Chapter 16: Alpine region (Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, and Northern Italy)

This chapter discusses the current understanding of Mesolithic geography in the Alpine region and its surroundings. The Alps, one of Western Europe’s major physical features, cover 200,000 km² and extend over 1,200 km. The Mesolithic evidence in this area is rich and diverse, indicating extensive human occupation across various ecosystems, from highlands to lowlands. However, some areas, particularly in the southwest, show limited evidence, likely due to research biases. Human re-colonization of the region began in the Late Glacial, with groups moving from surrounding areas. In the Mesolithic diverse cultural facies have been identified: Beuronian on the northern side, Sauveterrian/Castelnovian on the south¬ern one, and Late Epigravettian of Danubian influence to the southeast. Mesolithic cultural influences varied across the region, with Early Mesolithic lithic technology characterized by a pragmatic style, and the Late Mesolithic witnessing new knapping technologies and tool types, such as trapezoidal armatures and Montbani bladelets. Barbed points, or harpoons, became common during this time. Variability of lithic raw materials shows adaptability to local resources, but also reflects mobil¬ity patterns along river systems and possible social networks. Subsistence patterns varied by landscape. Lowland sites saw the exploitation of mid-sized ungulates and small wetland animals; upland seasonal campsites, predominantly situated between 1,900 and 2,300 meters above sea level, mostly involved ungulates like red deer and ibex. Evidence of plant food consumption is limited, with hazelnuts being the primary example. Although seasonal nomadism was typical, questions remain about settlement patterns and annual mobility, especially concerning valley-bottom and plain sites. Ornamental beads on red deer atrophic canines and Columbella rustica shells, along with harpoons on red deer antler (the latter since the late Boreal), represent common traits across the region. Burial rituals, although poorly represented, seem to indicate a higher degree of variability. The transition to the Neolithic presents challenges in distinguishing between Mesolithic and Neolithic occupations, particularly in the Alpine region, due to issues with radiocarbon dating and stratigraphic sequences.