La fauna del sito di Elvas-Kreuzwiese presso Brixen-Bressanone (Bolzano) tra l’età del Bronzo e il Tardoantico = The fauna of the site Elvas - Kreuzwiese at Bressanone (BZ) from the Bronze Age and Late Antiquity

I reperti oggetto di questo studio provengono dal sito di Elvas loc. Kreuzwiese presso Brixen-Bressanone. Esso \ue8 situato sull\u2019altopiano di Natz-Schabs ad una quota di circa 600 metri s.l.m. Gli scavi condotti nel 2000 e 2001 hanno messo in luce una porzione dell\u2019abitato dell\u2019et\ue0 del Bronzo Finale e dell\u2019et\ue0 del Ferro recente, oltre a strutture romane di et\ue0 Imperiale e Tardo antica. Il campione analizzato \ue8 costituito da pi\uf9 di 8000 reperti di cui 2482 determinati (NISP: et\ue0 del Bronzo = 1179; et\ue0 del Ferro = 99; Et\ue0 Imperiale = 993; Tardoantico = 211). Tutte le fasi culturali si caratterizzano per un allevamento incentrato sui piccoli ruminanti domestici (con la pecora dominante sulla capra) e bovini a scapito dei maiali. Questa caratteristica distingue l\u2019abitato di Elvas da quelli localizzati a poca distanza nell\u2019ambiente pi\uf9 umido di fondovalle, ove l\u2019allevamento del maiale era pi\uf9 intenso. La stratificazione del sito permette di seguire i cambiamenti diacronici di taglia delle popolazioni domestiche ed in particolare dei buoi. Nonostante il limitato numero di misure disponibili, la sostituzione delle forme piccole dell\u2019et\ue0 del Ferro da parte delle grandi razze romane d\u2019importazione \ue8 ben visibile; alcuni resti di bovini di taglia ridotta presenti nelle fasi pi\uf9 recenti del sito potrebbero indicare la sopravvivenza di popolazioni locali, come testimoniato anche in alcuni contesti coevi austriaci e sloveni.The site of Kreuzwiese in Elvas is located near Brixen-Bressanone (BZ) on the Natz-Schabs plateau at about 600 m a.s.l.. Excavations carried out in 2000 and 2001 revealed the presence of Late Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman Age settlements. More than 8000 animal remains from all the chronological phases are analysed in this paper. In particular, 2482 specimens were identified according to subfamily, genus or species (NISP Bronze Age = 1179; NISP Iron Age = 99; NISP Imperial Age = 993; NISP Late Antiquity = 211). Faunal composition is quite similar in all phases: caprines are the most common taxa, and cattle is quite abundant. In contrast to other neighbouring sites located in more humid environments in the valley bottom, domestic pig at Elvas is rare. The site\u2019s long-term stratigraphy allows analysing changes in cattle body size through time: an increase in body size can be detected from the Iron Age to the Imperial period. However, the presence of individual outliers could indicate that small forms, probably directly derived from Late Iron Age populations, did not desappear from the area during the Roman Age

Optical Mass Estimates of Galaxy Clusters

We evaluate in a homogeneous way the optical masses of 170 nearby clusters (z< 0.15). The sample includes both data from the literature and the new ENACS data (Katgert et al. 1996, 1998). On the assumption that mass follows the galaxy distribution, we compute the masses of each cluster by applying the virial theorem to the member galaxies. We constrain the masses of very substructured clusters (about 10% of our clusters) between two limiting values. After appropriate rescaling to the X-ray radii, we compare our optical mass estimates to those derived from X-ray analyses, which we compiled from the literature (for 66 clusters). We find a good overall agreement. This agreement is expected in the framework of two common assumptions: that mass follows the galaxy distribution, and that clusters are not far from a situation of dynamical equilibrium with both gas and galaxies reflecting the same underlying mass distribution. We stress that our study strongly supports the reliability of present cluster mass estimates derived from X-ray analyses and/or (appropriate) optical analyses.Comment: 13 pages, 7 eps figures, tables are not included, USE LaTeX2e !!, accepted by Ap

Confirming EIS Clusters. Optical and Infrared Imaging

Clusters of galaxies are important targets in observationally cosmology, as they can be used both to study the evolution of the galaxies themselves and to constrain cosmological parameters. Here we report on the first results of a major effort to build up a sample of distant galaxy clusters to form the basis for further studies within those fields. We search for simultaneous overdensities in color and space to obtain supporting evidence for the reality of the clusters. We find a confirmation rate for EIS clusters of 66%, suggesting that a total of about 80 clusters with z>=0.6 are within reach using the EIS cluster candidates.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the IGRAP International Conference 1999 on 'Clustering at high Redshift

Spectroscopic confirmation of clusters from the ESO imaging survey

We measure redshifts for 67 galaxies in the field of six cluster candidates from the ESO Imaging Survey (EIS). The cluster candidates are selected in the EIS patches C and D among those with estimated mean redshifts between 0.5 and 0.7. The observations were made with EFOSC2 at the 3.6m ESO telescope. In the six candidate cluster fields, we identify 19 possible sets of 2 to 7 galaxies in redshift space. In order to establish which of the 19 sets are likely to correspond to real dense systems we compare our counts with those expected from a uniform distribution of galaxies with given luminosity function. In order to take into account the effect of the Large Scale Structure, we modulate the probability computed from the luminosity function with random samplings of the Canada-France Redshift Survey. We find that four out of six candidate EIS clusters are likely to correspond to real systems in redshift space (> 95 % confidence level). Two of these systems have mean redshift in agreement with the redshift estimate given by the matched filter algorithm. The other two systems have significantly lower redshifts. We discuss the implications of our results in the context of our ongoing research projects aimed at defining high-redshift optically-selected cluster samples.Comment: To appear in A&A, main journal -- 12 pages, 9 figure

Experimental and archaeological data for the identification of projectile impact marks on small-sized mammals

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 experiment on small mammals and compare the results to those previously obtained on medium-sized animals, in order to bolster the diagnostic criteria useful in bone lesion identification with specific reference to small game. We also present the application of this renewed methodology to an archaeological context dated to the Late Glacial and located in the eastern Italian Alps

Sacro o profano? : Analisi del contenuto di una fossa del bronzo finale scavata a Bressanone-Elvas (p.f. 574/2), loc. Kreuzwiese (BZ)

Gli autori illustrano lo studio del contenuto (resti ceramici e faunistici) di una fossa strutturata rinvenuta nell\u2019abitato del Bronzo finale di Elvas, loc, Kreuzwiese. Lo studio era in particolare finalizzato a precisare il significato funzionale della fossa. Si dimostra che non sussistono motivi per una interpretazione del riempimento della stessa come effetto di pratiche cultuali. Lo spettro dei rinvenimenti, infatti, non differisce in modo significativo da quanto osservato nei livelli con certezza interpretabili come prodotto della vita nell\u2019insediamento.The authors describe the contents of a pit (pottery and faunal remains) found in the Final Bronze Age settlement at the site of Kreuzwiese in Elvas. The study was in particular aimed at clarifying the function of the pit. It shows that there is no valid reason to interpret the pit fill as the result of ritual activity. The range of finds, in fact, did not differ in any significant way from that seen in layers that could be securely interpreted as having formed as a result of daily life in the settlement

Environmental effects on the bright end of the galaxy luminosity function in galaxy clusters

The dependence of the luminosity function of cluster galaxies on the evolutionary state of the parent cluster is still an open issue, in particular as concern the formation/evolution of the brightest cluster galaxies. We plan to study the bright part of the LFs of a sample of very unrelaxed clusters ("DARC" clusters showing evidence of major, recent mergers) and compare them to a reference sample of relaxed clusters spanning a comparable mass and redshift range. Our analysis is based on the SDSS DR7 photometric data of ten, massive, and X-ray luminous clusters (0.2<z<0.3), always considering physical radii (R_200 or its fractions). We consider r' band LFs and use the color-magnitude diagrams (r'-i',r') to clean our samples as well to consider separately red and blue galaxies. We find that DARC and relaxed clusters give similar LF parameters and blue fractions. The two samples differ for their content of bright galaxies BGs, M_r<-22.5, since relaxed clusters have fewer BGs, in particular when considering the outer cluster region 0.5R_200<R<R_200 (by a factor two). However, the cumulative light in BGs is similar for relaxed and DARC samples. We conclude that BGs grow in luminosity and decrease in number as the parent clusters grow hierarchically in agreement with the BG formation by merging with other luminous galaxies.Comment: 11 pages, 12 figures and 9 table

Optical/X-ray/radio view of Abell 1213: A galaxy cluster with anomalous diffuse radio emission

Context. Abell 1213, a low-richness galaxy system, is known to host an anomalous radio halo detected in data of the VLA. It is an outlier with regard to the relation between the radio halo power and the X-ray luminosity of the parent clusters. Aims. Our aim is to analyze the cluster in the optical, X-ray, and radio bands to characterize the environment of its diffuse radio emission and to shed new light on its nature. Methods. We used optical data from the SDSS to study the internal dynamics of the cluster. We also analyzed archival XMM-Newton X-ray data to unveil the properties of its hot intracluster medium. Finally, we used recent data from LOFAR at 144 MHz, together with VLA data at 1.4 GHz, to study the spectral behavior of the diffuse radio source. Results. Both our optical and X-ray analysis reveal that this low-mass cluster exhibits disturbed dynamics. In fact, it is composed of several galaxy groups in the peripheral regions and, in particular, in the core, where we find evidence of substructures oriented in the NE-SW direction, with hints of a merger nearly along the line of sight. The analysis of the X-ray emission adds further evidence that the cluster is in an unrelaxed dynamical state. At radio wavelengths, the LOFAR data show that the diffuse emission is ~510 kpc in size. Moreover, there are hints of low-surface-brightness emission permeating the cluster center. Conclusions. The environment of the diffuse radio emission is not what we would expect for a classical halo. The spectral index map of the radio source is compatible with a relic interpretation, possibly due to a merger in the N-S or NE-SW directions, in agreement with the substructures detected through the optical analysis. The fragmented, diffuse radio emissions at the cluster center could be attributed to the surface brightness peaks of a faint central radio halo.Comment: 14 pages, 16 figures, 5 tables. In press on Astronomy & Astrophysics. Paper resubmitted after revision by the language edito

A significant hardening and rising shape detected in the MeV/GeV nuFnu spectrum from the recently-discovered very-high-energy blazar S4 0954+65 during the bright optical flare in 2015 February

We report on Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) and multi-wavelength results on the recently-discovered very-high-energy (VHE, $E>$ 100 GeV) blazar S4 0954+65 ($z=0.368$) during an exceptionally bright optical flare in 2015 February. During the time period (2015 February, 13/14, or MJD 57067) when the MAGIC telescope detected VHE $\gamma$-ray emission from the source, the Fermi-LAT data indicated a significant spectral hardening at GeV energies, with a power-law photon index of $1.8 \pm 0.1$---compared with the 3FGL value (averaged over four years of observation) of $2.34 \pm 0.04$. In contrast, Swift/XRT data showed a softening of the X-ray spectrum, with a photon index of $1.72 \pm 0.08$ (compared with $1.38 \pm 0.03$ averaged during the flare from MJD 57066 to 57077), possibly indicating a modest contribution of synchrotron photons by the highest-energy electrons superposed on the inverse Compton component. Fitting of the quasi-simultaneous ($<1$ day) broadband spectrum with a one-zone synchrotron plus inverse-Compton model revealed that GeV/TeV emission could be produced by inverse-Compton scattering of external photons from the dust torus. We emphasize that a flaring blazar showing high flux of $\gtrsim 1.0 \times 10^{-6}$ photons cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ ($E>$ 100 MeV) and a hard spectral index of $\Gamma_{\rm GeV} < 2.0$ detected by Fermi-LAT on daily time scales is a promising target for TeV follow-up by ground-based Cherenkov telescopes to discover high-redshift blazars, investigate their temporal variability and spectral features in the VHE band, and also constrain the intensity of the extragalactic background light.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables. Accepted by PAS