Management of Paleoenvironmental Resources and Exploitation of Raw Materials at the Middle Paleolithic Site of Oscurusciuto (Ginosa, Southern Italy): Units 1 and 4

Abstract

The authors introduce some preliminary data regarding the lithic industries and the faunal remains discov­ered at the Middle Paleolithic site Oscurusciuto, situated in the ravine of Ginosa, with several layers of anthropogenic frequentation. From 1998 onwards approximately 60 m² with a depth of nearly 5 m, have been systematically excavated by the Department of Environmental Science G. Sarfatti, University of Siena. This study presents the results obtained from technological and typological analysis of the lithic material from US 1 and from a sample area of US 4. Ungulate remains, characterized by the prevalence of Bos primigenius, show a selection of skeletal parts related to the exploitation of long bones for the extraction of marrow and the probable use of epiphysis and articular bones as fuel. For the lithic industry is, beside retouched elements, the entire range of the flaking products present, showing that the entire reduction sequence was carried out on site, exploiting jasper pebbles from a nearby stream. The study of the technological categories indicates a substantial similarity between the two units considered. The amount of cores has allowed the identification of the operational chains. In both units the adoption of unipolar modality of Levallois technique is prevalent. The discoid technique is present in Unit 4, but completely absent in Unit 1. Through the technological study it has been possible to find the relationship between the knapping sequences and the morphology of pebbles used. The results pointed out by the typological approach confirm the ¹⁴C date obtained for US 1 (38,500  ±  900 BP) and the cultural attribution of the lithic industry to a final phase of the Middle Paleolithic as a typical Mousterian rich in scrapers.