The Pontine Marshes:An integrated study of the origin, history, and future of a famous coastal wetland in Central Italy

The Pontine Marshes (Central Italy) are known for their long drainage history starting early in Roman times and culminating in their reclamation (bonificaintegrale) by the Fascist’s regime under Mussolini, mostly in the 1930s of past century. The geology of this coastal wetland and causes for its drainageproblems received limited attention till recently. We reviewed results from recent studies, identified still existing knowledge gaps and performedadditional research to fill these, to produce a full description of the Holocene history and drainage of these marshes. Massive coring data that servedto map the soils and surficial geology, observations in archaeological excavations, analytical data on soil and sediment characteristics, and radiocarbondatings allowed us to distinguish several phases in this history, with a main break in the early Roman Republican period with the first systematic drainageworks. Earlier, natural processes brought about by sea level rise largely controlled its drainage. Once artificial drainage started, soil subsidence became animportant process, aggravating the drainage problems. The bonifica introduced mechanical drainage, temporarily masking the impacts of subsidence. Wequantified the historical subsidence using DTMs and developed scenarios for the impacts of sea level rise and subsidence in 2100 and 2200, assuming thatthis rise will be mitigated by a coastal defence system and enhanced capacity of the mechanical drainage. Our results demonstrate the important role ofsoil subsidence throughout the history of this wetland and need to include subsidence in scenarios for the impacts of sea level rise

A rare Mid-Wurmian lithoid tuff in the Agro Pontino graben (Southern Lazio, Italy) and its identification as an Albano 5-7 related distal tephra deposit (40-36 kaBP):characteristics, provenance and palaeogeographical implications

A lithoid tuff, found in 2011 (Ricci pit, Agro Pontino, Southern Lazio, Italy), was studied for its composition, origin and palaeogeographical implications. This tuff was the first occurrence of a Wurmian-age tephra layer, encountered in the coastal basins of Southern Lazio. Based on its mineralogy and isotopic composition (Sr and Nd), its stratigraphic position and the pre- and post-depositional soil formation and weathering, it was identified as a distal tephra deposit from the Colli Albani volcano, connected with the Albano 5-7 eruptive stage and dating from 40-36 ka BP. The lithoid tuff consists of tephra that were slightly reworked and subsequently lithified, when this central part of the Agro Pontino graben still consisted of a non-dissected, level lagoonal plain. The study confirms the earlier established importance of this tephra layer as stratigraphic marker for Central Italy, and shows that its distribution is wider than earlier assumed, notably to the SE of the Colli Albani volcano

Old and recent multidisciplinary studies in the territory of Sezze and its surroundings

Following a synthesis of published archaeological investigations in the territory of Sezze by the team of the University of Groningen within the Pontine Region Project (PRP), this paper discusses the methodology and first results of two more recent fieldwork projects within the framework of the PRP, both funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO): 1) the Avellino Event Project (AVP) of the universities of Groningen and Leiden that studies the distal effects of the great Bronze Age eruption of mount Vesuvius on the human environment of the Fondi and Pontine plains. 2) the Minor Centres project that studies the development of the settlements of Forum Appi and Ad Medias along the Via Appia in relation with the development of the Roman countryside. Both projects add significantly to the long term reconstruction of the human landscape in the plain south of Sezze as well as open up perspectives on further interdisciplinary work.A seguito della sintesi pubblicata sulle indagini archeologiche nel territorio di Sezze, condotte dall'Università di Groningen sotto l'egida del Progetto della Regione Pontina (PRP), questo documento discute la metodologia e i primi risultati di due progetti di ricerca sul campo più recenti nel quadro del PRP, entrambi finanziati dall'Organizzazione olandese per la ricerca scientifica (NWO): 1) l'Avellino Event Project (AVP) delle Università di Groningen e Leiden che studia gli effetti distali della grande eruzione del Vesuvio risalente all'età del bronzo sull'ambiente umano della pianura di Fondi e della pianura Pontina. 2) il progetto dei Centri Minori che studia lo sviluppo degli insediamenti di Forum Appi e Ad Medias lungo la Via Appia in relazione allo sviluppo della campagna romana. Entrambi i progetti contribuiscono in modo significativo alla ricostruzione a lungo termine del paesaggio umano nella pianura di Sezze e aprono prospettive su ulteriori lavori interdisciplinari

Man: Manipulator of his Physical Environment

In focusing on large-scale manipulations of the physical environment I have tried to demonstrate the impulse felt by humans to do something about the world they live in. The existence of such an impulse can be traced back as far as 50,000 years ago. Modifying environments is not a trait exclusive to humans. Many animals do something about their environment as well. Jones et al. (1994) provide a substantial list of animals and even plants. A clear example is dam-building by beavers. But humans have gone to greater lengths and all ‘improvements’ are still valued today. Fire, open space, agriculture and the ability to enlarge usable surface are assets of present life. All require technical abilities with increasing complexity when placed in a chronological order. The last mentioned, enlarging the surface, is the youngest and the most complicated when applied on any substantial scale.Bioarchaeolog

Supplementary_Table_II – Supplemental material for Holocene vegetation record of upland northern Calabria, Italy: Environmental change and human impact

Supplemental material, Supplementary_Table_II for Holocene vegetation record of upland northern Calabria, Italy: Environmental change and human impact by Jan Sevink, Corrie C Bakels, Peter Attema, Mauro di Vito and Ilenia Arienzo in The Holocen

Supplementary_Table_I – Supplemental material for Holocene vegetation record of upland northern Calabria, Italy: Environmental change and human impact

Supplemental material, Supplementary_Table_I for Holocene vegetation record of upland northern Calabria, Italy: Environmental change and human impact by Jan Sevink, Corrie C Bakels, Peter Attema, Mauro di Vito and Ilenia Arienzo in The Holocen

Supplementary_Table_II – Supplemental material for Holocene vegetation record of upland northern Calabria, Italy: Environmental change and human impact

Supplemental material, Supplementary_Table_II for Holocene vegetation record of upland northern Calabria, Italy: Environmental change and human impact by Jan Sevink, Corrie C Bakels, Peter Attema, Mauro di Vito and Ilenia Arienzo in The Holocen