People and their land at the southern margins of the central Po Plain in the Early Mesolithic

Along the plain belt between Bologna and Piacenza some sites have been investigated over the last twenty years during rescue excavations. Located by the ancient river banks of some main tributaries of the Po and Reno rivers, in areas periodically covered by alluvial deposits, four of these settlements (Collecchio PR, Borgo Panigale, I.N.B.S. and Casalecchio di Reno, BO) occupy small surface areas (50 to 100m²), while another (Le Mose, PC) can be considered a unique example of an Early-Holocene site-complex within the Italian record known to date. The composition of the lithic assemblages and the intra-site spatial organisation – here including the presence/absence of dwelling structures – varies from site to site, raising several questions concerning their occupation pattern and function. The relationship between these sites and the numerous settlements known in the Apennine region represents another important aspect for evaluation in terms of reconstructing the regional settlement system.