Summary (English)
The 2012 excavations continued work in spit T. 26: the deposit in 5 and 6 CC mainly comprised small (< 5 cm) yellowish stones with a few of medium size in a dark brown matrix. The area being excavated was occupied by medium sized stones (10-20 cm) among which were some human bones. Once the stones had been planned and their levels taken (completing work begun in 2005), they were removed. Within this layer of stones was a residue that had filtered from spit T. 26 grey. Below the stone layer was the yellow gravel (fine to coarse) of spit T. 26.
In 4 DD, there was still some residual blackish deposit from T.26 grey, overlying yellow stones (5-10 cm in size).The “step” formed by quadrant 6 CC was removed in order to create a squared, more even excavation surface. Spit T. 26, formed by fine to coarse gravel and stones, was removed. The roof of spit T.27 was exposed, from which other stones and gravel emerged, incorporated in a dark brown/black matrix. Like the overlying layers it sloped steeply towards the cavern’s interior. T. 27 presented a brown/black matrix with some fine gravel and a few small stones. Towards the base medium sized stones appeared across the entire surface of 6 CC, which sloped steeply from exterior to interior. Among the stones were numerous snail shells (at a level of -4.50 m).
The roof of T. 28 was exposed in 5 BB and CC, characterised by reddened medium sized stones.
T. 28 was also characterised by abundant stones and gravel and a black/brown matrix.
Two Sauveterre points, some ochre, two columbellae, human bones and a boar’s tusk were found in 4 CC T. 26 and 5 BB T.27. All of the spits sloped steeply towards the interior, while the deposit was sub-horizontal across its width.The roof of T. 28 was also exposed in 4 BB and CC, now present in the area which stretches from the section 3/4 to the wall on the right side and, towards the bottom, as far as the section CC/DD. In 4 CC, where section 3/4 met CC/DD, the deposit is different. It has a greyish matrix with fine gravel that seemed to be the result of the crumbling of the blocks that had collapsed from the cavern’s vault.
A fragment of bone punch was found in 4 and 5 AA (t. 26 and 27).The revision of the sections was also completed. There are problems over the denomination of spits T. 23-24-25, unfortunately relating to two transitions, Neolithic to Castelnovian and Castelnovian to Sauveterrian, but only in the sections BB/CC quadrants 8-10.
- Marco Serradimigni 
Director
- Renata Grifoni Cremonesi - Università degli Studi di Pisa, Dipartimento di Scienze Archeologiche, Sezione di Paleontologia Umana, Paletnologia, Etnologia
Team
- Marta Colombo - Università degli Studi di Pisa
Research Body
- Università degli Studi di Pisa
Funding Body
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