The data obtained from the technological analysis indicate that in the lithic assemblage of S.U. 14 of the Ciota Ciara cave, rhyolite and radiolarite have the same role of complementary lithic resources. As shown by previous technological studies (Arzarello et al. 2012; Daffara et al. 2021), local raw materials and in particular vein quartz and spongolite, that are the most represented in the assemblage (Table 1), are exploited according to reduction strategies that can be considered as expeditive: the knapper takes advantage of natural convexities and surfaces present on vein quartz pebbles and spongolite slabs to obtain flakes with cutting edges, no matter shape and dimensions of the final blanks. Even Levallois and discoid knapping strategies are developed according to this opportunistic behaviour and are characterized by a low technological investment in the phase of core shaping and maintenance. Concerning rhyolite, the observations made about the opportunistic component of the lithic industry, show some similarities concerning the shortness of the reduction sequences and the use of not prepared surfaces. On the other hand, radiolarite Levallois flakes indicate the presence of a certain degree of core configuration, even if an accurate reconstruction of the different reduction strategies is not achievable due to the reduced number of radiolarite blanks and the complete absence of cores. The main factor determining these technological differences in the treatment of the different rocks, observed also when the local grey flint is involved (Daffara et al. 2021), is the adaptation of the reduction sequences to the characteristics of the raw materials (Mourre 1994; de Lombera-Hermida 2009; Tallavaara et al. 2010). If we put local rocks on one side and allochthonous rocks on the other, from a technological point of view the main difference lies in the frequency of use of retouching (Fig. 9). On local raw materials retouch is poorly represented and when present it consist of just one and slightly invasive phase of edge modification. For rhyolite and radiolarite, the rejuvenation and modification of the tools edges is far more frequent and suggest a repeated and intense use of these tools. In addition, the presence in S.U. 14 of several retouch flakes indicates that the use and rejuvenation of rhyolite and radiolarite tools took place quite frequently in the site, even if local rocks are abundant and easily available in the immediate surroundings of the Ciota Ciara cave.
The functional analysis of the lithic artefacts issued from the exploitation of allochthonous raw materials confirms the intense use of these tools and allowed to recognize the activities carried out with them, highlighting what seems to be some preferential choice to develop specific activities. The considered assemblage is characterized by a fair variety of activities which can be mainly traced back to two practices: 1. the processing of animal carcasses (i.e., slaughtering activities, filleting of flesh masses, skin working, scraping of fresh bone); 2. the exploitation of vegetal resources, which are represented by the processing of dry and fresh wood and by herbaceous plants working. In addition to these activities, it is also attested the processing of animal materials: some use-wears, based on the comparison with the experimental collection, have been interpreted as belonging to the processing of dry hard animal materials and, probably, dry skin. Observing the recognized activities in relation to the type of raw material used (Fig. 10–11), it is possible to note a prevalence of longitudinal actions on hard material concerning radiolarite artefacts. This type of activity refers to operations of cut and confirms the tendency to use radiolarite for this kind of working. Indeed, as we observed during the experimentation, the edges of rhyolite flakes tend to break soon if used on hard materials, thus making this raw material less effective than radiolarite for these activities. In general, the rhyolite flakes have less use-wear traces than those made in radiolarite (Table 4–5). During the experimental activity it was observed that the performance of the rhyolite flakes was always inferior to that of flint blanks, i.e., it was more difficult to complete all the planned activities with the rhyolite implements, compared to the same actions carried out with flint. This consideration could explain why the archaeological rhyolite flakes are less intensely exploited than those in radiolarite. In the analyzed archaeological record, four artefacts show traces referable to different processed materials (three unretouched flakes in radiolarite and one unretouched flake in rhyolite). The presence of this type of "complex" traces corresponds to a repeated use of the object, characteristic suggested also by the technological data that underline a more intense exploitation of lithic products in allochthonous raw material if compared to vein quartz or spongolite artefacts (Arzarello et al. 2012; Daffara et al. 2021).
However, the fact that an object has been used for different activities does not imply that it was conceived as part of a mobile toolkit (Kuhn, 1994). On the other hand, functional versatility, transportability and the potential life of the object are the three variables, that in relation to each other, in terms of costs/benefits, contribute to define toolkits in the archaeological records (e.g. Cahen et al. 1979; Cahen and Keeley 1980; Kuhn 1992, 1994; Stiner and Kuhn 1992; Porraz 2009; Romagnoli et al. 2018; Shimelmitz and Kuhn 2018; Martín-Viveros et al. 2020; Picin et al. 2020).
As mentioned before, the concept of toolkit is linked to the behavior, common in Paleolithic hunter-gatherer groups, of carrying a limited number of tools, necessary for various needs, during short or long journeys (Delagnes and Meignen 2006).
At the Ciota Ciara cave the functional versatility is attested by the large number of traces of use identified on rhyolite and radiolarite artefacts (Table 4); moreover, it is interesting to note that the set of use-wears present on these finds covers most of the activities identified in the functional study of the lithic artefacts made in local rocks. The results of that study indicate that flakes and retouched tools made in local rocks (vein quartz, spongolite and grey flint) were mainly used to perform butchering activities and secondly for the processing of vegetal materials, with no differences between unretouched flakes and retouched tools or among blanks issued from different knapping methods (Daffara et al. 2021). Tools and flakes made in allochthonous rocks were used to carry out the same activities that were completed with the artifacts made of local raw materials. This data are comparable to those reported in the study conducted on the toolkit coming from the M level of Abric Romaní, where, beside a differential degree of use-intensity between the imported tools and those knapped at the site, no functional differences have been identified concerning the performed tasks (Martín-Viveros et al. 2020).
Concerning portability, it is realistic to suppose that the general reduced dimensions of the allochthonous lithic industry (Fig. 6) represent an advantage in terms of weight (Kuhn 1994). The presence of use-wears also on very small flakes confirms the intense exploitation of the artefacts made in allochthonous raw materials, particularly radiolarite, and indicates that small flakes were commonly used to complete different tasks.
According to the model developed by S. Kuhn (Stiner and Kuhn 1992; Kuhn 1994), the most durable tools with the greatest possible use are those that allow, through retouching, to revive the functional margins, and therefore to be used longer before the flake runs out. This study identified traces of use on over half of the retouch flakes analyzed (57%) and no recurrent association of activities was found: this data confirms the functional variability of those retouched tools. Considering all these data together, we can realistically suppose that rhyolite and radiolarite blanks were introduced in the site as part of the mobile toolkit of the Neanderthal groups that inhabited the Ciota Ciara cave during the deposition of the SU 14. But in what form were these products introduced to the site? To answer this tricky question, several elements need to be considered. Kuhn hypothesizes two possible models: the first that foresees the working on the place of extraction to have finished objects; the second supposes the extraction and transport of cores that allow, subsequently, to obtain flakes that were used for immediate purposes and re-sharpened as needed (Kuhn 1994; Shimelmitz and Kuhn 2018). The technological study carried out led to the identification of only one rhyolite core, while no radiolarite cores are attested in the assemblage. Debris, which presence suggests the practice of knapping activities in the site, are also very few (Table 2), while it is well attested the presence and use of retouched tools and retouch flakes (Table 3-5-6). As for the retouch flakes, a refitting between two of them was also identified, thus confirming that the use and rejuvenation of tools in allochthonous rocks were also performed in the site. Probably, the presence of debris should be linked to these activities than to core exploitation. The functional study conducted also indicates the use of small, unretouched flakes, of which 15 are recurrent centripetal Levallois flakes. We can then hypothesize the transport within the site of finished products in the form of small, unretouched flakes and retouched tools, and, just sporadically, of small cores. The significative presence of Levallois radiolarite flakes in the Ciota Ciara toolkit is particularly interesting as the presence of this type of product in the toolkits has already been reported by other scholars and for different European Middle Palaeolithic contexts (Jaubert et al. 1990; Stiner and Kuhn 1992; Kuhn 1994; Henry 1995; Hovers 2009; Moncel et al. 2014; Picin and Carbonell 2016; Turq et al. 2017; Shimelmitz and Kuhn 2018): Levallois blanks and retouched tools made on them seems to be commonly transported over long distances, more frequently than other kind of artefacts, probably because they are usually thin and light and for that more suitable for transport.
A final question concerns the contextualization of the technological features observed at the Ciota Ciara cave in the broad debate opposing curated and planned technologies on one side and expedient technologies on the other. As observed by S. Kuhn (1992) the movement of lithic artefacts over long distances could reflect the existence of a planned strategy but other information are needed to clearly state the nature of the planned behaviour. He also underlines that if the artefacts made in allochthonous rocks present in a site are just highly portable blanks like tools and small cores, then they probably represent the usual movement and discard of curated toolkits (Kuhn 1992). This seems to be the case of the Cota Ciara cave, where the exotic component of the lithic assemblage of S.U. 14 is composed by small flakes, retouched tools and one small core. However, there is an important factor that we should consider and that concerns lithic raw materials. In the surrounding of the site knappable rocks are easily and abundantly available in different sizes and morphologies: vein quartz pebbles and blocks, spongolite slabs (Daffara et al. 2019). The main issues with this rocks is the scarce control on the result of knapping activity, due to the frequent presence of internal cleavage planes, and the short functional life of the edges of the tools made in this rocks (Arzarello et al. 2012; Daffara et al. 2021). Here we should focus the attention for the interpretation of the exotic component of the lithic assemblage here considered. The lithic assemblage of S.U. 14 is the result of several and repeated human frequentations, probably of seasonal nature; as already pointed out (Daffara et al. 2021) the general technological behaviour can be defined as expedient, being clearly characterized by a low technological investment in all the phases of the reduction sequences (i.e. core configuration, blanks production, core maintenance, tool manufacture rejuvenation). In this context, the introduction in the site of unretouched flakes and of tools made in allochthonous and better-quality rocks could be interpreted as a planned behaviour, aimed at satisfying the need for more durable and efficient tools during the periods of staying at the Ciota Ciara cave. Obviously it is not possible to exclude that the pink-red colour of the two rocks could constitute an "unusually beautiful" element for the Neanderthals who occupied the cave (Moncel et al. 2012; Radovčić et al. 2016). That is, it is not possible to exclude that there was also an aesthetic component in the choice.