Archaeological investigation of Circum-Alpine lake, or pile, dwellings has afforded unprecedented... more Archaeological investigation of Circum-Alpine lake, or pile, dwellings has afforded unprecedented insight into Neolithic and Bronze Age societies. The discovery in 1989 of a submerged settlement near Rome added an early (eighth millennium BP) geographical outlier to this distribution. Two decades of excavation at La Marmotta have identified more than a dozen dwellings and an enormous assemblage of organic remains. Here, the authors present an overview of the textiles, basketry and cordage recovered, and the tools used to manufacture them. The assemblage paints a more complete picture of the technological expertise of Neolithic societies and their ability to exploit and process plant materials to produce a wide range of crafts.
Recent excavations at Palù di Livenza (northeastern Italy) revealed a multiphase Neolithic pile d... more Recent excavations at Palù di Livenza (northeastern Italy) revealed a multiphase Neolithic pile dwelling dated between ca. 4,300/4200 and 3,600 cal BC. Three lumps with teeth imprints and a larger amorphous piece from the Late Neolithic layers have been studied by X-ray computed micro-tomography (microCT) and synchrotron Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). FTIR spectra match well that of birch bark tar and microCT of the larger piece has revealed a rolled-up structure likely corresponding to bark rolls. The lumps of birch pitch were probably chewed to soften the tar prior to be used as hafting adhesive or therapeutic substance. The rolled-up inner structure of the larger piece and the remains of birch bark tar and abundant charcoals on its surface suggest it probably corresponds to a rare waste product from allothermic tar production.
Tra il 2013 e il 2014 nella bassa pianura bergamasca sono state riportate alla luce otto tombe. L... more Tra il 2013 e il 2014 nella bassa pianura bergamasca sono state riportate alla luce otto tombe. Le cinque del nucleo al centro dell\u2019area avevano tutte apprestamenti lignei e oggetti di corredo (anche offerte alimentari); si inquadrano alla fine del VI secolo e sembrano rimandare a una famiglia (adulto maschile e bambini) con rituale funerario chiaramente alloctono e di cultura germanica. Altre tre sepolture in fossa terragna semplice ai limiti dell\u2019area potrebbero essere coeve, ma di individui di origini, cultura o status differente. A poche centinaia di metri si localizza il ritrovamento ottocentesco della grande necropoli nota come \u201cfornovo San Giovanni\u201d, podere Cantacucco, in realt\ue0 nel comprensorio comunale di Caravaggio, fraz. Masano.In 2013 and 2014 in the Po Plain south of Bergamo eight tombs were brought to light. The five in a group at the centre of the area contained wooden structures and grave goods (and food offerings); they date to the late 6th ce...
La alimentación en el mundo fenicio-púnico: producciones, procesos y consumos, 2020, ISBN 978-84-472-2932-1, págs. 253-274, 2020
Nell’ambito delle ricerche condotte dall’Università degli Studi di Padova presso l’area del cd. T... more Nell’ambito delle ricerche condotte dall’Università degli Studi di Padova presso l’area del cd. Tempio romano di Nora, è stato possibile indagare due contesti di età fenicia e punica di notevole rilevanza per lo studio dell’alimentazione fenicia e punica in Sardegna: un impianto produttivo costituito da un’anfora segata e reimpiegata per la lavorazione o lo stoccaggio della pece (prima metà del VI sec. a.C.) e un forno tannur in straordinario stato di conservazione (II-I sec. a.C.). Le analisi archeobotaniche condotte dal laboratorio di Archeobiologia dei Musei Civici di Como hanno permesso di identificare i combustibili impiegati e tracce dei resti alimentari di origine vegetale e animale, combusti negli ultimi episodi di cottura documentati in situ. Le analisi radiometriche hanno confermato le dazioni crono-tipologiche dei contenitori, mentre lo studio degli impasti dell’anfora e del tannur ha messo in luce la presenza diffusa di degrassanti vegetali, in particolare resti di tegumento riferibile ad orzo vestito, che si conferma così uno dei cereali diffusamente coltivati in Sardegna sin dall’età fenicia.
Lusuardi Siena S., Giostra C. (eds.) Archeologia Medievale a Trezzo sull'Adda. Il sepolcreto Longobardo e l'oratorio di San Martino. Le chiese di Santo Stefano e San Michele in Sallianense, 2012
Iron and bronze artefacts in the Lombard burials of Trezzo sull'Adda (near Milano, northe... more Iron and bronze artefacts in the Lombard burials of Trezzo sull'Adda (near Milano, northern Italy) have preserved the organic materials (textiles, wood, leather and feathers) relating to the clothes and accessories. Most of the organic remains have been recovered in the tomb of a boy with a rich set of weapons and bronze vessels. Other organic remains (charcoals, seeds and fruits and perhaps flowers) have been found in other burials of the same necropolis. In the paper we discuss the origin and the meaning of these materials.
Usually, scholars dealing with modern and past biology of plants develop parallel and overlapping... more Usually, scholars dealing with modern and past biology of plants develop parallel and overlapping researches, sometimes with poor interchanges. A recent study of the genus Carex showed that the existing knowledge about the fossil record is neglected by people dealing with the biology of this genus, almost ignoring the wealth of information poten- tially useful for their studies that is available in several palaeobotanical collections. To overcome this missing communication we present the first step of a project aiming at revising and summarizing the fossil record of taxa recorded in the modern Italian flora. The team of authors has been assembled starting from a group of persons working with fossil records (mainly the BRAIN network) who invited experts of modern floristics to analyse and discuss the palaeobotanical data in the light of the knowledge on the modern flora. The focus is on Italy, because of the exceptionally rich plant fossil record of this country. Furthermore, the Italian record ade- quately covers the last 6 Ma, in a less discontinuous way than in other countries. Such analysis addressed to a national perspective does not preclude an expansion to an Eurasian and global scale; this is true for example when analysing evolutionary and historical bio- geography issues, for which a country-scaled analysis may not be successful. We choose to start this project with Lycopus. This genus has a highly diagnostic morphology of fossilizable parts (nutlets), it has a well-assessed phylogenetic placement and its divergence from the most closely related genera is attributed to relatively deep times. The fossil record of Lycopus is mainly represented by nutlets, that are easily preserved in sedimentary deposits containing scarcely to moderately altered organic matter, and were formed in waterlogged continental palaeoenvironments. The nutlet morphology is considered to provide diagnostic characters for the distinction of the living species. Contrarily, pollen grains are not easily identifiable at the light microscope, thus they are com- monly included in the Mentha type or in the Lamiaceae undifferentiated grains. The genus Lycopus includes approximately 16 species, distributed in the northern Hemisphere and in Australia. In Europe, three species are known: Lycopus europaeus L., L. exaltatus L.f. and L. lucidus Turcz. ex Benth., the latter intro- duced in recent times from eastern Asia. In contrast to the purported \u201clack of a strong fossil record\u201d, several authors reported fossil fruit records in Europe and West Asia: from the oldest ones of the Oligocene (ca. 30 Mya), limited to West Siberia, through the more frequent Miocene (23- 5 Mya) records, ranging from West Siberia to central Europe, to the abundant Pliocene and Pleistocene records (5-0.01 Mya). The last ones were mainly assigned to the modern species L. europaeus, whereas the Oligocene and Miocene records (plus a few Pliocene ones) were assigned to the fossil-species L. antiquus E.M.Reid. The Italian fossil records assigned to Lycopus have been reported in a table, where the localities have been listed alphabetically within selected time intervals. The preliminary analysis of these data suggests that several fossil records dating from 4 Ma to 0.1 Mya show a morphology of the nutlet\u2019s collar which is diagnostic for L. europaeus. The occur- rence of fossil nutlets which possibly refer to L. exaltatus is under investigation for a site dating ca. 1.5-1.3 Ma, while the abundant Holocene records, including some archaeologi- cal sites, are only referred to L. europaeus. The available fossil records firmly demonstrate the long-lasting presence of L. europaeus in Italy and its widespread occurrence in the Holocene. The past occurrence of other exotic or extinct species of Lycopus does not emerge from the fossil record
Agriculture in Lugo di Grezzana (Northern Italy, Verona): preliminary observations - Recent analy... more Agriculture in Lugo di Grezzana (Northern Italy, Verona): preliminary observations - Recent analyses on charred remains from Lugo di Grezzana (VR), especially from ES 235 (area IX) infillings attributed to the Fiorano culture phase, enriched the framework of the Early Neolithic Northeastern Italy. These analyses have also confirmed the existence of significant diversities related to cultural facies and geographic areas. The comparison with the data from Friuli region, and specifically from Sammardenchia, suggested important differences to be attributed to a different production organization (tab. II). The most exploited species are barley and emmer, and secondarily the naked wheat. The main difference with Sammardenchia is the complete lack (as far as we know) of the new glume wheat and the very limited exploitation of einkorn. The harvest of fruits is important in the settlement: acorns and hazelnuts are the most exploited. The presence of the barley is similar in the two settlements. The lack of leguminous plants in the Lugo di Grezzana samples does not enable any comparison between the two.
The open-air multi-layered site of Arco Via Serafini (Trento, Northern Italy), is situated in the... more The open-air multi-layered site of Arco Via Serafini (Trento, Northern Italy), is situated in the flood plain of the River Sarca (80 m a.s.l.).The stratigraphic sequence allowed documentation of two phases of Late Epigravettian occupation with 14 structured areas in the context of the Younger Dryas.
Lycopus is a widespread herbaceous plant, currently part of European flora. Fossil remains of fru... more Lycopus is a widespread herbaceous plant, currently part of European flora. Fossil remains of fruits (nutlets or mericarps) attributed to this genus are frequently found in European archaeological and palaeontological sites, being easily preserved in sedimentary deposits. In a worldwide context, the oldest fossils are from the early Oligocene (ca. 30 Ma) of West Siberia, but they become more common in Miocene (23.0–5.3 Ma) records, ranging from West Siberia to Central Europe. In the literature, the Oligocene and Miocene remains (plus a few Pliocene ones) were assigned to fossil-species, whereas the abundant Pliocene and Pleistocene occurrences (5–0.01 Ma) in Europe were mainly assigned to the extant species L. europaeus. The present work is conceived as the result of an ad hoc research team whose task was to revise and summarize the Italian fossil record of Lycopus, assembling palaeobotanical and archaeobotanical data. We herein report ca. 6000 Lycopus nutlets from 61 sites located ...
Archaeological investigation of Circum-Alpine lake, or pile, dwellings has afforded unprecedented... more Archaeological investigation of Circum-Alpine lake, or pile, dwellings has afforded unprecedented insight into Neolithic and Bronze Age societies. The discovery in 1989 of a submerged settlement near Rome added an early (eighth millennium BP) geographical outlier to this distribution. Two decades of excavation at La Marmotta have identified more than a dozen dwellings and an enormous assemblage of organic remains. Here, the authors present an overview of the textiles, basketry and cordage recovered, and the tools used to manufacture them. The assemblage paints a more complete picture of the technological expertise of Neolithic societies and their ability to exploit and process plant materials to produce a wide range of crafts.
Recent excavations at Palù di Livenza (northeastern Italy) revealed a multiphase Neolithic pile d... more Recent excavations at Palù di Livenza (northeastern Italy) revealed a multiphase Neolithic pile dwelling dated between ca. 4,300/4200 and 3,600 cal BC. Three lumps with teeth imprints and a larger amorphous piece from the Late Neolithic layers have been studied by X-ray computed micro-tomography (microCT) and synchrotron Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). FTIR spectra match well that of birch bark tar and microCT of the larger piece has revealed a rolled-up structure likely corresponding to bark rolls. The lumps of birch pitch were probably chewed to soften the tar prior to be used as hafting adhesive or therapeutic substance. The rolled-up inner structure of the larger piece and the remains of birch bark tar and abundant charcoals on its surface suggest it probably corresponds to a rare waste product from allothermic tar production.
Tra il 2013 e il 2014 nella bassa pianura bergamasca sono state riportate alla luce otto tombe. L... more Tra il 2013 e il 2014 nella bassa pianura bergamasca sono state riportate alla luce otto tombe. Le cinque del nucleo al centro dell\u2019area avevano tutte apprestamenti lignei e oggetti di corredo (anche offerte alimentari); si inquadrano alla fine del VI secolo e sembrano rimandare a una famiglia (adulto maschile e bambini) con rituale funerario chiaramente alloctono e di cultura germanica. Altre tre sepolture in fossa terragna semplice ai limiti dell\u2019area potrebbero essere coeve, ma di individui di origini, cultura o status differente. A poche centinaia di metri si localizza il ritrovamento ottocentesco della grande necropoli nota come \u201cfornovo San Giovanni\u201d, podere Cantacucco, in realt\ue0 nel comprensorio comunale di Caravaggio, fraz. Masano.In 2013 and 2014 in the Po Plain south of Bergamo eight tombs were brought to light. The five in a group at the centre of the area contained wooden structures and grave goods (and food offerings); they date to the late 6th ce...
La alimentación en el mundo fenicio-púnico: producciones, procesos y consumos, 2020, ISBN 978-84-472-2932-1, págs. 253-274, 2020
Nell’ambito delle ricerche condotte dall’Università degli Studi di Padova presso l’area del cd. T... more Nell’ambito delle ricerche condotte dall’Università degli Studi di Padova presso l’area del cd. Tempio romano di Nora, è stato possibile indagare due contesti di età fenicia e punica di notevole rilevanza per lo studio dell’alimentazione fenicia e punica in Sardegna: un impianto produttivo costituito da un’anfora segata e reimpiegata per la lavorazione o lo stoccaggio della pece (prima metà del VI sec. a.C.) e un forno tannur in straordinario stato di conservazione (II-I sec. a.C.). Le analisi archeobotaniche condotte dal laboratorio di Archeobiologia dei Musei Civici di Como hanno permesso di identificare i combustibili impiegati e tracce dei resti alimentari di origine vegetale e animale, combusti negli ultimi episodi di cottura documentati in situ. Le analisi radiometriche hanno confermato le dazioni crono-tipologiche dei contenitori, mentre lo studio degli impasti dell’anfora e del tannur ha messo in luce la presenza diffusa di degrassanti vegetali, in particolare resti di tegumento riferibile ad orzo vestito, che si conferma così uno dei cereali diffusamente coltivati in Sardegna sin dall’età fenicia.
Lusuardi Siena S., Giostra C. (eds.) Archeologia Medievale a Trezzo sull'Adda. Il sepolcreto Longobardo e l'oratorio di San Martino. Le chiese di Santo Stefano e San Michele in Sallianense, 2012
Iron and bronze artefacts in the Lombard burials of Trezzo sull'Adda (near Milano, northe... more Iron and bronze artefacts in the Lombard burials of Trezzo sull'Adda (near Milano, northern Italy) have preserved the organic materials (textiles, wood, leather and feathers) relating to the clothes and accessories. Most of the organic remains have been recovered in the tomb of a boy with a rich set of weapons and bronze vessels. Other organic remains (charcoals, seeds and fruits and perhaps flowers) have been found in other burials of the same necropolis. In the paper we discuss the origin and the meaning of these materials.
Usually, scholars dealing with modern and past biology of plants develop parallel and overlapping... more Usually, scholars dealing with modern and past biology of plants develop parallel and overlapping researches, sometimes with poor interchanges. A recent study of the genus Carex showed that the existing knowledge about the fossil record is neglected by people dealing with the biology of this genus, almost ignoring the wealth of information poten- tially useful for their studies that is available in several palaeobotanical collections. To overcome this missing communication we present the first step of a project aiming at revising and summarizing the fossil record of taxa recorded in the modern Italian flora. The team of authors has been assembled starting from a group of persons working with fossil records (mainly the BRAIN network) who invited experts of modern floristics to analyse and discuss the palaeobotanical data in the light of the knowledge on the modern flora. The focus is on Italy, because of the exceptionally rich plant fossil record of this country. Furthermore, the Italian record ade- quately covers the last 6 Ma, in a less discontinuous way than in other countries. Such analysis addressed to a national perspective does not preclude an expansion to an Eurasian and global scale; this is true for example when analysing evolutionary and historical bio- geography issues, for which a country-scaled analysis may not be successful. We choose to start this project with Lycopus. This genus has a highly diagnostic morphology of fossilizable parts (nutlets), it has a well-assessed phylogenetic placement and its divergence from the most closely related genera is attributed to relatively deep times. The fossil record of Lycopus is mainly represented by nutlets, that are easily preserved in sedimentary deposits containing scarcely to moderately altered organic matter, and were formed in waterlogged continental palaeoenvironments. The nutlet morphology is considered to provide diagnostic characters for the distinction of the living species. Contrarily, pollen grains are not easily identifiable at the light microscope, thus they are com- monly included in the Mentha type or in the Lamiaceae undifferentiated grains. The genus Lycopus includes approximately 16 species, distributed in the northern Hemisphere and in Australia. In Europe, three species are known: Lycopus europaeus L., L. exaltatus L.f. and L. lucidus Turcz. ex Benth., the latter intro- duced in recent times from eastern Asia. In contrast to the purported \u201clack of a strong fossil record\u201d, several authors reported fossil fruit records in Europe and West Asia: from the oldest ones of the Oligocene (ca. 30 Mya), limited to West Siberia, through the more frequent Miocene (23- 5 Mya) records, ranging from West Siberia to central Europe, to the abundant Pliocene and Pleistocene records (5-0.01 Mya). The last ones were mainly assigned to the modern species L. europaeus, whereas the Oligocene and Miocene records (plus a few Pliocene ones) were assigned to the fossil-species L. antiquus E.M.Reid. The Italian fossil records assigned to Lycopus have been reported in a table, where the localities have been listed alphabetically within selected time intervals. The preliminary analysis of these data suggests that several fossil records dating from 4 Ma to 0.1 Mya show a morphology of the nutlet\u2019s collar which is diagnostic for L. europaeus. The occur- rence of fossil nutlets which possibly refer to L. exaltatus is under investigation for a site dating ca. 1.5-1.3 Ma, while the abundant Holocene records, including some archaeologi- cal sites, are only referred to L. europaeus. The available fossil records firmly demonstrate the long-lasting presence of L. europaeus in Italy and its widespread occurrence in the Holocene. The past occurrence of other exotic or extinct species of Lycopus does not emerge from the fossil record
Agriculture in Lugo di Grezzana (Northern Italy, Verona): preliminary observations - Recent analy... more Agriculture in Lugo di Grezzana (Northern Italy, Verona): preliminary observations - Recent analyses on charred remains from Lugo di Grezzana (VR), especially from ES 235 (area IX) infillings attributed to the Fiorano culture phase, enriched the framework of the Early Neolithic Northeastern Italy. These analyses have also confirmed the existence of significant diversities related to cultural facies and geographic areas. The comparison with the data from Friuli region, and specifically from Sammardenchia, suggested important differences to be attributed to a different production organization (tab. II). The most exploited species are barley and emmer, and secondarily the naked wheat. The main difference with Sammardenchia is the complete lack (as far as we know) of the new glume wheat and the very limited exploitation of einkorn. The harvest of fruits is important in the settlement: acorns and hazelnuts are the most exploited. The presence of the barley is similar in the two settlements. The lack of leguminous plants in the Lugo di Grezzana samples does not enable any comparison between the two.
The open-air multi-layered site of Arco Via Serafini (Trento, Northern Italy), is situated in the... more The open-air multi-layered site of Arco Via Serafini (Trento, Northern Italy), is situated in the flood plain of the River Sarca (80 m a.s.l.).The stratigraphic sequence allowed documentation of two phases of Late Epigravettian occupation with 14 structured areas in the context of the Younger Dryas.
Lycopus is a widespread herbaceous plant, currently part of European flora. Fossil remains of fru... more Lycopus is a widespread herbaceous plant, currently part of European flora. Fossil remains of fruits (nutlets or mericarps) attributed to this genus are frequently found in European archaeological and palaeontological sites, being easily preserved in sedimentary deposits. In a worldwide context, the oldest fossils are from the early Oligocene (ca. 30 Ma) of West Siberia, but they become more common in Miocene (23.0–5.3 Ma) records, ranging from West Siberia to Central Europe. In the literature, the Oligocene and Miocene remains (plus a few Pliocene ones) were assigned to fossil-species, whereas the abundant Pliocene and Pleistocene occurrences (5–0.01 Ma) in Europe were mainly assigned to the extant species L. europaeus. The present work is conceived as the result of an ad hoc research team whose task was to revise and summarize the Italian fossil record of Lycopus, assembling palaeobotanical and archaeobotanical data. We herein report ca. 6000 Lycopus nutlets from 61 sites located ...
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