Early European evidence of artificial cranial modification from the Italian Late Upper Palaeolithic Arene Candide Cave

Abstract

This study reports on early Eurasian evidence of artificial cranial modification (ACM) in a Late Upper Palaeolithic (LUP) individual (AC12) from Arene Candide Cave, Italy (ca. 12,620–12,190 Cal BP). We used virtual anthropology and geometric morphometrics to compare AC12’s cranial morphology with LUP, Mesolithic, and Neolithic Italian specimens, pathologically modified individuals, and a global sample of ACM cases. Our analyses consistently demonstrate a strong affinity between AC12 and the ACM group, distinct from other comparative samples. Statistical analyses confirm AC12 as a clear outlier for non-ACM groups, with high probabilities of belonging to the ACM cluster. This discovery provides evidence suggesting an earlier origin of ACM on the continent, confirming that this globally distributed practice has Palaeolithic roots. Situated within a complex LUP funerary site, this finding illuminates the deep antiquity of culturally mediated body modification and its role in signifying ascribed identity within ancient hunter-gatherer societies.