Evoluzione dei sistemi tecnici nell’Uluzziano di Grotta del Cavallo (Nardò-LE)

Lithic assemblages from the Uluzzian layers (eIII, eII-I e dII-Ib) of Grotta del cavallo were attributed to the middle to Upper palaeolithic transition from the earliest studies on this subject. this attribution relied on some crucial discriminating factors, that is: the explosion of splintered pieces, the amount of end-scrapers and the introduction of a completely new tool, the lunate. the revision of the same assemblages, using up-to-date methodologies, allowed for a re-reading, in terms of technological variability, complexity and developing of this heatedly debated “transitional” phase. In this view the role of the Uluzzian tool set has been of pivotal significance in defining this techno-complex in itself and in detecting differences with operative schemes and end-products of the late mousterian. taking into account the technological pattern, two main traits have been highlighted: 1) the systematic use of bipolar debitage on anvil, characterized by a low technical investment; 2) the technological innovation represented by production of bladelets followed by their transformation into tools.