Landsscape diachronic reconstruction in the Tiber Delta during historical time. A holistic approach

The sensitivity of deltas in response to evolutionary factors makes them important archives of the events that occurred in the entire river basin. Detailed knowledge of the stratigraphy and morphology, combined with a set of archaeological, palaeobotanical and historical information, make possible to reconstruct the diachronic changes of the landscape in the Tiber delta plain over the past 3000 years taking into account natural and anthropic forcing. The main factors that contributed to the delta landscape change are considered following a temporal scansion. Among the natural factors, we considered climate, sea level rise, tectonic and local subsidence. Among the human factors we considered the population density and several human activities, such as farming and breeding practices, reclamation, construction of ports, canals and salt works. To evaluate the amount of sediment involved in the delta evolution during different periods, the BQART model was used. Prior to Roman times anthropogenic forcing had a lower influence than natural forcing on the landscape evolution. During the Roman period (between third century BC-fourth century AD), the delta landscape was severely conditioned by the human activity. Throughout the Middle Ages and until the first half of the nineteenth century, a more natural landscape evolved in the delta, gradually and partially replacing the previous landscape. With the arrival of the new Italian State a new and impressive landscape change occurred. The evolution of the Tiber delta landscape appear particularly affected by anthropogenic forcing when socio-political organization allowed the control and planning of policy actions

Early Arrival of New World Species Enriching the Biological Assemblage of the Santi Quattro Coronati Complex (Rome, Italy)

This paper reports the archaeobotanical and archaeozoological data from a disposal pit, whose use started after the partial closure of a staircase, and from a mortar surface within a former porch in the Santi Quattro Coronati complex in Rome, Italy. The two contexts were in use in the Early Modern Age, when the complex served as a cardinal seat. The element that distinguishes the Santi Quattro Coronati from other contemporaneous contexts is the presence of New World species, until now only hypothesized based on a letter sent by the first resident bishop in Santo Domingo to Lorenzo Pucci, then cardinal with the titulus of the Santi Quattro Coronati. Pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita pepo and C. maxima/moschata) were found in the pit, while a pelvis of guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) was found in a former porch. Numerous archaeobotanical remains preserved by mummification, identified mostly as food, and many archaeozoological specimens were found in the pit. Based on the data, it is hypothesized that the pit was used mainly as a deposit for table waste. The results as a whole help towards the investigation of the eating customs and daily habits of a Renaissance high-status clerical community

Sediments from Lago di Mezzano, central Italy: a record of Lateglacial/Holocene climatic variations and anthropogenic impact

Microscopic, geochemical and pollen analysis of sediment samples of a Lateglacial/Horocene profile from Lago di Mezzano, a maar lake in central Italy, reveals evidence of significant climatic and human-induced environmental changes. Time control is provided by a combination of varve chronology and radiocarbon dating. The well-known Lateglacial climatic variations, a warmer interstadial and the Younger Dryas cold phase are clearly represented in all the parameters. During the interval between 9200 and 5600 cal. BP of the Holocene climatic optimum, annually laminated, organic-rich diatom gyttja was deposited. Two periods of diminished total organic carbon are identified within this interval. The first one (P1) ranges from 8200 to 7800 cal. BP while the second (P2) is centred around 6500 cal. BP. During P1, a predominance of diatoms (Stephanodiscus parvus and S. minutulus) over other algae (represented by the total organic carbon content) is observed. The timing of this period coincides with the early- to mid-Holocene climatic transition, reported from ice cores and lake sediments (Stager and Mayewski, 1997). P2 is characterized by a decrease in all biogenic parameters including biogenic opal, organic carbon as well as arboreal pollen. From 5000 cal. BP to date, the sediment pattern changes coincide with the mid-Holocene climatic deterioration. In addition to these natural variations, human impact has been recorded and recognized from sedimentological features such as turbidites and charcoal, as well as from reduced arboreal pollen content. Two Middle Bronze Age (3700 cal. BP and 3300 cal. BP), Etruscan/early Roman (2500 cal. BP), Longobardic (AD 900) and 'modern settlements' (since no 1700) have been distinguished on the basis of these data

The high potential of micro-magnetic resonance imaging for the identification of archaeological reeds. The case study of Tutankhamun

This study explores the potential of micro-magnetic resonance imaging ( -MRI) for identifying archaeological reeds found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. Reed plants had various historical uses in the past, with ancient Egyptians extensively employing them for crafting a wide range of items. The distinct cross-sectional characteristics of Arundo donax (giant reed) and Phragmites australis (common reed) are observed and described via optical microscopy and  -MRI in this study. While optical microscopy offers higher resolution,  -MRI provides advantages for studying archaeobotanical specimens, as it eliminates the need for mechanical sectioning and potentially damaging fragile samples. The application of  -MRI on a selected archaeological reed allowed us to identify it as Phragmites australis, showing that  -MRI can yield clear images, maintaining the integrity of the sample. In contrast, diagnostic features appeared greatly deformed on the thin section observed via optical microscopy. Despite the limitations related to the sample size and the need for sample soaking,  -MRI presents a valuable tool for analyzing archaeological remains in the field of cultural heritage, with the potential for broader applications. Overall, this study contributes to expanding the toolkit available to researchers studying plant remains, providing insights into reed identification and preservation in archaeological contexts

The Wooden Roof Framing Elements, Furniture and Furnishing of the Etruscan Domus of the Dolia of Vetulonia (Southern Tuscany, Italy)

The Etruscan Domus of the Dolia remained hidden until 2009, when archaeological excavations began in the Etruscan–Roman district of Vetulonia (Southern Tuscany). Based on the classification of the archaeological materials recovered, the destruction of the Domus and the Etruscan city of Vetulonia was traced back to the 1st century BC. The highly various and precious materials recovered inside the Domus revealed the richness of the building and its inhabitants. With this study, we present the anthracological analyses from the Domus of the Dolia. Wood charcoals were recovered from different house rooms, which had different functions based on the archaeological evidence. The tree species employed for the construction of the roof of the building were deciduous and semi-deciduous oak wood (Quercus sect. robur, Quercus sect. cerris) and silver fir wood (Abies cf. alba). Evergreen oak wood (Quercus sect. suber), boxwood (Buxus sempervirens), beech wood (Fagus cf. sylvatica), maple wood (Acer sp.) and cherry wood (Prunus cf. avium) were adopted for the furniture and furnishings of the house. Moreover, wood charcoal fragments of fruit trees belonging to the family of Rosaceae were identified, documenting a possible garden inside the court of the house. The study shows the use of the local tree species primarily. The silver fir wood and beech wood were likely sourced from the nearby (roughly 60 km) Mount Amiata

Rome in its setting. Post-glacial aggradation history of the Tiber River alluvial deposits and tectonic origin of the Tiber Island

Support for this work was provided by the DTS-MIUR NextData project, the University of Michigan, the Etruscan Foundation, and the Fondazione Lemmermann. This work includes data collected with funding from the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1259122 (ALB).The Tiber valley is a prominent feature in the landscape of ancient Rome and an important element for understanding its urban development. However, little is known about the city’s original setting. Our research provides new data on the Holocene sedimentary history and human-environment interactions in the Forum Boarium, the location of the earliest harbor of the city. Since the Last Glacial Maximum, when the fluvial valley was incised to a depth of tens of meters below the present sea level, 14C and ceramic ages coupled with paleomagnetic analysis show the occurrence of three distinct aggradational phases until the establishment of a relatively stable alluvial plain at 6–8 m a.s.l. during the late 3rd century BCE. Moreover, we report evidence of a sudden and anomalous increase in sedimentation rate around 2600 yr BP, leading to the deposition of a 4-6m thick package of alluvial deposits in approximately one century. We discuss this datum in the light of possible tectonic activity along a morpho-structural lineament, revealed by the digital elevation model of this area, crossing the Forum Boarium and aligned with the Tiber Island. We formulate the hypothesis that fault displacement along this structural lineament may be responsible for the sudden collapse of the investigated area, which provided new space for the observed unusually large accumulation of sediments. We also posit that, as a consequence of the diversion of the Tiber course and the loss in capacity of transport by the river, this faulting activity triggered the origin of the Tiber Island.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Elite food between the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance. Some case studies from Latium

The study of plant and animal remains from archaeological sites provides important evidence about past human diets and habits: this includes species selection, food preparation, consumption and disposal practices. Furthermore, such information may also provide inferences about social status. Data from refuse disposal features identified in some elite contexts in central Italy – a high-status residence in Celleno Vecchio (Viterbo) and the Baglioni-Santacroce castle in Graffignano (Viterbo), both in northern Latium, as well as the Santi Quattro Coronati ecclesiastical complex in Rome – allow to explore, using archaeobotanical, archaeozoological and genetic data, some of the different ways in which people expressed wealth by means of food during a period between the late Middle Ages and Renaissance

Aligning and synchronization of MIS5 proxy records from Lake Ohrid (FYROM) with independently dated Mediterranean archives: implications for DEEP core chronology

The DEEP site sediment sequence obtained during the ICDP SCOPSCO project at Lake Ohrid was dated using tephrostratigraphic information, cyclostratigraphy, and orbital tuning through the marine isotope stages (MIS) 15-1. Although this approach is suitable for the generation of a general chronological framework of the long succession, it is insufficient to resolve more detailed palaeoclimatological questions, such as leads and lags of climate events between marine and terrestrial records or between different regions. Here, we demonstrate how the use of different tie points can affect cyclostratigraphy and orbital tuning for the period between ca. 140 and 70 ka and how the results can be correlated with directly/indirectly radiometrically dated Mediterranean marine and continental proxy records. The alternative age model presented here shows consistent differences with that initially proposed by Francke et al. (2015) for the same interval, in particular at the level of the MIS6-5e transition. According to this new age model, different proxies from the DEEP site sediment record support an increase of temperatures between glacial to interglacial conditions, which is almost synchronous with a rapid increase in sea surface temperature observed in the western Mediterranean. The results show how a detailed study of independent chronological tie points is important to align different records and to highlight asynchronisms of climate events. Moreover, Francke et al. (2016) have incorporated the new chronology proposed for tephra OH-DP-0499 in the final DEEP age model. This has reduced substantially the chronological discrepancies between the DEEP site age model and the model proposed here for the last glacial-interglacial transition

Sedimentological processes and environmental variability at Lake Ohrid (Macedonia, Albania) between 637 ka and the present

Lake Ohrid (Macedonia, Albania) is thought to be more than 1.2 million years old and host more than 300 endemic species. As a target of the International Continental scientific Drilling Program (ICDP), a successful deep drilling campaign was carried out within the scope of the Scientific Collaboration on Past Speciation Conditions in Lake Ohrid (SCOPSCO) project in 2013. Here, we present lithological, sedimentological, and (bio-)geochemical data from the upper 247.8 m composite depth of the overall 569 m long DEEP site sediment succession from the central part of the lake. According to an age model, which is based on 11 tephra layers (first-order tie points) and on tuning of bio-geochemical proxy data to orbital parameters (second-order tie points), the analyzed sediment sequence covers the last 637 kyr. The DEEP site sediment succession consists of hemipelagic sediments, which are interspersed by several tephra layers and infrequent, thin (< 5 cm) mass wasting deposits. The hemipelagic sediments can be classified into three different lithotypes. Lithotype 1 and 2 deposits comprise calcareous and slightly calcareous silty clay and are predominantly attributed to interglacial periods with high primary productivity in the lake during summer and reduced mixing during winter. The data suggest that high ion and nutrient concentrations in the lake water promoted calcite precipitation and diatom growth in the epilimnion during MIS15, 13, and 5. Following a strong primary productivity, highest interglacial temperatures can be reported for marine isotope stages (MIS) 11 and 5, whereas MIS15, 13, 9, and 7 were comparably cooler. Lithotype 3 deposits consist of clastic, silty clayey material and predominantly represent glacial periods with low primary productivity during summer and longer and intensified mixing during winter. The data imply that the most severe glacial conditions at Lake Ohrid persisted during MIS16, 12, 10, and 6, whereas somewhat warmer temperatures can be inferred for MIS14, 8, 4, and 2. Interglacial-like conditions occurred during parts of MIS14 and 8