- Corso Ercole I d'Este, 32
44121 Ferrara
Italy
- Zooarchaeology and Taphonomy are the first research interests. The investigation is aimed at Neanderthal settlement p... moreZooarchaeology and Taphonomy are the first research interests. The investigation is aimed at Neanderthal settlement patterns, managing bone refitting methodology and spatial analyses with GIS. Over the years, work experiences within interdisciplinary and international scientific research projects, archaeological fieldwork, and dissemination activities have been carried out.edit
The eastern Italian Alpine region is probably the best-known area for studying late Pleistocene and early Holocene human groups’ adaptations. The Biarzo Shelter located along the Natisone Valley at 160 m a.s.l., in the Julian Prealps... more
The eastern Italian Alpine region is probably the best-known area for studying late Pleistocene and early Holocene human groups’ adaptations. The Biarzo Shelter located along the Natisone Valley at 160 m a.s.l., in the Julian Prealps (Udine) has provided significant evidence of an uninterrupted human presence during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, from the late Alleröd glacial phase, through the beginning of Mesolithic, up to Neolithic and Bronze Age. Excavations carried out in 1982-1984 by Prof. Guerreschi and Dr Bressan, revealed six stratigraphic units (SU). The late Epigravettian occupation (SU 5) yielded a carbon dating of 11,100±125 uncalibrated BP (R1850 - 13,185-12,759 cal BP at 95.4% probability-OxCal v4 4.2).
Faunal remains analysis suggests a frequentation during winter/spring, mainly for large and medium-sized ungulates’ hunting. Red deer remains were continuously exploited from the Epigravettian to the Mesolithic. Its progressive increase from the Sauveterrian units, combined with the slight decrease of roe deer in the Castelnovian, could be explained by a reduction of the tree cover towards the beginning of the Neolithic. Anatomical elements, in particular limbs, skull and trunk are well represented, suggesting that the entire carcass was transported and
exploited within the shelter. Anthropic traces allow us to reconstruct the carcass exploitation stages from skin and tendons removal to meat detachment and marrow extraction. In all levels, ibex and alpine chamois are less represented, suggesting the presence of open areas not far from the refuge.
A more in-depth discussion must be made for the hunt for suidae, mainly aimed at young individuals, both in Epigravettian and Mesolithic. The presence of females and juveniles suggests an interest of hunters towards these age groups: hunting activity took place towards the end of spring and the beginning of summer, when females formed small groups with young wild boars, accompanied by older ones. However, the presence of adults and senile individuals could be correlated to a yearly use of the site. Within the faunal spectrum, the marmot in SU 5 is correlated to the proximity of the alpine slopes. At the same time, the absence of temperate-cold climate species in the Mesolithic levels suggests an inflexion towards better
climatic conditions, with the beginning of the Holocene (Cattani 1996). The presence of beaver is documented along the entire sequence but rarely show anthropic traces. Its presence, however, does not exclude an introduction by carnivores or natural death within site.
Unlike ungulates, the scarcity of carnivores could be well correlated with a constant and continuous presence of humans. Only bear shows anthropic traces linked to skinning and slaughtering activity. Furthermore, the absence of deciduous teeth excludes the possibility that these animals used the shelter for weaning during winter.
The Biarzo shelter contributes to enriching the final Epigravettian, Mesolithic and early Neolithic context of Friuli Venezia Giulia and Northern Italy, framing it as a seasonal “base camp” for the hunting of typically mixed forest animals. The ecotonal peculiarities, the river proximity, the faunal resources and the possibility of reaching medium-high altitudes played an essential role in the exploitation strategies of Epigravettian and Mesolithic hunters. Furthermore, available
data on contemporary sites, reveals the crucial role of Biarzo within human seasonal mobility system, based on the interaction between valley floor settlements and that of the eastern alpine plateaus. Biarzo Shelter’s rich assemblage of shell ornaments also provided important information on the symbolic traditions of the late Paleolithic and Mesolithic groups,
as well as their transformations over time (Bertolini et al. 2016).
Faunal remains analysis suggests a frequentation during winter/spring, mainly for large and medium-sized ungulates’ hunting. Red deer remains were continuously exploited from the Epigravettian to the Mesolithic. Its progressive increase from the Sauveterrian units, combined with the slight decrease of roe deer in the Castelnovian, could be explained by a reduction of the tree cover towards the beginning of the Neolithic. Anatomical elements, in particular limbs, skull and trunk are well represented, suggesting that the entire carcass was transported and
exploited within the shelter. Anthropic traces allow us to reconstruct the carcass exploitation stages from skin and tendons removal to meat detachment and marrow extraction. In all levels, ibex and alpine chamois are less represented, suggesting the presence of open areas not far from the refuge.
A more in-depth discussion must be made for the hunt for suidae, mainly aimed at young individuals, both in Epigravettian and Mesolithic. The presence of females and juveniles suggests an interest of hunters towards these age groups: hunting activity took place towards the end of spring and the beginning of summer, when females formed small groups with young wild boars, accompanied by older ones. However, the presence of adults and senile individuals could be correlated to a yearly use of the site. Within the faunal spectrum, the marmot in SU 5 is correlated to the proximity of the alpine slopes. At the same time, the absence of temperate-cold climate species in the Mesolithic levels suggests an inflexion towards better
climatic conditions, with the beginning of the Holocene (Cattani 1996). The presence of beaver is documented along the entire sequence but rarely show anthropic traces. Its presence, however, does not exclude an introduction by carnivores or natural death within site.
Unlike ungulates, the scarcity of carnivores could be well correlated with a constant and continuous presence of humans. Only bear shows anthropic traces linked to skinning and slaughtering activity. Furthermore, the absence of deciduous teeth excludes the possibility that these animals used the shelter for weaning during winter.
The Biarzo shelter contributes to enriching the final Epigravettian, Mesolithic and early Neolithic context of Friuli Venezia Giulia and Northern Italy, framing it as a seasonal “base camp” for the hunting of typically mixed forest animals. The ecotonal peculiarities, the river proximity, the faunal resources and the possibility of reaching medium-high altitudes played an essential role in the exploitation strategies of Epigravettian and Mesolithic hunters. Furthermore, available
data on contemporary sites, reveals the crucial role of Biarzo within human seasonal mobility system, based on the interaction between valley floor settlements and that of the eastern alpine plateaus. Biarzo Shelter’s rich assemblage of shell ornaments also provided important information on the symbolic traditions of the late Paleolithic and Mesolithic groups,
as well as their transformations over time (Bertolini et al. 2016).
Research Interests:
The prehistoric remains found in Colmaggiore di Tarzo and the desire to promote the history and the environment of the lakes, led to the Livelet Archaeological Park project, wanted by the Province of Treviso. It is an outdoor museum,... more
The prehistoric remains found in Colmaggiore di Tarzo and the desire to promote the history and the environment of the lakes, led to the Livelet Archaeological Park project, wanted by the Province of Treviso. It is an outdoor museum, partner of Exarc, located on the west bank of Revine lakes, in the Pre-Alps, north of Treviso (Italy). The first experimental approach was the reconstruction of three pile-dwellings, that are in full-scale and lie in the proximity of the water. They reproduce Neolithic, Copper and Bronze Age, namely the periods when the lakes were inhabited. From 2013 the Livelet’s staff began to carry out the reconstruction of tools and Neolithic clothes as well as the organization of the “Living History”. The most important activity is a bronze sword of Sauerbrunn type that has been archaeologically repeated.
Research Interests:
Il Riparo di Biarzo è uno dei principali siti per la ricostruzione del popolamento dell'Italia nord-orientale tra la fine del Pleistocene e l'inizio dell'Olocene. In seguito agli scavi condotti nei primi anni 80' dall'Università degli... more
Il Riparo di Biarzo è uno dei principali siti per la ricostruzione del popolamento dell'Italia nord-orientale tra la fine del Pleistocene e l'inizio dell'Olocene. In seguito agli scavi condotti nei primi anni 80' dall'Università degli Studi di Ferrara, in collaborazione con il Museo Friulano di Storia Naturale, sono state eseguite diverse analisi sui reperti archeologici. Tali studi hanno permesso di ottenere un quadro piuttosto completo del contesto culturale ed ambientale delle diverse fasi di occupazione.
Research Interests:
This contribution forms part of a larger project entitled “Attesting Neanderthal Dwelling Space Use (ANDSU): effects of human occupations in the Middle Palaeolithic record of Fumane cave”. It focuses on the spatial organization of... more
This contribution forms part of a larger project entitled “Attesting Neanderthal Dwelling Space Use (ANDSU): effects of human occupations in the Middle Palaeolithic record of Fumane cave”. It focuses on the spatial organization of Neanderthal dwelling units in Fumane cave (units A9, A5-A6), using a mixed methodology approach. The project aims to gain insights into assemblage formation processes, postdepositional dynamics, settlement patterns, and the integrity of stratigraphic units. Bone refits, spatial and
exploratory statistical analysis, and 3D reconstructions are used to achieve these goals. Refitting studies provide valuable data, while 3D scan acquisition of refitted bones enables the development of computerized analytical methods. These methods can make refit semi-automatic or automatic.
The project shows the importance of integrating innovative methods from other disciplines to understand the diversity of occupational patterns in Middle Palaeolithic records.
exploratory statistical analysis, and 3D reconstructions are used to achieve these goals. Refitting studies provide valuable data, while 3D scan acquisition of refitted bones enables the development of computerized analytical methods. These methods can make refit semi-automatic or automatic.
The project shows the importance of integrating innovative methods from other disciplines to understand the diversity of occupational patterns in Middle Palaeolithic records.
Research Interests:
The study and the application of bone refitting, a technique adopted in archaeology since the '70s, (De Mortillet 1881, 1894; Spurrell 1880) is based on the reconstruction of broken and fractured elements to determine the formation... more
The study and the application of bone refitting, a technique adopted in archaeology since the '70s, (De Mortillet 1881, 1894; Spurrell 1880) is based on the reconstruction of broken and fractured elements to determine the formation process, to resolve questions about remains vertical movements, to evaluate post-depositional process ( Hofman 1981, 1986; Van Noten et al 1978; Villa 1982; Villa et al . 1985, 1986) and to recognize Neandertal's activities areas (Larson, Ingbar 1992; Leroi Gourhan, Brezillon 1972). This paper aims to present the application of this methodology in Mousterian levels I and Ja of Abric Romaní (Capellades, Spain) and 37 of Riparo Tagliente (Verona, Italy). Once you determine taxon exploitation, through an anatomic, taxonomic, and taphonomic study, refittings are made in this way: remains analysis for each square (differentiation of anatomical elements depending on taxon and size), by closest square and in overview, by analyzing all the squares of the area (considering greatest accumulation). Once the refittings are carried out, all the data are analyzed and processed to obtain the spatial patterns of investigated levels. Thanks to the correlation with hearths and structures identified, this kind of analysis, applied in two Mediterranean sites, will evaluate the differences between occupational patterns, subsistence activities, domestic areas, level of group sophistication, and duration of settlement.
Research Interests:
The eastern Alpine region of Italy represents a well-known area with regards to the study of Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene forager adaptations in the whole peninsula. Caves, shelters and open-air sites, which are numerous in this... more
The eastern Alpine region of Italy represents a well-known area with regards to the study of Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene forager adaptations in the whole peninsula. Caves, shelters and open-air sites, which are numerous in this region, have yielded traces of human re-peopling from mountaineous environments since the Late Glacial and until the Early Holocene. However, the archaeological record of the region lacks evidence about long lasting forager occupations. Exceptionally for the eastern Alpine sector, Riparo Biarzo (Natisone Valley, Julian Prealps) has yielded important evidence of continuous forager frequentation from Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene.
The authors discuss the results of the analyses of animal remains and shell ornaments recovered in the Late Epigravettian and Mesolithic units of the site and their significance for understanding continuity and changes in the subsistence and symbolic strategies during these periods in the region.
Archaeological data indicate an abundance of wild boar remains during both the Late Pleistocene and the Early Holocene at Biarzo, which makes hunting strategies at this site unique with regards to other contemporary contexts of the eastern Alpine region. Also, modalities of selection, production and use of ornaments in the same periods reveal the existence of established exchange networks, mobility strategies and connectivity between the eastern Alpine and the North Adriatic regions during the Late
Epigravettian and throughout the Mesolithic.
The authors discuss the results of the analyses of animal remains and shell ornaments recovered in the Late Epigravettian and Mesolithic units of the site and their significance for understanding continuity and changes in the subsistence and symbolic strategies during these periods in the region.
Archaeological data indicate an abundance of wild boar remains during both the Late Pleistocene and the Early Holocene at Biarzo, which makes hunting strategies at this site unique with regards to other contemporary contexts of the eastern Alpine region. Also, modalities of selection, production and use of ornaments in the same periods reveal the existence of established exchange networks, mobility strategies and connectivity between the eastern Alpine and the North Adriatic regions during the Late
Epigravettian and throughout the Mesolithic.
Research Interests:
The archaeological record is the result of different long-acting processes, difficult to identify without the contribution of several techniques and disciplines. One of these techniques is the combination between Zooarchaeological data... more
The archaeological record is the result of different long-acting processes, difficult to identify without the contribution of several techniques and disciplines. One of these techniques is the combination between Zooarchaeological data and faunal refits, which allows reconstructing some of the natural and cultural processes involved in the formation of the sites.The aim of this paper is to present the application of this methodology and the results obtained in the Level I of Abric Romaní (Capellades, Spain), which chronology was determined around 46 Kyrs by means of U/Th ages. Starting from the characterization of faunistic assemblages, throughout anatomic, taxonomic and taphonomic study, it is possible to define exploitation of the animals. Bone refits are made in this way: remains analysis for each squares (differentiation of anatomical elements depending on taxon and size), by closest square, and in overview, by analysing all the squares of the area (considering greatest accumulation). Once the refits are carried out, all the data has been analysed and processed to obtain the spatial patterns of the investigated level. The main aim is to explore the anthropogenic use of the site, in particular during the occupation of Level I, and to validate the degree of synchronicity between the different identified structures, such as hearths and the activity areas.This kind of analysis can be used in order to evaluate the differences between occupational patterns, subsistence activities, domestic areas, level of group's sophistication and duration of employment of the sites. This fact shows the importance of these studies to understand the diversity of occupational patterns and ways of life of the human communities of the European Middle Palaeolithic.
Research Interests:
The use of retouching tools made on hard animal materials has a broad chronological and geographical distribution throughout the European Palaeolithic. In Italy, analyses of retouchers are not particularly numerous. The current work... more
The use of retouching tools made on hard animal materials has a broad chronological and geographical distribution throughout the European Palaeolithic. In Italy, analyses of retouchers are not particularly numerous. The current work presents the preliminary results obtained from the study of 79 retouchers recovered from two sites located in northern Italy: Riparo Tagliente and Grotta della Ghiacciaia, Verona. Results from Riparo Tagliente provide both qualitative and quantitative data, span several occupation levels, and the use traces on the cortical surfaces of these bone tools show great variability. Grotta della Ghiacciaia yields only qualitative data because of a restrictively small sample size. Overall, the retouchers analysed are mostly made on bone shafts of medium-to large-sized ungulates, especially red deer and other cervids, which were the most commonly hunted animals at the sites. Many examples were also made on the bones of small-sized mammals, such as roe deer. This variability can contribute to the identification of such tools at other sites and to better define a methodology for their analysis.
Research Interests:
The prehistoric remains found in Colmaggiore di Tarzo and the desire to promote lakes history and environment is at the origin of the Parco Archeologico Didattico del Livelet project. This open-air museum, partner of EXARC, is located on... more
The prehistoric remains found in Colmaggiore di Tarzo and the desire to promote lakes history and environment is at the origin of the Parco Archeologico Didattico del Livelet project. This open-air museum, partner of EXARC, is located on the west shore of Lago lake at the foothills of the Treviso Pre-Alps’ foothills (Italy). It is characterised by three full-scale pile-dwellings’ reconstructions dedicated to Neolithic, Copper Age and Bronze Age, an exhibition hall with imitative materials, workshop and teaching areas. Since 2013 the staff began to create out some tools and clothing replicas, and to organise Live interpretations activities.
Research Interests:
Parco Archeologico didattico del Livelet is an Open Air Museum based on the western shore of Lago lake, in the municipality of Revine Lago, province of Treviso. The area is located in a glacial valley at the foothills of the Pre-Alps... more
Parco Archeologico didattico del Livelet is an Open Air Museum based on the western shore of Lago lake, in the municipality of Revine Lago, province of Treviso. The area is located in a glacial valley at the foothills of the Pre-Alps (225m a.s.l.), surrounded by a rich naturalistic environment, a Site of Community Importance (S.I.C.) for Natura 2000 and included in the recent park Parco dei Laghi della Vallata.
The structure was opened on May 12, 2007, with an agreement between the Province of Treviso, the Mountain Community of the Treviso Pre-Alps, and the Municipality of Revine Lago. The aim was to enhance the nearby prehistoric site of Colmaggiore di Tarzo, discovered in the isthmus between the lakes of Lago and Santa Maria (fig.1). Since 2009 the structure has been managed by UNPLI Treviso, together with the Municipality of Revine Lago and the Consortium Pro Loco Quartier del Piave
The structure was opened on May 12, 2007, with an agreement between the Province of Treviso, the Mountain Community of the Treviso Pre-Alps, and the Municipality of Revine Lago. The aim was to enhance the nearby prehistoric site of Colmaggiore di Tarzo, discovered in the isthmus between the lakes of Lago and Santa Maria (fig.1). Since 2009 the structure has been managed by UNPLI Treviso, together with the Municipality of Revine Lago and the Consortium Pro Loco Quartier del Piave
Research Interests:
Neanderthal's material remains have been studied from a variety of perspectives with the aim of reconstructing different life-aspects of these human groups. The arrangements of artefacts and features within archaeological sites have often... more
Neanderthal's material remains have been studied from a variety of perspectives with the aim of reconstructing different life-aspects of these human groups. The arrangements of artefacts and features within archaeological sites have often been employed to isolate activity areas and draw inferences about site function. This assumes that objects found in close proximity, were used for the same task, and that artefacts were usually discarded where they were used. In this regard, refitting studies provide useful data in order to achieve some topics like: assemblage formation processes, post-depositional dynamics, settlement patterns, definition and integrity of stratigraphic units. The distribution of the remains and the connection lines documented by refitting, allow understanding the modalities of space-organization, how human groups divided themselves, how they relate to each other and the relationships between the site areas. The aim of this paper is to present the application of this methodology in the Middle Palaeolithic levels I and Ja of Abric Romaní (Barcelona, Spain) and level 37 of Riparo Tagliente (Verona, Italy). This approach is correlated with neighbourhood analysis and spatial distributions, allowing to reconstruct both natural and cultural processes involved in this record, in order to explore the anthropogenic use of the site, the differences between occupational patterns, subsistence activities, domestic areas, level of groups sophistication and the length of the occupation. Summarizing the collected data, different situations can be noted. Abric Romaní site shows two different occupational models: short-time occupations around small hearths, representing domestic activities in level I, and a mixture of short and large occupations in sublevel Ja, with synchronic relationships between activity areas and toss zones. A different situation has been highlighted at Riparo Tagliente, where the particular formation-site processes, led to the identification of more palimpsests, that consequently have reduced the amount of refits.
Research Interests:
In recent years, new perspectives in archaeozoological studies have been possible thank to the refinement of existing techniques, the development of new methodologies and the adoption of scientific approaches from other disciplines. This... more
In recent years, new perspectives in archaeozoological studies have been possible thank to the refinement of existing techniques, the development of new methodologies and the adoption of scientific approaches from other disciplines.
This contribution form part of a larger project entitled “Attesting Neanderthal Dwelling Space Use: effects of human occupations in the Middle Palaeolithic record of Fumane cave” (ANDSU). It will address the spatiotemporal features that mark out the Neanderthal space use from units A9 (47.6-45.0 Ky Cal BP) and A6-A5 (44.8-42.2 Ky Cal B.P.) of Fumane cave. This well-known site, located at 350 m asl in the Western Monti Lessini, north of Italy, is a European key site for the comprehension of Neanderthal lifeways.
An integrated multidisciplinary research methodology has been harnessed to address specific objectives: identify the Neanderthal spatial organisation and site function; calculate the durability and number of occupation(s)/event(s) and their temporality (or not). Although many scientific contributions have attempted to identify spatial patterns and activity areas within sites, to reconstruct and explain human behaviours, ANDSU is original in its multidisciplinary and innovative approach. Faunal refits have hitherto been poorly applied in archaeological sites, whereas lithic refits have been used as a key tool to identify connections between areas and observe preferential directions of tool movements. ANDSU will, for the first time, integrates faunal refits, geostatistical methods, and 3D modelling. Through a pioneering application, never carried out before, units A9, A6-A5 of Fumane cave will be analysed, trying to offer new insights into this field of research.
This contribution form part of a larger project entitled “Attesting Neanderthal Dwelling Space Use: effects of human occupations in the Middle Palaeolithic record of Fumane cave” (ANDSU). It will address the spatiotemporal features that mark out the Neanderthal space use from units A9 (47.6-45.0 Ky Cal BP) and A6-A5 (44.8-42.2 Ky Cal B.P.) of Fumane cave. This well-known site, located at 350 m asl in the Western Monti Lessini, north of Italy, is a European key site for the comprehension of Neanderthal lifeways.
An integrated multidisciplinary research methodology has been harnessed to address specific objectives: identify the Neanderthal spatial organisation and site function; calculate the durability and number of occupation(s)/event(s) and their temporality (or not). Although many scientific contributions have attempted to identify spatial patterns and activity areas within sites, to reconstruct and explain human behaviours, ANDSU is original in its multidisciplinary and innovative approach. Faunal refits have hitherto been poorly applied in archaeological sites, whereas lithic refits have been used as a key tool to identify connections between areas and observe preferential directions of tool movements. ANDSU will, for the first time, integrates faunal refits, geostatistical methods, and 3D modelling. Through a pioneering application, never carried out before, units A9, A6-A5 of Fumane cave will be analysed, trying to offer new insights into this field of research.
Research Interests:
In a lot of Pleistocene sites, especially included in the Middle Paleolithic, it is possible to find a lot of situations referrings to hominids-carnivores interaction. These ones have often influenced anthropic choices related with... more
In a lot of Pleistocene sites, especially included in the Middle Paleolithic, it is possible to find a lot of situations referrings to hominids-carnivores interaction. These ones have often influenced anthropic choices related with habitat areas and prey hunted. Theirs effects are clear and evident in the taphonomic aspects characterizing bones assemblages. The results of recent zooarchaeological studies evaluated several hypotheses about their interaction: hominids as “scavengers” of remains accumulated by other carnivores; carnivores as “scavengers” of hominids remains, stored during permanence in sites or camps; carnivores as preys of hominids. In this regard, the Biarzo shelter (Natisone valley, Udine, Italy) could be an example for the analysis of this issue. This site, especially important in the italian prehistoric- cultural scenery, provided a stratigraphy that from Epigravettian arrives to the first Age of Metals (Bronze). Although the survey was limited in extension-excavations by the collapse of a part of the rock-cover and even if there were many problems concerning bones-conservation, due to corrosion and roots intervention, the excavated levels allowed the identification of a great variety of species: ungulates, carnivores, rodents, fish and birds. This article will examine the Mesolithic and Neolithic faunistical remains, that shows pit-score or digestion traces produced by carnivores and cut-marks and other human interventions on the same bones of carnivores. In this way it will be possible to verify the existence of an interaction between the two categories, if the use of the site were alternately between hominids and carnivores, or if the anthropic intervention on the bones is accidental and not represents hunting choices.
Research Interests:
Lo studio e l’applicazione dei rimontaggi ossei, tecnica impiegata in archeologia a partire dagli anni 70’ (Spurrell 1880; De Mortillet 1881; 1894) si basa sulla ricostruzione di elementi rotti o fratturati, al fine di stabilire i... more
Lo studio e l’applicazione dei rimontaggi ossei, tecnica impiegata in archeologia a partire dagli anni 70’ (Spurrell 1880; De Mortillet 1881; 1894) si basa sulla ricostruzione di elementi rotti o fratturati, al fine di stabilire i processi di formazione, risolvere questioni legate allo spostamento verticale dei resti, valutare i processi post-deposizionali (Van Noten et al. 1978; Hofman, 1981; 1986; Villa, 1982; Villa et al., 1985; 1986) e riconoscere le aree di attività dei Neandertaliani (Larson e Ingbar 1992; Leroi-Gourhan e Brezillon 1972). Nel presente studio si propone l’applicazione di questa metodologia nei livelli musteriani I e Ja dell’Abric Romani (Capellades, Spagna) e nel livello 37 di Riparo Tagliente (Verona, Italia). Partendo dalla caratterizzazione degli assemblaggi faunistici mediante lo studio anatomico e tassonomico nonché tafonomico, si determina la modalità di sfruttamento dei taxon. I rimontaggi vengono effettuati in questo modo: analisi dei resti per singoli quadrati (differenziazione degli elementi anatomici secondo taxon e taglia), per quadri adiacenti e in visione globale analizzando tutti i quadrati dell’area indagata (considerando le aree di maggior accumulo). Una volta effettuato il lavoro pratico di “rimontaggio” tutti i dati vengono analizzati ed elaborati per ottenere la distribuzione spaziale nei livelli indagati. Anche grazie alla correlazione con i focolari e le strutture identificate, questo metodo, applicato a due siti dell’area mediterranea, permetterà di valutare le differenze tra i pattern occupazionali, le attività di sussistenza, il livello di complessità dei gruppi, le aree domestiche, il periodo e la durata dell’occupazione. PAROLE CHIAVE: Paleolitico Medio, Abric Romani, Riparo Tagliente, rimontaggi ossei, metodologia, distribuzione spaziale. The study and the application of bones refitting, technique adopted in archaeology since the 70’s, (Spurrell 1880; De Mortillet 1881; 1894) is based on the reconstruction of broken and fractured elements to determine formation process, to resolve question about vertical movement of remains, to evaluate post-depositional process (Van Noten et al. 1978; Hofman, 1981; 1986; Villa, 1982; Villa et al., 1985; 1986) and to recognize Neandertal’s activities areas (Larson e Ingbar 1992; Leroi-Gourhan e Brezillon 1972). The aim of this paper is to present the application of this metodology in Mousterian levels I and Ja of Abric Romani (Capellades, Spain) and level 37 of Riparo Tagliente (Verona, Italy). Starting from the characterization of faunistic assemblages, throught an anatomic and a taxonomic, as well as taphonomic study, it is possible to define exploitation of the taxon. Refittings are made in this way: remains analysis for each squares (differentiation of anatomical elements depending on taxon and size), by closest square and in overview, by analysing all the squares of the area (considering greatest accumulation). Once the refittings are carried, all the data are analysed and processed to obtain the spatial patterns of investigated levels. Thanks to the correlation with hearths and structures identified, this kind of analysis, applied in two mediterranean sites, will evaluate the differences between occupational patterns, subsistence activities, domestic areas, level of group’s sophistication and duration of employment.
Research Interests:
The study and the application of bone refitting, a technique adopted in archaeology since the 70's, (Spurrell 1880; De Mortillet 1881; 1894) is based on the reconstruction of broken and fractured elements to determine the formation... more
The study and the application of bone refitting, a technique adopted in archaeology since the 70's, (Spurrell 1880; De Mortillet 1881; 1894) is based on the reconstruction of broken and fractured elements to determine the formation process, to resolve questions about the vertical movement of remains, to evaluate post-depositional process (Van Noten et al. 1978; Hofman 1981; 1986; Villa 1982; Villa et al. 1985; 1986) and to recognize Neandertal's activities areas (Larson e Ingbar 1992; Leroi-Gourhan e Brezillon 1972).
This paper aims to present the application of this methodology in Mousterian levels I and Ja of Abric Romani (Capellades, Spain) and level 37 of Riparo Tagliente (Verona, Italy). Starting from the characterization of faunistic assemblages, through an anatomic and a taxonomic, as well as a taphonomic study, it is possible to define the exploitation of the taxon. Refittings are made in this way: remains analysis for each square (differentiation of anatomical elements depending on taxon and size), by closest square and in overview, by analyzing all the squares of the area (considering greatest accumulation). Once the refittings are carried out, all the data are analyzed and processed to obtain the spatial patterns of investigated levels.
Thanks to the correlation with hearths and structures identified, this kind of analysis, applied in two Mediterranean sites, will evaluate the differences between occupational patterns, subsistence activities, domestic areas, level of group's sophistication, and duration of employment.
This paper aims to present the application of this methodology in Mousterian levels I and Ja of Abric Romani (Capellades, Spain) and level 37 of Riparo Tagliente (Verona, Italy). Starting from the characterization of faunistic assemblages, through an anatomic and a taxonomic, as well as a taphonomic study, it is possible to define the exploitation of the taxon. Refittings are made in this way: remains analysis for each square (differentiation of anatomical elements depending on taxon and size), by closest square and in overview, by analyzing all the squares of the area (considering greatest accumulation). Once the refittings are carried out, all the data are analyzed and processed to obtain the spatial patterns of investigated levels.
Thanks to the correlation with hearths and structures identified, this kind of analysis, applied in two Mediterranean sites, will evaluate the differences between occupational patterns, subsistence activities, domestic areas, level of group's sophistication, and duration of employment.
Research Interests:
Il Riparo Tagliente, localizzato ai piedi del Monte Tregnago, è situato sul fianco sinistro della Valpantena, nei Monti Lessini. Il sito presenta una sequenza stratigrafica suddivisa in due unità principali, separate da una superficie di... more
Il Riparo Tagliente, localizzato ai piedi del Monte Tregnago, è situato sul fianco sinistro della Valpantena, nei Monti Lessini. Il sito presenta una sequenza stratigrafica suddivisa in due unità principali, separate da una superficie di erosione: depositi con industrie musteriane e aurignaziane e depositi con industrie epigravettiane. Il presente lavoro espone i dati ottenuti dallo studio dei reperti faunistici, provenienti dal livello 37 di Riparo Tagliente (60-30 Ka BP., per l’intera sequenza dei livelli dal 39 al 31), già oggetto di studi archeozoologici (Thun Hohenstein, 2001). In particolar modo l’analisi concerne alcuni risultati acquisiti di recente da un nuovo punto di vista: l’utilizzo dei rimontaggi ossei come metodologia per comprendere la connessione tra le aree di attività all’interno del sito. L’analisi tafonomica, associata ad osservazioni microscopiche e dal refitting dei frammenti ossei, ha restituito una buona quantità di informazioni. La frammentazione ossea, che appare piuttosto intensa soprattutto in determinate aree del sito, ha permesso comunque di ricostruire la catena di operazioni che hanno portato alla fratturazione dei resti, indicando da questo punto di vista un intensa frequentazione antropica all’interno di Riparo Tagliente.
Research Interests:
In recent decades, many research questions focused on occupational patterns in the Middle Palaeolithic. Many discussions on that topic, addressed the temporal resolution of assemblage’s accumulation and the character of palimpsests that... more
In recent decades, many research questions focused on occupational patterns in the Middle Palaeolithic. Many discussions on that topic, addressed the temporal resolution of assemblage’s accumulation and the character of palimpsests that can be observed at archaeological sites. In this case, bone refits are a good example to analyze questions related to the temporal resolution of human occupations. For more than a century archaeologists have been refitting or conjoining fragments of lithic, ceramic artifacts and bones. This work presents the results achieved by the archaeozoological analyses, carried out on the faunal remains coming from the Mousterian level 37 of Riparo Tagliente. The site, discovered in 1958 by F. Tagliente, lies on the left side of the Valpantena Valley, in the Venetian Prealps, at 250 meters above sea level. The chronology, which spans from about 60,000 BP to 30,000 BP., for all the sequence of the Mousterian levels from 52 to 31, corresponds to a glacial cycle. The taphonomical analysis proceeded by selecting all the bone fragments, whose surfaces are generally well preserved. This fact allowed a detailed analysis of modifications, caused by anthropic activities. Several diaphyses fragments with marginal notches testify to the interest in marrow extraction that produces a high degree of fragmentation. Multiple cut-marks, which are often oblique and related to defleshing with lithic tools, are present on the surface of numerous diaphyseal fragments, as well as traces showing the utilization of the bones to retouch lithic tools. In other cases, alteration by digestion, transport, weathering, soil corrosion, trampling, exfoliation and/or erosion, burning, and diagenesis have affected the surface in a more or less invasive way. All of these processes are known to leave characteristic patterns of alteration and fragmentation on bone surfaces. Moreover, this work is also correlated with faunal refits to improve the knowledge of the site formation processes. This approach is correlated with neighborhood analysis and spatial distribution. In this way, we can reconstruct some of the natural and cultural processes involved in this record, to explore the anthropogenic use of the site, the differences between occupational patterns, subsistence activities, domestic areas and the level of group’s sophistication and duration of the site occupation. This fact shows the importance of this approach, with the intent that the diversity of occupational patterns and ways of life of the human communities of the European Middle Palaeolithic could be better described.
Research Interests:
The archaeological record is the result of different long-acting processes. The study and the application of bone refits, technique adopted in archaeology since the 70's, is based on the reconstruction of broken and fractured elements to... more
The archaeological record is the result of different long-acting processes. The study and the application of bone refits, technique adopted in archaeology since the 70's, is based on the reconstruction of broken and fractured elements to determine formation processes, to solve questions about vertical movements of remains, to evaluate post-depositional processes and to recognize the activity areas. In this way we can reconstruct some of the natural and cultural processes involved in this record. The accumulations formed by anthropogenic processes have a register located mainly around archaeological structures such as hearths and agglomerates of travertine.
The aim of this paper is to present the application of this methodology and the results obtained in the Level I of Abric Romani (Capellades, Spain), which chronology was determined around 46 Kyrs by means of U/Th ages. This mousterian site is located in a tufa-draped cliff in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula and various evidence of natural and human activity has been identified in. The site is composed by a sequence of travertine platforms, which are more than 20 m high. The human occupations are located between these platforms, which are isolated from each other and this fact allows analyzing more accurately all the accumulations. Starting from the characterization of faunistic assemblages, through out anatomic, taxonomic and taphonomic study, it is possible to define exploitation of the animals. Bone refits are made in this way: remains analysis for each squares (differentiation of anatomical elements depending on taxon and size), by closest square and in overview, by analysing all the squares of the area (considering greatest accumulation). Once the refits are carried out, all the data has been analysed and processed to obtain the spatial patterns of the investigated level. The main aim is to explore the anthropogenic use of the site, in particular during the occupation of Level I, and to valore the degree of synchronicity between the different identified structures, such as hearths and the activity areas.
This kind of analysis can be used in order to evaluate the differences between occupational patterns, subsistence activities, domestic areas, level of group's sophistication and duration of employment of the sites. This fact shows the importance of these studies to understand the diversity of occupational patterns and ways of life of the human communities of the European Middle Palaeolithic.
The aim of this paper is to present the application of this methodology and the results obtained in the Level I of Abric Romani (Capellades, Spain), which chronology was determined around 46 Kyrs by means of U/Th ages. This mousterian site is located in a tufa-draped cliff in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula and various evidence of natural and human activity has been identified in. The site is composed by a sequence of travertine platforms, which are more than 20 m high. The human occupations are located between these platforms, which are isolated from each other and this fact allows analyzing more accurately all the accumulations. Starting from the characterization of faunistic assemblages, through out anatomic, taxonomic and taphonomic study, it is possible to define exploitation of the animals. Bone refits are made in this way: remains analysis for each squares (differentiation of anatomical elements depending on taxon and size), by closest square and in overview, by analysing all the squares of the area (considering greatest accumulation). Once the refits are carried out, all the data has been analysed and processed to obtain the spatial patterns of the investigated level. The main aim is to explore the anthropogenic use of the site, in particular during the occupation of Level I, and to valore the degree of synchronicity between the different identified structures, such as hearths and the activity areas.
This kind of analysis can be used in order to evaluate the differences between occupational patterns, subsistence activities, domestic areas, level of group's sophistication and duration of employment of the sites. This fact shows the importance of these studies to understand the diversity of occupational patterns and ways of life of the human communities of the European Middle Palaeolithic.
Research Interests:
The prehistoric remains found in Colmaggiore di Tarzo and the desire to promote the history and the environment of the lakes, led to the Livelet Teaching Archaeology Park project, desired by the Province of Treviso. This park is an... more
The prehistoric remains found in Colmaggiore di Tarzo and the desire to promote the history and the environment of the lakes, led to the Livelet Teaching Archaeology Park project, desired by the Province of Treviso. This park is an outdoor museum partner of Exarch. It is located on the west shore of the Lago lake, one of the two Revine lakes, in the beautiful setting of the Pre-Alps, in the north of Treviso province (Italy).
All the area surrounding the lakes is very important at an archaeological level. Starting from 1926 and excavation carried out to construct a channel, unearthed two Sauerbrunn type swords, dated back to the Middle Bronze Age, and a Peschiera type dagger, dated to the Middle and Upper Bronze Age. In the 1989 the Archaeological Authority of Veneto Region promoted a multidisciplinar research. Between the other archaeological remains, fragments of ceratmics, flints, bones, copper pins and traces of construction stilts have been highlighted.
The first experimental approach was the reconstruction of the pile-dwelling village, based on studies of the type of settlements found in archaeological sites in wet or lakeside environments in Northern Italy and on ethnographic studies. The three pile-dwellings are in full-scale, lie in the proximity of the water and have been built in three different ways: on dry land, partly on a reclaimed area and on the water. According to this order of construction, the interiors reproduce respectively Neolithic, Copper and Bronze Age, namely the periods when the Revine lakes was inhabited in prehistory. The reconstructions were made using methods and materials that were also available in the past.
The park is comprised of workshops and teaching areas. The guided tours are characterized by interaction with materials and reconstructed tools that were used in everyday life from Neolithic to Bronze Age.
From 2013 the Livelet's staff began to carry out some research, which led to the reconstruction of new tools and clothing dating back to the Neolithic, as well as the organization of two days of Living History addressed to this period. On of the most important activities carried out, a bronze sword of Sauerbrunn type (15th century B.C.) has been archaeologically replicated through the use of prehistoric technologies.
In addition an exhibition centre reveals utensils, accessories, materials, hunting weapons and farming tools.
All the area surrounding the lakes is very important at an archaeological level. Starting from 1926 and excavation carried out to construct a channel, unearthed two Sauerbrunn type swords, dated back to the Middle Bronze Age, and a Peschiera type dagger, dated to the Middle and Upper Bronze Age. In the 1989 the Archaeological Authority of Veneto Region promoted a multidisciplinar research. Between the other archaeological remains, fragments of ceratmics, flints, bones, copper pins and traces of construction stilts have been highlighted.
The first experimental approach was the reconstruction of the pile-dwelling village, based on studies of the type of settlements found in archaeological sites in wet or lakeside environments in Northern Italy and on ethnographic studies. The three pile-dwellings are in full-scale, lie in the proximity of the water and have been built in three different ways: on dry land, partly on a reclaimed area and on the water. According to this order of construction, the interiors reproduce respectively Neolithic, Copper and Bronze Age, namely the periods when the Revine lakes was inhabited in prehistory. The reconstructions were made using methods and materials that were also available in the past.
The park is comprised of workshops and teaching areas. The guided tours are characterized by interaction with materials and reconstructed tools that were used in everyday life from Neolithic to Bronze Age.
From 2013 the Livelet's staff began to carry out some research, which led to the reconstruction of new tools and clothing dating back to the Neolithic, as well as the organization of two days of Living History addressed to this period. On of the most important activities carried out, a bronze sword of Sauerbrunn type (15th century B.C.) has been archaeologically replicated through the use of prehistoric technologies.
In addition an exhibition centre reveals utensils, accessories, materials, hunting weapons and farming tools.
Research Interests:
The debate over Neanderthal subsistence patterns and behavioural aspects is a source of many discussions and scientific contributions. Research over the last ten years has produced new data on mobility, economic strategies and... more
The debate over Neanderthal subsistence patterns and behavioural aspects is a source of many discussions and scientific contributions. Research over the last ten years has produced new data on mobility, economic strategies and life-aspects of these ancestors, changing and enriching the comprehension of their material record. This project will address the identification of changes in Neanderthal subsistence patterns, across the late Mousterian sequence of Fumane cave (44-47.6 ka cal BP), one of the most important European key-sites (Verona, Italy). ANDSU will attempt to overcome some of the current scientific limitations, by focusing on specific objectives: the identification of Neanderthal's spatial alteration patterns; the durability of their occupations; the site function; the temporality (or not) of site space and the lengths and number of occupation(s)/event(s). An integrated multidisciplinary research methodology will be harnessed to address these objectives and enhance the state-of-the-art. The project's innovative methodology will include bone refits, spatial archaeology, multivariate statistic techniques (k-mean cluster analysis; hierarchical classification methods; discriminant and point pattern analysis) and 3D model reconstructions. The experimentation of bones' 3D scan will be an excellent way to record and transfer scientific information. The ability to automate or semi-automate refits of large faunal assemblages would add new perspectives to zooarchaeological research methods. According to current literature and the growing evidence emerging from many European sites, this project could provide useful data on the late Neanderthal groups. Moreover, it focuses on the crucial need to extend our knowledge on Neanderthal's behaviour and settlement patterns i.e., Fumane inhabitants' life-ways and their cultural relationships. ANDSU will serve as a foundation for further studies, enabling a collection of data that can be applied to the construction of populations models and eco-cultural niches of other European regions.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The presented work concerns a PhD project, carried out over four years. It aims to identify the patterns of Neanderthal subsistence in the Mousterian levels I and Ja of Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona, Spain) and level 37 of Riparo... more
The presented work concerns a PhD project, carried out over four years. It aims to identify the patterns of Neanderthal subsistence in the Mousterian levels I and Ja of Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona, Spain) and level 37 of Riparo Tagliente (Stallavena di Grezzana, Verona, Italy). Using bone refitting and their correlation with hearths, the activity areas (domestic or working) and the length of the occupation have been investigated.
The sites chosen for this project were selected for the rich archaeological records of lithic and faunal remains, charcoal, and hearths. Abric Romaní is one of the most important archaeological sites of the beginning of the Late Pleistocene of the Iberian Peninsula, located in a strategic passage between inland and coastal regions, that serves as a crossroads between the inner regions, plains, mountains, and the coast. Riparo Tagliente, within the framework of the Lessini Mounts, is considered the type-site of the Mousterian culture in the Veneto region. Summarizing the collected data, different situations have been detected. In the Abric Romaní site, two different occupational models have been identified. In level I, the type of occupation takes place for a short time, around the hearths, which are small and represent domestic activities. The species of recurrent hunting are red deer and horses. Instead, in sublevel Ja, all animal species are involved in the hunt, although red deer is the most abundant.
Different is the situation of Riparo Tagliente, where we do not have the travertine dynamic identified in the Abric Romaní. This has led to the identification of more palimpsests, which consequently have reduced the amount of refits. The connection lines established between the various fragments have been documented between the inner and outer areas of the site.
The resulting data of the spatial distribution analyses could be used as a reference to investigate the patterns of occupation and subsistence of Neanderthals in Italy and Europe.
The sites chosen for this project were selected for the rich archaeological records of lithic and faunal remains, charcoal, and hearths. Abric Romaní is one of the most important archaeological sites of the beginning of the Late Pleistocene of the Iberian Peninsula, located in a strategic passage between inland and coastal regions, that serves as a crossroads between the inner regions, plains, mountains, and the coast. Riparo Tagliente, within the framework of the Lessini Mounts, is considered the type-site of the Mousterian culture in the Veneto region. Summarizing the collected data, different situations have been detected. In the Abric Romaní site, two different occupational models have been identified. In level I, the type of occupation takes place for a short time, around the hearths, which are small and represent domestic activities. The species of recurrent hunting are red deer and horses. Instead, in sublevel Ja, all animal species are involved in the hunt, although red deer is the most abundant.
Different is the situation of Riparo Tagliente, where we do not have the travertine dynamic identified in the Abric Romaní. This has led to the identification of more palimpsests, which consequently have reduced the amount of refits. The connection lines established between the various fragments have been documented between the inner and outer areas of the site.
The resulting data of the spatial distribution analyses could be used as a reference to investigate the patterns of occupation and subsistence of Neanderthals in Italy and Europe.
Research Interests:
Genetically-based reconstructions of the history of pig domestication in Europe are based on two major pillars: 1) the temporal changes of mitochondrial DNA lineages are related to domestication; 2) Near Eastern haplotypes which appeared... more
Genetically-based reconstructions of the history of pig domestication in Europe are based on two major pillars: 1) the temporal changes of mitochondrial DNA lineages are related to domestication; 2) Near Eastern haplotypes which appeared and then disappeared in some sites across Europe are genetic markers of the first Near Eastern domestic pigs. We typed a small but informative fragment of the mitochondrial DNA in 23 Sus scrofa samples from a site in north eastern Italy (Biarzo shelter) which provides a continuous record across a ≈6,000 year time frame from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Neolithic. We additionally carried out several radiocarbon dating. We found that a rapid mitochondrial DNA turnover occurred during the Mesolithic, suggesting that substantial changes in the composition of pig mitochondrial lineages can occur naturally across few millennia independently of domestication processes. Moreover, so-called Near Eastern haplotypes were present here at least two millennia before the arrival of Neolithic package in the same area. Consequently, we recommend a re-evaluation of the previous idea that Neolithic farmers introduced pigs domesticated in the Near East, and that Mesolithic communities acquired domestic pigs via cultural exchanges, to include the possibility of a more parsimonious hypothesis of local domestication in Europe.
Research Interests:
The composition and organisational patterns of Pleistocene human groups are a main research when it comes to the evolution of human behaviour. However, these studies are often limited by the restricted characteristics of the... more
The composition and organisational patterns of Pleistocene human groups are a main research when it comes to the evolution of human behaviour. However, these studies are often limited by the restricted characteristics of the archaeological records and do not show enough resolution to make approaches with the necessary precision. The travertinic formations of the Abric Romaní site (Capellades, Barcelona, Spain) provide an ideal scenario to answer some questions about the European Middle Palaeolithic occupational patterns. The hearth-related accumulations from this site show many similarities with those generated by several contemporary forager groups, so each could represent the activity area of a specific social unit. This work contributes to the existing research by examining the faunal refits recovered in six stratigraphic units (H, I, J-Ja, K, L and M) that cover the chronological period between 44 and 55 ka. Faunal refits are analysed using the metric parameters of ethnographic hearth-related accumulations (the hearth itself and its corresponding drop and toss zones); significant relationships are found between many of these elements and the areas of influence of the hearths. In addition, connections between the activity areas from these refits are seen in several stratigraphic units. This phenomenon allows for greater diversity in the occupational patterns of this site to be identified than those recorded only from taphonomic studies. From this perspective, two main occupational models are proposed: (1) the simple model, in which isolated and unconnected hearth-related accumulations are identified (units H, L and—to a lesser extent—K) and (2) the complex model, primarily represented by the identification of several long-distance faunal refits connecting different activity areas (units I, J-Ja and M). Thus, this work provides deeper insights into the behavioural diversity of Middle Palaeolithic human groups, their social organisation and composition and their evolution in the region.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Pleistocene and Orce
Participation in the international virtual tour addressed to families. The event, organized on the Zoom platform for the ICOM International Museum Day 2021, provided a guided tour of the Palaeolithic. The MUSE (Science Museum of Trento),... more
Participation in the international virtual tour addressed to families. The event, organized on the Zoom platform for the ICOM International Museum Day 2021, provided a guided tour of the Palaeolithic. The MUSE (Science Museum of Trento), Grotta di Fumane and Mettmann's Neanderthal Museum offer a trip between Germany and Italy to get to know our prehistoric ancestors up close with a guided tour of the rooms of the two museums and the archaeological site in Valpolicella. Some aspects of art, technology, culture and ways of life were presented, thanks to an innovative way to visit museums or universities. The occasion was useful for presenting a live virtual tour inside the labs of the University of Ferrara, where faunal material is collected, presenting some aspects of my Marie Curie project and methods applied.
Research Interests:
Participation in the international virtual tour addressed to an adult target. The event, organized on the Zoom platform, had the aim of providing an immersion in the Paleolithic, offering the opportunity to get to know the Creswell Crags... more
Participation in the international virtual tour addressed to an adult target. The event, organized on the Zoom platform, had the aim of providing an immersion in the Paleolithic, offering the opportunity to get to know the Creswell Crags Museum & Heritage Center (UK), Grotta di Fumane and the Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann (Germany) in a single live online event. Emphasis has also been placed on how research works and what we can learn about ourselves by looking at the past. The occasion helped present my Marie Curie project and the methodology applied to the study of the faunal remains of Grotta di Fumane.
Research Interests:
The invited seminars were organized in the course "Archaeozoology and Taphonomy of animal hard tissues" by Prof. Ursula Thun Hohenstein of Unife. In the May seminar, some issues related to European programming were addressed, with a... more
The invited seminars were organized in the course "Archaeozoology and Taphonomy of animal hard tissues" by Prof. Ursula Thun Hohenstein of Unife. In the May seminar, some issues related to European programming were addressed, with a particular focus on MSCA actions (funding programme, aim of the MSCA-IF, eligibility, mobility and opportunities to create an international network among researchers, communication & dissemination of results). My MSCA project was presented as a study case in its fundamental parts and the preliminary results obtained. In the November seminar, greater emphasis was placed on the scientific content of the project, with the presentation of results obtained from the faunal material study of Fumane Cave. Space was also given to an exhibition of refitted bones, documented during the study of the two archaeological levels chosen for this project.
The seminar was a formative occasion, both for Bachelor's and Master's international students, not only as course practice but also as a moment of discussion and reflection for their professional future.
The seminar was a formative occasion, both for Bachelor's and Master's international students, not only as course practice but also as a moment of discussion and reflection for their professional future.
Research Interests:
The invited seminars were organized in the course "Archaeozoology and Taphonomy of animal hard tissues" by Prof. Ursula Thun Hohenstein of Unife. In the May seminar, some issues related to European programming were addressed, with a... more
The invited seminars were organized in the course "Archaeozoology and Taphonomy of animal hard tissues" by Prof. Ursula Thun Hohenstein of Unife. In the May seminar, some issues related to European programming were addressed, with a particular focus on MSCA actions (funding programme, aim of the MSCA-IF, eligibility, mobility and opportunities to create an international network among researchers, communication & dissemination of results). My MSCA project was presented as a study case in its fundamental parts and the preliminary results obtained. In the November seminar, greater emphasis was placed on the scientific content of the project, with the presentation of results obtained from the faunal material study of Fumane Cave. Space was also given to an exhibition of refitted bones, documented during the study of the two archaeological levels chosen for this project.
The seminar was a formative occasion, both for Bachelor's and Master's international students, not only as course practice but also as a moment of discussion and reflection for their professional future.
The seminar was a formative occasion, both for Bachelor's and Master's international students, not only as course practice but also as a moment of discussion and reflection for their professional future.
Research Interests:
Si tratta di un'iniziativa che si inserisce nel territorio tra i comuni di Revine-Lago e Miane, in Provincia di Treviso, conosciuto come la Vallata. Durante 7000 anni, questo paesaggio, grazie alle sue risorse, alla conformazione ed alla... more
Si tratta di un'iniziativa che si inserisce nel territorio tra i comuni di Revine-Lago e Miane, in Provincia di Treviso, conosciuto come la Vallata. Durante 7000 anni, questo paesaggio, grazie alle sue risorse, alla conformazione ed alla resilienza, ha accumulato un importante patrimonio culturale, materiale ed immateriale. Inoltre, dal 2019, l'UNESCO lo ha incluso come buffer-zone del paesaggio culturale evolutivo "Le Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene".
L'iniziativa, rivolta ad un target audience che coinvolge bambini ed adulti della provincia e dei territori limitrofi, insiste sulla necessità di far comprendere le vicende che hanno caratterizzato questo territorio, in un escursus temporale che va dalla preistoria al medioevo.
L'iniziativa, rivolta ad un target audience che coinvolge bambini ed adulti della provincia e dei territori limitrofi, insiste sulla necessità di far comprendere le vicende che hanno caratterizzato questo territorio, in un escursus temporale che va dalla preistoria al medioevo.
Research Interests:
Neanderthals’ spatial organization reflects different types of adaptive modes in response to internal and external constraints. A multidisciplinary study of the archaeological record, spatial analysis, and bone refits, compared with... more
Neanderthals’ spatial organization reflects different types of adaptive modes in response to internal and external constraints. A multidisciplinary study of the archaeological record, spatial analysis, and bone refits, compared with ethnographic data, is used to identify relevant aspects of space management, which constitutes a formal tool for interpreting the Palaeolithic record. The arrangements of artefacts and features within archaeological sites have often been employed to isolate activity areas and draw inferences about site function; this assumes that objects found in proximity were used for the same task and that artefacts were usually discarded where they were used. In this regard, refitting studies provide valuable data to achieve topics like assemblage formation processes, post-depositional dynamics, settlement patterns, definition, and integrity of stratigraphic units. The distribution of remains and documented connection lines allows understanding the space use and, consequently, human behaviour. Although these premises, faunal refits have hitherto been poorly applied in archaeological sites.
This paper aims to present the application of an innovative methodology applicated to the Middle Palaeolithic units A9 (47.6-45.0 Ky Cal BP) and A6-A5 (44.8-42.2 Ky Cal B.P.) of Fumane cave (Verona, Italy) that will include refits, spatial archaeology, multivariate statistic techniques and 3D model reconstructions. This latter will be an excellent way to record and transfer scientific information, and the possibility to automate or semiautomate refits of large faunal assemblages would offer new insights into zooarchaeological research methods.
This paper aims to present the application of an innovative methodology applicated to the Middle Palaeolithic units A9 (47.6-45.0 Ky Cal BP) and A6-A5 (44.8-42.2 Ky Cal B.P.) of Fumane cave (Verona, Italy) that will include refits, spatial archaeology, multivariate statistic techniques and 3D model reconstructions. This latter will be an excellent way to record and transfer scientific information, and the possibility to automate or semiautomate refits of large faunal assemblages would offer new insights into zooarchaeological research methods.
Research Interests:
Chi, molto prima di noi, abitò la montagna trevigiana? Tracce archeologiche effimere ma indelebili, rappresentate da resti di focolari, attrezzi e armi in pietra scheggiata, ossa animali, rari oggetti di adorno, trasmettono informazioni... more
Chi, molto prima di noi, abitò la montagna trevigiana? Tracce archeologiche effimere ma indelebili, rappresentate da resti di focolari, attrezzi e armi in pietra scheggiata, ossa animali, rari oggetti di adorno, trasmettono informazioni fondamentali per ricostruire la vita, il rapporto con l’ambiente, le innovazioni culturali dei primi abitanti della montagna, cacciatori Neandertal e Sapiens. Per chi si interroga sulle nostre origini e il divenire del genere umano, il Paleolitico resta uno dei più affascinanti periodi di studio. Archeologi, paleoantropologi, ma anche climatologi, geologi e botanici volgono lo sguardo verso il nostro più lontano passato per comprendere le
ragioni che hanno portato la nostra specie a sopravvivere alle glaciazioni, alla competizione con i predatori e ai mutamenti climatici degli ultimi 100mila anni. Tra Cansiglio, bellunese e le colline trevigiane, gli archeologi dell’Università di Ferrara hanno intensamente operato alla ricerca dei resti (invisibili) degli insediamenti di quel tempo, giungendo alla scoperta di reperti di importanza capitale per la ricostruzione del clima, delle foreste e della storia più antica del popolamento umano dopo l’ultima glaciazione.
Ai piedi delle meravigliose Prealpi Trevigiane, in un’area di interesse naturalistico, sorge il Parco Archeologico didattico del Livelet. Un sistema di aree didattiche e laboratori, caratterizzato da uno spazio dedicato alla ricostruzione archeologica di tre palafitte che comprendono un arco cronologico che va dal tardo Neolitico all’Età del bronzo. Un viaggio nel tempo che permette di sperimentare la quotidianità delle comunità umane del passato e interagire con materiali, utensili e strumenti, utilizzati in preistoria.
La lunga storia del cammino dell’uomo, raccontata attraverso una serie di incontri, dal Prof. Marco Peresani e dagli Operatori del Parco, permetterà di interagire ed immergersi nel nostro lontano passato.
ragioni che hanno portato la nostra specie a sopravvivere alle glaciazioni, alla competizione con i predatori e ai mutamenti climatici degli ultimi 100mila anni. Tra Cansiglio, bellunese e le colline trevigiane, gli archeologi dell’Università di Ferrara hanno intensamente operato alla ricerca dei resti (invisibili) degli insediamenti di quel tempo, giungendo alla scoperta di reperti di importanza capitale per la ricostruzione del clima, delle foreste e della storia più antica del popolamento umano dopo l’ultima glaciazione.
Ai piedi delle meravigliose Prealpi Trevigiane, in un’area di interesse naturalistico, sorge il Parco Archeologico didattico del Livelet. Un sistema di aree didattiche e laboratori, caratterizzato da uno spazio dedicato alla ricostruzione archeologica di tre palafitte che comprendono un arco cronologico che va dal tardo Neolitico all’Età del bronzo. Un viaggio nel tempo che permette di sperimentare la quotidianità delle comunità umane del passato e interagire con materiali, utensili e strumenti, utilizzati in preistoria.
La lunga storia del cammino dell’uomo, raccontata attraverso una serie di incontri, dal Prof. Marco Peresani e dagli Operatori del Parco, permetterà di interagire ed immergersi nel nostro lontano passato.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
ANDSU project was presented inside the Taphen roundtable: Bone & Lithic refits in site formation analysis: method, research, and application. The event was co-organised to discuss different aspects linked to the use of refits in... more
ANDSU project was presented inside the Taphen roundtable: Bone & Lithic refits in site formation analysis: method, research, and application. The event was co-organised to discuss different aspects linked to the use of refits in prehistoric sites, like the state-of-the art in academic research, the application and importance of this method applied to the archaeo-spatial analysis, the types of methods used according to the field (lithic and bone); the new challenges emerged from recent studies and the future approaches and prospect in this field of application. It has been an opportunity to share experiences, discuss specific problems and methodology related to the topic, to review the most critical developments and impasses in this field of study.
The meet, planned both virtual and in presence, was organised at the Institut d'Archéologie Méditerranéenne ARKAIA, Aix-en-Provence. It was opened to all researchers who could contribute to this issue with their studies and observations, independently from chronological periods or specific sites.
The meet, planned both virtual and in presence, was organised at the Institut d'Archéologie Méditerranéenne ARKAIA, Aix-en-Provence. It was opened to all researchers who could contribute to this issue with their studies and observations, independently from chronological periods or specific sites.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
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From an archaeological point of view, the abandonment of remains allows past human activities and occupations to be reconstructed. In the case of faunal studies, once the nutritional value is exploited, bones are thrown, generating a set... more
From an archaeological point of view, the abandonment of remains allows past human activities and occupations to be reconstructed. In the case of faunal studies, once the nutritional value is exploited, bones are thrown, generating a set of accumulations that, together with other processes, lead to a deposit formation. One of the main problems is that palimpsests are formed by multiple human occupations and disrupting processes that occur over time.
The first bone refit studies, which examined European Middle Palaeolithic palimpsests, were carried out in the 1970s to answer questions concerning the diversity of Neanderthal behaviour, including site function, seasonality and domestic areas. Currently, works about specific sites are mainly focused on the reconstruction of human subsistence strategies and how hominins interact with the natural environment.
Bone artifact refitting is a valuable aspect of archaeological research that can inform researchers on a variety of issues, such as prehistoric technology, site taphonomy, assemblage patterning and function. This technique offers a means of analysing sites with complicated occupational histories and is particularly useful in interpreting bone scattering on the surface. Refitting is also an intensive and time-consuming labour, especially for inexperienced refitting analysts, making it logistically challenging if many research projects are being conducted simultaneously.
In this session, hominin occupation patterns and space use in caves, shelters and open-air sites will be explored, as well as site formation processes, through bone refitting and correlated spatial analyses. The scope of this session will not be restricted to Palaeolithic sites but will examine all chronological periods. Not only analyses focused on (a) specific site(s) or level(s) but also interdisciplinary contributions are invited. This session will bring researchers together from different generations and research traditions to review the most important developments and impasses in bone refitting studies.
The aim is to debate the current research situation to learn about the efficiency of this methodology and inspire participants to make creative proposals on how to tackle and conceptualise bone refits.
The first bone refit studies, which examined European Middle Palaeolithic palimpsests, were carried out in the 1970s to answer questions concerning the diversity of Neanderthal behaviour, including site function, seasonality and domestic areas. Currently, works about specific sites are mainly focused on the reconstruction of human subsistence strategies and how hominins interact with the natural environment.
Bone artifact refitting is a valuable aspect of archaeological research that can inform researchers on a variety of issues, such as prehistoric technology, site taphonomy, assemblage patterning and function. This technique offers a means of analysing sites with complicated occupational histories and is particularly useful in interpreting bone scattering on the surface. Refitting is also an intensive and time-consuming labour, especially for inexperienced refitting analysts, making it logistically challenging if many research projects are being conducted simultaneously.
In this session, hominin occupation patterns and space use in caves, shelters and open-air sites will be explored, as well as site formation processes, through bone refitting and correlated spatial analyses. The scope of this session will not be restricted to Palaeolithic sites but will examine all chronological periods. Not only analyses focused on (a) specific site(s) or level(s) but also interdisciplinary contributions are invited. This session will bring researchers together from different generations and research traditions to review the most important developments and impasses in bone refitting studies.
The aim is to debate the current research situation to learn about the efficiency of this methodology and inspire participants to make creative proposals on how to tackle and conceptualise bone refits.
Research Interests:
Neanderthal's material remains have been studied from a variety of perspectives with the aim of reconstructing different life-aspects of these human groups. The arrangements of artefacts and features within archaeological sites have often... more
Neanderthal's material remains have been studied from a variety of perspectives with the aim of reconstructing different life-aspects of these human groups. The arrangements of artefacts and features within archaeological sites have often been employed to isolate activity areas and draw inferences about site function. This assumes that objects found in close proximity, were used for the same task, and that artefacts were usually discarded where they were used. In this regard, refitting studies provide useful data in order to achieve some topics like: assemblage formation processes, post-depositional dynamics, settlement patterns, definition and integrity of stratigraphic units. The distribution of the remains and the connection lines documented by refitting, allow understanding the modalities of space-organization, how human groups divided themselves, how they relate to each other and the relationships between the site areas. The aim of this paper is to present the application of this methodology in the Middle Palaeolithic levels I and Ja of Abric Romaní (Barcelona, Spain) and level 37 of Riparo Tagliente (Verona, Italy). This approach is correlated with neighborhood analysis and spatial distributions, allowing to reconstruct both natural and cultural processes involved in this record, in order to explore the anthropogenic use of the site, the differences between occupational patterns, subsistence activities, domestic areas, level of groups sophistication and the length of the occupation. Summarizing the collected data, different situations can be noted. Abric Romaní site shows two different occupational models: short-time occupations around small hearths, representing domestic activities in level I, and a mixture of short and large occupations in sublevel Ja, with synchronic relationships between activity areas and toss zones. A different situation has been highlighted at Riparo Tagliente, where the particular formation-site processes, led to the identification of more palimpsests, that consequently have reduced the amount of refits. The resulting data could be used as a reference to investigate the patterns of occupation and subsistence of Neanderthals in Europe. The interaction of multidisciplinary approaches will improve our understanding of the Neanderthals daily life in a more detailed level.
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The spatial organization developed by Neanderthals in habitat places reflects different types of adaptive modes in response to internal and external constraints. An interdisciplinary study of archaeological records, spatial analysis and... more
The spatial organization developed by Neanderthals in habitat places reflects different types of adaptive modes in response to internal and external constraints. An interdisciplinary study of archaeological records, spatial analysis and bone refits, properly compared with ethnographic data, are used as a methodology to facilitate the identification of relevant aspects in the management of space, which constitutes a formal tool for interpreting the Palaeolithic record. In this regard, the Abric Romaní archaeological site (Capellades, Barcelona, Spain) presents unique characteristics to analyse questions related to the temporal resolution of human occupations. The site, dated at MIS 3, was filled by a succession of travertine platforms of rapid formation that quickly sealed the levels, thus hampering possible post-depositional agents that may have disrupted the original location of the remains.
Current excavations are documenting several different kinds of anthropogenic assemblages that range from very simple to complex human occupations. The importance of hearth-related areas indicates that the rock shelter had a residential function and was visited in different circumstances and for different purposes. This contribution addresses several aspects of the management of space observed on the H, I, Ja, K, L and M levels of the Abric Romaní site. Primary and immediate anthropogenic access to the carcasses (mainly horses and red deer, followed by bovids) and well established patterns of animal processing are observed. Dissimilar human occupational patterns can explain the differences that have emerged between the levels covered in this study: (1) the presence of small groups with reduced use of space at Level H (isolated activity areas without temporal relationships between them); (2) short-term human occupations, carried out by several groups at different times with at least one occupational event of higher intensity at Level I; (3) large groups occupations with important spatial requirements at Level Ja (with synchronic relationships between activity areas and toss zones); (4) intermediate intensity occupations with continuative and short-term patterns at Level K; (5) short repeated occupation patterns at Level L; and (6) long-term, more intense occupations characterized by larger groups at Level M (similar to those established at Level J). The aim of this paper is to improve data in order to understand the settlement patterns and social organization systems of the Neanderthal groups during MIS 3.
Current excavations are documenting several different kinds of anthropogenic assemblages that range from very simple to complex human occupations. The importance of hearth-related areas indicates that the rock shelter had a residential function and was visited in different circumstances and for different purposes. This contribution addresses several aspects of the management of space observed on the H, I, Ja, K, L and M levels of the Abric Romaní site. Primary and immediate anthropogenic access to the carcasses (mainly horses and red deer, followed by bovids) and well established patterns of animal processing are observed. Dissimilar human occupational patterns can explain the differences that have emerged between the levels covered in this study: (1) the presence of small groups with reduced use of space at Level H (isolated activity areas without temporal relationships between them); (2) short-term human occupations, carried out by several groups at different times with at least one occupational event of higher intensity at Level I; (3) large groups occupations with important spatial requirements at Level Ja (with synchronic relationships between activity areas and toss zones); (4) intermediate intensity occupations with continuative and short-term patterns at Level K; (5) short repeated occupation patterns at Level L; and (6) long-term, more intense occupations characterized by larger groups at Level M (similar to those established at Level J). The aim of this paper is to improve data in order to understand the settlement patterns and social organization systems of the Neanderthal groups during MIS 3.
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The here presented work concerns a PhD project, carried out during four years. It aims to identify the patterns of Neanderthals subsistence in the Mousterian levels I and Ja of Abric Romanì (Capellades, Spain) and the level 37 of... more
The here presented work concerns a PhD project, carried out during four years. It aims to identify the patterns of Neanderthals subsistence in the Mousterian levels I and Ja of Abric Romanì (Capellades, Spain) and the level 37 of Tagliente rockshelter (Verona, Italy). By means of bones refitting of the faunal remains and their correlation with hearths, the activities areas (domestic or working) and the length of the occupation have been investigated. The sites chosen for this project, were selected for the rich archaeological records of lithic and faunal remains, charcoal and hearths. Abric Romanì is one of the most important archaeological sites of the beginning of the Late Pleistocene of the Iberian Peninsula, located in a strategic passage between inland and coastal regions, that serves as a crossroads between the inner regions, plains and mountains, and the coast. Tagliente rockshelter, within the framework of the Lessini Mounts, is considered the type-site of the Mousterian culture in the Veneto region. With the analyses of the spatial distribution the resulting data could be used as a reference to investigate the patterns of occupation and subsistence of Neanderthals in Europe.
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The eastern Alpine region of Italy represents a well-known area with regards to the study of Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene forager adaptations in the whole peninsula. Caves, shelters and open-air sites, which are numerous in this... more
The eastern Alpine region of Italy represents a well-known area with regards to the study of Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene forager adaptations in the whole peninsula. Caves, shelters and open-air sites, which are numerous in this region, have yielded traces of human re-peopling from mountaineous environments since the Late Glacial and until the Early Holocene. However, the archaeological record of the region lacks evidence about long lasting forager occupations. Exceptionally for the eastern Alpine sector, Riparo Biarzo (Natisone Valley, Julian Prealps) has yielded important evidence of continuous forager frequentation from Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene.
The authors discuss the results of the analyses of animal remains and shell ornaments recovered in the Late Epigravettian and Mesolithic units of the site and their significance for understanding continuity and changes in the subsistence and symbolic strategies during these periods in the region.
Archaeological data indicate an abundance of wild boar remains during both the Late Pleistocene and the Early Holocene at Biarzo, which makes hunting strategies at this site unique with regards to other contemporary contexts of the eastern Alpine region. Also, modalities of selection, production and use of ornaments in the same periods reveal the existence of established exchange networks, mobility strategies and connectivity between the eastern Alpine and the North Adriatic regions during the Late
Epigravettian and throughout the Mesolithic.
The authors discuss the results of the analyses of animal remains and shell ornaments recovered in the Late Epigravettian and Mesolithic units of the site and their significance for understanding continuity and changes in the subsistence and symbolic strategies during these periods in the region.
Archaeological data indicate an abundance of wild boar remains during both the Late Pleistocene and the Early Holocene at Biarzo, which makes hunting strategies at this site unique with regards to other contemporary contexts of the eastern Alpine region. Also, modalities of selection, production and use of ornaments in the same periods reveal the existence of established exchange networks, mobility strategies and connectivity between the eastern Alpine and the North Adriatic regions during the Late
Epigravettian and throughout the Mesolithic.
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Research Interests:
The lakes of San Giorgio and Santa Maria are two basins located in a glacial valley, at the foothills of the Veneto Pre-Alps, in the municipalities of Revine-Lago and Tarzo (Treviso, Italy). Archaeological pre-existences date back to 1923... more
The lakes of San Giorgio and Santa Maria are two basins located in a glacial valley, at the foothills of the Veneto Pre-Alps, in the municipalities of Revine-Lago and Tarzo (Treviso, Italy). Archaeological pre-existences date back to 1923 when a Sauerbrunn bronze sword, followed by other bronze artefacts, was found while excavating an artificial canal. In 1987, the first pile-dwelling remains were discovered. During the 1990s, several excavation campaigns documented a peri-lacustrine settlement dating to the late Neolithic-Eneolithic, with sporadic frequentation during the Bronze Age.
Since 2019, as part of the reLacus project, the University of Ferrara has undertaken a new phase of multidisciplinary research in collaboration with the University of Padova. During three field campaigns, underwater prospections, geoarchaeological cores, geophysical acquisitions, and archaeological excavations were carried out to identify new settlement areas and reconstruct formation processes and the paleoenvironment. Non-invasive prospections on over 7,000 m2 identified magnetic anomalies concentrations and permittivity variations, which would be connected to anthropic evidence.
The test pits and the excavation of 2022 highlight a rather homogeneous peat layer of anthropic origin, representing the settlement phase. A lake flooding phase, with grey clay loam deposition, has sealed the anthropic layer allowing exceptional conservation of remains. Archaeobotanical analyses describe an environment characterized by predominantly mixed oak woods, also with arboreal hygrophytes and fruit plants. The faunal assemblage is characterized by domestic animals, mainly bovids, pigs, and sheep/goats, flanked by some wild species like bears and small carnivores. The living continuity of the settlement is further confirmed by the various pottery production, both for daily use and food storage, by the production of necklaces and pendants on bones and teeth, as well as by the procurement of lithic raw material from areas close to the settlement.
Since 2019, as part of the reLacus project, the University of Ferrara has undertaken a new phase of multidisciplinary research in collaboration with the University of Padova. During three field campaigns, underwater prospections, geoarchaeological cores, geophysical acquisitions, and archaeological excavations were carried out to identify new settlement areas and reconstruct formation processes and the paleoenvironment. Non-invasive prospections on over 7,000 m2 identified magnetic anomalies concentrations and permittivity variations, which would be connected to anthropic evidence.
The test pits and the excavation of 2022 highlight a rather homogeneous peat layer of anthropic origin, representing the settlement phase. A lake flooding phase, with grey clay loam deposition, has sealed the anthropic layer allowing exceptional conservation of remains. Archaeobotanical analyses describe an environment characterized by predominantly mixed oak woods, also with arboreal hygrophytes and fruit plants. The faunal assemblage is characterized by domestic animals, mainly bovids, pigs, and sheep/goats, flanked by some wild species like bears and small carnivores. The living continuity of the settlement is further confirmed by the various pottery production, both for daily use and food storage, by the production of necklaces and pendants on bones and teeth, as well as by the procurement of lithic raw material from areas close to the settlement.