Environmental changes and human occupations between MIS 15 and MIS 14 in Central Italy: archaeological levels AO1-20, 24 and LBr of Valle Giumentina (c. 570-530 ka)

This work presents the Middle Pleistocene palaeoenvironmental and archaeological record of the Valle Giumentina basin (Abruzzo, Italy). A high-resolution geological study, including stratigraphy, sedimentology and micromorphology, was performed on the lower part of the sequence which correlates with the time span between MIS 15 and MIS 14 stages, i.e. between 570 and 530 ka. In addition to long-term climatic variability, sedimentological data highlight many short oscillations of varying amplitude during both Glacial and Interglacial periods. These results are confirmed by the studies of environmental proxies (pollen and molluscan analysis) previously undertaken on the Valle Giumentina sequence in 2016. Comparisons with global, Mediterranean and Italian climate archives confirm the consistency of the Valle Giumentina record and the contrasting characteristics of each isotopic stages. The three archaeological levels comprised in this part of the sequence can be assigned to isotopic sub-stages MIS 15a (Level AO1-20), MIS 14d (Level 24) and MIS 14c/14b (Level LBr). Human groups lived here during both temperate and cold periods, into woodland and steppe landscapes. Petrographic, traceological and technological studies were undertaken on the small lithic series (total of 119 artefacts). They suggest that raw material procurement was strictly local. The core and flake production is of techno-type C (recurrent unipolar flaking, SSDA, flaked flakes). Several morphologies of blanks occur with regular and mostly straight cutting-edges (small and thin flakes, notches, thick backed flakes). They are rarely retouched. Despite their good state of preservation, the pieces do not exhibit use-wear traces.