Nonostante la sempre piu vasta applicazione di metodi quantitativi ad alta risoluzione in campo t... more Nonostante la sempre piu vasta applicazione di metodi quantitativi ad alta risoluzione in campo tafonomico, sono pochi gli studi incentrati sul riconoscimento di impatti di proiettile su resti faunistici. Per questo motivo, in un precedente lavoro abbiamo esplorato la potenzialita della microscopia 3D nella distinzione di lesioni ossee dovute ad impatti balistici da altre tracce tafonomiche, sviluppando un metodo diagnostico di ampio utilizzo basato su dati sperimentali e incentrato su proiettili tardo epigravettiani (Duches et alii 2016). Nonostante sia stato possibile confermare la validita di questo metodo su resti archeozoologici appartenenti a mammiferi di media taglia (Nannini et alii submitted), l’affidabilita del campione sperimentale in rapporto ad animali di piccola taglia necessitava ulteriori verifiche: la dimensione e lo spessore delle ossa, infatti, potevano condizionare la resistenza delle ossa all’impatto, influenzando la morfometria degli impatti e la rappresentativ...
Riassunto - La localita Col del Buson e ubicata sulla destra idrografica dell’Ardo, torrente prea... more Riassunto - La localita Col del Buson e ubicata sulla destra idrografica dell’Ardo, torrente prealpino affluente del Piave. L’insediamento frequentato dal tardo Neolitico a tutta l’eta del Rame occupa la parte sommitale di un rilievo roccioso (m 715 slm), che e caratterizzato da due creste contrapposte e da una depressione centrale di origine naturale. Indagini archeologiche pluriennali hanno consentito di accertarne la natura d’insediamento permanente o quantomeno a lungo ciclo stagionale (primavera-autunno). L’analisi faunistica, fondata su circa 800 reperti determinati provenienti dagli strati dell’eta del Rame, tende ad indicare un quadro abbastanza tipico delle faune eneolitiche, momento in cui l’approvvigionamento di carne non si basa piu prevalentemente sulla caccia ma puo contare in misura crescente sull’apporto delle faune domestiche. Gli animali d’allevamento, in prevalenza buoi e caprovini, costituiscono l’85% dell’intero lotto mentre i selvatici sono dominati dal cervo, ...
Abstract Recent advances in the functional study of stone technology have highlighted how, since ... more Abstract Recent advances in the functional study of stone technology have highlighted how, since the early Paleolithic, non-flaked stone tools were employed in a wide range of tasks, from food processing to craft activities. Non-flaked tools are documented within the stone assemblages of various Mesolithic sites of Italy. However, these tools are still poorly known and no analysis was ever conducted for investigating their use. In this study, we present the results of the functional study performed on Mesolithic non-flaked stone artefacts from Pradestel and Romagnano Loc III, two sites located in the Adige Valley of the Eastern Alpine region of Italy. This area yielded some of the best-known Mesolithic record in Europe, and significant evidence of forager lifeways between the second half of the 10th millennium cal BC and the beginning of the 6th millennium cal BC. Through the application of qualitative and quantitative functional analyses we were able to interpret residues and use wear from the processing of plant and animal materials, finally assessing the activities performed with non-flaked stones at both sites. Our data provide the first direct evidence of the role played by little modified pebbles in the daily life of the Mesolithic foragers of the Italian Eastern Alpine region, so far assumed only through indirect evidence.
The role of small game in prehistoric hunter-gatherer economy is a highly debated topic. Despite ... more The role of small game in prehistoric hunter-gatherer economy is a highly debated topic. Despite the general assumption that this practice was uneconomic, several studies have underlined the relevance of the circumstance of capture – in terms of hunting strategies and technology – in the evaluation of the actual role of small mammals in human foraging efficiency. Since very few studies have focused on the recognition of bone hunting lesions, in a previous work we explored the potential of 3D microscopy in distinguishing projectile impact marks from other taphonomic marks, developing a widely-applicable diagnostic framework based on experimental data and focused on Late Epigravettian projectiles. Even though we confirmed the validity of the method on zooarchaeological remains of large-sized mammals, the reliability of the experimental record in relation to smaller animals needed more testing and verification. In this report we thus present the data acquired through a new ballistic ex...
Despite the widespread application of high-resolution quantitative methods in bone taphonomy, ver... more Despite the widespread application of high-resolution quantitative methods in bone taphonomy, very few studies have focused on projectile impact marks. Therefore, in a previous work, we explored the potential of 3D microscopy in distinguishing bone hunting injuries from other taphonomic marks, developing a widely applicable diagnostic framework based on experimental data and focused on Late Epigravettian projectiles. This paper aims to continue that research by applying 3D morphometrical analysis to zooarcheological bone surfaces, in order to verify the validity and feasibility of this method and evaluate the reliability of the experimental record. Here, we present the detailed analysis of a projectile impact mark, found on a rib of Ursus arctos from the Late Epigravettian site of Cornafessa rock shelter. The injury, located on the rib’s external surface, consists of a drag with several flint fragments embedded. X-ray μCT volume rendering and SEM imaging allowed us to analyze bone microstructure and drag’s qualitative features, while 3D measurements, processed through statistic, confirmed the interpretation of this mark as a hunting injury. The drag’s morphometric features are consistent with the experimental ones, connecting this mark to Late Epigravettian composite projectiles and declaring this evidence as the first direct proof of a bear hunted by using bow and arrow.
MUSE Museo delle Scienze (MUSE) – Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, IT 38123, Trento, Italie Un... more MUSE Museo delle Scienze (MUSE) – Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, IT 38123, Trento, Italie Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Sezione di Scienze Preistoriche e Antropologiche – Corso Ercole I d’ Este 32, IT 44121, Ferrara, Italie Università degli Studi di Siena, Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell’Ambiente, UR Preistoria e Antropologia – Via Laterina 8, IT 53100, Siena, Italie University of Bologna, Department of Cultural Heritage – Via degli Ariani 1, 48121 Ravenna, Italie
SUMMARY - Castelnuovo di Teolo (Padova), exc avations 2011. The archaeobotanical and archaeozoolo... more SUMMARY - Castelnuovo di Teolo (Padova), exc avations 2011. The archaeobotanical and archaeozoological data - In 2011 a short excavation campaign carried out at the base of the eastern slope of Mount Pendice at Castelnuovo di Teolo allowed to recover a small but significant sample of archaeobotanical and archaeozoological remains. The study of material culture allowed to date the archaeological deposits to the Late Neolithic. The paleobotanical sample consists of 302 burned seeds of cereals (naked and clothes), legumes and fruits of wild plants. The animal remains so far analyzed are 3800; 319 of them are determined at the taxonomic level. The most common domestic animals are the cattle and ovicaprines, followed by pigs. An important part of food resources being represented by wild animals like wild boars, red deer, roe deer and aurochs. Moreover some fragments of fish and turtles could also be found at the site. Theheterogeneity of botanical and faunal remains have demonstrated a rather varied diet of the visitors of this site.
Many sites dating from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age have been investigated in northern Italy a... more Many sites dating from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age have been investigated in northern Italy and have provided important zooarchaeological data. These sites are mostly settlements, but also places of worship and necropoli. While there are few zooarchaeological studies for the northwestern part of Italy, the northeast and the Po Valley have been better investigated. Particularly important are the pile-dwellings and the Terramare sites of the Po Valley as they have a long chronological span, the animal bone assemblages are large and, therefore, highly statistically reliable, and have been excavated relatively recently. There is evidence of functional and social differentiation in the Bronze Age which coincided with the evolution of more complex societies. The most common type of functional differentiation began when human communities started to settle and is visible in the zooarchaeological record. Until the end of the Copper Age, animal bone assemblages are characterized by the presence of both domestic animals and a relatively important proportion of wild animals. In the early Bronze Age, domestic animals dominated, if not entirely, the assemblages, and a growing interest in secondary products is evident. From the Middle Bronze Age, the foundation of semi-permanent settlements multiplied in the Alpine area, in the internal areas (secondary valleys and areas far from the main watercourses) and at medium-high altitudes. This was coupled with the seasonal occupation of sites at a high altitude, used for the practice of vertical transhumance (alpine pasture). This phenomenon implies the existence of a settlement hierarchy and, therefore, of forms of social stratification within the framework of the settlement system. Unfortunately, the few zooarchaeological studies of sites located in the Emilia Apennines do not currently allow us to confirm the existence of such links between the mountain sites and those on the plain. Nevertheless, other evidence, such as the introduction of the horse, which is attested from the late Early Bronze Age onwards, can be interpreted as proof of social differentiation; the horse was, in fact, considered a status symbol of the emerging warrior elite. Very few animal burials, dated to the period studied, show the link between animal species (such as dog, cattle, deer) and cultural practices, although a number of examples of such a relationship are provided by the terramare necropoli. In conclusion, in light of current knowledge, it seems that zooarchaeology cannot confirm the existence of important forms of social stratification. This does not mean that they cannot necessarily be postulated: the complex use of territory and the evidently communal nature of funerary and cult ceremonies (which often involved animals) that characterize the Bronze Age make it difficult to exclude the existence of such stratification.
The site of Col del Buson lies on the right bank of the Ardo, a prealpine stream and tributary of... more The site of Col del Buson lies on the right bank of the Ardo, a prealpine stream and tributary of the Piave. The settlement, in usefrom the late Neolithic to the Copper Age, occupies the summit of a rocky prominence (715m above sea level .It is characterized by two opposing slopes and a central depression of natural origins. Archaeological research over many years has allowed the nature of the settlement to be identified as permanent or, at least, as a long seasonal cycle (spring-autumn). The analysis of the faunal remains, based on around 800 identified specimens from the Copper Age strata, tends to give a picture of a fauna fairly typical of the Copper Age, a point in time when the meat supply was not based purely on hunting, but was supplementedby, and then substituted by the contribution of domestic animals. Domesticates, predominantly cattle, sheep and goat , comprise 85% of the entire assemblage.The wild animals are dominated by red deer, even though there is evidence of the sporadic hunting of roe deer, wild boar and chamois. The composition of the fauna from Col del Buson is consistent with other Neolithic and Copper Age sites in North-East Italy such as Colombare di Negrar and Gazzo Veronese. During this period, the economy, even though still partly based on hunting, was directed more and more towards resources from domestic animals.
SUMMARY - The col del buson site - ardo vall ey (Bell uno): geomorphological, structural, cultura... more SUMMARY - The col del buson site - ardo vall ey (Bell uno): geomorphological, structural, cultural and palaeoeconomic aspects of Copper age stratifications - The site of the Col del Buson, located on a high rocky spur (715 m above sea level) on the right bank of the Ardo stream valley (Belluno), is characterized by a central depression (or little erosive valley) bounded by two asymmetric slopes. Come to light in 1998, it has so far been the subject of numerous excavations campaigns, which affected about a third of the total area, estimated about 600 square meters. The radiocarbon dates and archaeological record attest to a settlement cycle from the Late Neolithic to the end of Copper age, up to the early Bronze Age. Here we can document the two main Copper phases which radiometric dates indicate that between the second half of the fourth millennium and the middle of the third millennium BC. For the structural aspects we highlight the slopes small protective walls and the rectangular building with an apsis. The archaeological record is represented by abundant flint industry, but also quarz and obsidian artifacts. Ceramics, of brown-red impasto, includes mostly closed forms, such as small dolii / jars with decorative cords or simple notches; between the open forms are reported cups type Vučedol. There are numerous copper artefacts; on the edges of the site were found respectively two hoards: an axes hoard and a second with pearls and pendant; by archaeological layers come several awls. The faunal remains indicate a high prevalence of domestic animals (mainly goats) on the wild (especially deer). In the Copper Age, the site “Col del Buson” is part of a cultural and economic framework just of the east-central Alps; in the final stages of the Copper Age relations are entertained preferentially with the Carpathian-Danube areal and in particular with the groups of Vučedol culture, allocated in the wet sites of Ljubljana swamps; between the end of the Copper Age and the early Bronze Age, it was even marginally interested in the Bell Beaker cultural current. *
Origines 34. Studi e materiali pubblicati dall’Istituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria , 2019
The Early Neolithic village of Lugo di Romagna (RA) is situated between the Apennines and the Adr... more The Early Neolithic village of Lugo di Romagna (RA) is situated between the Apennines and the Adriatic coast in an area that connects the world of the Fiorano Culture with aspects of the Impressed Ware Culture. Developing during the second half of the 6th millennium BC, the site has furnished important and original data on the topographic aspects of a settlement with a marked boundary and the presence of many auxiliary structures. The complete excavation of an entire hut that had been destroyed in a fire gave information about construction techniques and the organisation of space, throwing new light on the way of life, economic dynamics and certain aspects of ritual. The volume contains many in-depth specialist contributions and is intended to present to the scientific community the entire corpus of data acquired both in the field and in subsequent phases of analysis and study.
Nonostante la sempre piu vasta applicazione di metodi quantitativi ad alta risoluzione in campo t... more Nonostante la sempre piu vasta applicazione di metodi quantitativi ad alta risoluzione in campo tafonomico, sono pochi gli studi incentrati sul riconoscimento di impatti di proiettile su resti faunistici. Per questo motivo, in un precedente lavoro abbiamo esplorato la potenzialita della microscopia 3D nella distinzione di lesioni ossee dovute ad impatti balistici da altre tracce tafonomiche, sviluppando un metodo diagnostico di ampio utilizzo basato su dati sperimentali e incentrato su proiettili tardo epigravettiani (Duches et alii 2016). Nonostante sia stato possibile confermare la validita di questo metodo su resti archeozoologici appartenenti a mammiferi di media taglia (Nannini et alii submitted), l’affidabilita del campione sperimentale in rapporto ad animali di piccola taglia necessitava ulteriori verifiche: la dimensione e lo spessore delle ossa, infatti, potevano condizionare la resistenza delle ossa all’impatto, influenzando la morfometria degli impatti e la rappresentativ...
Riassunto - La localita Col del Buson e ubicata sulla destra idrografica dell’Ardo, torrente prea... more Riassunto - La localita Col del Buson e ubicata sulla destra idrografica dell’Ardo, torrente prealpino affluente del Piave. L’insediamento frequentato dal tardo Neolitico a tutta l’eta del Rame occupa la parte sommitale di un rilievo roccioso (m 715 slm), che e caratterizzato da due creste contrapposte e da una depressione centrale di origine naturale. Indagini archeologiche pluriennali hanno consentito di accertarne la natura d’insediamento permanente o quantomeno a lungo ciclo stagionale (primavera-autunno). L’analisi faunistica, fondata su circa 800 reperti determinati provenienti dagli strati dell’eta del Rame, tende ad indicare un quadro abbastanza tipico delle faune eneolitiche, momento in cui l’approvvigionamento di carne non si basa piu prevalentemente sulla caccia ma puo contare in misura crescente sull’apporto delle faune domestiche. Gli animali d’allevamento, in prevalenza buoi e caprovini, costituiscono l’85% dell’intero lotto mentre i selvatici sono dominati dal cervo, ...
Abstract Recent advances in the functional study of stone technology have highlighted how, since ... more Abstract Recent advances in the functional study of stone technology have highlighted how, since the early Paleolithic, non-flaked stone tools were employed in a wide range of tasks, from food processing to craft activities. Non-flaked tools are documented within the stone assemblages of various Mesolithic sites of Italy. However, these tools are still poorly known and no analysis was ever conducted for investigating their use. In this study, we present the results of the functional study performed on Mesolithic non-flaked stone artefacts from Pradestel and Romagnano Loc III, two sites located in the Adige Valley of the Eastern Alpine region of Italy. This area yielded some of the best-known Mesolithic record in Europe, and significant evidence of forager lifeways between the second half of the 10th millennium cal BC and the beginning of the 6th millennium cal BC. Through the application of qualitative and quantitative functional analyses we were able to interpret residues and use wear from the processing of plant and animal materials, finally assessing the activities performed with non-flaked stones at both sites. Our data provide the first direct evidence of the role played by little modified pebbles in the daily life of the Mesolithic foragers of the Italian Eastern Alpine region, so far assumed only through indirect evidence.
The role of small game in prehistoric hunter-gatherer economy is a highly debated topic. Despite ... more The role of small game in prehistoric hunter-gatherer economy is a highly debated topic. Despite the general assumption that this practice was uneconomic, several studies have underlined the relevance of the circumstance of capture – in terms of hunting strategies and technology – in the evaluation of the actual role of small mammals in human foraging efficiency. Since very few studies have focused on the recognition of bone hunting lesions, in a previous work we explored the potential of 3D microscopy in distinguishing projectile impact marks from other taphonomic marks, developing a widely-applicable diagnostic framework based on experimental data and focused on Late Epigravettian projectiles. Even though we confirmed the validity of the method on zooarchaeological remains of large-sized mammals, the reliability of the experimental record in relation to smaller animals needed more testing and verification. In this report we thus present the data acquired through a new ballistic ex...
Despite the widespread application of high-resolution quantitative methods in bone taphonomy, ver... more Despite the widespread application of high-resolution quantitative methods in bone taphonomy, very few studies have focused on projectile impact marks. Therefore, in a previous work, we explored the potential of 3D microscopy in distinguishing bone hunting injuries from other taphonomic marks, developing a widely applicable diagnostic framework based on experimental data and focused on Late Epigravettian projectiles. This paper aims to continue that research by applying 3D morphometrical analysis to zooarcheological bone surfaces, in order to verify the validity and feasibility of this method and evaluate the reliability of the experimental record. Here, we present the detailed analysis of a projectile impact mark, found on a rib of Ursus arctos from the Late Epigravettian site of Cornafessa rock shelter. The injury, located on the rib’s external surface, consists of a drag with several flint fragments embedded. X-ray μCT volume rendering and SEM imaging allowed us to analyze bone microstructure and drag’s qualitative features, while 3D measurements, processed through statistic, confirmed the interpretation of this mark as a hunting injury. The drag’s morphometric features are consistent with the experimental ones, connecting this mark to Late Epigravettian composite projectiles and declaring this evidence as the first direct proof of a bear hunted by using bow and arrow.
MUSE Museo delle Scienze (MUSE) – Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, IT 38123, Trento, Italie Un... more MUSE Museo delle Scienze (MUSE) – Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, IT 38123, Trento, Italie Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Sezione di Scienze Preistoriche e Antropologiche – Corso Ercole I d’ Este 32, IT 44121, Ferrara, Italie Università degli Studi di Siena, Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell’Ambiente, UR Preistoria e Antropologia – Via Laterina 8, IT 53100, Siena, Italie University of Bologna, Department of Cultural Heritage – Via degli Ariani 1, 48121 Ravenna, Italie
SUMMARY - Castelnuovo di Teolo (Padova), exc avations 2011. The archaeobotanical and archaeozoolo... more SUMMARY - Castelnuovo di Teolo (Padova), exc avations 2011. The archaeobotanical and archaeozoological data - In 2011 a short excavation campaign carried out at the base of the eastern slope of Mount Pendice at Castelnuovo di Teolo allowed to recover a small but significant sample of archaeobotanical and archaeozoological remains. The study of material culture allowed to date the archaeological deposits to the Late Neolithic. The paleobotanical sample consists of 302 burned seeds of cereals (naked and clothes), legumes and fruits of wild plants. The animal remains so far analyzed are 3800; 319 of them are determined at the taxonomic level. The most common domestic animals are the cattle and ovicaprines, followed by pigs. An important part of food resources being represented by wild animals like wild boars, red deer, roe deer and aurochs. Moreover some fragments of fish and turtles could also be found at the site. Theheterogeneity of botanical and faunal remains have demonstrated a rather varied diet of the visitors of this site.
Many sites dating from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age have been investigated in northern Italy a... more Many sites dating from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age have been investigated in northern Italy and have provided important zooarchaeological data. These sites are mostly settlements, but also places of worship and necropoli. While there are few zooarchaeological studies for the northwestern part of Italy, the northeast and the Po Valley have been better investigated. Particularly important are the pile-dwellings and the Terramare sites of the Po Valley as they have a long chronological span, the animal bone assemblages are large and, therefore, highly statistically reliable, and have been excavated relatively recently. There is evidence of functional and social differentiation in the Bronze Age which coincided with the evolution of more complex societies. The most common type of functional differentiation began when human communities started to settle and is visible in the zooarchaeological record. Until the end of the Copper Age, animal bone assemblages are characterized by the presence of both domestic animals and a relatively important proportion of wild animals. In the early Bronze Age, domestic animals dominated, if not entirely, the assemblages, and a growing interest in secondary products is evident. From the Middle Bronze Age, the foundation of semi-permanent settlements multiplied in the Alpine area, in the internal areas (secondary valleys and areas far from the main watercourses) and at medium-high altitudes. This was coupled with the seasonal occupation of sites at a high altitude, used for the practice of vertical transhumance (alpine pasture). This phenomenon implies the existence of a settlement hierarchy and, therefore, of forms of social stratification within the framework of the settlement system. Unfortunately, the few zooarchaeological studies of sites located in the Emilia Apennines do not currently allow us to confirm the existence of such links between the mountain sites and those on the plain. Nevertheless, other evidence, such as the introduction of the horse, which is attested from the late Early Bronze Age onwards, can be interpreted as proof of social differentiation; the horse was, in fact, considered a status symbol of the emerging warrior elite. Very few animal burials, dated to the period studied, show the link between animal species (such as dog, cattle, deer) and cultural practices, although a number of examples of such a relationship are provided by the terramare necropoli. In conclusion, in light of current knowledge, it seems that zooarchaeology cannot confirm the existence of important forms of social stratification. This does not mean that they cannot necessarily be postulated: the complex use of territory and the evidently communal nature of funerary and cult ceremonies (which often involved animals) that characterize the Bronze Age make it difficult to exclude the existence of such stratification.
The site of Col del Buson lies on the right bank of the Ardo, a prealpine stream and tributary of... more The site of Col del Buson lies on the right bank of the Ardo, a prealpine stream and tributary of the Piave. The settlement, in usefrom the late Neolithic to the Copper Age, occupies the summit of a rocky prominence (715m above sea level .It is characterized by two opposing slopes and a central depression of natural origins. Archaeological research over many years has allowed the nature of the settlement to be identified as permanent or, at least, as a long seasonal cycle (spring-autumn). The analysis of the faunal remains, based on around 800 identified specimens from the Copper Age strata, tends to give a picture of a fauna fairly typical of the Copper Age, a point in time when the meat supply was not based purely on hunting, but was supplementedby, and then substituted by the contribution of domestic animals. Domesticates, predominantly cattle, sheep and goat , comprise 85% of the entire assemblage.The wild animals are dominated by red deer, even though there is evidence of the sporadic hunting of roe deer, wild boar and chamois. The composition of the fauna from Col del Buson is consistent with other Neolithic and Copper Age sites in North-East Italy such as Colombare di Negrar and Gazzo Veronese. During this period, the economy, even though still partly based on hunting, was directed more and more towards resources from domestic animals.
SUMMARY - The col del buson site - ardo vall ey (Bell uno): geomorphological, structural, cultura... more SUMMARY - The col del buson site - ardo vall ey (Bell uno): geomorphological, structural, cultural and palaeoeconomic aspects of Copper age stratifications - The site of the Col del Buson, located on a high rocky spur (715 m above sea level) on the right bank of the Ardo stream valley (Belluno), is characterized by a central depression (or little erosive valley) bounded by two asymmetric slopes. Come to light in 1998, it has so far been the subject of numerous excavations campaigns, which affected about a third of the total area, estimated about 600 square meters. The radiocarbon dates and archaeological record attest to a settlement cycle from the Late Neolithic to the end of Copper age, up to the early Bronze Age. Here we can document the two main Copper phases which radiometric dates indicate that between the second half of the fourth millennium and the middle of the third millennium BC. For the structural aspects we highlight the slopes small protective walls and the rectangular building with an apsis. The archaeological record is represented by abundant flint industry, but also quarz and obsidian artifacts. Ceramics, of brown-red impasto, includes mostly closed forms, such as small dolii / jars with decorative cords or simple notches; between the open forms are reported cups type Vučedol. There are numerous copper artefacts; on the edges of the site were found respectively two hoards: an axes hoard and a second with pearls and pendant; by archaeological layers come several awls. The faunal remains indicate a high prevalence of domestic animals (mainly goats) on the wild (especially deer). In the Copper Age, the site “Col del Buson” is part of a cultural and economic framework just of the east-central Alps; in the final stages of the Copper Age relations are entertained preferentially with the Carpathian-Danube areal and in particular with the groups of Vučedol culture, allocated in the wet sites of Ljubljana swamps; between the end of the Copper Age and the early Bronze Age, it was even marginally interested in the Bell Beaker cultural current. *
Origines 34. Studi e materiali pubblicati dall’Istituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria , 2019
The Early Neolithic village of Lugo di Romagna (RA) is situated between the Apennines and the Adr... more The Early Neolithic village of Lugo di Romagna (RA) is situated between the Apennines and the Adriatic coast in an area that connects the world of the Fiorano Culture with aspects of the Impressed Ware Culture. Developing during the second half of the 6th millennium BC, the site has furnished important and original data on the topographic aspects of a settlement with a marked boundary and the presence of many auxiliary structures. The complete excavation of an entire hut that had been destroyed in a fire gave information about construction techniques and the organisation of space, throwing new light on the way of life, economic dynamics and certain aspects of ritual. The volume contains many in-depth specialist contributions and is intended to present to the scientific community the entire corpus of data acquired both in the field and in subsequent phases of analysis and study.
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Papers by Alex Fontana
2011 a short excavation campaign carried out at the base of the eastern slope of Mount Pendice at Castelnuovo di Teolo allowed
to recover a small but significant sample of archaeobotanical and archaeozoological remains. The study of material culture allowed to date the archaeological deposits to the Late Neolithic.
The paleobotanical sample consists of 302 burned seeds of cereals (naked and clothes), legumes and fruits of wild plants.
The animal remains so far analyzed are 3800; 319 of them are determined at the taxonomic level. The most common domestic animals are the cattle and ovicaprines, followed by pigs. An important part of food resources being represented by wild animals like wild boars, red deer, roe deer and aurochs. Moreover some fragments of fish and turtles could also be found at the site. Theheterogeneity of botanical and faunal remains have demonstrated a rather varied diet of the visitors of this site.
The analysis of the faunal remains, based on around 800 identified specimens from the Copper Age strata, tends to give a picture of a fauna fairly typical of the Copper Age, a point in time when the meat supply was not based purely on hunting, but was supplementedby, and then substituted by the contribution of domestic animals. Domesticates, predominantly cattle, sheep and goat , comprise 85% of the entire assemblage.The wild animals are dominated by red deer, even though there is evidence of the sporadic hunting of roe deer, wild boar and chamois.
The composition of the fauna from Col del Buson is consistent with other Neolithic and Copper Age sites in North-East Italy such as Colombare di Negrar and Gazzo Veronese. During this period, the economy, even though still partly based on hunting, was directed more and more towards resources from domestic animals.
aspects of Copper age stratifications - The site of the Col del Buson, located on a high rocky spur (715 m above sea level)
on the right bank of the Ardo stream valley (Belluno), is characterized by a central depression (or little erosive valley) bounded by two asymmetric slopes. Come to light in 1998, it has so far been the subject of numerous excavations campaigns, which affected about a third of the total area, estimated about 600 square meters. The radiocarbon dates and archaeological record attest to a settlement cycle from the Late Neolithic to the end of Copper age, up to the early Bronze Age. Here we can document the two main Copper phases which radiometric dates indicate that between the second half of the fourth millennium and the middle of the third millennium BC. For the structural aspects we highlight the slopes small protective walls and the rectangular building with an apsis. The archaeological record is represented by abundant flint industry, but also quarz and obsidian artifacts.
Ceramics, of brown-red impasto, includes mostly closed forms, such as small dolii / jars with decorative cords or simple
notches; between the open forms are reported cups type Vučedol. There are numerous copper artefacts; on the edges of the site were found respectively two hoards: an axes hoard and a second with pearls and pendant; by archaeological layers come several awls. The faunal remains indicate a high prevalence of domestic animals (mainly goats) on the wild (especially deer).
In the Copper Age, the site “Col del Buson” is part of a cultural and economic framework just of the east-central Alps; in the
final stages of the Copper Age relations are entertained preferentially with the Carpathian-Danube areal and in particular with the groups of Vučedol culture, allocated in the wet sites of Ljubljana swamps; between the end of the Copper Age and the early Bronze Age, it was even marginally interested in the Bell Beaker cultural current.
*
Books by Alex Fontana
2011 a short excavation campaign carried out at the base of the eastern slope of Mount Pendice at Castelnuovo di Teolo allowed
to recover a small but significant sample of archaeobotanical and archaeozoological remains. The study of material culture allowed to date the archaeological deposits to the Late Neolithic.
The paleobotanical sample consists of 302 burned seeds of cereals (naked and clothes), legumes and fruits of wild plants.
The animal remains so far analyzed are 3800; 319 of them are determined at the taxonomic level. The most common domestic animals are the cattle and ovicaprines, followed by pigs. An important part of food resources being represented by wild animals like wild boars, red deer, roe deer and aurochs. Moreover some fragments of fish and turtles could also be found at the site. Theheterogeneity of botanical and faunal remains have demonstrated a rather varied diet of the visitors of this site.
The analysis of the faunal remains, based on around 800 identified specimens from the Copper Age strata, tends to give a picture of a fauna fairly typical of the Copper Age, a point in time when the meat supply was not based purely on hunting, but was supplementedby, and then substituted by the contribution of domestic animals. Domesticates, predominantly cattle, sheep and goat , comprise 85% of the entire assemblage.The wild animals are dominated by red deer, even though there is evidence of the sporadic hunting of roe deer, wild boar and chamois.
The composition of the fauna from Col del Buson is consistent with other Neolithic and Copper Age sites in North-East Italy such as Colombare di Negrar and Gazzo Veronese. During this period, the economy, even though still partly based on hunting, was directed more and more towards resources from domestic animals.
aspects of Copper age stratifications - The site of the Col del Buson, located on a high rocky spur (715 m above sea level)
on the right bank of the Ardo stream valley (Belluno), is characterized by a central depression (or little erosive valley) bounded by two asymmetric slopes. Come to light in 1998, it has so far been the subject of numerous excavations campaigns, which affected about a third of the total area, estimated about 600 square meters. The radiocarbon dates and archaeological record attest to a settlement cycle from the Late Neolithic to the end of Copper age, up to the early Bronze Age. Here we can document the two main Copper phases which radiometric dates indicate that between the second half of the fourth millennium and the middle of the third millennium BC. For the structural aspects we highlight the slopes small protective walls and the rectangular building with an apsis. The archaeological record is represented by abundant flint industry, but also quarz and obsidian artifacts.
Ceramics, of brown-red impasto, includes mostly closed forms, such as small dolii / jars with decorative cords or simple
notches; between the open forms are reported cups type Vučedol. There are numerous copper artefacts; on the edges of the site were found respectively two hoards: an axes hoard and a second with pearls and pendant; by archaeological layers come several awls. The faunal remains indicate a high prevalence of domestic animals (mainly goats) on the wild (especially deer).
In the Copper Age, the site “Col del Buson” is part of a cultural and economic framework just of the east-central Alps; in the
final stages of the Copper Age relations are entertained preferentially with the Carpathian-Danube areal and in particular with the groups of Vučedol culture, allocated in the wet sites of Ljubljana swamps; between the end of the Copper Age and the early Bronze Age, it was even marginally interested in the Bell Beaker cultural current.
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