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Piero Ceruleo

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Michelangelo La Rosa

University of Melbourne

University of Groningen

University of Groningen

silvana vitagliano

Ariel Malinsky-Buller

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Cristiano Nicosia

Università degli Studi di Padova

Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry (MAA)

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Papers by Piero Ceruleo

Exploring the Lithic Variability of the Mousterian (MIS 9–3) Open-Air Sites of the Pontine Plain (Central Italy)

Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology

This paper presents a preliminary study of the Middle Palaeolithic lithic industries recovered at... more This paper presents a preliminary study of the Middle Palaeolithic lithic industries recovered at six selected open-air sites in the Latium region (central Italy), part of a regional cultural complex known as the “Pontinian”. The pedo-stratigraphic analysis combined with 40Ar/ 39Ar age constraints on the sites permits us to provide for the first time a geomorphological and chronological (300–40 ka) framework for several open-air sites in central Italy. The temporal range is remarkably coincident with the Neanderthal presence in this region. Moreover, the lithic collections analysed include the oldest occurrence of a Mousterian industry in this region. The present work, therefore, provides the background context for future re-evaluation of the peculiar Pontinian techno-complex through a more in-depth technological approach and its comparison with the other Neanderthal occurrences in central Italy.

The Bucobello 322 ka-fossil-bearing volcaniclastic-flow deposit in the eastern Vulsini Volcanic District (central Italy): Mechanism of emplacement and insights on human activity during MIS 9

Quaternary International, 2020

This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

Preliminary report on the new faunal remains from Grotta Guattari (Late Pleistocene, San Felice Circeo, Latium)

Grotta Guattari (San Felice Circeo, central Italy) is best known for the discovery of a Neanderth... more Grotta Guattari (San Felice Circeo, central Italy) is best known for the discovery of a Neanderthal skull in 1939. New investigations of an area never investigated before, the so-called Antro del Laghetto (literally Chamber of the small lake), have been recently carried out by the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le Province di Frosinone, Latina e Rieti. The excavation highlighted a hyena frequentation correlatable with the paleosurface investigated since 1939 within other rooms of the cave. The stratigraphic analysis made it possible to identify, below the paleosurface, at least two layers, one of which reveals a human frequentation. In addition to Homo neanderthalensis, the faunal assemblage from Antro del Laghetto consists of abundant Cervus elaphus, followed by Crocuta crocuta, Bos primigenius, Sus scrofa and Equus ferus. Remains of at least another 20 taxa of medium and large size mammals, some of which previously unknown at Grotta Guattari, rare micromamm...

Una nuova età nel MIS 7 per la fauna di Saccopastore (bassa valle dell'Aniene, Roma)

La fauna di Saccopastore (bassa valle dell'Aniene, Roma) è stata attribuita all'ultimo in... more La fauna di Saccopastore (bassa valle dell'Aniene, Roma) è stata attribuita all'ultimo interglaciale Riss-Würm sin dalla prima metà del secolo scorso. Secondo quanto riportato in letteratura, la mammalofauna del sito includerebbe: Elephas antiquus, Dicerorhinus mercki, Equus caballus, Equus hydruntinus, Hippopotamus major, Cervus elaphus, Dama dama e Bos primigenius, oltre a Homo neanderthalensis. Seguendo la storia delle ricerche, nel presente lavoro viene discussa una nuova età di ca. 220-245 mila anni per la fauna rinvenuta nel sito. Al tempo della scoperta dei due crani umani erano conosciuti solo 3 cicli glacio-eustatici correlati col gli interglaciali Gunz-Mindel, Mindel-Riss e Riss-Würm. Al contrario, gli studi geologici condotti negli ultimi 20 anni nell'area di Roma hanno permesso di ricostruire un quadro stratigrafico dettagliato e ben datato in cui è stato evidenziato lo stretto legame tra glacio-eustatismo e sedimentazione, riconoscendo 6 cicli glacio-eustati...

The Aggradational Successions of the Aniene River Valley in Rome: Age Constraints to Early Neanderthal Presence in Europe

PLOS ONE, 2017

Chronostratigraphic constraints on Middle Pleistocene faunal assemblages and Acheulian industries from the Cretone lacustrine basin, central Italy

Journal of Quaternary Science, 2016

A new age within MIS 7 for the Homo neanderthalensis of Saccopastore in the glacio-eustatically forced sedimentary successions of the Aniene River Valley, Rome

Quaternary Science Reviews, 2015

Abstract Field observations as well as borehole, sedimentological and geochronologic data allow u... more Abstract Field observations as well as borehole, sedimentological and geochronologic data allow us to reconstruct the geologic setting of the Aniene River Valley in northern Rome, framing it within the recently recognized picture of temporally constrained, glacio-eustatically forced aggradational successions of this region. The sedimentary successions cropping out in this area include those described in the literature of the early 20th century in Saccopastore, where two skulls of Homo neanderthalensis were recovered. Based on the geometry, elevation and sedimentologic features of the investigated sedimentary deposits, the stratigraphic record of Saccopastore is correlated with the aggradational succession deposited in response to sea-level rise during glacial termination III at the onset of MIS 7 (i.e. ∼250 ka), corresponding to the local Vitinia Formation, as opposed to previous correlation with the MIS 5 interglacial and a locally defined “Tyrrhenian” stage (∼130 ka). This previous attribution was based on the interpretation of the sedimentary succession of Saccopastore, occurring between 15 and 21 m a.s.l., as a fluvial terrace formed around 130 ka during the Riss-Wurm interglacial, ca. 6 m above the present-day alluvial plain of the Aniene River. In contrast to this interpretation, a 40Ar/39Ar age of 129 ± 2 ka determined for this study on a pyroclastic-flow deposit intercalated in a fluvial-lacustrine sequence forming a terrace ∼37 m a.s.l. near the coast of Rome constrains the aggradational succession in this area to MIS 5, precluding the occurrence of an equivalent fluvial terrace at lower elevation in the inland sector of Saccopastore. We therefore interpret the stratigraphic record of Saccopastore as the basal portion of the aggradational succession deposited in response to sea-level rise during MIS 7, whose equivalent fluvial terrace occurs around 55 m a.s.l. in this region. We also review the published paleontological and paleoethnological records recovered in Saccopastore and demonstrate their compatibility with the faunal assemblages and lithic industries occurring in the sedimentary deposits of the Vitinia Formation, while we show the lack of any unequivocal Late Pleistocene (MIS 5) affinity. We therefore propose that the chronostratigraphic position of the Saccopastore deposits containing the two skulls should be around 250,000 years, as opposed to a previously preferred age of 130,000 years. The revised age makes these skulls the oldest Italian occurrences of H. neanderthalensis and provides evidence for a substantially coeval appearance and evolutionary path with respect to central-northern Europe.

The archaic Acheulean lithic industry of the Cretone basin (Latium, central Italy)

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2015

A rich record of Lower Paleolithic lithic industries collected within the lacustrine basin of Cre... more A rich record of Lower Paleolithic lithic industries collected within the lacustrine basin of Cretone (Latium, Central Italy) is described in detail, showing the occurrence of two distinct tool assemblages. According to the geochronolgy data constraining the evolution of the lacustrine basin, in which the largest portion of the sedimentary filling correlates with the depositional cycles linked to Marine Isotopic Stages (MIS) 15 and 13, most of the Cretone lithic industry shows the characters of an archaic Acheulean facies, relatively rich in bifacials with lithic industry on flake and roughly cut pebbles (often tending to two-sided chopper), that has similarities with the oldest Italian complexes (e.g.: Isernia -La Pineta). In contrast, a smaller record of artifacts displaying features kin to the early Middle Paleolithic complexes of this region, is likely associated with later frequentation of the area during MIS 9 through 7, when lacustrine conditions were largely superseded by a fluvial-palustrine environment, to which limited sedimentary deposits are associated, and migrated to the eastern margin of the basin, where a smaller lake persisted until MIS 5. The recognition of the described "archaic" facies of Acheulian industry within a geochronologically constrained context provides new data on the lower -middle Paleolithic transition in central Italy and allows us to present a comparative review of other important sites of this region.

The MIS 5.5 terraced deposit of Fosso del Cupo (Montecelio, Central Italy) and its Mousterian lithic assemblage: Re-evaluation of a nineteenth-century discovery

Quaternary International, 2016

Abstract By means of a geomorphological study and the correlation with the geochronologically con... more Abstract By means of a geomorphological study and the correlation with the geochronologically constrained terraced deposits of the greater area of Rome, we attribute to the aggradational phase during marine isotopic stage (MIS) 5.5 a terraced deposit firstly described in the earliest local geological reports of the 19th century, in which a small set of lithic artifacts and vertebrate fossil remains was recovered. After this correlation, the sedimentary deposit of Fosso del Cupo represents the only inland occurrence of an aggradational deposit of MIS 5.5 so far recognized in the area of Rome, where a rich record of lithic industries and faunal assemblages has been yielded by the sedimentary successions deposited in response to deglaciation during sea-level rises of MIS 15 through MIS 7. We have implemented the lithic and faunal assemblages through a collection during the geological survey performed in the area where the terraced deposit crops out. With an age tightly constrained around 125 ka, the lithic industry and the faunal assemblage from Fosso del Cupo, although limited in number, represent an important witness of the early development of the local Pontinian culture and should be considered a regional marker, which may concur to improve the knowledge on the Mousterian of Central Italy.

The archaic Acheulean lithic industry of the Cretone basin (Latium, central Italy)

A rich record of Lower Paleolithic lithic industries collected within the lacustrine basin of Cre... more A rich record of Lower Paleolithic lithic industries collected within the lacustrine basin of Cretone (Latium, Central Italy) is described in detail, showing the occurrence of two distinct tool assemblages. According to the geochronolgy data constraining the evolution of the lacustrine basin, in which the largest portion of the sedimentary filling correlates with the depositional cycles linked to Marine Isotopic Stages (MIS) 15 and 13, most of the Cretone lithic industry shows the characters of an archaic Acheulean facies, relatively rich in bifacials with lithic industry on flake and roughly cut pebbles (often tending to two-sided chopper), that has similarities with the oldest Italian complexes (e.g.: Isernia - La Pineta). In contrast, a smaller record of artifacts displaying features kin to the early Middle Paleolithic complexes of this region, is likely associated with later frequentation of the area during MIS 9 through 7, when lacustrine conditions were largely superseded by a...

Chronostratigraphic constraints on Middle Pleistocene faunal assemblages and Acheulian industries from the Cretone lacustrine basin, central Italy

Journal of Quaternary Science, 2016

Integrated 40 Ar/ 39 Ar, trace-element, stratigraphic, palaeontological and palaethnological data... more Integrated 40 Ar/ 39 Ar, trace-element, stratigraphic, palaeontological and palaethnological data provide geochronological and biochronological constraints for the sedimentary and tectonic history of a Middle Pleistocene fluvial–lacustrine basin near Rome (Cretone Basin, central Italy), which has yielded a significant record of mammal fossil remains and Palaeolithic industry. This work is a case study of the interplay between tectonics and glacio-eustacy, which strongly influenced the evolution of the Tyrrhenian Sea margin of central Italy. Dating of tephra layers interbedded within the Cretone Basin lacustrine succession and reconstruction of relict terraced surfaces allow correlation with similar, geochronologically constrained, marine isotopic stages (MIS) 15–5 terraced deposits along the coast. Coupled extensional tectonics and regional uplift over the last 600 ka caused the progressive uplifting and westward migration of the main fluvial–lacustrine basin and the formation of a ...

MIS 9 to MIS 5 terraces along the Tyrrhenian Sea coast of Latium (central Italy): Assessing interplay between sea-level oscillations and tectonic movements

Geomorphology, Dec 1, 2019

Abstract We present a review of the geomorphology of the Tyrrhenian Sea coast of central Italy in... more Abstract We present a review of the geomorphology of the Tyrrhenian Sea coast of central Italy integrated by a novel structural-geomorphological study coupled with statistical analysis of topographic culminations and comparison with a Digital Elevation Model, aimed at reconstructing a suite of paleo-surfaces corresponding to remnant portions of marine terraces. We performed geochronological, sedimentological, micromorphological and mineralogical investigations on the deposits forming the different paleo-surfaces between Civitavecchia and Anzio towns, in order to provide chronostratigraphical, paleogeographical and paleoenvironmental constraints. Using the newly achieved dataset we correlate these paleo-surfaces with the coastal terraces formed during past sea-level highstands, as recognized by previous studies, and we refine their correlation with the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) timescale. In particular, we have extended our geomorphological analyses landward in the area between the Tiber River mouth and Anzio, in order to include the oldest paleo-surface developed above the deposits of the last large explosive eruption at 365 ± 4 ka in the Colli Albani Volcanic District. Results of this study allow us to recognize a set of higher paleo-surfaces at elevation ranging 108 thought 71 m a.s.l., which we interpret as one tectonically displaced, widespread coastal terrace originated during the MIS 9.1 highstand. We correlate the previously identified paleo-surfaces of 66–62 m a.s.l. and 56–52 m a.s.l. with the equivalent coastal terraces developed during the sea-level highstands of sub-stages 7.5 and 7.3/7.1. Moreover, based on data from literature on relative elevation of maximum sea level during the highstands of MIS 11 through MIS 5.1, we assess the regional uplift and the concurrent tectonic displacements that have occurred since 900 ka in this area.

Reconstruction of the MIS 5.5, 5.3 and 5.1 coastal terraces in Latium (central Italy): A re-evaluation of the sea-level history in the Mediterranean Sea during the last interglacial

Quaternary International

Abstract We present a geomorphological, stratigraphical and geochronological study reconstructing... more Abstract We present a geomorphological, stratigraphical and geochronological study reconstructing a suite of paleo-surfaces in a 200 km-long coastal sector of the central Tyrrhenian Sea between Argentario and Circeo promontories. Identification of the near-shore deposits associated with these paleo-surfaces allow us to define corresponding marine terraces and paleo sea-levels. 40Ar/39Ar and ESR/U-Th geochronologic constraints on key deposits provide correlation with the terraces previously recognized in the coast of central Latium, refining their correlation with the Marine Isotopic Stages. Results of this study enable us to: Propose a re-assessment of the ages for the sea-level markers of MIS 5.5, 5.3, 5.1 in the central Tyrrhenian Sea; Suggest that a continuous tectonic uplift with an average rate of 0.224 mm/yr affects the Latium coast since 200 ka; Provide new evidence for a MIS 5.5 paleo-sea level marker occurring at ~35 m a.s.l. on the coastal sector extending from Montalto di Castro to Latina, while it possibly drops down and connects to a paleo sea-level ranging 10 - 5 m between Monte Circeo and Gaeta, previously attributed to this interglacial; Discussing possible evidence of similar elevation of the sea level during MIS 5.5, 5.3 and 5.1 interglacials in the Tyrrhenian Sea; Compare this datum with those from the western Pacific and several coral reefs, where the differences with respect to tectonically stable regions were attributed either to tectonics or to the Glacial Isostatic Adjustment, showing that the presented record of sea-level markers may have a strong impact on modeling the post-glacial effects in the Mediterranean Sea and on the paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic studies in this region.

New chronological framework (MIS 13–9) and depositional context for the lower Palaeolithic sites north-west of Rome: Revisiting the early hominin in central Italy

Quaternary International

Abstract The Paleolithic period in central Italy is currently undergoing an extensive revision du... more Abstract The Paleolithic period in central Italy is currently undergoing an extensive revision due to a significant chronological re-examination of many archaeological sites. Recently, several lower Palaeolithic sites 20 km NW of Rome previously dated within MIS 9 (335–300 ka) (i.e. La Polledrara di Cecanibbio, Torre in Pietra, Castel di Guido, Malagrotta and four sites along Via Aurelia) have been geochronologically reassessed between 412 and 325 ka. These sites, in which abundant fauna, artifacts and hominin remains have been found, are remarkably well preserved. A combination of geological factors and the peculiar geodynamic conditions of this region, where tectonics, volcanism and glacio-eustatic forcing worked in concert, allowed for the exceptional conservation of the remains In this paper we provide a review of these sites and analyze their depositional contexts, showing that rapid filling of the fluvial incisions during glacial terminations, combined with sudden emplacement of volcanic deposits, caused the sealing of the archaeological materials accumulated at the bottom of the paleo-valleys. The aim of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of these sites as well as to provide the archaeological implications of their new chronology and depositional contexts. Results allow to reconsider the hominin presence in central Italy and highlight the importance to integrate archaeological investigations with modern geological studies, combining sedimentological, geochronological, geomorphological and chronostratigraphical methods.

A novel multidisciplinary bio- and geo-chronological approach for age determination of Palaeolithic bone artifacts in volcanic settings: An example from eastern Sabatini, Latium, Italy

Quaternary International, 2017

In this study, we provide combined biochronologic and chronostratigraphic constraints to the fluv... more In this study, we provide combined biochronologic and chronostratigraphic constraints to the fluvial-lacustrine succession cropping out near the village of Rignano Flaminio, 35 km north of Rome, where two bone instruments have been recovered along with several vertebrate fossil remains. The presence of bone tools is characteristic of the Latium region, whereas it is rare in the rest of Italy, but very few sites in which such artifacts occur have precise geochronological constraints. In the investigated site, the presence of Cervus elaphus eostephanoceros, among other taxa, indicates a time interval limited to Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 13 and MIS 11. The occurrence of the Tufo Rosso a Scorie Nere pyroclastic-flow deposit, dated 449 ± 2 ka, at the base of the sedimentary deposits hosting the faunal assemblage allows us at restricting the interval to MIS 11. Moreover, applying a recently validated conceptual model accounting for an aggradational mechanism linked with sea-level rise during glacial termination for the sedimentary successions of the Tiber River and its tributaries in a relatively wider area around Rome, we further constrain the age to 430–405 ka. Following this approach, we present a review of the archaeological sites of Latium yielding bone instruments, remarking that only other four sites have been recently provided with geochronological constraints, through the application of the multidisciplinary methodology applied here.

The archaeological ensemble from Campoverde (Agro Pontino, central Italy): new constraints on the Last Interglacial sea level markers

Scientific Reports, Dec 1, 2018

We present a combined geomorphological and biochronological study aimed at providing age constrai... more We present a combined geomorphological and biochronological study aimed at providing age constraints to the deposits forming a wide paleo-surface in the coastal area of the Tyrrhenian Sea, south of Anzio promontory (central Italy). We review the faunal assemblage recovered in Campoverde, evidencing the occurrence of the modern fallow deer subspecies Dama dama dama, which in peninsular Italy is not present before MIS 5e, providing a post-quem terminus of 125 ka for the deposit hosting the fossil remains. The geomorphological reconstruction shows that Campoverde is located within the highest of three paleosurfaces progressively declining towards the present coast, at average elevations of 36, 26 and 15 m a.s.l. The two lowest paleosurfaces match the elevation of the previously recognized marine terraces in this area; we define a new, upper marine terrace corresponding to the 36 m paleosurface, which we name Campoverde complex. Based on the provided evidence of an age as young as MIS 5e for this terrace, we discuss the possibility that previous identification of a tectonically stable MIS 5e coastline ranging 10-8 m a.s.l. in this area should be revised, with significant implications on assessment of the amplitude of sea-level oscillations during the Last Interglacial in the Mediterranean Sea. A large number of vertebrate bones and lithic artifacts was recovered from the subsurface sedimentary deposits affected by trench excavation, during work to reclaim and align the course of a small stream channel in Campoverde, ~10 km northeast of the town of Anzio in the Pontina plain (Agro Pontino) (Fig. 1). The archaeological findings were the subject of preliminary publications 1-4 , before being stored at the museum "Antiquarium Comunale" of Nettuno. The area of Campoverde is a large level plateau, at elevations ranging 31-39 m a.s.l., partially dissected by fluvial incisions (Fig. 2). Recent work has evidenced the occurrence of a suite of paleosurfaces along the central coast of Latium, between Ladispoli and Anzio, identified as three coastal terraces at elevations of ca. 36 m, 26 m, and 15 m a.s.l. (Fig. 1b 5). These terraces are interpreted as reflecting combined isostatic (e.g. 6) and volcano-tectonic uplift since 250 ka, interpunctuated by a minor phase of collapse around 100 ka 5 , linked with the presence of the volcanic districts of the Roman Magmatic Province 7. Indeed, the area where these terraces are recognized corresponds to the coastal reach facing the Monti Sabatini and Colli Albani volcanic districts (Fig. 1), which were active 800 ka through 86 ka 8,9 , and 600 ka though 36 ka 10 , respectively. A 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age constraint of 129 ± 1 ka allowed correlation 11 of the 36 m terrace with the highstand of (Marine Isotopic Stage) MIS 5e (125 ka 12), in good agreement with previous geochronologic constraints achieved on the sedimentary deposits forming a terrace at higher elevation, ranging 51-56 m a.s.l., providing correlation with MIS 7 5,13. Based on the strong age constraint for the 56 m and 36 m terraces, and lacking direct geochronologic

Resti fossili e industrie litiche della collezione di Don Carlo Rusconi - Ceruleo-Marra-Petronio.pdf

L’uomo preistorico e il suo ambiente nel territorio di Palombara Sabina e dintorni.pdf

The Aggradational Successions of the Aniene River Valley in Rome: Age Constraints to Early Neanderthal Presence in Europe

by Luca Pandolfi, Mario Federico Rolfo, and Piero Ceruleo

We revise the chronostratigraphy of several sedimentary successions cropping out along a 5 km-lon... more We revise the chronostratigraphy of several sedimentary successions cropping out along a 5 km-long tract of the Aniene River Valley in Rome (Italy), which yielded six hominin remains previously attributed to proto-or archaic Neanderthal individuals, as well as a large number of lithic artefacts showing intermediate characteristics somewhere between the local Acheu-lean and Mousterian cultures. Through a method of correlation of aggradational successions with post-glacial sea-level rises, relying on a large set of published 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages of inter-bedded volcanic deposits, we demonstrate that deposition of the sediments hosting the human remains spans the interval 295–220 ka. This is consistent with other well constrained ages for lithic industries recovered in England, displaying transitional features from Lower to Middle Paleolithic, suggesting the appearance of Mode 3 during the MIS 9-MIS 8 transition. Moreover, the six human bone fragments recovered in the Aniene Valley should be regarded as the most precisely dated and oldest hominin remains ascribable to Neanderthal-type individuals in Europe, discovered to date. The chronostratigraphic study presented here constitutes the groundwork for addressing re-analysis of these remains and of their associated lithic industries, in the light of their well-constrained chronological picture.

A new age within MIS 7 for the Homo neanderthalensis of Saccopastore in the glacio-eustatically forced sedimentary successions of the Aniene River Valley, Rome

by Leonardo Salari and Piero Ceruleo

Quaternary Science Reviews, 2015

Field observations as well as borehole, sedimentological and geochronologic data allow us to reco... more Field observations as well as borehole, sedimentological and geochronologic data allow us to reconstruct the geologic setting of the Aniene River Valley in northern Rome, framing it within the recently recognized picture of temporally constrained, glacio-eustatically forced aggradational successions of this region. The sedimentary successions cropping out in this area include those described in the literature of
the early 20th century in Saccopastore, where two skulls of Homo neanderthalensis were recovered.
Based on the geometry, elevation and sedimentologic features of the investigated sedimentary deposits, the stratigraphic record of Saccopastore is correlated with the aggradational succession deposited in response to sea-level rise during glacial termination III at the onset of MIS 7 (i.e. ~250 ka), corresponding to the local Vitinia Formation, as opposed to previous correlation with the MIS 5 interglacial and a locally defined “Tyrrhenian” stage (~130 ka). This previous attribution was based on the interpretation of the sedimentary succession of Saccopastore, occurring between 15 and 21 m a.s.l., as a fluvial terrace formed around 130 ka during the Riss-Würm interglacial, ca. 6 m above the present-day alluvial plain of the Aniene River. In contrast to this interpretation, a 40Ar/39Ar age of 129 ± 2 ka determined for this study on a pyroclastic-flow deposit intercalated in a fluvial-lacustrine sequence forming a terrace ~37 m a.s.l. near the coast of Rome constrains the aggradational succession in this area to MIS 5, precluding the occurrence of an equivalent fluvial terrace at lower elevation in the inland sector of Saccopastore.We therefore
interpret the stratigraphic record of Saccopastore as the basal portion of the aggradational succession deposited in response to sea-level rise during MIS 7, whose equivalent fluvial terrace occurs around 55 m a.s.l. in this region.
We also review the published paleontological and paleoethnological records recovered in Saccopastore and demonstrate their compatibility with the faunal assemblages and lithic industries occurring in the sedimentary deposits of the Vitinia Formation, while we show the lack of any unequivocal Late Pleistocene (MIS 5) affinity.We therefore propose that the chronostratigraphic position of the Saccopastore deposits containing the two skulls should be around 250,000 years, as opposed to a previously preferred age of 130,000 years. The revised age makes these skulls the oldest Italian occurrences of H. neanderthalensis and provides evidence for a substantially coeval appearance and evolutionary path with respect to central-northern Europe.

Exploring the Lithic Variability of the Mousterian (MIS 9–3) Open-Air Sites of the Pontine Plain (Central Italy)

Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology

This paper presents a preliminary study of the Middle Palaeolithic lithic industries recovered at... more This paper presents a preliminary study of the Middle Palaeolithic lithic industries recovered at six selected open-air sites in the Latium region (central Italy), part of a regional cultural complex known as the “Pontinian”. The pedo-stratigraphic analysis combined with 40Ar/ 39Ar age constraints on the sites permits us to provide for the first time a geomorphological and chronological (300–40 ka) framework for several open-air sites in central Italy. The temporal range is remarkably coincident with the Neanderthal presence in this region. Moreover, the lithic collections analysed include the oldest occurrence of a Mousterian industry in this region. The present work, therefore, provides the background context for future re-evaluation of the peculiar Pontinian techno-complex through a more in-depth technological approach and its comparison with the other Neanderthal occurrences in central Italy.

The Bucobello 322 ka-fossil-bearing volcaniclastic-flow deposit in the eastern Vulsini Volcanic District (central Italy): Mechanism of emplacement and insights on human activity during MIS 9

Quaternary International, 2020

This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

Preliminary report on the new faunal remains from Grotta Guattari (Late Pleistocene, San Felice Circeo, Latium)

Grotta Guattari (San Felice Circeo, central Italy) is best known for the discovery of a Neanderth... more Grotta Guattari (San Felice Circeo, central Italy) is best known for the discovery of a Neanderthal skull in 1939. New investigations of an area never investigated before, the so-called Antro del Laghetto (literally Chamber of the small lake), have been recently carried out by the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le Province di Frosinone, Latina e Rieti. The excavation highlighted a hyena frequentation correlatable with the paleosurface investigated since 1939 within other rooms of the cave. The stratigraphic analysis made it possible to identify, below the paleosurface, at least two layers, one of which reveals a human frequentation. In addition to Homo neanderthalensis, the faunal assemblage from Antro del Laghetto consists of abundant Cervus elaphus, followed by Crocuta crocuta, Bos primigenius, Sus scrofa and Equus ferus. Remains of at least another 20 taxa of medium and large size mammals, some of which previously unknown at Grotta Guattari, rare micromamm...

Una nuova età nel MIS 7 per la fauna di Saccopastore (bassa valle dell'Aniene, Roma)

La fauna di Saccopastore (bassa valle dell'Aniene, Roma) è stata attribuita all'ultimo in... more La fauna di Saccopastore (bassa valle dell'Aniene, Roma) è stata attribuita all'ultimo interglaciale Riss-Würm sin dalla prima metà del secolo scorso. Secondo quanto riportato in letteratura, la mammalofauna del sito includerebbe: Elephas antiquus, Dicerorhinus mercki, Equus caballus, Equus hydruntinus, Hippopotamus major, Cervus elaphus, Dama dama e Bos primigenius, oltre a Homo neanderthalensis. Seguendo la storia delle ricerche, nel presente lavoro viene discussa una nuova età di ca. 220-245 mila anni per la fauna rinvenuta nel sito. Al tempo della scoperta dei due crani umani erano conosciuti solo 3 cicli glacio-eustatici correlati col gli interglaciali Gunz-Mindel, Mindel-Riss e Riss-Würm. Al contrario, gli studi geologici condotti negli ultimi 20 anni nell'area di Roma hanno permesso di ricostruire un quadro stratigrafico dettagliato e ben datato in cui è stato evidenziato lo stretto legame tra glacio-eustatismo e sedimentazione, riconoscendo 6 cicli glacio-eustati...

The Aggradational Successions of the Aniene River Valley in Rome: Age Constraints to Early Neanderthal Presence in Europe

PLOS ONE, 2017

Chronostratigraphic constraints on Middle Pleistocene faunal assemblages and Acheulian industries from the Cretone lacustrine basin, central Italy

Journal of Quaternary Science, 2016

A new age within MIS 7 for the Homo neanderthalensis of Saccopastore in the glacio-eustatically forced sedimentary successions of the Aniene River Valley, Rome

Quaternary Science Reviews, 2015

Abstract Field observations as well as borehole, sedimentological and geochronologic data allow u... more Abstract Field observations as well as borehole, sedimentological and geochronologic data allow us to reconstruct the geologic setting of the Aniene River Valley in northern Rome, framing it within the recently recognized picture of temporally constrained, glacio-eustatically forced aggradational successions of this region. The sedimentary successions cropping out in this area include those described in the literature of the early 20th century in Saccopastore, where two skulls of Homo neanderthalensis were recovered. Based on the geometry, elevation and sedimentologic features of the investigated sedimentary deposits, the stratigraphic record of Saccopastore is correlated with the aggradational succession deposited in response to sea-level rise during glacial termination III at the onset of MIS 7 (i.e. ∼250 ka), corresponding to the local Vitinia Formation, as opposed to previous correlation with the MIS 5 interglacial and a locally defined “Tyrrhenian” stage (∼130 ka). This previous attribution was based on the interpretation of the sedimentary succession of Saccopastore, occurring between 15 and 21 m a.s.l., as a fluvial terrace formed around 130 ka during the Riss-Wurm interglacial, ca. 6 m above the present-day alluvial plain of the Aniene River. In contrast to this interpretation, a 40Ar/39Ar age of 129 ± 2 ka determined for this study on a pyroclastic-flow deposit intercalated in a fluvial-lacustrine sequence forming a terrace ∼37 m a.s.l. near the coast of Rome constrains the aggradational succession in this area to MIS 5, precluding the occurrence of an equivalent fluvial terrace at lower elevation in the inland sector of Saccopastore. We therefore interpret the stratigraphic record of Saccopastore as the basal portion of the aggradational succession deposited in response to sea-level rise during MIS 7, whose equivalent fluvial terrace occurs around 55 m a.s.l. in this region. We also review the published paleontological and paleoethnological records recovered in Saccopastore and demonstrate their compatibility with the faunal assemblages and lithic industries occurring in the sedimentary deposits of the Vitinia Formation, while we show the lack of any unequivocal Late Pleistocene (MIS 5) affinity. We therefore propose that the chronostratigraphic position of the Saccopastore deposits containing the two skulls should be around 250,000 years, as opposed to a previously preferred age of 130,000 years. The revised age makes these skulls the oldest Italian occurrences of H. neanderthalensis and provides evidence for a substantially coeval appearance and evolutionary path with respect to central-northern Europe.

The archaic Acheulean lithic industry of the Cretone basin (Latium, central Italy)

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2015

A rich record of Lower Paleolithic lithic industries collected within the lacustrine basin of Cre... more A rich record of Lower Paleolithic lithic industries collected within the lacustrine basin of Cretone (Latium, Central Italy) is described in detail, showing the occurrence of two distinct tool assemblages. According to the geochronolgy data constraining the evolution of the lacustrine basin, in which the largest portion of the sedimentary filling correlates with the depositional cycles linked to Marine Isotopic Stages (MIS) 15 and 13, most of the Cretone lithic industry shows the characters of an archaic Acheulean facies, relatively rich in bifacials with lithic industry on flake and roughly cut pebbles (often tending to two-sided chopper), that has similarities with the oldest Italian complexes (e.g.: Isernia -La Pineta). In contrast, a smaller record of artifacts displaying features kin to the early Middle Paleolithic complexes of this region, is likely associated with later frequentation of the area during MIS 9 through 7, when lacustrine conditions were largely superseded by a fluvial-palustrine environment, to which limited sedimentary deposits are associated, and migrated to the eastern margin of the basin, where a smaller lake persisted until MIS 5. The recognition of the described "archaic" facies of Acheulian industry within a geochronologically constrained context provides new data on the lower -middle Paleolithic transition in central Italy and allows us to present a comparative review of other important sites of this region.

The MIS 5.5 terraced deposit of Fosso del Cupo (Montecelio, Central Italy) and its Mousterian lithic assemblage: Re-evaluation of a nineteenth-century discovery

Quaternary International, 2016

Abstract By means of a geomorphological study and the correlation with the geochronologically con... more Abstract By means of a geomorphological study and the correlation with the geochronologically constrained terraced deposits of the greater area of Rome, we attribute to the aggradational phase during marine isotopic stage (MIS) 5.5 a terraced deposit firstly described in the earliest local geological reports of the 19th century, in which a small set of lithic artifacts and vertebrate fossil remains was recovered. After this correlation, the sedimentary deposit of Fosso del Cupo represents the only inland occurrence of an aggradational deposit of MIS 5.5 so far recognized in the area of Rome, where a rich record of lithic industries and faunal assemblages has been yielded by the sedimentary successions deposited in response to deglaciation during sea-level rises of MIS 15 through MIS 7. We have implemented the lithic and faunal assemblages through a collection during the geological survey performed in the area where the terraced deposit crops out. With an age tightly constrained around 125 ka, the lithic industry and the faunal assemblage from Fosso del Cupo, although limited in number, represent an important witness of the early development of the local Pontinian culture and should be considered a regional marker, which may concur to improve the knowledge on the Mousterian of Central Italy.

The archaic Acheulean lithic industry of the Cretone basin (Latium, central Italy)

A rich record of Lower Paleolithic lithic industries collected within the lacustrine basin of Cre... more A rich record of Lower Paleolithic lithic industries collected within the lacustrine basin of Cretone (Latium, Central Italy) is described in detail, showing the occurrence of two distinct tool assemblages. According to the geochronolgy data constraining the evolution of the lacustrine basin, in which the largest portion of the sedimentary filling correlates with the depositional cycles linked to Marine Isotopic Stages (MIS) 15 and 13, most of the Cretone lithic industry shows the characters of an archaic Acheulean facies, relatively rich in bifacials with lithic industry on flake and roughly cut pebbles (often tending to two-sided chopper), that has similarities with the oldest Italian complexes (e.g.: Isernia - La Pineta). In contrast, a smaller record of artifacts displaying features kin to the early Middle Paleolithic complexes of this region, is likely associated with later frequentation of the area during MIS 9 through 7, when lacustrine conditions were largely superseded by a...

Chronostratigraphic constraints on Middle Pleistocene faunal assemblages and Acheulian industries from the Cretone lacustrine basin, central Italy

Journal of Quaternary Science, 2016

Integrated 40 Ar/ 39 Ar, trace-element, stratigraphic, palaeontological and palaethnological data... more Integrated 40 Ar/ 39 Ar, trace-element, stratigraphic, palaeontological and palaethnological data provide geochronological and biochronological constraints for the sedimentary and tectonic history of a Middle Pleistocene fluvial–lacustrine basin near Rome (Cretone Basin, central Italy), which has yielded a significant record of mammal fossil remains and Palaeolithic industry. This work is a case study of the interplay between tectonics and glacio-eustacy, which strongly influenced the evolution of the Tyrrhenian Sea margin of central Italy. Dating of tephra layers interbedded within the Cretone Basin lacustrine succession and reconstruction of relict terraced surfaces allow correlation with similar, geochronologically constrained, marine isotopic stages (MIS) 15–5 terraced deposits along the coast. Coupled extensional tectonics and regional uplift over the last 600 ka caused the progressive uplifting and westward migration of the main fluvial–lacustrine basin and the formation of a ...

MIS 9 to MIS 5 terraces along the Tyrrhenian Sea coast of Latium (central Italy): Assessing interplay between sea-level oscillations and tectonic movements

Geomorphology, Dec 1, 2019

Abstract We present a review of the geomorphology of the Tyrrhenian Sea coast of central Italy in... more Abstract We present a review of the geomorphology of the Tyrrhenian Sea coast of central Italy integrated by a novel structural-geomorphological study coupled with statistical analysis of topographic culminations and comparison with a Digital Elevation Model, aimed at reconstructing a suite of paleo-surfaces corresponding to remnant portions of marine terraces. We performed geochronological, sedimentological, micromorphological and mineralogical investigations on the deposits forming the different paleo-surfaces between Civitavecchia and Anzio towns, in order to provide chronostratigraphical, paleogeographical and paleoenvironmental constraints. Using the newly achieved dataset we correlate these paleo-surfaces with the coastal terraces formed during past sea-level highstands, as recognized by previous studies, and we refine their correlation with the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) timescale. In particular, we have extended our geomorphological analyses landward in the area between the Tiber River mouth and Anzio, in order to include the oldest paleo-surface developed above the deposits of the last large explosive eruption at 365 ± 4 ka in the Colli Albani Volcanic District. Results of this study allow us to recognize a set of higher paleo-surfaces at elevation ranging 108 thought 71 m a.s.l., which we interpret as one tectonically displaced, widespread coastal terrace originated during the MIS 9.1 highstand. We correlate the previously identified paleo-surfaces of 66–62 m a.s.l. and 56–52 m a.s.l. with the equivalent coastal terraces developed during the sea-level highstands of sub-stages 7.5 and 7.3/7.1. Moreover, based on data from literature on relative elevation of maximum sea level during the highstands of MIS 11 through MIS 5.1, we assess the regional uplift and the concurrent tectonic displacements that have occurred since 900 ka in this area.

Reconstruction of the MIS 5.5, 5.3 and 5.1 coastal terraces in Latium (central Italy): A re-evaluation of the sea-level history in the Mediterranean Sea during the last interglacial

Quaternary International

Abstract We present a geomorphological, stratigraphical and geochronological study reconstructing... more Abstract We present a geomorphological, stratigraphical and geochronological study reconstructing a suite of paleo-surfaces in a 200 km-long coastal sector of the central Tyrrhenian Sea between Argentario and Circeo promontories. Identification of the near-shore deposits associated with these paleo-surfaces allow us to define corresponding marine terraces and paleo sea-levels. 40Ar/39Ar and ESR/U-Th geochronologic constraints on key deposits provide correlation with the terraces previously recognized in the coast of central Latium, refining their correlation with the Marine Isotopic Stages. Results of this study enable us to: Propose a re-assessment of the ages for the sea-level markers of MIS 5.5, 5.3, 5.1 in the central Tyrrhenian Sea; Suggest that a continuous tectonic uplift with an average rate of 0.224 mm/yr affects the Latium coast since 200 ka; Provide new evidence for a MIS 5.5 paleo-sea level marker occurring at ~35 m a.s.l. on the coastal sector extending from Montalto di Castro to Latina, while it possibly drops down and connects to a paleo sea-level ranging 10 - 5 m between Monte Circeo and Gaeta, previously attributed to this interglacial; Discussing possible evidence of similar elevation of the sea level during MIS 5.5, 5.3 and 5.1 interglacials in the Tyrrhenian Sea; Compare this datum with those from the western Pacific and several coral reefs, where the differences with respect to tectonically stable regions were attributed either to tectonics or to the Glacial Isostatic Adjustment, showing that the presented record of sea-level markers may have a strong impact on modeling the post-glacial effects in the Mediterranean Sea and on the paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic studies in this region.

New chronological framework (MIS 13–9) and depositional context for the lower Palaeolithic sites north-west of Rome: Revisiting the early hominin in central Italy

Quaternary International

Abstract The Paleolithic period in central Italy is currently undergoing an extensive revision du... more Abstract The Paleolithic period in central Italy is currently undergoing an extensive revision due to a significant chronological re-examination of many archaeological sites. Recently, several lower Palaeolithic sites 20 km NW of Rome previously dated within MIS 9 (335–300 ka) (i.e. La Polledrara di Cecanibbio, Torre in Pietra, Castel di Guido, Malagrotta and four sites along Via Aurelia) have been geochronologically reassessed between 412 and 325 ka. These sites, in which abundant fauna, artifacts and hominin remains have been found, are remarkably well preserved. A combination of geological factors and the peculiar geodynamic conditions of this region, where tectonics, volcanism and glacio-eustatic forcing worked in concert, allowed for the exceptional conservation of the remains In this paper we provide a review of these sites and analyze their depositional contexts, showing that rapid filling of the fluvial incisions during glacial terminations, combined with sudden emplacement of volcanic deposits, caused the sealing of the archaeological materials accumulated at the bottom of the paleo-valleys. The aim of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of these sites as well as to provide the archaeological implications of their new chronology and depositional contexts. Results allow to reconsider the hominin presence in central Italy and highlight the importance to integrate archaeological investigations with modern geological studies, combining sedimentological, geochronological, geomorphological and chronostratigraphical methods.

A novel multidisciplinary bio- and geo-chronological approach for age determination of Palaeolithic bone artifacts in volcanic settings: An example from eastern Sabatini, Latium, Italy

Quaternary International, 2017

In this study, we provide combined biochronologic and chronostratigraphic constraints to the fluv... more In this study, we provide combined biochronologic and chronostratigraphic constraints to the fluvial-lacustrine succession cropping out near the village of Rignano Flaminio, 35 km north of Rome, where two bone instruments have been recovered along with several vertebrate fossil remains. The presence of bone tools is characteristic of the Latium region, whereas it is rare in the rest of Italy, but very few sites in which such artifacts occur have precise geochronological constraints. In the investigated site, the presence of Cervus elaphus eostephanoceros, among other taxa, indicates a time interval limited to Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 13 and MIS 11. The occurrence of the Tufo Rosso a Scorie Nere pyroclastic-flow deposit, dated 449 ± 2 ka, at the base of the sedimentary deposits hosting the faunal assemblage allows us at restricting the interval to MIS 11. Moreover, applying a recently validated conceptual model accounting for an aggradational mechanism linked with sea-level rise during glacial termination for the sedimentary successions of the Tiber River and its tributaries in a relatively wider area around Rome, we further constrain the age to 430–405 ka. Following this approach, we present a review of the archaeological sites of Latium yielding bone instruments, remarking that only other four sites have been recently provided with geochronological constraints, through the application of the multidisciplinary methodology applied here.

The archaeological ensemble from Campoverde (Agro Pontino, central Italy): new constraints on the Last Interglacial sea level markers

Scientific Reports, Dec 1, 2018

We present a combined geomorphological and biochronological study aimed at providing age constrai... more We present a combined geomorphological and biochronological study aimed at providing age constraints to the deposits forming a wide paleo-surface in the coastal area of the Tyrrhenian Sea, south of Anzio promontory (central Italy). We review the faunal assemblage recovered in Campoverde, evidencing the occurrence of the modern fallow deer subspecies Dama dama dama, which in peninsular Italy is not present before MIS 5e, providing a post-quem terminus of 125 ka for the deposit hosting the fossil remains. The geomorphological reconstruction shows that Campoverde is located within the highest of three paleosurfaces progressively declining towards the present coast, at average elevations of 36, 26 and 15 m a.s.l. The two lowest paleosurfaces match the elevation of the previously recognized marine terraces in this area; we define a new, upper marine terrace corresponding to the 36 m paleosurface, which we name Campoverde complex. Based on the provided evidence of an age as young as MIS 5e for this terrace, we discuss the possibility that previous identification of a tectonically stable MIS 5e coastline ranging 10-8 m a.s.l. in this area should be revised, with significant implications on assessment of the amplitude of sea-level oscillations during the Last Interglacial in the Mediterranean Sea. A large number of vertebrate bones and lithic artifacts was recovered from the subsurface sedimentary deposits affected by trench excavation, during work to reclaim and align the course of a small stream channel in Campoverde, ~10 km northeast of the town of Anzio in the Pontina plain (Agro Pontino) (Fig. 1). The archaeological findings were the subject of preliminary publications 1-4 , before being stored at the museum "Antiquarium Comunale" of Nettuno. The area of Campoverde is a large level plateau, at elevations ranging 31-39 m a.s.l., partially dissected by fluvial incisions (Fig. 2). Recent work has evidenced the occurrence of a suite of paleosurfaces along the central coast of Latium, between Ladispoli and Anzio, identified as three coastal terraces at elevations of ca. 36 m, 26 m, and 15 m a.s.l. (Fig. 1b 5). These terraces are interpreted as reflecting combined isostatic (e.g. 6) and volcano-tectonic uplift since 250 ka, interpunctuated by a minor phase of collapse around 100 ka 5 , linked with the presence of the volcanic districts of the Roman Magmatic Province 7. Indeed, the area where these terraces are recognized corresponds to the coastal reach facing the Monti Sabatini and Colli Albani volcanic districts (Fig. 1), which were active 800 ka through 86 ka 8,9 , and 600 ka though 36 ka 10 , respectively. A 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age constraint of 129 ± 1 ka allowed correlation 11 of the 36 m terrace with the highstand of (Marine Isotopic Stage) MIS 5e (125 ka 12), in good agreement with previous geochronologic constraints achieved on the sedimentary deposits forming a terrace at higher elevation, ranging 51-56 m a.s.l., providing correlation with MIS 7 5,13. Based on the strong age constraint for the 56 m and 36 m terraces, and lacking direct geochronologic

Resti fossili e industrie litiche della collezione di Don Carlo Rusconi - Ceruleo-Marra-Petronio.pdf

L’uomo preistorico e il suo ambiente nel territorio di Palombara Sabina e dintorni.pdf

The Aggradational Successions of the Aniene River Valley in Rome: Age Constraints to Early Neanderthal Presence in Europe

by Luca Pandolfi, Mario Federico Rolfo, and Piero Ceruleo

We revise the chronostratigraphy of several sedimentary successions cropping out along a 5 km-lon... more We revise the chronostratigraphy of several sedimentary successions cropping out along a 5 km-long tract of the Aniene River Valley in Rome (Italy), which yielded six hominin remains previously attributed to proto-or archaic Neanderthal individuals, as well as a large number of lithic artefacts showing intermediate characteristics somewhere between the local Acheu-lean and Mousterian cultures. Through a method of correlation of aggradational successions with post-glacial sea-level rises, relying on a large set of published 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages of inter-bedded volcanic deposits, we demonstrate that deposition of the sediments hosting the human remains spans the interval 295–220 ka. This is consistent with other well constrained ages for lithic industries recovered in England, displaying transitional features from Lower to Middle Paleolithic, suggesting the appearance of Mode 3 during the MIS 9-MIS 8 transition. Moreover, the six human bone fragments recovered in the Aniene Valley should be regarded as the most precisely dated and oldest hominin remains ascribable to Neanderthal-type individuals in Europe, discovered to date. The chronostratigraphic study presented here constitutes the groundwork for addressing re-analysis of these remains and of their associated lithic industries, in the light of their well-constrained chronological picture.

A new age within MIS 7 for the Homo neanderthalensis of Saccopastore in the glacio-eustatically forced sedimentary successions of the Aniene River Valley, Rome

by Leonardo Salari and Piero Ceruleo

Quaternary Science Reviews, 2015

Field observations as well as borehole, sedimentological and geochronologic data allow us to reco... more Field observations as well as borehole, sedimentological and geochronologic data allow us to reconstruct the geologic setting of the Aniene River Valley in northern Rome, framing it within the recently recognized picture of temporally constrained, glacio-eustatically forced aggradational successions of this region. The sedimentary successions cropping out in this area include those described in the literature of
the early 20th century in Saccopastore, where two skulls of Homo neanderthalensis were recovered.
Based on the geometry, elevation and sedimentologic features of the investigated sedimentary deposits, the stratigraphic record of Saccopastore is correlated with the aggradational succession deposited in response to sea-level rise during glacial termination III at the onset of MIS 7 (i.e. ~250 ka), corresponding to the local Vitinia Formation, as opposed to previous correlation with the MIS 5 interglacial and a locally defined “Tyrrhenian” stage (~130 ka). This previous attribution was based on the interpretation of the sedimentary succession of Saccopastore, occurring between 15 and 21 m a.s.l., as a fluvial terrace formed around 130 ka during the Riss-Würm interglacial, ca. 6 m above the present-day alluvial plain of the Aniene River. In contrast to this interpretation, a 40Ar/39Ar age of 129 ± 2 ka determined for this study on a pyroclastic-flow deposit intercalated in a fluvial-lacustrine sequence forming a terrace ~37 m a.s.l. near the coast of Rome constrains the aggradational succession in this area to MIS 5, precluding the occurrence of an equivalent fluvial terrace at lower elevation in the inland sector of Saccopastore.We therefore
interpret the stratigraphic record of Saccopastore as the basal portion of the aggradational succession deposited in response to sea-level rise during MIS 7, whose equivalent fluvial terrace occurs around 55 m a.s.l. in this region.
We also review the published paleontological and paleoethnological records recovered in Saccopastore and demonstrate their compatibility with the faunal assemblages and lithic industries occurring in the sedimentary deposits of the Vitinia Formation, while we show the lack of any unequivocal Late Pleistocene (MIS 5) affinity.We therefore propose that the chronostratigraphic position of the Saccopastore deposits containing the two skulls should be around 250,000 years, as opposed to a previously preferred age of 130,000 years. The revised age makes these skulls the oldest Italian occurrences of H. neanderthalensis and provides evidence for a substantially coeval appearance and evolutionary path with respect to central-northern Europe.