The Mousterian settlement in the Ciota Ciara Cave: the oldest evidence of Homo nenanderthalensis in Piedmont (Northern Italy)

The Ciota Ciara cave is located in the karst of the Monte Fenera (Borgosesia, VC), at 670 m a.s.l. It is a still active karstic cave developed on more than 80 m in the principal axe. The first investigations with a naturalistic intent were conducted in the Monte Fenera in the second half of the nineteenth century; but it was after the postwar period that research was started at the Ciota Ciara Cave. During more than 30 years several excavations were conducted by many researchers, including the Gruppo Archeologico Speloelogico di Borgosesia, C. Conti, C. Socin, G. Isetti, B. Chiarelli, F. Strobino and, above all, F. Fedele (Fedele, 1966 & 1984-85). At the end of the seventies the investigations at the Ciota Ciara were interrupted and started again in the nineties under the scientific direction of the Soprintendenza Archeologica del Piemonte, during 3 Years. In 2009 the systematic excavations at the Ciota Ciara were started again by the University of Ferrara in collaboration with the Soprintendenza Archeologica del Piemonte, under the direction of M. Arzarello. The new investigations are concentrated in the atrium of the cave (on 5 m2 during the firsts 2 years and enlarged to 8 m2 since 2011 thanks to the removal of a large fallen block) where 3 stratigraphic units were investigated: 13, 103 and 14. The 3 stratigraphic units have a horizontal disposition and are characterized by a reddish-brown clayey-sandy matrix with rare and altered centimeter-sized pebbles (more frequent in the S.U. 14 and very numerous in S.U. 103)