Small pine branches, illuminated individually or bundled together, were used to navigate the profound darkness of caverns. This was the answer used by human tribes around 14,000 years ago at the Bàsura Cave in Toirano, Liguria. This was uncovered by a multidisciplinary study published in the journal Quaternary International, which included Elisabetta Starnini, a Prehistory and Protohistory professor at the University of Pisa's Department of Civilizations and Forms of Knowledge. The study examined archaeobotanical remains, pollen, charred fragments, and traces left on the floor and walls of the Bàsura Cave, one of the most important European Paleolithic sites, which contains fossilized human footprints, animal habitation traces, and marks left on the walls by small human groups accompanied by a canid. The investigation revealed that the charred fragments were small pine branch remains, measuring less than 2-3 centimeters in diameter, that were employed as a light source. The examination was supplemented by an experimental archaeology test carried out in a neighboring cave to avoid contaminating the ancient site. Researchers confirmed in the field that tiny twigs could offer enough light to safely travel the underground passages while also reducing oxygen consumption and glare created by larger flames. It is estimated that about twenty 30-centimeter-long "torches" would be required to cover the full length of the cave. The study also revealed fresh information about the environment at the time: pollen analysis revealed that the area surrounding the cave was characterized by scant pine trees interspersed with grassy steppes typical of cold, arid conditions.