Arma Veirana is a cave located in the region of Liguria in northwestern Italy and preserves occupations from both Neanderthal and early modern humans. The site was excavated between 2015-2018, and is under the direction of a collaborative group from the University of Genoa, University of Montreal, University of Colorado Denver, University of Colorado Anschutz, University of Ferrara, University of Tubingen, University of Bologna, Arizona State University, and Washington University.
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A primary objective of paleoanthropology is to understand why modern humans were able to colonize the world while archaic contemporaries (including Neandertals) disappeared. Recent genetic and archaeological data indicate that the processes underlying “modern human origins” were complex and may have varied considerably by region. Italy’s Pleistocene record includes among the latest persisting Mousterian assemblages, which are generally associated with Neandertals in Europe, as well as some of the earliest European modern human sites. Thus, Italy is of critical importance for understanding the timing and nature of this population transition as modern humans dispersed from Africa across Europe.
Researchers use innovative technologies to ensure that the site is excavated in a manner consistent with modern standards and retain the fullest extent of data. This includes the 3D coordinate collection of all artifacts, digital photography of all excavated layers, geoarchaeological, zooarchaeological, and lithic analyses, and digital data curation.
Modern human remains dating to ~13,000 have been recovered from the site.