Stratigraphical and palaeontological data from the Early Pleistocene Pirro 10 site of Pirro Nord (Puglia, south eastern Italy)

The Pirro Nord palaeontological and archaeological locality has been the object of recent fi eld research to investigate the fossil content of its Early Pleistocene vertebrate palaeocommunities, and to understand the genesis of the karst network and related deposits that delivered the lithic industry representing the earliest human occupation of Europe known so far, spanning 1.7e1.3 Ma. The succession of the Pirro 10 site has been described in terms of facies and fossil vertebrate content of the 37 distinguished Sedimentary Units (SU). On the whole, the succession is made of chemical and clastic sediments that include debris fall and alluvial deposits. SU are distinguished according to lithology, colour, discontinuities, lamination, fossil concentration, and taphonomical parameters. Palaeomagnetic data and biochronological characteristics refer the Pirro 10 site to the latest Late Villafranchian Mammal Age of the Italian biochronological mammal scale.