DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7664308
title: The Open Aurignacian Project. Volume 1: Grotta di Fumane in northeastern Italy

description: Overview

This repository contains a large dataset (n = 948) of 3D meshes of different classes of lithic artifacts (blade and bladelet cores, blades, bladelets, flakes, and retouched tools) from the Aurignacian (A2, A1, D6, D3+D6, D3l, D3d base, D3d, D3b alpha, D3b, and D1c) and Gravettian (D1d, D1e, and D1f) units at Fumane Cave in northeastern Italy (see Bartolomei et al., 1992). The Upper Paleolithic sequence spans from about 41 to 33 ky cal BP (Higham et al., 2009) and several studies have focused on the lithic technology (Bertola et al., 2013; Broglio et al., 2005; Falcucci et al., 2017; Falcucci, 2018; Falcucci & Peresani, 2018; Falcucci et al., 2018; Falcucci et al., 2020). The importance of the site for understanding the earliest phases of the Upper Paleolithic in Mediterranean Europe is well acknowledged (Conard & Bolus, 2015). Recently, all complete blades and bladelets from the best-preserved area of the cave (i.e., the external area of the excavation) were 3D-scanned using a protocol that relies on both Micro-CT and Artec Spider scanners (Göldner et al., 2022). Our main goal was to conduct a geometric morphometric assessment of the laminar products and test hypotheses related to stone tool production and, more broadly, past human behavior (Falcucci et al., 2022; Falcucci & Peresani, 2022). Furthermore, all core types have been scanned throughout the years of research at the site with an Artec Spider. We hope that this open-access repository will encourage archaeologists to conduct more collaborative and comparative studies across academic institutions, enhancing Open Science practices in archaeological sciences.

Description of the repository

We uploaded two folders containing 3D meshes. One folder contains only blades and bladelets in wrl format, as this format was used to conduct geometric morphometric analysis in the AGMT3-D software. The other folder is the most complete and contains all artifacts, in ply format, 3D-scanned until today at the site. The csv file contains all information needed to reuse the 3D models for scientific purposes. Below, a list of all attributes included is further explained:



ID: this unique identifier refers to the datasets compiled by A. Falcucci during his research work at Fumane Cave. Each ID contains the name of the site (RF as for Riparo di Fumane), the dataset (b or c), and the number within each dataset. Most of the artifacts come from dataset B, which stands for blanks. Core types were instead studied in a separate dataset, which here is named C. Please, notice that in a few cases (e.g., carinated cores), artifacts were first included in the B-dataset;

NR: here only the ID number is reported;

Scanner: information on which scanner was used to obtain the meshes, either an Artec Spider or a Micro-CT;

Unit: Stratigraphic units as described in several papers published on the site (see reference list below);

Raw material: this category helps in sorting artifacts according to raw material type. For more information on raw materials, please see the list of papers below;

Class: a few classes are listed here. Most of the artifacts are blades and bladelets, but all blade and bladelet cores are also available;

Technology/Core.type: this category contains information on the technological classification of blanks (initialization, maintenance, semi-cortical, non-cortical) and cores (initial, semi-circumferential, narrow-sided, carinated, burin, wide-faced flat, flake). Definitions follow the research work of A. Falcucci and readers can find more information in the list of papers below;

Length, width, and thickness: linear dimensions of the artifacts. The length value is only missing (i.e., na) for those blanks that are not complete;

Tool: yes/no value to sort those blanks modified into different tool types, mostly laterally retouched blades and bladelets.


References

Bartolomei G., Broglio A., Cassoli P. et al. (1992) La Grotte de Fumane. Un site aurignacien au pied des Alpes. Preistoria Alpina, 28: 131-179

Bertola S., Broglio A., Cristiani E. et al. (2013) La diffusione del primo Aurignaziano a sud dell'arco alpino. Preistoria Alpina, 47: 17-30

Broglio A., Bertola S., De Stefani M. et al. (2005) La production lamellaire et les armatures lamellaires de l’Aurignacien ancien de la grotte de Fumane (Monts Lessini, Vénétie). In F. Le Brun-Ricalens (ed.): Productions lamellaires attribuées à l’Aurignacien, pp. 415-436. MNHA, Luxembourg.

Conard N.J. & Bolus M. (2015) Chronicling modern human’s arrival in Europe. Science. doi:10.1126/science.aab0234

Falcucci A., Conard N.J. & Peresani M. (2017) A critical assessment of the Protoaurignacian lithic technology at Fumane Cave and its implications for the definition of the earliest Aurignacian. PLoS One, 12: e0189241. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0189241

Falcucci A. & Peresani M. (2018) Protoaurignacian Core Reduction Procedures: Blade and Bladelet Technologies at Fumane Cave. Lithic Technology 43: 125-140. doi:10.1080/01977261.2018.1439681

Falcucci A. (2018) Towards a renewed definition of the Protoaurignacian. Mitteilungen der Gesellschaft für Urgeschichte, 27: 87-130

Falcucci A., Peresani M., Roussel M. et al. (2018) What’s the point? Retouched bladelet variability in the Protoaurignacian. Results from Fumane, Isturitz, and Les Cottés. Archaeol. Anthropol. Sci., 10: 539-554. doi:10.1007/s12520-016-0365-5

Falcucci A., Conard N.J. & Peresani M. (2020) Breaking through the Aquitaine frame: A re-evaluation on the significance of regional variants during the Aurignacian as seen from a key record in southern Europe. J. Anthropol. Sci., 98: 99-140. doi:10.4436/JASS.98021

Falcucci A., Karakostis F.A., Göldner D. et al. (2022) Bringing shape into focus: Assessing differences between blades and bladelets and their technological significance in 3D form. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 43: 103490. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2022.103490

Falcucci A. & Peresani M. (2022) The contribution of integrated 3D model analysis to Protoaurignacian stone tool design. PLoS One, 17: e0268539. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0268539

Göldner D., Karakostis F.A. & Falcucci A. (2022) Practical and technical aspects for the 3D scanning of lithic artefacts using micro-computed tomography techniques and laser light scanners for subsequent geometric morphometric analysis. Introducing the StyroStone protocol. PLoS One, 17: e0267163. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0267163
description: The digitization of the lithic artifacts from Fumane Cave was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) under grant agreement no. 431809858 – FA 1707/1-1 (project title: Investigating Early Upper Paleolithic Technological Variability and Cultural Dynamics South of the Alps; recipient: A. Falcucci). Research and fieldwork at Fumane are coordinated by the Ferrara University (MP) in the framework of a project supported by the Ministry of Culture–SAPAB Archaeological Superintendence, public institutions (Lessinia Mountain Community-Regional Natural Park, B.I.M. Adige, Fumane Municipality), Foundations, and private associations and companies. We thank the Department of Palaeoanthropology and the Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, both from the Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, for access to scanning instrumentation.