Team of hunters
“Neanderthal in Maremma” is the title of the public meeting scheduled in Valpiana, Friday 17 January, at 17.30 pm, at the Mario Grandi Social Centre, during which the results of an experimental archaeological work will be presented, conducted two years ago, by the team of researchers from the Italian Institute of Prehistory and Protohistory and the University of Trento with the collaboration of the hunting team from Valpiana-Capanne, on the Neanderthal hunting tools, found in the archaeological site of Poggetti Vecchi, near Grosseto, where during the excavations of 2012 and 2013 the remains of 16 elephants and Neanderthal tools dating back 170.000 years ago were found.
Experimental session
“Thanks to the collaboration of the hunting group of the Valpiana-Capanne team – explains Biancamaria Aranguren, archaeologist, former official of the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Siena, Grosseto, Arezzo – the team of researchers from the IIPP Anna Revedin, Silvia Florindi, Daniela Puzio and from the University of Trento Stefano Grimaldi and Fabio Santaniello, who study the site of Poggetto Vecchi, were able to conduct an experimental archaeology session, to try to use stone and wooden tools, similar to those built by the Neanderthals of Poggetti Vecchi, in the butchering of a wild boar carcass. On January 17th the archaeologists will talk about their experience and the important results obtained. We would therefore like to thank them for the opportunity to carry out this very important experiment to understand the use of ancient tools.”
Prehistoric Hunters
The meeting will feature Irene Marconi, mayor of Massa Marittima, Roberta Pieraccioli, director of the library and museums of Massa Marittima; Biancamaria Aranguren, archaeologist and former official of the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Siena, Grosseto, Arezzo, who in 2012 and 2013 coordinated, together with Dr. Gabriella Poggesi, the emergency excavation at Poggetti Vecchi. Speakers will include Stefano Grimaldi and Fabio Santaniello, LaBAAF Department of Letters and Philosophy of the University of Trento. “This is a very interesting archaeological experiment to learn how prehistoric hunters behaved,” commented Irene Marconi, mayor of Massa Marittima. “Our hunters have made themselves available to collaborate and now we are very pleased to welcome the group of archaeologists who will return the results of their work.” “The tools found at Poggetti Vecchi, among other things – recalls Roberta Pieraccioli, director of the Massa Marittima Museums – are on display from 24 October to 12 January at the National Archaeological Museum of Florence and at the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology as part of the exhibition '170.000 years ago at Poggetti Vecchi. Neanderthals and the climate challenge', curated by Biancamaria Aranguren, Silvia Florindi, Daniele Federico Maras, Daniela Puzio and Anna Revedin”.