Micromorphology and origin of an unusual bear fur-bearing deposit in Bàsura Cave (Toirano, NW Italy)

New insights into taphonomic analysis of the Upper Pleistocene Ursus spelaeus bone deposit from Bàsura cave (Toirano, NW Italy)

“…The sediment was displaced a remote part of the cave (unknown hibernation chamber currently sealed, Stage 2 described by Rellini et al, 2021) towards the 'Sala dei Misteri' and to the CdO. Here, sediments and bones reached a constriction in the bedrock channel where they were trapped also by the presence of a natural carbonate dam at the end of the gallery (see Stage 3 described by Rellini et al, 2021).…”

“…The sediment was displaced a remote part of the cave (unknown hibernation chamber currently sealed, Stage 2 described by Rellini et al, 2021) towards the 'Sala dei Misteri' and to the CdO. Here, sediments and bones reached a constriction in the bedrock channel where they were trapped also by the presence of a natural carbonate dam at the end of the gallery (see Stage 3 described by Rellini et al, 2021). Moreover, our micromorphological analysis has revealed the presence of several rounded and reddish clay aggregates that may represent material eroded from the wall of the 'Sala dei Misteri' (see Stage 1 described by Rellini et al, 2021); in addition, the presence in the sediment of rounded fragment with hair moulds resemble the bear fur fragments described by Rellini et al (2021).…”

“…Despite the importance of the CdO deposit, a palaeontological analysis of the bear bone remains was virtually lacking, with just a preliminary morphometric analysis on bear bones from the upper level of the deposit (Giacobini & d'Errico, 1985) In recent years, a new 'Bàsura revisited' multidisciplinary project was started with the aim to improve knowledge about the nature and duration of human and animal attendance (Starnini et al, in press; Zunino et al, in press). The integrated interpretation of archaeological data, along with geoarchaeological, ichnological, sedimentological, geochemical and archaeobotanical analyses, enabled us to reconstruct the activities of an Upper Palaeolithic human group inside Bàsura Cave within a single exploration event dating to about 14 000 cal BP (GrA-69597: 12 370 ± 60 a bp; GrA-69598: 12 310 ± 60 a BP) (Citton et al, 2017;Avanzini et al, 2018;Romano et al, 2019;Rellini et al, 2021).…”

“…Regarding bears using the cave, taphonomic studies on the CdO were conducted both on an in situ lower bone bed and on the excavated material referable to the upper level. More recently, Rellini et al (2021) reported the first known exceptional case of bear fur fossilization from Upper Pleistocene deposits of the 'Sala dei Misteri', stressing that bears represented one of the main vectors in introducing pollen and vegetal residues into the interior of 'Old World' caves.…”

“…predation, weathering, abrasion, oxide coatings) and we present and discuss data on quantification of bone elements. To complete the analysis, data derived from stratigraphic and micromorphological analysis of sediments are also reported, with the aim to refine the depositional model for the fossiliferous deposit proposed by Rellini et al (2021).…”