San Bernardino Cave (Italy) and the Appearance of Levallois Technology in Europe: Results of a Radiometric and Technological Reassessment

The introduction of Levallois technology in Europe marked the transition from the Lower to the early Middle Paleolithic. This new method of flake production was accompanied by significant behavioral changes in hominin populations. The emergence of this technological advance is considered homogeneous in the European archaeological record at the Marine isotopic stage (MIS) 9/MIS 8 boundary. In this paper we report a series of combined electron spin resonance/U-series dates on mammal bones and teeth recovered from the lower units of San Bernardino Cave (Italy) and the technological analyses of the lithic assemblages. The San Bernardino Cave has yielded the earliest evidence of Levallois production on the Italian Peninsula recovered to date. In addition to our results and the review of the archaeological record, we describe the chronological and geographical differences between European territories and diversities in terms of technological developments. The belated emergence of Levallois technology in Italy compared to western Europe corresponds to the late Italian Neanderthal speciation event. The new radiometric dates and the technological analyses of San Bernardino Cave raise the issue of the different roles of glacial refugia in the peopling and the spread of innovative flaking strategies in Europe during the late Middle Pleistocene.勒瓦娄哇技术（Levallois technology）在欧洲的出现，标志着旧石器时代早期（Lower Paleolithic）至旧石器时代中期早期（Middle Paleolithic）的过渡。这一新型石片制作技术的出现，与古人类（hominin）群体的显著行为变革相伴而生。在欧洲考古记录中，这一技术进步的出现被认为在海洋同位素阶段（MIS）9/MIS 8界线处具有一致性。本文报道了一批采自意大利圣贝尔纳多洞穴（San Bernardino Cave）下部层位的哺乳动物骨骼与牙齿的电子自旋共振（electron spin resonance）/铀系（U-series）联合测年结果，以及对应石制品组合（lithic assemblages）的技术分析。圣贝尔纳多洞穴产出了目前意大利半岛已知最早的勒瓦娄哇技术制作遗存。除本研究结果与考古记录综述外，本文还阐述了欧洲各区域在年代学与地理学上的差异，以及技术发展层面的多样性。相较于西欧，勒瓦娄哇技术在意大利的出现时间较晚，这与意大利尼安德特人（Neanderthal）的晚期物种形成事件相契合。圣贝尔纳多洞穴的全新测年数据与技术分析，提出了中更新世（Middle Pleistocene）晚期欧洲冰期避难所（glacial refugia）在人类定居与创新性剥片技术传播中所扮演的不同角色这一议题。