European Kingdoms

The archaeological cultures of the Italian Mesolithic can be categorised by region, starting with northern and Alpine Italy where the Sauveterrian held sway during the early Mesolithic. This is characterised primarily by microlithic assemblages which include geometric shapes such as triangles and double-backed points. Sites extend across the Po valley and the Alpine arc, such as the famous Mondeval de Sora site.

The Castelnovian emerged in the late Mesolithic in central and southern Italy, during what is known as the 'Atlantic period' between about 6500-5500 BC at the height of the post-glacial thermal maximum. This culture is known for indirect percussion pressure flaking, and is defined particularly by the appearance of 'trapezes' which largely replaced earlier armatures.

In central-southern Italy the situation is much less clear, being characterised by several industries rather than confirmed regional cultures. The 'Undifferentiated Epipalaeolithic' involves a widespread tradition of expedient stone tool manufacturing which persisted on the peninsula and in Corsica and Sardinia.

Sauveterrian-like industries are evolved adaptations of the forms of the Sauveterrian culture. These are found in central-southern regions. The localised Epiromanellian culture was focussed specifically in southern Apulia (around Salento). Its archaeological finds are characterised by abundant hyper-micro circular end-scrapers and backed tools.

Sicily had its own Epigravettian tradition of microlithic facies, continuing to produce specific microlithic and geometric tools even as the main Epigravettian faded out in the early Mesolithic period, and managing to co-exist with the Undifferentiated Epipalaeolithic and Sauveterrian-like industries. As on the mainland, Sicily experienced a later transition to the Castelnovian-like industries which utilised trapeze-format technology.

Around 8000 BC a very young baby girl was buried with great care. Dental analysis suggested that she lived only for around forty or fifty days before being laid to rest in a shallow pit in Arma Veirana cave in Liguria, north-western Italian territory of the Sauveterrian. This rare Mesolithic female infant burial was believed to be the earliest of its kind to be found in Europe.

Mesolithic populations in Italy were highly adaptable, employing mixed subsistence strategies which included hunting, fishing, and gathering. The region's diverse landscapes provided abundant plant and animal life. Coastal groups relied heavily on marine resources, utilising fish, shellfish, and other sea life for their survival. Inland groups took advantage of the rich terrestrial biodiversity, hunting game such as deer and wild boar and gathering a variety of edible plants.

Communities were typically small, semi-sedentary, and organised into bands or tribes. Such groups established seasonal campsites, moving periodically to exploit different resources. Evidence of Mesolithic settlements has been found in sites as diverse as caves, rock shelters, and open-air sites. Important archaeological sites include the caves of Liguria (later home to the Ligurian people) in north-western Italy and around Lake Garda, where rich deposits reveal much about the lifestyles of these peoples.

The Mesolithic gradually gave way to the Neolithic as agricultural practices began to infiltrate into Italy, brought in by migrating Neolithic Farmer communities or through gradual adoption by indigenous groups. By the end of the Mesolithic the stage was set for one of the most profound of cultural transformations as sedentary farming communities replaced mobile hunter-gatherer groups.