High Throughput, Multiplexed Pathogen Detection Authenticates Plague Waves in Medieval Venice, Italy

Background: Historical records suggest that multiple burial sites from the 14th-16(th) centuries in Venice, Italy, were used during the Black Death and subsequent plague epidemics.Methodology/Principal Findings: High throughput, multiplexed real-time PCR detected DNA of seven highly transmissible pathogens in 173 dental pulp specimens collected from 46 graves. Bartonella quintana DNA was identified in five (2.9%) samples, including three from the 16th century and two from the 15th century, and Yersinia pestis DNA was detected in three (1.7%) samples, including two from the 14th century and one from the 16th century. Partial glpD gene sequencing indicated that the detected Y. pestis was the Orientalis biotype.Conclusions: These data document for the first time successive plague epidemics in the medieval European city where quarantine was first instituted in the 14th century

Per Aquileia. Realtà e programmazione di una grande area archeologica

Aquileia possiede un patrimonio archeologico notevolissimo, solo in parte accessibile e solo in parte utilizzato, la cui adeguata conservazione e valorizzazione necessita di un programma coordinato di gestione e intervento che coinvolga territorio e comunità. Questo libro, frutto della collaborazione tra MiBAC e Università IUAV di Venezia, è il risultato di un lavoro di ricerca svolto per verificare, allineare e organizzare le conoscenze sulle aree archeologiche e sugli edifici di proprietà del Demanio ad Aquileia. Attraverso successive schedature (fondi, aree ed edifici) ed elaborati cartografici riassuntivi (mappe archeologiche, catasti, vincoli), sono state poste le basi per un sistema di gestione delle informazioni sulle consistenze archeologiche e architettoniche, il loro stato di conservazione e la loro manutenzione

Banche dati geoarcheologiche della laguna e della citt\ue0 di Venezia

Attraverso un approccio intersciplinare che comprende archeologia, antropologia, geologia, geomorfologia, palinologia e archeozoologia e la cartografia storica sono state compilate le banche dati geografiche che contengono la descrizione delle emergenze archeologiche, dei contesti geomorfologici e dell\u2019evoluzione geografica antica del comprensorio lagunare e della citt\ue0 di Venezia. La cartografia derivata, di tipo diacronico, consente la rappresentazione delle fasi evolutive antropiche e naturali dall\u2019et\ue0 dei primi insediamenti fino ai giorni nostri. I data set derivano dalle attivit\ue0 istituzionali durate circa vent\u2019 anni da parte dell\u2019Ufficio Nausicaa (Soprintendenza per i Beni archeologici del Veneto) con oltre un migliaio di interventi in laguna, da circa ottocento siti archeologici identificati da E. Canal durante la sua pluridecennale attivit\ue0 di ricerca, dalle numerose ricerche di tipo cartografico condotte in ambito provinciale sia dagli Enti Locali che dall\u2019Universit\ue0 di Padova e attraverso l\u2019informatizzazione di tutti dati operata dal Consorzio Venezia Nuova

\u2026ad litora Venetorum pervenit, paesaggio e insediamenti nella terra dei Veneti antichi

La trama di Venetkens. Viaggio nella terra dei veneti antichi. (Catalogo della mostra, Padova 6 aprile-17 novembre 2013) Un viaggio immaginario alla scoperta del mondo dei Veneti antichi, lungo il I millennio a.C., dalle origini fino al contatto con il mondo romano. Vengono riuniti centinaia di oggetti emersi dagli scavi archeologici che ci raccontano come viveva questo popolo antico, come costruiva le abitazioni, come si procurava il cibo, come seppelliva i propri defunti, come si rivolgeva alle divinit\ue0, come si rapportava ai popoli confinanti e a quelli pi\uf9 lontani con cui entrava in contatto. Vengono inoltre messi in luce aspetti di grande rilevanza culturale: la pratica della scrittura e il suo legame con la realt\ue0 del sacro, ma anche la padronanza nella lavorazione del bronzo e la sua traduzione, sul piano dell'espressione artistica, nei repertori decorativi dell'arte delle situle, dove animali fantastici si intrecciano a scene di vita quotidiana, a momenti rituali, a processioni e a teorie di guerrieri. Grande attenzione \ue8 dedicata al cavallo, animale importantissimo nella cultura protostorica: famosi erano gi\ue0 nell'antichit\ue0 i cavalli dei Veneti decantati dalle fonti letterarie, effigiati su lamine votive, su monumenti funerari, riprodotti sotto forma di bronzetti e, non di rado, sepolti in apposite aree di necropoli e a volte addirittura abbinati, nel viaggio oltremondano, alla persona che di essi si era occupata durante la vita. Un viaggio nel tempo e nello spazio alla riscoperta dei nostri progenitori

First results of archaeobotanical studies based on pollen and macroremains at the archaeological site of Ex-Bafile area (Caorle, Venice, Italy, VIII-IX cent. AD-XV-XVI cent. AD)

A multidisciplinary research, involving archaeological and archaeobotanical investigations, was carried out in the area Ex-Bafile (Caorle, Venice, Northern Italy, 1 m a.s.l, 45°35’46’’N 12°52’13’’E). This research was aimed at investigating the environmental context which was present during the development of the town. Based on archaeological data, the chronology of the site ranges between the VIII-IX cent. AD and the XV-XVI cent. AD. Palynological analyses refer to 15 samples, respectively 4 of VIII-IX cent., 8 of Early Medieval Age and 3 of Late Medieval Age. Some samples of macroremains including seed/fruit (5 sampling between 10 and 15 l) and wood/charcoal (1.326 records) were collected from stratigraphic levels dated between XIV and XVI cent. The results of archaeobotanical investigations have permitted the reconstruction of the main features of the plant landscape and the environment of the ancient town of Caorle through 6 different phases. Initially (Phase 1: VIII-IX cent.), the area was occupied by a wide lagoon characterized by saltish vegetation with various halophytic plants (Suaeda, Salicornia, etc.), while inland territories were forested with mixed oaks woods (Quercus deciduous, Carpinus, Fraxinus, Corylus) and hygrophilous plants (Alnus, Populus, Salix). In the following phase (X-XI cent.) a progressive clearance of woods and reclamation of saltish lands is documented; halophytic plants continue to be present around the investigated area. The anthropic landscape is characterised by cereal fields (mainly Hordeum, Avena-Triticum), pasture, meadows, legumes, vegetable plants, fructiferous (Juglans regia, Olea europaea, Vitis vinifera, etc.) and textile plants (Cannabis sativa), etc. During phase 3 (XI cent.) another reclamation process with deforesting and setting of the drainage system is recorded along with an increase of anthropic plants (Chenopodiaceae, Plantago, etc.). The permanent settlement of the area (Phase 4: XI-XII cent.) involves a greater management of the territory and a decrease of anthropic spontaneous species with an increase of cultivated plants, particularly cereals. In the following period (Phase 5: XIV cent.) a remodelling of the region is documented with a decrease of woodland and damp areas; ancient structures are destroyed in order to build new houses and enlarge fields for cultivated plants (cereals, fructiferous trees, vegetables, aromatic and various plants for the anthropic needs). In the last period (Phase 6: XV-XVI cent.) the area is abandoned. As a consequence a rich shrub and arboreal vegetation develops

Il museo archeologico nazionale di Aquileia

Viene ripercorsa la formazione della collezione archeologica del Museo Nazionale di Aquileia e le modifiche apportate all'edificio (l'antica villa Cassis Faraone) che la contiene a partire dai primi decenni dell'Ottocento. Viene inoltre svolta una riflessione sulle strategie di recupero, conservazione e valorizzazione di uno dei più importanti ed estesi siti archeologici italiani

Establishing cost-effective safety management for major oil and gas exploitation projects in the design phase

Disasters such as Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico, in April 2010, continue to blight the oil and gas industry despite a significant amount of research effort carried out by academia, regulatory bodies, and oil and gas companies to understand how safety-related incidents, especially disasters, can be prevented. While these have contributed to the discussion around reducing risk, they often lack the systemic influences that determine the value drivers affecting decision-making, and the ability to achieve continuous and sustainable improvements in safety performance. Consequently, this research aims to provide a more holistic approach to understanding the nature of disasters in the oil and gas industry, and identifying how future disasters can be prevented by establishing "more cost-effective strategies. Quantitative research was carried out to determine the type and validity of the data used to construct trends in major accident safety performance, and qualitative research was carried out to assess the key factors that influence safety performance, and whether these are effectively applied. The conclusions of this research are that the industry has not demonstrated effective implementation of an Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OH&S-MSj. Historically safety performance shows wide annual variations where trends are difficult to define and extrapolate, making it difficult to provide any significant benefit for major accident prevention. There is no evidence to indicate that moving from a prescriptive, to a goal-setting regime, has improved safety performance, and reduced the prospect of future major accidents. Disaster investigation reports have shown that the role of the regulator has been ineffective. However, the adoption of a more comprehensive, and effective approach to inherently safer designs, and the way projects are managed, have the potential to make safety management more cost-effective and reduce the prospect of future disasters.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo