Malagrotta, Rome (Pleistocene of Italy)

Where: Roma, Italy (41.9° N, 12.2° E: paleocoordinates 41.9° N, 12.2° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

When: Middle Pleistocene (0.8 - 0.1 Ma)

• Late Middle Pleistocene, 300-250,000 years based on archaeological typology (evolved Clactonian), Riss.

Environment/lithology:

• The sites are raised betweeen 10m and 70m by neotectonics.
• Leucitic tufites, paleosols (containing the archaeology and vertebrate faunas) and limno-marshy levels layered on Cerastoderma and Ostrea lamellosa brackish sandy beds.

Size class: macrofossils

Preservation: anthropogenic

Collection methods: The site was found by Dr Ernesto Longo in 1970. It was excavated between 1975-1978 by the Istituto di Antropologia e Paleontologia Umana dell'Universita di Pisa.

Primary reference: P. F. Cassoli, C. De Guili, A. M. Radmilli and A.G. Segre. 1982. Giacimento del Paleolitico inferiore a Malagrotta (Roma). Estratto dagli atti Della XXIII Riunione scientifica dell'Instituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria, Firenze 7-9 Maggio 1980 531-549 [A. Turner/H. O'Regan/S. Bruning]more details

Purpose of describing collection: archaeological analysis

PaleoDB collection 44090: authorized by Alan Turner, entered by Hannah O'Regan on 01.09.2004

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• There may be several levels of mammals mixed in this list. This is the preliminary report on the site. Highly fragmented, of 5850 specimens recovered only 70 were identifiable.
Show authors, comments, and common names
Mammalia
 Artiodactyla - Suidae
Sus sp.
Sus sp. Linnaeus 1758 pig
 Artiodactyla - Bovidae
Bos primigenius
Bos primigenius Bojanus 1827 ox
 Artiodactyla - Cervidae
Dama sp., Cervus cf. elephas
Dama sp. Frisch 1775 fallow deer
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
Equus caballus
Equus caballus Linnaeus 1758 horse
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
"Dicerorhinus cf. hemitoechus" = Stephanorhinus hemitoechus
"Dicerorhinus cf. hemitoechus" = Stephanorhinus hemitoechus Falconer 1868 rhinoceros
 Carnivora - Canidae
Canis cf. lupus
Canis cf. lupus Linnaeus 1758 gray wolf
 Lagomorpha - Leporidae
Oryctolagus sp.
Oryctolagus sp. Lilljeborg 1874 rabbit
 Rodentia - Castoridae
Castor sp.
Castor sp. Linnaeus 1758 beaver
 Proboscidea - Elephantidae
"Elephas antiquus" = Palaeoloxodon antiquus
"Elephas antiquus" = Palaeoloxodon antiquus Falconer and Cautley 1847 elephant
Aves
 Charadriiformes - Scolopacidae
Calidris temminckii
Calidris temminckii Leisler 1812 Temminck's stint
 Gruiformes - Rallidae
Rallus aquaticus
Rallus aquaticus Linnaeus 1758 water rail
 Anseriformes - Anatidae
"Anas penelope" = Mareca penelope, "Anas querquedula" = Spatula querquedula, Branta bernicla, Anser brachyrhynchus, Anas platyrhynchos, Anas acuta
"Anas penelope" = Mareca penelope Linnaeus 1758 Eurasian wigeon
"Anas querquedula" = Spatula querquedula Linnaeus 1758 garganey
Branta bernicla Linnaeus 1758 brant
Anser brachyrhynchus Baillon 1834 pink-footed goose
Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus 1758 mallard
Anas acuta Linnaeus 1758 northern pintail
Reptilia
 Galliformes - Phasianidae
Perdix perdix
Perdix perdix Linnaeus 1758 grey partridge