For our world without sound. The opportunistic debitage in the Italian context: a methodological evaluation of the lithic assemblages of Pirro Nord, Cà Belvedere di Montepoggiolo, Ciota Ciara cave and Riparo Tagliente.

Abstract

The opportunistic debitage, originally adapted from Forestier’s S.S.D.A. definition, is characterized by a strong adaptability to local raw material morphology and its physical characteristics and it is oriented towards flake production. Its most ancient evidence is related to the first European peopling by Homo sp. during Lower Pleistocene starting from 1.6 Ma and gradually increasing around 1 Ma. In these sites a great heterogeneity of the reduction sequences and raw materials employed is highlighted, bringing to the identification of multiple technical behaviours. However, the scientific community does not always agree on associating the concepts of opportunism and method to describe these lithic complexes. The same methodological issues remain for the Middle Pleistocene where, simultaneously to an increase of the archaeological evidence and the persistence of the opportunistic debitage, the first bifacial complexes are attested. Further implications concerning the increasing complexity highlighted in core technology management are now at the centre of an important debate regarding the genesis of more specialized method (Levallois and Discoid) especially during MIS 12 and MIS 9. We suggest that the opportunistic debitage could be the starting point for this process, carrying within itself a great methodological and cultural potential.

The Technological Behaviours of Homo antecessor: Core Management and Reduction Intensity at Gran Dolina-TD6.2 (Atapuerca, Spain)

“…At Pirro Nord and Ca` Belvedere di Monte Poggiolo, knapping methods were strictly related to the raw material dimensions. The small blanks were exploited using centripetal methods while unidirectional and multidirectional strategies were applied to the bigger ones (Arzarello & Peretto, 2010;Carpentieri & Arzarello, 2021). At Barranco León and Fuente Nueva 3 the bidirectional or centripetal strategies were applied on flat tabular flint blocks, while orthogonal/multiplatform methods were used for thicker blocks (Barsky et al, 2010;Toro-Moyano et al, 2011).…”

The technological behaviours of Homo antecessor: core management and reduction intensity at Gran Dolina-TD6.2 (Atapuerca, Spain)

“…At Pirro Nord and Ca` Belvedere di Monte Poggiolo, knapping methods were strictly related to the raw material dimensions. The small blanks were exploited using centripetal methods while unidirectional and multidirectional methods were applied to the bigger ones (Arzarello and Peretto, 2010;Carpentieri and Arzarello, 2021). At Barranco León and Fuente Nueva 3 the bidirectional or centripetal strategies were applied on flat tabular flint blocks, while orthogonal/multiplatform methods were used for thicker blocks (Barsky et al, 2010;Toro-Moyano et al, 2011).…”