58 research outputs found
Settlement and metallurgic activity: the case of Sesto Fiorentino (Florence) in the context of Central Italy
No full textGli Autori presentano una sintesi delle ricerche sulla prima metallurgia in Toscana, basandosi sui risultati delle indagini condotte in area Fiorentina e nel territorio livornese, dove da tempo opera l’Università di Siena. Il focus del contributo riguarda le ricadute dell'introduzione della metallurgia nella vita quotidiana. Nella prima metà del IV millennio a.C. (cronologia calibrata). la prima metallurgia si inserisce nella tradizione tardoneolitica, che è formativa della prima età del Rame. In queste
aree la prima tecnologia del rame sembra far parte di stimoli innovative collegati anche ai contatti a lunga distanza
Chert exploitation and circulation in eastern Lombardy (Northern Italy): a diachronic overview through prehistory
No full textThis work focuses on the Eastern Lombardy Prealps (central Southern Alps), including the Brescia and Bergamo provinces. Knappable lithic raw materials are represented by cherts and radiolarites which are quite common in the Jurassic-Cretaceous sedimentary series. Tectonics played an important role for the preservation of good chert outcrops. Several prehistoric sites are located not far away from the primary lithic sources; in particular we have identified three main areas with good outcrops. South-north mobility along the main valleys is highlighted by the raw materials displacements from the outcrops, situated at the mouth of the valleys, to the north. The Palaeolithic record of the area is very poor. Mousterian sites are generally located near the outcrops. An Epigravettian site is situated far away from the primary sources in the mid-mountain easily accessible by valley routes. A greater mobility is documented in the Mesolithic when also extra-regional cherts (western Trentino) were introduced in the sites. In the Brescia district, starting from the Neolithic and during the Copper age, we observe an increase in the import of very good chert types from the Baldo/Lessini area for specific purposes together with the exploitation of the local resources for domestic use
Microscopic techniques (LM, SEM) and a multi-analytical approach (EDX, FTIR, GC/MS, Py-GC/MS) to characterise the decoration technique of the wooden ceiling of the House of the Telephus Relief in Herculaneum (Italy)
No full textThe House of the Telephus Relief in Herculaneum (Naples, Italy) is a Roman domus, buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. The house had a wooden roof with decorated ceiling, which was discovered in 2009. The roof represents an extraordinary archaeological find and, although it was found mainly disassembled, some of its wooden decorative panels are still almost intact. Some portions of the original polychrome decoration and traces of gilding are still preserved.Within the framework of the Herculaneum Conservation Project, a diagnostic study was undertaken to characterise the materials used in the polychrome decoration and to assess the technique used by Roman painters to decorate the ceiling.Micro samples (c. 500. μg) of paint were analysed with a multi-analytical approach. The micro-morphological characterisation of the pigments and the paint stratigraphy was assessed using light (LM) and scanning electron microscopes (SEM). X-ray microanalysis (EDX) coupled with SEM and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used to investigate the inorganic components. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) were used to identify the binding media and other organic materials. The nature of the sediment, where the findings had been embedded, was also investigated.The acquired data revealed that a tempera painting has been applied. Egg was used as binder, whereas lime, red and yellow ochre, and caeruleum were used as white, red, yellow and blue pigments, respectively. The paint was directly applied onto the wood surface. Some decorations involved the application of gold leaf: unfortunately, no trace of the mordant or adhesives was found. The results also highlighted some issues related to the state of preservation of the artefact, thus contributing to the planning of conservation strategies
Le risorse litiche della Lombardia Occidentale: formazioni geologiche, modalità di acquisizione e circuiti di approvvigionamento tra Paleolitico e Neolitico
No full textWestern Lombardy is a relatively homogeneous territory, both from a physiogeographic and a
morpho-structural point of view and it is characterized, all along the Prealps, by a general abundance
of flint-bearing geological formations, which very often contains high-quality lithic raw materials.
In spite of this very promising scenario for lithic raw material analysis, most of the previous
researches paid little attention to the cultural implications of the circulation of lithic materials in
prehistoric times. At the same time, in some cases the non-systematic nature of the previous
researches led to a general underestimation of the importance of the lithic resources of this area when
compared to other better known regions (ex. Veneto, Trentino).
Preliminary data collected by two distinct research groups, one active in the provinces of Como and
Lecco and the other in the area of the Varese lakes2, allowed to outline a first synthetic picture of the
various Jurassic-Cretaceous flint-bearing formations. These show some lateral variations in the two
areas investigated, which has to be related to the paleotopography of this sector of the Lombardy
Basin, characterized by differentiated deep basins and pelagic structural highs, bounded by
synsedimentary faults that ruled facial distribution
e risorse litiche scheggiabili delle Prealpi della Lombardia centro-orientale : primi dati per una caratterizzazione degli areali di approvvigionamento delle materie prime usate durante la preistoria
No full textAbstract - The Lombardian Prealps belong to
the Central part of the Southern Alps. Since the lower Jurassic this area, as gen-
erally the whole Southalpine, characterizes for an articulated morphology of the
substratum, with uplifted elements (platforms, plateaus) and adjacent basins, as a
consequence of the rifting and distension (faulting) caused by the opening of the
Piedmont-Ligurian Ocean (Alpine Tethys) between the Eurasian and African conti-
nental blocks. The study area belongs to the Lombardian Basin which was confined
by the Trento (east) and the Canavese (west) plateaus. The sedimentary evolution on
the submarine paleo highs and bottom basins followed different dynamics, thus ef-
fecting differences in the sedimentary series. Consequently, the siliceous sediments
and cherts, which are common in both areas, show different features. Finally, the
post-depositional events affected the preservation (erosion) and integrity (local tec-
tonics) of cherts in the different paleo domains. The Trento Plateau cherts and their
outcrops are quite well known as they have been the object of many specific and re-
gional studies during the last twenty years, describing the exceptional petrographic
suitability (in terms of lithic technology) of these materials. On the contrary the
Lombardian cherts have been poorly studied and they are almost unknown from a
petrographic point of view. Most of the literature regarding the Lombardian prehis-
toric collections considers the Trento Plateau cherts highly represented among the
lithic assemblages, even if this evidence has never been supported by specific stud-
ies. We can state that the potential value of the eastern Lombardian cherts has cer-
tainly been underestimated right now. Our work, linked to detailed research in the
region, aims to increase the knowledge on lithic raw materials from Central-Eastern
Lombardian Prealps to better understand their exploitation and circulation during
the Prehistory. The lithic industries of some key-sites, from Middle Palaeolithic to
Bronze Age have been grouped and classified on the basis of petrographic analysis;
the archaeological collections were then compared with the geological samples col-
lected in several field excursions in the Brescia and Bergamo districts. Although
our study is still in progress, we consider the achieved results to be very important
to outline the chert exploitation dynamics during the Prehistory in the Lombardian
area but also in the wider Po-Alpine region. The new data allow to hypothesize both
what role the exploitation of local resources could have played in the economy of
the sites and what were the criteria of selecting the different materials. In a more
general perspective these outcomes provide new insight in order to reconstruct the
human groups mobility, to interpret sites function and lithic raw materials procure
Characterization of calcium carbonate nanoparticles with architectural application for the consolidation of Pietraforte
No full textLaboratory-synthesized CaCO3 nanoparticles and their nanodispersion
in 1,4-butanediol as a working medium have been first characterized
and then tested on the surface of Pietraforte stone that
forms the cladding of the bell tower of San Lorenzo. Both CaCO3
nanoparticles and their nanodispersion in 1,4-butanediol were characterized
in the church in Florence, Italy by X-ray diffraction, thermal
analysis, Raman, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning
electron microscopy (SEM)/energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy,
and transmission electron microscopy/EDX spectroscopy.
The Pietraforte sample surface, before and after CaCO3 nanodispersion
treatments, was characterized by comparison of the porosity
and specific surface area, capillary absorption, and surface hardness.
An ultrastructural morphological investigation by SEM was also carried
out, confirming and implementing the effective dynamics of the
nanodispersion action. Lastly, differences in stone optical appearance
before and after treatment were evaluated by colorimetric measurements.
Considering the obtained results of the study, we conclude
that CaCO3 nanodispersion in 1,4-butanediol is an effective restorative
agent that prevents water infiltration in the stone, reduces stone
disruption, and promotes its consolidation without altering its
appearance. Finally, the long-lasting stability of the CaCO3 nanodispersion
at ambient conditions makes it suitable for production and
commercialization
Il sito neolitico di Scandicci – via Deledda (Firenze)
No full textIl sito neolitico di Via Deledda, scavato con un intervento di recupero nell’autunno 2002, è posto al margine sud-occidentale della piana alluvionale del bacino Firenze-Prato-Pistoia. L’evidenza emersa documenta una struttura d’uso, recuperata solo in parte, ricavata in terreno limo-argilloso. I reperti tra i quali sono presenti ceramiche, rara industria litica e resti faunistici provengono tutti da un acciottolato di base e permettono di riferire il complesso al Neolitico recente. Tale attribuzione è confermata da due datazioni radiometriche. In accordo con i caratteri espressi dalle produzioni recenti del Neolitico, a via Deledda compaiono aspetti formali riferiti agli ambiti di Ripoli /S. Maria in Selva e Ripoli/Fossacesia, di “Diana”, del VBQ o del Midi francese.
Vengono qui presentati i risultati delle analisi geo-pedologiche, archeobotaniche, archeozoologiche e sugli impasti ceramici
The production of terra sigillata in Arezzo, Central Italy: an archaeometric investigation
No full textThis work deals with the archaeometric investigation on 25 fragments of terra sigillata (red-coated ceramic ware and moulds) found in the city of Arezzo, Tuscany (central Italy), and attributed to several important workshops from the first century BCE to the second century CE. Optical and spectroscopic techniques were used to analyse both the ceramic bodies and the red slips. All the potsherds showed a very fine-grained ceramic body, sharing similar mineralogical composi- tions, mainly consisting in quartz, plagioclase, pyrox- ene, hematite, K-feldspars, and illite/muscovite. The mineralogical data suggest that both the red-coated wares and the moulds were produced using the same calcareous-illitic clay and fired under oxidising condi- tions at temperatures between 850°C and 1000°C. A K-rich illitic clay with a Fe content around 10–15% (in wt%) was used to elaborate the slips. Al-substituted hematite was found in red slips by micro-Raman spec- troscopy. Comparison of the chemical data with terra sigillata from other important production areas in Italy and from other regions of the Meditteranean Sea, allowed to define that the studied samples, locally pro- duced in Arezzo, differ systematically from all others, although they show similarities with nearby Pisan pro- ductions as well as those Puteolan
Produzioni etrusche in ‘pietra fetida’ nell’Etruria settentrionale: materie prime e loro provenienza
No full textGli scavi di numerosi siti etruschi della Toscana
sud-orientale hanno restituito sculture funerarie
realizzate con un particolare tipo di calcare tenero
chiamato ‘pietra fetida’ a causa del caratteristico odore
che essa rilascia quando viene percossa. La mancanza
di informazioni di dettaglio sulle ragioni per le quali
gli Etruschi abbiano frequentemente utilizzato questa
pietra, e sulle potenziali aree estrattive della stessa,
hanno suggerito uno studio petrografico di questa
roccia che ne chiarisca la natura ed i possibili luoghi
di estrazione.
La ‘pietra fetida’ è una roccia calcarea tenera,
porosa e leggera, di colore beige e grana finissima,
caratteri che ne permettono un facile riconoscimento.
La sua originaria deposizione sarebbe da collocarsi
nella Toscana meridionale durante la fase di regressione
marina del Pliocene inferiore, in zone costiere
al limite tra l’ambiente marino e quello continentale.
Ciò sembra confermato dalla presenza di resti fossili
di organismi di acqua dolce o salmastra come Ostracodi
(Cyprideis) ed oogoni di Characeae . Questo
litotipo talvolta viene citato come ‘sasso porco’ o, più
impropriamente, come ‘tufo puzzolo’, ‘lapis suillus’,
‘stink stone’ ed infine ‘etruscite’ per l’ampio impiego
che ne fecero gli Etruschi per la realizzazione di
sculture, sarcofagi, cippi e urne cinerarie.
Nel secolo scorso studi geologici dedicati alla
stratigrafia e alla tettonica dei sedimenti pliocenici
della Toscana meridionale, hanno consentito di
individuare affioramenti di litotipi riconducibili
alla ‘pietra fetida’ variamente associati a lignite,
conglomerati, sabbie, argille e calcari organogeni,
nei pressi di Chiusi, Montefollonico, Petroio, San
Quirico d’Orcia e Pienza.
Proprio per le sue caratteristiche di resistenza e di
facile lavorabilità anche nei dettagli scultorei, questo
tipo di pietra è stata utilizzata per la realizzazione di
sculture anche di notevoli dimensioni; tra queste la
più nota è la Mater Matuta, conservata nel Museo
Archeologico Nazionale di Firenze. La ‘pietra fetida’
è stata utilizzata in gran parte per la realizzazione di
sarcofagi e di urnette, alcune delle quali decorate a
rilievo e spesso dipinte, mentre i materiali provenienti
da stratificazioni sottili, quindi non adatte a ricavarne
manufatti di grandi dimensioni, sono state usate per
realizzare piccoli oggetti, tra i quali numerose basi
per statuette in metallo.
Manufatti etruschi in ‘pietra fetida’ sono attestati
in una vasta area compresa tra Chiusi, Sarteano,
Chianciano Terme e Pienza, ma sono stati
rinvenuti anche in altri siti etruschi tra cui Murlo,
Montalcino, S. Quirico d’Orcia, S. Giovanni d’Asso
e Trequanda in provincia di Siena, oltre a quelle di
Cortona e Pieve a Socana in provincia di Arezzo
I materiali e la tecnica pittorica utilizzati nella decorazione del Sarcofago delle Amazzoni
No full textDurante il recente restauro del Sarcofago delle Amazzoni (IV sec. a.C.), rinvenuto a Tarquinia e attualmente conservato presso il Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Firenze, è stata realizzata un’indagine diagnostica diretta all’individuazione della tecnica pittorica utilizzata. Da questa indagine risulta che pittura consiste per lo più nell’applicazione a tempera del colore su una preparazione a base di cerussite. I risultati hanno portato a stabilire l’uso di pigmenti minerali naturali (ocra rossa, cinabro, goethite, cerussite) e artificiali (carbone vegetale e d’ossa o avorio, cuprorivaite) oltre a un colorante organico indigoide, la porpora
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