The presence of Homo in Sicily: evidence, hypotheses and uncorroborated ideas. An archaeo-anthropological perspective

Claudia Portaro; Elena Varotto; Luca Sineo; Francesco M. Galassi

doi:10.18778/1898-6773.87.1.07

Authors

Claudia Portaro FAPAB Research Center, Avola (SR), Italy
Elena Varotto FAPAB Research Center, Avola (SR), Italy; Archaeology, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6637-9402
Luca Sineo Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), Palermo, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8634-2295
Francesco M. Galassi University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Anthropology, Lodz, Poland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1898-6773.87.1.07

Keywords:

archaeology, caves, chronology, Homo, palaethnology, peopling, prehistory, Sicily

Abstract

This article summarises the main findings and data on the ancient peopling of the Mediterranean island of Sicily through an archaeo-anthropological perspective. The hypothesis surrounding the presence of the Lower Palaeolithic in Sicily with more ancestral species of Homo is also extensively reviewed and it is explained why there are not sufficient elements to maintain it. Finally, future multidisciplinary proposals are made to fill the gap on Sicilian cave archaeology.

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