Early Upper Palaeolithic marine mollusc exploitation at Riparo Bombrini (Balzi Rossi, Italy): shellfish consumption and ornament production.

ABSTRACT: This research explores the modes of exploitation of marine molluscs at Riparo Bombrini (Ventimiglia, north-west Italy) during the Protoaurignacian and the Early Aurignacian. Our results prove that Early Modern Humans who inhabited the rockshelter extensively exploited marine malacofauna for both dietary purposes and ornament production, offering new insights into human adaptation to coastal environments during the early phases of the Upper Palaeolithic along the Mediterranean coast. Combining taxonomy and taphonomy, we identified five main categories of shell remains within the assemblage: edible specimens, shell beads, non-worked ornamental shells, accidental introductions, and potential ornamental shells. A total of 91 perforated gastropods were recovered during the excavations of the Ea

SUBMITTER: Gazzo S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11785686 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature