A “stratigraphic remnant”: geoarchaeological insights into Holocene environmental and cultural dynamics at Riparo Gaban (Trento, Italy)

Riparo Gaban is a key site for prehistoric studies in the Northeastern Alps, preserving an exceptional multiphase stratigraphic deposit that records human activities from the Mesolithic to the Bronze Age. The Gaban rock-shelter is located in a piedmont area (~270m a.s.l.) on the left side of the Adige River valley (Trento, Italy), a cradle of multiple prehistoric occupations. Excavations began in the 1970s under B. Bagolini and have continued for over fifty years with contributions from numerous scholars. The sedimentary deposit and archaeological record provide critical insights into human-environment interactions, including: (1) the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition in the Alpine region, (2) changes in occupational strategies and pastoral practices from the Neolithic onward, and (3) metallurgical production between the Copper Age and the Bronze Age. This study focuses on the geoarchaeological investigation of the “stratigraphic remnant,” a sedimentary column preserved during excavations in Sector IV, spanning deposits from the Early Mesolithic to the Middle Bronze Age. Stratigraphic field descriptions, sedimentological and micromorphological analyses were conducted to investigate depositional processes, site formation dynamics, and anthropogenic activities. The results highlight the interplay of endogenic and exogenic materials, reflecting the geomorphic and cultural evolution of the deposit. Distinct sedimentological facies are proposed to characterize episodic occupation, combustion activities—including Neolithic burnt dung layers (fumier)—and environmental shifts. This work represents a first step toward a chronostratigraphic reassessment of this pivotal Alpine site, crucial for understanding human-environment interactions and socio-economic dynamics in prehistoric societies across the Alpine region. This research is conducted within the ongoing PRIN project "Pyro-Transitions: prehistoric cultural changes in the use of fire from foraging to the earliest farming societies" (code 2022PWY2YS).