The introduction of a new flaking technique in the Bologna plain during the Late Mesolithic (Castelnovian).

During the Atlantic there is evidence for consistent changes of lithic technical systems all over the continent which seem to result in a return to the systematic production of regular blades and bladelets. In the area of Bologna both in the Sauveterrian and the Castelnovian mainly local lithic raw materials - especially small regular flint pebbles - are used for the production of blanks. Nonetheless, the schéma opératoires applied to the exploitation of these pebbles and the morphology of the products obtained vary significantly in the two periods. As evidenced by analyses carried out on some assemblages which were collected over this area, the main aspect which these variations seem to be connected to is the shift from the use of direct percussion in the Sauveterrian to a new flaking technique depending upon an higher control of the core volumetry during the Castelnovian. The recognition of the new technique adopted (indirect percussion? pressure flaking?) which is here attempted by the recording of some diagnostic features both on cores and blanks and a comparison with bibliographic data, should be confirmed in the future by a specific experimental program.