Origini e diffusione dell’agricoltura in Sardegna: studio dei resti vegetali della preistoria

The main goal of this work is fill in gaps in the existing knowledge on the origins and spread of agriculture in Sardinia through the analyses of archaeological plant remains. Plant use (both domesticated and wild) have allowed exploring the subsistence system of the first farming communities in the island. More specifically, the main goals are: • Identification of the first domesticated plants in Sardinia (cereals, legumes and others) and investigate the pathways and time of agricultural adoption. • Recognizing the wild component in the diet of the first Neolithic communities. • Exploration of agrarian practices (harvesting, crop processing, etc). • Determination the role of Vitis vinifera L., in the past human subsistence. • Develop a model for the adoption and spread of agriculture in the island. In order to accomplish these objectives, plant remains from different sites and periods have been studied. The material considered for this study is composed of seeds, fruits and other plant remains recovered from 12 archaeological sites. As far as recovery techniques, archaeological contexts was systematically sampled following standardized protocols. Soil samples were floated so charred material have been separated from the soil fraction. Once in the lab, plant remains have been examined under the stereomicroscope and identified mainly with the help of a reference collection. Atlas of seed identification as well of specialized bibliography also were used. In addition,morphocolorimetric analyses were performed through image analyses to establish parameters for identification. Data obtained through the scanning of prehistoric seeds were integrated in the BG-SAR database. The study of plant remains have offered the opportunity to explore agrarian practices and crop processing enabling, therefore, a deep insight into the way farming communities manage their crops and use plants for their subsistence going beyond the mere identification of plant species. This research made possible, therefore, to develop a model for the spread of plant cultivation in Sardinia hitherto unknown. The identification of wild plants have facilitated the study of the role of wild resources in human subsistence in Sardinia as a complement to the diet. Furthermore, the diachronic study on plant use have added time depth to the analyses of human use of plants. This work has 6 chapters. Chapter 1 exposes the state of the art on the origins and spread of agriculture in Italy. Chapter 2 presents an overview of the present state of research on prehistoric agriculture in Sardinia during the Neolithic. Chapter 3 presents the results of archaeobotanical analyzes from Chalcolithic period in Sardinia, the analysis have focused on the archaeological site of Canelles. Chapter 4 presents data on agriculture practiced in Sardinia during the Bronze Age, in particular, provides an overview on crop plants (cereals and pulses) during the the different periodizations of the Bronze Age in Sardinia. Chapter 5 presents data obtained from morphological comparisons of grape seeds found in the archaeological site of Sa Osa with the seeds of the modern cultivars and wild grapevine from Sardinia

Morpho-Colorimetric Characterization of the Sardinian Endemic Taxa of the Genus Anchusa L. by Seed Image Analysis

In this work, the seed morpho-colorimetric differentiation of the Sardinian endemic species of Anchusa (Boraginaceae) was evaluated. In Sardinia, the Anchusa genus includes the following seven taxa: A. capellii, A. crispa ssp. crispa, A. crispa ssp. maritima, A. formosa, A. littorea, A. montelinasana, and A. sardoa. Seed images were acquired using a flatbed scanner and analyzed using the free software package ImageJ. A total of 74 seed morpho-colorimetric features of 2692 seed lots of seven taxa of Anchusa belonging to 17 populations were extrapolated and used to build a database of seed size, shape, and color features. The data were statistically elaborated by the stepwise linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to compare and discriminate each accession and taxon. In addition, the seed morpho-colorimetric differences among coastal and mountainous taxa were evaluated. Considering the ecological conditions, the LDA was able to discriminate among the Anchusa taxa with a correct identification of 87.4% and 90.8% of specimens for mountainous and coastal plants, respectively. Moreover, the LDA of the 17 populations of Anchusa showed a low separation among species and populations within the coastal group, highlighting how the long-distance dispersal by flotation on the sea water surface and the pollination network may influence the similarity patterns observed. In addition, a misattribution was observed for A. crispa ssp. crispa, which was misclassified as A. crispa ssp. maritima in 14.1% of cases, while A. crispa ssp. maritima was misidentified as A. crispa ssp. crispa in 21.1% of cases, highlighting a close phenotypic relationship between these two taxa. The statistical results obtained through the seed image analysis showed that the morpho-colorimetric features of the seeds provide important information about the adaptation and evolution of Anchusa taxa in Sardinia

Predictive method for correct identification of archaeological charred grape seeds: Support for advances in knowledge of grape domestication process

The identification of archaeological charred grape seeds is a difficult task due to the alteration of the morphological seeds shape. In archaeobotanical studies, for the correct discrimination between Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris and Vitis vinifera subsp. vinifera grape seeds it is very important to understand the history and origin of the domesticated grapevine. In this work, different carbonisation experiments were carried out using a hearth to reproduce the same burning conditions that occurred in archaeological contexts. In addition, several carbonisation trials on modern wild and cultivated grape seeds were performed using a muffle furnace. For comparison with archaeological materials, modern grape seed samples were obtained using seven different temperatures of carbonisation ranging between 180 and 340°C for 120 min. Analysing the grape seed size and shape by computer vision techniques, and applying the stepwise linear discriminant analysis (LDA) method, discrimination of the wild from the cultivated charred grape seeds was possible. An overall correct classification of 93.3% was achieved. Applying the same statistical procedure to compare modern charred with archaeological grape seeds, found in Sardinia and dating back to the Early Bronze Age (2017-1751 2σ cal. BC), allowed 75.0% of the cases to be identified as wild grape. The proposed method proved to be a useful and effective procedure in identifying, with high accuracy, the charred grape seeds found in archaeological sites. Moreover, it may be considered valid support for advances in the knowledge and comprehension of viticulture adoption and the grape domestication process. The same methodology may also be successful when applied to other plant remains, and provide important information about the history of domesticated plant

Seed Morphology in the Vitaceae Based on Geometric Models

16 páginas, 8 figuras, 6 tablasMorphometric methods based on artificial vision algorithms provide measurements for magnitudes descriptive of seed images (i.e., the length, width, area, and surface circularity index). Nevertheless, their results frequently omit the resemblance of the images to geometric figures that may be used as models. A complementary method based on the comparison of seed images with geometric models is applied to seeds of Vitis spp. The J index gives the percentage of similarity between a seed image and the model. Seven new geometric models are described based on the heart-shaped and piriform curves. Seeds of different species, subspecies and cultivars of Vitis adjust to different models. Models 1 and 3, the heart curve and the water drop, adjust better to seeds of V. amurensis, V. labrusca and V. rupestris than to V. vinifera. Model 6, the Fibonacci’s pear, adjusts well to seeds of V. vinifera, in general, and better to V. vinifera ssp. vinifera than to V. vinifera ssp. sylvestris. Seed morphology in species of Cissus and Parthenocissus, two relatives of Vitis in the Vitaceae, is also analysed. Geometric models are a tool for the description and identification of species and lower taxonomic levels complementing the results of morphometric analysis.This research was funded by Universidad de Salamanca (Programa XIII para la financiación de grupos GIR)Peer reviewe

Molecular and morphological characterisation of the oldest Cucumis melo L. seeds found in the Western Mediterranean Basin

[EN] In 2008¿2009, a rescue excavation uncovered an intact Late Bronze Age well in Sa Osa, Sardinia (Italy). The structure yielded a large number of waterlogged plant remains, of which a group of melon seeds (Cucumis melo L.) were some of the most remarkable. These seeds represent the earliest recorded remains of this taxon in the Western Mediterranean and are some of the oldest ever recorded. The plant remains were preserved in anoxic conditions and were found in a perfect state of conservation, making them ideal candidates for morphometric and molecular characterisation. A total of 96 parameters, measured using an automatic image analysis system, were specifically designed to evaluate the morphological features of 15 preserved whole seeds. DNA extraction from archaeological samples followed a procedure specifically set up to avoid any kind of contamination. A 123-SNP genotyping platform that had been validated previously was used. The morphological and molecular data of the archaeological seeds were successfully compared with those of a set of 179 accessions, including landraces, of feral and wild melons from Europe, Africa, and Asia. Both analyses confirmed that these ancient seeds did not belong to a wild melon, but instead to a cultivated one. This primitive melon could have belonged to a group of ancestral non-sweet or semi-sweet forms of chate, flexuosus, or ameri varieties, showing similarities to North African and Central Asian accessions. This finding is coherent with the reportedly important role of cucumber-like melons in the species¿ diversification process and with the accepted role of the ameri group as the ancestors of the modern sweet varieties.Sabato, D.; Esteras Gómez, C.; Grillo, O.; Peña-Chocarro, L.; Leida, C.; Ucchesu, M.; Usai, A.... (2017). Molecular and morphological characterisation of the oldest Cucumis melo L. seeds found in the Western Mediterranean Basin. 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Grossa – Vaccil Vecchiu

L’opération mise en œuvre en 2015 sur le site de Vaccil Vecchiu, situé dans la vallée de Conca à Grossa, a concerné la fouille d’environ 35 m2 à la fois sur le secteur du site mégalithique et sur un secteur d’habitat potentiel identifié lors de l’opération 2014. Le relevé GPS différentiel ou RTK effectué au cours du printemps a permis d’agrandir la fenêtre topographique et d’implanter la base du carroyage du deuxième secteur (Guy André et André D’Anna, CNRS). Le secteur 1 : monument mégalithi..

Grossa – Vaccil Vecchiu

L’opération mise en œuvre en 2015 sur le site de Vaccil Vecchiu, situé dans la vallée de Conca à Grossa, a concerné la fouille d’environ 35 m2 à la fois sur le secteur du site mégalithique et sur un secteur d’habitat potentiel identifié lors de l’opération 2014. Le relevé GPS différentiel ou RTK effectué au cours du printemps a permis d’agrandir la fenêtre topographique et d’implanter la base du carroyage du deuxième secteur (Guy André et André D’Anna, CNRS). Le secteur 1 : monument mégalithi..