Poggetti Vecchi
Basic information
Sample name: Poggetti Vecchi
Reference: B. Aranguren, S. Grimaldi, M. Benvenuti, C. Capalbo, F. Cavanna, F. Cavulli, F. Ciani, G. Comencini, C. Giuliani, G. Grandinetti, M. M. Lippi, F. Masini, P. P. A. Mazza, P. Pallecchi, F. Santaniello, A. Savorelli, and A. Revedin. 2019. Poggetti Vecchi (Tuscany, Italy): A late Middle Pleistocene case of human-elephant interaction. Journal of Human Evolution 133:32-60 [ER 3890]
Geography
Country: Italy
State: Tuscany
Coordinate: 42.819077° N, 11.072105° E
Coordinate basis: estimated from map
Time interval: Middle Pleistocene
Section: U2
Unit number: 2
Unit order: below to above
Max Ma: 0.171
Min Ma: 0.17
Age basis: U/Th
Geography comments: Located near Grosseto, southern Tuscany, Poggetti Vecchi is situated in a "shallow embayment that was infilled with sediments through time"
The site is located above a thermal spring
The U/Th age of 171 +/- 3 ka was obtained from Unit 4 pisoliths
ESR/U-series age of 170 +/- 13 ka was obtained from the left lower molar of B. primigenius from Unit 4
This "places the Poggetti Vecchi succession between the latest MIS 7 interglacial and the optimum of the MIS 6 glacial"
The site is located above a thermal spring
The U/Th age of 171 +/- 3 ka was obtained from Unit 4 pisoliths
ESR/U-series age of 170 +/- 13 ka was obtained from the left lower molar of B. primigenius from Unit 4
This "places the Poggetti Vecchi succession between the latest MIS 7 interglacial and the optimum of the MIS 6 glacial"
Environment
Lithology: claystone
Taphonomic context: fissure fill,fluvial deposit,human accumulation,lake deposit
Archaeology: bone tools,stone tools
Habitat comments: The bones of unit 2 are "entombed in dark clay sediments...juxtaposed with little or no sediment in between them"
Based on archaeological evidence, hominins "cannot be blamed for the death of the Poggetti Vecchi elephants"
It is more likely the proboscideans died from some "catastrophic event". Evidence does not point toward a flood, with the more "plausible" scenario being the effects of a "very intense cold snap"
The distribution and makeup of elephant remains may be the result of "hominin sorting"
Scratching and sharp-edge breakage is suggestive of trampling by passer-by animals, perhaps other elephants
The lack of carnivore remains/markings suggest that they may not have reached the carcasses
Remains of aurochs, red deer, and roe deer might be in secondary context, "transported by seasonal water flows"
An array of wooden tools were also found at the side with clear signs of manufacturing
Based on archaeological evidence, hominins "cannot be blamed for the death of the Poggetti Vecchi elephants"
It is more likely the proboscideans died from some "catastrophic event". Evidence does not point toward a flood, with the more "plausible" scenario being the effects of a "very intense cold snap"
The distribution and makeup of elephant remains may be the result of "hominin sorting"
Scratching and sharp-edge breakage is suggestive of trampling by passer-by animals, perhaps other elephants
The lack of carnivore remains/markings suggest that they may not have reached the carcasses
Remains of aurochs, red deer, and roe deer might be in secondary context, "transported by seasonal water flows"
An array of wooden tools were also found at the side with clear signs of manufacturing
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,rodents,ungulates,birds,snakes,turtles
Sampling methods: quarry
Sample size: 560 specimens
Years: 2012
Sampling comments: Discovered during excavation work for the construction of a thermal pool
A rescue excavation was conducted by the Soprintendenza Archeologia della Toscana
"Excavations with stratigraphic control were carried out in an approximately 60m2 residual portion of the area"
A total of 747 vertebrate specimens were found in U2
A rescue excavation was conducted by the Soprintendenza Archeologia della Toscana
"Excavations with stratigraphic control were carried out in an approximately 60m2 residual portion of the area"
A total of 747 vertebrate specimens were found in U2
Metadata
Sample number: 4270
Contributor: Jack Nesbitt
Enterer: Jack Nesbitt
Created: 2023-05-17 13:33:55
Modified: 2023-05-17 03:55:22
Abundance distribution
12 species
3 singletons
total count 560
geometric series index: 20.2
Fisher's α: 2.157
geometric series k: 0.5969
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.6455
Shannon's H: 1.3286
Good's u: 0.9947
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
| Palaeoloxodon antiquus | 292 | |
| Bos primigenius | 142 | |
| Capreolus capreolus | 12 | 22 kg browser |
| Dama dama | 1 | 62 kg |
| Cervus elaphus | 39 | 104 kg |
| Ursus sp. | 2 | |
| "Ursus deningeri-spelaeus" | ||
| Arvicola amphibius | 62 | |
| Microtus (Terricola) sp. | 2 | |
| "Terricola sp." | ||
| Microtus cf. arvalis | 1 | |
| Aves indet. | 2 | |
| Emys orbicularis | 4 | |
| Hierophis viridiflavus | 1 | |