Grotta del Ciutarun

The Ciutarùn Cave has been excavated from the early 1900s. Research conducted between the 1930s and the second half of the 1900s allow to collect stratigraphic and paleontological data, but little information on human occupation. The few lithic artefacts have been attributed to Mousterian.
Most of the data in our possession come from the excavations made by C. Conti, the first to make a more in-depth description of the site's stratigraphy. The most recent archaeological level is characterized by materials of the II-III century. A.D. Below, Gallo-Roman vases with some iron lance cusps and arrowheads has been documented. Further down these archaeological levels, the stratigraphic sequence preserved a thick level which contained, in addition to many sub-fossil animal bones, bronze finds and knapped lithic materials that testify to the Protohistoric and Neolithic use of the cave. The oldest level to have been investigated was characterized by the presence of quartz lithic industries, an engraved bone, and a beautiful bone dagger as well as a large amount of fossil bones. This level is attributable to the Palaeolithic, probably the Middle one.
Most part of the human bones founded by C. Conti are coming from the upper levels. Only one tooth was identified as possibly Neanderthal. It has been found under a big fireplace in association with Palaeolithic animal bones and flakes. The tooth has been described as a perfectly preserved right canine and its degree of wear has made it possible to hypothesize its use as a" third hand "when processing animal or vegetable materials.