Another example of the dictum that there is always more to discover has played out in the heel of the Italian boot, where more cave art has been discovered in Romanelli Cave.
“The Romanelli Cave (40o00’58”N, 18o26’58”E) is located in the territory of the Castro (Lecce) municipality, at the south-eastern extremity of Apulia in Italy. It lies within the regional nature park of Otranto-Santa Maria di Leuca Coast and Tricase Woods, and faces the Adriatic Sea. The cave is a key site for studies of the Mediterranean Pleistocene, due to its extensive archaeological and palaeontological evidence.” (Sigari et al. 2021)
Although it has been long known, new discoveries in the Romanelli Cave continue to be made. “The Romanelli Cave was identified by Ulderico Botte in 1874, but due to the difficulty of access caused by cave deposits accumulated around the entrance, excavations, by Stasi, were not initiated until 1900. The cave deposits were divided into two main contexts: ‘terre rosse’ (Layer G), which contained lithic material attributed to the Mousterian period and ‘terre brune’ (Layers A-E) which featured rich deposits of lithics and animal bone, a small quantity of human bones and several portable art objects. Furthermore, stone fragments featuring possible parietal art had fallen from the walls and ceiling of the cave in antiquity.” (Sigari et al. 2021)
Exploration and excavation in Romanelli Cave has continued
for over 100 years, yet new and unknown examples of cave art were discovered in
2017.
“The presence of art in the Romanelli Cave was first reported in 1905, when two engraved panels were discovered on the northern wall of the main chamber. No systematic study, however, was undertaken to record the numbers of figures and motifs and their typologies. The literature refers only to the art ensemble in the main chamber and the presence of a semi-naturalistic bovid figure, oval and fusiform (tapering) figures and linear marks. Subsequently, further engravings were discovered extending across other surfaces of the cave. Recent publications note a female silhouette and a bovid figure in the inner chamber – although without reporting their precise locations – and a further bovid figure of unspecified location.” (Sigari et al. 2021)
In contrast to the earliest archeological explorations of caves like Romanelli, which were basically treasure hunts to dig up new artifacts, the scholars of the latest studies in Romanelli Cave have used new techniques and technology to acquire new knowledge. “Over the last 20 years, new discoveries and reappraisals of previous research have transformed our understanding of Palaeolithic rock art around the Mediterranean, recognizing common stylistic features, which widen its know geographical distribution significantly, and blur and nuance our knowledge of these cultural spaces following the Late Glacial Maximum. In this context, the need for a systematic study of the Romanelli Cave became increasingly important and, in 2016, a new multidisciplinary research project was initiated to investigate the cave. In 2017, fieldwork focused on the different techniques used to create the rock art in two specific areas of the cave, GRP002 and GRP005, each of which has rich concentrations of previously unknown and undocumented art. This article presents the results of this work, concentrating on four panels: Panel A in area GRP002 and Panels E, F, and H in area GRP005. We also refine the chronology of the cave’s occupation levels with seven new radiocarbon dates between 11,500 and 13,400 BP. The newly discovered rock art raises questions about the chronology, technology and the context within which the Romanelli Cave art developed, showing graphical associations with other Eurasian Palaeolithic sites.” (Sigari et al. 2021)
One of the newly discovered figures has been tentatively identified as a great auk. “Birds are less frequently depicted in Palaeolithic art, making the F5 figure particularly significant. The detail of the three short lines close to the eye is reminiscent of the lighter-coloured stripe of feathers grown by the great auk during winter. Other auk figures can be found in the parietal art of El Pendo Cave in Spain and Cosquer Cave in France, on a pebble from the Paglicci Cave in Italy, dated to c. 15,000 BP and in another example fro Laugerie Basse, France.” (Sigari et al. 2021)
A close examination of the tool marks has identified differences that allow the team to identify different creation events for the images. “The distinct types of groove profiles at the Romanelli Cave suggest the use of at least four different engraving tools and techniques: direct finger flutings in the moonmilk; a wide tool to create the flat, broad grooves - - ; a wide, round tool to create the reticulate motif - - ; and a sharp, pointed tool to make the V-shaped groove provides of the remaining figures, motifs, and marks. The engravings with wider grooves are all overlapped by the narrower, V-shaped grooves, indicating at least two episodes of activity.” (Sigari et al. 2021)
The new discoveries have led the team to somewhat grandiose conclusions of the importance of the work, but, all new data is data, and therefore adds to our total knowledge of rock art. “The discovery of the new engravings not only expands the figurative record of the Romanelli Cave and of Italian Palaeolithic art more generally, but also marks an important step towards setting this site within the wider, more complex landscape of Palaeolithic art. The new figures provide evidence of a shared visual heritage across a wide part of Eurasia during the Late Upper Palaeolithic, opening new questions about social dynamics and the spread of common iconographic motifs around the Mediterranean Basin. The associated radiocarbon dates extend the chronology of the creation of art in the Romanelli Cave, allowing for the presence of a graphic palimpsest recording different artistic episodes and for the possibility of older chronologies. Moreover, our recent survey of the Romanelli Cave has opened new avenues of investigation for understanding the relationship between parietal and portable art. Finally, our research highlights the complexity of the Late Upper Palaeolithic cultural framework, defining the Romanelli Cave as a key site between Western and Eastern Europe.” (Sigari et al. 2021)
It is only human nature to consider what we are doing to be of great importance and the Romanelli Cave report makes those claims. Given the history of digging at the site one might have assumed there was little to be learned. They can, however, justly state important new knowledge retrieved from a location seemingly played out and that is commendable.
NOTE: Some images in this posting were retrieved from the internet with a search for public domain photographs. If any of these images are not intended to be public domain, I apologize, and will happily provide the picture credits if the owner will contact me with them. For further information on these reports you should read the original reports at the sites listed below.
REFERENCES:
Sigari, Dario et al., 2021, Birds and Bovids: New Parietal Engravings at the Romanelli Cave,
Apulia, 13 October 2021, Antiquity, Published online by Cambridge
University Press, DOI:https://10.15184,aqy.2021.128
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