The protohistoric foundation of modern urban centers: microfossils evidence from underground deposits of two major cities in northern Italy

Archeological excavations in highly-urbanized centers shed light on underground deposits otherwise inaccessible. The multiproxy analysis of such deposits provides evidence on ancient pristine landscapes and on land use changes related to the foundation of proto-urban and urban centers. Here we present case studies from two major cities in northern Italy (Bergamo and Treviso), where archeological excavations recently provided the opportunity to sample and investigate both natural/semi-natural and anthropic stratigraphies. Pollen, fungal and pteridophytes spores, algae, charcoal fragments, fruits and seeds were analyzed to characterize the main paleoenvironmental features before, during and after the first evidence of the local development of protohistoric human settlements since the Bronze Age. We focused on morphological distinction of Poaceae pollen grains in order to characterize different types of cereal crops. The research carried out at Bergamo suggests that a proto-urban center already existed on the hill during the XIV century BC. Stable rural settlements with cereal cultivations and animal husbandry practices developed since the Late Bronze Age. Fluvial to marshy deposits discovered in the city center of Treviso allow regional and local landscapes to be reconstructed since the Middle Bronze Age and the transition to a fully-anthropic landscape with developed agro-pastoral activities reconstructed thanks to plant indicators of pastures and meadows, cultivations (cereals) and animal husbandry.