L'approccio spaziale allo studio del Paleolitico. Dall'identificazione delle aree di attività alla definizione dei sistemi insediativi

Settlement systems/dynamics and economic strategies of Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers are central topics of international scientific debate, involving a wide range of research fields and analytical methods. The spatial approach can be considered the natural terrain where it is easier to insert and develop a multidisciplinary and integrated perspective on the behavioural analysis of the Past. The interoperability of GIS, indeed, allows the collection, archiving and geostatistical processing of results drawn from the study of possible structures, from the lithic production systems and use-wear and from the taxonomy and taphonomy of faunal remains. The analysis of these data in their own spatial dimension can significantly contribute to evaluate the preservation state of contexts. Through the palimpsests dissecting it is possible to achieve a higher temporal resolution and, eventually, a better reconstruction of the organisational models of the camps. To a diachronic scale, these results can contribute to recognize the 'rhythms' of dynamic processes hidden behind the perceived static nature of archaeological record.