- Technology, Prehistoric Archaeology, North African prehistory (Archaeology), Ethnoarchaeology, Ethnoarchaeology Pastoralism, Pastoralism (Archaeology), and 6 moreLithic Technology, Neolithic Archaeology, Survey Research, Archaeological Site Formation Processes, Pottery decoration, and Settlement Patternsedit
The late Middle Pleistocene, starting at around 300 ka, witnessed large-scale biological and cultural dynamics in hominin evolution across Africa including the onset of the Middle Stone Age that is closely associated with the evolution of... more
The late Middle Pleistocene, starting at around 300 ka, witnessed large-scale biological and cultural dynamics in hominin evolution across Africa including the onset of the Middle Stone Age that is closely associated with the evolution of our species—Homo sapiens. However, archaeological and geochronological data of its earliest appearance are scarce. Here we report on the late Middle Pleistocene sequence of Wadi Lazalim, in the Sahara of Southern Tunisia, which has yielded evidence for human occupations bracketed between ca. 300–130 ka. Wadi Lazalim contributes valuable information on the spread of early MSA technocomplexes across North Africa, that likely were an expression of large-scale diffusion processes.
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This work presents the preliminary results of the archaeological research in southern Tunisia. The program, though strongly hindered by the serious internal situation and dramatically shaken by the attacks sf 2015, allowed an initial... more
This work presents the preliminary results of the archaeological research in southern Tunisia. The program, though strongly hindered by the serious internal situation and dramatically shaken by the attacks sf 2015, allowed an initial assessment of the archaeological potential of the Chott el Jerid region, in the governorate of Kebili. The geo-archaeological reconnaissance and the first excavations, together with an articulated sampling for paleo-environmental reconstruction and the genetic study of nomadic and sedentary populations in the region, provide a first analytical basis to reconstruct the cultural developments of the Late Quaternary, from the Middle Stone Age, through the Pleistocene-Holocene transition (facies Iberomaurusian and Capsian), up to the late Neolithic
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Megalithic monuments are a distinctive archaeological feature of Saharan landscape, as indicated by different systematic research projects undertaken so far. Starting from a very low baseline of previous archaeological research, and as... more
Megalithic monuments are a distinctive archaeological feature of Saharan landscape, as indicated by different systematic research projects undertaken so far. Starting from a very low baseline of previous archaeological research, and as part of a comprehensive research programme focussed on northern Sahara, we launched in 2015 a territorial investigation of stone monuments of the pre-protohistory and early history of southern Tunisia. To do this, we selected a sample study area east and south-east of the Chott el Jerid depression (Kebili region) where to conduct field research. In this paper we present the research strategy adopted, planned to address some issues such as the poor state of preservation of the monuments or their uncertain chronology, also known from other parts of the Sahara. Our results, based on the combination of remote sensing analysis, field survey and selected excavations, highlight a dense occupation of this area of northern Sahara, where monumental buildings of...
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The Messak Project started in summer 2010 as a joint project of the Libyan Department of Archaeology and the Italian-Libyan Archaeological Mission in the Acacus and Messak of Sapienza University of Rome, a three-year programme of heritage... more
The Messak Project started in summer 2010 as a joint project of the Libyan Department of Archaeology and the Italian-Libyan Archaeological Mission in the Acacus and Messak of Sapienza University of Rome, a three-year programme of heritage research and management of the Messak plateaux in south-western Libya. At the end of February 2011, in the final stages of the first season, the civil uprising interrupted the research and determined the termination of the project. After eight months of conflict, there is growing concern from ...
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Abstract: Megalithic monuments are a distinctive archaeological feature of Saharan landscape, as indicated by different systematic research projects undertaken so far. Starting from a very low baseline of previous archaeological research,... more
Abstract: Megalithic monuments are a distinctive archaeological feature of Saharan landscape,
as indicated by different systematic research projects undertaken so far. Starting from a
very low baseline of previous archaeological research, and as part of a comprehensive research
programme focussed on northern Sahara, we launched in 2015 a territorial investigation of
stone monuments of the pre-protohistory and early history of southern Tunisia. To do this,
we selected a sample study area east and south-east of the Chott el Jérid depression (Kebili region)
where to conduct field research. In this paper we present the research strategy adopted,
planned to address some issues such as the poor state of preservation of the monuments or
their uncertain chronology, also known from other parts of the Sahara. Our results, based on
the combination of remote sensing analysis, field survey and selected excavations, highlight
a dense occupation of this area of northern Sahara, where monumental buildings of possible
funerary function tentatively trace back to the late pre-protohistory up to the roman age. The
persistent use of the area across a long-time span corroborates its pivotal location in ancient
trans-Saharan connection routes.
as indicated by different systematic research projects undertaken so far. Starting from a
very low baseline of previous archaeological research, and as part of a comprehensive research
programme focussed on northern Sahara, we launched in 2015 a territorial investigation of
stone monuments of the pre-protohistory and early history of southern Tunisia. To do this,
we selected a sample study area east and south-east of the Chott el Jérid depression (Kebili region)
where to conduct field research. In this paper we present the research strategy adopted,
planned to address some issues such as the poor state of preservation of the monuments or
their uncertain chronology, also known from other parts of the Sahara. Our results, based on
the combination of remote sensing analysis, field survey and selected excavations, highlight
a dense occupation of this area of northern Sahara, where monumental buildings of possible
funerary function tentatively trace back to the late pre-protohistory up to the roman age. The
persistent use of the area across a long-time span corroborates its pivotal location in ancient
trans-Saharan connection routes.
Research Interests:
As part of the Tunisian-Italian archaeological joint mission to the Sahara, a research project (survey and excavation) has focused since 2015 on the study of the funerary archaeology of the prehistoric and historical communities of... more
As part of the Tunisian-Italian archaeological joint mission to the Sahara, a research project (survey and excavation) has focused since 2015 on the study of the funerary archaeology of the prehistoric and historical communities of southern Tunisia. The surveyed area, located along the southern and eastern edges of Chott el Jerid (governorate of Kebili), was selected, after scrutinizing the information collected by the “Service Géographique de l’Armée Française” during the early 20th century about the funerary structures. In this paper, we present two main archaeological funerary contexts and the methodology applied for the photogrammetric documentation of the architectural features of the structures. Then we present the post-processing of the point clouds carried out to obtain a complete data-set for the remote analysis of the excavation sequence of each tumulus. By adopting a multi-scalar approach, from GIS remote analysis to photogrammetric documentation of individual funerary structures, we have tried to optimize the chances of fieldwork activity, taking into consideration whilst so doing the contingencies due to the fluctuating socio-political situation that characterizes some countries of North Africa in recent years.