PALAEOLITHIC ARTIFACT TAPHONOMY IN TERRA ROSSA SITES AT NORTHWESTERN GREECE REVISITED: TWO NEW CASE STUDIES

Abstract

One of the great debates in the Palaeolithic research of SE Europe is the taphonomy of stone tools recovered from open-air sites associated with terra rossa deposits. Some researchers have claimed that Palaeolithic material can be found in situ in these formations, whereas others have excluded any such possibility. During the last fifteen years, excavations have brought to light a large number of lithic artifacts of Middle and Upper Palaeolithic age from the open-air sites of Eleftherochori 7 and Molondra, both located in terra rossa deposits in Thesprotia, NW Greece. The study of stratigraphic/spatial context along with the technology, typology, refitting potential, preservation, and surface alteration of these findings leads to clear conclusions about the taphonomy of the artifacts, indicating that at the case of Eleftherochori 7 and Molondra there is no evidence for any in situ recovery of stone tools. Despite this conclusion, we argue that each Palaeolithic open-air site located in terra rossa deposits should be considered as a unique case and conclusions drawn about the taphonomy of its findings should be based on the evaluation not only of geological but also of archaeological data.