From meat to raw material: the Middle Pleistocene elephant butchery site of Casal Lumbroso (Rome, central Italy)

Abstract

The site of Casal Lumbroso is located in the north-west sector of Rome (central Italy). Stratigraphic and geochemical data presented here evidence that the archaeological and paleontological horizon lies at the top of the Tiber River aggradational succession related to the MIS 11c sea level highstand (dated at ca. 404 ka), and that the paleohabitat was characterised by wooded environments and humid climatic conditions. Paleontological analysis allows attributing most of the remains to an adult individual of straight-tusked elephant, Palaeoloxodon antiquus, with sporadic elements referred to Stephanorhinus sp., Bovinae, Cervinae, Cervus elaphus, Dama sp., Canis sp., Oryctolagus sp., Talpa sp., Testudines, and Amphibia. Two bird remains are referred to Anatidae and Strigiformes. A rich lithic assemblage, mainly made of flint, was also found associated with the fossil remains. Taphonomic, technological and functional analyses indicate that the P. antiquus carcass was probably exploited by humans not only as a food source, but also as a source of raw material, as documented by the presence of several intentionally fractured elephant bone fragments, some of them also with flake removals, with localized use wear traces. The findings at Casal Lumbroso highlight once again the importance of the territory around the city of Rome for Middle Pleistocene studies. The northwestern sector of the city, where other important sites such as Castel di Guido and La Polledrara di Cecanibbio have also been discovered, is therefore crucial for understanding human strategies for exploiting elephant carcasses.