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We study the behaviour, when p → + ∞ p\to +\infty , of the first p-Laplacian eigenvalues with Robin boundary conditions and the limit of the associated eigenfunctions. We prove that the limit of the eigenfunctions is a viscosity solution to an eigenvalue problem for the so-called ∞ \infty -Laplacian. Moreover, in the second part of the article, we focus our attention on the p-Poisson equation when the datum f f belongs to L ∞ ( Ω ) {L}^{\infty }\left(\Omega ) and we study the behaviour of solutions when p → ∞ p\to \infty .

International audience; Since 2014, the Centre Jean Bérard of Naples and the Università degli Studi of Salerno, in collaboration with the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le Province di Barletta-Andria-Trani e Foggia resumed the study of Arpi’s Daunian settlement. The goal was to specify the phases of frequentation and abandon, as well as the use of the domestic spaces, and the interactions between the residential zone, the cult areas, and the funeral places. Previous research data and the study of rural and urban landscapes’ dynamics were used for this task. The research initially focused on the resumption of the so-called «mosaic of lions and panthers» domus’ documentation, studied by Marina Mazzei in the 90’s. It was progressively extended to all data related to Montarozzi area, located in the south-east part of the Arpi settlement. The combined study of structures, necropolis’ nucleus, roads and water supply/draining systems, enabled us to extend the research, little at a time, from a single context to the Montarozzi neighborhood, and eventually to the whole settlement area. The cultural and environmental transformations of the settlement in contact with the colonial cities, the North Greeks, and the Romans, were thus traced back throughout the evolution of the Daunian house from the end of the 5th century to the 2nd century.

We studied the Gioia Sannitica active normal fault (GF) along the southern Matese fault (SMF) system in the southern Apennines of Italy in detail. The current activity of the fault system and its potential to produce strong earthquakes have been underestimated so far and are now defined here. Precise mapping of the GF fault trace on a 1:20 000 geological map and point and line data on the geometry, kinematics, and slip rate of the faults forming the SMF system are made available in electronic format. The GF, and the entire fault system along the southern Matese mountain front in general, is made of slowly slipping faults with a long active history revealed by the large geologic offsets, mature geomorphology, and complex fault patterns and kinematics. Present activity has resulted in late Quaternary fault scarps resurrecting the foot of the mountain front and Holocene surface faulting. The resurrected mountain front indicates variation in slip rate through time. The slip rate varies along-strike, with a maximum Upper Pleistocene–Holocene slip rate of ∼ 0.5 mm yr−1. Activation of the 11.5 km long GF can produce up to M 6.2 earthquakes. If activated together with the 18.5 km long Ailano–Piedimonte Matese fault (APMF), the seismogenic potential would be M 6.8. The slip history of the two faults is compatible with a contemporaneous rupture. The observed Holocene displacements on the GF and APMF are compatible with activations during some poorly constrained historical earthquakes, such as the 1293 (M 5.8), 1349 (M 6.8; possibly a southern prolongation of the rupture on the Aquae Iuliae fault), and 346 CE earthquakes. A fault rupture during the poorly constrained 847 CE earthquake is also chronologically compatible with the dated displacements.

The paper deals with the contribution of the Molise geoheritage to make better known the central-southern Apennines landscape and to promote geotourism activities. The Molise territory is characterized by a high geodiversity and the natural coexistence and closeness of three major, highly differentiated Apennine landscape units. It offers an exemplary cross-section of the variety of landscapes/landforms that typically characterize the young, tectonically still active Apennine chain, from its core up to the Adriatic piedmont area. Based on the regional geosite inventory, we selected 31 geosites. These geosites are considered the most representative and exemplary of many of the major landforms that typically characterize the distinguished Apennine landscape sectors and are capable to illustrate several steps of their long-term evolution and/or present-day dynamics and related hazard aspects. The selected geosites are well-preserved landforms, easily and safely accessible, and observable both onsite and/or through panoramic views. They have good to excellent scenic-esthetic qualities and, thanks to the representativeness and clarity of exposed features/processes, can be easily understood by a large audience. The paper highlights the contribution that the geological heritage of a territory can provide for geotourism purposes and informal educational actions by using geosites, especially geomorphological sites, to make known the peculiarities, evolution, and present-day dynamics of its major landscape features. It wants to contribute to the dissemination and sustainable fruition of geosites that help attributing to them an effective cultural and economic value, so to encourage their conservation.

We studied in detail the Gioia Sannitica active normal fault (GF) along the Southern Matese Fault system in the southern Apennines of Italy. The current activity of the fault system and its potential to produce strong earthquakes have been underestimated so far, and are now defined. Precise mapping of the GF fault trace on a 1 : 20,000 geological map and several point data on geometry, kinematics and throw rate are made available in electronic format. The GF, and in general the entire fault system along the southern Matese mountain front, is made of slowly-slipping faults, with a long active history revealed by the large geologic offsets, mature geomorphology, and complex fault pattern and kinematics. Present activity has resulted in Late Quaternary fault scarps resurrecting the foot of the mountain front, and Holocene surface faulting. The slip rate varies along-strike, with maximum Late Pleistocene – Holocene throw rate of ~0.5 mm/yr. Activation of the 11.5 km-long GF can produce up to M 6.1 earthquakes. If activated together with the 18 km-long Ailano-Piedimonte Matese fault (APMF), the seismogenic potential would be M 6.8. The slip history of the two faults is compatible with a contemporaneous rupture. The observed Holocene displacements on the GF and APMF are compatible with activations during some poorly known historical earthquakes, such as the 1293 (M 5.8), 1349 (M 6.8; southern prolongation of the rupture on the Aquae Iuliae fault?) and CE 346 earthquakes. A fault rupture during the 847 poorly-constrained historical earthquake is also compatible with the dated displacements.

In the last decades, comparison results of Talenti type for Elliptic Problems with Dirichlet boundary conditions have been widely investigated. In this paper, we generalize the results obtained in Alvino et al. (Commun Pure Appl Math, to appear) to the case of p-Laplace operator with Robin boundary conditions. The point-wise comparison, obtained in Alvino et al. (to appear) only in the planar case, holds true in any dimension if p is sufficiently small.

&ldquo, Geotourism&rdquo, is a particular type of &ldquo, sustainable tourism&rdquo, that is still in an embryonic stage, especially in Italy. The main goal is the transmission of geological knowledge to increase the awareness about geoheritage, geo-resources and geo-hazards. The geoparks represent ideal sites, with a strong educational significance for students, teachers, geo-tourists, and guides interested in geological and environmental sciences, though at different levels. With this in mind, we propose a geoitinerary through some of the most geologically interesting coastal areas in the Cilento, Vallo di Diano, and Alburni Geopark. The aim of the geoitinerary is to provide a good example of how geosites could be promoted through geotourism and used as means of divulgation of geological and environmental knowledge. The selected sites are the San Marco coast, the Licosa Cape and the Elea-Velia archaeological area. They are included in the official list of geosites and geomorphosites of the Geopark and have a relevant stratigraphic and geoarcheological value. The San Marco coast and the Licosa Cape are the &ldquo, best sites&rdquo, in the Geopark where Quaternary coastal deposits and morphologies are represented. The Elea-Velia site is one of the most famous archeological sites in the Geopark, which is also representative of complex human-environment interactions. Despite their high scientific significance, the sites that we have selected are not included in a specific promoting program. We have so tried to fill this gap by providing the scientific background for their geotouristic promotion that could also serve as an instrument for the increase of the local economy.

The Boiano Basin is one of the largest Quaternary intermontane basins of the central-southern Apennines within one of the most tectonically active areas of the Mediterranean region. In order to reconstruct its entire Quaternary stratigraphic, tec- tonic, and palaeoenvironment evolution, lithofacies and palaeomagnetic analyses have been performed on a 900 m-deep borehole (CP1) drilled in the southwestern sector of the basin. The Quaternary succession consists of an alternating of alluvial fan and fluvial-marshy deposits for a total thickness of 240 m, unconformably laying on Lower Miocene deposits of the Sannio Unit, thrusted on upper Miocene deposits of the Molise Flysch. In addition, the stratigraphic study and facies distribution of 29 intermediate and shallow wells drilled in the basin, allowing us to define the thick- ness and lithofacies variations of the Quaternary sedimentary units inside the entire Boiano Basin in the sector of Campochiaro alluvial fan. Our results demonstrate that the Boiano Basin infilling started during the late Early Pleistocene (c. 1.1 Ma) and developed with variation in lithofacies distribution and thickness. The first deposi- tional unit (Early Pleistocene-early Middle Pleistocene in age) was palustrine and fluvial-marshy, the second (Middle Pleistocene in age) was characterized by the occurrence of the first cycle of alluvial fan deposition, the third (late Middle Pleisto- cene in age) was newly palustrine and fluvial marshy and, finally, the fourth recorded two cycles of alluvial fan deposition (late Middle Pleistocene and Late Pleistocene in age, respectively), interspersed by short periods of palustrinity, tephra layers deposi- tion, and palaeosols development. The study allows the hypothesizing that the Qua- ternary infilling was accommodated within a graben (or semigraben) structure, affected mainly by extensional fault systems localized in the inner part of the basin and secondly by fault systems bounding the basin.

The map is aimed at illustrating the relationships between landscape evolution and human occupation in the Isernia basin since the Middle Pleistocene. We carried out a detail scale geological–geomorphological investigation integrated with archaeological data. Overall data suggest enhanced landscape modification related to the long-term evolution of the Isernia basin. Moreover, during the Middle Pleistocene an alluvial plain environment was present, as testified also by the famous Lower Palaeolithic site of Isernia La Pineta dated to ca. 600 ky. From 600 ky onwards, extensional tectonics and related valley incision reshaped the Isernia basin, with the formation of terraced surfaces and the deposition of a travertine plateau. Archaeological findings from the Lower Palaeolithic up to the Chalcolithic Age testify to pre- and protohistoric settlements on these surfaces. In historical times, Romans settled on the Isernia terrace ridge taking advantage of the outcropping travertines to support wall foundations and to extract construction material.

The Late Quaternary benthic foraminiferal and ostracod assemblages from two continuous cores drilled in the Port of Salerno were studied to define their relationship with geochemical characteristics of the sediments and with the palaeoenvironmental evolution. The succession, ranging from Late Pleistocene to the 20th century, recorded the transition from a marine coastal environment under natural conditions to a depositional context affected by anthropogenic influence. In the lower part of the sequence, ecological and sedimentary changes were linked to sea-level changes due to Late Quaternary climatic phases, as well as to volcanic events such as the Campanian Ignimbrite eruption, represented by levels with high metal (Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn) concentrations, possibly leading to low pH phases. Later human activities, such as the construction of harbour facilities in the 18th century and the industrial development in the 19th century, influenced environmental variations, as shown in the upper part of the succession. High levels of heavy metal concentrations (Co, Cu, Fe, Pb, V) recorded in layers deposited in the 1800s suggest the presence of a pollution event which could be linked to manufacturing activities and might have occurred during the first part of the 19th century. Calcareous meiofaunal assemblages showed high diversity values, probably due to the occurrence of ”rare short lived” species in an unstable environment. Assemblages were dominated by the foraminiferal species Ammonia aberdoveyensis and Haynesina depressula, and by the ostracods Pontocythere turbida and Semicytherura sulcata, which are considered as possibly stress-tolerant species.

A multidiplisciplinary study, including geomorphological, lithostratigraphical, geochronological, geochemical, and paleontological investigations, was carried out in the coastal area of Salerno city, southern Italy. The study aimed to outline the Late Glacial-Holocene geoenvironmental evolution of Salerno's port area in response to both natural and anthropogenic factors. The geomorphological study included an examination of historic maps, which enabled a detailed reconstruction of the coastal landscape change during historic times. Lithostratigraphical analyses of three new boreholes, supported by radiocarbon and tephrochronological data, and of previously retrieved core-successions and archaeological trenches, extends our reconstruction of the paleogeographical evolution of the Salerno coastal area back to the Late Pleistocene. Geochemical and paleontological analyses of samples from the newly acquired cores were combined with the lithofacies analyses of previously retrieved cores to detect ancient harbors in the area of the current port facilities of the city and surrounding urban areas. This work contributes to scientific debate about the specific sedimentary architectures and geochemical properties of the Salerno harbor environment and refines methodological approaches for characterizing and assessing the evolution and demise of ancient port facilities in Mediterranean coastal cities.

A multidisciplinary methodology, integrating stratigraphic, geomorphological and structural data, combined with GIS-aided analysis and PS-InSAR interferomettic data, was applied to characterize the relationships between ground deformations and the stratigraphic and the morphostructural setting of the Venafro intermontane basin. This basin is a morphostructural depression related to NW-SE and NE-SW oriented high angle normal faults bordering and crossing it. In particular, a well-known active fault crossing the plain is the Aquae Juliae Fault, whose recent activity is evidenced by archeoseismological data. The approach applied here reveals new evidence of possible faulting, acting during the Lower to Upper Pleistocene, which has driven the morphotectonic and the environmental evolution of the basin. In particular, the tectonic setting emerging from this study highlights the influence of the NW-SE oriented extensional phase during the late Lower Pleistocene- early Middle Pleistocene, in the generation of NE-SW trending, SE dipping, high-angle faults and NW-SE trending, high-angle transtensive faults. This phase has been followed by a NE-SW extensional one, responsible for the formation of NW-SE trending, both NW and SE dipping, high-angle normal faults, and the reactivation of the oldest NE-SW oriented structures. These NW-SE trending normal faults include the Aquae Juliae Fault and a new one, unknown until now, crossing the plain between the Venafro village and the Colle Cupone Mt. (hereinafter named the Venafro-Colle Cupone Fault, VCCF). This fault has controlled deposition of the youngest sedimentary units (late Middle Pleistocene to late Upper Pleistocene) suggesting its recent activity and it is well constrained by PSInSAR data, as testified by the increase of the subsidence rate in the hanging wall block. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The present landscape of the Mesara Plain, an intermountain basin located in Southern Crete, results from millennia of geological transformation. Human presence in the area had a strong impact on landscape change since the Final Neolithic (second half of the 4th millennium BC), when the first signs of land erosion and deforestation appeared. This phase has been considered in Crete as “transitional” due to emergence of new settlement patterns and material culture. The main site on the Plain is Phaistos, which is located on a hilltop near the Yerapotamos River. The site offers great potential for the examination of the Final Neolithic-Early Bronze Age transition in Crete, on account of the landscape and changes in the human occupation and manufacturing activity. Pottery manufacture of these transitional phases has been examined in detail, revealing a complex picture of continuity and change in raw material use. Similarly, our understanding of the landscape surrounding the site has been transformed with the discovery of the formation of a lake to the South of the hill site from the mid-3rd millennium. This paper presents collaborative research on landscape change and its influence on raw material availability for pottery manufacture in the area.

Parmi les dix mille iles et ilots de Mediterranee, moins de trois cents seraient habites et seulement deux cents mesureraient plus de 5 km2. Ces iles sont des entites geologiques et geographiques complexes ou coexistent des formations de roches tres anciennes et d’autres creees tres recemment (iles volcaniques). A la fois ouvertes sur l’horizon et les cotes continentales voisines, elles restent, paradoxalement, relativement fermees de par leur isolement, creant ainsi des specificites quant a leur biodiversite et leur colonisation par les societes humaines. Les iles de Mediterranee forment ainsi un objet d’etude privilegie pour la geoarcheologie. Cette derniere emprunte les concepts, les methodes et les techniques de disciplines relevant des sciences humaines et environnementales (l’archeologie, l’epigraphie, la philologie, la geographie, la paleoecologie, la paleontologie...). Cet ouvrage etablit un premier etat des connaissances dans le domaine de la geoarcheologie des iles de Mediterranee. L’eclatement geographique de ces dernieres, ainsi qu’une histoire de l’occupation propre a chacune, demontrent toute la difficulte de globaliser ces espaces geographiques, progressivement transformes en territoires sous l’action repetee des societes humaines. Des specialistes dressent ici les relations complexes entre les dynamiques et les processus paysagers et les logiques d’occupation humaine depuis la fin du Pleistocene. Le present ouvrage recueille vingt-quatre contributions regroupees dans cinq parties intitulees « Anthropisation et mutations paysageres a la transition Paleolithique/Neolithique »; « Mobilite et reconstitution des anciens niveaux marins depuis la fin de la derniere grande glaciation quaternaire » ; « Adaptation aux mutations paysageres a l’echelle intra-site: la necessaire prise en compte des parametres environnementaux » ; « Deltas, lagunes et marais : des interfaces propices a l’implantation des societes humaines » et « Matieres premieres: exploitation et interactions ». Cet ouvrage s’adresse principalement a des specialistes de geographie, d’archeologie et de paleoecologie mais aussi a un public plus large : etudiants des niveaux L-M-D, enseignants et simples neophytes souhaitant s’initier aux concepts, methodes et techniques de la geoarcheologie.

The Temple of Athena is one of the main sacred areas of the Greek&ndash, Roman settlement of Poseidonia-Paestum (southern Italy). Several archaeological excavations were carried out here between the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Unfortunately, the locations of these excavations are only approximately known, as are the geomorphology and stratigraphy of the temple area. A multidisciplinary study, including stratigraphic, geomorphological, archaeological, and sedimentological investigations, remote sensing, and electromagnetic and geoelectrical tests, was therefore carried out, shedding new light on the geomorphology and stratigraphy of the SW and W temple sectors. The geophysical data obtained revealed anomalies in the subsoil that probably correspond to ancient structures and the cutting of the travertine deposits around the temple. The position and extension of the trenches of the early archaeological excavations were also established.

Coastal areas are very dynamic environments where natural and man-induced modifications often interact. This is the case of the Graeco-Roman town of Elea-Velia, along the Cilento coast of southern Italy. The town was founded in the 6th century BCE on a hilly promontory bounded by two profound gulfs and assumed a prominent role in maritime commercial routes in the Graeco-Roman period. It declined in the Late Antiquity and was abandoned in the Middle Ages also due to serious landscape changes. In this study, the integration of geomorphology, borehole stratigraphy and analysis of archaeo-stratigraphical trenches was used to detail the relationship between geological and archaeological evidence. The huge amount of collected data allowed providing chronological constraints to the landscape modification occurred before and after the town foundation. The main environmental changes consisted in enhanced coastal progradation and alluvial fan deposition that mainly affected the lower quarters of the town. The results of this study suggest that alluvial flooding was one of the main causes of the Elea-Velia decline and subsequent abandonment. The increasing disruption of slope stability was driven by the neglect in the management of the hillslopes behind the town during periods of social-economic crisis, but a concomitant climate forcing cannot be excluded. To the final abandonment also contributed the declining of harbour activities and the consequent decreased relevance of Elea-Velia as a maritime centre.

Two boreholes, both about 16 m-deep, have been drilled in the Garigliano Plain, a coastal-alluvial plain located at the boundary between southern Latium and northern Campania, Italy. The drill holes have been planned and carried out in the southern part of the plain, near to the bordering ridge of Mount Massico. The multidisciplinary analyses performed on sediment samples from both cores revealed the presence of several marine and continental sedimentation environments, transitional facies and volcanic rocks. All these data, together with the stratigraphic correlation between the two logs, allowed the reconstruction of the sedimentary and morphological evolution of the plain during the Late Quaternary. Further, such an evolutionary sequence has been used as a comparison scheme with regard to other coastal plains of the Tyrrhenian side of central and southern Italy to stress similar or different behaviours among them on a distance of about 400 km of coastal belt. Some remarkable differences have been actually enlighten, with particular reference to the MIS 5.5 and the Holocene. The occurrence in both cores of products of the Campanian Ignimbrite – a ~ 40 ka pyroclastic unit – and associated reworked deposits (about five metres-thick in both cases), has been here reported for the first time in the subsurface of the southern part of the Garigliano Plain. In addition, a tephra layer has been detected at −14.50 m of depth (i.e. 13.50 m a.s.l.) in the northernmost core. This layer has been 40Ar/39Ar dated at 124.5 ± 0.5 ka. In the upper part of the same drill core, deposits interpreted as lagoonal-swamp facies have been recognized. On the basis of 14C dating, we can attribute the starting stage of such a sedimentation to the effects induced by the Post-glacial sea-level rise at about 8000 yr BP. These chronological constraints permitted us to obtain from the paleoecological, palynological, and granulometric analyses of the sampled successions helpful and precise information about sea-level changes along that coastal belt.

Many coastlines around the world are subsiding, often due to tectonic causes. In tectonically active areas, the exploitation of natural resources has caused acceleration of subsidence rates. In these cases, it is difficult to separate the many different components of the subsidence process. We try to fill this gap, using both remote sensing data and geological evidence, in an area located in southern Italy (Sele River plain) and characterized by the presence of both human activities and natural processes. The coastal sector of the Sele plain shows a complex subsidence pattern, as testified by Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PS InSAR) data related to a period of about two decades (1992–2010), that we put in correlation with stratigraphical data from both outcrops and boreholes (ca. 250). The Quaternary infill of the coastal sectors of the plain is not laterally isotropic and homogeneous because of the presence of layers of clastic sediments with different degrees of compaction. Dunal and beach sands, back-ridge (lagoonal and palustrine) silty clays, palaeosols and thick peaty layers are the main facies of this sedimentary prism. The back-ridge depressions hosted palustrine and marshy environments and were artificially drained in the last centuries. The main output of the PS- InSAR analysis is a map of vertical ground deformation (VGD), which has been a useful tool to understand the causes of the subsidence process if combined with geological data from field and boreholes. In fact, the overlay of the SAR interferometry VGD map with the geomorphological and stratigraphical features shows that the subsidence is higher in the northern sector of the plain, where the Quaternary alluvial-coastal deposits are thicker because of the structural asymmetry of the graben. The maximum subsidence rate, however, can be observed in the central part of the plain, in correspondence of the Sele, Tusciano and Picentino river mouths and in the coastal belt. This could be related to the thickness of loose sediments (>20 m) and to the presence of still compacting clay-rich sediments. In the southernmost sector the rates are the lowest recorded in the plain due to the minor thickness of Holocene deposits and to the presence of very thick sedimentary bodies of travertine. The understanding of subsidence patterns may represent a basic tool for future studies about the assessment of the coastal inundation hazard and related risk mitigation in the Sele River plain. Such a tool may reinforce the methodological approach to risk assessment in similar morphological settings.

Dans le cadre du programme sur « Arpi. Formes et vie d’une cité italiote » que conduit depuis 2014 le Centre Jean Bérard en collaboration avec l’Université de Salerne et la SABAP de Foggia, les recherches ont porté en 2017 et 2018 sur l’ensemble des fouilles réalisées à l’occasion des grands travaux effectués sur le site de 1969 à 1992. Il s’agit, d’une part, de la construction du tronçon Bologne-Canosa de l’Autoroute Adriatica A14, d’autre part, de l’implantation, à partir des années 80, d’un réseau d’irrigation pour le compte du Consorzio per la bonifica della Capitanata. Cette dernière a abouti à la découverte, le 19 mars 1992, de la mosaïque « des Lions et des Panthères ». Un des enjeux de ces deux dernières années était de procéder à la cartographie encore jamais réalisée des vestiges mis au jour par le creusement des tranchées SAFAB et d’évaluer le type d’informations que la distribution des tombes pouvait fournir, comme à Gioia del Colle par exemple, sur l’organisation de la ville, tant du point de vue topographique que chronologique. Avec celle des domus, la topographie des nécropoles constitue en effet, comme le soulignait E. Greco en 1996, un des phénomènes les plus significatifs de la structuration de cette grande agglomération. Le croisement des informations fournies par l’emplacement des tombes, leur chronologie, leur typologie et leur mobilier complète les connaissances sur les transformations urbaines et sociales. À défaut de nouvelles fouilles, ces données précisent l’organisation de l’espace urbain en aidant à replacer le quartier d’habitation de Montarozzi dans l’histoire du site. Deux missions, en décembre 2017 et en juillet 2018, ont permis de traiter la documentation d’archive et le mobilier afin de mettre à jour la base de données sur les découvertes réalisées à Arpi.

International audience; Phaistos was one of the most important Minoan palaces in Crete and previous studies have addressed its relationship with the paleo-seashore position during historical times. Here, we reconstruct the environmental evolution of Phaistos from Early Minoan to Roman times. Study of two stratigraphic sections and nine boreholes drilled in the westernmost part of the Messara Plain has revealed the stratigraphy of the Mid-to Late-Holocene sediments. Laboratory analyses comprise granulometry, magnetic susceptibility measurements and identification of mollusks, diatoms and pollen grains. Eighteen radiocarbon dates provide a robust chronostratigraphy. In addition, a geophysical survey (electric resistivity tomography (ERT) method) was conducted to reveal the sub-surface morphology in the coring area. The results reveal that a freshwater lake existed from ca. 2100-2000 BC to ca. 1200-1100 BC, which subsequently became swampland until ca. 700 BC. A lake retreat is identified at ca. 1200-1000 BC and can be interpreted as resulting from the 3.2 cal kyr BP rapid climate change (RCC) dry event, observed elsewhere in the Eastern Mediterranean. Subsequently, from the 7th to the 5th century BC, there was the input of detrital material and fluvial dynamics prevailed until at least Roman times. The origin of the lake and its disappearance are discussed in the context of regional climate change and local tectonic activity, without excluding possible human influences. We also reconstruct the vegetation history for the period from the Late Minoan to the Early Archaic period. Pollen analysis reveals a Mediterranean maquis landscape dominated by Olea, together with hygrophilous vegetation, and highlights a clear transition from limnic to swampy environmental conditions around 1100 BC. The pollen sequence is also important for assessing the impact of the 3.2 cal. kyr BP RCC event and for assessing the possibility of an abrupt discontinuity in human activity around Phaistos after the demise of the Minoan Civilization.

This paper presents the results of the geological and geomorphological investigation carried out during the first level seismic microzonation project in the Isernia Province territory. The study area falls in one of the most seismically active areas of the Apennine chain and it has been struck, in historical times, by destructive earthquakes that caused several causalities and diffuse damages to the buildings. The analysis points out the occurrence of geological features that can determine possible site amplification phenomena related to areas with extensive outcrops of thick continental deposits or to unstable areas (both covering about 48% of the investigated areas). The latter are sometimes combined with geomorphological features such as scarps, isolated peaks, and ridges that are also responsible for possible site amplification. In addition, a susceptibility to local seismic amplification index has been introduced which highlights that more than 64% of the investigated area, along with a significant percentage of buildings, fall within the highest categories of susceptibility to local seismic amplification.

The present study focuses on the morphotectonic evolution of the axial portion of the Southern Apennine chain between the lower Calore River valley and the northern Camposauro mountain front (Campania Region). A multidisciplinary approach was used, including geomorphological, field-geology, stratigraphical, morphotectonic, structural, Ar-40/Ar-39 and tephrostratigraphical data. Results indicate that, from the Lower Pleistocene onwards, this sector of the chain was affected by extensional tectonics responsible for the onset of the sedimentation of Quaternary fluvial, alluvial fan and slope deposits. Fault systems are mainly composed of NW-SE, NE-SW and W-E trending strike-slip and normal faults, associated to NW-SE and NE-SW oriented extensions. Fault scarps, stratigraphical and structural data and morphotectonic indicators suggest that these faults affected the wide piedmont area of the northern Camposauro mountain front in the Lower Pleistocene-Upper Pleistocene time span. Faults affected both the oldest Quaternary slope deposits (Laiano Synthem, Lower Pleistocene) and the overlying alluvial fan system deposits constrained between the late Middle Pleistocene and the Holocene. The latter are geomorphologically and chrono-stratigraphically grouped into four generations, I generation: late Middle Pleistocene-early Upper Pleistocene, with tephra layers Ar-40/Ar-39 dated to 158 +/- 6 and 113 +/- 7 ka; II generation: Upper Pleistocene, with tephra layers correlated with the Campanian Ignimbrite (39ka) and with the slightly older Campi Flegrei activity (Ar-40/Ar-39 age 48 +/- 7 ka); III generation: late Upper Pleistocene-Lower Holocene, with tephra layers correlated with the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (15ka); IV generation: Holocene in age. The evolution of the first three generations was controlled by Middle Pleistocene extensional tectonics, while Holocene fans do not show evidence of tectonic activity. Nevertheless, considering the moderate to high magnitude historical seismicity of the study area, we cannot rule out that some of the recognized faults may still be active. Copyright (c) 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Despite its small area, the Molise region is characterized by a high geodiversity and a considerable geological heritage, as highlighted by the recently completed regional geosite inventory. Especially its western, prevailingly mountainous portion is very rich in geosites and one of the most interesting sectors is the Alto Molise area which is characterized by a high tourism potential due especially to its considerable natural and cultural heritage. In order to valorize and promote the geological heritage of the Alto Molise area and contribute to the development of a sustainable and qualified tourism in Molise region, we have developed five geotourist itineraries. These itineraries, two of them will be presented in this paper, allow the integrated visit of selected geosites and valuable natural and cultural sites, and are illustrated by specific informative material (itinerary maps, cards, etc.) so as to be enjoyable even by a non-scientific audience. The proposed integrated exploitation of geological, natural and cultural heritage may provide a valid model also for the promotion of the geological heritage of other sectors of the Molise region.

Le programme triennal conduit par le Centre Jean Bérard et l’Université de Salerne, en collaboration avec la Surintendance des Pouilles, sur la ville d’Arpi (prov. Foggia), est entré en 2017 dans une phase conclusive. Pour le volet de l’étude topographique, stratigraphique et matérielle confié au Centre Jean Bérard, la préparation de la rédaction de la monographie a nécessité des vérifications et des études complémentaires sur l’aire de l’ONC 28 avec une attention particulière à la stratigraphie et au matériel mis au jour en 1997, lors de la quatrième et dernière campagne de fouilles qui portait sur l’extension sud de la domus. La reprise de ce dossier a permis de préciser les phases d’aménagement, d’occupation et d’abandon du secteur méridional et de les rattacher à celles du reste de la maison des « Lions et des Panthères », depuis la seconde moitié du IIIe siècle jusqu’à la fin du IIe siècle av. n. è., d’achever l’inventaire et l’étude de la céramique et de compléter l’analyse du système décoratif de l’habitat (ONC28 et 29).Le Centre Jean Bérard a été également associé au second volet du programme pour l’étude du matériel provenant des prospections. L’enquête d’archéologie des paysages confiée à l’Université de Salerne en collaboration avec l’Université du Molise et du laboratoire IMAA du CNR a, quant à elle, été étendue sur le terrain grâce à une approche archéomorphologique, géomorphologique et géophysique et à des prospections pédestres, avec la collaboration de l’Université de Foggia. L’objectif était non seulement d’acquérir de nouvelles données dans la continuité du programme lancé l’année précédente, en particulier autour de la masseria Menga, mais aussi de vérifier sur le terrain les traces identifiées sur les photos aériennes. Ces quatre types de prospections conduites à l’échelle du territoire, du site, des quartiers et des maisons visaient à mieux définir les contraintes, les ressources et l’évolution du paysage au sein duquel s’est développé ce phénomène urbain de très grande envergure et encore difficile à cerner sur l’ensemble de l’espace limité par l’agger. Elles ouvrent en outre de nouvelles perspectives sur l’impact d’une telle évolution sur l’environnement. Ces recherches ont donné lieu à plusieurs contributions dans des séminaires et des colloques internationaux. Deux synthèses d’étape sur l’ensemble du projet ont été présentées dans un séminaire à Paris (Paris 1/INHA, Olivier De Cazanove et Alain Duplouy 20/04/17) et au colloque international de l’Università di Macerata Dalla ricerca archeologica alla pianificazione del territorio 20/05/17), tandis que les nouvelles données sur la production de vases à figures rouges d’Arpi ont fait l’objet d’une contribution au colloque du Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum organisé à Berlin, Inszenierung von Identitäten. Unteritalische Vasen zwischen Griechen und Indigenen (27/10/16) et qu’un projet de partenariat avec le Musée national de la Céramique de Sèvres sur les savoir-faire antiques et modernes autour de la céramique italiote été proposé lors de la Journée d’étude sur l’archéologie funéraire en Italie méridionale (Paris, INHA, 24-25/03/17).Ces résultats n’ont pu être atteints que grâce à la complémentarité des expériences et des compétences réunies par la Surintendance des Pouilles, puis de Foggia, du Centre Jean Bérard et de l’Université de Salerne. Nous remercions chaleureusement le Surintendant archéologique de la Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le Province di Barletta, Andria, Trani e Foggia, Simonetta Bonomi, d’avoir accueilli favorablement notre projet de recherches et de nous accorder son soutien. Les missions d’études de la documentation de fouilles et du mobilier ont été conduites à Foggia sous la responsabilité de Priscilla Munzi et de Claude Pouzadoux avec la collaboration de Florence Monier, Luca Basile, Marcella Leone, Macarena Enriquez de Salamanca Alcon et Giusi Stelo pour le Centre Jean Bérard, de Jessica Elia pour l’Université de Salerne, et sous la responsabilité d’Italo M. Muntoni, avec la collaboration du personnel du Centro Operativo per l’Archeologia della Daunia, Massimo Marchesino, Salvatore Patete, Alfredo Pilone, Franco Racano, Agata Santoro, Vito Soldani et Giuseppe Vigliano.Les missions de prospections pédestres et géophysiques ont été conduites sous la responsabilité d’Alfonso Santoriello du Dipartimento di Scienze del Patrimonio Culturale de l’Università degli Studi di Salerno, en collaboration avec Vincenzo Amato du Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio de l’Università del Molise et d’Enzo Rizzo, de l’Istituto di Metodologie per l’Analisi Ambientale (CNR-IMAA, Tito Scalo, Potenza). Pour les prospections pédestres, aux activités sur le terrain ont participé : A. Santoriello, V. Amato, A. Terribile, J. Elia, T. Marino, P. Locascio (DISPAC, Università di Salerno), G. Savino (Università di Foggia) en collaboration avec le Dipartimento di Topografia antica dell’Università di Foggia, sous la responsabilité de M.L. Marchi ; pour les prospections géophysiques aux activités sur le terrain ont participé : E. Rizzo, L. Capozzoli, G. De Martino, F. Perciante (CNR-IMAA, Tito Scalo, Potenza). Les activités de télédetection ont été dirigées par Salvatore Barba (DICIV - Università di Salerno). Les missions à Foggia et sur le terrain à Arpi ont été conduites grâce à l’aide financière du Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires Étrangères, de l’École française de Rome et de la Fondazione Banca del Monte de Foggia.

The city of Benevento in the southern Apennines is located on a Pleistocene fluvial terrace almost entirely bordered by rivers. Its ancient history of human settlements dates back to the Samnitic age (fifth to third centuries B.C.). The urban landscape witnessed extensive transformation, especially during the Roman (fourth century B.C.–sixth century A.D.) and Longobard (6th–10th centuries A.D.) periods, largely as a result of destructive earthquakes and massive floods. As a consequence, large portions of the modern town were built on deep stratified archeological deposits that partially preserve the remains of previous settlements. In order to improve and expand our knowledge of the buried archaeological heritage of this town, archaeo-stratigraphic data were integrated into a geographic information system format and database, the latter further supplemented by a detailed geomorphological study. This new dataset enabled a reassessment of the Benevento subsurface along with its archaeological assets, shedding new light on the archaeological potential of the urban area. Finally, a more reliable map of hidden cultural resources was developed, thus providing a useful tool for more suitable urban planning and project designs to help guide renovation of urban infrastructure.

This paper concerns the reconstruction of the main stages of the long-term landscape evolution of the Molise portion of the central-southern Apennines along a transect divided into three sectors (SW, Central and NE). Analysis mainly focused on geomorphological, stratigraphical and structural data supported by chronological constraints, coming from an overall review of past literature and several studies carried out by the authors of the paper during the last 20 years. The results obtained allowed the elaboration of a conceptual model of the long-term evolution of the Molise sector of the central-southern Apennines. Starting from the Pliocene, the emersion of the Molise area occurred gradually from SW to NE, allowing a polycyclic landscape to evolve under the major controls first of compression then transtensional to extensional tectonics as well as climatic variations. Principal markers of the Quaternary geomorphological evolution of the Molise area are represented by the infill successions of the intermontane tectonic depressions located in its internal, SW sector and by four orders of palaeosurfaces that developed between the Early Pleistocene and the beginning of the Late Pleistocene across the region. These markers testify to the alternation of phases of substantial tectonic stability and uplift whose spatial-temporal distribution could be assessed along the investigated transect. Results highlight that the most important stages of landscape evolution occurred during the Early and Middle Pleistocene. At the beginning of the Late Pleistocene, the Molise sector of the Apennine chain had already reached its present setting and further landscape evolution occurred under the major control of climate and land-use.

An integrated investigation including geological, geomorphological, geophysical and structural survey, tephra analyses, 14C and 40Ar/39Ar dating, as well as paleoseismic trenching along the N-Matese fault system is presented. The study allowed the characterization of the tectonic mobility of this structure as well as the associated Bojano basin sedimentary-tectonic evolution since the early Middle Pleistocene, providing also new clues concerning the fault historical activity and the associated Mw > 6.5 earthquakes. We have found lines of evidence for > 1 mm/yr slip rate along the presently buried Bojano fault during the mid Middle Pleistocene, and similar rates for the main fault segments paralleling the Matese flanks. The buried Bojano fault significantly slowed down during the last 300 kyr, ceasing its activity before the Holocene. In turn, the segments outcropping along the Matese flanks reactivated at the onset of Late Pleistocene, after a long period of quiescence (480–110 ka), with robust slip rates that would seem even accelerating in post LGM times. Paleoseismic data suggest the occurrence of four Mw > 6.6 earthquakes in the past 3 ka, three of which match the little known 280 BC event, and the devastating 1456 and 1805 earthquakes. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.

Depuis 2014, et pour trois ans, le Centre Jean Berard s’est engage, aux cotes de l’Universita degli Studi di Salerno, et sous la supervision de la Surintendance archeologique des Pouilles, avec l’etroite collaboration du Centro Operativo per l’Archeologia della Daunia de Foggia, dans un programme de recherches sur le site de l’antique Arpi. Sont presentes dans les pages suivantes les enjeux du projet ainsi qu’un resume des resultats preliminaires issus des missions de documentation et des etu...