Roberto Miccichè - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Roberto Miccichè
International Journal of Osteoarchaeolgy, 2024
Sicilian protohistory was characterized by a progressive flow of indigenous populations towards t... more Sicilian protohistory was characterized by a progressive flow of indigenous populations towards the hills of the western Sicilian hinterland. Especially during the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age, the island's hinterland was marked by isolated settlements due to Siculi, Ausoni, Morgeti, and Elimi invasions and Phoenician and Greek
colonization. In this scenario, Mokarta is an example of territorial autonomy and ethnic isolation (Sicanian) within an area of Elimi colonization. Its demise in the 11th century B.C.E, presumably at the hands of the Elimi, was rapid and violent as the settlement was suddenly abandoned following its destruction by fire. Symbolic of this event is an individual found at the entrance of a burned and collapsed hut who appears to have died from a cranial injury. This paper focuses on the osteological analysis of this skeleton, highlighting the perimortem injury, related to his death, and places the results within a forensic archeological context. The morphological pattern of the lesion is the result of a high-energy impact by a circular blunt object. The fracture, involving both the meningeal vessels and the brain, could have led to a fatal neurological trauma. The analysis of the cranial fracture and an anatomical evaluation
of the affected area led us to conclude that the perimortem injury, inflicted on the right parietal, probably was the cause of death. The case proposed highlights how an integrated approach based on bioarcheology and forensic anthropology helps in interpreting an archeological scenario and formulating hypotheses about the circumstances of an individual's death.
University Press of Florida eBooks, Mar 14, 2023
The \u201cHarvesting Memories\u201d project aims to address diachronic change in landscape and se... more The \u201cHarvesting Memories\u201d project aims to address diachronic change in landscape and settlement patterns during the long-term in the area of Sicani Mountains in Central-West Sicily (Italy). This area is a sort of palimpsest of Mediterranean inland areas characterized by a long-term occupation of low-lying lands suitable for agriculture and hills for pastoral activi-ties. The settlement dynamics of this inner area are well documented in the archaeological sequence of the hilltop site of Contrada Castro. Recent excavation (spring 2017) showed dry-stone structures related to the Islamic and Norman period (9th-12th c. AD), a Byzantine infant burial (7th-8th c. AD) and evidence (layer of morphology regularization and pottery) con-nected to an archaic indigenous settlement (6th-5th c. BC). The investigation of this new rural site provided relevant insights of longue dur\ue9e patterns in hilltop settlements of Sicily between Antiquity and Middle Ages
Negli ultimi anni (2015-2017) sono state avviate delle ricerche archeologiche sulle dinamiche dia... more Negli ultimi anni (2015-2017) sono state avviate delle ricerche archeologiche sulle dinamiche diacroniche dei paesaggi di una porzione di territorio localizzata a sud del comune di Corleone corrispondente alle contrade Castro e Giardinello delimitate a nord dal massiccio promontorio di Pizzo Castro o Rocche di Mezzogiorno e ad est dalle pendici del Monte Barra\uf9. Il progetto Harvesting Memories ha previsto diverse fasi di studio relative alle traiettorie ecologiche e alle trasformazioni del paesaggio (Universit\ue0 di Palermo) e indagini archeologiche (Soprintendenza BB. CC. AA. di Palermo). In questo contributo si presentano i risultati preliminari di una prima campagna di scavo (marzo-maggio 2017) in Contrada Castro (Corleone, Palermo), uno dei siti identificati dalle indagini di superfici
Journal of Anthropological Sciences, Dec 10, 2021
In two publications from 1967 and 1971, M. Masali described human skeletal remains presumed to ha... more In two publications from 1967 and 1971, M. Masali described human skeletal remains presumed to have been found in the Balzi Rossi caves (Ventimiglia, Italy), based on a signed note dated to 1908. Since then, the remains - dubbed "Conio's Finds" and preserved at the University of Torino - had not been further studied. We performed a multidisciplinary investigation aimed at clarifying the geographical and chronological attribution of these specimens. Collagen extraction for AMS dating was unsuccessful, but we obtained two direct dates on the best- preserved crania via 231Pa/235U direct gamma-ray spectrometry (10,500±2,000 years BP and 12,500±2,500 years BP). We analyzed the metrics and morphology of the crania and femora by comparing them with samples belonging to the Upper Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic periods, and evidenced that the "Conio's Finds" are morphologically more compatible with a Late Pleistocene rather than Holocene attribution. We analyzed the literature regarding the history of excavations at Balzi Rossi, and we propose that - if any credence should be given to the note accompanying the material - the remains may have been found in front of Grotta dei Fanciulli or Grotta del Caviglione, in the redeposited soil dug up during the installation of lime kilns carried out between the late 18th and the early 19th centuries. These hypotheses may be tested in the future by comparing the speleothem deposited on one of the crania and the remaining deposit at the site.
It is now possible to indicate also some sectors of the Islamic city destined to the productive a... more It is now possible to indicate also some sectors of the Islamic city destined to the productive activities, thanks to the discovery of furnaces datable in the 10th-11th century or of structures connected to other handicraft activities. Another important element concerns the funeral aspect, since we have a more reliable picture of the distribution of the cemetery areas of Islamic age. The ever increasing knowledge of decorated ceramics, so-called glazed, in its passage between the Islamic and Norman ages, also allows us to acquire new elements to define some characteristics of the organization of Palermo in Norman age. Recent investigations in the historical center, and in the area outside the fortifications, throw new light on some aspects related to the great buildings of Ruggeriana age, both in the City Heart (Palace of Normans) and in the immediate periphery of Palermo of the Kingdom of Ruggero II, as at Maredolce and in the territory of Altavilla, where the exploration of one of the first Norman churches of the island is underway.
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
Archaeological investigations carried out in the cave Zubbio di Cozzo San Pietro, Bagheria, Sicil... more Archaeological investigations carried out in the cave Zubbio di Cozzo San Pietro, Bagheria, Sicily, revealed the presence of a few skeletal elements of a large-sized tortoise in a funerary area dating to the Copper/Bronze Age. The tortoise has been AMS-dated revealing an age of 12.5 ± 0.5 kyr BP and therefore it pre-dates the funerary activities. The morphology of the retrieved skeletal elements differs from that of the only native tortoise currently living in Sicily, Testudo hermanni. The tortoise’s size significantly exceeds the size range of extant Te. hermanni and all Testudo spp., as well as that of their known fossils, and suggests a shell length of 50–60 cm. Repeated efforts to obtain DNA sequences from the tortoise of Zubbio di Cozzo San Pietro failed, but the morphology of the femur is distinct enough to allow us to erect a new taxon, Solitudo sicula gen. et sp. nov., based on a parsimony analysis. It belongs to a hitherto unrecognized clade that includes other large-sized ...
ARCHIVIO PER L'ANTROPOLOGIA E LA ETNOLOGIA, 2011
Ecocycles, 2022
The Harvesting Memories project aims to investigate the historical landscape dynamics in an inner... more The Harvesting Memories project aims to investigate the historical landscape dynamics in an inner area of the Sicani Mountains district in Western Sicily (Contrada Castro, Corleone-Palermo). The interdisciplinary approach of the project allowed us to combine and integrate methods from different disciplines such as historical ecology, landscape archaeology, archaeobotany and GIS-based spatial analysis. In this paper some results have been summarized. The comparison between land mosaic change during the last 60 years, the relationship between site catchment area and land suitability and the correlation between archaeobotanical and phytosociological data. This approach underlined the relevance of the historical ecology for understanding landscape trajectories and planning strategy of suitable development of rural areas.
Le sepolture esaminate e descritte in questa fase preliminare sono due : T2 e T15. Ambedue si tro... more Le sepolture esaminate e descritte in questa fase preliminare sono due : T2 e T15. Ambedue si trovano sul lato destro dell'ipogeo ; assimilabili per forma e dimensioni sono scavate nella matrice calcarea dell'ipogeo ed hanno un orientamento nord-Sud e non si discostano tipologicamente dalle altre tombe dell'ipogeo. La tomba n. 2 si presenta rialzata ed addossata alla parete. La tomba n. 15 è più in basso (Fig. 6). Le ossa sono state estratte dalle us in un'unica sessione di scavo. In laboratorio si è proceduto alla pulitura, siglatura ed analisi antroposcopica. I reperti sono stati misurati in accordo alla metodologia di Martin e Saller (1959). Si è proceduto alla valutazione del numero minimo di individui presenti, all'attribuzione delle classi di età e a valutazioni riguardo il sesso o lo stato di salute. Da notare che, sia nel caso della tomba 2, priva di copertura, che nel caso della tomba 15, chiusa da lastre, lo stato di conservazione del materiale è molto precario, sintomo di un'intensa tafonomia legata presumibilmente alla biostratinomia, al forte rimaneggiamento delle tombe in antico ma anche alla diagenesi determinata dalle caratteristiche ambientali dell'ipogeo e di quelle chimico-fisiche del terreno.
The paleoanthropological skeletal remains from crucial sites suffer from various contingencies, i... more The paleoanthropological skeletal remains from crucial sites suffer from various contingencies, including the dispersion of materials on diverse institutions, the degradation of the original materials exposed or inadequately preserved, the risk of damage during manipulation for study, museum exhibits, or restoration. For some time now, various institutions have been creating 3D models and frequently proceed to dissemination of online digital bio archeological data. Here we present the data derived from the 3D digitization of the entire ST1 skeleton from the Epigravettian site of San Teodoro near Acquedolci (Messina), currently one of the oldest site of human frequentation in Sicily. The initiative, in addition to producing a 3D file of the original sample in order to create a copy for exposition and scientific research remotely accessible, has been the occasion for a new and accurate redefinition of the paleo biological parameters of the specimen. This work is part of a broader paleo ecological re-reading project of the Epigravettian site whose materials, excavated between 1937 and 1942, are distributed on four (or more?) different institutions, with obvious limits to an efficacious and integrated scientific interpretation.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
Abstract The Archaeological Superintendency of Palermo (Sicily), with the chair of Anthropology a... more Abstract The Archaeological Superintendency of Palermo (Sicily), with the chair of Anthropology at the University of Palermo, carried out a preliminary investigation in the Zubbio of Cozzo San Pietro (Bagheria) – a cave known so far only from a speleological point of view - which proved to be a funerary cave dating to the Copper/Bronze Age. In the course of archaeological work during the installation of the electricity grid in the Mondello area (Palermo), part of a necropolis consisting of three oven-shaped tombs was exposed. The tombs multiple depositions, whose remains were found in a very bad state of preservation. Based on the type of funerary structures and the equipment found in them, we hypothesize the existence of a necropolis datable to the Early Copper Age that occupies a large area. After an articulated presentation of both necropolises, thanks to a multidisciplinary approach, an attempt was made to re-read all the elements available for a reconstruction of the Conca d’Oro (Palermo, Italy), during the metal ages.
The vast wealth of cultural artifacts and ancient biological samples can today be investigated us... more The vast wealth of cultural artifacts and ancient biological samples can today be investigated using a great variety of methods and technologies. The result is a growing diffusion of studies on DNA, isotopes and morphometrics, and the exponential growth of publications and bio-archaeological discoveries of inestimable value for different areas of interpretation, such as phylogeny, history and archaeology. This paper describes the morphological and molecular study of a rare specimen of Felis from an Early Bronze Age horizon. The report offers the opportunity for a brief discussion on cat taming, on the origin of this practice and on the archaeological importance of this specimen for the reconstruction of taming practices in the Western Mediterranean Basin.
Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS, 2019
Scenarios for the dispersal of Homo sapiens in Southern Europe and in the Mediterranean basin hav... more Scenarios for the dispersal of Homo sapiens in Southern Europe and in the Mediterranean basin have been uncertain, given the scarceness of osteological samples and the simplicity of the proposed archaeologically-based settlement hypotheses. According to available data, the first anatomically modern humans entered Sicily during the Late Pleistocene, coming from the Italian peninsula. A presumably small Late Epigravettian population colonised coastal sites. Later, North-Western archaeological horizons gave hospitality to a significant Mesolithic expansion. In order to verify a hypothesis of continuity in the peopling of the island, we analyzed Sicilian skulls from the Late Epigravettian site of San Teodoro, Eastern Sicily (AMS 14C dated at 14,500 BP) and from the Mesolithic period (14C dated from 9,500 to 8,500 BP) coming from various sites (Uzzo, Molara, Grotta d'Oriente) located on the North Western coast of the island. The aims were to test the biological variability through ti...
International Journal of Osteoarchaeolgy, 2024
Sicilian protohistory was characterized by a progressive flow of indigenous populations towards t... more Sicilian protohistory was characterized by a progressive flow of indigenous populations towards the hills of the western Sicilian hinterland. Especially during the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age, the island's hinterland was marked by isolated settlements due to Siculi, Ausoni, Morgeti, and Elimi invasions and Phoenician and Greek
colonization. In this scenario, Mokarta is an example of territorial autonomy and ethnic isolation (Sicanian) within an area of Elimi colonization. Its demise in the 11th century B.C.E, presumably at the hands of the Elimi, was rapid and violent as the settlement was suddenly abandoned following its destruction by fire. Symbolic of this event is an individual found at the entrance of a burned and collapsed hut who appears to have died from a cranial injury. This paper focuses on the osteological analysis of this skeleton, highlighting the perimortem injury, related to his death, and places the results within a forensic archeological context. The morphological pattern of the lesion is the result of a high-energy impact by a circular blunt object. The fracture, involving both the meningeal vessels and the brain, could have led to a fatal neurological trauma. The analysis of the cranial fracture and an anatomical evaluation
of the affected area led us to conclude that the perimortem injury, inflicted on the right parietal, probably was the cause of death. The case proposed highlights how an integrated approach based on bioarcheology and forensic anthropology helps in interpreting an archeological scenario and formulating hypotheses about the circumstances of an individual's death.
University Press of Florida eBooks, Mar 14, 2023
The \u201cHarvesting Memories\u201d project aims to address diachronic change in landscape and se... more The \u201cHarvesting Memories\u201d project aims to address diachronic change in landscape and settlement patterns during the long-term in the area of Sicani Mountains in Central-West Sicily (Italy). This area is a sort of palimpsest of Mediterranean inland areas characterized by a long-term occupation of low-lying lands suitable for agriculture and hills for pastoral activi-ties. The settlement dynamics of this inner area are well documented in the archaeological sequence of the hilltop site of Contrada Castro. Recent excavation (spring 2017) showed dry-stone structures related to the Islamic and Norman period (9th-12th c. AD), a Byzantine infant burial (7th-8th c. AD) and evidence (layer of morphology regularization and pottery) con-nected to an archaic indigenous settlement (6th-5th c. BC). The investigation of this new rural site provided relevant insights of longue dur\ue9e patterns in hilltop settlements of Sicily between Antiquity and Middle Ages
Negli ultimi anni (2015-2017) sono state avviate delle ricerche archeologiche sulle dinamiche dia... more Negli ultimi anni (2015-2017) sono state avviate delle ricerche archeologiche sulle dinamiche diacroniche dei paesaggi di una porzione di territorio localizzata a sud del comune di Corleone corrispondente alle contrade Castro e Giardinello delimitate a nord dal massiccio promontorio di Pizzo Castro o Rocche di Mezzogiorno e ad est dalle pendici del Monte Barra\uf9. Il progetto Harvesting Memories ha previsto diverse fasi di studio relative alle traiettorie ecologiche e alle trasformazioni del paesaggio (Universit\ue0 di Palermo) e indagini archeologiche (Soprintendenza BB. CC. AA. di Palermo). In questo contributo si presentano i risultati preliminari di una prima campagna di scavo (marzo-maggio 2017) in Contrada Castro (Corleone, Palermo), uno dei siti identificati dalle indagini di superfici
Journal of Anthropological Sciences, Dec 10, 2021
In two publications from 1967 and 1971, M. Masali described human skeletal remains presumed to ha... more In two publications from 1967 and 1971, M. Masali described human skeletal remains presumed to have been found in the Balzi Rossi caves (Ventimiglia, Italy), based on a signed note dated to 1908. Since then, the remains - dubbed "Conio's Finds" and preserved at the University of Torino - had not been further studied. We performed a multidisciplinary investigation aimed at clarifying the geographical and chronological attribution of these specimens. Collagen extraction for AMS dating was unsuccessful, but we obtained two direct dates on the best- preserved crania via 231Pa/235U direct gamma-ray spectrometry (10,500±2,000 years BP and 12,500±2,500 years BP). We analyzed the metrics and morphology of the crania and femora by comparing them with samples belonging to the Upper Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic periods, and evidenced that the "Conio's Finds" are morphologically more compatible with a Late Pleistocene rather than Holocene attribution. We analyzed the literature regarding the history of excavations at Balzi Rossi, and we propose that - if any credence should be given to the note accompanying the material - the remains may have been found in front of Grotta dei Fanciulli or Grotta del Caviglione, in the redeposited soil dug up during the installation of lime kilns carried out between the late 18th and the early 19th centuries. These hypotheses may be tested in the future by comparing the speleothem deposited on one of the crania and the remaining deposit at the site.
It is now possible to indicate also some sectors of the Islamic city destined to the productive a... more It is now possible to indicate also some sectors of the Islamic city destined to the productive activities, thanks to the discovery of furnaces datable in the 10th-11th century or of structures connected to other handicraft activities. Another important element concerns the funeral aspect, since we have a more reliable picture of the distribution of the cemetery areas of Islamic age. The ever increasing knowledge of decorated ceramics, so-called glazed, in its passage between the Islamic and Norman ages, also allows us to acquire new elements to define some characteristics of the organization of Palermo in Norman age. Recent investigations in the historical center, and in the area outside the fortifications, throw new light on some aspects related to the great buildings of Ruggeriana age, both in the City Heart (Palace of Normans) and in the immediate periphery of Palermo of the Kingdom of Ruggero II, as at Maredolce and in the territory of Altavilla, where the exploration of one of the first Norman churches of the island is underway.
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
Archaeological investigations carried out in the cave Zubbio di Cozzo San Pietro, Bagheria, Sicil... more Archaeological investigations carried out in the cave Zubbio di Cozzo San Pietro, Bagheria, Sicily, revealed the presence of a few skeletal elements of a large-sized tortoise in a funerary area dating to the Copper/Bronze Age. The tortoise has been AMS-dated revealing an age of 12.5 ± 0.5 kyr BP and therefore it pre-dates the funerary activities. The morphology of the retrieved skeletal elements differs from that of the only native tortoise currently living in Sicily, Testudo hermanni. The tortoise’s size significantly exceeds the size range of extant Te. hermanni and all Testudo spp., as well as that of their known fossils, and suggests a shell length of 50–60 cm. Repeated efforts to obtain DNA sequences from the tortoise of Zubbio di Cozzo San Pietro failed, but the morphology of the femur is distinct enough to allow us to erect a new taxon, Solitudo sicula gen. et sp. nov., based on a parsimony analysis. It belongs to a hitherto unrecognized clade that includes other large-sized ...
ARCHIVIO PER L'ANTROPOLOGIA E LA ETNOLOGIA, 2011
Ecocycles, 2022
The Harvesting Memories project aims to investigate the historical landscape dynamics in an inner... more The Harvesting Memories project aims to investigate the historical landscape dynamics in an inner area of the Sicani Mountains district in Western Sicily (Contrada Castro, Corleone-Palermo). The interdisciplinary approach of the project allowed us to combine and integrate methods from different disciplines such as historical ecology, landscape archaeology, archaeobotany and GIS-based spatial analysis. In this paper some results have been summarized. The comparison between land mosaic change during the last 60 years, the relationship between site catchment area and land suitability and the correlation between archaeobotanical and phytosociological data. This approach underlined the relevance of the historical ecology for understanding landscape trajectories and planning strategy of suitable development of rural areas.
Le sepolture esaminate e descritte in questa fase preliminare sono due : T2 e T15. Ambedue si tro... more Le sepolture esaminate e descritte in questa fase preliminare sono due : T2 e T15. Ambedue si trovano sul lato destro dell'ipogeo ; assimilabili per forma e dimensioni sono scavate nella matrice calcarea dell'ipogeo ed hanno un orientamento nord-Sud e non si discostano tipologicamente dalle altre tombe dell'ipogeo. La tomba n. 2 si presenta rialzata ed addossata alla parete. La tomba n. 15 è più in basso (Fig. 6). Le ossa sono state estratte dalle us in un'unica sessione di scavo. In laboratorio si è proceduto alla pulitura, siglatura ed analisi antroposcopica. I reperti sono stati misurati in accordo alla metodologia di Martin e Saller (1959). Si è proceduto alla valutazione del numero minimo di individui presenti, all'attribuzione delle classi di età e a valutazioni riguardo il sesso o lo stato di salute. Da notare che, sia nel caso della tomba 2, priva di copertura, che nel caso della tomba 15, chiusa da lastre, lo stato di conservazione del materiale è molto precario, sintomo di un'intensa tafonomia legata presumibilmente alla biostratinomia, al forte rimaneggiamento delle tombe in antico ma anche alla diagenesi determinata dalle caratteristiche ambientali dell'ipogeo e di quelle chimico-fisiche del terreno.
The paleoanthropological skeletal remains from crucial sites suffer from various contingencies, i... more The paleoanthropological skeletal remains from crucial sites suffer from various contingencies, including the dispersion of materials on diverse institutions, the degradation of the original materials exposed or inadequately preserved, the risk of damage during manipulation for study, museum exhibits, or restoration. For some time now, various institutions have been creating 3D models and frequently proceed to dissemination of online digital bio archeological data. Here we present the data derived from the 3D digitization of the entire ST1 skeleton from the Epigravettian site of San Teodoro near Acquedolci (Messina), currently one of the oldest site of human frequentation in Sicily. The initiative, in addition to producing a 3D file of the original sample in order to create a copy for exposition and scientific research remotely accessible, has been the occasion for a new and accurate redefinition of the paleo biological parameters of the specimen. This work is part of a broader paleo ecological re-reading project of the Epigravettian site whose materials, excavated between 1937 and 1942, are distributed on four (or more?) different institutions, with obvious limits to an efficacious and integrated scientific interpretation.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
Abstract The Archaeological Superintendency of Palermo (Sicily), with the chair of Anthropology a... more Abstract The Archaeological Superintendency of Palermo (Sicily), with the chair of Anthropology at the University of Palermo, carried out a preliminary investigation in the Zubbio of Cozzo San Pietro (Bagheria) – a cave known so far only from a speleological point of view - which proved to be a funerary cave dating to the Copper/Bronze Age. In the course of archaeological work during the installation of the electricity grid in the Mondello area (Palermo), part of a necropolis consisting of three oven-shaped tombs was exposed. The tombs multiple depositions, whose remains were found in a very bad state of preservation. Based on the type of funerary structures and the equipment found in them, we hypothesize the existence of a necropolis datable to the Early Copper Age that occupies a large area. After an articulated presentation of both necropolises, thanks to a multidisciplinary approach, an attempt was made to re-read all the elements available for a reconstruction of the Conca d’Oro (Palermo, Italy), during the metal ages.
The vast wealth of cultural artifacts and ancient biological samples can today be investigated us... more The vast wealth of cultural artifacts and ancient biological samples can today be investigated using a great variety of methods and technologies. The result is a growing diffusion of studies on DNA, isotopes and morphometrics, and the exponential growth of publications and bio-archaeological discoveries of inestimable value for different areas of interpretation, such as phylogeny, history and archaeology. This paper describes the morphological and molecular study of a rare specimen of Felis from an Early Bronze Age horizon. The report offers the opportunity for a brief discussion on cat taming, on the origin of this practice and on the archaeological importance of this specimen for the reconstruction of taming practices in the Western Mediterranean Basin.
Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS, 2019
Scenarios for the dispersal of Homo sapiens in Southern Europe and in the Mediterranean basin hav... more Scenarios for the dispersal of Homo sapiens in Southern Europe and in the Mediterranean basin have been uncertain, given the scarceness of osteological samples and the simplicity of the proposed archaeologically-based settlement hypotheses. According to available data, the first anatomically modern humans entered Sicily during the Late Pleistocene, coming from the Italian peninsula. A presumably small Late Epigravettian population colonised coastal sites. Later, North-Western archaeological horizons gave hospitality to a significant Mesolithic expansion. In order to verify a hypothesis of continuity in the peopling of the island, we analyzed Sicilian skulls from the Late Epigravettian site of San Teodoro, Eastern Sicily (AMS 14C dated at 14,500 BP) and from the Mesolithic period (14C dated from 9,500 to 8,500 BP) coming from various sites (Uzzo, Molara, Grotta d'Oriente) located on the North Western coast of the island. The aims were to test the biological variability through ti...
Afterlife of hill-top settlements in Sicily between Antiquity and the Middle Ages: the excavation... more Afterlife of hill-top settlements in Sicily between Antiquity and the Middle Ages: the excavation in Contrada Castro (Corleone, Palermo), by
Dr. Angelo Castrorao Barba (University of Palermo); Roberto Miccichè (University of Palermo); Filippo Pisciotta (University of Palermo); Giuseppe Bazan (University of Palermo); Carla Aleo Nero (Soprintendenza BB.CC.AA. of Palermo); Stefano Vassallo (Soprintendenza BB.CC.AA. of Palermo); Pasquale Marino (Bona Furtuna LLC); Steve Luczo (Bona Furtuna LLC).
The development of hill-top sites or sites in at locations that are optimal for controlling valleys and defendable is a phenomenon that characterised many parts of Sicily between the archaic and the Hellenistic periods. The discovery of a new site in Contrada Castro (Corleone, Palermo) paves the way for new knowledge of the dynamics of settlement patterns in Sicilian rural landscapes in a long-term perspective. The first period of occupation of the elevated plateau of Contrada Castro is attested by the late archaic period probably related to the presence of a rural community linked to the exploitation of agro-pastoral resources. A shift in settlement pattern with the rise of agglomerated hill-top settlements during the Early Middle Ages is a global phenomenon that is also documented in the Sicilian landscape. The excavation in Contrada Castro, carried out with in the “Harvesting Memories” focused on Ecology and Archaeology of Sicani Mountains landscapes, showed a clear case of re-establishment of an ancient site located in hilly position between Byzantine, Islamic and Norman periods (7th – 12th c. CE). The site of Contrada Castro could reflect the dynamics of a rise in hill-top settlement in changed socio-economic contexts that marked a shift compared to the Roman villa system and the later phase characterised by the emergence of large villages/agro-towns that were probably related to Church estates. The investigation of this new rural site provided insight into longue durée patterns at hilltop rural settlements in Sicily between Antiquity and the Middle Ages.
The “Harvesting Memories” project focuses on the study of long-term landscape and settlement patt... more The “Harvesting Memories” project focuses on the study of long-term landscape and settlement patterns change – in Sicani Mountains rural district (central-western Sicily) – as a result of diachronic interactions between socio-economic human factors and environmental and ecological trends. A new hilltop site has been identified during field survey in Contrada Castro (Corleone, Palermo). The settlement pattern linked to the selection of reliefs and hills as places for controlling rural districts seems to have changed in the Roman age, when it was characterized by intensive occupation of low-lying lands associated with potential agricultural productivity and proximity to road networks. A shift in settlement pattern with the rise of agglomerated hill-top settlements during the Early Middle Ages is a global phenomenon also occurred in Sicily. This paper aims to show the long-term sequence of the excavation (started in spring 2017) in the site of Contrada Castro. The main evidences date back to the Middle Ages with dry-stone structures related to the Islamic and Norman age (9th-12th c. AD) resettling a place already occupied during Byzantine period (infant burial) and also by a Late Archaic/Classical indigenous settlement (6th-5th c. BC). The investigation of this new rural site provided insight into longue durée patterns at hilltop rural settlements in Sicily between Antiquity and the Middle Ages.
40th Association for Environmental Archaeology Conference
Within the project “Harvesting Memories: Ecology and Archaeology of Monti Sicani landscapes” – su... more Within the project “Harvesting Memories: Ecology and Archaeology of Monti Sicani landscapes” – supported by Bona Furtuna LLC – this paper aims to reconstruct human-environment relationship in the inland of Central-Western Sicily during the Early Middle Ages through a comparative analysis between archaeological data and vegetation dynamics in current landscape (University of Palermo). The environmental archaeological record (faunal remains and anthracological/ carpological finds) has been analysed from different layers of the rural settlement (Contrada Castro, Corleone, Palermo) – excavated in 2017, 2018 and 2019 (Soprintendenza BB.CC.AA. of Palermo) – mainly occupied during Byzantine age and Islamic period (8th-11th c. AD). The first examination of charcoals provided the identification of the plant species selected and exploited in the surrounding landscape of the site for each chronological phase. The archaeobotanical data indicates punctual and qualitative picture on the historical vegetation of this area. The phytosociological data allowed the spatial arrangements of archaeobotanical finds within plant communities and its ecological distribution. The archaeozoological data added more information on the reconstruction of rural economy, husbandry management and its ecological environment. An integrated comparison between the structure and composition of current phytocoenoses with archaeobotanical and archaeozoological data allowed to interpret the dynamics of interaction between a rural community and its environment.
La quasi totalità delle mummie attesta una particolare attenzione riguardo il trattamento del vol... more La quasi totalità delle mummie attesta una particolare attenzione riguardo il trattamento del volto mediante l'utilizzo di cera, in alcuni casi limitato alla semplice integrazione delle orbite, del naso o del profilo labiale, in altri rappresentato da una vera e propria maschera, di fattura più o meno elaborata.
9° Convegno Nazionale di ArcheoZoologia - Ravenna, 29 novembre - 1 dicembre 2018, 2018
Il presente lavoro riguarda gli aspetti zooarcheologici riferiti al progetto “Harvesting Memories... more Il presente lavoro riguarda gli aspetti zooarcheologici riferiti al progetto “Harvesting Memories” sull’ecologia e archeologia dei paesaggi dei Monti Sicani. La prima campagna di scavo (primavera 2017) è stata condotta su un sito rurale, recentemente scoperto, localizzato nel territorio di Corleone. Le indagini archeologiche hanno rilevato la presenza di alcune strutture datate tra l’età islamica e l’età normanna (X-XII secolo A.D.).
Nonostante l’analisi zooarcheologica è ancora alle sue fasi preliminari, il complesso faunistico ha mostrato buone potenzialità nel fornire fondamentali informazioni connesse con l’economia rurale dell’insediamento. Particolarmente significativi sono la prevalenza del Bos taurus, rappresentato per lo più da capi abbattuti in età sub-adulta e la presenza di almeno due individui di asino.
Il previsto incremento del campione faunistico dovuto alla prosecuzione delle indagini archeologiche, aggiungerà informazioni cruciali sul ruolo giocato dagli insediamenti rurali come spazi multifunzionali di produzione agricola. Le indagini verranno effettuate secondo una prospettiva diacronica in quanto riferite ad un periodo fortemente caratterizzato dall’emergere di trasformazioni socio-economiche.
The activity of the Palermo Soprintendenza (Sicily) is increasingly linked to the preservation of... more The activity of the Palermo Soprintendenza (Sicily) is increasingly linked to the preservation of archaeological heritage, carried out mainly through constant monitoring of rescue excavations linked to railway, sewerage, electrical network and other public works, while the activity of independent research is now very limited. However, with the chair of Anthropology at the University of Palermo, an investigation has been conducted at the Zubbio (cave) of Cozzo San Pietro (Bagheria), so far known only from a speleological point of view. This preliminary research which has shown that the cave was used for burial purposes during the Copper and Bronze ages and has highlighted the potential of the site for the study of the protohistory of western Sicily. This research has allowed us to outline an initial paleo-environmental reconstruction of the area, providing us with useful clues on the territories of the human group that occupied the Zubbio of Cozzo San Pietro, as well as other previously investigated caves in the surroundings of Palermo. In addition, by carrying out archaeological monitoring during the installation of the electricity grid in the Mondello area (Palermo), a transect was excavated across a protohistoric necropolis in Viale Venere. The excavations intercepted three oven-shaped tombs, which contained deposits that accumulated in multiple episodes and the remains from which are in a poor state of preservation. The study of the funerary structures and of the artefacts recovered in them, allows us to hypothesize the existence of an extensive necropolis dating back to the early Copper Age. These new discoveries open up new interesting perspectives on the interpretation of the relationship between humans and their environment in the territory of Palermo during the ‘Metal Ages’.
From September 2013 to June 2015, the Palermo Soprintendenza has followed the works for the const... more From September 2013 to June 2015, the Palermo Soprintendenza has followed the works for the construction of the new tram line in Corso dei Mille, still today one of the main arteries to access the city centre.
This area is delimited to the south by the ancient Ponte Ammiraglio, built around the second quarter of the twelfth century, by Admiral Giorgio d' Antiochia, and to the north by the Porta di Termini, now destroyed.
Part of a necropolis with particular characteristics has been identified: the tombs are aligned and do not overlap; several tombs rest and cut some of the previous masonry structures; all the burials respect the E/O orientation with the head to the West; in 23 cases the burials are in a supine position with the lower limbs stretched out and the upper limbs lying along the body or on the pubis or in some cases bent on the abdomen, placed in a wooden box. Two tombs have a pit, shallow, dug into the rock, lined with stone slabs, some with traces of plaster, covered by stone slabs placed on a double sloping slope. The wetted product is deposited in a wooden box. In the end, four buzzers were laid down in a right side decubitus facing SE, without wooden casing. All the depositions are characterized by a total absence of personal ornaments. Only in a tomb was a perfume bottle made of white glass and cobalt blue found, dating back to about the 12th century. Currently these archaeological data are not compared with other contemporary necropolises in Palermo and Sicily.
In this area, ancient sources place the Jewish necropolis.
The tombs were then covered by a road that could be connected with the Ponte dell' Ammiraglio and Porta di Termini.
AIA 2019, Afterlife of Ancient Urbanscapes and Rural Landscapes in Post-Classical Mediterranean (... more AIA 2019, Afterlife of Ancient Urbanscapes and Rural Landscapes in Post-Classical Mediterranean (A.D. 400 – 1300), Colloquium 1J - Friday, January 4, 8:00 - 10:30 am
- Organizers:
Angelo Castrorao Barba, University of Palermo, Davide Tanasi, University of South Florida, Roberto Miccichè, University of Palermo
- Colloquium Overview Statement
This session aims to focus on phenomena of reuse, reoccupation, reshaping of the antiquity during the postclassical period (5th–13th centuries C.E.). In particular, the panel aims to compare and discuss diachronically the changes in long-term dynamics of settlement, building technology, economy trajectories, land use and natural resources exploitation. The main issues that will be addressed are: The transition from the ancient city to the Christian urbanscapes and the functional and ideological relationship with the past. The emergence of new settlement patterns and its relationship with ancient landscapes and the formation of different agrarian systems and socioeconomic trajectories. Different case studies across the Mediterranean area will be presented in order to compare historical issues about the afterlife of classical cities and countryside between Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. After a brief introduction by the session’s organizers, the first paper will analyze the postclassical urban changes and the impact of Christianization in ancient Athens and cities of the Peloponnese. The second paper deals with the funerary reuse of the Ismenion Hill of Thebes during the Byzantine period. The long-term life and change, from Byzantine to Venetian periods, of the postclassical fortress at Isthmia will be discussed in the third paper. The results of the Nemea Valley Archaeological Project about settlement patterns between Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages in Greece countryside will be presented in the fourth paper. The fifth paper deals with postclassical patterns of change in settlement dynamics and their relationship with copper production in the Faynan Region (southern Jordan) over a long period between the 5th and 13th centuries C.E. The impact of early Christianization on the formation of postclassical landscape in particular areas, such as the Egypt’s Western Desert, will be addressed in the sixth paper. The seventh paper will focus on a new site discovered in central-western Sicily (Contrada Castro, Corleone), a Late Archaic indigenous site resettled between the Byzantine period and the Norman age (7th–12th centuries C.E.), which provides a case study for the wider phenomenon of reoccupation of hill-top ancient sites in Sicily. The final paper will address the topic of formation and evolution of post-classical landscapes in western Sicily focusing on the castles of Alcamo, Calatubo, Monte Bonifato, and Salemi and its surroundings. Concluding remarks will be made in a final discussion.
Programme:
- The Afterlife of Ancient Urbanscapes in Athens and the post-Classical Peloponnese
Amelia R. Brown , University of Queensland
- Burial Ground, Sanctuary, Cemetery: Post-Classical Reuse and Memory on the Ismenion Hill (Thebes, Greece)
Alexandra Charami, 9th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, Kevin Daly, Bucknell University, Katherine Harrington, Florida State University, Fotini Kondyli, University of Virginia, Stephanie Larson, Bucknell University, and Maria Liston, University of Waterloo
- Post-Military Use of the Byzantine Fortress at Isthmia (Greece)
Jon M. Frey, Michigan State University
- Afterlife of Hilltop Settlements in Sicily between Antiquity and the Middle Ages: the Excavation in Contrada Castro (Corleone, Palermo)
Angelo Castrorao Barba, University of Palermo, Roberto Miccichè, University of Palermo, Filippo Pisciotta, University of Palermo, Giuseppe Bazan, University of Palermo, Carla Aleo Nero, Soprintendenza BB.CC.AA. of Palermo, Stefano Vassallo, Soprintendenza BB.CC.AA. of Palermo, Pasquale Marino, Bona Furtuna LLC, and Steve Luczo, Bona Furtuna LLC
- Late Antique and Medieval Landscapes of the Nemea Valley, Southern Greece
Effie Athanassopoulos, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Christian Cloke, Smithsonian Institution
- Martyrs, Monks, and Miners: The Shifting Landscapes of the Faynan Region (Southern Jordan)
Ian W. N. Jones, University of California, San Diego, Mohammad Najjar, University of California, San Diego, and Thomas E. Levy, University of California, San Diego
- From Paganism to Christianity in Egypt's Western Desert: Changes in the Landscape of a Late Antique Hamlet
Nicola Aravecchia, Washington University in St. Louis
- Medieval Landscapes in Western Sicily: Castles and Urbanization
Scott Kirk, University of New Mexico, Michael J. Kolb, Metro State University Denver, and William M. Balco, University of North Georgia
Piazza Armerina: L’area nord dell’insediamento medievale presso la Villa del Casale. Indagini archeologiche 2013-2014. A cura di Carmela Bonanno., 2018
Questo volume è stato pubblicato nell’ambito del progetto: “Completamento degli scavi archeologic... more Questo volume è stato pubblicato nell’ambito del progetto: “Completamento degli scavi archeologici nell’area dell’abitato medievale ai fini dell’ampliamento della fruizione del complesso archeologico della Villa romana del Casale in territorio di Piazza Armerina (EN)”, finanziato da ALES S.p.A. e realizzato dalla Provincia Regionale di Enna in collaborazione con la Soprintendenza per i Beni culturali e ambientali di Enna e il Museo archeologico della Villa romana del Casale di Piazza Armerina.
University Press of Florida. ISBN 9780813069692, 2023
XV Giornate Gregoriane. Primordia rerum. La città e il suo ambiente naturale Agrigento 4-5 dicemb... more XV Giornate Gregoriane. Primordia rerum. La città e il suo ambiente naturale Agrigento 4-5 dicembre 2023
ATTENZIONE, NUOVA DATA DEL CONVEGNO: 4-5 DICEMBRE 2023
PLEASE, NOTE. NEW DATE OF CONFERENCE: 4-5 DECEMBER 2023
D. Tanasi, D. Cardona (eds), The Maltese Archipelago at the dawn of history. Reassessment of the 1909 and 1959 excavations at Qlejgħa tal-Baħrija and other essays, Oxford: Archaeopress, 2020
Castrorao Barba A., Miccichè R., Pisciotta F., Marino P., Bazan G., Aleo Nero C., Vassallo S., Un... more Castrorao Barba A., Miccichè R., Pisciotta F., Marino P., Bazan G., Aleo Nero C., Vassallo S., Un nuovo insediamento rurale nel territorio dei Monti Sicani tra epoca bizantina e normanna: dati preliminari sul sito di lunga durata di Contrada Castro (Corleone, PA), in F. Sogliani, B. Gargiulo, E. Annunziata, V. Vitale (a cura di), VIII Congresso Nazionale di Archeologia Medievale, Volume 2, Sezione III Territorio e Paesaggio, All'Insegna del Giglio, Firenze, 2018, ISBN: 9788878148673, pp. 254-258
The Akragas Dialogue New investigations on sanctuaries in Sicily, 2020
The relationship between the Demeter cults and the offering of piglets is a cornerstone of many d... more The relationship between the Demeter cults and the offering of piglets is a cornerstone of many discussions about ancient Greek religion. However, this connection has rarely been supported by systematic zooarchaeological studies. The new excavations at the sanctuary of S. Anna greatly increase the zooarchaeological record of Sicily, while also providing an excellent case study for exploring the broader issues of ancient Greek ritual practice. Our results highlight the almost exclusive presence of pig bones, mostly belonging to very young individuals. The taphonomic analysis of the remains point to a cultic context, in which the piglets were used for sacrificial purposes and as part of sacred meals.
Archeologia del rito Nuclei sepolcrali e rituale funerario nelle prime fasi dell'Età del Bronzo n... more Archeologia del rito Nuclei sepolcrali e rituale funerario nelle prime fasi dell'Età del Bronzo nella città di Salerno
The Maltese Archipelago at the Dawn of History
Il presente lavoro riguarda i primi dati zooarcheologici provenienti dalle recenti ricerche che h... more Il presente lavoro riguarda i primi dati zooarcheologici provenienti dalle recenti ricerche che hanno interessato l'area del santuario della Malophoros a Selinunte. La nostra indagine ha avuto come obiettivo principale l'esplorazione delle modalità sacrificali utilizzate dagli antichi frequentatori del santuario, ponendo particolare attenzione su tutti quegli elementi tafonomici riferibili ad un particolare trattamento subito dall'animale a scopo rituale. Le analisi fino ad ora effettuate hanno riguardato un totale di 2299 resti faunistici di cui 805 attribuiti a livello specifico. L'analisi incrociata dei reperti combusti e della distribuzione dei diversi elementi anatomici all'interno del campione ha mostrato che durante i riti che prevedevano la combustione dell'animale veniva preferita una particolare porzione: la coscia o le sue ossa. Sebbene si tratti di dati preliminari, le informazioni provenienti dallo studio delle faune sembrerebbero evidenziare la ...
Medicina nei secoli, Jul 15, 2021
This work discusses on the problems of the differential diagnosis in paleopathology, describing o... more This work discusses on the problems of the differential diagnosis in paleopathology, describing one case of intense modification observed in a skeletal sample from the archaelogical site of Baucina (Sicily, VI century BCE). Difficulties in this setting originate mainly from the aspecificity or absence of pathological markers on ancient bones and confounding features arising from clinical phenocopies or taphonomic artifacts. On the base of an in-depth morphological analysis of the find, with aid of CT scan imaging and wide revision of the medical and paleopathological literature, we arrived to a convincing diagnosis.