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In the Grotta di Fumane (GdF), five figuratively painted vault fragments were found in the debris of the cave floor. Dating to 35,000 B.P., the paintings are among the oldest known paintings in Europe. The paintings have been dated to an early phase of the Aurignacian. This should explain the "primitive" character of the works. We interpret the paintings as very accurate depictions of geophytes with an emphasis on their underground storage organs. Since the taxa presented here are also used in present-day HG communities, we conclude that there was a corresponding use by the inhabitants of Grotta di Fumane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the relationship between stone tool technology and Late Pleistocene hominins has been one of the most fundamental questions within the field of human evolution. While this question has traditionally been addressed through the technological and typological study of lithic remains, improvements in detecting and identifying stone tool residues offer new avenues for reconstructing Late Pleistocene stone tool technologies. However, the possible contribution of stone tool residues in the reconstruction of Late Pleistocene stone tool technologies remains unclear due to unsolved methodological issues. The remaining issues include uncertainties concerning the exact role of optical microscopy, the effect of the depositional context on residue preservation and the effect of (post-)excavation treatment. This paper explores the possible contribution of stone tool residues through a large-scale residue analysis of a lithic assemblage from Grotta di Fumane, including stone tools from Middle and Upper Palaeolithic layers. Including different microscopic techniques, lithics from different depositional contexts and treated through different (post-)excavation procedures allowed the verification of the effects of all these variables on the possible contribution of residues for reconstructing Late Pleistocene technologies. The results indicate that all these variables play a role in interpreting stone tool residues and should be considered crucial elements of a residue analysis protocol. • Residue analysis providied unique high-resolution details about Late Pleistocene stone tool hominin behaviour. • Residues linked with production, hafting, or tool use could be observed on the lithic assemblage of Grotta di Fumane. • Anthropogenic sedimentation is one of the primary sources for the environmental residue deposition. • A profound understanding of the burial context is crucial for interpreting stone tool residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]