Fig 1.
Geographic position of the archaeological and paleontological deposit of Casal Lumbroso (a,b) and position of the areas investigated during the fieldwork activities (c).
Italian map (a) modified from https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Italy_map_with_regions.svg; map (c) taken from OpenStreetMap (https://osmfoundation.org).
Fig 2.
Stratigraphic succession of the Casal Lumbroso site.
SU – Stratigraphic unit.
Fig 3.
Stratigraphy, chronology and palaeoenvironmental setting of the Casal Lumbroso site.
a) Sedimentary succession cropping out in the area surrounding the Casal Lumbroso site with the position of the two primary volcanic layers SU1 and SU3 and the volcanoclastic level SU5 which allow a correlation with the Paleo-Tiber aggradational succession of the glacial termination V (T-V) and marine isotope stage (MIS 11) [30]. b) Selected chemical bi-plots showing the glass composition of the Casal Lumbroso tephra SU1 and SU3 compared with Vico α and Vico β [31]. c) Chronological and paleoenvironmental framework of Casal Lumbroso sedimentary succession synchronized with the Fucino palaeolake Ca record, containing Vico α, and Vico β, and Centogocce tephra [32] and comparison with relative seal level (RSL) record based on the “Red Sea method” [33] and with the Iberian Margin Sea surface temperature (SST) variability at the Iberian Margin core MD03-2699 [34].
Table 1.
Fossil remains from Casal Lumbroso. Abbreviations: NISP – Number of identified specimens.
Fig 4.
Vertebrate remains identified in the SU5a of Casal Lumbroso.
Fig 5.
Fossil remains from Casal Lumbroso.
A – 8, right antler of Cervus elaphus; B – 37, left antler of Dama sp.; C – 44, left antler of Dama sp.; D – RR164, right antler of Dama sp.; E – SN1, antler of Capreolus capreolus; F – SN16, left upper canine of Canis sp.; G – 59, left lower third molar of Palaeoloxodon antiquus. Scale bar 3 cm.
Fig 6.
Distribution of large mammal remains of Casal Lumbroso.
Color: orange – fossils of Palaeoloxodon antiquus; blue – fossils of Dama sp.
Fig 7.
Lithic assemblage from Casal Lumbroso.
A) Compression flakes (1,5,9); Flakes fragments; 2,4); Bipolar on anvil débitage flake; 6,7,11) double ventral flakes; 2,8,9) Flake with hinged distal part; 12) Flat flake. B) Limestone hand-axe.
Fig 8.
Lithic assemblage from Casal Lumbroso.
a) Lithic tool showing whitish concretion on its surface; b) lithic tool showing residues of plant fibers due to contamination; c) detail at the mesoscale of edge-damages and edge-rounding due to weathering, possibly the slight rolling in a river flow; d) detail at the microscale of the alteration observed on the surface of the Casal Lumbroso lithic tools (widespread soil sheen marked by narrow and shallow striations due to abrasion processes); e) edge-removals by use, slightly overlapping, with a cone initiation and feather/step terminations and transversal direction showing an activity of scraping of soft-medium material (the edge removals are associate to an edge-rounding suggesting the working of a slightly abrasive material); f) edge-removals by use, with a bending initiation, a majority of feather terminations and slightly oblique direction showing an activity of cutting of soft material.
Fig 9.
Selection of bone tools from Casal Lumbroso. a) large conchoidal elephant bone flake with localized use wear traces; b) large ungulate long bone diaphysis fragment with localized use wear traces; c) elephant long bone diaphysis fragment with localized use wear traces; d) elephant long bone diaphysis fragment with impact mark and localized use wear traces.
Fig 10.
Distribution of the different specimens with categories of modifications.
Abbreviations: FBFr – Fresh Bone Fracture; PM – Percussion Marks; Faç – Façonnage; UW – Use-wear, with localization on the fragments; TM – Tooth Mark. A specimen may present one or more modifications that were separately accounted for.
Fig 11.
Isotope analyses on the elephant from Casal Lumbroso. a) photo of the P. antiquus tooth sampled for the isotopic analysis. b) intra-tooth carbon and oxygen stable isotope variability; dashed lines represent the polynomial regression curves. c) scatterplot of stable oxygen and carbon isotope compositions of tooth enamel from Casal Lumbroso and other Pleistocene European sites.
For Casal Lumbroso and Marathousa-1 sites, the mean δ13C and δ18O values of the sequential samples are plotted (error bars represent the standard deviations).
Fig 12.
Geographic distribution of the elephant butchery sites from Europe and their chronological context.
Map of Europe modified from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Europe_blank_map.png.
