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The discovery and archaeological exploration of three Mesolithic sites in the Adige Valley between 1968 and 1975 has allowed the identification of the Sauveterrian and Castelnovian complexes south of the Alpine watershed and enabled the definition of a chrono-stratigraphic sequence of reference for North-eastern Italy spanning from the Preboreal to the first part of the Atlantic. Together with several other findings in the Dolomites, these discoveries led to the development of a model of seasonal migration of the Mesolithic groups settled in the Adige River Basin from the valley-bottom to the Alpine medium-to-high mountain territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until 2011, the Ledro valley (Trentino, northern Italy) was known only for the pile-dwelling site of Molina di Ledro, dating to the Bronze Age. During 2011, a survey campaign was carried out in the Ledro valley by the Museo delle Palafitte del Lago di Ledro to check for the presence of further prehistoric archaeological sites. The surveys, using both field walking and remote sensing analyses, identified 15 archaeological sites. One of these is Pozza Lavino, on Mount Tremalzo at 1800 m asl, dating to the Mesolithic. This new site is significant because in all of western Trentino only four other Mesolithic sites are known, while in the east of the province there are more than 200. Recent research shows that this is not a problem of the morphology of the landscape or the “visibility” of the archaeological evidence, but, rather, the gap is mainly due to the different intensities of research to date. At the site of Pozza Lavino some scattered pottery fragments also suggest another occupational phase after the Mesolithic. Two radiocarbon determinations and two arrowheads indicate a Middle/Late Neolithic presence: this is particularly exceptional because no other Neolithic site in Trentino is above 1000 m asl. The third remarkable aspect of this site is the presence of four double-backed points typologically dated to the Epigravettian. The excavation is still in progress and so here we can provide only some preliminary results and thoughts. The sites and the deposit under excavation testify to a Mesolithic occupation in the western Trentino region that had, until almost literally yesterday, been a black hole, or at best a sparsely occupied area, in archaeological maps. The new evidence, linked to the known finds in the Brescia pre-Alps, also gives support to the idea of a new route linking the area to the Po valley. The Mesolithic and Neolithic remains of Pozza Lavino open new horizons for the study of the Mesolithic and Neolithic at high altitude and our research at this settlement has already begun to shed new light on the behaviour and settlement strategies of our prehistoric ancestors in the mountains of western Trentino. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excavated in the 1960s, the Baume de Montclus rock shelter (Gard, France) contained a significant stratigraphic sequence covering the entire Mesolithic. The oldest layers (layer 30 to 17) belong to the first Mesolithic, and contain particular hyper-microlithic flint industries (Montclusian facies of the Sauveterrian). The overlying layers 14 to 7, underlying the Neolithic ones (layers 5 to 3), document a second Mesolithic sequence (Castelnovian). Layers 16 and 15 are the stratigraphical transition between those two main sets. The lithic industries from those two layers have characteristic elements referred both to the first and second Mesolithic. Generally, this duality was understood as evidence of the existence of a local transition facies between Sauveterrian and Castelnovian, and thus, of a permanent regional occupation. However, the analysis of spatial and stratigraphical data of those two layers 16 and 15, as well as that of their lithic industries, question this hypothesis. There is more probably a real break between the two main sets of occupation, Sauveterrian and Castelnovian. As generally noticed elsewhere in Southern France, we cannot highlight a transition facies between first and second Mesolithic. Consequently, the durability of human occupations at the end of the 6th millennium cal. BC in this region of Southern France is questioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In southern France, the spread of blade and trapeze industries brought to an end the high stability of the technical and economic system of the Epipalaeolithic (Azilian) and Early Mesolithic (Sauveterrian) groups. The Late Mesolithic is, in fact, characterized by substantial modifications of technological standards and conceptual schemes as testified by the appearance of new tools (i.e. notched blades) and the renewal of the microlithic toolkits. A preliminary use-wear analysis carried out on a Castelnovian lithic assemblage of the Montclus rock-shelter (Gard, Southern France) enabled to investigate how the functional behavior was affected by these innovations. In this paper the results concerning the two most emblematic tools are going to be presented: notched blades and trapezes. The former appeared to be an extremely dedicated tool type while the latter have been correlated to a new functioning and hafting mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports results of a technological study carried out on the lithic assemblages of the Mesolithic sequence of Romagnano rock shelter, in the south-eastern Alps, which represents the reference site for the Sauveterrian and Castelnovian of northeastern Italy. Considering the technical differences between the two phases, this work has tried to ascertain aspects of continuity and discontinuity within this series in the aim of investigating the way this transition occurred – abrupt or progressive. The objectives of débitage and the techniques applied, along with the reductions sequences and the methods involved, have been reconstructed. In order to interpret these data, a comparison with other main Castelnovian assemblages of the Italian peninsula has been carried out. Results attained indicate that the major changes occurred at the transition between I and II Mesolithic are closely related to the introduction of new knapping techniques – indirect percussion/pressure. The persistence of some characters derived from the more ancient pragmatic Sauveterrian tradition has also been highlighted. The existence of a real progressive transition seems difficult to be proved considering that Romagnano, as other continuous series available from other rock shelters of the peninsula, could have undergone problems of stratigraphic disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Baume of Montclus is located in the Ce`ze valley (Gard). This site gave its name to a prehistoric tool-age, the Montclusian, which parted from the Sauveterrian. Middle and Upper Montclusian are present in Montclus, unlike the Lower Montclusian. The Montclusian industry, which starts here in about 8000 BP, includes a very high proportion of hypermicrolithes. It is followed by a Castelnovian industry from around 7000 BP. This one features very different Montclusian, showing thus a break. The Castelnovian survives in Montclus while the Cardial is already settled in Chaˆteauneuf-les-Martigues and sites around the Arde`che river. After these Montclusian levels appear Cardial and Chassean layers. Neolithisation has been very gradual here, affecting tools first before the arrival of ceramic, around 6500 BP. What is the origin of Montclusian? And what could have become? Its origin might be further west with the Causses and Languedoc, where levels are rather similar. The Sauveterrian origin has long been established. But research shows a great diversity among the Sauveterrian originated industries. What the Montclusian was going to become is to discovered from the Lower Montclusian, quite original, and which should be found in other site. Montclusian might be on the geographic and cultural boderline of 2 districts: one being located west of the Rhoˆne river, influenced by Sauveterrian, and which gave birth to Montclusian, the other east of the Rhoˆne river bears witness to Castelnovian. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]