Domenico A M Marino - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Domenico A M Marino

ATTI DEL VI CONVEGNO NAZIONALE DI ARCHEOLOGIA SUBACQUEA 10-12 OTTOBRE 2019 PALAZZO CIAMPOLI -TAORMINA a cura di Roberto La Rocca, 2023

Research carried out in recent decades on the Sila plateau (Central Calabria-Italy) has detected ... more Research carried out in recent decades on the Sila plateau (Central Calabria-Italy) has detected an unsuspected attendance in prehistoric and protohistorical times. The earliest evidence of human presence in the area dates back to the Early Paleolithic. Surface surveys and archaeological excavations, conducted mainly around Lake Cecita, reveal that during the recent Neolithic and the beginning of the Copper Age there is a considerable intensification of the attendance of the plateau with resident settlements in the presence of housing structures. This was probably due to an improvement in the environmental conditions which have encouraged the exploitation of Sila's resources. In the nearby settlements of these phases of Piano di Cecita and Campo San Lorenzo, on the southern shore of Lake Cecita, the particular custom of burying pots was highlighted, in cases with their content of cereals that were grown in the area. In the town of the beginning of the Copper Age of Paliati, on the eastern shore, remains of walls and structures in pebbles are preserved and, nearby, exceptional traces of ploughs preserved in the ground. In many of the settlements of these phases there are small stone weights that were probably fixed to nets, which attest to the spread of fishing activity around the nearby lakes and waterways.

A. Taliano Grasso, S. Medaglia (eds.), Tra paralia e mesogaia, Ferrari editore, 2021

The paper offers a preliminary summary of the results obtained during the land surveying activities carried out between 2011 and 2014 along the middle Tacina valley and, more precisely, in the territory of the Crotone pre-Sila included within the municipal territories of Cotronei, Cutro, Mesoraca, Roccabernarda, San Mauro Marchesato and Petilia Policastro. The surveys were designed with the aim of acquiring new data and monitoring, for the purposes of protection, the sites already known on the basis of two main lines of intervention: archaeological research in the field through direct reconnaissance in sample areas and a census of documents archive and materials resulting from old acquisitions currently in custody at the deposits of the National Archaeological Museum of Crotone. The Tacina valley is an area still little known from an archaeological point of view although it has constantly played a decisive role over the millennia, due to its peculiar geomor-phological and environmental characteristics, regardless of the multiform articulations with which human settlements have been structured in the central-eastern Calabria. The results of the research are of considerable interest as they offer a previously unknow, yet surprising, framework of the settlement dynamics and material culture in terms of richness and variety over a very long period of time that develops from the Middle Palaeolithic to the Early Middle Ages.

ANALECTA ROMANA INSTITUTI DANICI - Suppl. LVI - Atti del Convegno Internazionale "Dal Pollino all’Orsomarso. Ricerche archeologiche fra Ionio e Tirreno" (S. Lorenzo Bellizzi, Cs, 4-6/10/2019), 2021

San Sosti is located in the south-western area of the Pollino mountains, close to the gorge of th... more San Sosti is located in the south-western area of the Pollino mountains, close to the gorge of the Rosa river and to the Mula Mountain (1981 m.a.s.l.). Archaeological finds from San Sosti were known only from the Casalini area, where a famous bronze axe with a Greek Archaic inscription (currently displayed in the British Museum) was discovered in the 19th century. In general, archaeological research at San Sosti and its surroundings was initiated in 2004 by the means of excavations carried out by the Soprintendenza Archeologica della Calabria in the Chiesa del Carmine and in the so-called Castello della Rocca. Research at the Chiesa del Carmine, located in the centre of the modern village, proves a continuous occupation from the Bronze Age onwards, while the rocky spur of the Castello della Rocca has been settled in Protohistoric, Greek and Medieval periods. This contribution aims at presenting the new excavation data concerning Protohistoric and Greek contexts found at the two archaeological sites. On the basis of the observations made by analysing the recently systematically collected data, finds from unsystematic investigations will further be discussed.

Studi di Preistoria e Protostoria, 6, Aug 2021

RIASSUNTO – Indagini archeoambientali in siti neolitici ed eneolitici calabresi (Piano di Cecita ... more RIASSUNTO – Indagini archeoambientali in siti neolitici ed eneolitici calabresi (Piano di Cecita e Campo San Lorenzo sul Lago Cecita e Corazzo di Soverito): primi dati sulla ricostruzione dell’ambiente, dell’economia e della dieta alimentare – Negli anni dal 2005 al 2008 la Soprintendenza per i beni archeologici della Calabria ha condotto estese indagini archeologiche sull’altopiano della Sila, dirette da Domenico Marino. Le indagini archeoambientali effettuate in siti tardo-neolitici ed eneolitici ai margini del Lago Cecita (Piano di Cecita e Campo San Lorenzo) hanno delineato un paesaggio vegetale notevolmente aperto,
una netta prevalenza della componente erbacea su quella arborea in tutti i siti indagati. Ciò è probabilmente dovuto all’abbattimento del bosco da parte dell’uomo per fare spazio all’insediamento e ai campi coltivati.
La componente arborea costituisce il 22,1% dello spettro pollinico a Piano di Cecita e il 17,8% a Campo San Lorenzo. Fra le legnose dominano le Conifere, con valori medi inferiori al 15%, e con prevalenza di Pini. Le
Latifoglie Decidue, che non superano mai il 10%, sono rappresentate da specie tipiche del Querceto con Querce caducifoglie accompagnate da numerose altre specie. Buona è la testimonianza degli Indicatori Antropici, in particolare sono documentati cereali. Discreta è la presenza della canapa. Gli Indicatori Antropici Spontanei prevalgono nei livelli di frequentazione, con numerose piante tipiche delle zone di calpestio.
Elevata negli spettri è la presenza delle piante tipiche delle praterie, che in numerosi campioni superano il 50%; prevalgono le Poaceae spontanee seguite dalle Cicorioidee. La presenza di queste piante attesta attività legate all’allevamento del bestiame per la produzione di latte, carne e lana.
SUMMARY – Archaeo-environmental investigations in Neolithic and Eneolithic Calabrian sites (Piano di Cecita, Campo San Lorenzo sul Lago Cecita and Corazzo di Soverito) – first data on the reconstruction of landscape, economy and diet. In the years 2005 to 2008 the Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of Calabria has conducted extensive archaeological investigations on Sila Upland, headed by Domenico Marino. The archeobotanical inquiries in the late Neolithic and Eneolithic sites on the edge of Cecita Lake (Piano di Cecita and Campo San Lorenzo), have outlined a remarkably open vegetational landscape with a clear predominance of the herbaceous component in comparison of arboreal ones in all the investigated sites. This is probably due to the deforestation process to enlarge the settlement space and the cultivated fields. The arboreal component constitutes 22.1% of the pollen spectrum of Piano di Cecita and 17.8% of Campo San Lorenzo. Among the woody plants the Conifers are prevailing, with average values below 15%, and Pines are the most representative species. The Deciduous hardwood, which never exceed 10%, are represented by species typical of Querceto with prevailing oaks accompanied by other deciduous plants.
The frequent traces of the indicators species, in particular cereals, and the presence of Cannabis are well documented. The Anthropic Indicators Spontaneous prevail in attendance levels, with many plants typical of the
walking areas. In the pollen spectrum the presence of typical grassland plants is very high and in many samples exceeds 50%; spontaneous grasses are the most represented species followed by Cicorioidee. The presence of these plants confirms the breeding activities for the production of milk, meat and wool.

A. Taliano Grasso, S. Medaglia (eds.), Tra paralia e mesogaia, Ferrari editore, 2021

Il contributo offre una sintesi preliminare dei risultati ottenuti nel corso delle attività di pr... more Il contributo offre una sintesi preliminare dei risultati ottenuti nel corso delle attività di prospezione effettuate tra il 2011 e il 2014 lungo la media valle del Tacina e, più precisamente, nel territorio della pre-Sila crotonese ricadente all’interno dei territori comunali di Cotronei, Cutro, Mesoraca, Rocca-bernarda, San Mauro Marchesato e Petilia Policastro. Si tratta di una ricerca ideata con il fine di acquisire nuovi dati e di monitorare, ai fini della tutela, i siti già conosciuti prevedendo due linee di intervento principali: la ricerca archeologica sul campo tramite ricognizioni dirette in aree-campione e un censimento dei documenti d’archivio e dei materiali frutto di vecchie acquisizioni attualmente in custodia presso i depositi del Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Crotone. Quello della valle del Tacina è un areale ancora poco noto dal punto di vista archeologico sebbene esso, per le peculiari caratteristiche geomorfologiche ed ambientali, abbia costantemente svolto nel corso dei millenni un ruolo determinante a prescindere dalle multiformi articolazioni con cui è andata strutturandosi l’occupazione antropica nell’attuale Calabria centro-orientale. I risultati scaturiti dalle ricerche sono di notevole interesse in quanto offrono, per ricchezza e varietà, un inedito, quanto sorprendente, quadro delle dinamiche insediative e della cultura materiale sviluppatesi in un lunghissimo arco temporale compreso tra il Paleolitico medio e l'età alto-medioevale.
The paper offers a preliminary summary of the results obtained during the land surveying activities carried out between 2011 and 2014 along the middle Tacina valley and, more precisely, in the territory of the Crotone pre-Sila included within the municipal territories of Cotronei, Cutro, Mesoraca, Roccabernarda, San Mauro Marchesato and Petilia Policastro. The surveys were designed with the aim of acquiring new data and monitoring, for the purposes of protection, the sites already known on the basis of two main lines of intervention: archaeological research in the field through direct reconnaissance in sample areas and a census of documents archive and materials resulting from old acquisitions currently in custody at the deposits of the National Archaeological Museum of Crotone. The Tacina valley is an area still little known from an archaeological point of view although it has constantly played a decisive role over the millennia, due to its peculiar geomor-phological and environmental characteristics, regardless of the multiform articulations with which human settlements have been structured in the central-eastern Calabria. The results of the research are of considerable interest as they offer a previously unknow, yet surprising, framework of the settlement dynamics and material culture in terms of richness and variety over a very long period of time that develops from the Middle Palaeolithic to the Early Middle Ages.

ANALECTA ROMANA INSTITUTI DANICI XLIII, 2018

The paper presents the results of a recent excavation (2013-2014) carried out in the Greek City o... more The paper presents the results of a recent excavation (2013-2014) carried out in the Greek City of Kroton. The area (district of Fondo Gesù, Terza Traversa, Via Achille Grandi) is located on the right side of the Esaro river (the ancient Aisaros), close to its estuary. The position and some of the materials found (hooks and fishing-net weights), probably suggest that the site was a dock or at least to a harbour. The exploration brought to light a series of dry-stone walls made with sandstone irregular blocks. The structures define different rooms; on the eastern side they are bordered by a beaten earth thoroughfare. This evidence fits within the urban layout of the Greek city of Kroton: the structures and the road was parallel to the stenopoi as already seen in other trenches from the same district and as generally verified throughout the central sector of the polis. The pottery indicates that the area was already frequented at the same time of the Achaean’s apoikia foundation (720-710 BC) or at least in the years immediately afterwards. The structures and the materials indicate a continuous occupation of the area throughout the Archaic and Classical periods. The area was abandoned at the end of 3th century BC, probably after the Second Punic War. The late Medieval period represents the new occupation of the site, and unfortunately, part of the new occupation disturbed the stratigraphy related to the early phase. The research in via Achille Grandi offers new and important data for understanding the topography and the history of Kroton, despite the challenge and the problems of an emergency excavation.

Centri fortificati indigeni della Calabria dalla protostoria all'età ellenistica. Atti del Convegno Internazionale (Napoli, 2014), 2017

In central-eastern Calabria, fortified centers are attested since the Bronze Age. The coastal are... more In central-eastern Calabria, fortified centers are attested since the Bronze Age. The coastal area witnessed the rise of settlements on promontories naturally defended by steep cliffs and often also by artificial fortifications, as in the case of the Torre Vecchia site at Capo Rizzuto. In inland areas, ever since the end of the Bronze Age and during the Early Iron Age settlements stood on naturally defended hilltops and plateaus. This reflects a trend to more widespread occupation of inland areas during the later phases of the protohistoric period. In the same area, and more precisely between Thurii and Croton, many fortified centers were established in the Brettian period to guard the eastern flank of the Sila mountain range. These settlements were placed within an altimetric range between 300 and 700 meters a.s.l. and had often been previously occupied by people of Oenotrian tradition. These fortified centers controlled access to routes connecting coastal areas with the interior.

OLLUS LETO DATUS EST. I. Dalla preistoria all'ellenismo. Architettura, topografia e rituali funerari nelle necropoli dell'Italia meridionale e della Sicilia tra antichità e medioevo. Atti del Convegno Internazionale di Studi (Reggio Calabria, 2013), 2018

RIVISTA DI SCIENZE PREISTORICHE, LXII, 2012

Large protohistoric impasto dolia from Central-Southern Calabria. Contribution to the study of ty... more Large protohistoric impasto dolia from Central-Southern Calabria. Contribution
to the study of typology, chronology, technology and function - A high number of fragments of large protohistoric impasto pithoi has been found in several sites in the area, and mainly in Serre di Altilia (central Calabria). These fragments have been studied with other pithoi from Tropea (southern Calabria), in order to reconstruct their forms, typology, chronology, technology and function. It has been possible to define five types, with chronologies that may vary from the Final Bronze to the Early Iron Age, and with parallels in several sites of Southern Italy, in Sicily and at Lipari. Petrografic analyses on fragments from Central Calabria have shown a quite variable production, locally and/or regionally made. Chemical analyses have been also performed on two residue samples, in order to identify what kind of foodstuff was originally stored in these pithoi. The results of the analyses show the presence of terpenoid resins, such as Pistacia or Pinus, which may suggest the presence of wine.

RICERCHE DI STORIA, EPIGRAFIA E ARCHEOLOGIA MEDITERRANEA. Maria, Lacus et Flumina. Studi di storia, archeologia ed antropologia "in acqua" dedicati a Claudio Mocchegiani Carpano, 2016

Museo dei Brettii e degli Enotri. Catalogo dell'esposizione, 2014

Quaternary International, 303, 2013

This paper highlights results of a multidisciplinary and multi-analytical study of Holocene archa... more This paper highlights results of a multidisciplinary and multi-analytical study of Holocene archaeological soils around Cecita Lake (Sila massif, Calabria, southern Italy), which represents a typical upland Mediterranean environment. It is focused on assessment of climatic and environmental changes that took place since late Neolithic to Roman times, trying to discriminate natural from anthropogenic signals.
Based on an integration of archaeological, geomorphological, stratigraphic, pedological, volcanological and soil charcoal (pedoanthracological) data, the following paleoclimatic/environmental reconstruction is proposed: a warm and humid, seasonally contrasted climate, with an overall geomorphological stability suited for soil development, characterized the late prehistoric environment (Holocene climatic
optimum), dominated by a widespread oak forest. The main pedogenetic processes consisted in organic matter accumulation, clay illuviation, phyllosilicate and short-range order mineral neogenesis from weathering of granite and volcanic ash, sourced from late PleistoceneeHolocene eruptions of the Aeolian Islands. One or more mid-Holocene episodes of climate deterioration towards drier conditions (indicated
by a decrease of clay translocation processes and possible irreversible dehydration of poorly-crystalline aluminosilicates into phyllosilicate clay minerals) promoted intense land degradation. This was in turn enhanced by increasing human activities for settlement and resource exploitation (among which deforestation and ploughing for agriculture), which led to a shift of the vegetation cover towards a dominant pine forest between 3 ka BP and the Roman epoch. Humid and possibly cooler climatic conditions during the late Holocene are indicated by the decrease of clay illuviation, coupled with shortrange order components prevailing over phyllosilicate clays during Roman soil formation.

Quaternary International, 288, 2013

This paper focuses on the reconstruction of Holocene climatic and environmental changes in two ar... more This paper focuses on the reconstruction of Holocene climatic and environmental changes in two archaeological sites of southwestern and north-central Calabria (southern Italy). It is based on a comparison of geoarchaeological, pedological and pedoanthracological data from soil profiles in the coastal hilly and inland mountainous surroundings of Palmi and Cecita Lake, respectively. At the Palmi site, the representative soil profile includes settlements and artefacts ranging from late Neolithic to late early Bronze Age and undifferentiated historical epochs. The archaeological record of soils at Cecita spans from late Neolithic/early Eneolithic to Roman ages. At both sites, surface A horizons are affected by repeated plough marks. All soils display some Andisol-like features, related to some volcanic input during soil formation originating from late Pleistocene to Holocene explosive eruptions of the Aeolian Islands. The occurrence of clay coatings, their relict nature and overall dominant phyllosilicate clay minerals in the Neolithic soil horizons of both sites, suggest warm climate conditions with high moisture availability and some seasonal contrast, during the late early-middle Holocene climatic optimum. The post-Neolithic soils show comparable or more abundant amounts of short-range order minerals than
phyllosilicates, and no to scarce clay coatings. These features indicate a transition towards (probably cooler) prolonged humid conditions, intercalated by one or more drought episodes. Severe land degradation is recorded between these major climatic phases, indicated by human impact (deforestation and agriculture) and soil erosion. Soil charcoal analysis from Cecita soils provide evidence of these anthropogenic
environmental changes, as indicated by the dominance of deciduous oak forest in Neolithic soils, followed by a transition to a mountain pine forest recorded in the Roman soils. A deciduous oak forest characterizes the vegetation at Palmi from the Neolithic onward.

IL PATRIMONIO CULTURALE SOMMERSO. RICERCHE E PROPOSTE PER IL FUTURO DELL'ARCHEOLOGIA SUBACQUEA IN ITALIA. Atti del V Convegno nazionale di archeologia subacquea 'Archeologia Subacquea 2.0' (Udine, 2016), 2018

The city of Croton, located on the Ionian coast of modern Calabria in Southern Italy, has always ... more The city of Croton, located on the Ionian coast of modern Calabria in Southern Italy, has always played a crucial role for sailors headed to the Strait of Messina and the western Mediterranean, due to its east-facing harbor and a rocky coastline full of small bays and wind-sheltered coves. In antiquity, the coastline seems to have been even more articulated and complex than it currently is: Pliny the Elder (NH III, 10.95-96) describes a small archipelago of five islands in the area that has since disappeared from view. Two of the islands were still observable in 1525 in the nautical charts of the seafarer and geographer Piri Reis, and were last documented in a Greek portolano written by an anonymous sailor in the 16th century. The Abbé de Saint-Non and C. Tait Ramage, when they visited the area in the 18th and 19th centuries, also left drawings of promontories in the area which no longer exist.
In 2009 and 2010 the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Calabria, under Dr. Domenico Marino’s scientific direction, with support from ProMare, launched a systematic exploration of the Crotonian littoral between the city’s harbor and La Tonnara. While the area of Croton was already known to be one of the richest in Italy for the presence of ancient shipwrecks (five Roman marble carriers are worth mentioning, along with 10 other shipwrecks ranging in time from the Greek Archaic period to the Renaissance Age), the main goal of the project was to search for traces of ancient habitation which might testify to changes in the coastline. Submerged features such as quarries with their carved blocks still connected to the bedrock, and the presence of artifact assemblages close to the shoreline, were among the types of evidence sought. If found, the former feature, in particular, would be useful in helping researchers reconstruct and date stone-working areas that were above sea-level in antiquity.
During two seasons of research, compelling evidence attesting to this coastal transformation was uncovered. Thirty-four submerged quarry elements (blocks and column-drums), some of them dating to the 6th century BC and still attached to the bedrock, were located at a maximum depth of 4 m; a new map of the quarry now shows the extent of this feature beneath the water. Additionally, numerous tiles and amphora sherds, one example of which dated to the 3rd century B.C., confirmed the presence of human habitation in the areas of the coastline now submerged beneath the sea. Pieces of amphoras dating to the Roman Imperial period and found at the entrance to the city’s harbor, testify, as well, to its use at from at least the 2nd century B.C.
At the end of the 2010 season enough data was collected to propose a possible reconstruction of the ancient coastline in the area. Each item or feature uncovered was measured and georeferenced, making it possible to trace the general shape of the former coastline, which was at least 70 m further offshore than at present. GPS coordinates, taken manually, and following the submerged outlines of three elongated shoals, 1 to 5 m deep, revealed the shape of promontories now submerged like the tiny islands of Croton’s archipelago.

Rendiconti Online SGI (Società Geologica Italiana), 2013

Underwater ceramic sherds, found in the harbor of Crotone (Calabria, Italy), were analyzed with d... more Underwater ceramic sherds, found in the harbor of Crotone (Calabria, Italy), were analyzed with different analytical methods. The pottery fragments, mostly amphorae, are characterized by a great layer of deterioration on the surface. Archaeological information are very poor, no assumption about provenance and technology, these ceramics are only doubtfully dated to Medieval times.
The petrographic (OM) and chemical analyses (XRF analysis) on the ceramic of Crotone evidenced a strong compositional heterogeneity. Comparison with literature data supported two different production areas: Western (Southern Italy) and Aegean area.
UV Fluorescence on biotic crusts, allows to evaluate the relationship between the biotic colonization and the ceramic paste and to trace the alteration pervasiveness due to the encrusting organism.

FastiOnLine - FOL - AIAC_3283, 2011

Il relitto è ubicato nella baia di Scifo, poco a sud del promontorio di Capo Colonna (l’antico La... more Il relitto è ubicato nella baia di Scifo, poco a sud del promontorio di Capo Colonna (l’antico Lacinium promontorium sede del santuario dedicato ad Hera ). Giace su un basso fondale a 6,5 metri di profondità e a 160 m dal promontorio di Capo Pellegrino, localmente chiamato anche Punta Scifo. Scoperto dal subacqueo crotonese Luigi Cantafora nel 1986, il relitto fu poi indagato nel 1987 dalla Cooperativa Aquarius, diretta da Alice Freschi, per conto della Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Calabria. Tali indagini, comprensive di scavo e rilievo planimetrico, rimasero sostanzialmente inedite. A distanza di molti anni, e con nuove metodologie, il sito è stato nuovamente indagato avviando contestualmente una schedatura dei materiali mobili (metallici e ceramici) recuperati nel corso delle indagini del 1987 e in gran parte pertinenti alle dotazioni della nave.

Antike Kunst, 60, 2017

Ricerche sul campo a Crotone e nel suo territorio nell'anno 2016.

Antike Kunst, 59, 2016

Ricerche sul campo a Crotone e nel suo territorio nell'anno 2015.

Antike Kunst, 58, 2015

Les recherches sur la cité antique de Crotone menées depuis 2010 par l’Unité d’archéologie class... more Les recherches sur la cité antique de Crotone menées depuis 2010 par l’Unité d’archéologie classique du Département des sciences de l’Antiquité de l’Université
de Genève, se sont poursuivies en 2014 selon deux axes, travaux sur le terrain et recherches thématiques, complétés par des actions pour la préservation du patrimoine et
le lancement de la série Kroton, une sous-série dirigée par le Prof. Lorenz E. Baumer et le Dr. Domenico Marino de la nouvelle série des Etudes genevoises sur l’Antiquité –
EGeA, qui est destinée à accueillir les publications liées au projet.

Prospections archéologiques 2014
Crotone: zone nord-ouest
Crotone: San Biagio et Vrica
Vallée du Lese: Serra di Dera, Timpone del Castello et Scuzza
Antéfixe avec tête d’«Artémis Bendis» (pl. 25, 4)

EGeA (Direction: Lorenz E Baumer, Philippe Collombert), vol. 1 - Sous-série KROTON, Kroton 1 (Direction : Lorenz E Baumer, Domenico A M Marino), 2015