*2.1. Study Area*

The Cilento region (Figure 1) presents several cave human settlements embracing a wide period from the Paleolithic up to the Bronze Age [29]. Serratura Cave (hereafter abbreviated as SC, Figure 1, Figure S1), located in Camerota Bay (40◦00 N; 15◦22 E), belongs to the geological unit of Mt Bulgheria (1,225 m a.s.l.). The SC is located ca. 20 m inland from the coastline, at 2 m a.s.l. and has an area of ~70 m2. The cave preserves long-term Late Pleistocene–Holocene stratigraphic successions, which have a prominent position in the prehistoric framework of the southern Italian mainland [30,31].

**Figure 1.** Geographical position of the Serratura Cave on the coast of Cilento (southern Italy, 40◦00 N; 15◦22 E).

The current climate of Camerota Bay is subhumid thermo-Mediterranean. Temperatures never fall below 0 ◦C and the mean annual temperature is 14.8 ◦C (Capo Palinuro, 185 m a.s.l.). Precipitation has a mean annual value of 762 mm (referred to years 1958–1999) and is irregularly distributed throughout the year, with only 4.7% falling during the summer (July and August).

In the coastal sector, Mediterranean maquis dominates vegetation, with *Pistacia lentiscus*, *Phillyrea latifolia*, *Juniperus phoenicea*, *Euphorbia dendroides*, *Calicotome villosa*, *Spartium junceum Myrtus communis* and several *Cistus* species. In xeric sites degraded by recurrent wildfires, the tussock grass *Ampelodesmos mauritanicus* is the dominant species. Scattered large, old *Quercus pubescens* trees occur along the coast, whereas further inland, the vegetation is dominated by *Q. ilex*, accompanied by *P. latifolia* and *M. communis* and some deciduous species such as *Q. pubescens*, *Fraxinus ornus* and *Ostrya carpinifolia*. In the submontane and montane sector small *Q. pubescens* woods together with *Castanea sativa* and *Q. cerris* woods are present. From 1000 m a.s.l. up to the treeline, large *Fagus sylvatica* forests are found [32].
