Higland occupation in the southern Alps during the Early Holocene

Highland occupation by post-glacial hunter-gatherers represents a widespread cultural phenomenon all over Europe. Research begun in the seventies in the southern Alps has revealed the presence of hundreds of sites. In this paper the problems of highland occupation is addressed from a spatially focussed perspective in order to understand the specific use of sites and of their broader catchment territories. The works proceeds from the analysis of two pilot sites situated at the opposite sides of the southern Alps: Mondeval de Sora, in the eastern Dolomites, and Alpe Veglia, in the Lepontine Alps.