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Palynological approach to reconstruct cultural landscape evolution: case studies from South Italy
No full textThe joint botanical–archaeological research allows to improve the knowledge on environmental and landuse changes and to investigate transformations of plant landscapes at archaeological sites. In particular, archaeopalynology plays a key role in the full understanding of both past environmental history and human-environment relationships reconstruction. This paper presents the palynological research carried out in the Metaponto area, (Basilicata, South Italy), where many rural sites have been studied in order to reconstruct the origin and evolution of the current landscape. Pollen data bring evidence of the continuative human action that shaped the local vegetation into the modern agrarian landscape, whose onset is placed in the area about three thousand years ago
La pastorizia nell’economia e nel modellamento del paesaggio mediterraneo. Esempi da siti archeologici del sud Italia. In: Cambi F., De Venuto G., Goffredo R. (Eds.), Storia e Archeologia Globale 2. I pascoli, i campi, il mare. Paesaggi di altura e di pianura in Italia dall’Età del Bronzo al Medioevo, pp. 245-252. Edipuglia, Bari. ISBN: 9788872287750.
No full textInterdisciplinary researches including archaeological, historical and palynological investigations allow detailed reconstruction
of the Holocene environmental changes linked to human activities . Microscopic plant remains (pollen and non-pollen
palynomorphs-NPPs: algal and fungal spores and cysts, and other microfossils of biological origin) play key roles in
palaeoecological reconstruction. The combined evidence of pollen and NPPs from archaeological records is especially useful
in discriminating land uses and pastoral/breeding activities.
In pollen diagrams , the clearest signal for p astora lism is given by the abundance of plants reflecting a nimal breeding and
graz ing areas, such as daisy-family (Cichorieae and Asteroideae). In addition to these pollen pasture indicators, NPPs –
with special attention paid to dung-related fungi (e.g. Sordaria, Sporormiella, Podospora and Cercophora) – can be used
to assess the presence of past fauna, in particular herbivores. Altogether, the pasture indicators from palynological
investigations help to identify pastoral sites and routes otherwise not clear from the archaeological record alone.
Archaeological layers from sites dated from Hellenistic to Medieval periods in Basilicata (southern Italy) give a palynological
dataset that may be of key relevance for understanding the past pastoralism practised in the area in the las t 2500 years. 121
pollen samples were taken from small trenches, rooms or floors of houses, and spot samples. Data point to an open landscape
dominate d by pastures and cereal fields. Important evidence of pastoral farming rises from the joint record of pollen grazing
indicators and spores of coproph ilous fungi. This dataset highlight the pressure of pastoralism in the past and support the
idea of the importance of the ancient pasture farming a s a major agent of landscape transformation in this Mediterranean
region
Chapter 7. Archaeobotany at Fattoria Fabrizio. In: E. Lanza Catti, K. Swift, J.C. Carter (Eds.), The Chora of Metaponto 5: A Greek Farmhouse at Ponte Fabrizio, pp. 113-138. University of Texas Press, Austin. ISBN: 9780292758643.
No full textNatural and human environments are intimately interlaced on archaeological sites. Fattoria Fabrizio (4th-6th cent. BC; farmahouse in the chora of Metaponto, Basilicata, Southern Italy) is an excellent example of the continuous interaction between humans and environmental setting. Different types of land use can coexist, and their 'botanical traces', both micro- and macrobotanical remains, are recognizable in the same layers. Pollen and Non-Pollen Palynomorphs (NPPs) are especially useful in discerning these types of actions. The pollen samples of Fattoria Fabrizio were collected from two rooms of the farmhouse, and from a black-gloss kantharos found inside one of the two rooms. Pollen analyses showed evidence for cultivation and animal husbandry
The archaeobotanical research for the reconstruction of the cultural landscape of the Bradano valley and the Metapontine area (southern Italy).
No full textThe territory along the Bradano river (Basilicata region, southern Italy) is rich in archaeological sites belonging to different chronological phases and contexts (Hellenistic, Roman and Medieval period). This area is a good example of the continuous and long-time interaction between humans and environment that is at the base of the shaping of cultural landscapes in the Mediterranean basin.
In order to investigate environmental transformations that occurred under cultural pressure of the different people (Oenotrians, Greeks, Romans) who occupied this vast territory, archaeobotanical research has been carried out on samples collected from archaeological contexts, mainly farmhouses, places of worship and fortified settlements. Pollen and seeds/fruits were collected from 7 sites while charcoals or wood remains have not been found.
The low carpological assemblage found in samples collected from enclosed spaces gave only evidence of weeds and ruderals, and also some contamination from recent contexts was found. Contrarily, pollen was successfully extracted from archaeological layers and therefore the palynological investigations were suitable to obtain plant landscape reconstructions of this area.
A set of 121 pollen samples were taken from structures and layers of exposed sequences opened within the archaeological contexts. Pollen spectra describe a territory covered by open areas, with arid grasslands, scanty woodlands and presence of local wet environments. Clear signs of plant exploitation and cultivation, breeding and settlements were present in the sites.
The Oenotrian indigenous settlements were located in the hilly area along the Bradano river, and their economy was mainly based on grazing / breeding, and partly on cultivation of trees (olives) and cereal fields. Agricultural activity seems to have been more intensive in the estuary areas that was occupied by farmhouses of the Greek colonial system. Pollen spectra of Roman and Medieval sites delineate an open plant landscape with deciduous forest along fringe areas. High percentages of Poaceae and Cichorieae, together with coprophilous fungal spores, strongly suggest that pastoral activities were commonly performed and still represented the major economy.
Altogether, data suggest that this territory has been intensively exploited in the past, and human activities have produced the fairly xeric environment that has characterized this area until today. Therefore the current landscape may be truly considered the result of the intense exploitation that had occurred in the past
The History of Pastoral Activities in S Italy Inferred from Palynology: A Long-Term Perspective to Support Biodiversity Awareness
Full text linkThe present-day Mediterranean landscape is a result of the long-term
human–environment–climate interactions that have driven the ecological dynamics throughout
the Holocene. Pastoralism had (and still has) an important role in shaping this landscape, and
contributes to maintaining the mosaic patterns of the Mediterranean habitats. Palaeoecological
records provide significant multi-proxy data on environmental changes during the Holocene that
are linked to human activities. In such research, the palynological approach is especially useful for
detailing the complexity of anthropogenically-driven landscape transformations by discriminating
past land uses and pastoral/breeding activities. This paper focuses on the palynological evidence for
the impact of centuries of grazing on the vegetation of Basilicata, a region of southern Italy where
animal breeding and pastoralism have a long tradition. A set of 121 pollen samples from eight
archaeological sites (dated from the 6th century BC to the 15th century AD) and five modern surface
soil samples were analyzed. The joint record of pollen pasture indicators and spores of coprophilous
fungi suggests that continuous and intense pastoral activities have been practiced in the territory
and have highly influenced its landscape. The palaeoecological results of this study provide us
with better knowledge of the diachronical transformations of the habitats that were exposed to
continuous grazing, with a shift toward more open vegetation and increase of sclerophyllous shrubs.
The palynological approach gives insights into the vocation and environmental sustainability of this
southern Italy region on a long-term basis
Archaeobotanical Analysis
No full textIn the framework of the multidisciplinary analysis carried out at Sant’Angelo Vecchio, a rural settlement located in territory of Metaponto (Basilicata, Southern Italy), the archaeobotanical investigation contributes to a better understanding of the economy of the site and helps to reconstruct the plant landscape of the area during the Hellenistic period. Twenty-eight samples from four pollen sequences and one surface soil sample were selected for pollen analysis in accordance with the archaeological contexts. The 29 pollen samples have been treated according to the routine method in use in the laboratory at the University of Modena. The pollen spectra from the series show some signs of natural environments and considerable evidence of the presence of houses/walls, cultivation, and breeding/pastoral activities near the site. Analyses have shown an intense use of the territory surrounding the site, especially for pastoral or breeding activities. Cultivations of cereal fields would have been made fairly far from the site, while woody plants were only sparingly cultivated. Among them, only some unextended olive groves were present at that time, while vineyards were possibly cultivated near some houses. The most striking feature of the past economy of the site—pastoral practices—has already transformed the landscape into a shrub land where Mediterranean shrubs were well developed after continuous grazing action by herbivores. The pollen data suggest that the exploitation of the territory was more diversified in the past than at present, where the plant diversity seems to have been reduced by a less intense and less varied typology of exploitation. In the past, the more frequent human presence allowed the landscape to be a mosaic of habitats, as fragmentation is among the effects of human action
Appendix D. Archaeobotanical Analyses: Pollen, NPPs and seeds/fruits.
No full textThe archaeobotanical investigation on selected samples of Fattoria Fabrizio (6th-4th cent. BC, Chora of Metaponto, Southern Italy) was carried out with the primary aim of improving knowledge of the past flora of the area and focusing on plant growing in and around the site. The sampling strategy, laboratory treatments, and analytical tables resulting from analyses of pollen, NPPs, seeds and fruits has enabled a reconstruction of the archaeoenvironment and the agrarian context of Fattoria Fabrizio
BRAIN Database: a shared research collection for effective and multifaceted outreach of Italian Archaeobotany
No full textThis paper provides an overview of BRAIN - Botanical Records of Archaeobotany Italian Network, a unique and
large research network in which plant micro- and macro- remains are collected in the same database, and to which
different experts can contribute. BRAIN aims at sharing the archaeobotanical studies carried out in archaeological
sites and human-influenced off-sites located in Italy and some Mediterranean countries. Since 2014, hundreds of
archaeobotanical metadata have been entered in BRAIN; the database reports lists of sites, their location, culture,
archaeological contexts, and how many types of botanical analyses have been performed in research studies since
the 1980ies. The compilation of the great wealth of archaeobotanical data from both peer-reviews scientific journals
and grey literature improves our knowledge on plant-human interaction during pre-historical and historical times,
and increases the impact of archaeobotanical research on recent issues such as environmental sustainability, biodiversity, nature conservation under global change. In this regard, particular attention is being paid to the long-term
human-environment dynamics based on floristic data by BRAIN within the ‘National Biodiversity Future Center’
for biodiversity management and conservation planning. Plants are at the heart of BRAIN, as a paramount element
related not only to nature but also to the cultural, social, technical, and symbolic realms in which humans are embedded. The vast set of data collected in BRAIN presents archaeobotany as a self-informative science; whether through
searching a catalogue of sites and plants, their chronology and location, this reference database aims to increase
awareness of the role of plants in human life.
Abstract implemented under the NRRP, Mission 4 Comp.2 Inv.1.4—Call for tender No.313816122021, rectified
by Decree n.3175 of 18.12.2021 of Italian MUR funded by Next Generation EU. Project code CN_00000033,
Concession Decree No.1034 of 17.06.2022 adopted by MUR, CUP E93C22001090001, Project title “National
Biodiversity Future Center — NBFC
Palynology of archaeological sites: the example of economy and human impact of the Metaponto area (6th-1st century BC)
No full textMost of the biological archives, including pollen, upon which past environmental reconstructions are based, responds to both climate change and human impact. The latter is clear and visible by definition in layers from archaeological sites thanks to the plant remains trapped in sediments.
The Metaponto area has been investigated by the Institute of Classical Archaeology of the University of Texas, under the direction of Prof. J.C. Carter.
Grazing / breeding and agricultural activities practised around the farmhouses of the Greek colonial system shaped the landscape. Open grasslands were surrounded by shrubby grasslands and a maquis, probably more extended than today, characterised this territory in the past
Dal polline nei sedimenti alla ricostruzione del paesaggio e dell’economia di Torre di Satriano
No full textIl lavoro presenta le indagini palinologiche condotte su campioni scelti provenienti dal sito archeologico di Torre di Satriano (Basilicata). le analisi polliniche forniscono le prime informazioni utili alla ricostruzione del paesaggio vegetale dell’area intorno al sito durante le fasi di VI sec. a.C. All’analisi del polline sono state affiancate analisi sugli indicatori biologici paleoambientali (NPPs - Non Pollen Palynomorphs), reperti microscopici che permettono una ricostruzione paleoambientale di dettaglio
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