The Aggradational Successions of the Aniene River Valley in Rome: Age Constraints to Early Neanderthal Presence in Europe
Fig 3
a: Stratigraphy of Saccopastore by [5]) reporting the position of the two Neanderthal skulls (S1 and S2). a': interpreted stratigraphy (modified by [3]), showing the occurrence of three aggradational phases (a, b, c) erosionally above the basal gravel layer of the Aurelia formation (G1). a": upper molar of Dama dama tiberina determined in the present work through examination of the fossil remains now located at the " Museo Nazionale Preistorico Etnografico Luigi Pigorini" in Rome, Italy (photo by kind permission of F. Rubat Borel, Director of Museo Pigorini). b: chronostratigraphic constraints providing correlation with the Marine Isotope Stages (MIS). c: curve of global relative sea level (RSL) in the time span 290–200 ka [56], showing the occurrence of three consecutive peaks (a, b, c, highlighted by the yellow bars) at around 270 ka, 245 ka, and 220 ka. The red dots are the 40Ar/39Ar ages (in ka) of interbedded volcanic layers constraining phases of aggradation of the Vitinia Formation at the type-locations of Pantano di Grano and Vitinia [35], and in Torre in Pietra [57]. The Oxygen isotope curve for the same time span is also reported [44]. The three aggradational successions recognized in Saccopastore (a, b, c) are correlated with the three sea-level rises occurring during MIS 7, providing indirect ages of 245 ka and 220 ka for the two skulls, S1 and S2, respectively.