The Early Mesolithic occupation of Malga Staulanza in the context of the peopling of the Belluno Dolomites (Italy) during the Sauveterrian

The recently excavated site of Malga Staulanza (Belluno Dolomites, Italy) adds important new data and offers the chance to test the old hypotheses. The site is an open‐air high‐altitude settlement (1.681 m a.s.l.), occupied during the Late Glacial (Late Epigravettian) and the Early Holocene (Early Mesolithic, Sauveterrian). The lithic industry related to the latter phase presents typical Sauveterrian features and confirms the existence of a common know‐how. However, compared to the other highland sites of the region, the site's altitude is unexpectedly low. Thanks to a multi‐disciplinary approach involving lithic technology, raw material analysis, traceology and spatial analysis, it was possible to infer the reasons that led Mesolithic people to occupy this area during the Early Holocene. A complex relationship with local topographic and environmental features emerges from our study. In particular, the driving factor seems to be the presence of an intramorenic pond and its natural resources. Particularly significant is also the presence of a clear‐out testified by the uncovering of a tree‐thrown around which most of the activities took place. These data represent a further step forward in understanding the Mesolithic peopling of one of the best‐known territories throughout Europe.