A Preliminary report on the stratigraphic and paleoecological context of the "Tana delle lene" site (Ceglie Messapica, Brindisi, SE Italy)

The site is a karst cave recently discovered during building works. The stratigraphic excavation indicated the existence of a unique and remarkable layer of paleoecological and archaeological interest (SU8), represented by a paleosurface of animal and anthropic frequentation, sealed by clastic sediments containing three cineritic layers. These tephra levels can probably be identified with products of eruptions from the Phelegrean Fields, with the last layer a distal fades of the Campanian Ignimbrite (37 Ky). The SU8 (stratigraphic unit 8) fades is completely different from that of the upper stratigraphic units. This difference is related to a rapid evolution from biostaiic condition - during the animal and anthropic frequentation - towards a resistatic regime, due, in the first place, to climatic changes and then the volcanic events responsible for the pyroclastic deposition. These events, resulting in a rapid burial of SU8 and the final fill of the cave, explain the exceptional condition of preservation of the paleosurface and its paleoecological contents. The analysis of faunistic, stratigraphical and archaeological contents indicates that the formation of SU8 dates from early Last Glacial times. The main paleoecological and taphonomic features of the site are vertebrate skeletal of several ungulate genera together with Crocuta sp. bones and coprolites, and sparse Mousterian artifacts. Anatomically continuous bone elements are present. Several bone remains show traces of damage caused by these large carnivores and, to a smaller extent, by the human activity crushing for marrow extraction. These elements and other taphonomic features suggest a prolonged presence of a packs of hyaenas which exploited the cave as a den and shelter. The evidence of contemporary human frequentation hints at probable man-hyaena interaction, offering a rare opportunity to investigate aspects of human behaviour in connection with the large cave-dwelling carnivores of the Late Pleistocene.