Hafting of Middle Paleolithic tools in Latium (central Italy): New data from Fossellone and Sant’Agostino caves

Abstract

Hafting of stone tools was an important advance in the technology of the Paleolithic. Evidence of hafting in the Middle Paleolithic is growing and is not limited to points hafted on spears for thrusting or throwing. This article describes the identification of adhesive used for hafting on a variety of stone tools from two Middle Paleolithic caves in Latium, Fossellone Cave and Sant’Agostino Cave. Analysis of the organic residue by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry shows that a conifer resin adhesive was used, in one case mixed with beeswax. Contrary to previous suggestions that the small Middle Paleolithic tools of Latium could be used by hand and that hafting was not needed since it did not improve their functionality, our evidence shows that hafting was used by Neandertals in central Italy. Ethnographic evidence indicates that resin, which dries when exposed to air, is generally warmed by exposure to a small fire thus softened to be molded and pushed in position in the haft. The use of resin at both sites suggests regular fire use, as confirmed by moderate frequencies of burnt lithics in both assemblages. Lithic analysis shows that hafting was applied to a variety of artifacts, irrespective of type, size and technology. Prior to our study evidence of hafting in the Middle Paleolithic of Italy was limited to one case only.

Middle Paleolithic complex technology and a Neandertal tar-backed tool from the Dutch North Sea

“…At Königsaue, Germany, 2 birch bark tar objects were found dating to >48 ka and >43 ka calBP (15). Other unambiguous MP adhesive evidence consists of bitumen in Syria and pine resin in Italy applied to stone tools for hafting (5,16,17) (Fig. 1 and Table 1).…”

“…The exact hafting configurations and functioning of hafted tools are also debated (47,48), while variability in methods of hafting is almost completely unexplored (22,27,45,49). Finds from Zandmotor, Campitello, and Fossellone demonstrate that Neandertals repeatedly hafted unmodified, typologically undiagnostic flakes (5,14), not only Levallois products and retouched tools. This underscores that morphological tool features alone are not a good indication of the presence of hafting technology.…”

“…The production of birch tar is considered one expression of Neandertal and other Old World hominin complex technology (2) for which evidence is being increasingly documented (3). Examples are recent advances in our understanding of Neandertal pyrotechnology (4) and the use of multicomponent tools that rely on hafting and adhesives (5,6). However, despite this mounting evidence, the degree of Neandertal technological innovation is still under debate (7,8).…”

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

“…Procurement. Raw materials are more diversified at Moscerini than in other lithic industries from Latium we have previously studied [7][8][9]. As in most if not all MP sites from the Latium [3] the main local raw material is small flint pebbles that have been almost exclusively collected in secondary position in beach deposits or fluvial stream or terraces (Figs 1: 3-4, 6-8 in S2 File).…”

“…Collection and use of older, patinated blanks is now commonly described in MP industries [11][12][13][14][15][16]. The use of blanks with double patina is not a marginal phenomenon at Moscerini as they represent 6.5% of the retouched tools although a higher frequency was observed in the industry from Fossellone layer 23 alpha [15.5% of retouched tools on blanks with double patina) [9].…”