The site of Arene Candide is a large cave located on the Ligurian coast of Italy near Savona. The site includes eight hearths, and the intentional burial of an adolescent male with a large number of grave goods, nicknamed "Il Principe" (The Prince), dated to the Upper Paleolithic (Gravettian) period.
The skeleton was found 6.7 meters below the current ground surface of the cave, lying on a bed of red ochre. The skull was surrounded by hundreds of perforated snail shells and deer canines, possibly a cap. Additional grave goods included shells, mammoth ivory pendants, elk antler batons; a 23-centimeter long flint blade was lying next to the right hand.
AMS radiocarbon dating of the Early Modern Human returned a dated of about 23,500 years ago. Stable isotope analysis of the skeletal materials suggests a diet that included at least 20-25% marine protein.
Arene Candide was excavated beginning in the 1940s, until they were interrupted by WWII. Excavations were continued in the 1990s. Il Principe himself is being conserved by the Museo di Archeologia Ligure.
Sources
A photograph of Il Principe is available on the Human Origins website. More information is also available on the Italian Caverna delle Arene Candide website.
Pettitt, P. B., M. Richards, R. Maggi, and V. Formicola 2003 The Gravettian burial known as the Prince ("Il Principe"): new evidence for his age and diet. Antiquity 77(295):15–19.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology.
