Search

While interest in land use in the prehistoric periods in Italy has received attention, that cannot be said of the Post-Medieval period. The general view is that all activities and objects from the last 300–500 years or so are so indecipherable from their contemporary counterparts and that there is no need to study them. There is, in fact, very little Post-Medieval archaeological work done in the south of Italy, which is the focus of this paper. The landscape of southern Calabria has changed radically over the centuries. The distribution of dense macchia forests was diminished in the late 18th and 19th centuries for building railroads and ships, and more recently, arson has been used as social or political revenge. The removal of the macchia led to erosional landscapes and the loss of archaeological footprints. This paper explores agricultural practices and forest exploitation in the early 19th and 20th centuries by the citizens of Bova to better understand the social and economic dynamics that continue to influence the lives of people living in the community. It utilizes cadastral records, archival documents from the early 1800–1900s, and spatial analysis to better understand the potential economic and social dynamics in this community. Consideration is also given to how social status and power, represented by Church-owned vs. lay citizen-owned properties, was reflected in local land use. The overall paucity of archaeological materials from this period across the landscape supports and complicates the overall picture while also supporting an interpretation of a very local and insular community poorly integrated into the greater Italian economy of the day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the complex relationship between material culture and gender studies from a methodological point of view, with the aim of contributing to discussions in the field of Classical archaeology. First, we provide a few historiographical benchmarks for key epistemological developments, while evidencing the methodological difficulties inherent in the variability of our interpretations of burial practices and data. Then, in a second section, a case study focuses on simple objects of daily life. Discussing approaches inspired by gender studies, and considering the place of loom weights, we wish to tackle the presumption of textile work as an eminently female activity. The aim of this paper is to suggest a more nuanced and fluid approach to gender in relation to material culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Il Capitale Culturale: Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage is the property of Il Capitale Culturale Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The WAS—Waterscape Archaeology in Sicily—project is dedicated to underwater cultural heritage mapping, knowledge and awareness of the cultural heritage, dissemination, and analysis of the submerged environment concerning the coast. The prototype investigation site presented here is Isola delle Femmine (PA, Italy). This paper highlights the archaeological discovery with a description of the main finds, across a multidisciplinary approach, carried out with low-cost technology, increasing sustainable diving, and underlining the relationship between submerged and open-air historical evidence. Our studies address the realization of new underwater archaeological itineraries connected to local history. This text provides a historical-archaeological introduction to understanding the context of the site and, with some geological notes, illustrates the phases of the research with a presentation of the main artifacts, with a focus on the methodology and the techniques of the surveys and the usefulness of underwater photogrammetry and 3D modeling with a particular focus on the tourism application in the diving centers. Our work has allowed for the creation of two new underwater archaeological itineraries of Sicily. The innovative aspects of our project are linked to a new holistic approach in the context of the scientific synergy between multiple disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an overview of the history of the research in deep water archaeology in Italy and the recent activities carried out by Fondazione Azionemare, in collaboration with the Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici of the Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Through a preliminary presentation of some shipwrecks dated to the Roman period, discovered by the Fondazione Azionemare and investigated, thanks also to photogrammetry, with the archaeologists of the Venetian university, this article analyses the characteristics and the potentialities of these contexts, which present an excellent level of conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the Etruscans, the dearth of knowledge about them, and the information that can be ascertained from the artifacts available. (CK)

Describes several archaeological sites and Roman art works in which to study ancient Roman history, including Lavinium, Paestum, Cosa, Praeneste, the Augustine temples, Sperlonga, the J. Paul Getty Museum, and the cemetery under St. Peter's. (CK)

Abstract: This paper studies the motivations that trigger tourists' choice of visiting one specific archaeological site among those that exist in the Vesuvius area in southern Italy where, alongside some “superstar” archaeological attractors (Pompeii and Herculaneum), some less renowned sites (Oplontis, Stabiae, and Boscoreale) also exist. Based on data collected through an original survey, this paper proposes an empirical analysis aimed at investigating the correlation that exists between motivations for the visit and the site chosen among those existing in the Vesuvius area. The results contribute to the expanding literature focusing on motivations of cultural and heritage tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper briefly introduces methodologies and practices of Virtual Archaeology applied to the pre-Roman funerary contexts of Numana (Ancona). Starting from the traditional approach and the concept of necropolis as a system, we will focus on the methodological issues and potentialities related to the use of digital models for the archaeological analysis of grave goods and their contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the nineteenth century, the Ottoman fashion of looking at archaeological relics, present in large quantities in the territories of the Empire, deeply changed. This paper examines the reports of three Ottoman travellers who visited European countries in the early Tanzimat period. They introduced a new conceptualization of antiquities that stemmed from the direct observation of ancient monuments and museums in Italian cities. My argument is that the experience of travelling in Italy was one of the factors that contributed to shaping the new perception of antiquities that was emerging among the Ottoman elite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teeth fusion is a developmental anomaly characterized by the union of two and, more rarely, three adjacent teeth. The fusion is caused by the physical pressure between two adjacent teeth during their development due to congenital, inherited, acquired or idiopathic factors. Nowadays, fused teeth occur with a frequency ratio between 0.1% and 1% in permanent dentition and 0.5% and 2.5% in primary dentition, and with an equal distribution between males and females. Fused teeth are a rare clinical finding, so there are not standardized clinical protocols and each case should be treated independently. This condition is rare in archaeological populations, likely due to taphonomic processes that cause the lack of information, as well as for the general low occurrence of the defect itself. In the European archaeological literature, there are no reports of two permanent fused teeth so far. Therefore, the present paper represents the first case study of two fused permanent incisors in the past Europe populations as this anomaly has been recognized in an adult man buried in the Longobard cemetery of Guidizzolo (VI–VII century A.D., northern Italy). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeology is a domain of work where photographs play a relevant role: here they are used in different phases of the archaeological work for many purposes, some of which are common to other domains or to home usage (e.g., archiving). We focus our attention on one of the initial phases of the archaeological process, namely excavation, since the related activities use photographs in a very particular way and under the constraints of a very demanding physical setting. Moreover, in this phase the use of digitized photographs is recent, and in their adoption they are interestingly combined with photographs printed on paper. This paper presents the results of a study performed at an archaeological site in the south of Italy: it reports the observed collocated collaborative practices surrounding photographs and discusses these practices to identify some functionalities of a supportive technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Virtual Archaeology Review is the property of Virtual Archaeology Review and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper tracks a world of instruments and global designs in a new era of archaeology, spearheaded by Froelich Rainey in his role as Director of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Post-WWII scientific development, industrial-military-academic partnerships, and American adventurism were all brought together through Rainey's archaeological expeditions. During the 1960s, Penn's field projects were strategically positioned across the globe, with many trialing a novel technique or different device: Rainey launched a prototype submarine off the Turkish coast, magnetometers and sonic devices across Italy, resistivity in Mexico, and infrared aerial cameras over the Mediterranean. Archaeological innovation was tied to, and developed directly out of, US nuclear ambition and the leveraging of 'peaceful' atomic research, and American Cold War collaborations that united science, exploration, and culture for mutual benefit. Here we underscore the connectivities between diverse actors and activities, nuclear science, tech companies, private foundations, and philanthropists, coupled with the military and intelligence community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-war politics of Italy had an impact on its archaeology and archaeological community. Some attempts at radicalisation were made via the journal Dialoghi di Archeologia, founded in 1967, with the aim of discussing problems and achieving changes within both academic and public archaeology. This paper traces the history of the journal and its legacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Thalassia Salentina is the property of Salento University Publishing, Dipartmento di Scienze e Tecnologic Biologiche e Ambientali and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Archeologia Postmedievale is the property of Edizioni all'Insegna del Giglio and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Archeologia Postmedievale is the property of Edizioni all'Insegna del Giglio and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Several conference papers regarding the excavated materials in Italy are presented. One of the conference papers explores the report of Gregory Warden on the five years of excavation at Poggio Colla in Mugello valley. Another paper discusses the report of Nancy de Grummond about the results of excavation at Cetamura del Chianti. Moreover, another paper examines the report of Anthony Tuck regarding the excavations at Poggio Civitate, Murlo.

There have been recent suggestions that an indigenous element in ancient Greek settlements in Sicily can be detected through funerary customs. This paper reviews the evidence for‘indigenous’ burial methods in Greek cemeteries, concentrating on multiple, contracted and acephalous burials. It argues that such evidence is limited and open to various interpretations and that while it is highly likely that Greek settlements did incorporate an indigenous population, the funerary record cannot be used as a reliable identifier of such groups. The paper also briefly assesses the evidence for the presence of Greeks deriving from areas other than the historical mother-cities and suggests that such individuals are also very difficult to detect. It concludes that the general impression given by Sicilian Greek cemeteries is one of overall subscription to coherent burial systems, which may be viewed as part of an attempt to forge a unified and independent cultural identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The recovery of foetal remains is very sporadic in archaeology, especially due the scarce degree of bone mineralisation. This paper presents the singular archaeological discovery of a foetal tile preserving the bone remains, object of our anthropological examination.Materials and Methods: The foetal tile was discovered during an archaeological excavation in a medieval site (Northern Italy). The tile was analysed by CT scan and later, human remains were anthropologically examined.Results: The archaeological investigation revealed a special ritual destined to foetuses while forensic anthropological analysis allowed estimating the gestational age near to 21-24 weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Origini is the property of Gangemi Editore S.P.A. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper illustrates the project of an interdisciplinary team composed of archaeologists and researchers of the Scuola Normale Superiore and the University of Pisa. The synergy between these Centres has recently allowed for a more articulated 3D simulation of the agora of Segesta. Here, the archaeological excavations have brought to light the remains of a huge public building (stoa) of the Late-Hellenistic Period. Computer graphics and image-based modeling have been used to monitor, document and record the different phases of the excavation activity (layers, findings, wall structures) and to create a 3D model of the whole site. In order to increase as much as possible the level of interaction, all the models can be managed by an application specially designed for an immersive virtual environment (CAVE-like system). By using hands tracking sensor (Leap) in a non-standard way, the application allows for a completely hand-free interaction with the simulation of the agora of Segesta and the different phases of the fieldwork activities. More specifically, the operator can use simple hand gestures to activate a natural interface, scroll and visualize the perfectly overlapped models of the archaeological layers, pop up the models of single meaningful objects discovered during the excavation, and obtain all the relative metadata (stored in a dedicated server) which are visualizable on external devices (e.g. tablets or monitors) without further wearable devices. All these functions are contextualized within the whole simulation of the agora, so that it is possible to verify old interpretations and enhance new ones in real-time, simulating within the CAVE the whole archaeological investigation, going over the different phases of the excavation in a more rapid way, getting information which could have been ignored during the fieldwork, and verifying, even ex-post, issues not correctly documented during the fieldwork. The opportunity to physically interact with the 3D model of the agora increases drastically the level of affordance between operator and 3D simulation, and to verify with a completely new approach, issues which can be hardly investigated by using traditional 2D documentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the authors present a recent integrated survey carried out on an archaeological urban site, generally free of buildings, except some temporary structures related to excavated areas where multi-chamber tombs were found. The two methods used to investigate this site were thermal infrared and ground penetrating radar (GPR). The thermography was carried out with the sensor mounted under a helium balloon simultaneously with a photographic camera. In order to have a synthetic view of the surface thermal behavior, a simplified version of the existing night thermal gradient algorithm was applied. By this approach, we have a wide extension of thermal maps due to the balloon oscillation, because we are able to compute the maps despite collecting few acquisition samples. By the integration of GPR and the thermal imaging, we can evaluate the depth of the thermal influence of possible archaeological targets, such as buried Punic tombs or walls belonging to the succeeding medieval buildings, which have been subsequently destroyed. The thermal anomalies present correspondences to the radar time slices obtained from 30 to 50 cm. Furthermore, by superimposing historical aerial pictures on the GPR and thermal imaging data, we can identify these anomalies as the foundations of the destroyed buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of city-country relationships in the classical world has long been a widely recognized field of research. While recent studies tend to reconsider the well-established traditional town-centric approach and new perspectives emphasize the agrarian dimension of towns, little attention has been devoted to the distinctive materiality of rural and urban life. The main focus of this paper falls on comparative patterns of consumption of and specific material culture used by, communities inhabiting larger settlements as opposed to those distinctive households at smaller rural sites. By focusing on ceramic material assemblages from a range of excavated and surveyed sites dating to the Punic and Republican period on the island of Sardinia, I explore the urban-rural divide and use portable material culture as evidence of consumption and daily activities carried out at urban and rural sites. Based on these data, I emphasize the wide diversification within the rural world and the long-term development of larger settlements through the lens of ceramic material culture in use. I suggest that the detailed study of ceramic assemblages may shed new light on human activities and the distinctive ways of life in urban and rural contexts; I also propose that the availability of a wider range of goods and more sophisticated patterns of consumption are specific attributes of urban life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Leisure Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article focuses on the dunnage of Punic shipwreck in Marsala, Italy and the acquiring processes in retrieving plant samples in the ship. It notes that it took four annual seasons from 1971 to excavate the wreck. It says that diver-archeologists arduously raised leaves so fragile they turned to powder when touched. It tells that the archeologist then used borrowing techniques from paper conservation, where the leaves could be picked up by sliding something like blotting paper under them.

The paper evidences the importance of old aerial and satellite photos of ancient topography studies, with examples concerning archaeological and geo-archaeological research conducted in Italy and Turkey, during a cooperation between the Ancient Topography, Archaeology and Remote Sensing Laboratory (AnTAReS Lab) of the Institute for Archaeological and Monumental Heritage of the Italian National Research Council (IBAM-CNR) and the Ancient Topography and Photogrammetry Laboratory (LabTAF) of Salento University. The historical aerial photos, i.e. those before the big transformations of the 1950's and 1960's, and the space photos taken in the 1960's and 1970's, particularly useful for the Near East, represent a fundamental tool for the study of the territory. In many cases, in fact, they document landscapes that have been modified by urbanization, building of large infrastructures, transformations in the land use and diffusion of mechanized agricultural methods. Only through the detailed analysis of these aerial and space photos it is possible to recover a fundamental documentation concerning the existence, the location and the layout of archaeological evidence and paleo-environmental elements otherwise lost; so, their use during research is very important for the reconstruction of the ancient topography of urban and territorial contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of APUNTES - Journal of Cultural Heritage Studies is the property of Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article offers information on various studies related to geology. It discusses a study which examines the basic components of Mediterranean harbors base from a geological perspective of archeological sites. It also reviews the studies on tertiary evolution of the West European platform and the plumbing system of Mount Etna Volcano in Italy.

The archaeological site we studied is part of an early Iron Age hill fort (8th/7th cent. b.c.), located 800 m from the coast on the top of a hill named MonteTrabocchetto. This paper concerns an excavation, called ?saggio O?, which disclosed a very varied stratigraphy characterised by highly anthropogenic layers and by a pit, presumably used as a silo for food storage, which was very rich in charred seeds and fruits. The study of the pit content showed the dominance of Hordeum vulgare, while Triticum dicoccon, T. monococcum, T. aestivum/durum, Panicum miliaceum and Setaria italica were less strongly represented. Some edible Leguminosae were also found ( Lens culinaris, Vicia faba var. minor and V. ervilia). In the frequented areas around the pit, herbaceous weeds and fruit tree macro-remains were present ( Prunus cf. spinosa, Corylus avellana, Quercus sp. and Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris). The identification of a large number of botanical taxa has provided important information on food of plant origin and agricultural practices during the early Iron Age on the Ligurian coast, the proto-historic archaeobotanical aspects of which are largely unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the distinctive economic and social development of Neolithic Italy and its islands, from ca. 6000 B.C. until the emergence of the Copper Age ca. 3500 B.C. Through a synthesis of traditional interpretations and more recent discussions relating to early farming economies, social and technological developments, settlement, and landscape, the complex regional patterns are described. The development of archaeological studies in Italy, the biases in regional and chronological data collection, the regional patterns of cultures and landscapes, and the emergence of distinctive funerary, artistic and economic activities reveal a wealth of varied and intriguing archaeological information from a wide variety of sources that link parallel developments in the Mediterranean and Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In both popular and scholarly literature, Pompeii is viewed as a typical Roman town reflecting the social and cultural conditions of the capital, a perception now so embedded in Pompeian studies that it is often assumed to be part of the known facts. This paper questions that perception and explores alternative readings for broadening our approaches to Pompeian society through examination of the material contexts of the epigraphical texts from Pompeii. In particular, it investigates how the names of individual Pompeians have been used to provide evidence on Pompeian households and on the interrelationships and statuses of their members, in four particular houses. It considers the contribution of Greek-dominated Magna Graecia to the development of this town and its inhabitants. It concludes that more contextualised investigations of the material evidence from Pompeii can lead to more informed approaches to its social and cultural relationships, and those between this region, the Roman capital, and the wider Mediterranean region in the first century AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensive surveying is restricted to limited areas. As it is a line-walking method, there is a smearing effect on the results from averaging over larger stretches of land, compounded by archaeological visibility problems, the definition of 'diagnostics' and walkers' idiosyncrasies. Numerical correction cannot produce qualitative differentiation, however, and thus reliability (replicability) of the results is compromised. The present paper discusses a field methodology in which systematically arranged (gridded) points of two square metres are cleared of vegetation, and all non-soil objects in the points taken in for further analysis. That way, the definition of 'diagnostics', most of the time conceived of as practical/logistic in nature, but in the final count a reliability problem (e.g. Bintliff et al. 1999), is obviated and additional fabric analysis considerably enhances the database. Numerical analysis of the results from nine field seasons of the Riu Mannu Survey Project in Sardinia shows that visibility effects are reduced far below customary confidence levels. Illustrations are provided by a general description of the finds in one transect and a more detailed analysis of the finds from a Punic farm site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dr. Helen Patterson, a renowned archaeologist specializing in Italian medieval and early medieval archaeology, passed away in October 2022. She had a lifelong passion for Roman history and made significant contributions to the field. Helen played a crucial role in the Tiber Valley Project, which resulted in several volumes of research on settlements, Roman urban centers, and production and exchange in the early medieval period. Her expertise in ceramics led to important findings, such as changes in rural settlement and the breakdown of the economic system. Helen also conducted fieldwork projects and made significant contributions to the local and regional archaeology and heritage of the Sabina region. Despite facing challenges as a woman in a male-dominated field, Helen achieved great respect and success. Her legacy includes not only her research projects but also the people she mentored throughout her career. Her work has had a significant impact on the study of early medieval Italy and is highly regarded in the field. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Papers of the British School at Rome is the property of Cambridge University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Summary: Recent work in landscape archaeology has emphasized the importance of considering the experience of moving through landscapes and examining the place of burials within wider landscape contexts. This work recognizes that burial placement was often intended to create and curate experiences and meaning. While burials near roads and waterways have been discussed at length, burials near tunnels, which are an important feature of the road network of Roman central Italy, have not yet featured in discussions of the experience of Roman landscapes or the visibility of graves. This article explores these twin themes in the Phlegraean Fields west of Naples, where burials appear next to the entrances of two monumental tunnels. This placement appears to make an experiential play on the perceptions of the descent into the Underworld as described in Classical literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Atti della Società dei Naturalisti e Matematici di Modena is the property of Societa dei Naturalisti e Matematici di Modena and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a powerful non‐destructive investigation tool widely used in archaeology. Its capabilities are greatly enhanced when it is operated in combination with a terrestrial laser scanner. This article reports on the radar investigation of the floor of Palazzo Vecchio's Great Hall. This monumental hall has been decorated by the most prominent artists of Italian Renaissance and it has radically changed at least twice since the 15th century. The aim of this investigation is to find features inside and under the floor that can contribute to a better reconstruction of the history of this monument. The main findings of this prospection have been the detection of a transversal girder not known on the south side of the Great Hall and a hemicycle structure under the floor. Both are probably remains of the works for adapting the hall to be used as the National Parliament of Italy between 1865 and 1870. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trade and colonization caused an unprecedented increase in Mediterranean human mobility in the first millennium BCE. Often seen as a dividing force, warfare is in fact another catalyst of culture contact. We provide insight into the demographic dynamics of ancient warfare by reporting genome-wide data from fifth-century soldiers who fought for the army of the Greek Sicilian colony of Himera, along with representatives of the civilian population, nearby indigenous settlements, and 96 present-day individuals from Italy and Greece. Unlike the rest of the sample, many soldiers had ancestral origins in northern Europe, the Steppe, and the Caucasus. Integrating genetic, archaeological, isotopic, and historical data, these results illustrate the significant role mercenaries played in ancient Greek armies and highlight how participation in war contributed to continental-scale human mobility in the Classical world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper documents a comprehensive study of thirty-two stamped bricks found in territory of the ancient town of Cosa (Ansedonia, Grosseto). The geographical distribution of these materials distinguished ‘municipal’ productions, i.e. those found within the territory of Cosa (ager cosanus) only, and ‘urban’ productions, i.e. those found in the ager cosanus, as well as in the territory comprising Rome and its suburbs and/or the entire Tiber Valley. Main aim of the study was to verify the provenance of ‘municipal’ productions, by a combination of archaeological, epigraphical, prosopographical and archaeometrical (OM, SEM–EDS, ICP-OES, ICP-MS, INAA) research instruments and techniques. Data integration revealed that six ‘municipal’ productions (over a total of nine) were produced in the territory surrounding the Cosa''s promontory, using marine and fluvial clayey deposits. Conversely, three ‘municipal’ productions were assigned to the ‘urban’ area, and possibly assigned to the Tiber Valley. An important distinction was made among the ‘urban’ productions, proving the feasibility of their discrimination. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper uses a combination of archaeological, geomorphologic and radiometric data from the coast of Sardinia, in Italy, to purpose a reconstruction of the sea-level and coastal changes during the recent period in the whole island. The archaeological remains have been used as one of indicators to interpret the recent movements, uplift or subsidence, long the coastal tracts of the island; the evidences are represented by quarries, megalithic buildings, submerged towns, roman villas, the latter by harbor structures, Medieval testifies and other ruins like the wrecks for a long span. In summary, the comparison between the geomorphologic evolution, archaeological indicators and radiometric data suggests a different sea-level uplifting corresponding to the different Pleistocenic evolution in some places of the island; in some cases there is an evident correspondence between the submerged remains and the presence of the grabens that characterizing the geological structure of the Sardinia. The submerged archaeological indicators are intended to identify the level of the sea, in most situation, they indicate the presence of a sea level lower than their base subject to the tidal range at the time which can be only be approximate. However, the presence of a single type of indicator does not know the precise level of the sea; in the same way it is very difficult to distinguish between eustatic and tectonic components. The combination and correlation between different data at the regional level is the only possibility to have an interpretative hypothesis for movements. Unfortunately it is rare to have all three indicators in one place. The results are given in recognition of areas of greatest subsidence, evidenced by some ancient cities, with the more stable areas and those that behave differently showing that even in historic and protohistoric Sardinia, while considered a stable land, suffer a continuous weak lifting or subsidence comforted by archaeological data showing that, at the same time, the progression of the phenomenon is different. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Traumatic dental injuries, although apparently rare in archaeological populations, can be found under certain circumstances affecting the dentition in a variety of ways. This paper contributes to the paleopathology literature by reporting one case of dental trauma. Evidence for differentiating antemortem/perimortem dental trauma from postmortem damage is presented, and it is suggested that these injuries were sustained due to an accidental fall, supported by the morphology, location and extension of the injuries and characterization of the impact. These data provide a valuable information for a reconstruction of past behaviors in the Samnitic necropolis of Opi Val Fondillo (VI–V century BC; Central Italy). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: “Learn about the past to better understand the present and predict the future”. Although used abundantly to justify our interest in ancient societies, this statement lacks practical meaning due to the high degree of uncertainty which cloaks archaeological studies and theories, and the fact that there is no real way to prove or validate them. That is why it is so important to approach this study from a multidisciplinary point of view, providing several inputs which complement each other and so maximize the amount of factual information drawn from the analysis. Even then, the study will never be truly complete because there will always be a missing document, a small trace of an object (), that still needs to be analysed. This paper aims to be a useful contribution to historical research, specifically to the study of architectural history. Its purpose is to create a series of methods and tools for testing and analysing theories and hypotheses for historical scenarios () through the use of 3D modelling tools and Virtual Reality (VR) engines. The project was developed in two stages: The first was the creation of several three-dimensional (3D) models, each representing a different theory or hypothesis. The models were based on accurate Computer Assisted Design (CAD) () models for the reconstruction of the buildings, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) () for the recreation of the terrain, thereby creating a realistic representation of what exists now, and a close approximation to what may have once existed. In the second stage, a simplified version of the models was imported into a Virtual Reality (VR) game engine () to create the ambience of the villa at the time, allowing full exploration of the space. It also includes fauna and flora, as well as Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven avatars, as can be seen in the provided in the electronic version of this manuscript. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper discusses the 1911 International Exposition in Rome and illustrates how this patriotic celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Italian Sate utilized symbolic landscapes of architecture and archaeology to promote nationalist sentiments of italianità and romanità centered on the young capital of Rome. Through modern art exhibitions at the Valle Giulia, scientific conferences at the Castel Sant'Angelo, archaeological exhibits on the Roman Empire in the Baths of Diocletian, and regional Italian pavilions in the Piazza d'Armi, exposition officials offered a complex representation of Italian national identity that was modern yet ancient, cosmopolitan yet bucolic, European yet regional, and imperial yet developing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents results of the use-wear analysis of Chalcolithic copper-base metalwork from the Italian peninsula. Previous research led to contrasting scholarly opinions regarding the function of early metal axes, daggers and halberds from this region. Whilst some authors interpreted these objects as utilitarian tools and weapons, others saw them as symbolic signifiers of social status and personhood. The analysis conducted here shows that this is a false dichotomy as all classes of metalwork seem to embody to some extent both utilitarian and non-utilitarian values. In particular, axes were primarily used for woodworking and other practical tasks, but were mostly withdrawn from circulation when still usable. This suggests that deposition practices bore a loose relationship, if any, with the functional value of the tools. Daggers were employed in a range of symbolically charged practices that left little wear on cutting edges. These probably included the sacrificial slaughtering and skinning of large animals such as cattle and horses. Halberds were utilised as weapons in champion’s duels in which display of combative skills and prowess would have been far more important than killing the opponent. This explains the relatively low rate of damaged blades in the record. Regardless of their practical function in lifetime settings, these objects were all similarly employed in burial to reproduce core social values such as gender and age. Importantly, this study contributes to debunking undemonstrated assumptions concerning the function of early metalwork in European prehistory. It also defines a replicable analytical protocol for the use-wear analysis of ancient copper-alloy artefacts. [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: The petrochemical study of millstones can contribute to improve the archaeological research into reconstruction of ancient communication routes and trade networks. Volcanic rocks are geographically restricted and rather rare in the Mediterranean regions, and during the Roman period Italian volcanoes were important sources of raw materials for millstones, so the task of determining their geological origin is relatively straightforward. The Italian vesicular volcanics most frequently employed for this purpose were: trachytes from Euganean Hills (Veneto), leucite-bearing lavas from the Vulsini Volcanic District (Latium), basic-intermediate leucite-bearing lavas from Somma-Vesuvius (Campania), silica undersaturated lavas from Monte Vulture Volcano (Basilicata), a rhyolitic ignimbrite from Sardinia and basic products from Mount Etna and the island of Pantelleria (Sicily). This paper contains a general outline of the trade network for each volcanic typology used for millstones during the Roman period – updated with data concerning the leucite-bearing lavic items discovered in the archaeological sites of the ancient Cuicul (now Djemila, Algeria) – together with a summary of their petrographic and geochemical features. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, volcanic-rich ceramic remains from the archaeological sites of Francavilla, Naxos and Taormina (Province of Messina, North-eastern Sicily) were studied by using inclusions as main provenance marker. Technological features, such as temper choice, vitrification degree and firing temperatures, were investigated by polarizing microscopy, X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Information on the production centres was obtained through the identification of the source area of raw materials used as temper. Indeed, petrochemical analysis of the volcanic inclusions within the examined ceramics displayed strong affinities with structures/textures and compositions of the locally outcropping mugearitic products, probably ascribed to the eruptive activity of an eccentric vent of Mt. Etna (Mt. Mojo). A local production for the studied pottery samples has been therefore advanced, assuming that the used volcanic temper was easily available from the alluvial deposits along the Alcantara River stream, which is connected to the lava flow of Mt. Mojo. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Studii Teologice is the property of Studii Teologice and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)