Early Mesolithic hunting strategies in northeastern Italian Alps: an experimental analyses

A sample of Sauveterrian microlithic arrowheads from both high and low mountain sites in the northeastern italian alps, are analysed. The sample comes from open-air, high mountain sites at COlbricon and Buse (about 2000m asl), located near glacial lake shores and considered as seasonally-occupied hunting camps, and from teh Pradestel rock shelter (225 m asl, on the Adige valley floor); these provide a complete Mesolithic stratigraphic seqeunce, showing chronologically-differentiated faunal and floral associations. Experimental observations provide further data conicerning the ballistic and functional properties of these lithic items.