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Paleolithic and Mesolithic Periods

The first human groups in Modena

300,000 years ago – 7th millennium B.C.

 

Evidence of the earliest human presence in the territory of Modena is found in chipped stone tools dating back to the Middle Paleolithic (a period ranging from 300,000 to 400,000 years ago) that were gathered on the surface of the hills south of the city. These finds bear witness to the presence of groups of individuals who lived in seasonal or temporary camps linked to the activities of hunting and gathering.

 

These first human groups are probably attributable to species preceding the Neanderthals or to their first manifestations, in the early part of the Middle Paleolithic. The famous statuette known as “Venus of Savignano” (28,000-24,000 years ago), which was sculpted by a Homo sapiens, dates back to the Upper Paleolithic and is one of the first known examples of artistic production in Italy and Europe. On exhibit is a replica of the original, which is held at the Museo delle Civiltà (Museum of Civilizations) in Rome. Similar in type to numerous other examples discovered in Europe, the statuette was created with a strong sculptural sensibility and is evidence of these populations’ particular interest in fertility and reproduction.

 

From the Mesolithic Period (11th – 7th millennia B.C.) there are small lithic artifacts, which were most likely fixed to wooden supports and used as arrows for hunting small animals that inhabited the area following the end of the last Ice Age.

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