Nota preliminare sulla fauna del Neolitico antico di Grotta Mora Cavorso (Jenne, Lazio)

Since 2006 the Cave of Mora Cavorso, located near Jenne (Rome, Central Italy), has been object of archaeological investigations. Some lithic artefacts, a greenstone axe, pott ery and faunal remains have been recorded fr om two separate internal chambers (upper room and lower room) with human remains, some of them articulated and others many fr agmented and found in isolation, referable to at least 21 individuals. Th is funerary practice is referred to the early Neolithic by pott ery and the radiometric dating. Associated with the Neolithic human remains the remains of sheep, goat and/or sheep, ox, dog and red deer have been identifi ed. other remains of hare, rodents, bats and birds (small size) were recovered fr om the same horizon, but plausible natural input. Th e age at death of the domestic animals suggests a human occupation of the cave fr om the spring to the autumn. In the lower room, under the early Neolithic layer, another layer characterised by red deer remains and charcoal fr agments and various ashes spots has been found. Finally, other layers of human presence with domestic and wild species remains, human bones, pott ery and lithic artefacts dated fr om the upper Palaeolithic to the Middle Age have been identifi ed in some trenches carried out in the various parts of the cave.