitial gaps between the rocks that reached dimensions of 30-40 cm in diameter, and a scarce loess matrix. The layer reached a thickness of 80 cm. The upper part of the loessic matrix was scarcer and drier and the stones larger. In the central-lower parts (US5 base) the matrix was more abundant and damper, with smaller sized stones. This unit produced cave bear, marmot, fox and other mammals of large to medium size, occasional fish vertebrae, birds and an abundance of micro-fauna. The lithic industry was represented by 2 flakes with direct edge retouch (cf. Dufour), a few flakes and a little debris. Occasional charcoal was also present. US6, situated at a depth of circa 2.5 m still contained collapsed elements, constituted by lumps of sub-rounded limestone with a loessic matrix. In some points the Aeolian silt was particularly clean, without clasts, especially in the lower part. The faunal remains comprised cave bear, wolf and other large and medium mammals, fish vertebrae and micro-mammals. Lithic industry was absent. Occasional charcoal. The 2009 excavation reached the top of US7 which appeared as a loessic layer with limestone rocks, some of large dimensions (tens of centimetres) and with mammal bones including cave bear and marmot, birds and micro-fauna. The lithic industry was represented by a single mesiale fragment of micro-blade with direct edge retouch (cf. Dufour).