ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE OF THE LIGURIAN PREHISTORIC MEN DURING OIS 3

The replacement of the Neanderthals by Homo sapiens sapiens in Europe occurs at the same time than the cultural transition from the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic. This phenomenon took place during oxygen isotope stage 3 (ca. 50-25 ka) in the climatic fluctuating stadial/interstadial context of the Weichselian glaciation. Actual vegetation and climate distributions all-over the continent of Europe is very varied and reliable transfers to OIS 3 must be ascribed to small geographical areas. The Ligurian area is examined is this poster. Numerous pollen analyses from Ligurian archaeological deposits focusing on this period allow to present direct landscape data of this biological and cultural transition. But these data are always discontinuous and they must be closely correlated with long continuous pollen sequences from lacustrine or peaty deposits in order to present reliable reconstructions of palaeoenvironment and palaeoclimate. The environmental background synchronous of the transition will offer an exhaustive vision of the replacement phenomenon.