Trentino a long time ago: archaeozoology and the discovery of alpine fauna of the last 50,000 years

With Nicola Nannini and Alex Fontana | MUSE, Research and Museum Collections Office.

Cave bears, moose, giant deer, beavers and otters used to populate the valleys of Trentino.

This area, in prehistoric times, was inhabited by animals, which were very different from those found today.

Researchers examine these species to understand the evolution of the fauna over millennia, from the last Neanderthal communities to the agro-pastoral communities that inhabited the pile-dwelling villages 4,000 years ago.

This research, called archeozoological, allows us to reconstruct the complex relationship between humans and animals in these alpine settings and landscapes.