Neandertals on the beach: Use of marine resources at Grotta dei Moscerini (Latium, Italy)

Excavated in 1949, Grotta dei Moscerini, dated MIS 5 to early MIS 4, is one of two Italian Neandertal sites with a large assemblage of retouched shells (n = 171) from 21 layers. The other occurrence is from the broadly contemporaneous layer L of Grotta del Cavallo in southern Italy (n = 126). Eight other Mousterian sites in Italy and one in Greece also have shell tools but in a very small number. The shell tools are made on valves of the smooth clam Callista chione. The general idea that the valves of Callista chione were collected by Neandertals on the beach after the death of the mollusk is incomplete. At Moscerini 23.9% of the specimens were gathered directly from the sea floor as live animals by skin diving Neandertals. Archaeological data from sites in Italy, France and Spain confirm that shell fishing and fresh water fishing was a common activity of Neandertals, as indicated by anatomical studies recently published by E. Trinkaus. Lithic analysis provides data to show the relation between stone tools and shell tools. Several layers contain pumices derived from volcanic eruptions in the Ischia Island or the Campi Flegrei (prior to the Campanian Ignimbrite mega-eruption). Their rounded edges indicate that they were transported by sea currents to the beach at the base of the Moscerini sequence. Their presence in the occupation layers above the beach is discussed. The most plausible hypothesis is that they were collected by Neandertals. Incontrovertible evidence that Neandertals collected pumices is provided by a cave in Liguria. Use of pumices as abraders is well documented in the Upper Paleolithic. We prove that the exploitation of submerged aquatic resources and the collection of pumices common in the Upper Paleolithic were part of Neandertal behavior well before the arrival of modern humans in Western Europe.1949年发掘的莫切里尼洞穴（Grotta dei Moscerini）可追溯至海洋同位素阶段5（MIS 5）至早期海洋同位素阶段4（MIS 4），是意大利两处出土有大量经修整贝壳遗存（共171件）的尼安德特人遗址之一，其遗存出自21个地层。另一处同类遗存来自意大利南部卡瓦洛洞穴（Grotta del Cavallo）年代大致同期的L层，共126件。意大利另有8处莫斯特文化（Mousterian）遗址以及希腊1处遗址也出土有贝壳工具，但数量极少。这些贝壳工具均以光滑帘蛤（Callista chione）的贝壳瓣制作而成。此前学界普遍认为尼安德特人是在海滩上捡拾死亡软体动物的贝壳瓣，但这一观点并不全面。在莫切里尼洞穴遗址中，有23.9%的标本是尼安德特人通过徒手潜水直接从海底采集的活体双壳类。来自意大利、法国和西班牙各遗址的考古数据证实，贝壳捕捞与淡水捕捞是尼安德特人的常见生存活动，这一点也得到了E·特林考斯（E. Trinkaus）近期发表的解剖学研究的佐证。石器分析数据揭示了石制工具与贝壳工具之间的关联。部分地层中含有源自伊斯基亚岛（Ischia Island）或坎皮佛莱格瑞火山群（Campi Flegrei，坎帕尼亚火山灰流大喷发之前）的火山浮石。这些浮石的圆润边缘表明，它们经海流搬运至莫切里尼遗址序列底部的海滩之上。本文探讨了这些浮石为何会出现在海滩上方的居住地层中。最合理的假说认为，这些浮石是由尼安德特人收集而来的。利古里亚地区（Liguria）的一处洞穴为尼安德特人收集浮石提供了无可辩驳的证据。旧石器时代晚期（Upper Paleolithic）遗址中，浮石被用作磨具的案例已有充分文献记载。本研究证实，旧石器时代晚期普遍存在的水下水生资源开发与浮石采集行为，早在现代人类抵达西欧之前就已经是尼安德特人的生存活动之一。