Riparo Dalmeri

Dalmeri Rockshelter: a sacred centre in a mountain Epigravettian site (Trento). The Dalmeri
Rockshelter is situated at 1.240 m a.s.l. on the northern border of the Marcésina plateau (Altopiano dei
Sette Comuni - Trentino). From 1991, the excavations brought to light a sequence of Epigravettian anthropic
levels, which are dated to the Allerød interstadial by radiocarbon ages. The interdisciplinary research
has permitted us to reconstruct the spatial organization of the site and the exploitation of this mountainous
area by the Epigravettian hunter-gatherers. The anthropic layers can be subdivided in two phases.
The first is defined by the overlying dwelling floors, which conserved evident (hearths) and latent structures
(hut). The second phase, which represents the earliest human occupation, is tied with the painted
stones deposition. The majority of these painted stones had their decorated side face-down. The red ochre
silhouettes were painted on oolitic grainstones, taken from the pre-settlement breccias. Restoration revealed
different types of figures: anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, signs and stones with red ochre traces.

Over the past fifteen years of research in the alpine area, the Dalmeri Rockshelter, located on the
northeastern edge of the Sette Comuni Plateau (Trento, Italy), has become a key site for reconstructing
the exploitation of the mountain territories by the human groups of the end of the Upper Palaeolithic.
Excavations, carried out between 1991 and 2005, brought to light a sequence of Recent Epigravettian
anthropic levels, which were radiocarbon dated to the Allerød interstadial. The well-preserved paleosurfaces
provided the opportunity to carry out a thorough analysis on the faunal and lithic remains, enabling
us to reconstruct the palaeoeconomy, the function and the internal organisation of the site. In the past
five years, the discovery of a notable quantity of red ochre painted stones, which are linked to the earliest
settlement phase, revealed different representations, both naturalistic paintings as well as signs. Following
this discovery, the interpretation of the site began to touch the artistic-religious sphere, providing
new insights into Epigravettian art.

The interpretation and the significance of the Palaeolithic rock and mobiliary art are an open
widely discussed question. In the case of European Palaeolithic mobiliary production, one of the key barriers has
been the scarcity of accurate contextual documentation. The Epigravettian site of Riparo Dalmeri offers a rare opportunity
to study a portable art assemblage in a well-preserved archaeological context. The present work is aimed at
reporting the discovery of the painted stones recovered in 2003 and 2004, focusing on the art and the ritual behaviour
of the hunter-gatherers, who occupied this site. The anthropic deposit, dated by 14C to the Allerød interstadial,
can be divided in two main settlement phases. The earliest of these is strictly linked to the presence of the 187 redochre
painted stones. Radiocarbon dating of a charcoal fragments associated with the painted stones indicate an age
of c. 13,200 cal BP. These recent discoveries permit us to hypothesize that the hunters marked out an area in which
a number of ritual actions took place. Even if we cannot specify the complexity of this ritual, we can suggest 3 major
actions. First, they selected the stones from the host rock rubble; second, they painted the stones with ochre, using
wax as a paint binder; and finally they deposited these art-works upside-down hiding the images. In this setting, the
human figure on the RD211 stone which differs greatly from the other paintings in the type of figure depicted, its
size and its position on the top of an artificial pile so as to be higher than the others, could have played a central role.

The Dalmeri rockshelter is located at 1240 m a.s.l. on the northern edge of the Piana della Marcesina (Grigno – Altopiano
dei Sette Comuni – Trentino). From 1991 the stratigraphic excavations carried out by the Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali have revealed
a sequence of anthropic levels datable to the Recent Epigravettian. The interdisciplinary research has allowed us to reconstruct part of the spatial
organisation of the site and the resources exploitation of the mountain environment by the Epigravettian hunter-gatherers. Two principal
dwelling phases can be identified in the anthropic levels. The first, dated at about 13,200 years 14C cal BP, represents the most ancient human
dwelling phase (US 65/15a) and is strictly connected to the location of 229 stones painted with red ochre. The second phase, dated at about
13,000 14C cal BP, corresponds to the dwelling surfaces 26c and 26b that conserved evident structures (hearths) and latent ones (subcircular
structure interpreted as a hut). The paintings in red-pigment (hematite) were carried out on oolitic grainstone from the natural landslide which
took place before the human settlement occupation. The restoration of these paintings yielded different types of figures: zoomorphic, signs,
anthropomorphic, hands, composite figures on both sides and diverse types of stones with red pigment traces. The dimensional analysis of
the stones revealed a certain standardisation in the choice of the calcareous supports used. The spatial distribution of the painted stones highlighted
a preferential belt of concentration orientated on an east-west axis inside the most ancient settlement level (US65/15a). The present
data suggests that an area had been marked off in this most ancient settlement level of the rockshelter where ritual activities took place. Even
though the complexity of the rituals is not clear to us, the data available at this time suggests a spatial organization, which will become more
evident after further excavation.