Romito 9: A new Palaeolithic burial from Grotta del Romito (Calabria, Italy)

During recent excavations at Grotta del Romito (Papasidero, northern Calabria, Italy), a new Upper Palaeolithic burial—designated Romito 9—was identified. The burial pit had been partially disturbed ab antiquo, resulting in an altered depositional context. The burial pertains to a female individual, approximately 11–12 years of age, and is associated with an archaeological layer dated to 16,129 ± 100 uncal BP (19,809–19,157 cal BP, 2σ), corresponding to the evolved phase of the local Epigravettian culture. Romito 9 presents a richly furnished burial, featuring the use of red ochre and abundant ornamentation. It represents the earliest known funerary evidence chronologically positioned between the Gravettian burials of Italy and those of the Final Epigravettian. This intermediate position underscores the continuity of complex ceremonial traditions characteristic of the Gravettian, prior to the ritual simplification documented in southern Italy during the Final Epigravettian. The individual, likely a prepubertal female at the time of death, exhibits dental dimensions more closely aligned with Middle Upper Palaeolithic (MUP) individuals than with those from the Late Upper Palaeolithic (LUP). Her estimated adult stature would have exceeded that of Romito's LUP adult females by approximately 20 cm, approaching the maximum values recorded for LUP females and aligning closely with the average stature of LUP adult males from the site. Given the paucity of comparative data for LUP individuals of the same age range, her body proportions and overall dimensions appear to be more consistent with MUP populations. A meticulous excavation strategy, combined with detailed post-excavation analysis of the funerary context, facilitated the reconstruction of both taphonomic and post-depositional processes. This work further enabled the creation of a visual model illustrating the original position of the buried individual and portions of the associated ornamentation.