Search

Projectile implements are one of the most frequent transformed lithic blanks within the Upper Paleolithic assemblages. Since the first taxonomic studies, their morphological variability has been used as primary fossil director to define specific regional trends and diachronic phases. However, an exhaustive analysis of manufacturing methods and techniques applied to shape this gear category is extremely rare. In fact, during the Late Epigravettian, except for a certain typological variability, the lack of detailed studies resulted in an apparent homogeneity in armatures production. In this paper, a technological and traceological approach applied to reconstruct the whole chaîne opératoire of armatures manufacture in three Northern Italian sites dated between 17,000 and 12,000 cal BP demonstrates important variations in how projectile implements are fashioned, concerning shape, production methods and retouch techniques. Moreover, a large-scale comparison suggests how renewals in projectile implements production in North-Eastern Italy may result from long-distance connections between human groups over the western Late Epigravettian territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the framework of the NWO project "What went into the melting pot? Land-use, agriculture, and craft production as indicators for the contributions of Greek migrants and local inhabitants to the so-called Greek colonization in Italy (ca. 850–550 BC)", science-based methods are employed to analyze and compare the organization of subsistence strategies in the Greek motherland and in the indigenous and colonial milieus of Italy (Crielaard et al. 2020). As a part of the subproject 'Flora & Fauna', which focuses on farming practices, subsistence strategies and surplus production, Iron Age material from the settlement of Krania in the Pieria region of Greece was analyzed. The site was excavated in 2001 and revealed occupation phases from the 3rd millennium BC to the Hellenistic period. The amount of ceramics recovered demonstrates the importance of trade with the rest of Greece, in particular Corinth, providing evidence for long-standing contacts and networks. Two pit structures contained a high concentration of material, notably charcoal and ceramics dating to the 9th-8th centuries BC. This material constitutes an interesting case study in itself but also as a regional comparandum with other Greek assemblages. This paper discusses how anthracological analysis can contribute to our understanding of human-environment interactions, anthropogenic practices and environmental management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of palynological and geoarchaeological investigation carried out on the Greek-Roman site of Pantanello – ancient Metapontum – in the Metaponto Plain (southern Italy). This area, archaeologically investigated since the '70s, is an example of the long-term interaction between human communities and the environment. A total of 29 pollen samples and 43 bulk samples for sedimentological and mineralogical analyses were collected from three 2-m-deep trenches excavated in the vicinity of the archaeological complex of Pantanello and the alluvial plain of the Basento River. Our multidisciplinary investigation permitted to elucidate the main natural and human-controlled sedimentary processes that took place in the last two millennia. Large part of sedimentation occurred in fluvial environments and led to the accumulation of fine and organic matter-rich deposits. This happened in alluvial to swampy environments at the margin of the Basento River plain. Since the Greek occupation of the area, human communities contributed to the sedimentation with different degree of intensity. In fact, human agency (herding and cultivation) tuned the intensity of soil erosion and slope processes, thus activating the colluvial mobilization of coarse sediments into the sedimentary sequence. Pollen analyses allowed exhaustive landscape reconstructions of the site, giving specific details on the land use and its transformations during the Greek and Roman phases. The increased human exploitation of the area altered the intensity of surface processes (erosion and sedimentation) and the evolution of plant cover promoted by natural dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, first lower molars identified as Microtus arvalis from nine archaeological and palaeontological sites of the Italian Peninsula were analysed from a morphometric point of view, focusing on the development of the anterior part of the tooth. We used the data obtained to reveal possible patterns of evolution during the Late Pleistocene, as well as similarities and differences among the Italian samples and between Italian and European populations from the same timeframe. Factors such as the relative isolation provided by the Italian Peninsula, its milder climatic setting, intra-specific population dynamics, and the south-north displacement of Italian groups are taken into account to explain the environmental and historic causes of the peculiarities displayed by Italian samples of Microtus arvalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of faunal communities of the past, and how they have changed to become what they are now, is fundamental to the understanding of the changes in ecosystems that we are witnessing and that are coming in the future. In this paper, we present the small mammal assemblage from Grotta del Sambuco (Massa Marittima, Grosseto), belonging to two archaeologic stratigraphic Units, 5 and 6, both dated to Marine Isotope Stage 2. The assemblage from Unit 6 can be defined as "non-analogue", due to the occurrence of the Narrow-headed Vole Lasiopodomys anglicus and the Southern Birch Mouse Sicista subtilis. Non-analogue communities (i.e., with no equivalent in present time) are frequent during Late Pleistocene in the Italian Peninsula. Starting with Grotta del Sambuco, we describe some of the different factors leading to the origins and disappearance of past non-analogue small mammal assemblages in Italy. Climatic changes and the consequent shifts in geographic distributions of the species play a major role in shaping these communities, eventually leading to extirpation and extinction of cold- or continental-adapted species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paleolithic period in central Italy is currently undergoing an extensive revision due to a significant chronological re-examination of many archaeological sites. Recently, several lower Palaeolithic sites 20 km NW of Rome previously dated within MIS 9 (335–300 ka) (i.e. La Polledrara di Cecanibbio, Torre in Pietra, Castel di Guido, Malagrotta and four sites along Via Aurelia) have been geochronologically reassessed between 412 and 325 ka. These sites, in which abundant fauna, artifacts and hominin remains have been found, are remarkably well preserved. A combination of geological factors and the peculiar geodynamic conditions of this region, where tectonics, volcanism and glacio-eustatic forcing worked in concert, allowed for the exceptional conservation of the remains In this paper we provide a review of these sites and analyze their depositional contexts, showing that rapid filling of the fluvial incisions during glacial terminations, combined with sudden emplacement of volcanic deposits, caused the sealing of the archaeological materials accumulated at the bottom of the paleo-valleys. The aim of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of these sites as well as to provide the archaeological implications of their new chronology and depositional contexts. Results allow to reconsider the hominin presence in central Italy and highlight the importance to integrate archaeological investigations with modern geological studies, combining sedimentological, geochronological, geomorphological and chronostratigraphical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of the attribution of approximately 1700 artifacts, from Italian, Central European and South American sites to the geological obsidian sources. The provenance was determined using the non-destructive X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) analytical method, based on the secondary X-ray intensity proposed by Crisci et al. (1994) and optimized by De Francesco et al. (2008). In the first phase of the research, to test the non-destructive XRF method, the analysis on entire obsidian fragments (similar to archaeological waste) was initially carried out on 60 samples representative of all the geological outcrops in the Mediterranean region. The secondary X-ray intensities obtained by non-destructive XRF on whole pieces were compared with the results using the XRF method on powders, carried out on the same samples (major elements, and selected trace elements, such as Nb, Y, Zr, Rb and Sr) as exhaustively described in De Francesco et al. (2008). These five trace elements were sufficient to characterize (by both methods) the different places of obsidian origin, because they are particularly indicative of the genetic processes that produced obsidian. The provenance of the obsidian artifacts was determined by comparing the X-rays intensity ratios of the selected elements with those obtained on the entire fragments of the obsidian sources in the Mediterranean. The purpose of this paper is to show the results obtained in almost two decades of the application of the non-destructive XRF method. About 1700 archaeological obsidian fragments, from numerous Italian, Corsican, central European (Romanian) and South American (Central-western Argentina and Central Chile) archaeological sites, have been analyzed by non-destructive XRF, and assigned to obsidian sources. The provenance of 97% of the obsidian artifacts was successfully determined. The results demonstrate that the non-destructive XRF method - thanks to its sensitivity, low cost, and high speed - is an extremely valuable tool for the attribution of the provenance of archaeological obsidian in the areas under consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary study of the necropolis of Salve (Lecce-south Puglia-Italy), in which tumuli were used as funerary monuments from the mid-4th to the mid-3rd millennia BC. Both cremation and burial rituals are attested. The discovery of anthracological finds among the remains of cremations in the necropolis of Salve offered an opportunity to study the role of plants in the funerary rituals of the Eneolithic communities of Puglia. The anthracological analysis sought to reconstruct the phases of the cremation ritual not directly visible at the site, such as the ignition of the pyre and the collection and transport of the burnt remains.The identified wood species are typical of the local Mediterranean vegetation, and consist mostly of evergreen oak (Quercus type ilex), deciduous oak (Quercus type deciduous) and olive (Olea europaea). Given the high energy density of these species, it is possible that they were used to sustain the prolonged fire of the pyre. Other wood species include green shrubs (Rhamnus/Phillyrea) and plum (Prunus sp.), perhaps used to start the fire.Differences between the mounds are visible in the selection of the fuel and are partly reflected in the building technique and the arrangement of the bodies inside the funerary structures. The results of the anthracological analysis offer new insights into prehistoric funerary rituals and provide a new perspective on the funerary customs of the Eneolithic communities of Puglia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present the evidence for, and to discuss the aspects of the striking similarities that have been identified between backed bladelets recovered in two geographically distant assemblages, one found in Southern Italy (Paglicci, layer 24 horizon A1) and the other in Eastern Europe (Mira, layer II horizon 2). Both assemblages are dated to around 29–28,000 BP and are taxonomically defined as Early Upper Palaeolithic. Detailed comparison of technical and morphological data is impossible because the Eastern European site does not contain an assemblage that lends itself to statistical analysis. The backed bladelets of type PA24A1, found in Paglicci, layer 24 horizon A1-0, and Mira, layer II horizon 2, have no direct analogies in chronologically close Aurignacian and Gravettian sites, in either Southern or Eastern Europe. Taking into account the similar chronological position of the sites, separated by a distance of ca. 2,500 km, it is concluded that the significant similarity of the backed bladelets is most likely explained not by the convergence of development or by trade, but by the direct migration of a group of modern humans who manufactured such specific microliths. The Paglicci (24A 1) and Mira (II/2) industries generally belong to the Early Upper Palaeolithic, being placed chronologically at the transition between the EUP and MUP, being located morphologically and technologically between the Aurignacian and Gravettian. Despite the scarcity of data, the distinctiveness of the backed implements indicates that the sites belong to the same episode of sociocultural development. The issue of the cultural affiliation of the industry with PA24A1 type bladelets remains unanswered, and the search for analogies, either in Eastern or Southern Europe, needs to be continued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What happened at the transition between late Pleistocene and early Holocene in Italy and the Western Balkans remains up to now an unresolved question. While in recent years, research has been conducted in several regions, it is still difficult to propose a synthetic model for the changes that occurred in material cultures during this period. Multiple causes may explain this, but the apparent diversity of scenarios illustrated by each region seems to be the most explanatory. Terms such as terminal or final Epigravettian, Epipaleolithic, Romanelian and Sauveterrian, used in certain contexts, do not have a generally accepted definition. Some of these terms have been criticized and, at least, their definition should be reevaluated in accordance with modern methodological norms. Nevertheless, they indicate an actual diversity of regional and chronological expressions that we should describe precisely and integrate into a comprehensive model for the changes that occurred in this critical phase of the Late Upper Paleolithic. On a global scale, it has been argued that in contrast to what has been described in Western Europe for example, no discontinuity between the end of the Epigravettian and the first Mesolithic is evident. To better understand this period and its dynamics, it is necessary to initiate a hierarchical analysis of the elements of unit and variability across time and among the different regions. In order do to so, it is necessary to engage (1) a critical review of the available data and (2) a comparative technological analysis of different assemblages. This paper is a first step in this direction. We focus especially on the current study of two assemblages from Italy and the Western Balkans: grotta della Continenza (Central Italy) and Medena Stijena (Montenegro). We also include published data from the recent study of the sequence of grotta del Cavallo (Southern Italy). To sum up, we discuss the chronological and geographical variability in Italy and the Western Balkans based on a regional synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geological sequences of numerous Lower and Middle Palaeolithic sites of central and southern Italy, found in fluvio-lacustrine contexts and rich both in archaeological and palaeontological remains, have recorded various volcanic events all along the Middle Pleistocene timescale. These sedimentary sequences made of detritic and volcanic materials are suitable to compare independent numerical geochronological methods and thus develop a multi-method approach relying especially ESR method applied to optically bleached fluvial quartz and the 40Ar/39Ar on single grain isotopic method applied to potassium feldspars. In this present paper, geochronological data obtained using these two methods were used on several Middle Pleistocene Italian sites including volcanic and fluvial but also archaeological levels: Isoletta and Lademagne in Lazio and Notarchirico in Basilicata. In this contribution, ESR age estimates were performed using a multi-centre approach from Al, Ti–Li and Ti–H centres. We demonstrate for these sites that ESR-based framework is overall consistent with the 40Ar/39Ar chronology that over the 700 and 350 ka time window. This comparison validates the multi-centre approach proposed and demonstrates that the use of Ti–H for samples with equivalent doses higher than 280–300 Gy leads to systematic age underestimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roccia San Sebastiano is a tectonic-karstic cave located at the foot of the southern slope of Mt. Massico, in the territory of Mondragone (Caserta) in Campania (southern Italy). Systematic excavation has been carried out since 2001, leading to the partial exploration of an important Pleistocene deposit, extraordinarily rich in lithic and faunal remains. The aim of this paper is to (1) present the stratigraphic sequence of Roccia San Sebastiano, and (2) technologically describe the lithic materials of squares F14 t18, t19, t20; E16 t16, t17, t18 recently recognised as Uluzzian. The stratigraphic sequence is more than 3 m thick and dates from the Middle to the Upper Palaeolithic. It contains different techno-complexes: Gravettian, Aurignacian, Uluzzian and Mousterian. In the Uluzzian lithic assemblage mostly local pebbles of chert were used in order to produce small-sized objects. The concept of debitage mainly deals with unidirectional debitage with absent or fairly accurate management of the convexities and angles; the striking platforms are usually natural or made by one stroke. It is attested the use of both direct freehand percussion and bipolar technique on anvil in the same reduction sequence. Amongst the retouched tools the presence of two lunates is of note. This study of the Roccia San Sebastiano Uluzzian lithic complexes is significant for understanding the dynamics of the transition from Middle to Upper Palaeolithic in the Tyrrhenian margin of southern Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The arrival of Modern Humans (MHs) in Europe between 50 ka and 39 ka coincides with significant changes in human behaviour, notably regarding the production of tools, the exploitation of resources and the systematic use of ornaments and colouring substances. The emergence of the so-called modern behaviour is usually associated with MHs, although claims of symbolic thinking in non-MH groups have been advanced in past decades. In this paper, we present a synthesis of the Italian evidence concerning bone tool manufacturing and the use of ornaments and pigments in the time span encompassing the replacement of Neandertals by MHs. Current data show that Mousterian bone tools were mostly obtained from bone fragments used "as is". Conversely an organized production of "finely shaped" bone tools is characteristic of the Uluzzian and the Protoaurignacian, and the complexity inherent in the manufacturing processes suggests that bone artefacts are not to be considered expedient. Some traces of symbolic activities are associated with Neandertals in northern Italy. Ornaments (mostly tusk shells) and pigments used for decorative purposes are well recorded during the Uluzzian. Their features and distribution suggest an intriguing cultural homogeneity within this technocomplex. The Protoaurignacian is characterized by a wider range of archaeological evidence, consisting of personal ornaments (mostly pierced gastropods), pigments and engraved items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Middle Bronze Age site of Gorgo del Ciliegio is located in the Afra valley (Upper Tiber basin) in the proximity of strategic trans-Apennine passes connecting the Tyrrhenian regions of Central Italy to the Po plain and the Umbrian-Marches territories. At Gorgo del Ciliegio a Middle Bronze Age small settlement composed of a single house and various kinds of ancillary features was discovered. Through a multi-disciplinary approach it was possible to gather a large amount of information about settlement dynamics implemented by people living at Gorgo del Ciliegio and about the ways in which this community interacted with and took advantage of the surrounding environment/landscape, while adapting the site's economy to natural features. This paper focuses on the evidence provided by material culture, environment and landscape considered as interrelating indicators of social identity and economic strategies. In order to contextualize these issues, broad space was given to the spatial organization and the architectural features as key factors of socio-economic complexity. The authors conclude that Gorgo del Ciliegio was a farm settlement being probably part of a more extensive settlement system, composed of several farms dispersed along the Afra valley. This specific context proved to be particularly suitable for interweaving relations and exchanges with the Adriatic regions, and thus promoting (and being promoted by) the development of an economy mainly based on mobile pastoralism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The southwestern periphery of Naples is dominated by the Posillipo promontory, an elongated tuffaceous ridge belonging to Campi Flegrei active volcanic complex (CF). The central caldera of CF is well-known for offering a rich geoarchaeological record of the vertical ground movements occurred since Roman times, as the case of the Portus Julius ruins (37 BC) presently found between 10 and 5 m bsl and the Middle Ages Lithophaga perforations at about 7 m asl on the marble columns of the mecellum previously interpreted as Serapaeum (Morhange et al., 2006). In the last one hundred years, several unrest episodes have been precisely reconstructed in the same area (Del Gaudio et al., 2010; De Martino et al., 2014), but never before, vertical ground movements have been presumed along the Posillipo hill, positioned over the caldera rim. This paper deals with a research aimed to evaluate the vertical movements at Posillipo area during the last two millennia, by means of geomorphological and geophysical surveys in three submerged archaeological sites: Nisida Roman port, Marechiaro Roman port and ruins offshore Villa Rosebery. By precisely measuring the present submersion of all remains found in those sites, two relative paleo-sea levels have been detected: one for the 1st century BC at −4.4/-5 ±0.5 m and another for the 1st century AD at −3 ±0.5 m. Only seventeen centimetres of the difference between the two paleo-sea levels is attributable to eustasy (Lambeck et al., 2011), while the rest (2 ± 0.5 m) has to be ascribed to a phase of accelerated subsidence which has still to be precisely dated and whose duration could have been as short as few years or decades. The additional subsidence suffered by the area after the 1st century AD was calculated to be 2.0 ± 0.5 m. Even though the ground deformations reconstructed in the Posillipo area appear less strong than those recognized inside the CF caldera, they prove that vertical movements of volcanic origin were not always confined inside the caldera rim. In terms of human adaptation, the observed archaeological evidence narrates that Palazzo degli Spiriti was restored closing the rooms submerged by sea, the breakwater of Marechiaro and the villa foundations at Rosebery were probably raised, in response to the relative sea level rise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The aim of this paper is to address the issue of the Transition in Italy proposing some thoughts about the possible links between economy, trade and animals. Connections that could be in some way explained by using zooarchaeological finds as a narrative source. More properly this is a sort of notes for research agenda, arisen from an heterogeneous national panorama, represented by more than seven hundred and sixty thousand fragments, recovered in nearly four hundred different archaeological contexts, analysed in Italy since the seventies until today. To this national sample have been applied analysis according to different kind of data, trying to assess two main orders of information: 1) the diachronic changes of the proportional incidence of the main livestock taxa (Cattle, Caprine and Pig); 2) the frequencies of the sites, within specific temporal ranges, where some particular taxa and ecological groups were found (like salt-water fish, exotic animals, wild species in urban layers). The results obtained with this quantitative methodological approach, allow to propose some working hypothesis concerning breeding, fishing, hunting, growing and decline of trade, alimentary practice, diseases, play and some other anthropic behaviour. After forty years of archaeozoological research in Italy, it seems that there are several evidences that display a transformation in human-animals interactions between the end of antiquity and the beginning of Middle Ages. According to the data collected up to now, Early Middle Ages seems as a long period marked by an economic system enclosed between two economic set-ups: the Late Antiquity and the low/late medieval. These two ages, as animals remains reveal, show instead some deep similarities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In 2005, the National Geological Survey of Italy released the new sheet, 557 Cagliari (1:50.000 scale). A coastal barrier marine formation at Is Arenas (Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy), containing Strombus bubonius, was reassigned a Holocene age, in contradiction with extensive literature published over the past century indicating an MIS 5.5 age. In 2007, spurred by this controversy, a short note was published in Il Quaternario demonstrating the stratigraphic difficulties in attributing the age of this formation to the Holocene. Later, another paper signed by numerous Italian geologists was published in Il Quaternario criticizing the Holocene attribution. The tectonic consequences of assigning a Holocene age to these deposits are of great significance, as their elevation could only be explained by strong uplift over the past few thousand years. Such a tectonic setting would imply a radical change in the recent geodynamic history of Sardinia, which is considered to be among the most stable areas of the Mediterranean basin. This paper provides further geochronological data for a MIS 5 age for the deposits at Is Arenas. Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) analyses were performed on 4 fossil shells sampled along the fossil baymouth bar. The results established an MIS 5 age. The amino acid racemization (AAR) and U-series data that first determined a correlation with the last interglacial, Tyrrhenian age of this ancient shoreline is reviewed, with additional documentation provided by the fossil marker S. bubonius. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents the preliminary results of the analysis of charcoal remains from the Neolithic cinnabar mine of Spaccasasso. Cinnabar is a mineral that was used as a pigment by different cultures worldwide since the Neolithic period. Firesetting was one of the most common mining techniques used for breaking rock to extract ores and minerals from prehistoric times up to the invention of explosives. Anatomical identification of the fuelwood used for mining provides important information about ancient mining techniques. The results show a preference for the use of Erica as a fuelwood, associated with evergreen and deciduous oaks. These data are coherent with the pollen records from nearby sites on the Thyrrenian coast that show the dominance of a mixed deciduous and evergreen oak forest with elements of maquis shrubland. These results are preliminarily discussed considering the heat values and the physiological state of the most common Mediterranean fuelwoods. They suggest a fuelwood selection based on the empiric knowledge of which woody plants serve as the best fuel for firesetting by Late Neolithic Populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the techno-functional study of a tool with a smooth end, typologically classifiable as spatula, made from a red deer metatarsal recovered at the early Mesolithic rock-shelter Galgenbühel/Dos de la Forca. The site is located in the middle Adige Valley at Salurn/Salorno (South Tyrol – Northern Italy) and was dwelled by Sauveterrian hunter-gatherer-fisher-communities from the mid-9th to the mid-8th millennium cal. BC. Subsistence was based on the exploitation of wetland and valley bottom resources including an intense and at times specialized fishing activity. The identification of a probable harpoon fragment among the few but well preserved bone and antler artefacts detected at the site could in fact be part of fishing equipment. The main goal of this study was to recognize the specific use of the tool with a smooth end by means of use-wear analysis. It is quite difficult, indeed, to establish a specific function for this kind of tools as their morphological characters make them suitable for various tasks. A dedicated experimental program was developed to this scope, which involved manufacture and use of spatula replicas for different activities: fish scaling, beading fish heads, working tanned skin, net making, sewing reeds and working birch bark. The implementation of the experimental activity was also aimed at testing tool functionality in the course of the various tasks. The comparison between archaeological and experimental use-wear seems to indicate that the bone tool from Galgenbühel was used as a needle for working vegetal material. On the other hand our experiments revealed a high functionality of this kind of tool also in beading fish heads, working tanned hide and bending birch bark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of an ongoing research aimed at reconstructing Early Mesolithic settlement strategies and mobility patterns at high altitudes of Alpine area focusing on the interactions and possible mutual influence between human behavior and the geomorphological and environmental context. Due to the high-altitude environment, research had to face the effects of post-depositional processes on anthropogenic remains. Investigations have been carried out on a terrace in the Ackstall locality, south of the Staller Sattel/Passo Stalle (Italian–Austrian border, Central Eastern Alps), covered by coniferous vegetation since the Preboreal. The terrace, central with respect to the available resources and in a strategic position within a reconstructed route system conjoining different sites and adjacent hunting territories, yielded several lithic findspots. One of these, the excavated open-air site STS 4A lying at 2125 m a.s.l., revealed human site frequentation dating at least between 7370 and 6590 cal. BC. Human occupation was established on a forested soil, subsequently buried, indicated as “paleo-podzol”. Stratigraphy, micromorphology and artifact distribution, this latter showing a ring-shaped pattern, suggest the preparation of the living space by manipulating the existing soil cover. Anthropogenic remains indicate on-site activities as wood carving, exploitation of rock crystal and chert for tool manufacture and the probable consumption of plants originating from lower altitudes. Several features, some of which connected with fire use, have been identified. Fuel was collected in the form of dead wood in the open larch and stone pine forests surrounding the site. The comparison of multiscale data allowed to get insights on the living space of a Mesolithic hunter–gatherer camp. Integrating detailed data from the excavation of a single site with the wider territorial context investigated by surveys allowed to draw a multi-facetted picture of Early Mesolithic lifeways and highlighted the potential of research on the “ephemeral” high altitude sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The territory extending between the Venetian Alps and the Emilian Apennines is formed by a mosaic of environments which span from high mountains to hilly and plain areas. These present rather varied features from one extreme (Alpine watershed) to the other (Emilian Apennines watershed). In the early Holocene, the plain area included between the two mountain chains – the Venetian-Po plain – was extended some tens km to the south with respect to the present day coast. This vast territory has been the object of research since the 1970s and 1980s. Field activities have allowed identifying a rich set of sites that occupy different topographic and geographic locations, thus composing an articulated mosaic characterised by a much wider variability with respect to the well-known case of the Adige basin, located at the western limit of the examined area, which is exclusively included within a mountain territory. In this paper, we analyse for the first time the rich record from this area in its whole with the aim of investigating the territorial organisation of hunter–gatherer groups on a wide scale. This research has allowed us to set hypotheses on the mobility and occupation strategies of human groups and on the key-aspects that may have favoured the extensive and intensive occupation of this area. Besides the supposed presence of a biomass compatible with the demographic increase that has characterised this period, we also suggest that the “pragmatic” Sauveterrian technological systems played an important role in the adaptation of early Mesolithic hunter–gatherers to the varied ecosystems offered by this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports results of a technological study carried out on the lithic assemblages of the Mesolithic sequence of Romagnano rock shelter, in the south-eastern Alps, which represents the reference site for the Sauveterrian and Castelnovian of northeastern Italy. Considering the technical differences between the two phases, this work has tried to ascertain aspects of continuity and discontinuity within this series in the aim of investigating the way this transition occurred – abrupt or progressive. The objectives of débitage and the techniques applied, along with the reductions sequences and the methods involved, have been reconstructed. In order to interpret these data, a comparison with other main Castelnovian assemblages of the Italian peninsula has been carried out. Results attained indicate that the major changes occurred at the transition between I and II Mesolithic are closely related to the introduction of new knapping techniques – indirect percussion/pressure. The persistence of some characters derived from the more ancient pragmatic Sauveterrian tradition has also been highlighted. The existence of a real progressive transition seems difficult to be proved considering that Romagnano, as other continuous series available from other rock shelters of the peninsula, could have undergone problems of stratigraphic disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Oscurusciuto rock shelter, located in the ravine of Ginosa (Taranto), is one of the key sites for the study of Neanderthal groups in Southern Italy. The rich stratigraphic sequence of the site, which is ascribable entirely to the Middle Palaeolithic, is rich in anthropic remains and combustion structures, attesting occupation by Neanderthals during MIS 3. This paper is focused on the study of Stratigraphic Unit (SU) 13, made up of a compact sandy sediment mixed with pyroclastic sediment derived from the underlying tephra level (SU 14). The latter has been identified as Monte Epomeo green tuff (dated Ar/Ar 55 ± 2 ka). The first stable human occupation of the shelter after tephra deposition is represented by unit 13. Our aim here is that of separating the Stratigraphic Unit into its main components so as to obtain a high temporal resolution on the activities which took place in this SU, and to reconstruct the individual events which formed the palimpsest. In order to fulfil these objectives, a multidisciplinary approach was needed through which data could be integrated from the microstratigraphy of the hearths; from the technological study of the lithic industries; from the individuation of the Raw Material Units (RMUs); from refitting and co-joining and from spatial analysis (GIS science/tool). The integration of these analytical methods reveals that SU 13 of the Oscurusciuto rock shelter was the product of a series of events ascribable to a short time span. This layer was formed by sediment aggradation and cementation (e.g., brecciation) processes. Human activities contributed to the sediment build up with the introduction of wood ash, lithic raw materials and bones. The results show the importance of using integrated research methods in order to identify short anthropic events within a palimpsest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late Mousterian lithic technology remains poorly known in Italy. The traditional typological approach still permeates the literature, and most technological analyses focus on the “transition” to the Upper Palaeolithic. In this paper, we provide new data about the behavior of the last Neandertals who inhabited Tyrrhenian western Italy. Lithic assemblages from two well-known sites – Riparo Mochi (Grimaldi caves, Balzi Rossi area, Liguria) and Grotta Breuil (Monte Circeo, Lazio) – have been technologically and functionally analyzed. The results are discussed and compared to other data such as fauna, chronology, and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. The data reveals a highly dynamic world where behavioral changes were rapid in time and characterized by strong differences in territorial exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The coasts of Italy still preserve several remnants of coastal quarries built in antiquity, that now provide insights into the intervening sea-level changes occurred during the last millennia. In this paper, we show and discuss a new class of sea level indicator consisting of millstones carved along the rocky coast of southern Italy since 2500 BP, that are currently submerged. They were extracted from beachrocks, sandstones or similar sedimentary rocks, easier for carving by ancient carving tools. Our study focuses on 10 coastal sites located at Capo d'Orlando, Avola, and Letojanni, in Sicily; Soverato, Tropea, and Capo dell'Armi, in Calabria; Castellabate, Palinuro, and Scario, in Campania; and Polignano San Vito, in Apulia. Unfortunately, only limited archaeological information is available for these anthropic structures. Scario, one of these millstone quarries discussed here, has been dated through independent archaeological remains, allowing us to restrict the exploitation age to the end of XVII century. Present day elevations of these coastal sites were obtained through geo-archaeological surveys calibrated using the nearest tidal stations, together with geomorphological and tectonic interpretations. Data were compared against the latest sea level predictions based on glacio-hydro-isostatic models. Our results allow proposal of the age-range of these millstone quarries and to estimate the intervening relative sea level changes since the time when they were carved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper focuses on the reconstruction of Holocene climatic and environmental changes in two archaeological sites of southwestern and north-central Calabria (southern Italy). It is based on a comparison of geoarchaeological, pedological and pedoanthracological data from soil profiles in the coastal hilly and inland mountainous surroundings of Palmi and Cecita Lake, respectively. At the Palmi site, the representative soil profile includes settlements and artefacts ranging from late Neolithic to late early Bronze Age and undifferentiated historical epochs. The archaeological record of soils at Cecita spans from late Neolithic/early Eneolithic to Roman ages. At both sites, surface A horizons are affected by repeated plough marks. All soils display some Andisol-like features, related to some volcanic input during soil formation originating from late Pleistocene to Holocene explosive eruptions of the Aeolian Islands. The occurrence of clay coatings, their relict nature and overall dominant phyllosilicate clay minerals in the Neolithic soil horizons of both sites, suggest warm climate conditions with high moisture availability and some seasonal contrast, during the late early-middle Holocene climatic optimum. The post-Neolithic soils show comparable or more abundant amounts of short-range order minerals than phyllosilicates, and no to scarce clay coatings. These features indicate a transition towards (probably cooler) prolonged humid conditions, intercalated by one or more drought episodes. Severe land degradation is recorded between these major climatic phases, indicated by human impact (deforestation and agriculture) and soil erosion. Soil charcoal analysis from Cecita soils provide evidence of these anthropogenic environmental changes, as indicated by the dominance of deciduous oak forest in Neolithic soils, followed by a transition to a mountain pine forest recorded in the Roman soils. A deciduous oak forest characterizes the vegetation at Palmi from the Neolithic onward. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Paganica normal fault, that caused the April 9, 2009, L''Aquila earthquake (Central Apennines), is part of the Paganica-San Demetrio fault system (PSDFS). All available data useful to constrain the Quaternary activity of the PSDFS were reviewed, with the aim to point out its role in the landscape evolution of the L''Aquila region and particularly of the Middle Aterno Valley basin. Uplifted remnants of a low relief landscape (Summit Paleosurface, SP) constrain to about 800 m the total offset of the PSDFS since the late Lower Pleistocene. Also, a sedimentary cycle ended at the beginning of Middle Pleistocene is now displaced about 550 m along the PSDFS, whereas alluvial deposits containing tephra layers (560–360 ka) have been displaced more than 150 m by the Paganica fault segment. The long term slip rate values based on this evidence (ranging between 0.4 and 0.9 mm/y), together with the short term slip rate values based on displacements along Late Pleistocene geomorphic features and deposits, have shown that the PSDFS i) has played a primary role in the landscape evolution of the area, despite its minor geomorphic appearance, ii) is linked at depth with other important listric faults located in the PSDFS footwall (Assergi and Campo Imperatore faults) that in this paper are interpreted as secondary faults. This result has relevant seismotectonic implications for the Middle Aterno Valley basin. The PSDFS is the main seismic source of the basin and controls also the seismic potential of other linked structures, including the Assergi and Campo Imperatore faults. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Calabria is one of the most complex geological regions of the Mediterranean basin, which experienced large earthquakes and uplift and is still undergoing active tectonics. Along its coasts are located archaeological sites that can be used as powerful indicators of the relative vertical movements between land and sea since their construction. This paper presents and discusses data on the relative sea-level change as estimated from maritime archaeological indicators of the last ∼2.0 ka BP existing along the Tyrrhenian coast of Briatico. These sites still show the remnants of a Roman age fish tank and a submerged breakwater about 320 m long. The palaeo sea level has been obtained measuring the functional elevation of the significant archaeological markers. Their elevation was compared against the latest predicted sea level curve for the Holocene along the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria. As this coastal area is affected by significant and continuous vertical tectonic uplift during Pleistocene, the data show the counterbalance between coastal uplift and relative sea level change caused by the glacio-hydro-isostasy, acting since the construction of these archaeological sites. The sum of these movements determined an about null relative sea level change for this location. These data are in contrast with other part of the tectonically stable areas of the Mediterranean and provide evidence that crustal uplift continued in the last 1806 ± 50 y at a rate of 0.65 mm/y. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This work concerns the Late Quaternary evolution of the Astico Valley, with a focus on the relations between the glacial complexes hosted in the terminal valley tract and the piedmont fans. Three distinct glacial events are considered in this paper. Remote sensing, field survey, stratigraphic measurements and reconstructions, sand petrography, radiocarbon dating and pollen analyses allowed attribution of the last one to the LGM, a previous one probably to MIS 6 and the oldest to a generic glaciation of the Middle Pleistocene. Sand petrography analyses show that all these glacial deposits contain rock fragments that reached the Astico Valley through a transfluence of the Adige glacier. During LGM, this glacial stream entered the Astico Valley from the north through the Carbonare saddle (1075 m a.s.l.), as probably happened in previous major glaciations. The chronostratigraphy of two cores drilled near the towns of Vicenza and Villaverla shows that the outwash stream changed its route to the piedmont plain at the end of LGM, as a response to rapid glacial collapse. This switch led to the deactivation of the northwestern sector of the plain (Thiene fan) in favour of the southeastern one (Sandrigo fan). The lower and middle Astico Valley preserved significant evidence of even minor glacial fluctuations during the LGM in response to subtle climatic changes, namely an early glacial withdrawal at 23–24 cal ka, which may be difficult to distinguish in major Alpine glaciers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Field investigations at Castel di Guido revealed a Middle Pleistocene open-air site containing macrofaunal remains associated with Acheulean industry. The large majority of the remains lay at the bottom of a depressed area, which probably evolved into a low energy freshwater basin after the deposition of the assemblage. To quantify the importance of the natural processes compared to the anthropogenic ones in the formation of the site, a full taphonomic analysis of the macromammal assemblage was carried out. A geoarchaelogical study, together with a taphonomic analysis of the lithic and bone implements, is ongoing. This paper discusses the results of the study of elephant bones. The taphonomic analysis has documented traces of different modifying agents on the specimens, indicating the important role of syn- and post-depositional factors in the accumulation and modification of bones. Nevertheless, evidence of utilization of carcasses for subsistence and for tool production was detected. The study provides new data for the exploitation of elephants by hominins during the Lower Palaeolithic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Although the Pleistocene human dispersal is one of the most intriguing issues of paleoanthropology, large sectors along possible migratory pathways are ill-defined or poorly documented. This paper examines the geological, geomorphological, climatic and environmental conditions that could have determined hominin transit from their motherland in the East Africa Rift Valley toward the circummediterranean regions or Arabian Peninsula. For their choice between these two alternatives, the Danakil Depression (Afar Rift) immediately north of the Ethiopian Rift Valley was a strategic area. They could reach the Mediterranean Sea through a northern route along the Nile River valley, the trans-Sahara megalake or riverine belts, or else navigate an eastern route into the Arabian Peninsula after crossing the Bab el Mandeb Straits. It is assumed all of these pathways were possible during convenient geological, climatic and/or sea-level conditions. Hominins had three additional choices once they arrived at the Mediterranean Sea shores with Eurasia as their final destination. The Levant corridor was the easiest because walkable and almost always under favorable conditions. Two other possibilities were the Sicily Channel and the Strait of Gibraltar. These sea arms are located in two extremely active settings of the Mediterranean Sea and were at their embryonic stage during the Early Pleistocene. Because large-scale deformations of the sea floor were associated to prolonged sea-level lowstands, these two sea arms could have been passable. Similar considerations apply to the Bab el Mandeb Straits region. For the trans-Mediterranean and the trans-Red Sea routes of dispersal, the environmental conditions and the submarine and terrestrial topographical features that could have made sea transit possible even without land bridges are underscored. To track the dispersal relations between Northern Africa and Eurasia, three schematic maps are presented to show the distribution of the archeological and paleoanthropological sites currently regarded as reliably dated. They document three groups of dates: between 2.0 and 1.5 Ma, 1.4 and 0.7 Ma, and 0.6 and 0.1 Ma. Their distribution is matched with coeval paleoclimatic proxies such as marine oxygen isotope stages, aeolian dust in the Atlantic Ocean, and sapropels levels and dust fluxes in the Eastern Mediterranean. Dispersal was temporally arranged into cycles of four major exodus waves (2.0–1.6 Ma, 1.4–1.2 Ma, 1.0–0.8 Ma, and 0.6–0.1 Ma) controlled by climatic and environmental changes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents the results of the archaeozoological and taphonomic study on a sample of about 55,000 bone remains collected in the Gravettian occupation levels (Layer D) of Riparo Mochi (Balzi Rossi, Ventimiglia - Italy). Humans are the main agent responsible for the accumulation of the faunal remains as indicated by the presence of impact cones, butchering striae, burned bones and by the almost complete absence of carnivore traces. The faunal assemblage includes an association rich in artiodactyls and, to a lesser extent, lagomorphs, rodents, and carnivores adapted to different environments and climates. Hunting focused mainly on red deer and ibex, and the site was occupied mainly during winter-spring. The whole faunal sample was divided into "phases" in order to recognize possible paleontological, paleoecological, and palaeoeconomic variations which may have occurred in the area of the rock-shelter during the investigated period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents stable isotopic results (oxygen and carbon) from both modern and Late Pleistocene-Holocene shells of the land snail Eobania vermiculata (Müller, 1774) from Favignana Island (Sicily). It aims to contribute to the understanding of climate and vegetation history of this region during formation of Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Meso-Neolithic deposits of Grotta d’Oriente (ORT). Results from both an evaporative model (FBM) and an empirical regional isotopic model (i.e. linear relation between oxygen isotopic composition of shells (δ18Os) and those of local precipitation (δ18Op)) indicate that the δ18Os values of modern specimens are mainly controlled by local temperature, relative humidity and δ18Op at the time of snail activity. Data also suggest that the modern snails are nocturnally active almost all-year round in the study area. The carbon isotopic compositions of shells (δ13Cs) of the same specimens indicate a diet prevalently (or exclusively) composed of C3 vegetation. The δ18Os values of Late Pleistocene specimens suggest that climate conditions at ∼14.2 ka cal BP were similar to the present day, in agreement with additional δ18Os records from southern Italy. By contrast, early-middle Holocene shells are notably 18O-depleted and suggest wetter conditions, possibly combined with a decrease in isotopic composition of precipitation source, compared to the present day. When compared with regional palaeoclimatic records a large-scale isotopic response to millennial-scale changes in atmospheric and hydrological conditions (e.g. enhanced rainfall) in the central-eastern Mediterranean is observed during the early-middle Holocene. The δ13Cs of Late Pleistocene and Holocene specimens are consistently higher than those of modern ones. For the Late Pleistocene, this could be reasonably explained in terms of water-stressed vegetation. On the other hand, this seems to be less valid for Holocene counterparts when the climate was wetter. Probably δ13Cs values result from the combination of distinct competing factors, involving atmospheric CO2 concentration, seasonal water budget, vegetation type-cover and other carbon sources. Results reveal coherent relationships between regional δ18Os and δ13Cs, demonstrating that Late Pleistocene-Holocene land snail shell remains from archaeological sites may provide useful snapshots of past seasonal climate conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fault slip-rates are of decisive importance for seismic hazard assessment. However, sensitivity analysis in geological fault slip-rate seismic hazard maps demonstrates that the uncertainty in the attenuation relationships is much higher than the implied uncertainty in slip-rates, so that even if more accurate slip-rate estimation is achieved, it would have little impact on the final outcomes. This paper quantifies these outcomes using as a test site the area of the Southern Apennines and shows that this uncertainty that is inherent within the traditional intensity scales cannot be reduced. In the area of the southern Apennines, the uncertainty extracted from the expected intensity and the attenuation relationships can modify the final results and the estimated recurrence intervals by as low as 10–25% and as high as 1000%, out-pacing the 20% error of the fault slip-rates. Moreover, in such cases the hazard pattern follows an irregular spatial distribution and cannot be extrapolated uniformly to the entire map. On the other hand, the recent introduction of the Environmental Seismic Intensity scale (ESI) 2007, due to its quantitative nature, promises to offer higher objectivity in the process of assessing macroseismic intensities particularly in the epicentral area than do traditional intensity scales that are influenced by human parameters. The ESI 2007 scale follows the same criteria-environmental effects for all events and can compare not only events from different settings, but also contemporary and future earthquakes with historical events, offers higher spatial resolution and coverage and incorporates also site effects. As a result, a re-appraisal of historical and recent earthquakes so as to constrain the ESI 2007 scale may prove beneficial for the seismic hazard assessment by reducing the uncertainty implied in the attenuation laws and eventually in the seismic hazard maps. As more data from recent and historical events are gathered, the compilation of an ESI 2007 intensity attenuation relationship should be one of the future goals for seismic hazard assessment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper provides new data and interpretations on the relative sea level change occurred at Pianosa island (Italy) since the last ∼125ka, where the recent relative sea level changes have not yet been adequately constrained, based on geomorphological and archaeological research of tectonic movements. The MIS 5.5 deposits are characterized by a 2m thick sandstone, cropping out at a maximum altitude of 4m a.s.l. containing Strombus bubonius, and are associated with an abrasion platforms carved by lithodome holes. These deposits, considered one of the best long term sea level markers, establish that Pianosa was a stable area since 125ka. Archaeological remains provide evidence of sea level change for the last ∼8ka. Particularly useful are some fishtanks and a quarry cut around 2kaBP (Roman age). The measurements, compared with predicted sea level curves, have established that Pianosa has remained stable during the last millennia. Based on this assumption, palaeomorphology variations since Palaeolithic age for this portion of the Tuscan Archipelago are reconstructed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Palaeobotanical specimens in private or public historical collections include important fossils, and modern studies involving taxonomic revisions can renew the scientific value of forgotten records. In Italy, information on past floras can be also obtained through the re-examination of the published drawings and pictures, or survey of the original collections. This paper presents the taxonomic revision of the macrofossils in the palaeobotanical collection, originally from San Venanzio (Modena), collected by Francesco Coppi at the end of the 19th century. Fossils were taken from the Argille Azzurre formation (Lower Pliocene–Lower Pleistocene). Re-sampling was not carried out because the sampling point at present lies under the houses of a village, increasing the importance of the museological collection. Descriptions of 76 fossil leaves are reported. Sporomorphs were extracted from the clayey limestone where three macrofossils had fossilized. Though only scattered information on the past plant cover has been randomly preserved, the plant macro- and microfossils provide a contribution to the research on the Plio–Pleistocene flora of Northern Apennines, and add information which can be useful to improve knowledge on local palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. Animal and plant fossils were deposited in a coastal or delta area. Pollen flora mainly reflected the vegetation distributed in the highest belts, far from the site of deposition, while macrofossils prevalently reflected local vegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The state of the art of Pliocene to Pleistocene palaeobotanical and palynological research in Italy has been updated, thanks to a series of 10 papers. The major conclusions are summarized, and can be used for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions and stratigraphical inferences. This issue also illustrates the practical consequences of the recent IUGS ratification of the definition of the base of Quaternary, and the redefinition of the base of the Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Middle Pleistocene lithic assemblages of the Southern Po Plain are one of the most investigated Palaeolithic case-studies of the Italian peninsula. This paper focuses on the industries identified between the modern towns of Bologna and Imola which have yielded particularly abundant assemblages. The chronological attribution of these industries is based on the reconstruction of a lithostratigraphic sequence for the region. The aim here is to present a general framework of the different characteristics of the assemblages between Marine Isotopic Stages (MIS) 9 and 6. The results of previous studies are re-interpreted by application of a techno-economical approach aimed at recognising the technical objectives of the knappers and the reduction schemes employed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: For decades, the marine terraces in the Metaponto area have been the subject of discussions concerning their number, sedimentology, genesis and age. This paper contributes to landscape history reconstruction from a pedogenetic view. The marine terraces are generally covered by loamy sediments, which have been interpreted in previous works as lagoonal and/or alluvial sediments, deposited shortly after the emergence of the land surface above sea level. Pedogenetic investigation, including field observations (e.g. soil colour, intensity of weathering, precipitation of secondary carbonates) and Fed/Fet ratio, silt/clay ratio and carbonate content, reveals that the usual sedimentation history on the terraces includes a period of soil formation between the deposition of the marine and that of the alluvial sediments. Most likely, soil formation began after the relative sea level maximum within the same interglacial during which the marine terrace formed. Later, alluvial sediments accumulated during a time of periodic flooding, while soil development in the underlying marine sediments probably continued at reduced rates. One central question of this study is whether soil formation indicates progressive ages of the terraces. The complex landscape history involving several sedimentation and erosion phases makes the correlation of soil development stages with terrace ages difficult. Nevertheless, maximum Fed/Fet ratios and (Ca+Mg+K+Na)/Al ratios of the soils developed in the different sediments plotted vs. assumed terrace age indicate increasing soil development. The relationship between Fed/Fet ratios and terrace age can be best described by power (R 2 =0.89) or logarithmic functions (R 2 =0.72), both describing a strong increase in pedogenic iron in the first 100ka which slows down afterwards. (Ca+Mg+K+Na)/Al ratios follow a logarithmic decrease with time (R 2 =0.99), indicating progressive silicate weathering, associated with element release and leaching. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Astronomical calibration of the lower–middle Pleistocene Montalbano Jonico section located in the Lucania Basin (Southern Italy) is presented. Previous papers widely discussed the integrated stratigraphy (calcareous nannofossils, sapropel stratigraphy, benthic and planktonic oxygen stable isotopes) and the paleoenvironmental features of this section and its potential suitability for the selection of the Middle Pleistocene Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP). In this study, new planktonic δ18O data, additional biostratigraphical constraints and new tephrochronology on volcaniclastic layers occurring within the studied record are reported. The new chronostratigraphic framework provides a robust base for correlation of the oxygen isotope stratigraphy for the Montalbano Jonico section with the glacial and interglacial fluctuations of the Oceanic and Mediterranean δ18O reference deep-sea records. Specifically, the lower part of the Montalbano Jonico section (Interval A) provides correlation of the planktonic and benthic δ18O cycles to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 36 to MIS 23. Interval A includes a distinct peak of left-coiled neogloboquadrinids, the Globoratalia crassaformis influx, the First Occurrence of Gephyrocapsa omega, and the First Common Occurrence and Last Common Occurrence of Reticulofenestra asanoi. These stratigraphical constraints support the tuning of five sapropel layers included in this part of the section to insolation cycles i-112, i-104, i-102, i-90 and i-86. The upper part of the section (Interval B), which includes the temporary disappearance (td2) of G. omega and tephra layer V5, Ar/Ar age dated at 719.5±12.6ka, is consistent with identification of MIS 22 to MIS 16 in the planktonic δ18O pattern. The δ18O time series of the whole section was reconstructed using the midpoints of individual sapropels and their correlative precession minima, visual comparison of the δ18O pattern with the record available at the Mediterranean ODP Site 975, and, in the upper part of the section, the Ar/Ar age of tephra V5. The developed astronomical tuning revealed that the Montalbano Jonico section covers an interval from 1240ka to 645ka. A significant change in sedimentation rate occurs between Intervals A (0.53m/ky) and Interval B (0.91m/ky) at about 870ka and is consistent with a sea-level drop from a bathyal to a circalittoral environment. Bioevents recognised in the Montalbano Jonico section have been dated according to the astronomical calibration, and age assignments of tephra V1–V4 and V6–V9 are also proposed. The Montalbano Jonico section fills the gap between the top of the Vrica section and the base of the Ionian informal Middle Pleistocene stage, and represents a Mediterranean reference section for the Mid-Pleistocene transition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Soils can possess heritage characteristics and can be classified according to their “cultural value”. “Pedosites”, likewise “geosites”, are important for science and teaching, for tourism and recreation, provide elements in the Environmental Impact Analysis, and enhance the awareness of population towards the value of the land where they live. Pedosite richness and diversity are a resource of a territory that should be evaluated and considered in land planning. The methodology used to evaluate and group pedosites of Italy, and the software developed to collect such information and create a specific geodatabase, are presented in this paper as an example for use in other countries. An Italian geodatabase storing 726 pedosites was created. Soil profiles as cultural heritage were: (i) palaeosols, (ii) soils from archaeological and palaeontological sites, (iii) soils displaying natural or anthropic processes and benchmarks of classifications. Pedosites as soilscapes were: (i) cultural landscapes; (ii) soilscapes determining the amenity of a panorama; (iii) soilscapes in fragile environmental balance; (iv) soilscapes that contribute to the outliving of particular ecosystems. The criteria for the evaluation of pedosites and the suggestions for their protection were indicated as follows: (i) area and (ii) type of scientific interest, (iii) state of conservation, (iv) type and (v) intensity of risk, (vi) level of knowledge, (vii) geological age, (viii) protection and (ix) proposed protection, (x) accessibility, (xi) visibility, (xii) exposure, (xiii) observability. The geodatabase can be used at different scales. Two maps, at national and local levels, exemplify the methodology and show how to use the geodatabase for didactic purposes or the creation of integrated Geoparks. Pedosite indices of diversity highlight the greater pedosite variety in the soil regions of Mediterranean Italy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In temperate regions, eolian deposits of different natures are often pedogenically-altered and mixed with underlying sediments. The research reported in this paper identifies for the first time the presence of eolian deposits in soils of central Tuscany and investigates the characteristics and origin. Five relict, polycyclic paleosol profiles were studied. P1 was situated in a natural dust trap, a doline on top of an isolated limestone hill; P2 and P3 were both situated on a limestone plateau, and P4 and P5 on a mid- and foot slope on schist. The profiles were sampled for routine analyses, iron forms, heavy minerals, major and trace elements, and pollen, spores and non-pollen palynomorphs. Undisturbed samples were taken for micromorphological and SEM analyses. Nine soil horizons were sampled for OSL dating. Eolian deposits were dominant or abundant in the first layers of P1, P2 and P3. OSL age determinations of soil horizons deriving from eolian parent material were middle Holocene. Chemical and heavy mineral analyses indicated different possible sources, including bare slopes, alluvial fans and wide channels, coming from the nearby streams that drain the Middle Tuscany ridge and the Mounts of Chianti; marginal contribution of volcanic ashes was only found in P1. The research demonstrated that wind soil erosion accompanied water erosion and colluvial deposition during the middle Holocene in the Elsa River basin. Pollen spectra, in particular, indicated that soil degradation occurred in an environment showing signs of incipient desertification, resulting from an increase of aridity in a land already strongly influenced by humans. Although central Italy is currently considered to be only marginally affected by wind soil erosion, a climate change, which would imply increased arid conditions, could trigger a new cycle of slope denudation, wind erosion and loess deposition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We present here some criticism to the scientific content of the paper of Milia et al. [2007. The dark nature of Somma-Vesuvius volcano: evidence from the ∼3.5kaB.P. Avellino eruption. Quaternary International, 173–174, 57–66] published in Quaternary International. Milia et al. (2007) interpreted seismic lines in the Gulf of Naples (southern Italy), and inferred the presence of deposits from a large debris avalanche which occurred just before the Avellino eruption of Somma-Vesuvius volcano. The authors supported their seismic profile interpretation with on-land stratigraphies and logs. However, we present here different on-land data that demonstrate the inconsistency of the occurrence of any debris avalanche before or after the Avellino eruption, and we provide also an alternative interpretation for the observed seismic facies offshore of Somma-Vesuvius. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper deals with the chronology and the possible correlations among levels of different excavated areas in the Pleistocene vertebrate-bearing deposits at the large San Teodoro Cave (North-Eastern Sicily). Two trenches have been excavated along the eastern side of the cave, located at a distance from the entrance, respectively, of 8m (α trench) and 28m (β trench) and at different depths. Lithological features, biometrical data from small mammals and ecological data from molluscs point to similar environmental conditions for the α trench deposits and those located along the eastern wall of the cave in the eastern part of the β trench. The same evidence, and the taphonomic features of large mammals, points to different environmental conditions and perhaps to different ages for the deposits located in the western part of the β trench. The survival of elephants in Sicily up to 32,000 years ago is a new significant result of the 230Th/234U dating carried out from a concretionary stratum from the β trench and represents the youngest elephant survival in the western Mediterranean islands. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sediments of Last Glacial and Holocene age from two different locations in the basin of Lago di Pergusa have been palynologically and isotopically investigated. New data have been integrated with those available from previous researches carried out by the authors. This study indicates once more that Lago di Pergusa was and still is very sensitive to climate changes. In particular, during the Last Glacial, it played an important role in preserving the biodiversity as thermophilous and mesophilous taxa never completely disappeared. In particular, Zelkova pollen indicates that the distribution area of this tree (still living as a relic plant in south-eastern Sicily) was wider during the Last Glacial, where its last spread is found around 20,000 years BP. The δ18O record, mirroring the arboreal concentration trend, confirms the climate inferences based on vegetation features. Both the Late Glacial and the Postglacial reforestation periods show slower vegetation dynamics and forest development than expected, with trends mirroring the slow and sustained decline of δ18O record. The Younger Dryas oscillation is not pronounced in any of the lacustrine palaeoenvironmental proxies, its termination occurring around 11,100 cal. years BP. The opening of the woodland recorded by a slow trend ranging from the Neolithic (around 8000 cal. years BP) to the Eneolithic (few centuries before 4000 cal. years BP) seems to be a natural forest clearance and not due to human impact. Anomalies in pollen, microcharcoals and positive correlations between δ18O and AP curves are found after a climate change occurring at 4500 years BP, and interpreted as a signal of human impact. The new δ18O data presented in this paper throws new light to propose this hypothesis, confirming an early aridification trend detected from pollen, and a relatively late human impact inferred from fire dynamics in this central and montane region of Sicily. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As papers presented at recent meetings on rapid natural change held in Whitehorse, Canada, and Como, Italy have amply demonstrated, physical science is coming to an increasingly clear understanding of natural environmental changes, their causes, and their effects on the landscape. Progress similarly is being made in the social sciences on the determination of human responses to those natural events, both in historical and prehistorical times. It remains to be seen what practical lessons people in contemporary Western societies may draw from those research results. My proposal is that appropriate responses to drastic natural events may depend on prevalent cultural patterns in a society or human group. In the following I briefly discuss the notion of vulnerability to rapid natural changes, and some approaches proposed to deal with it. Next, I discuss a case of particular cultural responses to rapid natural change drawn from the historical ecology of the Yukon and Alaska. I close by noting some consequences of my analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper aims at substantiating the basic postulate of the recent Earthquake Environmental Effects (EEE) scale proposed by the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA), that primary and secondary environmental effects of earthquakes provide invaluable information on the earthquake size and intensity field, complementing but also independently testing the results of the traditional damage-based macroseismic scales. The EEE scale is applied to five disastrous earthquakes, which occurred in Southern Italy since the end of the XVII century. For each considered earthquake, the available macroseismic data have been reviewed and integrated through an updated interpretation of the original texts. The cataloguing and analysis of the seismically induced environmental effects has provided (a) a more detailed picture of the macroseismic fields, (b) the chance to test the scaling of the EEE scale with the MCS and MSK macroseismic scales, confirming its good fit with the MSK/MM, (c) I 0 estimates based on EEE scale in good agreement with I 0 assessments derived from MCS/MSK scales, (d) further constrains for the new version of the EEE scale, (e) useful data for seismic zonation. These results have confirmed once more the essential role of EEEs in the process of seismic hazard assessment and risk reduction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]