UNITA

The University of Turin hosts the exhibition I primi custodi della memoria - Le sepolture nel Paleolitico (The First Guardians of Memory: Burials in the Paleolithic), showcasing the collection of casts of Paleolithic burials from the Museum of Human Anatomy at UniTO. The exhibition will then be presented at the partner universities of UNITA as part of the Alliance's Cultural Heritage activities. The exhibition, running until March 14, 2025, features casts of intentional burials from the Paleolithic era. These casts provide valuable insights into how populations of that time approached the death of a fellow human. Funerary practices offer a unique opportunity to explore the deeper elements of human thought during a period preceding the emergence of artistic expression. The death rituals of the Paleolithic era were not driven by material necessities but by concerns of a different nature, often reflecting beliefs about the fate of an individual—or their body—after death. For this reason, they represent a significant milestone in the social history of humanity, shedding light on the life of the deceased and their community. The Turin collection of casts of prehistoric burials, partially created in Turin and partially acquired from other laboratories, is the most significant of its kind on an international level. To highlight the uniqueness of these artifacts, the UNITA Alliance has designed this exhibition, starting at the University of Turin and later traveling to the partner universities of the UNITA project as part of the Alliance's Cultural Heritage initiatives. The exhibition is open to the public from January 16 at 6:00 PM to March 14, 2025, in the Sala Principe d’Acaia at the Palazzo del Rettorato (via Verdi 8/via Po 17, Turin). Information: https://www.unito.it/eventi/i-primi-custodi-della-memoria-le-sepolture-nel-paleolitico