This bone corresponds to the right mandible of an Ursus spelaeus, the “cave bear”, one of the many megafaunal species that became extinct during the Late Pleistocene in Europe, about 24000 years ago.
The bone was collected by the geologist Arturo Issel at the site “Caverna delle fate”, close to Finale Ligure (44°10′08.66″N 8°20′36.73″E), Liguria, Italy.
The discovery of this archaeological site is due to Captain Enrico Alberto D’Albertis, who pointed out its importance to other researchers, such as Padre Giovanni Battista Amerano and A. Issel, who started the first systematic explorations of the cave. They collected hundreds of prehistoric artifacts and large quantities of animal and human bones. Among these, 16 fragments from older levels have been ascribed to Homo neanderthaliensis.
The item has always been part of the former collections of the Geological Museum, now included in the DISTAV collections at the University of Genoa.
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