Review of the animal figures in the Palaeolithic rock art of the Romito shelter. New discoveries, new data and new perspectives

This paper presents the results of a recent systematic review of the zoomorphic figures of the Romito shelter, a key site for Upper Palaeolithic rock art and one of the best-preserved in Europe. The research led to the discovery of two new animal figures and re-examines the chronology of the rock art evidence and the chrono-stylistic data. The zoomorphic figures are discussed within the wider chrono-cultural frame of Magdalenian figurative productions, casting new light on the Palaeolithic rock art phenomenon of southern Italy. This seems to go beyond the fixed limits of the ‘Mediterranean artistic province’, being part of the bigger contemporary picture of the Magdalenian cultures and extended over a broader territory.