Assessing the role of bone retouchers from the Mousterian to the Aurignacian in the North of Italy.

Hard osseus retouchers have been ever more accurately studied and it appears that they are very diffused; their role in the shaping of lithic tools is now well known. In North Italia, they are abundant in final Middle and Early Upper Palaeolithic. In order to pinpoint the possible cultural discrepancies in using these artefacts, this study mostly relies on a qualitative stratigraphical comparison within the Fumane Cave (VR) sequency, where over 370 elements from four different techno-complexes were discovered (Discoid, Levallois, Uluzzian and Aurignacian). The faunal spectra of the retouchers present an important homogeneity as far as the species (mostly red deer) and the anatomical segments (femurs and tibias) are concerned. However, the Aurignacian layers have a bigger amount of medium game, such as ibex, chamois and roe deer, which follows the general trend at Fumane. Archaeozoological studies in fact show that a shift occurs between the end of the Middle Palaeolithic, when cervids are predominant and the beginning of the Upper Palaeolithic, where bovids are more frequent (Fiore et al. 2004; Gurioli et al. 2005; Romandini et al. in press; Tagliacozzo et al. in press). The taphonomical analysis seems to attest some degree of systematic selection of the diaphysis. Four kind of stigmata have been identified: punctiform and streteched impressions, strias and notches. They are usually located in small superficies, with up to three areas on the same shape. We noticed generally wide technical similarities, but some differences were observed, such as a difference in the intensity and the utilisation modalities. Indeed, the important changes in the lithic technologies (from Late Mousterian to Aurignacian) does not seem to alter the frequency nor the function of this little elaborated tool.