A multidisciplinary approach to a unique palaeolithic human ichnological record from Italy (Bàsura Cave)
Based on the integration of laser scans, sedimentology, geochemistry, archeobotany, geometric morphometrics and photogrammetry, here we present evidence testifying that a Palaeolithic group of people explored a deep cave in northern Italy about 14 ky cal. BP. Ichnological data enable us to shed ligh...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2019-05-01
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| Series: | eLife |
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| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/45204 |
| _version_ | 1797997621123481600 |
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| author | Marco Romano Paolo Citton Isabella Salvador Daniele Arobba Ivano Rellini Marco Firpo Fabio Negrino Marta Zunino Elisabetta Starnini Marco Avanzini |
| author_facet | Marco Romano Paolo Citton Isabella Salvador Daniele Arobba Ivano Rellini Marco Firpo Fabio Negrino Marta Zunino Elisabetta Starnini Marco Avanzini |
| author_sort | Marco Romano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Based on the integration of laser scans, sedimentology, geochemistry, archeobotany, geometric morphometrics and photogrammetry, here we present evidence testifying that a Palaeolithic group of people explored a deep cave in northern Italy about 14 ky cal. BP. Ichnological data enable us to shed light on individual and group level behavior, social relationship, and mode of exploration of the uneven terrain. Five individuals, two adults, an adolescent and two children, entered the cave barefoot and illuminated the way with a bunch of wooden sticks. Traces of crawling locomotion are documented for the first time in the global human ichnological record. Anatomical details recognizable in the crawling traces show that no clothing was present between limbs and the trampled sediments. Our study demonstrates that very young children (the youngest about 3 years old) were active members of the Upper Palaeolithic populations, even in apparently dangerous and social activities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T10:35:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6307cede8b7249e8bbc6b9e0604c730e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T10:35:42Z |
| publishDate | 2019-05-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-6307cede8b7249e8bbc6b9e0604c730e2022-12-22T04:29:18ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2019-05-01810.7554/eLife.45204A multidisciplinary approach to a unique palaeolithic human ichnological record from Italy (Bàsura Cave)Marco Romano0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7629-3872Paolo Citton1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6503-5541Isabella Salvador2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1058-3994Daniele Arobba3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6946-7579Ivano Rellini4Marco Firpo5Fabio Negrino6Marta Zunino7Elisabetta Starnini8Marco Avanzini9Evolutionary Studies Institute (ESI), School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaCONICET-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaMUSE, Museo delle Scienze, Trento, ItalyMuseo Archeologico del Finale, Finale Ligure Borgo, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell’Ambiente e della Vita (DISTAV), Università degli Studi di Genova, Genoa, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell’Ambiente e della Vita (DISTAV), Università degli Studi di Genova, Genoa, ItalyDipartimento di Antichità, Filosofia, Storia (DAFIST), Università degli Studi di Genova, Genoa, ItalyGrotte di Toirano, Toirano, ItalySoprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la Città Metropolitana di Genova e le province di Imperia, La Spezia e Savona, Genoa, Italy; Dipartimento di Civiltà e Forme del Sapere, Università di Pisa, Pise, ItalyMUSE, Museo delle Scienze, Trento, ItalyBased on the integration of laser scans, sedimentology, geochemistry, archeobotany, geometric morphometrics and photogrammetry, here we present evidence testifying that a Palaeolithic group of people explored a deep cave in northern Italy about 14 ky cal. BP. Ichnological data enable us to shed light on individual and group level behavior, social relationship, and mode of exploration of the uneven terrain. Five individuals, two adults, an adolescent and two children, entered the cave barefoot and illuminated the way with a bunch of wooden sticks. Traces of crawling locomotion are documented for the first time in the global human ichnological record. Anatomical details recognizable in the crawling traces show that no clothing was present between limbs and the trampled sediments. Our study demonstrates that very young children (the youngest about 3 years old) were active members of the Upper Palaeolithic populations, even in apparently dangerous and social activities.https://elifesciences.org/articles/45204humanbeardog |
| spellingShingle | Marco Romano Paolo Citton Isabella Salvador Daniele Arobba Ivano Rellini Marco Firpo Fabio Negrino Marta Zunino Elisabetta Starnini Marco Avanzini A multidisciplinary approach to a unique palaeolithic human ichnological record from Italy (Bàsura Cave) eLife human bear dog |
| title | A multidisciplinary approach to a unique palaeolithic human ichnological record from Italy (Bàsura Cave) |
| title_full | A multidisciplinary approach to a unique palaeolithic human ichnological record from Italy (Bàsura Cave) |
| title_fullStr | A multidisciplinary approach to a unique palaeolithic human ichnological record from Italy (Bàsura Cave) |
| title_full_unstemmed | A multidisciplinary approach to a unique palaeolithic human ichnological record from Italy (Bàsura Cave) |
| title_short | A multidisciplinary approach to a unique palaeolithic human ichnological record from Italy (Bàsura Cave) |
| title_sort | multidisciplinary approach to a unique palaeolithic human ichnological record from italy basura cave |
| topic | human bear dog |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/45204 |
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