Environmental settings of agricultural practices in central Italy during the first half of the first millennium BCE

One of the main transformations in the western Mediterranean is the birth and surge of urban life during the first half of the 1st millennium BCE. This urbanization process is usually linked with an intensification of food production and changes in agricultural practices. However, it is not well known how the relationships between their different parameters were reshaped during this period. This phenomenon was observed in Central Tyrrhenian Italy from the Bronze Age to the Archaic period (12th to 6th c. BCE). Over the span of a few centuries the sparse clusters of huts observed during the Bronze Age evolved into city-state urban centers such as Rome or Tarquinia. Some of the aspects of these changes are still under debate including what kind of agricultural practices sustained the development of these early urban centers. Importantly, there is much that we do not know about possible environmental factors that could have triggered or influenced these processes in multiple and complex ways. Climatic instability has been reconstructed for this period but its role in the social cultural development of the region has not yet been assessed. The present research question lies in the interplay between environment, climate, agriculture and urbanization processes that occurred in Central Tyrrhenian Italy during the first half of the 1st millennium BCE. Three archaeological sites that underwent this process of urbanization (Palatine Hill located in Rome, Gabii and Tarquinia) were selected for this study. They all provided charred archaeobotanical material (seeds, fruits and wood) dated from the 10th to the 5th c. BCE. Two complementary methods were used to answer the research question: The first was the study of the archaeobotanical material which informs on crop production; The second was the use of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis. This innovative method helps to gather information about the field environment and management. Specifically, it allows us to study the water availability in which plants grew with the measure of the Δ13C as well as to identify possible application of manure through the δ15N results. The archaeobotanical study resulted in a total of about 30400 seeds, fruits and fragments from the three archaeological sites. The analysis showed a dominance of cereals, with barley and emmer being the main staples. Pulses were the second most important category represented mainly by fava beans and bitter vetch. Some differences in the proportions of crops were identified among sites suggesting cultural or economic preferences since the three sites lie in the same environmental region. Weeds of arable fields, which are good environmental indicators, were also identified in large quantities but due to their ubiquity, they were not discriminant. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses (δ13C and δ15N) were performed on 557 charred barley and emmer caryopses from the three archaeological sites. The results show some variation in water availability across time for both species. The δ15N values are, overall, low and no difference across time or periods was identified. This suggests that no manuring practices were commonly used during this period. A pilot study on 270 fragments of wood charcoal from Gabii to reconstruct the environment of the spontaneous flora in the region. Taxonomic identification shows a prevalence of deciduous oak forests and the surprising presence of beech which, according to the regional paleoenvironment studies, should not be present anymore in low altitudes. Ten charcoal fragments of deciduous oak were selected for isotope analysis. They were radiocarbon dated (14C) and δ13C was calculated to explore past natural environmental water availability. The comparison with the trends identified in the crops is used to discriminate environmental from anthropic factors. The14C results obtained show a large range in terms of dating which was expected as the period of interest falls into the Hallstatt plateau, a flat area between the 9th and the 5th c. BCE on the reference curve used for calibration (Trias et al. 2020). This makes it challenging to put the charcoal fragments in sequence and consequently compare their trend with the cereal ones. Different methods to overcome this are currently being explored and the addition of more charcoal fragments should help. It is the first time that this kind of work is undertaken in this region and for this period. It represents an innovative work which contributes greatly to the understanding of the complex mechanisms and evolution occurring during this period

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis on charred archaeobotanical remains: Investigating the diet of the past populations of southern France

International audienceThe use of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses on human and animal bones contributed over the last decades to better comprehending the diet and subsistence strategies of ancient inhabitants of Southern France. Although they represented a part of the alimentation of these past populations, plants were rarely taken into consideration for diet reconstructions based on stable isotope analyses. This could have led to an underestimation of the importance of the vegetal resources in the human past alimentation and to misinterpretations of the data. Indeed, animal bones are usually used to infer the local environmental baseline and plants are considered mainly through a broad range of values coming from modern specimens. However, several studies stressed the impact of the local environment and climate, as well as anthropic practices on the stable isotope ratios of a plant, making it essential to include them in this type of study. As a matter of fact, numerous of these archaeological sites provided archaeobotanical seeds and fruits, sometimes in large quantities, besides human and animal remains. This study aims to shed new light on the previous diet reconstructions by integrating carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses done on charred barley, emmer, and millet grains as well as acorns originating from archaeological sites situated in southern France and dated from the Neolithic to the Iron Age period. In order to obtain the best representation of the local environment, the archaeobotanical remains come from the same archaeological site or as close as possible and are dated from the same period as the human bones. First results obtained for Neolithic populations confirmed that some aspects of the alimentation seemed to have been underestimated or not even considered, such as the consumption of wild resources

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis on charred archaeobotanical remains: Investigating the diet of the past populations of southern France

International audienceThe use of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses on human and animal bones contributed over the last decades to better comprehending the diet and subsistence strategies of ancient inhabitants of Southern France. Although they represented a part of the alimentation of these past populations, plants were rarely taken into consideration for diet reconstructions based on stable isotope analyses. This could have led to an underestimation of the importance of the vegetal resources in the human past alimentation and to misinterpretations of the data. Indeed, animal bones are usually used to infer the local environmental baseline and plants are considered mainly through a broad range of values coming from modern specimens. However, several studies stressed the impact of the local environment and climate, as well as anthropic practices on the stable isotope ratios of a plant, making it essential to include them in this type of study. As a matter of fact, numerous of these archaeological sites provided archaeobotanical seeds and fruits, sometimes in large quantities, besides human and animal remains. This study aims to shed new light on the previous diet reconstructions by integrating carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses done on charred barley, emmer, and millet grains as well as acorns originating from archaeological sites situated in southern France and dated from the Neolithic to the Iron Age period. In order to obtain the best representation of the local environment, the archaeobotanical remains come from the same archaeological site or as close as possible and are dated from the same period as the human bones. First results obtained for Neolithic populations confirmed that some aspects of the alimentation seemed to have been underestimated or not even considered, such as the consumption of wild resources

Stable isotope analysis on charred carpological material and its interpretation to discriminate agricultural practices and climate instability in Central Italy

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in plant tissues reflect the environmental conditions in which they developed. Since the first study by Marino & DeNiro [1], scholars demonstrated that this environmental information is preserved in archaeobotanical remains even after they were buried and/or carbonized [2][3]. When applied to cereal grains, this method allows to gain insights in past agricultural practices about which little is known. Indeed, until now, most of the evidence exists in indirect forms such as tools, texts, remains of past landscape management or products of this agriculture. Stable carbon isotope analysis permits to assess the crops’ water availability [4], while manure status can be inferred thanks to the measurement of stable nitrogen isotope ratios [5]. This method has never been applied before on archaeobotanical remains in Central Italy for the Roman period. We are presenting here preliminary results coming from charred cereal grains of emmer (T. dicoccum) and barley (H. vulgare) from 3 archaeological sites Gabii, the Palatine Hill and Tarquinia. Together, they cover a range of time from the 10th to the 6th cent. BCE. The high-resolution stratigraphic excavation and chronology let us explore changes in sub-periods of about 50 years. When the chronological sequence is so detailed, the selection of the carpological remains for stable isotope analysis becomes very challenging. In absence of closed primary deposits, very common situation in many archaeological sites, the origin and the formation processes of the carpological assemblages need to be assessed. Indeed, they have to come from archaeological contexts where the material is more likely to originate from a short and synchronous period of time. This issue needs to be addressed in the planning and sampling for isotope analysis and it is of paramount importance to correctly assess the variability of the isotopic values and for the interpretation of the results in relation to changes in farming practices. Riferimenti [1] Marino & DeNiro, Isotopic analysis of archaeobotanicals to reconstruct past climates: effects of activities associated with food preparation on carbon, hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios of plant cellulose. Journal of Archaeological Science, 14(5), 537-548, 1987. [2] Fraser & al., Assessing natural variation and the effects of charring, burial and pre-treatment on the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values of archaeobotanical cereals and pulses. Journal of Archaeological Science, 40(12), 4754-4766, 2013. [3] Nitsch & al., Calculating a statistically robust δ13C and δ15N offset for charred cereal and pulse seeds. STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research, 1(1), 1-8, 2015. [4] Ferrio & al., Reconstruction of climate and crop conditions in the past based on the carbon isotope signature of archaeobotanical remains. Terrestrial Ecology, 1, 319-332, 2007. [5] Bogaard & al., The impact of manuring on nitrogen isotope ratios in cereals: archaeological implications for reconstruction of diet and crop management practices. Journal of Archaeological Science, 34(3), 335-343, 2007

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis on charred archaeobotanical remains: Investigating the diet of the past populations of southern France

International audienceThe use of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses on human and animal bones contributed over the last decades to better comprehending the diet and subsistence strategies of ancient inhabitants of Southern France. Although they represented a part of the alimentation of these past populations, plants were rarely taken into consideration for diet reconstructions based on stable isotope analyses. This could have led to an underestimation of the importance of the vegetal resources in the human past alimentation and to misinterpretations of the data. Indeed, animal bones are usually used to infer the local environmental baseline and plants are considered mainly through a broad range of values coming from modern specimens. However, several studies stressed the impact of the local environment and climate, as well as anthropic practices on the stable isotope ratios of a plant, making it essential to include them in this type of study. As a matter of fact, numerous of these archaeological sites provided archaeobotanical seeds and fruits, sometimes in large quantities, besides human and animal remains. This study aims to shed new light on the previous diet reconstructions by integrating carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses done on charred barley, emmer, and millet grains as well as acorns originating from archaeological sites situated in southern France and dated from the Neolithic to the Iron Age period. In order to obtain the best representation of the local environment, the archaeobotanical remains come from the same archaeological site or as close as possible and are dated from the same period as the human bones. First results obtained for Neolithic populations confirmed that some aspects of the alimentation seemed to have been underestimated or not even considered, such as the consumption of wild resources

AT THE ORIGINS OF ROME: URBANIZATION, AGRICULTURE AND CLIMATE IN IRON AGE

The beginning of Iron Age in Central Italy witnessed increasing social complexity, urbanization processes and climatic instability. However, understanding the mutual relations of these events as well as their effects on past agriculture is still a complex matter. This research aims at investigating changes in agricultural systems and environmental variability through the analysis of macrobotanical samples retrieved from multiple archaeological contexts dating between the 10th and the 6th century BCE. Recent excavations at the site of Gabii, situated at the outskirt of Rome, provided charred carpological material (seeds, fruits and woods) coming from different Iron Age and Archaic levels. As Gabii was an important Latin city which experienced this phase of urbanisation such data are crucial for the understanding of its socio-economic development. Preliminary results show the presence of several cultivated cereals, mainly represented by caryopsis of Hordeum vulgare and Triticum dicoccum but also few T. monococcum. Pulses include Vicia faba and V. ervillia. Some weeds are also attested, such as Lolium sp. In addition, the analysis of the stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen of both charred seeds/fruits and woods will allow the study of the past water availability as well as the crops growing conditions and farming practices, informing us, to a certain extent, about the possible effects of climate fluctuation on the development of these ancient societies and their agriculture

Beech and stone Pine, the Italian landscape modelled by valuable ritual trees

Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) are quite different trees, at present widespread in Italy, the first often in primeval forests, the second in monospecific artificial coastal woods. The modern Italian beech population can be distinguished genetically from the north European one, and spread from few refugia located in central and southern Italy (Magri et al., 2006, New Phytologist, 199-221). In contrast, the genetic variability of stone pine is extremely low, making the reconstruction of its spread in the Mediterranean region quite complicated (Viñas et al., 2016, European Atlas of Forest Tree Species, 130- 131). The archaeobotanical record indicates the arrival of stone pine early in the Iron Age, while beech seems to have been preserved outside its natural distribution area. Besides the economic importance of the two trees, the ritual meaning of both plants must be taken into account. According to available data, the oldest recovery of stone pine is at the Phoenician site of Motya (Sicily) where macroremains date back to the period between the mid-8th cent. and the mid-6th cent. BC (Moricca et al., 2021, Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 1-15). The hypothesis that Phoenicians and Punics played a major role in the spread of stone pine is confirmed by the recovery of pine cones and shells at Santa Giusta (Sardinia) during the 6th–2nd cent. BC, and later on in 3rd–2nd cent. BC (Sabato et al., 2019, Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 9-16). Pine pollen probably ascribable to stone pine is found since Roman times at Pompeii (Vignola et al., 2021, Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 1-16) from the 1st half of the 1st cent. BC, and in the city of Rome at the Horti Lamiani since the end of the 1st cent. BC (Masi and Vignola, unpublished data), and at the Roman villa in via De Lollis (Sadori and Masci, Palladium, 2019) in the 4th cent. BC and in the 3rd cent. AD. Stone pines are well known to have been important as ritual, votive and funerary plants. The presence of beech in the Italian peninsula is widespread, being this tree a component of the altitudinal forest. In Tuscany, pollen and macroremain records indicate a spread of Fagus at low altitude, possibly from the late Bronze to early Iron Age (Sadori et al., 2015, Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 217-230). Coeval attestations arrive from Umbria, Marche and Latium regions with recoveries from Lago Trasimeno (Angelini et al., 2014, Plant Biosystems, 713-722) Monte Croce-Guardia (Arcevia) and Casale Rocchi (Rome; Vignola et al., unpublished data). At Gabii between the end of the 8th and the end of the 6th cent. BC fragments of beech charcoal have also been recovered. In all these sites, beech timber was found outside its present distribution area. Quite interesting, is the finding of both pollen and macroremains in the city of Rome. Charcoals have been recognized in the open area of the Horti Lamiani since the end of the 1st cent. BC. The tree was probably present among other taxa planted in the gardens. A single beech pollen grain was recovered at the Roman villa in via de Lollis in Rome, dated to the 4th century BC, in an area sacred to Jupiter. At the moment this is the oldest evidence of beech pollen in Rome and a confirmation of written sources that reported the presence of sacred beech groves, named by Latins Lucus Fagutalis

Humans and environments as Cultural Heritage. Bioarchaeological case studies from Latium

The research team at the Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome has a long-standing interest in th e study of past ecosystems and human adaptation to environment across time. Researches span from the earliest phases of prehistory to modern times and include the study of both human and botanical remains. Within the ADAMO project, focus is given to sites in the area of Latium, which offers a formidable chronological significance, with sites ranging from the Pleistocene to the later stages of post-classical antiquity. The aim of our researches is linked the reconstruction of the interaction between humans and the environment in this specific contexts and trough time. To do that, different methods are used

L’alimentation des premières sociétés agropastorales du Sud de la France : premières données isotopiques sur des graines et fruits carbonisés néolithiques et essais de modélisation

International audienceStable isotope analyses (δ13C and δ15N) of human bones have been crucial for understanding the diets of Neolithic societies. However, isotopic measurements of wild and cultivated vegetal resources have not as yet been integrated into reconstructions of human diets. This study explores the isotopic variations in seed and fruit remains from seven Neolithic sites in Southern France. It aims to understand environmental and/or anthropic factors that could influence the isotopic ratios. These data are then included in a dietary model for individuals found at the same sites or nearby. Analysis of botanical remains indicate that similar environments do not provide homogeneous values. For some sites, results suggest different cultivation practices according to species. The dietary models confirm some interpretations previously proposed, including a diversity in the dietary habits at one site. However, some aspects of the diet could have been under-estimated, such as the consumption of wild food plants.L’analyse isotopique (δ13C et δ15N) d’ossements humains a permis de franchir un pas décisif dans la connaissance de l’alimentation des sociétés du Néolithique. Cependant, les données isotopiques des ressources végétales cultivées ou sauvages n’étaient, jusqu’à présent, pas intégrées dans la reconstitution du régime alimentaire des groupes humains. Cette étude propose d’explorer les variations isotopiques enregistrées dans des carporestes provenant de sept sites archéologiques néolithiques du Sud de la France, afin de comprendre les facteurs environnementaux et/ou anthropiques qui peuvent les influencer. Ces données sont ensuite incluses dans les modèles alimentaires de sujets retrouvés dans les mêmes sites ou à proximité. Les analyses isotopiques des carporestes indiquent que des environnements similaires n’engendrent pas des valeurs homogènes. Au niveau de certains sites, les résultats suggèrent des pratiques de cultures différentes entre espèces. Les modèles alimentaires confirment certaines interprétations proposées précédemment, notamment l’existence de groupes humains au sein d’un même site ne consommant pas les mêmes ressources. Ils montrent également que certains aspects de leur alimentation, notamment les ressources sauvages, auraient pu être sous-estimées