- Punic Pottery, Sardinia (Archaeology), Punic terracottas, Phoenician Punic Archaeology, Ancient Textiles, Terracotta Figurines, and 65 moreRoman Temples, Levantine Archaeology, Classical Archaeology, Roman Pottery, Republican Rome, Coroplastica, Landscape Archaeology, Roman Republic, Bronze and Iron Ages in Eastern Mediterranean (Archaeology), Roman Lamps, Roman ceramics, Roman Provincial Archaeology, Phoenician Culture, Cult of Demeter and Kore, Phoenicians, Pottery (Archaeology), Sardinian Nuragic, Textile Archaeology, Textiles, Roman Textile Production, Archaeology of Mediterranean Trade, Stratigraphic theory, West Semitic Epigraphy, zoomorphic Figurines, Anthropomorphic Figurines, Hellenistic sanctuaries, Phoenician & Punic Epigraphy, Carthage, Punic Pottery, Mediterranean archaeology, Phoenician Punic Archaeology, Punic world and Punic Archaeology, Phoenician and Punic Studies, archaeology of Sardinia in phoenician age, Carthage (Archaeology), Archaeo-Metallurgy, Nuragic Archaeology, Hellenistic Pottery, Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Material Culture Studies, Roman imperial cult, Roman Religion, Coroplastic Studies, Archaeology of Roman Religion, Mozia, Ancient Greek Pottery, Phoenician sanctuary, Punic Language, Sulcis Sardegna, Sulcis, Ancient Water Technology, Archeologia Fenicio-Punica, Archeologia Fenicio-Punica E Nuragica in Sardegna, archaeology of Sardinia in phoenician age, Ceramica fenicio-punica, Nuragici e fenici, Bacini Punici, Roman Architecture, Burial Customs, Ritual Practices, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Funerary Archaeology, Ceramica a Vernice Nera, Roman Archaeology, Organic Residues Analysis of Pottery, History of Cooking and Food Culture, Food History, Mediterranean archaeology, Archaeological Method & Theory, and Ceramic Analysis (Archaeology)edit
Dying as a woman in the Punic age in Villamar (Sardinia): burials, funerary sets and practices · The integrated study of the archaeological record highlighted in recent years thanks to the excavations in the Punic necropolis of Villamar,... more
Dying as a woman in the Punic age in Villamar (Sardinia):
burials, funerary sets and practices · The integrated study of the archaeological
record highlighted in recent years thanks to the excavations
in the Punic necropolis of Villamar, in Sardinia, provides valuable information
both on the burial typology used by this community of
Marmilla between 4th and 3rd century bc, and on sex, about age and
how lifestyle and nutrition have left its traces in the skeleton of the
dead found in the necropolis. These data can also be interpreted in a
gender perspective, trying to reconstruct the peculiarities of Punic
society in all its components, overcoming the androcentrism that for
a long time has also characterized the studies of Phoenician and
P unic archaeology.
burials, funerary sets and practices · The integrated study of the archaeological
record highlighted in recent years thanks to the excavations
in the Punic necropolis of Villamar, in Sardinia, provides valuable information
both on the burial typology used by this community of
Marmilla between 4th and 3rd century bc, and on sex, about age and
how lifestyle and nutrition have left its traces in the skeleton of the
dead found in the necropolis. These data can also be interpreted in a
gender perspective, trying to reconstruct the peculiarities of Punic
society in all its components, overcoming the androcentrism that for
a long time has also characterized the studies of Phoenician and
P unic archaeology.
Research Interests: Gender Studies, Women's Studies, Sardinia (Archaeology), Phoenician Punic Archaeology, Sardegna, and 4 moreArcheologia Fenicio-Punica, Carthage, Punic Pottery, Mediterranean archaeology, Phoenician Punic Archaeology, Punic world and Punic Archaeology, Phoenician and Punic Studies, archaeology of Sardinia in phoenician age, Archeologia Fenicio-Punica E Nuragica in Sardegna, and Archeology
The archaeological excavations carried out in the past in the modern town of Sant'Antioco, the Phoenician and Punic Sulky and the Roman Sulci, have left many questions open about the history of the site. At the same time, some... more
The archaeological excavations carried out in the past in the modern town of Sant'Antioco, the Phoenician and Punic Sulky and the Roman Sulci, have left many questions open about the history of the site. At the same time, some archaeological areas are not entirely open to the public, and public authorities are currently working in order to allow their use. Here is the result of a small intervention of excavation carried out in the Punic and Roman Acropolis.
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The settlement of Sulky is one of the most important sites in Sardinia for a diachronic study of the transformations that affected the island and the Sulcis region in particular between the Iron Age and the Roman period. Twenty years of... more
The settlement of Sulky is one of the most important sites in Sardinia for a diachronic study of the transformations
that affected the island and the Sulcis region in particular between the Iron Age and the Roman period. Twenty years of archaeological investigations carried out by the University of Sassari in the so-called area of Cronicario have revealed a multi-period site, where the earliest evidence dates back to the Neolithic. There is a lack of data for the 6th and 5th century BC that may possibly be interpreted as evidence that this particular part of the settlement was not inhabited in that period.
that affected the island and the Sulcis region in particular between the Iron Age and the Roman period. Twenty years of archaeological investigations carried out by the University of Sassari in the so-called area of Cronicario have revealed a multi-period site, where the earliest evidence dates back to the Neolithic. There is a lack of data for the 6th and 5th century BC that may possibly be interpreted as evidence that this particular part of the settlement was not inhabited in that period.
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La necropoli punica di Villamar (Sardegna). Alcuni aspetti di ritualità funeraria e di vita quotidiana, in La Alimentación en el mundo púnico, Producciones, procesos y consumos, C. GÓMEZ BELLARD, G. PÉREZ JORDÀ, A. VENDRELL BETÍ (eds.), Actas del Coloquio Internacional , Sevilla 2020, pp. 417-436.more
The Villamar site is located in Marmilla, beside an important road that goes from the Campidano plain to the Southern Barbagia; this critical location might have led to the establishment of a Punic site in the late fourth century BC. The... more
The Villamar site is located in Marmilla, beside an important road that goes from the Campidano plain to the Southern Barbagia; this critical location might have led to the establishment of a Punic site in the late fourth century BC. The necropolis is part of an anonymous settlement into the historical town center, and has still to be excavated, with untouched tombs so far. There are documented chamber tombs with cockpit entrance, in graves of various types, in stone cist, at the capuchin and in enchytrismoi. The excavation has started in 2013 and represents a very important research field in the landscape of rural Punic Sardinia.
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The prehistory of the Mediterranean region has long been a subject of considerable interest, particularly the links between human groups and regions of origin. We utilize the spatial variation in the δ2H and δ18O values of precipitation... more
The prehistory of the Mediterranean region has long been a subject of considerable interest, particularly
the links between human groups and regions of origin. We utilize the spatial variation in the δ2H and
δ18O values of precipitation (an isoscape) to develop proxies for geographic locations of fauna and
humans. Bone collagen hydrogen isotope ratios (δ2H) in cattle (and to a lesser extent, ovicaprids)
across the Mediterranean reflect the isotopic differences observed in rainfall (but δ18O values do
not). We conclude that δ2H in herbivore bone collagen can be used as a geolocation tracer and for
palaeoenvironmental studies such as tracing past isotopic variations in the global hydrological cycle. In
contrast, human bone δ2H values are relatively tightly grouped and highly distinct from precipitation
δ2H values, likely due to human-specific food practices and environmental modifications. Given the
inter-species variability in δ2H, care should be taken in the species selected for study.
the links between human groups and regions of origin. We utilize the spatial variation in the δ2H and
δ18O values of precipitation (an isoscape) to develop proxies for geographic locations of fauna and
humans. Bone collagen hydrogen isotope ratios (δ2H) in cattle (and to a lesser extent, ovicaprids)
across the Mediterranean reflect the isotopic differences observed in rainfall (but δ18O values do
not). We conclude that δ2H in herbivore bone collagen can be used as a geolocation tracer and for
palaeoenvironmental studies such as tracing past isotopic variations in the global hydrological cycle. In
contrast, human bone δ2H values are relatively tightly grouped and highly distinct from precipitation
δ2H values, likely due to human-specific food practices and environmental modifications. Given the
inter-species variability in δ2H, care should be taken in the species selected for study.
Research Interests:
Detailed information about the lives and deaths of children in antiquity is often in short supply. Childhood dietary histories are, however, recorded and maintained in the teeth of both juveniles and adults. Primary tooth dentinal... more
Detailed information about the lives and deaths of children in antiquity is often in short supply. Childhood dietary histories are, however, recorded and maintained in the teeth of both juveniles and adults. Primary tooth dentinal collagen does not turn over, preserving a sequential record of dietary changes. The use of nitrogen (δ 15 N) and carbon (δ 13 C) isotope values of incrementally sampled dentin are used in the study of breastfeeding practices but evidence for the addition of weaning foods, both in terms of mode and, particularly, duration, has remained analytically inaccessible to date. Here, we demonstrate how the novel use hydrogen isotope (δ 2 H) values of sequentially micro-sampled dentin collagen, measured from individuals excavated from a Punic cemetery, in Sardinia, Italy, can serve as a proxy for weaning food type and duration in ancient childhood diet. The weaning rate and age, based on the decline in δ 15 N and δ 13
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This paper briefly analyzes some rituals revealed by recent investigations on the Punic Necropolis of Villamar (Sardinia) and dating back to the second half of the IV century and the beginning of the II century B.C. Among the different... more
This paper briefly analyzes some rituals revealed by recent investigations on the Punic Necropolis of Villamar (Sardinia) and dating back to the second half of the IV century and the beginning of the II century B.C. Among the different types of recorded burials, we can observe some unique funerary rituals, that cannot always be linked to the widest Punic Mediterranean background. These records tell us about the funerary rituals in a rural community peripheral to the Punic civilization in Sardinia, in a geographic area full of resources and signs of human presence, where the earliest evidence of indigenous settlements dates back to the Late Iron Age.
Research Interests: History, Ancient History, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, Sardinia (Archaeology), and 8 moreFunerary Archaeology, Funeral Practices, Carthage (Archaeology), Phoenician Punic Archaeology, Funerary Practices, Archeologia Fenicio-Punica, Carthage, Punic Pottery, Mediterranean archaeology, Phoenician Punic Archaeology, Punic world and Punic Archaeology, Phoenician and Punic Studies, archaeology of Sardinia in phoenician age, and Archeologia Funeraria
Abstract: The archaeological research carried out in the ancient settlement of Sulky during the last decades is fundamental to understand the size of the first Phoenician population in the Sulcis area. Even the most ancient ground levels... more
Abstract: The archaeological research carried out in the ancient settlement of Sulky during the last decades is
fundamental to understand the size of the first Phoenician population in the Sulcis area. Even the most ancient
ground levels clearly show the Eastern origins of the family groups that occupied this area from the beginning
of the 8th century BC, but it is also evident the presence of an indigenous component with whom the Levantines
lay the foundation of the first settlement. Among the most interesting findings, we are examining the
remains of an oven of the type called tannūr or tabouna, characteristic of the near eastern tradition of baking
bread, together with some elements of material culture representing the ways of cultural integration on the
site.
fundamental to understand the size of the first Phoenician population in the Sulcis area. Even the most ancient
ground levels clearly show the Eastern origins of the family groups that occupied this area from the beginning
of the 8th century BC, but it is also evident the presence of an indigenous component with whom the Levantines
lay the foundation of the first settlement. Among the most interesting findings, we are examining the
remains of an oven of the type called tannūr or tabouna, characteristic of the near eastern tradition of baking
bread, together with some elements of material culture representing the ways of cultural integration on the
site.
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The island of Sardinia has been of particular interest to geneticists for decades. The current model for Sardinia’s genetic history describes the island as harboring a founder population that was established largely from the Neolithic... more
The island of Sardinia has been of particular interest to geneticists for decades. The current model for Sardinia’s genetic history describes the island as harboring a founder population that was established largely from the Neolithic peoples of southern Europe and remained isolated from later Bronze Age expansions on the mainland. To evaluate this model, we generate genome-wide ancient DNA data for 70 individuals from 21 Sardinian archaeological sites spanning the Middle Neolithic through the Medieval period. The earliest individuals show a strong affinity to western Mediterranean Neolithic populations, followed by an extended period of genetic continuity on the island through the Nuragic period (second millennium BCE). Beginning with individuals from Phoenician/Punic sites (first millennium BCE), we observe spatially-varying signals of admixture with sources principally from the eastern and northern Mediterranean. Overall, our analysis sheds light on the genetic history of Sardinia, revealing how relationships to mainland populations shifted over time.
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Since 2013, the archaeological excavations carried out in the Punic necropolis of Villamar illustrate the evolution of the funeral ritual between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. During the 3rd century BC, in addition to the funerary ritual... more
Since 2013, the archaeological excavations carried out in the Punic necropolis of Villamar illustrate the evolution of the funeral ritual between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. During the 3rd century BC, in addition to the funerary ritual of inhumation, the ritual of cremation was documented in completely peculiar ways. The skeletal burned remains collected inside original ceramic urns were found in chamber tombs, in niches or in the fossae. Particularly, some contexts excavated in the latest surveys are briefly analyzed; the specificities of funerary rituals documented in these tombs allow us to propose some preliminary considerations on the social complexity of the community that lived in this site of the Marmilla region.
Research Interests: Sardinia (Archaeology), Funerary Archaeology, Phoenician Punic Archaeology, Phoenician and Punic Studies, Carthage, Punic Pottery, Mediterranean archaeology, Phoenician Punic Archaeology, Punic world and Punic Archaeology, Phoenician and Punic Studies, archaeology of Sardinia in phoenician age, and 2 moreArcheologia Fenicio-Punica E Nuragica in Sardegna and Punição
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After more than two decades, archaeological investigations in the Punic necropolis of Villamar, in central-southern Sardinia, have resumed. The first three years of research have led to the highlighting and the excavation of fourteen new... more
After more than two decades, archaeological investigations in the Punic necropolis of Villamar, in central-southern Sardinia, have resumed. The first three years of research have led to the highlighting and the excavation of fourteen new graves of various types. The funerary complexity of the site is appreciated especially thanks to the Tomb 16, a hypogean chamber with input to cockpit used to bury twenty-eight people at least. In general the excavation provides a very interesting picture of a Sardinian rural site of the IV-III century BC, with some peculiarities regarding the knowledge on Punic funerary rituals.
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After more than two decades, archaeological investigations in the Punic necropolis of Villamar, in central-southern Sardinia, have resumed. The first three years of research have led to the highlighting and the excavation of fourteen new... more
After more than two decades, archaeological investigations in the Punic necropolis of Villamar, in central-southern Sardinia, have resumed. The first three years of research have led to the highlighting and the excavation of fourteen new graves of various types. The funerary complexity of the site is appreciated especially thanks to the Tomb 16, a hypogean chamber with input to cockpit used to bury twenty-eight people at least. In general the excavation provides a very interesting picture of a Sardinian rural site of the IV-III century BC, with some peculiarities regarding the knowledge on Punic funerary rituals.
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This paper analyzes briefly some archaeological remains about the Punic necropolis of Villamar, in Sardinia. In the site is documented a cemetery, partially investigated in the eighties and nineties of the last century. The archaeological... more
This paper analyzes briefly some archaeological remains about the Punic necropolis of Villamar, in Sardinia. In the site is documented a cemetery, partially investigated in the eighties and nineties of the last century. The archaeological data are very important to study the Carthaginian presence in rural Sardinia of IV and III century B.C.
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La necropoli punica di Villamar (Medio Campidano) in Sardegna rappresenta un importante contesto di ricerca per approfondire le dinamiche di occupazione del territorio e della gestione delle risorse durante il dominio cartaginese. Si... more
La necropoli punica di Villamar (Medio Campidano) in Sardegna rappresenta un importante contesto di ricerca per approfondire le dinamiche di occupazione del territorio e della gestione delle risorse durante il dominio cartaginese.
Si tratta di un impianto funerario in uso tra il iv e il ii secolo a.C.,
con tombe di varia tipologia, che annovera anche strutture ipogee del tipo a camera con discesa a pozzetto verticale. Si prende quindi in esame un corredo funebre di una tomba ipogea indagata negli anni 1991-92, rappresentativo della seconda metà del IV secolo a.C.
Si tratta di un impianto funerario in uso tra il iv e il ii secolo a.C.,
con tombe di varia tipologia, che annovera anche strutture ipogee del tipo a camera con discesa a pozzetto verticale. Si prende quindi in esame un corredo funebre di una tomba ipogea indagata negli anni 1991-92, rappresentativo della seconda metà del IV secolo a.C.
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In discussions of Phoenician and indigenous relationships in the Iron Age, the southern Oristanese (Sardinia) has so far played a limited role. New finds from field survey and chance discoveries now offer new evidence of settlement,... more
In discussions of Phoenician and indigenous relationships in the Iron Age, the southern Oristanese (Sardinia) has so far played a limited role. New finds from field survey and chance
discoveries now offer new evidence of settlement, especially in the area around Neapolis. A number of bronze objects and pottery seems to prove a Nuragic and Phoenician resence that could lead to a reconsideration of this are previously believed depopulated in the Iron Age.
discoveries now offer new evidence of settlement, especially in the area around Neapolis. A number of bronze objects and pottery seems to prove a Nuragic and Phoenician resence that could lead to a reconsideration of this are previously believed depopulated in the Iron Age.
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In this paper, the authors present a recent integrated survey carried out on an archaeological urban site, generally free of buildings, except some temporary structures related to excavated areas where multi-chamber tombs were found. The... more
In this paper, the authors present a recent integrated survey carried out on an archaeological urban site, generally free of buildings, except some temporary structures related to excavated areas where multi-chamber tombs were found. The two methods used to investigate this site were thermal infrared and ground penetrating radar (GPR). The thermography was carried out with the sensor mounted under a helium balloon simultaneously with a photographic camera. In order to have a synthetic view of the surface thermal behavior, a simplified version of the existing night thermal gradient algorithm was applied. By this approach, we have a wide extension of thermal maps due to the balloon oscillation, because we are able to compute the maps despite collecting few acquisition samples. By the integration of GPR and the thermal imaging, we can evaluate the depth of the thermal influence of possible archaeological targets, such as buried Punic tombs or walls belonging to the succeeding medieval buildings, which have been subsequently destroyed. The thermal anomalies present correspondences to the radar time slices obtained from 30 to 50 cm. Furthermore, by superimposing historical aerial pictures on the GPR and thermal imaging data, we can identify these anomalies as the foundations of the destroyed buildings.
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Research Interests: Pottery (Archaeology), Sardinia (Archaeology), Phoenician Punic Archaeology, Hellenistic Pottery, Carthage, Punic Pottery, Mediterranean archaeology, Phoenician Punic Archaeology, Punic world and Punic Archaeology, Phoenician and Punic Studies, archaeology of Sardinia in phoenician age, and 2 morePhoenician Punic Religion and Sulcis Sardegna
Research Interests: Pottery (Archaeology), Sardinia (Archaeology), Phoenician Punic Archaeology, Hellenistic Pottery, Phoenician and Punic Studies, and 4 moreArcheologia Fenicio-Punica, Carthage, Punic Pottery, Mediterranean archaeology, Phoenician Punic Archaeology, Punic world and Punic Archaeology, Phoenician and Punic Studies, archaeology of Sardinia in phoenician age, Ceramica fenicio-punica, and Sulcis Sardegna
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Prospezione archeologica nel “Territorium Neapolitanum” (Sardegna), in: M. G. MELIS (a cura di), "Uomo e Territorio. Dinamiche di frequentazione e sfruttamento delle risorse naturali nell'antichità", Atti del I Convegno Giovani Archeologi, Sassari, 27 – 30 settembre 2006, Sassari 2009, pp. 355-362.more