The New Neanderthal Fossil Sample from Grotta Guattari, Monte Circeo (Italy): A Preliminary Synopsis

Grotta Guattari is a prehistoric site on the Tyrrhenian coast of central Italy, approximately one hundred kilometers southeast of Rome. It has been renowned for the discovery in 1939 of a well-preserved Neanderthal cranium and two mandibles. After eighty years, recent excavations conducted between 2019 and 2023 have brought to light im-portant new discoveries, revealing significant geological, paleontological, and archaeological evidence. These dis-coveries provide insights into the site’s stratigraphy and chronology, dating back between 121.5±5.8 and 65.0±2.8 thousand years ago. The human fossil sample now includes 22 elements, some of which are almost complete, while others are fragmentary. The collection encompasses 11 cranial remains, 4 postcranial bones, and 7 dental specimens, which in some cases can be traced back to the same individual with certainty; they are thus numbered, in order of discovery, from Guattari 1 to Guattari 18. This paper systematizes, contextualizes, and briefly describes the entire sample to facilitate future analytical and comparative studies, as well as their long-term conservation. The preliminary results presented in this paper confirm the exceptional significance of Grotta Guattari. Taken to-gether, the human fossil sample from this site represents the largest Neanderthal fossil collection ever discovered in Italy. They provide valuable evidence for understanding Neanderthal morphology and human evolution in Europe, the exploitation of the region by Neanderthals of the Late Pleistocene, as well as the taphonomy and site formation processes.