Same but different: 20,000 years of bone retouchers from Northern Italy. A diachronologic approach from Neanderthals to Anatomically Modern Humans

Bone retouchers are common in Middle and Upper Palaeolithic contexts. In northern Italy, these tools are abundant in final Mousterian sites. In order to pinpoint the possible cultural similarities or differences in the use of these artefacts, the present study analyses the bone retouchers of two nearby sites: Fumane and de Nadale caves. Fumane cave is a large cavity where various techno-complexes have been identified. For the purposes of this research, we analysed more than 300 pieces from the Discoid, Levallois, Uluzzian and Proto-Aurignacian layers. De Nadale cave is a single occupation site attributed to the Quina Mousterian. This site, although still under excavation, includes a high number of bone retouchers – about 200 elements have so far been identified. These elements were subjected to a multidisciplinary study, dealing with their archaeozoological, taphonomic, technological and functional characteristics. The faunal remains on which the retouch stigmata occur are similar, especially throughout the whole of the Fumane sequence, although the general faunal spectrum changes over time. Similarities are also found in the anatomical portions used as retouchers in the different techno-complexes under review. From a functional standpoint, the differences are more obvious. The intensity of use varies diachronically, as the number of identified stigmata changes from one techno-complex to the next. This contribution offers a wide overview of the cultural differences and similarities of this little elaborated tool from a chronological standpoint.