Iron oxy(hydroxy)des-rich coloring materials are one of the most exploited mineral sources during the latter part of the Pleistocene in Europe and are, consequently, a type of artifacts strongly presents in contexts attributable to Upper Palaeolithic techno-complexes. Considering their properties and multiple uses, these ferruginous rocks can be regarded as the material proofs of the technical, economic and symbolic practices of Palaeolithic human groups. However, a lack of lacunae concerning this category of archaeological finds, particularly those from Epigravettian Late Glacial contexts, which are still poorly studied. It is during the Late Glacial period that major climatic and environmental changes enabled previously inaccessible territories to be newly populated. In order to define the management patterns of a new territory and its resources, as well as the economic and technical practices adopted by the Epigravettian human groups for the exploitation of colouring materials during the Late Glacial (provenance, selection of raw materials, technical treatments, and use), we examined the iron-rich yellow and red rocks of one of the most important sites of the Late Epigravettian: Riparo Tagliente. This site, located in the Italian Pre-Alps (Lessini Mountains), testifies to the first human reoccupation of the Alpine region after the UMG (from 17.3-16.4 ka cal BP). The corpuses taken into account includes yellow and red cohesive ferruginous rocks from the excavations, still in course, of the Late Glacial Epigravettian sequence (GS-2.1a - GI-1), in particular from the North Sector and the East-West trench of the site. These corpuses were examined using a multiscale approach, revealing the presence of more than 68,000 colouring remains. The multiscalar protocols put in place included the classification and macroscopic description of the colouring materials, petrographic studies, spatial distribution analyses, use-wears analyses, SEM-EDX and µPIXE analyses and statistical data processing. Geological surveys were also carried out in the Lessini Mountains. The results of the multiscalar study of the iron oxy(hydroxy)des-rich coloring materials from Riparo Tagliente and the geological deposits of the Lessini Mountains allowed us to attest to the diversity and variability of the raw materials exploited by the Late Epigravettian groups that occupied the site during the Late Glacial and to identify their provenance as well as the selection of some ferruginous rocks among the diversity offered by the local formations. Thus, an overview of the circulation of coloring mineral resources exploited by the Late Epigravettian groups of Riparo Tagliente was obtained, and a change in procurement strategies during the Late Glacial was highlighted. After their acquisition, coloring materials were subsequently processed at the site. Hypotheses of the use of these coloring materials have also been formulated. The study of the provenance, selection, and processing of the iron oxy(hydroxy)des-rich coloring materials from Riparo Tagliente, as well as the comparison of these data with those, albeit scarce, available for other Epigravettian contexts, have enabled us to contribute to the understanding of the ways of life of the human groups of the Late Epigravettian, the circulations of mineral raw materials enacted during the Late Glacial, and to ascertain the importance of these iron-rich coloring materials.
Les matières riches en oxy(hydroxy)des de fer sont l’une des ressources minérales les plus exploitées au cours de la dernière partie du Pléistocène en Europe et constituent de ce fait un type de vestiges fortement répandu dans les contextes attribuables aux techno-complexes du Paléolithique supérieur. En considérant leurs propriétés et leurs usages multiples, ces roches ferrugineuses peuvent être considérées comme les témoins matériels des pratiques techniques, économiques et symboliques des groupes humains paléolithiques. Néanmoins, nombreuses sont les lacunes concernant cette catégorie de vestiges, en particulier ceux provenant des contextes tardiglaciaires de l’Epigravettien, lesquels sont encore très peu investigués. C’est durant le Tardiglaciaire que d’importants changements climatiques et environnementaux ont permis à des territoires auparavant inaccessibles d’être à nouveau habités. Afin d’interroger et définir les modalités de gestion d’un nouveau territoire et de ses ressources, ainsi que les pratiques économiques et techniques mises en œuvre par les groupes humains épigravettiens pour l’exploitation des matières colorantes durant le Tardiglaciaire (provenance, sélection des matières premières, traitements techniques et utilisation), nous avons examiné les roches riches en de fer jaunes et rouges d’un des plus importants sites de l’Epigravettien récent : Riparo Tagliente. Ce site, situé dans les Préalpes italiennes (Monti Lessini), témoigne de la première réoccupation humaine de la région alpine après la fin du DMG (à partir de 17,3-16,8 ka cal BP). Les corpus pris en compte comprennent des roches ferrugineuses cohésives jaunes et rouges issues des fouilles, encore en cours, de la séquence épigravettienne du Tardiglaciaire (GS-2.1a – GI-1), notamment du Secteur Nord et de la tranchée Est-Ouest du site. Ces corpus ont été examinés selon une approche multiscalaire, révélant la présence de plus de 68 000 vestiges colorants. Les protocoles multiscalaires mis en place ont compris la classification et la description macroscopique des matières colorantes, l’étude pétrographique, les analyses de distribution spatiale, les observations tracéologiques, les analyses MEB-EDX et µPIXE et les traitements statiques des données. Des prospections géologiques ont également été effectuées dans les Monts Lessini. Les résultats de l’investigation multiscalaire des matières colorantes riches en oxy(hydroxy)des de fer de Riparo Tagliente et des gîtes géologiques des Mont Lessini, nous ont permis d’attester la diversité et la variabilité des matières premières exploitées par les groupes épigravettiens qui ont occupé le site durant le Tardiglaciaire et d’identifier leurs provenances, ainsi que la sélection de certaines roches ferrugineuses parmi la diversité offerte par les formations locales. Nous avons donc obtenu un aperçu de la circulation des ressources minérales colorantes exploitées par les groupes de l’Épigravettien récent de Riparo Tagliente et mis en évidence un changement dans les stratégies d’approvisionnement au cours du Tardiglaciaire. Après leur acquisition, les matières colorantes étaient ensuite traitées au sein du site. Des hypothèses sur l’utilisation ont également pu être avancées. L’étude de la provenance, de la sélection et de la transformation des matières colorantes riches en oxy(hydroxy)des de fer de Riparo Tagliente, ainsi que la comparaison de ces données avec celles, bien que peu nombreuses, disponibles pour les autres contextes épigravettiens, nous ont donc permis de contribuer à la compréhension des modes de vie des groupes humains de l’Epigravettien récent, des réseaux de circulation des ressources premières minérales mis en place durant le Tardiglaciaire et de constater l’importance de ces matières colorantes.
L’EXPLOITATION DES MATIÈRES COLORANTES À LA FIN DU PLÉISTOCÈNE DANS L’ARC ALPIN : LE SITE ÉPIGRAVETTIEN DE RIPARO TAGLIENTE (MONTI LESSINI, NORD-EST DE L’ITALIE)
SARDELLI, GIORGIA
2024
Abstract
Iron oxy(hydroxy)des-rich coloring materials are one of the most exploited mineral sources during the latter part of the Pleistocene in Europe and are, consequently, a type of artifacts strongly presents in contexts attributable to Upper Palaeolithic techno-complexes. Considering their properties and multiple uses, these ferruginous rocks can be regarded as the material proofs of the technical, economic and symbolic practices of Palaeolithic human groups. However, a lack of lacunae concerning this category of archaeological finds, particularly those from Epigravettian Late Glacial contexts, which are still poorly studied. It is during the Late Glacial period that major climatic and environmental changes enabled previously inaccessible territories to be newly populated. In order to define the management patterns of a new territory and its resources, as well as the economic and technical practices adopted by the Epigravettian human groups for the exploitation of colouring materials during the Late Glacial (provenance, selection of raw materials, technical treatments, and use), we examined the iron-rich yellow and red rocks of one of the most important sites of the Late Epigravettian: Riparo Tagliente. This site, located in the Italian Pre-Alps (Lessini Mountains), testifies to the first human reoccupation of the Alpine region after the UMG (from 17.3-16.4 ka cal BP). The corpuses taken into account includes yellow and red cohesive ferruginous rocks from the excavations, still in course, of the Late Glacial Epigravettian sequence (GS-2.1a - GI-1), in particular from the North Sector and the East-West trench of the site. These corpuses were examined using a multiscale approach, revealing the presence of more than 68,000 colouring remains. The multiscalar protocols put in place included the classification and macroscopic description of the colouring materials, petrographic studies, spatial distribution analyses, use-wears analyses, SEM-EDX and µPIXE analyses and statistical data processing. Geological surveys were also carried out in the Lessini Mountains. The results of the multiscalar study of the iron oxy(hydroxy)des-rich coloring materials from Riparo Tagliente and the geological deposits of the Lessini Mountains allowed us to attest to the diversity and variability of the raw materials exploited by the Late Epigravettian groups that occupied the site during the Late Glacial and to identify their provenance as well as the selection of some ferruginous rocks among the diversity offered by the local formations. Thus, an overview of the circulation of coloring mineral resources exploited by the Late Epigravettian groups of Riparo Tagliente was obtained, and a change in procurement strategies during the Late Glacial was highlighted. After their acquisition, coloring materials were subsequently processed at the site. Hypotheses of the use of these coloring materials have also been formulated. The study of the provenance, selection, and processing of the iron oxy(hydroxy)des-rich coloring materials from Riparo Tagliente, as well as the comparison of these data with those, albeit scarce, available for other Epigravettian contexts, have enabled us to contribute to the understanding of the ways of life of the human groups of the Late Epigravettian, the circulations of mineral raw materials enacted during the Late Glacial, and to ascertain the importance of these iron-rich coloring materials.I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
