Archaeologists excavating in Arne Canidde Cave have discovered evidence suggesting that humans may have engaged in ritualistic practices around 12,000 years ago.

The skeleton of a man was found at Arne Canidde Cave. The man’s head was surrounded by hundreds of perforated seashells.

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This discovery sheds new light on ancient burial practices and offers evidence of intentional fragmentation of objects in a ritual context over 5,000 years earlier than previously thought.

The Arne Canidde Cave, located in northwestern Italy, overlooks the Mediterranean and lies between Genoa and the French border. It contains a necropolis of some 20 adults and children. The cave is situated 90 meters above the sea in a steep cliff overlooking a picturesque quarry. Arne Canidde means “white sands,” referring to a sand dune that lies against the cliff.

In the 1940s, archaeologists became interested in the cave, and initial excavations were conducted.

In 1942, a spectacular Upper Palaeolithic (Gravettian) burial ornamented with shells was discovered at Arne Canidde. Nicknamed “Il Principé” (The Prince), the burial contained a skeleton of an adult man whose head was surrounded by hundreds of perforated shells and heaps of deer, probably arranged for their significance. The cave has given scientists a unique look at what life was like as far back as 40,000 years ago.

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Today, the Arne Canidde Cave is considered a reference site for the Neolithic and Palaeolithic periods in the western Mediterranean. Many intriguing finds have been made in the cave, but until now, no one bothered to investigate broken pebbles and learn if they were out of importance to our ancestors.

Researchers at the University of Montpellier, Arizona State University, and the University of Genoa have now examined 29 pebble fragments recovered from the cave, and they tell a very interesting story about ancient burial practices.

A study of the objects reveals that some 12,000 years ago, the flaked pebbles were brought up from the beach, used as spatulas to decorate the dead, then broken and discarded.

The intent could have been to “kill” the tools, thereby destroying the evidence of intentional fragmentation of objects in a ritual context by up to 5,000 years, said the study’s lead author Claudine Gravel-Miguel, a PhD candidate at Arizona State’s School of Human Evolution and Social Change, in Tempe.

“The next oldest evidence dates to the Neolithic period in Central Europe, about 8,000 years ago. Others date to somewhere between 11,000 and 13,000 years ago when people in Liguria were still hunter-gatherers.”

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The Arne Canidde Cave, an archaeological site, holds evidence of intentional fragmentation of objects that dates back around 12,000 years. Researchers from the University of Montpellier, Arizona State University, and the University of Genoa have examined 29 pebble fragments from the cave, which were used as spatulas in ancient burial practices and subsequently broken and discarded.

This intentional destruction of objects serves to eliminate evidence of the ritual use of these pebbles, potentially extending back in history up to 5,000 years before previous evidence. The broken pebbles might have been an intentional act to “kill” the tools, removing them from the context of ritual use.

These findings are significant as they shed light on the intentional practices of ancient people, potentially connecting back to prehistoric rituals and beliefs. Ancient burial practices are often more complex than previously thought, and this research expands our understanding of the symbolic and ritual aspects of ancient cultures.

If you have any more questions or need further information, feel free to ask.