Tag: archaeobotany

Woodland use in the Early Middle Ages in Tyrrenian southern Tuscany

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The archaeo-anthracological analyses carried out in nEU-Med project laboratory in collaboration with Laboratorio di Storia della Vegetazione e Anatomia del Legno (Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Università di Napoli Federico II) have been completed and involved a sample of over 4000 charcoals from the archaeological site of Vetricella. The data acquired allow us to rewrite the history of vegetation and woodland use in the southern Tuscany between 8th and 13th centuries. The areas now occupied by Mediterranean evergreen vegetation (Fig.) were… Continue reading

The analysis of the carpological finds at Vetricella and the management of agricultural resources

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The discovery of botanical macro-remains like cereals, legumes and fruits in a number of excavation areas at the site of Vetricella (Scarlino, GR), pointed out the presence of activities related to the storage and use of agricultural resources. The analysis of these carpological finds continue jointly in the laboratories of the Department of Historical Sciences and Cultural Heritage of the University of Siena and of the Agricultural Department of the Federico II University of Naples (Fig.). The processing of the… Continue reading

The study of the anthracological finds discovered during the excavation campaign at Vetricella

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In collaboration with Vegetation Hystory and Wood Anatomy Lab (Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Università di Napoli Federico II), the  archaeobotanists return to work and resume their activities focusing on charcoals discovered during the archaeological excavation at Vetricella (Scarlino,GR). Microscopic analysis will allow us to recognize the plant species used as fuel and thus to describe the forest cover and trace back to the wood supply area. Continue reading

Geomorphological and archaeobotanical survey at Castiglion Bernardi and along the Corniaccia torrent

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Wednesday October 4th members of the nEU-Med Team went on a geomorphological and archaeobotanic survey on the agricultural terracing of Castiglion Bernardi (Monterotondo Marittimo,GR) (Fig.1). With the aim to individuate the typologies of the different soils and the stratification of the terracing. Core samples will be taken to better understand if the formation of the terraces is natural or if these have been created ex-novo (Fig.2).               Friday October 13th the levels behind the… Continue reading

Discovering the use of wood resources and the exploitation of the forest landscape: archaeobotanical analysis between the Colline Metallifere and the plain of the river Pecora

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The team of the Laboratory of Vegetation History and Wood Anatomy (Department of Agriculture Sciences, University of Naples “Federico II”) is carrying out the first anthracological analyses, focusing on the archaeological and soil samples from the archaeological site of Cugnano and the paleostratigraphy of the river Pecora. Preliminary analysis were carried out on samples sieved by water with 4.0 and 2.0 mm sieves. Charcoal fragments, sorted in the fraction over 2.0 mm, were identified by an incident light microscope working between… Continue reading

Archaeobotanical analysis on the river Pecora

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In September and November 2015, the fieldwork research of the nEU-Med staff were mainly focused to the study of the paleostratigraphy of the river Pecora, not far from the site of Vetricella. As part of the geomorphological analysis, seven soil profiles were sampled in order to recover charred wood fragments and to start a preliminary anthracological analysis. Macroscopic soil charcoal content, derived from natural or anthropogenic fires, provides information (complementary to traditional pollen-based reconstructions) about the vegetation on the Pecora basin.
In March 2016… Continue reading