A small but essential “cluster” of dots on the map: new Mesolithic evidence from the Comelico mountains (Upper Piave valley, Belluno, Italy) in the Eastern Alps

The south-eastern Alps are well known for their rich Late Palaeolithic and Mesolithic evidence, testifying to the first and uninterrupted occupation of the region since prehistoric times. This occupation started at the beginning of the Late Glacial, following the retirement of glaciers and the progressive recolonisation by vegetation and fauna. In the Early Holocene, the number of sites increased considerably, and their distribution reached the core area of the Alps. Highland sites (mostly located at altitudes between 1900 and 2300 m a.s.l.), attest to intense seasonal exploitation by late prehistoric hunter-gatherer groups. However, the distribution of known sites is not homogeneous, possibly reflecting different phenomena related to research biases, including visibility and preservation, and effective occupation patterns. While the Dolomites display very dense evidence with several hundred identified sites and some tens of excavated ones, the surrounding mountain areas appear either much less rich or almost devoid of any prehistoric archaeological trace. This presentation focuses on a group of new findspots, exclusively represented by lithic scatters, identified in the Comelico area, very close to the source of the Piave river, near the border with Austria. We have applied multidisciplinary investigations, including analysis of sites location and distribution along with techno-economical and typological studies of lithic assemblages to highlight aspects related to land use and mobility of Mesolithic groups and thus contribute to enlarging our perception of Alpine prehistoric occupations