# Buca della Iena and Grotta del Capriolo: New chronological, lithic, and faunal analyses of two late Mousterian sites in Central Italy

## TL;DR

This paper presents new analyses of two Neanderthal sites in Italy, offering insights into their occupation and the transition to the Upper Palaeolithic.

## Contribution

The study provides new chronological and lithic data, along with faunal insights, from two late Mousterian sites in Central Italy.

## Key findings

- Radiocarbon dating shows contemporaneous Neanderthal occupations at both sites between 50–40 ka cal BP.
- Lithic analyses reveal consistent tool-making techniques across both sites.
- Cut-marked bones confirm hominin presence at both sites.

## Abstract

New radiocarbon, lithic, faunal, and documentary analyses of two sites, Buca della Iena and Grotta del Capriolo, located in Tuscany (Central Italy) and excavated in the late 1960s’, are presented. The new analyses significance will be evaluated within the late Neanderthal occupation in the northwestern Italian peninsula and provide insights into their demise. Reassessment of stratigraphical and fieldwork documentation identified areas of stratigraphic reliability, supporting robust interpretations. Radiocarbon dating reveals broadly contemporaneous occupations at both sites between 50–40 ka cal BP, with Buca della Iena showing occupation from approximately 47 to 42.5 ka cal BP. Lithic analyses demonstrate the consistent application of the same chaîne opératoire across both sites. Faunal analyses indicate that carnivores, particularly Crocuta spelaea, were the dominant accumulating agents in Buca della Iena, while limited preservation at Grotta del Capriolo prevents detailed taxonomic determination. However, hominin presence at both sites is evidenced by cut-marked bones. This study provides new perspectives on the Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic transition in the northwestern Italian peninsula.