During recent Prehistory, the region of Mount Etna has been characterised by a series of differen... more During recent Prehistory, the region of Mount Etna has been characterised by a series of differentiated cultural areas. Its strategic position between northern Sicily, traditionally linked to the southern Tyrrhenian region and to the Italian peninsula, and south-eastern Sicily, a focus of interest for those sailing from the East, fostered interconnections and exchange between these areas during the Early Bronze Age. In this contribution, based on some recently investigated sites in the Catania area, we aim to focus attention on the existence of objects, or groups of objects, of probable external provenance and the activities that took place in different sites, connected with both domestic (craft products) and symbolic spheres, highlighting the elements to be linked with maritime relations.
This study analyses the relationship between the pre- and protohistoric sites on the slopes of... more This study analyses the relationship between the pre- and protohistoric sites on the slopes of Etna and the volcanic products, as well as the diverse settlement strategies in the different periods of prehistory. New C14 dating from significant excavations, in addition to those known from other Etnean sites, were performed with the aim of validating the chronology of the sequence of the different phases. A substantial concordance of the archaeological data with the volcanological ones has been found. It has been observed that a consistent human presence on Etna appears from the Middle Neolithic (5500 BC), after the sequence of eruptive events that marked the end of the Ellittico volcano (13550 - 13050 BC) and the formation of the Valle del Bove, and the subsequent debris and alluvial events on the eastern flanks of the volcano (7250 - 3350 BC). Human presence intensifies between the Late-Final Copper Age and the Early Bronze Age (2800 - 1450 BC), due to improvement in subsistence ...
The paper deals with the study of firing structures of different sites present in the territory b... more The paper deals with the study of firing structures of different sites present in the territory between Etna and the Catania Plain. We have analyzed both sites with a prevalent ritual character and settlements and we have presented different types of structures: hearths, firing pits, burning plates, stone platforms and ovens. In the case of settlements, for each type of structure, we tried to define, where possible, the function and the relationship with the other structures of the settlement.
This study analyses the relationship between the pre- and protohistoric sites on the slopes of Et... more This study analyses the relationship between the pre- and protohistoric sites on the slopes of Etna and the volcanic products, as well as the diverse settlement strategies in the different periods of prehistory. New C14 dating from significant excavations, in addition to those known from other Etnean sites, were performed with the aim of validating the chronology of the sequence of the different phases. A substantial concordance of the archaeological data with the volcanological ones has been found. It has been observed that a consistent human presence on Etna appears from the Middle Neolithic (5500 BC), after the sequence of eruptive events that marked the end of the Ellittico volcano (13550 - 13050 BC) and the formation of the Valle del Bove, and the subsequent debris and alluvial events on the eastern flanks of the volcano (7250 - 3350 BC). Human presence intensifies between the Late-Final Copper Age and the Early Bronze Age (2800 - 1450 BC), due to improvement in subsistence techniques and to the large presence of soils on lava flows suitable for sheep farming. The most recent phases of the Bronze Age are poorly represented, probably because of the concentration of the population in larger agglomerations (Montevergine and S. Paolillo at Catania, the Historical Hill at Paternò). The explosive eruptions taking place in this period seem to have had less impact on the settlement choices and have not affected the development of the sites over time.
Italia tra Mediterraneo ed Europa: mobilità, interazioni e scambi, Rivista di Scienze Preistoriche, LXX S1, pp. 493-498, 2020
During recent Prehistory, the region of Mount Etna has been characterised by a series of differen... more During recent Prehistory, the region of Mount Etna has been characterised by a series of differentiated cultural areas. Its strategic position between northern Sicily, traditionally linked to the southern Tyrrhenian region and to the Italian peninsula, and south-eastern Sicily, a focus of interest for those sailing from the East, fostered interconnections and exchange between these areas during the Early Bronze Age. In this contribution, based on some recently investigated sites in the Catania area, we aim to focus attention on the existence of objects, or groups of objects, of probable external provenance and the activities that took place in different sites, connected with both domestic (craft products) and symbolic spheres, highlighting the elements to be linked with maritime relations.
Archeologia dell'abitare. Insediamenti e organizzazione sociale prima della città. Ricerche e scavi. Atti del XIV Incontro di studi di Preistoria e Protostoria in Etruria, volume I, Centro Studi di Preistoria e Archeologia, Milano, 2020
Nel contributo sono presentati i dati relativi all’organizzazione territoriale e insediativa, in ... more Nel contributo sono presentati i dati relativi all’organizzazione territoriale e insediativa, in rapporto alle caratteristiche fisiche del territorio e alle possibilità di sussistenza dell’area compresa tra le pendici meridionali dell’Etna e la piana di Catania. Sono presi in considerazione l’organizzazione dei villaggi, sia a livello territoriale che interna, le caratteristiche architettoniche delle strutture abitative e gli aspetti funzionali legati alle attività insediative, cercando di dare un quadro dello sviluppo dell’area nel periodo compreso tra l’età del rame e l’antica età del bronzo.
In this paper, we will discuss the data relating to the territorial and settlement organization, taking into account the physical characteristics of the territory and the subsistence possibilities of the area between the southern slopes of Mount Etna and the Catania Plain. The organization of the villages, both at a territorial and internal level, the architectural characteristics of the housing structures and the functional aspects linked to the settlement activities are taken into consideration, trying to give a picture of the development of the area in the period between the Copper Age and the Early Bronze Age.
ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI PREISTORIA E PROTOSTORIA ATTI DELLA XLI RIUNIONE SCIENTIFICA DAI CICLOPI AGLI ECISTI SOCIETÀ E TERRITORIO NELLA SICILIA PREISTORICA E PROTOSTORICA, 2012
ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI PREISTORIA E PROTOSTORIA ATTI DELLA XLI RIUNIONE SCIENTIFICA DAI CICLOPI AGLI ECISTI SOCIETÀ E TERRITORIO NELLA SICILIA PREISTORICA E PROTOSTORICA, 2012
Focolari, forni e fornaci tra Neolitico ed età del Ferro, a cura di Peinetti A., Cattani M., Debandi F. Sesto incontro annuale di preistoria e protostoria, abstract book. Istituto Italiano di preistoria e protostoria, Firenze, pp. 94-97, 2019
During recent Prehistory, the region of Mount Etna has been characterised by a series of differen... more During recent Prehistory, the region of Mount Etna has been characterised by a series of differentiated cultural areas. Its strategic position between northern Sicily, traditionally linked to the southern Tyrrhenian region and to the Italian peninsula, and south-eastern Sicily, a focus of interest for those sailing from the East, fostered interconnections and exchange between these areas during the Early Bronze Age. In this contribution, based on some recently investigated sites in the Catania area, we aim to focus attention on the existence of objects, or groups of objects, of probable external provenance and the activities that took place in different sites, connected with both domestic (craft products) and symbolic spheres, highlighting the elements to be linked with maritime relations.
This study analyses the relationship between the pre- and protohistoric sites on the slopes of... more This study analyses the relationship between the pre- and protohistoric sites on the slopes of Etna and the volcanic products, as well as the diverse settlement strategies in the different periods of prehistory. New C14 dating from significant excavations, in addition to those known from other Etnean sites, were performed with the aim of validating the chronology of the sequence of the different phases. A substantial concordance of the archaeological data with the volcanological ones has been found. It has been observed that a consistent human presence on Etna appears from the Middle Neolithic (5500 BC), after the sequence of eruptive events that marked the end of the Ellittico volcano (13550 - 13050 BC) and the formation of the Valle del Bove, and the subsequent debris and alluvial events on the eastern flanks of the volcano (7250 - 3350 BC). Human presence intensifies between the Late-Final Copper Age and the Early Bronze Age (2800 - 1450 BC), due to improvement in subsistence ...
The paper deals with the study of firing structures of different sites present in the territory b... more The paper deals with the study of firing structures of different sites present in the territory between Etna and the Catania Plain. We have analyzed both sites with a prevalent ritual character and settlements and we have presented different types of structures: hearths, firing pits, burning plates, stone platforms and ovens. In the case of settlements, for each type of structure, we tried to define, where possible, the function and the relationship with the other structures of the settlement.
This study analyses the relationship between the pre- and protohistoric sites on the slopes of Et... more This study analyses the relationship between the pre- and protohistoric sites on the slopes of Etna and the volcanic products, as well as the diverse settlement strategies in the different periods of prehistory. New C14 dating from significant excavations, in addition to those known from other Etnean sites, were performed with the aim of validating the chronology of the sequence of the different phases. A substantial concordance of the archaeological data with the volcanological ones has been found. It has been observed that a consistent human presence on Etna appears from the Middle Neolithic (5500 BC), after the sequence of eruptive events that marked the end of the Ellittico volcano (13550 - 13050 BC) and the formation of the Valle del Bove, and the subsequent debris and alluvial events on the eastern flanks of the volcano (7250 - 3350 BC). Human presence intensifies between the Late-Final Copper Age and the Early Bronze Age (2800 - 1450 BC), due to improvement in subsistence techniques and to the large presence of soils on lava flows suitable for sheep farming. The most recent phases of the Bronze Age are poorly represented, probably because of the concentration of the population in larger agglomerations (Montevergine and S. Paolillo at Catania, the Historical Hill at Paternò). The explosive eruptions taking place in this period seem to have had less impact on the settlement choices and have not affected the development of the sites over time.
Italia tra Mediterraneo ed Europa: mobilità, interazioni e scambi, Rivista di Scienze Preistoriche, LXX S1, pp. 493-498, 2020
During recent Prehistory, the region of Mount Etna has been characterised by a series of differen... more During recent Prehistory, the region of Mount Etna has been characterised by a series of differentiated cultural areas. Its strategic position between northern Sicily, traditionally linked to the southern Tyrrhenian region and to the Italian peninsula, and south-eastern Sicily, a focus of interest for those sailing from the East, fostered interconnections and exchange between these areas during the Early Bronze Age. In this contribution, based on some recently investigated sites in the Catania area, we aim to focus attention on the existence of objects, or groups of objects, of probable external provenance and the activities that took place in different sites, connected with both domestic (craft products) and symbolic spheres, highlighting the elements to be linked with maritime relations.
Archeologia dell'abitare. Insediamenti e organizzazione sociale prima della città. Ricerche e scavi. Atti del XIV Incontro di studi di Preistoria e Protostoria in Etruria, volume I, Centro Studi di Preistoria e Archeologia, Milano, 2020
Nel contributo sono presentati i dati relativi all’organizzazione territoriale e insediativa, in ... more Nel contributo sono presentati i dati relativi all’organizzazione territoriale e insediativa, in rapporto alle caratteristiche fisiche del territorio e alle possibilità di sussistenza dell’area compresa tra le pendici meridionali dell’Etna e la piana di Catania. Sono presi in considerazione l’organizzazione dei villaggi, sia a livello territoriale che interna, le caratteristiche architettoniche delle strutture abitative e gli aspetti funzionali legati alle attività insediative, cercando di dare un quadro dello sviluppo dell’area nel periodo compreso tra l’età del rame e l’antica età del bronzo.
In this paper, we will discuss the data relating to the territorial and settlement organization, taking into account the physical characteristics of the territory and the subsistence possibilities of the area between the southern slopes of Mount Etna and the Catania Plain. The organization of the villages, both at a territorial and internal level, the architectural characteristics of the housing structures and the functional aspects linked to the settlement activities are taken into consideration, trying to give a picture of the development of the area in the period between the Copper Age and the Early Bronze Age.
ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI PREISTORIA E PROTOSTORIA ATTI DELLA XLI RIUNIONE SCIENTIFICA DAI CICLOPI AGLI ECISTI SOCIETÀ E TERRITORIO NELLA SICILIA PREISTORICA E PROTOSTORICA, 2012
ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI PREISTORIA E PROTOSTORIA ATTI DELLA XLI RIUNIONE SCIENTIFICA DAI CICLOPI AGLI ECISTI SOCIETÀ E TERRITORIO NELLA SICILIA PREISTORICA E PROTOSTORICA, 2012
Focolari, forni e fornaci tra Neolitico ed età del Ferro, a cura di Peinetti A., Cattani M., Debandi F. Sesto incontro annuale di preistoria e protostoria, abstract book. Istituto Italiano di preistoria e protostoria, Firenze, pp. 94-97, 2019
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Papers by Francesco Privitera
In this contribution, based on some recently investigated sites in the Catania area, we aim to focus attention on the existence of objects, or groups of objects, of probable external provenance and the activities that took place in different sites, connected with both domestic (craft products) and symbolic spheres, highlighting the elements to be linked with maritime relations.
In this paper, we will discuss the data relating to the territorial and settlement organization, taking into account the physical characteristics of the territory and the subsistence possibilities of the area between the southern slopes of Mount Etna and the Catania Plain. The organization of the villages, both at a territorial and internal level, the architectural characteristics of the housing structures and the functional aspects linked to the settlement activities are taken into consideration, trying to give a picture of the development of the area in the period between the Copper Age and the Early Bronze Age.
In this contribution, based on some recently investigated sites in the Catania area, we aim to focus attention on the existence of objects, or groups of objects, of probable external provenance and the activities that took place in different sites, connected with both domestic (craft products) and symbolic spheres, highlighting the elements to be linked with maritime relations.
In this paper, we will discuss the data relating to the territorial and settlement organization, taking into account the physical characteristics of the territory and the subsistence possibilities of the area between the southern slopes of Mount Etna and the Catania Plain. The organization of the villages, both at a territorial and internal level, the architectural characteristics of the housing structures and the functional aspects linked to the settlement activities are taken into consideration, trying to give a picture of the development of the area in the period between the Copper Age and the Early Bronze Age.