Tools on shell at Moscerini Cave (central Italy) and MIS 5 sea level highstands: a critical insight into the modern behavior of a non-sapiens human species

This work analyzes the evidence of Neanderthal frequentation at Moscerini cave (central Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) based on the quantity and on the typology of tools produced on marine shells of Callista chione in comparison with the varying environmental and climatic context linked with the glacial/deglacial phases and the associated sea level oscillations during MIS 5. Thanks to the reconstruction of the paleo-coastline position in the interval 125—100 kya achieved by the recent chronostratigraphic study of Guattari, Capre and Moscerini caves and of the marine terraces along the coast between Cape Circeo and Anzio, we show the direct correspondence of the production of tools on shell with the timespans in which the cave entrance opened on the beach, directly. Finally, we highlight that production of tools on shell ended abruptly, during the regressive phase leading to MIS 5b lowstand, when the sea level dropped several tens of meters below the cave entrance. This case study provides critical reflections on the alleged modern behavior of Neanderthals.