The New Neanderthal Fossil Sample from Grotta Guattari, Monte Circeo (Italy): A Preliminary Synopsis

Abstract

Grotta Guattari is a prehistoric site located on the Tyrrhenian coast in central Italy. It has been renowned since 1939 for the discovery of a typical Neanderthal cranium and two mandibles. Recent excavations conducted between 2019 and 2023 have yielded important new findings, revealing a significant geo-paleontological and archaeological assemblage. These discoveries provide new insights into the site’s stratigraphy and chronology, dating back between 121.5 ± 5.8 and 65.0 ± 2.8 thousand years ago. As a result of these new findings, the human fossil collection now includes 22 remains, some of which are almost complete while others are fragmentary. Some of these specimens have been grouped together as a single specimen only when their connection could be proven beyond doubt. The collection encompasses eleven cranial remains, four postcranial bones, and seven dental specimens, named from Guattari 1 to Guattari 18. This paper systematises, contextualises, and briefly describes the entire collection of human fossil specimens from the site to facilitate future analytical and comparative studies, as well as their long-term conservation. The preliminary results presented in this paper confirm the exceptional significance of Grotta Guattari. Together, the new and old findings represent the most substantial Neanderthal human fossil sample in Italy. They provide valuable evidence for understanding Neanderthal morphology and human evolution in Europe during the Late Pleistocene, as well as the exploitation of the region by Neanderthals, and the taphonomy and site formation processes.