"On the ruins of the Vulture and Bearded Vulture Monaco obvious cuts left by stone tools." Neanderthals and "craftsmanship". Marco Peresani explains the discovery of Fumane Fumane The discovery of the cave is one of those who leave their mark: a layer dating to 44,000 years ago outcrop traces clearly indicate the adoption by individuals of Homo neandertalensis ornaments so far thought to be used only to Sapiens. This means that the abstract thinking, which includes the following massime espressioni culturali umane, ovvero l'arte e la scienza, non era solo appannaggio dei Sapiens, ma ha albergato anche nei nostri “concorrenti evolutivi”: i Neanderthal.
Questo importante sito archeologico, precedentemente noto con il nome di “Riparo Solinas” dal nome di uno dei primi scopritori, l'archeologo di origine sarda Giovanni Solinas, e oggi conosciuto come Grotta di Fumane, in provincia di Verona, rivelò l'esistenza di un groviglio di cavità quasi del tutto riempite dei detriti di un corpo di frana, rimosso in vari momenti dopo il 1995. Sotto questi detriti affiorano ora i resti degli abitati dei gruppi di cacciatori neandertaliani e dei primi Sapiens, tutti in ottimo stato di conservazione.
A site well known to Mark Peresani, coordinator of research conducted at the University of Ferrara and published Feb. 22 in the journal PNAS (Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences).
What have you discovered?
"Bones of birds in excellent condition. This made it possible to carry out its taxonomic determination, attributing most of the findings to the genus or species of bird and identify, so even those related to large prey such as the bearded vulture and Monaco. But the most important discovery was recognized classic cuts left by knives of stone, in this case, were used to detach the long flight feathers feathers. Other birds were, so to say "plucked" as the Red-footed Falcon, the Alpine Chough and the Pigeon. "
Now we have to backdate the emergence of abstract thought in human evolutionary history?
"Definitely. Indeed, we must update our image of the Neanderthal. However, it is true that Fumane marks the oldest evidence of feathers in the world use as decorative elements, I remember that at other Neanderthal sites in Europe was the use of dyes for the adornment of the body, but in South Africa and Near East is the emergence of symbolic behavior among the sapiens, several thousand years before, as witnessed by the pierced shells and rocks dyes.
The actual capacity symbolic expression of the Neanderthals has fueled a heated debate in the scientific community. The Cave of Fumane already represents a watershed in this regard?
"For decades, archaeologists and anthropologists debating the issue by meeting a few times a year or debate in the international arena, and supported extremely contrasting hypothesis: imitation? Modernisation independent? Exchange of objects? Assumptions are often based on archaeological evidence unreliable, uncertain, poorly documented. Fumane not know these problems. The layers are well visible, the findings have remained in place for tens of thousands of years, the surfaces of the bones tell lots and lots of things when you look al microscopio. Lo spartiacque sta nel poter sostenere con sicurezza le nostre ipotesi e nell'aprire un'enorme finestra sulla ricerca scientifica».
Semplifichiamo troppo se affermiamo che i Neandertaliani non erano poi così diversi da noi? Quali differenze siamo in grado di rilevare attualmente?
«Il problema è capire quanto sia ampia questa distanza comportamentale e cognitiva tra noi e i Neandertal. Alcuni sostengono che sia nulla, altri notevole. Di certo è che Sapiens, forse anche forte di una maggiore densità demografica o forse di un diverso grado di mobilità, lascia molte testimonianze del suo passaggio e queste testmonianze sono molto vicine al nostro modo di concepire un tipo di vita “moderno”, primitive as it is. This derives from the organization of the camps, the enlargement of the diet, art and ONIR, as well as all forms of applied technology: chipped stone, bone, etc.. All things, however, the Neanderthal, if we exclude the art, he invented a few thousand years before disappearing. "
Who was Giovanni Solinas, and what role he played in uncovering the pot of history in that particular archaeological site?
"He was a remarkable scientist, with a flair for understanding the prehistory superfine, location of the most important sites in the mountains of Verona. We owe deep gratitude. "
deserves attention The participation of the authorities and local authorities.
"For me it's always a great emotion because of the possibility of returning to local communities, who have worked in various capacities in supporting our research, a heritage so rich. I remember the support of the City of more than twenty years Fumane, the Mountain Community of Lessinia Lessinia the regional nature of the Veneto Region and the Foundation Cariverona. Reactions, after many years of investment, which can not be positively unanimous. "
Andrea Mameli
L'Unione Sarda, Culture, March 2, 2011
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