title: A new chronostratigraphic framework for the Upper Palaeolithic of Riparo Mochi (Italy).
abstract: The rockshelter of Mochi, on the Ligurian coast of Italy, is often used as a reference point in the formation of hypotheses concerning the arrival of the Aurigancian in Mediterranean Europe. Yet, the site is poorly known. Here, we describe the stratigraphic sequence based on new field observations and present 15 radiocarbon determinations from the Middle Palaeolithic (late Mousterian) and Early Upper Palaeolithic (Aurignacian and Gravettian) levels. The majority of dates were produced on humanly modified material, specifically marine shell beads, which comprise some of the oldest directly-dated personal ornaments in Europe. The radiocarbon results are incorporated into a Bayesian statistical model to build a new chronological framework for this key Palaeolithic site. A tentative correlation of the stratigraphy to palaeoclimatic records is also attempted.
authors.affiliation: Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Dyson Perrins Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK. katerina.douka@rlaha.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Douka
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grimaldi
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boschian
authors.forename: Angiolo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: del Lucchese
authors.forename: Thomas F G
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Higham
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001106:Archaeology; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003468:Cultural Evolution / Q000266:history*; D005580:Fossils; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008974:Mollusca; D055110:Radiometric Dating