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Manuscript Number: QUATINT-D-11-00086R1

Title: STRAIGHT-TUSKED ELEPHANTS IN THE MIDDLE PLEISTOCENE OF THE NORTHERN LATIUM:
PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE FICONCELLA SITE (TARQUINIA, CENTRAL ITALY)

Article Type: Mammoths and their relatives, part 1

Keywords: Keywords: La Ficoncella, Latium, Early Middle Pleistocene, Palaeoloxodon antiquus, stone
artefacts, ignimbritic unit.

Corresponding Author: Dr. Daniele AURELI, Ph.D.

Corresponding Author's Institution: University of Siena - Italy

First Author: Antonio CONTARDI, Dr.

Order of Authors: Antonio CONTARDI, Dr.; Daniele AURELI, Ph.D; Biagio GIACCIO, Ph.D.; Valerio
MODESTI, Dr.; Maria Rita PALOMBO, Prof.; Roberto ROZZI, Dr.; Andrea SPOSATO, Dr.; Flavia TRUCCO,
Ph.D.

Abstract: Abstract
This article presents the preliminary results of research recently performed at La Ficoncella (Northern
Latium) site. Discovered during the nineties, the site of La Ficoncella has been inserted in recent years
into a research program promoted by the fruitful collaboration between the Museum of Allumiere,
Soprintendenza, the University of Rome "La Sapienza" and CNR.
The La Ficoncella site, still only at the beginning of excavation activities, has yielded various skeletal
remains of Palaeoloxodon and a few other anatomical elements of other species, such as Bos
primigenius and Equus sp., in association with four stone artefacts.
The stratigraphic unit, still under study, contains fauna and lithic remains which could be dated to MIS
13, thanks to the presence of an ignimbritic layer at the top of the sequence, dating to MIS 12 (terminus
ante quem).
According to this data, the La Ficoncella site can be considered as an important source of information
about the dynamics of human population and the techno-economic relationship between humans and
elephants during the early Middle Pleistocene in central Italy.





Saturday, 4 December 2010



Norm Catto
Editor-in-Chief
Quaternary International

Dept of Geography
Memorial University
St. John`s NL A1B 3X9
Canada




Object: Cover letter


Dear Editor,
I am riding this cover letter to submit our paper. The manuscript is intended Ior the 'Mammoths and
their relatives 1 volume.

This article presents the preliminary results of recently research performed at La Ficoncella site.
Discovered during the nineties, the site of La Ficoncella has been inserted in the last years in a
research program promoted by the fruitful collaboration between the Museum of Allumiere,
Soprintendenza, University and CNR.
The La Ficoncella site, still at the beginning of excavation activities, has returned different
anatomical remains of Palaeoloxodon and a few other anatomical elements of other species such as
Bos primigenius and Equus sp. in association with four stone artefacts.
The stratigraphic unit, still under study, containing the fauna and lithic remains could be dated to
MIS 13 thanks to the presence of an ignimbritic layer cupping the top of the sequence and dating to
the MIS 12 (terminus ante quem).
According to this data the Ficoncella site can be considered as a imortante source of information
about the dynamics of human population and the techno-economic relationship between humans
and elephants during the Middle Pleistocene.

The author to whom you should address your correspondence (Corresponding Author) is Daniele
Aureli. The contact address, telephone/fax numbers and e-mail address are :

Daniele AURELI
Universit degli Studi di Siena
Dip. di Scienze Ambientali "G. Sarfatti"
U.R. Ecologia Preistorica
Via T. Pendola 62 - 53100 Siena (Italy)
tel. +39 0577 233541 - +39 3474904779
danieleaureli@gmail.com

Yours sincerely,

Daniele Aureli
Cover Letter


1
Straight-Tusked Elephants in the Middle Pleistocene of northern Lati um:
Preli minary report on the Ficoncella site (Tarquinia, central Italy)

Daniele Aureli
1
, Antonio Contardi
2
, Biagio Giaccio
3
, Valerio Modesti
2
, Maria Rita Palombo
4
,
Roberto Rozzi
4
, Andrea Sposato
3
, Flavia Trucco
5


1
University of Siena, Italy
2
Museo Civico A. Klitsche De La Grange, Palazzo Camerale Piazza della Repubblica, 29, 00051
Allumiere, Rome (Italy)
3
Istituto di Geologia Ambientale e Geoingegneria - CNR, Via Salaria Km 29,300 - 00016
Monterotondo Stazione, Rome (Italy)
4
Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universita di Roma 'La Sapienza; CNR, Istituto di Geologia
Ambientale e Geoingegneria. Piazzale A. Moro, 5 - 00185 Rome (Italy)
5
La Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici dell'Etruria Meridionale. Piazzale di Villa Giulia, 9 -
00196 Rome (Italy)

Abstract
This article presents the preliminary results of research recently performed at La Ficoncella
(Northern Latium) site. Discovered during the 1990s, the site of La Ficoncella has been inserted in
recent years into a research program promoted by the fruitful collaboration between the Museum of
Allumiere, Soprintendenza, the University of Rome "La Sapienza", and CNR. The La Ficoncella
site, still only at the beginning of excavation activities, has yielded various skeletal remains of
Palaeoloxodon and a few other anatomical elements of other species, such as Bos primigenius and
Equus sp., in association with four stone artefacts.
The stratigraphic unit, still under study, contains fauna and lithic remains which could be dated to
Manuscript
Click here to view linked References


2
MIS 13, thanks to the presence of an ignimbritic layer at the top of the sequence, dating to MIS 12
(terminus ante quem). According to this data, the La Ficoncella site can be considered as an
important source of information about the dynamics of human population and the techno-economic
relationship between humans and elephants during the early Middle Pleistocene in central Italy.
Keywords: La Ficoncel la; Latium; Early Middle Pleistocene; Palaeoloxodon antiquus; stone
artefacts; ignimbritic unit.

1. I ntroduction
In the Mignone Valley (Tarquinia, northeast of Rome), the presence of elephant remains (an
incomplete tusk now kept at the 'A. Klitsche De La Grange Museum oI Allumiere), was Iirst
reported at the La Ficoncella site by Seri (1994). Despite the potential interest of such a finding,
neither a survey nor systematic excavations were carried out in the area. Later, at the beginning of
this century, the fossiliferous levels cropping out at La Ficoncella were partially exposed by
moderate landslides. A largely incomplete scapula of a large elephant was, fortunately, discovered
by some hunters, who brought it to the 'A. Klitsche De La Grange Museum oI Allumiere. During
the restoration of the scapula, a lithic flake was found in the sediment still enveloping the bone.
This finding confirms the occurrence at La Ficoncella of both elephant remains and lithic tools,
hence, the archaeological interest oI the site. This was the reason why the 'Soprintendenza ai Beni
archeologici dell`Etruria Meridionale promoted, in 2009, a geological survey in collaboration with
the 'A. Klitsche De La Grange Museum and 'La Sapienza University oI Rome. The survey was
aimed at defining the stratigraphical context of the level from which the elephant remains and the
lithic implements had been collected. In the late spring of 2010, an area of about 30 m
2
was
excavated, and the stratigraphical succession overlying the fossiliferous layer was exposed to verify
the stratigraphical setting of the faunal remains with respect to a volcanic level outcropping at
nearly the top of the stratigraphical succession. At the beginning of the excavation, it was found that


3
the latter had largely been affected by landslides, which partially intersected the remains (the right
tusks and the scapula) of an elephant. Fortunately, a still uncovered part of the fossiliferous layer
was in place and other remains (i.e. premaxillary bones and the left tusk) had not been displaced or
reworked.
The main objectives of the on-field research were: to improve knowledge of the stratigraphic
sequence of the site, to search for in situ faunal remains, and to confirm the already supposed
presence of both non-reworked lithic tools and faunal remains in the same stratigraphical level. This
paper gives a short account of the results obtained to date.

2. Geomorphological and geological f ramewor k
The La Ficoncella site is located at ca. 70 m a.s.l. in the Tarquinia territory (Viterbo, Northern
Latium) along the Mignone Valley, a few km northwest oI 'Monti della TolIa and not Iar Irom the
Tyrrhenian coast (Fig. 1A). Fossiliferous layers crop out along the outer scarp of a flat, terraced
surface between ca. 75 and 95 m a.s.l. (Fig. 1B).
The Quaternary geology and morphology of the north sector of the Latium coast is characterised by
a series of marine and/or fluvial stratigraphic units, often associated with remnants of their own
depositional upper surfaces, which define a series of terraces (Fazzini et al., 1972; Ambrosetti et al.,
1978, 1981; Conato and Dai Pra, 1980; Bosi et al., 1990; De Rita et al., 2002). This
morphostratigraphical feature is seen as being the result of the interaction between glacio-eustatic
sea level fluctuations and a general uplift of the area, beginning in the Pliocene epoch.
A further, peculiar characteristic of the Quaternary geology and stratigraphy of this region is the
occurrence of both primary and reworked pyroclastic deposits, related to the Middle-Upper
Pleistocene explosive activity of adjacent volcanic centres in the northern part of the Comagmatic
Roman Province. Some of these primary and well-dated tephra layers represent regional
stratigraphic markers and have been used as an effective tool for correlating and dating the


4
associated morphostratigraphical units (e.g. De Rita et al., 2002). In particular, De Rita et al. (2002)
recognised four synthems dated between ca. 450 and 125 ka, the three most recent of which are
associated to as many orders of terraces related to MIS 5, MIS 7 and MIS 9, at elevations of ca. 20
30, 4047, and 5090 m a.s.l., respectively.

3. Preli minary data on the stratigraphical setting of La Ficoncella sedimentary succession
Field investigations carried out at the re-exhumed site and in surrounding localities have enabled
construction of a preliminary stratigraphy of the uppermost part, ca. 10 m-thick, of the stratigraphic
succession, exposed on the slope of the terrace from 75 to 95 m a.s.l. (Fig. 1B). The succession can
be subdivided into three main depositional units.
The lower unit (FIC 1), ca. 5 m thick with an unexposed base, is prevalently made up of sandy to
silty sediments with abundant volcanoclastic components, including weathered ash, fine lapilli and
volcanic minerals, especially leucite crystals. This volcanoclastic unit is capped by a 2-3 m thick
ignimbritic deposit with eutaxitic texture (FIC 2) mostly composed of a grey matrix ash and
including sanidine crystals and black, elongated, cm-sized glassy, flattened scoria. The uppermost,
unit (FIC 3), ca. 2 -3 m thick, consists of grey-blackish silty deposits with sparse, sub-rounded
siliceous clasts.
The lithological features of the La Ficoncella ignimbrite (FIC 2) match those of the basal part of the
'TuIo Rosso a Scorie Nere pyroclastic Ilow deposits ('Peperini Listati Auct.; cIr. Carta
Geologica d`Italia, 1:50,000, Sheet 354 'Tarquinia), resulting Irom one oI the major pyroclastic
flow-forming eruptions of the Sabatini Volcanic Complex, dated at 4491 ka by Karner et al.
(2001). This ignimbrite covers a surface of almost 1000 km
2
, and may be traced, even if
discontinuously, Irom the 'La Finconcella distal site, ca. 30 km Irom the vent area, up to the near
vent sections around Lake Bracciano (Fig. 1A).
In order to strengthen this consistent tephrostratigraphic attribution, microprobe chemical analyses


5
of the glasses of both matrix and lapilli-sized scoria clasts Irom the 'La Ficoncella ignimbrite were
conducted. The results show a trachytic composition which encompasses the compositional
spectrum oI the 'TuIo Rosso a Scorie Nere pyroclasts (Table 1; Fig. 2), conIirming that the La
Ficoncella ignimbrite belongs to the 'TuIo Rosso a Scorie Nere pyroclastic Ilow deposits.
The occurrence of reworked, leucite-bearing pyroclastic materials in the fluvial deposits containing
the Iaunal remains, on one hand, and the recognition oI the 'TuIo Rosso a Scorie Nere, on the
other, date the former, and thus the bone assemblage, between the beginning of the K-alkaline
vulcanism of the area (ca. 800 ka; Marra et al., 2004; Karner et al., 2001) and ca. 450 ka. However,
although the occurrence of a long temporal hiatus cannot be ruled out, due to the strict stratigraphic
proximity between 'TuIo Rosso a Scorie Nere and the Iluvial IossiliIerous sediments, the latter is
considered to be much nearer to its upper temporal limit (ca. 450 ka), rather than its lower one (ca.
800 ka) (Fig. 3).
As to the genesis and age of the uppermost La Ficoncella unit and related surface, some hypotheses
were formulated by framing the site in the broad context of the regional geological and
geomorphological evolution, related to glacio-eustatic fluctuations and tectonic uplift. On the
adjacent right side of the Mignome River, there are remnants of a terraced surface that have an
elevation between 80 and 100 m a.s.l., comparable to the La Ficoncella one (Fig. 1B). This
morphosedimentary units, to which the Finconcella terrace is correlated, corresponds to the synthem
4 of De Rita et al. (2002) containing, in its uppermost stratigraphic part, a Plinian fall deposits
ascribed to the 'Vico eruption Irom Vico volcano (Fig. 1A) dated between 420 and 400 ka; i.e.
MIS 11. Although according to De Rita et al. (2002), synthem 4 has no corresponding costal
deposits (cf. Fig. 5 of De Rita et al., 2002), the Ficoncella terrace and related deposits of the unit
FIC3, as well as the correlated morpho-sedimentary unit on the right side of the Mignone River,
may be interpreted as remnants of the coastal plain related to the MIS 11 high stand (Fig. 3). From
the above, the whole sedimentary sequence of La Ficoncella should cover the MIS 13-MIS 11


6
stratigraphic interval dated between ca. 500 and 400 ka (Fig. 3).

4. Fauna
Mammal remains found at La Ficoncella since the 1990s (Seri, 1994) mainly belong to a large
elephant. A few scanty and largely fragmentary remains of a very large bovid (? Bos primigenius)
as well as a caballine horse (Equus sp.) were also uncovered during the 2010 excavation assay.
The elephant remains, recently found in the fluvial-lacustrine level at the bottom of the section
exposed at La Ficoncella, consist of premaxillary bones, a nearly complete left tusk, and the
proximal portion of the right tusk, still in the alveolus (Fig. 4), while a large part of a seriously
damaged skull and possibly the mandible, are still buried in sediments. The skull apex is not
preserved. The proximal part of the premaxillary bones is incomplete, while the right tusk is quite
well preserved. The large distal portion of the left tusk found by Seri (1994), more than 1 m long
and missing the tip, is on display at the 'A. Klitsche De La Grange Museum oI Allumiere, as well
as some other large fragments, likely belonging to the La Ficoncella specimen, consistent with the
size, shape and preservation status shown by the various fragments.
The morphology of the fan-shaped tusk alveoli, the triangular, flattened area between them and the
shape of the tusks, divergent proximally, slightly curved downwards and towards the sagittal plane
and then moderately upwards, distally, leave no doubt as to the identity of the specimen as a
straight-tusked elephant. This identification is confirmed by the pattern of the Schreger lines. It is
well known that, in Proboscidea, every transversal cross-section of tusk shows a pattern of two sets
of lines (i.e. the Schreger line pattern), curving clockwise and counterclockwise. As a result, the
surface of the cross-section of the tusk seems to be divided into rhomboidal shaped areas. The
intersections of Schreger lines form angles (Schreger angles) whose width could be a valid tool for
the taxonomic identification of Elephantinae genus, e.g. in Loxodonta and Elephas, as well as in
Palaeoloxodon. In the La Ficoncella tush the outside angles of the area close to the cementum are


7
wider than in Mammuthus (Palombo and Villa 2001, 2007, and references therein). In transverse
section, the tusks from La Ficoncella exhibit a pattern of crossing lines similar to the typical pattern
characterizing straight-tusked elephants: the width of the angles, formed by the crossing of the two
groups of lines, progressively increases from the centre to the peripheral area of the section, on
average ranging from about 60 (near the pulpal cavity) to 120 (near the cementum).
The moderate curvature shown by the La Ficoncella tusks match the curvature usually shown by
tusks of Italian straight-tusked elephants of about the same size (see e.g. Trevisan 1949, Anzidei et
al. in press, Palombo unpublished data). Tusks of palaeoloxodonts vary greatly in dimension and
curvature, as expected in view of both the marked sexual dimorphism and the change in robustness
and shape during ontogenetic growth, characterizing the second incisor in elephants. Although in
each palaeloxodont population, tusks of females are smaller, more slender and less curved than
those of males of the same age and tusks of males show a more and more accentuated curvature as
the animal grows. Tusks of Italian adult males seem to be definitely stouter and less curved than
tusks of straight-tusked elephants from Germany, such as those from Neumark Nord 1 (Germany)
(Palombo et al. 2010), proposing again the still debated question as to whether all European
straight-tusked elephants could be confidently ascribed to the same species, i.e. Palaeoloxodon
antiquus. Recently, Saegusa and Gilbert (2008) recognized two distinct morphotypes among
Eurasian straight-tusked elephants, on the basis oI diIIerences oI the skull shape: the 'Stuttgart
morph, typically represented by German palaeoloxodonts and mainly characterized by a weak
development of the parieto-frontal crest and the 'namadicus morph with a strongly developed
parieto-frontal crest as shown by Italian continental (e.g. La Polledrara di Cecanibbio, Anzidei et al.
in press) and insular (e.g. Palaeoloxodon mnaidriensis from Puntali Cave, Sicily, Ferretti 2008)
specimens. If the different morphology of the parieto-frontal crest shown by European straight-
tusked elephants might actually be due to intra-specific variability (see Ferretti 2008, Palombo and
Ferretti 2010, Palombo and Ferretti in preparation, for a discussion), and as nuchal muscles


8
(levators of the head) insert on the anterior part of the parieto-frontal crest, the size and curvature of
the tusks might be a further possible factor influencing, along with sex and ontogenetic growth, the
development and anterior bending of the parieto-frontal crest.
Whatever the actual significance of this characteristic, the size and curvature of the tusks from La
Ficoncella, suggest they belong to an adult male of the 'namadicus morph. Moreover, both the size
and preservation of the scapula found at La Ficoncella, suggest it likely belongs to the same
individual. The original anatomical positions of the tusks in the alveoli, indicate that the carcass, or
the at least partially already disarticulated skeleton, did not suffer any important transport by
streams, and was possibly buried shortly after death.

5. Lithic implements
The sample of lithic implements found at La Ficoncella, in the fossiliferous layer holding the
straight-tusked elephant remains, consists only of four flakes, showing technical signatures clearly
indicating they are human artefacts.
The limestone flake found in the sediment wrapping the straight-tusked elephant scapula (length =
70 mm, width = 60 mm, thickness = 30 mm), is characterized by the presence of very strong
concretions. From a technical point of view, the flake presents a dos latrale with the cutting-edge
on the opposite side (Fig. 5, A). Three other well preserved flints, with very fresh edges were found
during the last excavation. In particular, two flakes (Fig. 5, B-C) allow for some technical
comments: one of these is a flake with dos latrale et naturel and orthogonal negative scars, the
other one is a flake characterized by negative, converging scars. Each of these three artefacts is less
than 20 mm long and therefore smaller than the limestone flake.
The scantiness of artefacts found thus far makes it difficult to ascribe them to any specific techno-
cultural framework. At the present state of research, it is not easy to clearly evaluate the
archaeological potentialities of the context, but the presence of humans on this territory during the


9
Middle Pleistocene can be proven by these artefacts.

5. Remar ks
In the Mignone River Valley, few palaeontological sites have been reported thus far. The most
ancient of which is the site of Monte Riccio (Early Pleistocene; Mazzini et al., 2000; Rozzi, 2009;
Palombo unpublished data), bearing a rich and diversified mammalian fauna. The occurrence of
marine molluscs within the levels in which the bones were retrieved, together with sedimentological
evidence, indicates a different position of the coastline in this area when compared with the present-
day. Moreover, this site shares with La Ficoncella a similar elevation above sea level, implying the
persistence of relatively strong tectonic activity in the area at more recent times. Although the scant
number of palaeontological sites makes the attempt to assess the evolution of the environment in
this area undoubtedly difficult, some analogies can be noticed between the La Ficoncella site and
other localities of the late Middle Pleistocene of the Roman basin (Torre in Pietra 1, Malagrotta, La
Polledrara di Cecanibbio, Castel di Guido, Collina Barbattini, Sedia del Diavolo 2, Monte delle
Gioie, Torre in Pietra 2 e Vitinia 4; see Milli et al. (2008) and references therein for a discussion),
where Palaeoloxodon antiquus is especially abundant in fluvial transgressive deposits. These
originated during phases of river flooding, leaving bones to be buried along the channel margins, as
well as in lacustrine and marshy sediments filling the former riverbed. Although the remains of
Palaeoloxodon antiquus are still under excavation, and only preliminary remarks can be made, the
taphonomical setting suggests that the elephant carcass could have been buried in sediment under
low energy depositional conditions.
Comparing and correlating the palaeontological and archaeological record, it appears that, since the
early Middle Pleistocene, when the human signature becomes firmly evidenced across the Italian
peninsula, and almost until the beginning of the last Glacial (MIS 4), the co-occurrence of lithic and
bone industries and straight-tusked elephant remains was most common, especially in central and


10
southern Italy. Among the oldest are the well known middle Galerian sites of Isernia La Pineta
(Molise) (dated to 605 10 ka by Ar/Ar; Coltorti et al., 2005) and Notarchirico (Basilicata), where
the beginning of the local archaeological sequence (level F, which shows a lithic assemblage with
hand-axes), was dated at about 640 ka (Rhodes and Grn, 1999). In the latter site, a skull and a
mandible of Palaeoloxodon antiquus, surrounded by a number of lithic tools, was found in the level
A1. Available data, limited by post depositional disturbances, reveals the association between the
remains of a single individual with lithic implements, lying in the proximity of or in direct contact
with the bones, suggesting the utilization of the cranium by hominids (Piperno 1999; Piperno and
Tagliacozzo 2001).
In the Latium area, ample evidence of human presence (some teeth and Acheulean assemblages
with both lithic and bone handaxes) and a rich sample of straight-tusked elephant remains are
documented at the late Galerian site of Fontana Ranuccio in an archaeological level 458 5.7 ka
old, after K/Ar analysis (Biddittu et al. 1979).
No human signatures have, conversely, been found associated with the Galerian fauna recently
discovered in the Ceriti Mts. area at the Cerveteri-Monte Li Pozzi site and in the Ponte Galeria area.
At the Cerveteri-Monte Li Pozzi site, where a tusk and an incomplete skeleton were, respectively,
found in the lower level and in the upper level, tentatively correlated with MIS 15-MIS 13 (Mancini
et al. 2006). In the Ponte Galeria area, several remains belonging to an individual adult
Palaeoloxodon antiquus have been recently retrieved from an HST fluvial deposit of about 500 ka,
cropping out at the Casal Selce quarry, together with a few remains of Dama sp. (? Dama
clactoniana), Hippopotamus sp. and Testudinata. At this site, taphonomic and sedimentological
features suggest limited transport under the action of an intermittent and weak current and
deposition as a channel lag mode (Milli et al. 2005).
In the Latium area, sites holding both Palaeoloxodon antiquus remains and lithic and sometimes
bone industries, became more frequent during the late Middle Pleistocene (early Aurelian Land


11
Mammal Age, sensu Palombo et al. 2004; Palombo 2009). A number of local faunal assemblages
(LFA`s) - whose taxonomical composition differs from site to site with species richness and
diversity, depending on environmental factors and depositional context (Palombo et al. 2003, Milli
and Palombo 2005, Milli et al. 2008) - have been referred to the Torre in Pietra faunal unit (FU)
(MIS 10 to MIS 6) (see Palombo et al. 2004). Generally, Palaeoloxodon antiquus and Bos
primigenius are among the most common taxa, together with Cervus elaphus and Dama, while
Capreolus capreolus, Megaloceros giganteus, Hippopotamus ex gr. H. amphibius and Sus scrofa
may at times be present. Rhinoceroses, such as Stephanorhinus hemitoechus (more frequent), S.
hundsheimensis and perhaps S. kirchbergensis also occur as well as a large and heavy Equus ferus,
at times abundant, and Equus hydruntinus just reported from the Sedia del Diavolo2 LFA. Medium-
sized carnivores (Vulpes vulpes, Canis lupus) are present with a few remains, while small
(Mustelidae) and large carnivores (Ursus spelaeus, Panthera spelaea, Panthera pardus and Crocuta
crocuta) are sporadically reported. The early Aurelian sites from which the richest and most
outstanding samples of straight-tusked elephants have been recorded, are mainly located in the
Roman Basin and in the Sacco-Liri valley (e.g. La Polledrara di Cecanibbio, Castel di Guido,
Isoletta) (Sala and Barbi 1996; Anzidei et al. in press and references therein; Palombo unpublished
data), while nearly complete skeletons were discovered in the 1940s and 1950s in diatomaceous
layers, outcropping in the neighbourhood of Grotte Santo Stefano (Viterbo, Central Italy) (Trevisan
1949, Palombo and Villa 2003) and Riano Flaminio (Maccagno 1962, Palombo and Villa 2003), but
no lithic or bone artefacts were found at these sites.
An in situ butchering of an elephant carcass by hominids is thus far reported only from La
Polledrara di Cecanibbio (Anzidei et al. 2010, in press). Available data suggest that, in the Latium
area, the extent and condition of the associated findings of Palaeoloxodon antiquus remains, with
Lower Paleolithic industries, are strongly affected by the depositional context and thaphonomical
factors.


12

Although investigations at La Ficoncella are at an absolutely preliminary stage, available data on
this fauna, the first Galerian faunal assemblage discovered in the Civitavecchia-Tolfa area, confirm
the commonness of straight-tusked elephants in the Latium LFAs since the late Galerian (MIS 13 to
MIS 5a) (Palombo 2009 and references therein).
From an archaeological point of view, La Ficoncella could be potentially considered as one of the
Central Italian Middle Pleistocene sites claimed to be in the range of 450-500 ka and then, perhaps,
to be inlaid into really debated, general issues such as the first peopling of Italy or the spread of the
Acheulean culture. Ongoing research could confidently clarify the actual role of humans (if any) in
the biostratinomical processes undergone by the elephant carcass, and answer other questions that
are still open.

Acknowledgements
The research reported in this article has been possible thanks to the collaboration oI the 'A. Klitsche
De La Grange Museum oI Allumiere (Rome), the Soprintendenza ai Beni Archeologici dell'Etruria
Meridionale, 'La Sapienza University oI Rome, and the 'Istituto di Geologia Ambientale e
Geoingegneria CNR: Work was supported by the 'Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di
Civitavecchia. The research group owes a particular debt of gratitude to the Comune di Allumiere
for providing us with the opportunity to know and to work in this fascinating territory, the Monti
della Tolfa and the Mignone Valley. We would also like to thank all of the people who helped us
throughout the field activities.

References
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Lazzarotto, A., Mazzanti, R., Nicosia, U., Parisi, G., Sandrelli, F., 1978. Evoluzione
paleogeografica e tettonica nei bacini Tosco-Umbro-Laziali nel Pliocene e nel Pleistocene


13
inferiore. Memorie della Societ Geologica Italiana 19, 573580.
Anzidei, A.P., Bulgarelli, G.M., Cerilli, C., Gallotti, R., Lemorini, C., Milli, S., Palombo, M.R.,
Santucci, E., (in press). The Middle Pleistocene Paleolithic site with large mammal fauna of La
Polledrara di Cecanibbio (Rome, Italy): recent data and prospects. Quaternary International.
Biddittu, I., Cassoli, P.F., Radicati di Bronzolo, F., Segre, A.G., Segre Naldini, E., Villa, I., 1979.
Anagni, a K-Ar dated Lower and Middle Pleistocene Site, Central Italy: Preliminary report.
Quaternaria 21, 53-71.
Bosi, C., Palieri, L., Sposato, A., 1990. Guida all`escursione sui terrazzi e linee di costa del litorale
del Lazio settentrionale. AIQUA, CNRCentro di studio per la Geologia TecnicaRoma, pp. 1
25.
Carta Geologica d`Italia 1:50000, Foglio 354 'Tarquinia.
http://www.isprambiente.it/MEDIA/carg/354_TARQUINIA/Foglio.html.
Coltorti, M., Feraud, G., Marzoli, A., Peretto, S., Tonthat, C., Voinchet, T.P., Bahain, J.-J., Minelli,
A., Thun Hohenstein, U., 2005. New 40Ar/39Ar, stratigraphic and palaeoclimatic data on the
Isernia La Pineta Lower Palaeolithic site, Molise, Italy. Quaternary International 131, 1122.
Conato, V., Dai Pra, G., 1980. Livelli marini pleistocenici e neotettonica fra Civitavecchia e
Tarquinia (Italia Centrale). Geologica Romana 19, 181194.
De Rita, D., Fabbri, M., Mazzini, I., Paccara, P., Sposato, A., Trigari, A., 2002. Volcanoclastic
sedimentation in coastal environmental: the interplay between volcanism and quaternary sea
level change (Central Italy). Quaternary Intnternational 95-96,141-154.
Fazzini, P., Gelmini, R., Mantovani, M.P., Pellegrini, M., 1972. Geologia dei Monti della Tolfa
(Lazio settentrionale; province di Viterbo e Roma). Memorie Societ"a Geologica Italiana 11, 65
144.
Ferretti, M.P., 2008. The dwarf elephant Palaeoloxodon mnaidriensis from Puntali Cave, Carini
(Sicily; late Middle Pleistocene): Anatomy, systematics and phylogenetic relationships.
Quaternary International 182, 90108.
Galli, P., Giaccio, B., Messina, P. 2010. The 2009 central Italy earthquake seen through 0.5 Myr-
long tectonic history oI the L`Aquila Iaults system. Quaternary Science Reviews 29, 3768-3789.
Karner, D.B., Marra, F., Renne, P.R., 2001. The history of the Monti Sabatini and Alban Hills
volcanoes: groundwork for assessing volcanic-tectonic hazards for Rome. Journal of
Volcanology and Geothermal Research 107, 185219.
Lisiecki, L.E., Raymo, M.E., 2005. A Pliocene-Pleistocene stack of 57 globally distributed benthic
d18O records. Paleoceanography 20, PA1003. doi:10.1029/2004PA001071.
Maccagno, A.M., 1962b. L`Elephas antiquus di Riano, Roma. Geologica Romana 1, 77131.


14
Mancini, M., Bedetti, C., Bellucci, L., Di Canzio, E., Giovinazzo, C., Palombo, M.R., Petronio, C.,
Petrucci, M., Sardella, R., Trucco, F. (2006) - Middle Pleistocene vertebrate-bearing fluvial
deposits of the Ceriti Mts area, and related inferences on uplift of the Latium coast (central
Italy). Geologica Romana 39, 27-38.
Mazzini, I., Paccara, P., Petronio, C., Sardella, R., 2000. Geological evolution and biochronological
evidences of the Monte Riccio Section (Tarquinia, Central Italy). Rivista Italiana di
Paleontologia e Stratigrafia 106, 247-256.
Milli, S., Palombo, M.R., 2005. The high-resolution sequence stratigraphy and the mammal fossil
record: a test in the MiddleUpper Pleistocene deposits 251 of the Roman Basin (Latium, Italy).
Quaternary International 126/128, 251-270.
Milli, S., Moscatelli, M., Palombo, M.R., Parlagreco, L., Paciucci, M., 2008. Incised-valleys, their
filling and mammal fossil record: an example in the middle-upper Pleistocene deposits of the
Roman Basin (Latium, Italy). Geoacta SP1, 67-88.
Palombo, M.R., 2009. Biochronology of terrestrial mammals and Quaternary subdivisions: a case
study of large mammals from the Italian peninsula. Il Quaternario 22(2), 291-306.
Palombo, M.R., Albayrak, E., Marano, F., 2010). The straight-tusked Elephants from Neumark
Nord, a glance to a lost world. In: Meller, H. (Ed.): Elefantenreich- Eine Fossilwelt in Europa.
Katalog zur Sonderausstellung im Landesmuseum fr Vorgeschichte Halle, pp. 219-247.
Palombo, M.R., Azanza, B., Alberdi, M.T., 2003. Italian mammal biochronology from Latest
Miocene to Middle Pleistocene: a multivariate approach. Geologica Romana 36 (2000-2002),
335-368.
Palombo, M.R., Ferretti, M.P., 2010. What about the taxonomical status of European Straight-
tusked elephants? Quaternaire Hors-srie 3, 27-28.
Palombo, M.R., Milli, S., Rosa, C., 2004. Remarks on the late Middle Pleistocene biochronology of
the mammalian faunal complexes of the Campagna Romana. Geologica Romana 37 (2003), 135-
14.
Palombo, M.R., Villa, P., 2001. Schreger Lines as Support in the Elephantinae identification. In
Cavaretta G., Gioia P., Mussi M., Palombo M.R. (eds.) 'The World oI Elephants. Consiglio
Nazionale delle Ricerche, Roma, 2001, pp. 656-660.
Palombo, M.R., Villa, P., 2003. Sexual dimorphic characters of Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) antiquus
Falconer e Cautley, 1847 from Grotte Santo Stefano (Viterbo, Central Italy). Deinsea (1999), pp.
293-315.
Piperno, M., 1999. Notarchirico. Un sito del Pleistocene medio iniziale nel bacino di Venosa,
Osanna, Venosa.


15
Piperno, M, Tagliacozzo, A., 2001. The elephant butchery area at the Middle Pleistocene site of
Notarchirico (Venosa, Basilicata, Italy). In Cavarretta G, Gioia P, Mussi M, Palombo MR (eds),
The World of Elephants. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, 2001, pp. 230236.
Rhodes, E.J., Grun, R., 1999. Preliminary ESR dates for tooth enamel from Notarchirico. In:
Piperno, M. (Ed.), Notarchirico. Un sito del Pleistocene medio iniziale nel bacino di Venosa,
Osanna, Venosa, pp. 245255.
Sala, B., Barbi, G., 1996. Descrizione della fauna. In: AM Radmilli and G. Boschian, Editors, Gli
scavi a Castel di Guido. Il piu' antico giacimento di cacciatori del Paleolitico inferiore nell'Agro
Romano, Istituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria, Firenze, pp. 5590.
Saegusa, H., Gilbert, H., 2008. Elephantidae. In: W.H. Gilbert (Ed.), Homo erectus in Africa,
Pleistocene Evidence from the Middle Awash, Ethiopia. The Middle Awash Series, 1 (9).
University of California Press, Berkeley, pp. 195228.
Seri, E., 1994. La Preistoria nel Comprensorio di Civitavecchia. Associazione archeologica Civita-
Vetula.
Trevisan, L., 1949. Lo scheletro di Elephas antiquus italicus di Fonte Campanile (Viterbo).
Paleontographia Italica 44 (1948), 278.

Captions
Table 1. Average major element compositions of micro-pumice fragments and/or glass shards from
Ficoncella ignimbrite and from the basal Plinian fallout and flow proximal deposits of the Tufo of
Rosso a Scorie Nere (TRSN) pyroclastic sequence. Reference: a) Galli et al. (2010); b) M. Gaeta
(personal communication, 2010). These analyses were carried out at the Istituto di Geologia
Ambientale e Geoingegneria (CNR, Rome, Italy) using a Cameca SX50 electron microprobe that
was equipped with a five wavelength dispersive spectrometer. The operating conditions were as
follows: accelerating voltage, 15 kV; beam current, 15 nA; beam diameter, 1015 mm; counting
time, 20 s per element. The following standards were used: wollastonite (Si and Ca), corundum
(Al), diopside (Mg), andradite (Fe), rutile (Ti), orthoclase (K), jadeite (Na), phlogopite (F), KCl
(Cl), baritina (S), and metals (Mn). The Ti content was corrected for the overlap of the Ti and Ka
peaks.

Figure 1. Reference maps of the La Ficoncella site. A) General view of the site and of the nearest
volcanic complexes of the Roman Comagmatic Province; the shadow area roughly represents the
areal distribution of the Tufo Rosso a Scorie Nere Sabatino ignimbrite from Bracciano caldera-lake.
B) Digital elevation model of the Ficoncella site area (white rectangle in A) showing the flat


16
terraced morphologies characterising the northern sector of the Latium coasts.

Figure 2. Total alkali silica diagram (TAS; Le Bas et al., 1986) of scoria and matrix glass shards
Irom the 'La Ficoncella ignimbrite deposits, compared with 'TuIo Rosso a Scorie Nere Plinian
and flow pyroclasts (see Table 1 for data, abbreviations and references).

Figure 3. Scheme of the morphological and stratigraphical relationship (A) and chronological
framework of the La Ficoncella site (B). The Benthic G18O stack form Lisiecki and Raymo (2005).

Figure 4. Area of excavation (Ficoncella 2010).

Figure 5. Lithic implements from Ficoncella site. A limestone flake; B-C flint flakes.


Figure
Click here to download high resolution image
Figure
Click here to download high resolution image
Figure
Click here to download high resolution image
Figure
Click here to download high resolution image
Figure
Click here to download high resolution image
TRSN Plinian fall
a

TRSN pyroclastic
flow
b
La Ficoncella
(FIC3)
N. of analyses 18 s.d. 19 s.d. 14 s.d.
SiO2 60.03 0.54

61.15 0.16

61.73 0.18
TiO2 0.53 0.04 0.52 0.03 0.52 0.02
Al2O3 19.12 0.24

18.79 0.11

18.82 0.07
FeO 2.93 0.12

2.71 0.09

2.76 0.12
MnO 0.15 0.03

0.17 0.04

0.14 0.04
MgO 0.41 0.02 0.38 0.02 0.39 0.02
CaO 2.81 0.12

2.62 0.14

2.40 0.16
Na2O 3.76 0.12

3.69 0.09

3.84 0.12
K2O 10.22 0.17

9.92 0.17

9.34 0.17
P2O5 0.05 0.03 0.05 0.03 0.06 0.05
F 0.36 0.11

0.26 0.15

0.11 0.06
Cl 0.08 0.01

0.08 0.01

0.08 0.01
SO3 n.d. 0.00

0.17 0.04

0.17 0.02
Original total 94.10 0.26 96.66 0.46 97.58 0.44
Alkali sum 13.98 13.61 0.16 13.18 0.20

Table
1

References

Ambrosetti, P., Carboni, M.G., Conti, M.A., Costantini, A., Esu, D., Gandin, A., Girotti, O.,
Lazzarotto, A., Mazzanti, R., Nicosia, U., Parisi, G., Sandrelli, F., 1978. Evoluzione
paleogeografica e tettonica nei bacini Tosco-Umbro-Laziali nel Pliocene e nel Pleistocene
inferiore. Memorie della Societ Geologica Italiana 19, 573580.
Anzidei, A.P., Bulgarelli, G.M., Cerilli, C., Gallotti, R., Lemorini, C., Milli, S., Palombo, M.R.,
Santucci, E., (in press). The Middle Pleistocene Paleolithic site with large mammal fauna of La
Polledrara di Cecanibbio (Rome, Italy): recent data and prospects. Quaternary International.
Biddittu, I., Cassoli, P.F., Radicati di Bronzolo, F., Segre, A.G., Segre Naldini, E., Villa, I., 1979.
Anagni, a K-Ar dated Lower and Middle Pleistocene Site, Central Italy: Preliminary report.
Quaternaria 21, 53-71.
Bosi, C., Palieri, L., Sposato, A., 1990. Guida all`escursione sui terrazzi e linee di costa del litorale
del Lazio settentrionale. AIQUA, CNRCentro di studio per la Geologia TecnicaRoma, pp. 1
25.
Carta Geologica d`Italia 1:50000, Foglio 354 'Tarquinia.
http://www.isprambiente.it/MEDIA/carg/354_TARQUINIA/Foglio.html.
Coltorti, M., Feraud, G., Marzoli, A., Peretto, S., Tonthat, C., Voinchet, T.P., Bahain, J.-J., Minelli,
A., Thun Hohenstein, U., 2005. New 40Ar/39Ar, stratigraphic and palaeoclimatic data on the
Isernia La Pineta Lower Palaeolithic site, Molise, Italy. Quaternary International 131, 1122.
Conato, V., Dai Pra, G., 1980. Livelli marini pleistocenici e neotettonica fra Civitavecchia e
Tarquinia (Italia Centrale). Geologica Romana 19, 181194.
De Rita, D., Fabbri, M., Mazzini, I., Paccara, P., Sposato, A., Trigari, A., 2002. Volcanoclastic
sedimentation in coastal environmental: the interplay between volcanism and quaternary sea
level change (Central Italy). Quaternary Intnternational 95-96,141-154.
Fazzini, P., Gelmini, R., Mantovani, M.P., Pellegrini, M., 1972. Geologia dei Monti della Tolfa
(Lazio settentrionale; province di Viterbo e Roma). Memorie Societ"a Geologica Italiana 11, 65
144.
Ferretti, M.P., 2008. The dwarf elephant Palaeoloxodon mnaidriensis from Puntali Cave, Carini
(Sicily; late Middle Pleistocene): Anatomy, systematics and phylogenetic relationships.
Quaternary International 182, 90108.
Galli, P., Giaccio, B., Messina, P. 2010. The 2009 central Italy earthquake seen through 0.5 Myr-
long tectonic history oI the L`Aquila Iaults system. Quaternary Science Reviews 29, 3768-3789.
Karner, D.B., Marra, F., Renne, P.R., 2001. The history of the Monti Sabatini and Alban Hills
volcanoes: groundwork for assessing volcanic-tectonic hazards for Rome. Journal of
Volcanology and Geothermal Research 107, 185219.
Lisiecki, L.E., Raymo, M.E., 2005. A Pliocene-Pleistocene stack of 57 globally distributed benthic
d18O records. Paleoceanography 20, PA1003. doi:10.1029/2004PA001071.
Maccagno, A.M., 1962b. L`Elephas antiquus di Riano, Roma. Geologica Romana 1, 77131.
Mancini, M., Bedetti, C., Bellucci, L., Di Canzio, E., Giovinazzo, C., Palombo, M.R., Petronio, C.,
Petrucci, M., Sardella, R., Trucco, F. (2006) - Middle Pleistocene vertebrate-bearing fluvial
deposits of the Ceriti Mts area, and related inferences on uplift of the Latium coast (central
Italy). Geologica Romana 39, 27-38.
Mazzini, I., Paccara, P., Petronio, C., Sardella, R., 2000. Geological evolution and biochronological
evidences of the Monte Riccio Section (Tarquinia, Central Italy). Rivista Italiana di
Paleontologia e Stratigrafia 106, 247-256.
Milli, S., Palombo, M.R., 2005. The high-resolution sequence stratigraphy and the mammal fossil
record: a test in the MiddleUpper Pleistocene deposits 251 of the Roman Basin (Latium, Italy).
Quaternary International 126/128, 251-270.
Milli, S., Moscatelli, M., Palombo, M.R., Parlagreco, L., Paciucci, M., 2008. Incised-valleys, their
filling and mammal fossil record: an example in the middle-upper Pleistocene deposits of the
References
2

Roman Basin (Latium, Italy). Geoacta SP1, 67-88.
Palombo, M.R., 2009. Biochronology of terrestrial mammals and Quaternary subdivisions: a case
study of large mammals from the Italian peninsula. Il Quaternario 22(2), 291-306.
Palombo, M.R., Albayrak, E., Marano, F., 2010). The straight-tusked Elephants from Neumark
Nord, a glance to a lost world. In: Meller, H. (Ed.): Elefantenreich- Eine Fossilwelt in Europa.
Katalog zur Sonderausstellung im Landesmuseum fr Vorgeschichte Halle, pp. 219-247.
Palombo, M.R., Azanza, B., Alberdi, M.T., 2003. Italian mammal biochronology from Latest
Miocene to Middle Pleistocene: a multivariate approach. Geologica Romana 36 (2000-2002),
335-368.
Palombo, M.R., Ferretti, M.P., 2010. What about the taxonomical status of European Straight-
tusked elephants? Quaternaire Hors-srie 3, 27-28.
Palombo, M.R., Milli, S., Rosa, C., 2004. Remarks on the late Middle Pleistocene biochronology of
the mammalian faunal complexes of the Campagna Romana. Geologica Romana 37 (2003), 135-
14.
Palombo, M.R., Villa, P., 2001. Schreger Lines as Support in the Elephantinae identification. In
Cavaretta G., Gioia P., Mussi M., Palombo M.R. (eds.) 'The World oI Elephants, pubbl. CNR,
Roma, 2001, pp. 656-660.
Palombo, M.R., Villa, P., 2003. Sexual dimorphic characters of Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) antiquus
Falconer e Cautley, 1847 from Grotte Santo Stefano (Viterbo, Central Italy). Deinsea (1999), pp.
293-315.
Piperno, M., 1999. Notarchirico. Un sito del Pleistocene medio iniziale nel bacino di Venosa,
Osanna, Venosa.
Piperno, M, Tagliacozzo, A., 2001. The elephant butchery area at the Middle Pleistocene site of
Notarchirico (Venosa, Basilicata, Italy). In The World of Elephants, Cavarretta G, Gioia P,
Mussi M, Palombo MR (eds). Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, 2001, pp. 230236.
Rhodes, E.J., Grun, R., 1999. Preliminary ESR dates for tooth enamel from Notarchirico. In:
Piperno, M. (Ed.), Notarchirico. Un sito del Pleistocene medio iniziale nel bacino di Venosa,
Osanna, Venosa, pp. 245255.
Sala, B., Barbi, G., 1996. Descrizione della fauna. In: AM Radmilli and G. Boschian, Editors, Gli
scavi a Castel di Guido. Il piu' antico giacimento di cacciatori del Paleolitico inferiore nell'Agro
Romano, Istituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria, Firenze (1996), pp. 5590.
Saegusa, H., Gilbert, H., 2008. Elephantidae. In: W.H. Gilbert/B. (Eds.), Homo erectus in Africa,
Pleistocene Evidence from the Middle Awash, Ethiopia. The Middle Awash Series, 1 (9).
University of California Press, Berkeley, pp. 195228.
Seri, E., 1994. La Preistoria nel Comprensorio di Civitavecchia. Associazione archeologica Civita-
Vetula.
Trevisan, L., 1949. Lo scheletro di Elephas antiquus italicus di Fonte Campanile (Viterbo).
Paleontographia Italica 44 (1948), 278.





Captions

Table 1. Average major element compositions of micro-pumice fragments and/or glass shards from
Ficoncella ignimbrite and from the basal Plinian fallout and flow proximal deposits of the Tufo of
Rosso a Scorie Nere (TRSN) pyroclastic sequence. Reference: a) Galli et al. (2010); b) M. Gaeta
(personal communication, 2010). These analyses were carried out at the Istituto di Geologia
Ambientale e Geoingegneria (CNR, Rome, Italy) using a Cameca SX50 electron microprobe that
was equipped with a five wavelength dispersive spectrometer. The operating conditions were as
3

follows: accelerating voltage, 15 kV; beam current, 15 nA; beam diameter, 1015 mm; counting
time, 20 s per element. The following standards were used: wollastonite (Si and Ca), corundum
(Al), diopside (Mg), andradite (Fe), rutile (Ti), orthoclase (K), jadeite (Na), phlogopite (F), KCl
(Cl), baritina (S), and metals (Mn). The Ti content was corrected for the overlap of the Ti and Ka
peaks.

Figure 1. Reference maps of the La Ficoncella site. A) General view of the site and of the nearest
volcanic complexes of the Roman Comagmatic Province; the shadow area roughly represents the
areal distribution of the Tufo Rosso a Scorie Nere Sabatino ignimbrite from Bracciano caldera-lake.
B) Digital elevation model of the Ficoncella site area (white rectangle in A) showing the flat
terraced morphologies characterising the northern sector of the Latium coasts.

Figure 2. Total alkali silica diagram (TAS; Le Bas et al., 1986) of scoria and matrix glass shards
Irom the 'La Ficoncella ignimbrite deposits, compared with 'TuIo Rosso a Scorie Nere Plinian
and flow pyroclasts (see Table 1 for data, abbreviations and references).

Figure 3. Scheme of the morphological and stratigraphical relationship (A) and chronological
framework of the La Ficoncella site (B). The Benthic G18O stack form Lisiecki and Raymo (2005).

Figure 4. Area of excavation (Ficoncella 2010).

Figure 5. Lithic implements from Ficoncella site. A limestone flake; B-C flint flakes.