187 research outputs found
Characterization of Bronze age pottery from the Grotte di Pertosa-Auletta (Italy): Results from the first analysis of organic lipid residues
No full textThe “Grotte di Pertosa-Auletta” are a karst cavity complex located in Pertosa (Salerno, Italy), that opens in the Tanagro valley with a large entrance, about 15 m wide and 17 m high, oriented towards the west. The caves are a very important prehistoric site because they preserve the remains of a pile-dwelling village dating back to the II millennium BC. Different types of ceramic finds, coming from the so-called “antegrotta”, have been selected and submitted to chemical investigations, with the aim of verifying the possible presence of organic residues and identifying their nature. Both Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) and the Gas Chromatography/Combustion/Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) have been used to identify lipids absorbed by the ceramics and to formulate hypotheses about artefact uses and functions. Most of the finds have shown the presence of lipids of animal origin: these are mixtures of lipids of ruminant and non-ruminant animals, while in a single sample the isotopic analyses have identified the presence of dairy/milk products. Data shed light on the use and the human activities of the cavity of the “Grotte di Pertosa-Auletta” during the Bronze Age, and they constitute one of the few examples in Italy of chemical analysis applied to the ceramic residues of similar archaeological contexts
A RADIOCARBON CHRONOLOGY FOR "GROTTE DI PERTOSA" IN CAMPANIA, SOUTHERN ITALY
No full textThe Pertosa Caves, today also known as the Pertosa-Auletta Caves, constitute an important karst system in the Campania region (southern Italy). Crossed by the waters of a river that re-emerges on the surface, they have an overall development of about 3 km. Thanks to the width of the entrance, the excellent location along a natural communication route through the mountains and the natural availability of water directly on the site, the initial part of the cavity was frequented by humans, without interruption, from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages. During the protohistory, in particular, the moment of most marked human presence is recorded in the cave. In this phase an extensive pile dwelling system was built on the waters of the underground river. The system was probably created to make the location, subject to frequent flooding, suitable for human settlement. This structure today constitutes an archaeological unicum not only in Italy but throughout Europe. We briefly analyze its general characteristics providing the results of a radiocarbon dating campaign which allowed to assess the occupation phases of the different contexts and the life span of the wooden artifacts, which came to us in a very good state of preservation. Radiocarbon data allowed to assess the chronological range of the human frequentation of the caves and to date the exceptionally well preserved underground pile dwelling system
Environmental education in the Cilento Geopark: ateliers and a book series at the "Grotte di Pertosa e Auletta" geosite
No full textAn integrated project on environmental education has been set up in the Cilento Geopark, based on the focal geosite “Grotte di Pertosa e Auletta”, through the development of ateliers and book series on the geosite and Karst systems, and on natural resources of the whole Geopark with their traditional uses.
The project targets geotourists visiting the geosite, school children and the local community.
The idea is to reinforce the identity of the local community, increasing awareness on the links between geo-heritage, natural resources and intangible heritage, and promote a more dynamic approach to understanding the whole ecosystem’s functions not only as a part of conservation but also as a tool for developing new activities.
The local municipalities of Pertosa and Auletta were involved in the project and ateliers and publications developed include:
Carsism and Speleogenesis
Speleology
Botany
Dyeing with local plants
Basket weaving
Composting and soil organic matter
Freshwater biology
Experimental archeolog
Hostility direction in eating disorders: a wartegg test study
No full textAssertiveness and direction of hostility have been studied in eating disorder patients with conflicting results: some studies did not show significant differences between anorexics and bulimics, while others found outward directed hostility in anorexic patients. Because of the interference of aggressiveness with therapeutic programs and of the influence of inward and outward hostility on psychopathological development, we studied hostility direction in anorexic and bulimic patients. We assessed 10 anorexic (age m:22; sd:6) and 10 bulimic (age m:28; sd:7) women by the wartegg projective method. Clinical groups were compared with a control group of 18 healthy subjects (age m:25; sd:6). ANOVA showed a significant difference between the control group and clinical groups on formal quality (p<0.05) of table V, and on affective quality (p<0.05), and formal quality (p<0.05) of table VI. Post Hoc analyses showed for table III (affective quality) a lower score of the bulimic group vs. the anorexic group (p<0.05) and the control group (p=0.07). For table V on formal quality, bulimic group had a lower score than the control group (p<0.01) and the bulimic group (p<0.05 and p=0.08). It seems that bulimic patients and few emotional and motivational resources, a lower level of future planning and a less adequate management of hostility control
Assertiveness, hostility direction and psychosexual state in eating disorders: A wartegg test study
No full textAssertiveness, hostility and psychosexual state were studied in 37 women: 10 anorexics, 10 bulimics and 17 controls by Wartegg projective Italian Institute Method. Evocative feature, affective and formal quality were coded on all 8 tables. ANOVAs show bulimics, vs. anorexic and control groups, dispose of few emotional and motivational resources, of a low level of future planning (Tab III, AQ: p< .05) and of an inadequate management of hostility control (Tab V, FQ: p< .05). Anorexics show difficulties on cognitive functions of truth examination (Tab VI, AQ, FQ: p< .05) and on psychosexual state (Tav II, FQ: p< .05)
Le 'Collationes oxonienses' sulla volontà. Analisi degli influssi dottrinali in un apocrifo scotiano.
No full textIl saggio prende in esame le inedite collationes attribuite a Duns Scoto e ne individua influenze delle dottrine francescane, ma anche domenicane, tipiche dei dibattiti ingelsi degli anni attorno al 1300
La povertà volontaria. Il tema della volontà nella controversia pauperistica ai tempi di Giovanni XXII
No full textPoiché spesso, e non senza ragione, si collega la teoria francescana della povertà con l'attenzione prevalente alla volontà sviluppata da molti teologi dell'Ordine dei Minori, il saggio indaga sul ruolo che il richiamo alla volontà svolge nella trattatistica, francescana e non, prodotta in occasione dell'"inchiesta" voluta da Giovanni XXII. Il risultato è interlocutorio, nel senso che se alcuni autori francescani insistono in questi testi sul tema della volontà, altri non lo fanno, mentre, d'altra parte, l'attenzione al tema travalica i confini dell'Ordine, e si ritrova anche in trattati non francescani
Bio- and geodiversity of vermiculations from Pertosa-Auletta Cave (southern Italy)
No full textCaves are largely unknown environments, hosting in their peculiar ecological niches a wide diversity of
extremophile microorganisms, highly specialized and adapted to the prohibitive conditions of caves (1). The role
of cave biota in the formation of enigmatic structures occurring in underground environments, like
vermiculations, is still largely unexplored (2). Vermiculations are thin, irregular and discontinuous deposits of
incoherent particles, commonly found on the walls and ceilings of natural or artificial caves, worldwide (3). They
show several kinds of morphology (dots, dendritic, hieroglyphic...), color (red, brown, grey, white) and size (4),
and are considered “life hotspots”, representing a valuable focus for scientists and researchers in the field of cave
microbiology.
The aim of this study, funded by MIdA Foundation (Italy), was to investigate the microbiological and physico-
chemical properties of vermiculations from Pertosa-Auletta Cave (Campania, southern Italy), in order to clarify
the mechanisms involved in their formation and to define the factors affecting their diversification. Indeed, the
understanding of biodiversity and genesis of vermiculations is a key step toward the protection and conservation
of these peculiar biosignatures.
Vermiculations from Pertosa-Auletta Cave, abundant in all the galleries, showed a considerable variety of
morphologies. Overall, X-ray diffraction analysis indicated calcite and quartz as the dominant minerals of
the 15 vermiculations studied, whereas clay minerals were almost absent. Elemental analysis showed wide
variations in C, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, N, Na, Ni, P, S, Ti, V, and Zn concentrations among
vermiculations. Applying the most innovative techniques in molecular biology, only Prokaryotes were observed.
In particular, 16S rRNA gene-specific next generation sequencing analysis showed that Proteobacteria (48.0%)
was the most abundant phylum in the Bacteria domain, followed by Acidobacteria (11.6%), Actinobacteria
(7.1%), Nitrospirae (5.8%), Firmicutes (4.3%), Planctomycetes (3.2%), Chloroflexi (1.9%), and Gemmatimonadetes
(1.1%). Archaea (0.1%) and a significant percentage of unclassified microorganisms (13.1%) were also observed.
Clustering analysis suggested that microbial communities dwelling in the deposits partially influence their
morphologies, likely mainly dependent on physico-chemical factors. Confocal laser scanning and field emission
scanning electron microscopy confirmed the presence of active microbial mats, suggesting they may have an
important role in the formation of vermiculations, throughout a number of processes, like production of organic
matter, precipitation of secondary minerals (e.g. biogenic calcite), enhancement of sediment trapping and
binding, etching or pitting of the host rock.
1) K. Tomczyk-Żak, U. Zielenkiewicz (2016) Geomicrobiology J., 33, 1-20
2) A. Bini, M. Cavalli Gori, S. Gori (1978) Int. J. Speleology, 10, 11-33
3) C.A. Hill, P. Forti (1997) Cave Minerals of the World. National Speleological Society, Ed. 2, 463 pp.
4) P. Parenzan (1961) Memoria Rassegna Speleologica Italiana, 5(2), 120-12
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