Lost in transition: Between late pleistocene and Early Holocene around the adriatic

Abstract

What happened at the transition between late Pleistocene and early Holocene in Italy and the Western Balkans remains up to now an unresolved question. While in recent years, research has been conducted in several re-gions, it is still difficult to propose a synthetic model for the changes that occurred in material cultures during this period. Multiple causes may explain this, but the apparent diversity of scenarios illustrated by each region seems to be the most explanatory. Terms such as terminal or final Epigravettian, Epipaleolithic, Romanelian and Sauveterrian, used in certain contexts, do not have a generally accepted definition. Some of these terms have been criticized and, at least, their definition should be reevaluated in accordance with modern methodological norms. Nevertheless, they indicate an actual diversity of regional and chronological expressions that we should describe precisely and integrate into a comprehensive model for the changes that occurred in this critical phase of the Late Upper Paleolithic. On a global scale, it has been argued that in contrast to what has been described in Western Europe for example, no discontinuity between the end of the Epigravettian and the first Mesolithic is evident. To better understand this period and its dynamics, it is necessary to initiate a hierarchical analysis of the elements of unit and variability across time and among the different regions. In order do to so, it is necessary to engage (1) a critical review of the available data and (2) a comparative technological analysis of different assemblages. This paper is a first step in this direction. We focus especially on the current study of two assemblages from Italy and the Western Balkans: grotta della Continenza (Central Italy) and Medena Stijena (Montenegro). We also include published data from the recent study of the sequence of grotta del Cavallo (Southern Italy). To sum up, we discuss the chronological and geographical variability in Italy and the Western Balkans based on a regional synthesis.