Technological and functional analyses of late Mesolithic and early Neolithic lithic assemblages from Riparo Gaban (Trento, Italy)

The transition between the last Mesolithic hunter-gatherers and the first agropastoral Neolithic communities is a highly debated topic in prehistoric archaeology. Riparo Gaban (Northeast Italy) is a key site to unravel this fundamental turning point in human history because it is one of the few archaeological contexts in Mediterranean Europe where occupations from both periods are stratigraphically recorded. This study focuses on understanding the Meso-Neo transition process through lithic tool analysis. It addresses the raw material and the technology applied to lithic tool production and the subsistence and craft activities to which the tools were allocated, through functional analysis. The results demonstrate that, apart from certain distinctly Neolithic tools such as the Ripabianca burins, the use of specific knapping techniques like pressure flaking, and the increased presence of certain types of flint, the toolkit from Riparo Gaban shows no significant differences between the Late Mesolithic levels and the early Neolithic levels. Similarly, the activities identified through functional analysis also show little variation. These findings suggest that the model of new Neolithic settlements did not always bring substantial changes in economic structures, technical traditions, or craft activities compared to those of the last hunter-gatherer groups. The scenarios during this transitional period must have been highly diverse across Europe and the Mediterranean Basin.