Olea europaea L. in the North Mediterranean basin during the Pleniglacial and the Early–Middle Holocene

17 páginas, 5 figuras, 2 tablas.The paper aims to define the natural distribution of Olea europaea L. var sylvestris (Miller) Lehr. in the North Mediterranean basin during the Pleniglacial and the Early-Middle Holocene by means of the identification of its wood-charcoal and/or wood at prehistoric sites For this purpose we have reviewed the previously available information and we have combined it with new wood-charcoal analyses data We have taken under consideration the presence and frequency of 0 europaea L in the available wood-charcoal sequences, the characteristics of the accompanying flora, the associated chrono-cultural contexts, the broader biogeographical context and the AMS dates provided by Olea wood-charcoal or endocarps. According to the available evidence, during the Middle and Late Pleniglacial (ca 59-11.5 ka cal BP), Olea would have persisted in thermophilous refugia located in the southern areas of the North Mediterranean basin, the southern Levant and the north of Africa. The Last Glacial Maximum (ca 2218 ka cal. BP) probably reduced the distribution area of Olea. During the Preboreal and the Boreal (ca 11500-8800 cal BP) the species started to expand in the thermomediterranean bioclimatic level In the western Mediterranean, during the Atlantic period (ca 8800-5600 cal. BP), the species became very abundant or dominant in the thermophilous plant formations and expanded to favorable enclaves outside the limits of the thermomediterranean level.This study has been supported by the national projects ‘‘Late Middle Palaeolithic and Upper Palaeolithic in the central region of the Iberian Peninsula’’ (Ref. FFI2008-01200/FISO) and ‘‘PALAEOFLORA OF IBERIA II: Ecological Change as Anthropological Contingency’’ (Ref. CGL2009-06988). We are grateful to all the wood-charcoal analysis specialists who have identified and published Olea wood-charcoals from archaeological sites. We are also thankful to the directors of excavations from which we report unpublished material for allowing us to study the wood-charcoal remains at those sites. Special thanks are addressed to Isabel Figueiral for her useful comments on the manuscript and for providing unpublished data. The authors are especially thankful to M. Stiner and J. Pigati for their kind permission to cite unpublished dating data from Klissoura Cave 1. Finally, we thank the two anonymous reviewers for their comments on an earlier version of the manuscript.Peer reviewe

The impact of environmental change on Palaeolithic and Mesolithic plant use and the transition to agriculture at Franchthi Cave, Greece

The multi-period (~38,000–6000 cal BP) site of Franchthi Cave, located in the Argolid peninsula of southern mainland Greece, is unique in the Eastern Mediterranean for preserving a long archaeological sequence extending from the Upper Palaeolithic through to the end of the Neolithic period. In this paper, we present new anthracological (carbonized fuel wood waste) evidence from Franchthi Cave with which we reconstruct the changing ecology of woodland vegetation in its environs during the late Pleistocene and the early-mid Holocene. The integrated archaeobotanical record (charred wood and non-wood macro-remains) demonstrates that in the Lateglacial the now-submerged coastal shelf of the southern Argolid peninsula was covered by steppe grassland vegetation dominated by junipers, almonds, cereals and legumes. The rapid climatic amelioration that marked the start of the Holocene brought about the disappearance of juniper and the expansion of deciduous woodland, cereals and lentils. This woodland-grassland biome bears no analogues in the modern and historical vegetation ecology of the Aegean basin. Instead, it is directly comparable to the steppe woodland biomes exploited by late Pleistocene and early Holocene hunter-gatherers in Southwest Asia, and points to the convergent evolution of late Pleistocene and early Holocene plant exploitation strategies between the two regions. Continuous sea-level rise during the early Holocene led to the gradual extinction of this unique palaeohabitat, which acted as the catalyst for the selective introduction of domesticated cereal crops at Franchthi Cave in the early 9th millennium cal BP. Our meta-analysis of the non-wood archaeobotanical data puts into question the concept of the wholesale introduction of a crop “package” by pioneer settler groups arriving from the East. It is proposed instead that selective cereal crop introduction formed part of a complex pattern of sociocultural interactions that brought together indigenous and immigrant groups into new communities

Ηχοτοπίο και Σώμα κατά την Άνοιξη του 2020 στην Αθήνα: Η Σιωπή της Συνήθειας και ο Ήχος της Απουσίας

Θέμα της παρούσας πτυχιακής εργασίας αποτελεί: το ηχοτοπίο και το σώμα κατά την Άνοιξη του 2020 στην Αθήνα και οι αλλαγές που αυτά υπέστησαν λόγω του ξεσπάσματος της πανδημίας του covid-19 και του ολοκληρωτικού lockdown που επιβλήθηκε. Η εργασία είναι προϊόν της επιτόπιας εθνογραφικής έρευνας που διεξήγαγα της άνοιξη του 2020 στην Αθήνα, των δια ζώσης και online συνεντεύξεων που πήρα από ανθρώπους που βρίσκονταν στην Αθήνα εκείνο το διάστημα και του τρόπου που επεξεργάστηκα το υλικό μου από την πλευρά της σχετικής βιβλιογραφίας πάνω στις έννοιες του ηχοτοπίου και του σώματος. Τα βασικά σημεία διερεύνησης είναι η σχέση ήχου και αστικού χώρου, οι τρόποι μεταβολής του ηχοτοπίου της Αθήνας, η σχέση των ανθρώπων με τον ήχο και η ανάγκη για ενασχόληση με τη μουσική την περίοδο εκείνη και τέλος η σχέση ήχου-τόπου-σώματος. Το υλικό που προέκυψε από τις συνεντεύξεις και την επιτόπια παρατήρηση το επεξεργάστηκα με βάση θεωρητικά κείμενα των πεδίων του Ηχοτοπίου, των Σπουδών Ήχου, των Επιτελεστικών Σπουδών, της Εθνομουσικολογίας, της Ανθρωπολογίας και της Ιστορίας. Τα βασικά σημεία που αναδείχθηκαν στην εργασία ήταν τα εξής: Η διατάραξη της κανονικότητας του ηχοτοπίου της πόλης αφαίρεσε στοιχεία από την αστική ταυτότητα. Οι υποκειμενικές εμπειρίες των ανθρώπων σε σχέση με τον ήχο ανέδειξαν νέες ηχητικές ποιότητες που γεννήθηκαν λόγω της συνθήκης του lockdown. Οι δραστηριότητες που σχετίστηκαν με τη μουσική αναταράχτηκαν και η περίοδος του πρώτου lockdown αποτέλεσε δημιουργική παρένθεση. Τέλος ο ήχος αναδείχθηκε ως προέκταση του σώματος και το σώμα αποτέλεσε τον τόπο για τη δημιουργία νέων ήχων.The topic of my final thesis is: the soundscape of Athens during the spring of 2020, the relation of the soundscape to the body, and the changes that happened to both of them because of the burst of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown. This thesis is a product of the ethnographic field research I did during the first lockdown in Athens, of the online and live interviews I conducted with residents of Athens, and of the theoretical research on the topics of soundscape and body. The basic points of the research are: the relation between sound and urban space, the ways the soundscape of Athens changed, the relation between people and sound and their musical practices during that period, and the relation between body-sound-space. The theoretical discussion was based on the scientific fields of Soundscape, Urban Soundscape, Performance Studies, Ethnomusicology and History. Some of the final conclusions are: the disturbance of the usual urban soundscape affected the urban identity. The people talked about new sound qualities and experiences because of the lockdown. The musical activities were affected and transformed that period. Finally sound, body and space appeared to be connected in a spectral relation to each other, while as one of them was changing, the others were also affected and transformed

Short-term effects of manual therapy plus capacitive and resistive electric transfer therapy in individuals with chronic non-specific low back pain : a randomized clinical trial study

Background and Objectives: Chronic non-specific low back pain (CNSLBP) is defined as back pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks. Capacitive and resistive electric transfer (TECAR) therapy utilizes radiant energy to generate endogenous heat and is widely used for the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of manual therapy (MT) program combined with TECAR therapy in individuals with CNSLBP. Materials and Methods: Sixty adults with CNSLBP were randomly divided equally into three groups. The first group followed an MT protocol in the lumbar region (MT group), the second group followed the same MT protocol combined with TECAR therapy (MT + TECAR group) using a conventional capacitive electrode as well as a special resistive electrode bracelet, and the third group (control group) received no treatment. Both intervention programs included six treatments over two weeks. Pain in the last 24 h with the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), functional ability with the Roland–Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), pressure pain threshold (PPT) in the lumbar region with pressure algometry, and mobility of the lumbo-pelvic region through fingertip-to-floor distance (FFD) test were evaluated before and after the intervention period with a one-month follow-up. Analysis of variance with repeated measures was applied. Results: In the NPRS score, both intervention groups showed statistically significant differences compared to the control group both during the second week and the one-month follow-up (p 0.05). Conclusions: The application of an MT protocol with TECAR therapy appeared more effective than conventional MT as well as compared to the control group in reducing pain and disability and improving PPT in individuals with CNSLBP. No further improvement was noted in the mobility of the lumbo-pelvic region by adding TECAR to the MT intervention

Evolution and environment of the eastern linear pottery culture: A case study in the site of Polgár-Piócási-Dűlő

A salvage excavation preceding a major investment project was conducted in 2006–2007, during which associated settlement features of a Middle Neolithic, Eastern Linear Pottery Culture (Alföld Linearbandkeramik – ALBK) were uncovered in an area called Piócási-dűlő on the eastern outskirts of Polgár. The features of the ALBK settlement date from two periods. The cluster of multi-functional pits yielding a rich assortment of finds, the handful of post-holes and an unusual ritual well found in the southern part of the investigated area formed one unit from the earliest phase of the Middle Neolithic (ALBK I). The settlement’s other occupation can be assigned to the late phase of the Middle Neolithic (ALBK IV). Five houseplans representing the remains of timber-framed buildings outlined a distinct area with three multi-functional pits. Associated with the above features were 8 burials. The preliminary archaeobotanical results from Polgár–Piócási-dűlő are based on the plant material found within the sediments of 11 archaeological structures, which mainly represent pits and a welI. It can be stated that the natural environment offered habitats in which oak trees dominated in the local vegetation, forming floodplain forests and wooded steppes. They also provided food in the form of fruits and formed an optimal habitat for domestic animals. Arable fields were probably also established in the vicinity of the settlements, suggested by findings of macroscopic plant remains that represented cultivated species. In both settlement phases lithic production activities are manifested both by the local on-site lithic production and – most importantly – by the presence of imported, mainly mesolocal, raw materials that point to contacts with deposit areas, or off-site preliminary working of obsidian and limnoquartzites. The kit of harvesting tools and a large number of grinding stones – especially in the younger phase – for the preparation of plant food suggest a major role of plant cultivation

Neolithic woodland management and land-use in south-eastern Europe: The anthracological evidence from Northern Greece and Bulgaria

© 2017 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA Wood charcoal (anthracological) remains accumulated in archaeological deposits provide a valuable tool for reconstruction of past local vegetation and its use. They can offer evidence complementary to pollen analysis or be the main source on past vegetation change in areas where no pollen preservation is available. The current study assembles the anthracological evidence from 18 Neolithic sites situated in the zone spanning between the Lower Danube plain and the Aegean coast. This evidence is presented within the broader archaeological and paleoecological context of the region and in cal. years BC and/or BP. The data is interpreted in terms of land-use related to woodland management and exploitation of woodland resources during three chronological phases which could be distinguished within the Neolithic of south-eastern Europe: a) 6500-5800 cal. BC, b) 5800-5500 cal. BC, and c) 5500-4900 cal BC). The main vegetation type targeted by the Neolithic population were the thermophilous, mixed deciduous oak communities, which contained a rich and diverse undergrowth of light-demanding and fruit/nut bearing trees, shrubs and herbs. Those plant communities were the major source of fuel wood, forest pasture, fodder, gathered fruits, etc. The analyses indicate stability and sustainability of the firewood procurement and woodland management practices for the whole considered period and further suggest that the Neolithic land-use strategies favoured the rich and often fruit-bearing undergrowth of the oak forests and woodland.status: publishe

More than meets the eye: new archaeobotanical evidence on Bronze Age viticulture and wine making in the Peloponnese, Greece

International audienc

From wood to wood charcoal: an experimental approach to combustion. Du bois aux charbons de bois : approche expérimentale de la combustion

International audienceThe anthracological deposit as it appears in archaeological contexts is the result of successive taphonomic agents intervening at many stages from the gathering of wood, to combustion and post-depositional processes. These taphonomic agents constitute successive filters between the past vegetation and the charcoal studied. Therefore, the interpretation of charcoal remains should take into account the potential deformation between the anthracological spectra and initially burned wood. This paper presents the methodological issues and the first results of an experimental cycle whose aim was to study one of these taphonomic agents: the combustion process. Does combustion involve differential preservation of burned wood species? Does charcoal quantification reflect the real proportion of burned species? Is it necessary to define a correctional index for anthracological data? In order to answer these questions, 110 experiments were carried out under standardized laboratory conditions and more than 295,000 charcoals were studied. Such factors as wood density or temperatures are often considered to play an active role in the fragmentation process of charcoal during combustion. As expected, the results indicate a differential behaviour of species, but one which proved to be independent of the expected factors, tending to show that the parameters that interact in the combustion process are of different nature. These factors increase the difficulty of defining a correctional index. Nevertheless, it seems that the quantification of charcoal reflects in a satisfactory manner the initial proportion of each of the burned species.Quel que soit notre objet d’étude, l’environnement végétal sensu stricto, les pratiques anthropiques liées à l’usage du feu, ou les interactions entre l’homme et son environnement, la prise en compte des agents taphonomiques de distorsion des assemblages anthracologiques constitue une étape essentielle de la recherche. Ces processus que nous appelons filtres ou agents sont de plusieurs natures : les pratiques anthropiques de la collecte et la gestion du foyer lui-même, la combustion, les processus dépositionnels et post-dépositionnels, enfin, le filtre de l’archéologue et de l’anthracologue qui, selon le mode opératoire d’échantillonnage et de quantification induit une distorsion de l’assemblage tel qu’il apparait lors de sa découverte. Dans cet article, nous nous intéressons en détail à l’incidence de l’un de ces processus sur la représentation finale des essences mises au feu : la combustion. Les résultats présentés ici proviennent de 110 combustions expérimentales standardisées, réalisées en conditions de laboratoire et l’étude quantitative de 295000 charbons de bois. Nous avons ainsi pu montrer (i) que le taux de résidus n’est pas dans une simple relation de proportionnalité avec la quantité de bois mis au feu, même moyennant des conditions de combustion standardisées ; (ii) qu’il existe un comportement au feu stationnel (intra- spécifique) aléatoire ; (iii) qu’il existe une variabilité spécifique qui discrimine trois groupes de taxons. Cette variabilité spécifique ne s’explique par aucune des variables testées (humidité, densité, proximité taxinomique, températures, durée de la combustion). Le travail expérimental met ainsi en exergue la difficulté à trouver une adéquation entre des variables, dont l’incidence semble a priori évidente, et le taux de charbons de bois résiduels

Woodworking technology during the Early Neolithic: first results of the site of La Marmotta (Italy)

The archaeological site La Marmota (Italy) is unique for its excellent preservation and recovery of wood remains. The exceptional preservation of organic material at the site allowed the recovery of five canoes and numerous objects related to navigation, agricultural and hunting activities, instruments used for the processing of raw materials and construction posts, remains of ropes and textile elements, as well as numerous macro-remains (charcoals and seeds of numerous crops and wild plant species). This poster summarizes the results of the study of harvesting tools (sickles). The morphology and the size of the wooden sickles, as well as the anatomical characteristics, provide an excellent image of the selection of tree taxa. Deciduous Quercus sp. is the most important taxa according to the number of sickle individuals identified. However, other species were also used. Woodworking implies a deep knowledge of the natural environment and the characteristics of the wood. The sets of wooden objects found in La Marmotta site reflect the meaning of this raw material for Neolithic societies. Undoubtedly, it is the reflection of a high technological society.Peer reviewe