Grotta di Fumane lies at the base of a rock cliff at 350 m a.s.l. on the southern edge of the Veneto Pre-Alps, in the North of Italy. The cave belongs to a fossil karst system probably composed of several cavities and tunnels excavated in dolomitic limestone. After a first exploration carried out by the Natural History Museum of Verona in 1964, the site has been the object since 1988 of a new series of investigations, bringing to light an impressive sequence of Middle and Upper Paleolithic levels. The sequence documents the main climatic events which occurred during the last glacial cycle from 90.000 to 30.000 years ago and affected the human settlement. Excavations are conducted on a regular basis every year by the University of Ferrara under the patronage of the Superintendence for the Archeological Heritage. After an ancient landslide which completely obstructed the external vault was removed in 1996, a sheltered area of almost 60 sq m was brought to light and extensive digging began, with the aim of investigating evidence of the last Neanderthals and the first anatomically modern humans. Thousands of flint flakes and cores, bones, teeth, charcoal, worked pebbles, bone retouchers and hammers prove that Neanderthals lighted fire, manufactured stone tools, butchered ungulates, carnivores and birds, and treated hides and pelts. From the Aurignacian up, dwelling structures, lithic assemblages, bone and antler tools, painted stones and pierced molluscan shells mark the arrival of the first Anatomically Modern Humans. Neverheless, the archeological evidence prove that also Neanderthals achieved a level of behavioral complexity that was not culturally transmitted or mimicked via incoming modern humans. Now the cave is open to the public after protection was made in 2005. Visitors can acceed to the entrance of the cave also during the archaeological fieldwork and see the sections showing the finely layered Paleolithic sequence.

Anche quest’anno gli scavi archeologici a Grotta di Fumane hanno portato a scoperte importanti. Grazie alla concessione del Ministero dei Beni Culturali e Ambientali e della Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici del Veneto, la campagna di ricerche è iniziata il 2 luglio e si è chiusa alla fine di settembre con grande soddisfazione dei ricercatori dell’Università di Ferrara coordinati da Marco Peresani, che da oltre cinque anni dirige lo studio scientifico di questo importante sito paleolitico. Mai prima d’ora il centro di ricerca ferrarese aveva intrapreso tre mesi di attività incentrata sullo scavo di un singolo livello archeologico, ma la grande abbondanza di reperti e soprattutto il loro stato di conservazione hanno pienamente giustificato questo progetto sostenuto dalla National Geographic Society, dalla Comunità Montana della Lessinia, dal Comune di Fumane e dai molti sponsor che a vario titolo intervengono da alcuni anni (Impresa Roberto Gardina, Banca di Credito Cooperativo della Valpolicella, Cantine Albino Armani e molti altri). L’obiettivo degli archeologi era quello di concludere l’esplorazione di uno strato risalente all’incirca a 48mila anni fa, scavato nelle altre zone della grotta nel corso degli anni precedenti. L’interesse era legato a un duplice obiettivo: acquisire informazioni complete sull’organizzazione dei gruppi di neandertaliani che avevano frequentato la grotta e raccogliere il maggior numero di ossa di uccelli possibile. Grazie alla collaborazione dei ricercatori e dei migliori studenti dell’Università di Ferrara e di alcuni dell’Università di Verona, i lavori sono stati condotti con estrema perizia e precisione, tanto da richiede costantemente l’impiego di aspiratori per scavare con la massima attenzione sedimenti così antichi. In effetti, l’eccezionalità di Fumane è proprio quella di conservare livelli sottili uno o pochi più centimetri che conservano innumerevoli carboni, ossa e pietre scheggiate ma, soprattutto, resti di focolari. Gli archeologi in questi tre mesi di scavo ne hanno esposti circa una ventina, a testimonianza dell’intensa attività di cottura o affumicatura dei cibi da parte dei neandertaliani all’entrata della cavità. Ognuno di questi focolari è stato sezionato, documentato e campionato per carpirne le migliori informazioni possibili sul tipo di legna (larice e pino) utilizzato, l’eventuale impiego di erbe e grasso animale, la temperatura di combustione e il possibile riutilizzo nel corso della frequentazioni stagionali della cavità. Attorno a questi focolari sono state rinvenute schegge di selce adoperate come coltelli, punte e numerose ossa di erbivori come cervi e megaceri (grandi cervi estinti del Pleistocene), caprioli e stambecchi. Anche il secondo obiettivo è stato pienamente raggiunto. Ad oltre un centinaio ammontano i resti di pennuti, di varie taglie e specie, che sono stati prontamente inviati al Laboratorio di Archeozoologia del Museo Pigorini a Roma per la determinazione tassonomica. Il ritrovamento conferma l’interesse dei Neanderthal verso questo tipo di animali e apre un ampio ventaglio di interrogativi sulle attitudini predatorie di questi nostri cugini estinti. Cacciavano? Catturavano? E con quali mezzi, in quali stagioni, con che scopo? Alimentario o simbolico/cerimoniale? Le ossa, bene conservate, potranno rilevare nell’immediato futuro tutte le eventuali tracce lasciate dall’Uomo.

This season’s main objective was to complete the excavation of layer A9. The results provided more evidence regarding the organisation of the groups of Neanderthals who occupied the cavern. The excavation also recovered more bird bones. Two more hearths were exposed, attesting the intense activity involving the cooking or smoking of food which took place at the cave entrance. Each of the hearths was sectioned, recorded and sampled in order to collect the maximum information about the wood (larch and pine) used, the possible use of herbs and animal fat, combustion temperature and possible reuse of the structures during the various seasonal occupations of the cave. Flint blades and points were recovered from around the hearths together with numerous bones of herbivores such as deer and megalocerus (extinct in the Pleistocene period), roe deer and ibex. Other faunal and bird remains of various sizes and species were collected and are being studied at the archeo-zoology laboratory of the Pigorini Museum in Rome.

The excavations at Grotta di Fumane concentrated on two sectors. The first, inside the actual cavity, explored the Aurignacian sequence over an area of 1 m2, removing the sections exposed in 2006. The second sector investigated the Mousterian micro-sequence in unit A10 over an area of 0.5 m2. These occupation levels provided the chance to experiment a new analytical technique for identifying organic residue alongside the functional analysis of artefacts made from lithics and hard animal material. The surfaces of tools represented by simple flakes or more elaborate examples that were re-touched or transformed in some other way, may still present residue of the organic tissue which they came into contact with during their use. When identified in indisputable association with the functional parts of tools, blood, collagene, fat, but also feathers and other materials from the processing of animal carcasses, together with various plant materials such as fibres, spores etc. constitute a potential source of information about the economy and subsistence strategies of the hominids, in this case Neanderthal and first Anatomically Modern Men. Already used in Europe with interesting results, the search for organic molecules has been used at Fumane thanks to collaboration with the TRACEOLAB Laboratory at Liege University. For Fumane, the project requires a first test for the presence of organic residues in the sediments and a large sample of lithic artefacts collected following a rigid protocol in order to avoid any form of contamination. During the excavations, numerous hearths were exposed in the Mousterian levels, attesting the intense activity of cooking or smoking food by the Neanderthals at the cave entrance. Each hearth was sectioned, recorded, and sampled in order to collect the maximum amount of data about the type of wood (larch and pine) used, the possible use of herbs and animal fats, the temperature of the fire and possible reuse during the seasonal occupations of the cave. Flint flakes, used like knives, points and numerous bones from herbivores such as deer and megaloceros (large deer extinct in the Pleistocene), roe deer, and ibex were found around the hearths.

This campaign at the Grotta di Fumane concentrated on a sector investigated over an area of c. 5.5 m2 where the Mousterian micro-sequence of unit A10, characterised by anthropised levels alternating with breccias. The stratigraphic excavation was carried out in 33 cm squares from which the sediment was aspirated, washed, and sieved in order to recover bones, burnt bones, flints, malacofauna, micro-mammal remains, charcoal (from floatation and sieving). Part of the sediment was sampled for micro-morphological analysis. During the excavation, the flints ≥3cm, bones ≥5cm, hearthstones, compact charcoal fragments more than a few millimetres in size and were surveyed using a total station, noting the layer number, spatial co-ordinates and, where possible, slope and orientation. The excavations uncovered numerous hearths in the Mousterian levels. Each was sectioned, documented, and sampled in order to gain the maximum amount of information about the type of use, possible use of grass and animal fat, combustion temperature, and possible reuse during seasonal occupation of the cavern. Levels A10I.1, A10I.2, A10I.2biog, A10IBRII, A10III.2, A10III.1, A10IIIBRIII, A10III.1/A10IV.1, A10IV.2, and A10IV.1 produced flint flakes relating to the Levallois and Discoid methods, partially transformed into retouched tools such as scrapers, some convergent scrapers and numerous herbivore bones from deer and megaloceros, roe deer and ibex. These levels offered the possibility of testing a new analytical technique aimed at identifying organic residues and integrated into the functional analysis of the stone and animal bone tools. This search for organic molecules was made possible at Fumane thanks to collaboration with the TRACEOLAB Laboratory at the University of Liege. For Fumane, the project foresees a first test to check for the presence of organic residues in the sediments and on a large sample of stone tools collected according to a rigid protocol set up to avoid any form of contamination.

The excavations at the Grotta di Fumane concentrated on an area of c. 3.5 m2, where the Mousterian micro-sequence in unit A10, characterised by occupation layers alternating with gravels, was uncovered. The excavation was carried out in 33 cm squares whose sediment was aspirated, washed, and sieved in order to recover bone, burnt bone, flints, malacofauna, microteriological fauna, and charcoal. Part of the sediment was sampled for micro-morphological analyses. During the excavation the ≥3cm flints, ≥5cm bones and those that could be identified, the hearth stones and compact pieces of charcoal several millimeters in size were positioned using a total station, documenting the layer, spatial coordinates and where possible inclination and orientation. The excavations uncovered a hearth, denominated A101SX. It was sectioned, recorded, and sampled in order to gain information about the type of wood used, the possible use of grass and animal fat, the combustion temperature, and its possible reuse during the course of seasonal occupation of the cavern. Layers A10I, A10I.1, A10IBRII, A10I.2, A10III.2, A10III.1, A10III.3, A10IV.2 and A10IV.1 were identified and sampled for micro-morphological and sediment analyses. Flint flakes were found in the layers, primarily the result of the Levallois and Discoide methods, partly transformed in retouched instruments such as scrapers. Numerous bones were also present belonging to herbivores such as deer, megalocerous, roe deer, and ibex. Sediment samples were also taken from the excavated layers for DNA analysis.

The excavations concentrated on an area of c. 5.5 m2 and saw the completion of the excavation of unit A10 in the area investigated in 2017 and of two quadrants already excavated in 1996, in order to integrate them with the rest of the excavation. The micro-sequence of unit A10 was uncovered in these quadrants, identifying the alternation of occupation levels and gravel layers. The excavation continued in 33 cm2 squares. The sediment was removed by suction and sieved in order to recover bone, burnt bone, flint, malacofauna, microtheriofauna and charcoal. During the excavation the flints ≥3cm, bones ≥5cm and identifiable examples, the hearth stones and compact charcoal fragments of several millimetres in size were recorded using a total station, noting the context, spatial coordinates, and where possible inclination and alignment. Two hearths were found; the first was more structured and was attributed to A10IVSVIII, already partially excavated in 2015. The second that appeared as a heap of charcoal, was denominated A10IVSXI. Both were recorded and sampled in order to gain an understanding of the techniques used for lighting, upkeep and use of the fire within the site. Levels A10I, A10IBRI, A10I.2, A10III.2, A10III+A10IV, A10IV.1BR, A10IV.1, A10VBRIV were identified and sampled. Flint flakes relating to the Levallois and Discoide methods were found within these levels together with numerous bones from herbivores such as deer, megaloceros, roe deer and ibex. As in other years, the sediments were sampled for DNA analysis.