Neanderthal land-use inferred from the Discoid lithic industry at Grotta di Fumane, unit A9.

Studies and models of the way Neanderthal groups using Discoid technology organized their economy and land-use are sparse in Europe. For instance, cyclical and seasonal residential movements where inferred in South-Western France from data about the exploitation of migratory ungulates like Bison and Horse, showing difference with the Levallois system, more targeted to the exploitation of less migratory species (Delagnes and Rendu, 2011). In Mediterranean Europe, data are even scantier than in other zones of Europe. With the aim to achieve new evidence on land-use patterns for future comparisons between these two technological systems, a complete study of over 9.000 flaked stones composing the assemblage at layer A9 at Grotta di Fumane, the north of Italy (Peresani, 1998; Delpiano, 2014), has been carried out. Reduction sequences have been broadly reconstructed for each main group of flint using techno-typological categories of artifacts having economic value within the reduction sequence. Results reveal a difference in the way the raw material sources were exploited. The largest bulk of flint comes from exposures and stream gravels in proximity of the site, while a smaller contribution is provided from semi-local and alloctonous sources. Flint of variable quality, largely available locally from Cretaceous limestones was introduced at a raw state and completely reduced on site, as also shown from the remarkable discovery of a lithic workshop refitted of over fourty pieces recording phases from decortication to full production of flakes. Surprisingly, semi-local materials which represent the 4.5% of the entire assemblage show fragmentation of the reduction sequence. One type was brought into the cave in the form of thick flakes then exploited as core-flakes for producing “Kombewa” type flakes and pseudo-Levallois points. Another type was introduced in the form of partially decorticated small blocks, then exploited as centripete cores for detaching flakes and few points. Finally, few alloctonous materials (0.4%) introduced like finished products or even small portable cores, reveal the presence of groups or individuals equipped with portable toolkits connecting zones over 100km far, possibly the Lombard Prealps or the Emilian Apennines. From these data we assume that Neanderthals bearing Discoid technology exploited flint available in large patches of land accordingly to a balance between transport costs and utility, like other groups bearing, for instance, Levallois technology (Porraz and Peresani, 2006). Besides, at Fumane no particular difference between Levallois and Discoid faunal assemblages are revealed (Romandini et al., 2014). Groups were thus characterized by logistical patterns of mobility, contrary to a general view which considers Discoid technology a way for exploiting resources opportunistically.