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Abstract

We present 3D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) imaging of the archaeological deposits at Arma
Veirana cave (northern Italy), to date only partially explored. The archaeological importance of the cave is due to the
presence of a rich Mousterian layer, traces of Late Upper Palaeolithic (Epigravettian) temporary occupations and an
Early Mesolithic burial of a female newborn. ERT is rarely employed in Palaeolithic cave contexts because
Palaeolithic remains are typically disseminated in loose deposits and either do not possess high electrical resistivity
contrasts or are too small to be detected. Furthermore, some issues can derive from the confined environment in
caves. In this view, our study represents an opportunity to assess the capability of this geophysical method to retrieve
subsurface information of Palaeolithic cave deposits and create a framework for the improvement of ERT applications
in such a peculiar cave context. The aim of this study was to define the features of the deposits (i.e. geometry,
thickness and sediment distribution) and to map the morphology of the underlying bedrock. Results reveal that the
thickness of the deposits varies both along the primary axis of the cave and transverse to it. This study allowed the
recognition of shallow, meter‐sized, fine‐grained sediment‐filled structures with a longitudinal orientation with
respect to the primary axis of the cave, as well as a possible erosional‐like structure. The cross‐validation of
geophysical results with the archaeological evidence (the Early Mesolithic newborn burial and Epigravettian artefacts)
confirms that the low‐resistivity unit could be the most promising from an archaeological point of view.