La prime testimonianze della metallurgia nei colli albani (Roma, Italia Centrale)

The earliest evidence of metallurgy in the Alban Hills (Latium, central Italy), dated between the Eneolithic and the Recent Bronze Age (c. IV – end of II millennium B.C.), is described through a review of the published materials and the study of unpublished finds. The analysis allows to understand the technological capabilities and cultural, social and economic aspects of the local communities in the pre-protohistoric period

Geomorphological processes, forms and features in the surroundings of the Melka Kunture Palaeolithic site, Ethiopia

The landscape of the surroundings of the Melka Kunture prehistoric site, Upper Awash Basin, Ethiopia, were studied intensively in the last decades. Nonetheless, the area was mainly characterized under a stratigraphic/geological and archaeological point of view. However, a detailed geomorphological map is still lacking. Hence, in this study, we identify, map and visualize geomorphological forms and processes. The morphology of the forms, as well as the related processes, were remotely sensed with available high-resolution airborne and satellite sources and calibrated and validated through extensive field work conducted in 2013 and 2014. Furthermore, we integrated multispectral satellite imagery to classify areas affected by intensive erosion processes and/or anthropic activities. The Main Map at 1:15,000 scale reveals structural landforms as well as intensive water-related degradation processes in the Upper Awash Basin. Moreover, the map is available as an interactive WebGIS application providing further information and detail (www.roceeh.net/ethiopia_ geomorphological_map/)

Ichnological and archaeological evidence from Gombore II OAM, Melka Kunture, Ethiopia: An integrated approach to reconstruct local environments and biological presences between 1.2 and 0.85 Ma

New ichnological data are available at the prehistoric site of Melka Kunture, Upper Awash Valley in Ethiopia. Excavation of new test pits enabled us to explore the volcanic and fluvio-lacustrine sequence at the Gombore II Open Air Museum archaeological site (ca. 0.85 Ma). This has allowed a detailed reconstruction of the palaeoenvironment and of the fauna present in the time interval between 1.2 and 0.85 Ma. Various-sized mammals, birds, molluscs as well as hominins left tracks throughout the sequence, and document a varied fauna and associated behaviours. Most of the hominin tracks were made by young individuals on the basis of size and are some of the earlier child tracks to be reported. The mollusc traces document the presence and orientation of water streams which, according to the associated vertebrate traces, were visited by hominins, mammals and birds. Most of these traces were found within levels traditionally considered barren for archaeology, yet they all document life activity and are always in situ. This confirms the potential of the ichnological research as an important complementary tool for archaeological investigations

Melka Kunture (alto Awash, Etiopía) entre 2.000.000 y 5.000 años

Melka Kunture es un clúster de yacimientos prehistóricos situados en el altiplano etíope, a 2.000-2.200 m sobre el nivel del mar, en la cuenca alta del río Awash. El clima es más bien fresco (temperatura media anual de 17° C) y lluvioso. Los resultados palinológicos demuestran que la vegetación durante el Pleistoceno era de tipo afromontano y, por lo tanto, diferente a la de sabana que se desarrolla en cotas más bajas. Tras casi 60 años de excavaciones en 20 yacimientos y en unos 60 niveles arqueológicos distintos, la secuencia arqueológica identificada incluye el Olduvayense, Achelense, Middle Stone Age y Late Stone Age. También se han descubierto fósiles de homininos en asociación directa con industrias líticas de diferentes tecnocomplejos. Además, se conocen niveles icnológicos, que proporcionan información sobre la vida y el comportamiento de homininos y fauna. La investigación sobre la adaptación de los homininos al clima y al entorno de las tierras altas es relevante para entender cómo y cuándo se produjo el primer poblamiento de Europa

L’Archeologia Sperimentale di Alberto Carlo Blanc: appunti inediti di un pioniere della Preistoria italiana.

Due documenti inediti dell’archivio Blanc-Aguet a Roma contengono appunti di archeologia sperimentale dello studioso Alberto Carlo Blanc, risalenti ai primi anni ‘50 del secolo scorso. Le annotazioni riguardano la scheggiatura di ciottoli silicei e la percussione di ossa di bue. Queste osservazioni, finalizzate a fornire elementi di confronto per i contesti preistorici indagati da Blanc, anticipano di molti decenni l’ingresso di tali tematiche negli studi archeologici italiani, confermando l’intuito e la lungimiranza scientifica dello studioso

Archeologia e impronte fossili nel sito acheuleano di Gombore II (0,85 Ma), Melka Kunture, Etiopia

Melka Kunture is a cluster of prehistoric sites located on the shoulder of the Main Ethiopian Rift, at 2000 m asl. Tens of sites have been unearthed since the Sixties of last century, revealing a rich and persistent record, anchored to a solid absolute dating system, starting at ca. 1.8 Ma. Here we report the discovery and preliminary description of fossil footprints and trampled surfaces in the area of Gombore II, a well-known Middle Acheulean site dated at ca. 0.85 Ma. Various species of mammals produced the footprints, that went unnoticed at the time of previous research. They notably include a possible single Homo track. Footprints are considered a snapshot in time of in situ frequentation, hence they help understanding the behaviour, dynamics and association of animals and hominins. The ichnological data also allow comparisons with the information produced by the archaeological and palaeontological record

Strutture dolmeniche sui Monti Lepini? Dati inediti dall’Archivio Blanc-Aguet di Roma

We present hithereto unpublished documents preserved in the Blanc-Aguet archive, in Rome. They include three letters written in 1958 by I.P. Capozzi to A.C. Blanc, describing archaeological materials and what appeared to be dolmenic structures found in the 1940s at Monte Forcino, near Sezze (Latina). This information is of great interest when seeking to reconstruct archaeological presences in this area, but should be considered with caution.Si presentano dei documenti inediti dall’Archivio Blanc-Aguet di Roma. Si tratta di alcune lettere scritte nel 1958 da I.P. Capozzi a A.C. Blanc, nelle quali sono segnalate e descritte alcune possibili strutture dolmeniche ed altre tipologie di materiali archeologici rinvenute negli anni ’40 in località Monte Forcino, nel territorio di Sezze (LT). Le informazioni contenute nei documenti sono di grande interesse per la ricostruzione delle presenze archeologiche nell’area, sebbene vada sottolineato come siano da considerare con le dovute cautele