17 research outputs found
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Non-pollen palynomorphs as an aid to the identification of ancient farming activities: an experimental and archaeological approach
This research aims to assess the potential of non-pollen microfossils in archaeological
research, as this evidence provides an important and previously overlooked
contribution to the investigation Neolithic farming activities and their environmental
impact. The Ligurian Neolithic provides an excellent cultural and environmental
framework to test this approach, given the presence of upland mires suggesting
human-driven vegetation change. In particular, the study aims to assess whether the
introduction of a pastoral economy is detectable in the palaeoecological record.
The analysis of a Middle Holocene sequence from an upland mire (Prato Spilla ‘A’,
1550m asl) allowed new inferences, partially questioning previous studies. The
sequence was rich in NPPs, showing the occurrence of several types indicating,
amongst others, hydrological changes, grazing herbivores on the site and a relatively
dense tree canopy. The presence of Neolithic communities settled in the region makes
it difficult to distinguish between natural and human-driven changes. However, due
to the probable absence of long-distance transhumance in the period, it is likely that
the outlined picture mostly results from natural events.
Deep cores dated to the Early and Middle Neolithic (6th-5th Millennium BC) from a
coastal alluvial plain (Genoa, Piazza della Vittoria) were analysed. The results show
the unequivocal presence of herbivores around a site where possible remains of piledwellings
were found, as well as periods of desiccation and flooding of the area. This
is a significance contribution to the archaeology of the region, given the paucity of
evidence for human occupation of coastal areas during this period.
The issue of prehistoric field manuring was also addressed, studying samples from a
Bronze Age terraced site (Castellaro di Uscio). Palynological analysis point to a
relatively open landscape during the Final Bronze Age, complementing previous
studies on charcoal macro-remains and suggesting that the collection of wood was
highly selective.
Archaeological layers from a Neolithic cave (Cave of Arene Candide) were analysed,
showing the validity of dung fungal spores to identify stabling layers in pastoral sites.
In addition, a short chapter on stable nitrogen isotopes from bulk sediment samples
was added, in order to test this method as a further tool for the investigation of dung
deposits. The potential of coprophilous spores as localised indicators to identify archaeological
animal enclosures was assessed through the analysis of a range of modern samples
from dung heaps, stable floors and outdoor corrals from sites characterised by
different animal densities and frequency of use. A reference dataset of spore
concentration per unit of volume and weight is provided as an aid to the
interpretation of ancient contexts. The results show the importance of surface
disturbance due to animal trampling as a likely driving factor for spore abundance, as
well as the variability of coprophilous assemblages and dominant taxa. Light was
shed on the informative potential of newly identified microfossils strongly associated
with herbivore dung and of spores of hay-inhabiting thermophilic fungi. The method
was tested on a stratified deposit from an abandoned rock shelter used as a stable for
several decades, and the results compared to the abundance of faecal spherulites and
total phosphorus. A clear match between these proxies was shown, as well as the
relevance of the study to detect in the archaeological record short-term episodes of
abandonment, leading to fungal growth and sporulation
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Integrated microscopy approaches in archaeobotany: proceedings of the 2016 and 2017 workshops, University of Reading, UK
Archaeobotany is the study of archaeological plant remains, which include macroremains, such as seeds and wood charcoal, and a range of associated microfossils, such as phytoliths, pollen, spores and starch grains. These papers showcase a range of microscopy approaches that can be applied to examine and interpret botanical and organic assemblages in the archaeological record, and to address a range of topical research themes and current debates in archaeology, such as environmental management, human responses to environmental change and sustainable life-ways spanning a broad geographical and chronological time periods. Soil micromorphology is a technique that enables the formation and post-depositional processes of archaeological deposits to be understood by reconstructing sediment histories. It allows archaeobotanical remains to be examined within their depositional context to provide a micro-contextual interpretation of the evidence, and to understand different types of archaeobotanical remains in a range of preservation conditions. As with many other proxies, formation processes and taphonomy are key issues in the study of any type of plant remains, and this is reflected in several contributions of this volume.Funding, administrative and technical support has been provided by the School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science for the successful development of the IMAA workshops, and we thank the Association for Environmental Archaeology, Beta Analytic and Quaternary Scientific (QUEST) for their sponsorship. The 2017 workshop also received funding from the University of Reading's Endowment Fund. Rowena Banerjea's research was carried out within the framework of The Ecology of Crusading project, which received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/ 2007–2013) under grant agreement No. 263735. Catherine Barnett's research was funded by the Calleva Foundation as part of the wider Silchester Environs project. The work of Marta Portillo was carried out within the framework of the EU Horizon 2020 MICROARCHEODUNG project. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. H2020-MSCA-IF-2015-702529.Peer reviewe
A multi-proxy experimental and archaeological case study from Neolithic harvesting tools from the lakeshore village of La Marmotta, Italy
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Feeding the crusades: archaeobotany, animal husbandry and livestock alimentation on the Baltic frontier
The integrated results of micromorphology, plant macrofossil, pollen, phytolith, and non-pollen palynomorph analyses represent an important study of two thirteenth-century Teutonic Order castles at Karksi (Livonia), and ElblÄ…g (Prussia). The research examines deposits that formed during the period of active crusading. At Karksi, the investigation of a midden and of the organic-rich sediment beneath allows the diachronic use of this area to be understood. Freshwater aquatic indicators are consistent with the occurrence of shallow stagnant water, as also suggested by a waterlaid pond sediment identified in thin-section. Coprophilous spore taxa suggest the use of the pond as a watering hole. Plant macrofossils from the midden represent a range of habitats, mostly from wet/damp areas, as well as pastures and meadows, and also woodlands. Fragments of millet are embedded within herbivore dung in thin-section showing the use of this grain as fodder. At ElblÄ…g, parasite ova may derive from animal feces as they also occur in the dung observed in thin-section, and a range of coprophilous fungal spore taxa were extracted. The results reveal information about the range of livestock that the Teutonic Knights kept, whereabouts within the castles the animals were stabled, and what fodder was used
An interdisciplinary approach to the study of kiln firing: a case study from the Campus Galli open-air museum (southern Germany)
Pottery kilns are a common feature in the archaeological record of different periods. However, these pyrotechnological installations are still seldom the target of interdisciplinary investigations. To fill this gap in our knowledge, an updraft kiln firing experiment was run at the Campus Galli open-air museum (southern Germany) by a team consisting of experimental archaeologists, material scientists, geoarchaeologists, and palaeobotanists. The entire process from the preparation of the raw materials to the firing and opening of the kiln was carefully recorded with a particular focus on the study of the raw materials used for pottery making, as well as on fuel usage. The temperatures were monitored by thermocouples placed at different positions in the combustion and firing chambers. In addition, thermocouples were installed within the kiln wall to measure the temperature distribution inside the structure itself. Unfired raw materials as well as controlled and experimentally thermally altered ceramic samples were then characterised with an integrated analysis including ceramic petrography, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF). Our work provides data about mineralogical and microstructural developments in both pottery kiln structures and the ceramics produced in this type of installations. This is helpful to discuss the limits and potential of various scientific analyses commonly used in ancient ceramic pyrotechnological studies. Overall, our work contributes to a better understanding of updraft kiln technology and offers guidelines on how to address the study of this type of pyrotechnological installations using interdisciplinary research strategies
Multiproxy study of 7500-year-old wooden sickles from the Lakeshore Village of La Marmotta, Italy
[EN] The lakeshore site of La Marmotta is one of the most important Early Neolithic sites of Mediterranean Europe. The site is famous for the exceptional preservation of organic materials, including numerous
wooden artefacts related to navigation, agriculture, textile production, and basketry. This article presents interdisciplinary research on three of the most complete and well‑preserved sickles
recovered from the site, yet unpublished. All the components of the tools are analysed: the stone inserts, the wooden haft and the adhesive substances used to fix the stones inside the haft. Our
innovative methodology combines use‑wear and microtexture analysis of stone tools through confocal microscopy, taxonomical and technological analysis of wood, gas chromatography–mass
spectrometry analysis of the adhesive substances, and pollen, non‑pollen palynomorphs, and phytolith analysis of the remains incorporated within the adhesive. This multiproxy approach provides
a significant insight into the life of these tools, from their production to their use and abandonment, providing evidence of the species of harvested plants and the conditions of the field during the
harvesting
Sequential analyses of bovid tooth enamel and dentine collagen (delta O-18, delta C-13, delta N-15): new insights into animal husbandry between the Late Neolithic and the Early Bronze Age at Tana del Barletta (Ligurian Prealps)
Multiproxy study of 7500-year-old wooden sickles from the Lakeshore Village of La Marmotta, Italy
Ceramic traditions and technological choices revealed by early Iron Age vessels: the case of Vetulonia (southern Tuscany)
ABSTRACTEarly Iron Age pottery from central Italian regions has so far largely been studied with a particular emphasis on typological and stylistical features. However, an analytical approach to ancient ceramic technology can reveal a wealth of data on the know-how of early Iron Age central Italian craftspeople and their production choices. With this aim we conducted archaeometric analyses of forty vessels from one of the main protohistoric cemeteries of Vetulonia, coupled with geological surveys of the territory around the settlement and the collection of raw materials. The occurrence of a ceramic fabric marked by fragments of metasedimentary rocks, as opposed to a fabric tempered with flint fragments, indicates the existence of separate traditions, characterised by distinct processes and the addition of specific tempers, probably reflecting different technological practices. The significance of our findings is briefly discussed within the historical and social scenario of early Iron Age Vetulonia, at the dawn of urbanisation
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Late Würm and Early-Middle Holocene environmental change and human activities in the Northern Apennines, Italy
An enhanced radiocarbon-dated pollen-stratigraphical record from Rovegno (Liguria, 812m asl), northern Apennines (Italy), has provided a history of vegetation succession from before 17,056-16,621 cal yrs BP to the present day. The record indicates the transition from open Pinus woodland to Artemisia dominated grassland, and finally Juniperus shrubland during the late Würm. This is succeeded by Betula and Pinus woodland, and the expansion of thermophilous taxa, namely Abies, Corylus and Quercus during the Late Würm Lateglacial Interstadial. The ‘Younger Dryas’ is possibly represented by an increase
in Betula and Artemisia. During the early Holocene, mixed coniferous-deciduous woodland is dominant with Quercus, as well as Abies, Fagus and Corylus. Fagus woodland becomes established sometime before 6488-6318 cal yrs BP, but never becomes a major component of the woodland cover. Throughout the middle Holocene, Abies woodland fl uctuates, with marked declines between 6488-6318 cal yrs BP and 5287-4835 cal yrs BP, although the cause remains uncertain. Finally, the paper evaluates the application of non-pollen palynomorphs, especially coprophilous fungal spores, at Prato Spilla ‘A’ (Emilia Romagna) and concludes that greater caution must be used when interpreting middle Holocene human activity based
upon pollen data alon