Inside the Basùra Caveoverall Caves of Toirano (Savona), a research group interdisciplinary all Italian (funded by the National Geographic Society) has identified the oldest known traces of coexistence between a human group and a dog during prehistory. The study used as a technique theichnologyor the study of footprints.
The sediment in question is already interesting in itself. Through dating to radiocarbon of organic material present in it, it was possible to date it to approximately 14,400 years agoin the midst of the Upper Paleolithic. It was probably a sediment muddyon which footprints were left by gods canids and from gods human beings. Later this plan was covered and sealed by further sediments and concretions, which allowed the footprints to be preserved until today. The section of the cave in question is known as “Corridor of Footprints“, and to walk along it it was necessary at one point to bend down.
First, it was demonstrated that canine and human footprints were left at the same time: they in fact present mutual overlaps in all directions. The canid footprints detected are 25, and according to the researchers who carried out the study they were left by a single individualprobably following the human group (which also included children) who explored this cave more than 14,000 years ago.
It is not possible to distinguish whether it was a wolf or a dogbut it is certain that the animal was found together with humans, suggesting a relationship of domestication. The individual had to be of large size: based on the shape and depth of the footprints it was possible to estimate that it weighed approximately 39kgand was tall 70 cm at the withers.
To analyze i patterns in the footprints left by this individual, the contribution of the neoichnologyor the study of footprints of living animals: the researchers made walking 14 large dogs on a sediment similar to that of the surface of the Basùra Cave from 14,000 years ago, to identify movements or recurring directions.
The footprints of this canid, associated with those of a human group, are of great importance. It’s about the first certain proof of contemporary coexistence of a human group with a canid probably domesticated.
Although remains of dogs or protodogs in association with much more ancient inhabited contexts are known in different parts of the world, the footprints of the Basùra Cave demonstrate for the first time the human being and the wolf, or domesticated dog, performing an action together, such as exploring a cave.
