Federico Cappella | Università degli Studi "La Sapienza" di Roma (original) (raw)
Papers by Federico Cappella
FOLIA PHOENICIA 6, 2022
The following pages represent an attempt to compare the repertoires of the central Levant and Cyp... more The following pages represent an attempt to compare the repertoires of the central Levant and Cyprus with that of the central and western Mediterranean using the two most distinctive Phoenician jugs. The aim is to trace the spread of these two types of jugs in the Mediterranean between the end of the 10th and the 7th century bc, and to identify similarities and diferences both in morphology and in decoration in the diferent areas of difusion.
Vicino Oriente XXVIII, 2024
The paper concerns two Nuragic handmade and burnished bowls of dark grey fabric discovered at Mot... more The paper concerns two Nuragic handmade and burnished bowls of dark grey fabric discovered at Motya and dated to the Sicilian Recent Bronze Age (Motya IIIB, 1250-1100 BC). These findings have to be possibly placed in the context of a well establishing trade between Sardinia, Sicily and Cyprus during the late Bronze Age and they would seem to be evidence of cultural interconnections between these islands.
Vicino Oriente, 2024
First contacts between Levantine sailors and the native peoples of Sicily do not begin with the a... more First contacts between Levantine sailors and the native peoples of Sicily do not begin with the arrival of the Phoenicians on the island. Although there is more evidence during the Iron Age, new archaeological data from Motya outline a different and more complex scenario: Levantine seamen, in fact, have sailed to the central Mediterranean since at least the 2nd millennium BC. Some Levantine imported ceramic finds from Motya dated between the 17 th and the 7 th century BC are presented in the following pages.
Vicino Oriente, 2024
Red Slip (RSW) is a specialized ware exported by Phoenician seafarers from the Levant throughout ... more Red Slip (RSW) is a specialized ware exported by Phoenician seafarers from the Levant throughout the Mediterranean during the first half of the 1st millennium BC. RSW characterizes the ceramic repertoire of the earliest phases of the Phoenician settlements of Central and Western Mediterranean during the late 9th-6th centuries BC. During this time span, the RSW repertoire underwent some important transformations that can be considered the outcome of the new Western Phoenician culture.
Vicino Oriente XXVII, 2023
During the XLII season (2022) of excavations in Zone D at Motya, under the floor levels of the "H... more During the XLII season (2022) of excavations in Zone D at Motya, under the floor levels of the "House of Triton's Horn", Sounding IV reached a pit filled up with archaic ceramic fragments. Here a cut-out bottom of a Greek hydria inscribed on both sides with different scripts and languages was found. The finding spot, the associated ceramics, the ceramological and epigraphic examination of the fragment allowed to hypothesize that it probably belonged to one of the merchants who used to live in that residential part of Motya towards the end of 7 th and the beginning of the 6 th century BC. Other finds from the same stratigraphic context, including an Etruscan amphora, some fragments of bucchero and the Etruscan inscription found in 2017, show the international connections of the local trade élite, suggesting for a certain while a specific Tyrrhenian vocation.
Vicino Oriente XXVII, 2023
La MAC a effectué du 18 mai au 15 juin 2023 la troisième campagne de fouille. Les recherches ont ... more La MAC a effectué du 18 mai au 15 juin 2023 la troisième campagne de fouille. Les recherches ont été menées dans la nécropole phénicienne archaïque dite de Dermech (VIIe-VIe siècle av. J.-C.) dans le parc des Thermes d'Antonin et à la nécropole punique de la colline de l'Odéon (IVe-IIe siècle av. J.-C.) dans le quartier dit des « villas romaines », au nord de la cité.
Vicino Oriente, 2021
Dans le cadre de la coopération scientifique entre l’Institut National du Patrimoine et l’Univers... more Dans le cadre de la coopération scientifique entre l’Institut National du Patrimoine et l’Université de Rome « La Sapienza », une première campagne de fouille a eu lieu dans un secteur de la nécropole punique de Dermech à Carthage, dans l'enceinte du parc des thermes d'Antonin et aux abords de la colline de Borj-Jedid, du 17 octobre au 10 novembre 2021. Sous les vestiges romains et byzantins, neuf tombes-à fosse et à chambre unique avec puits d'accès vertical-creusées dans le roc, ont été dégagées dans un secteur datable du VIIème et Vème siècles av. J.-C. Within the framework of the scientific cooperation agreement between the Institut National du Patrimoine and the University of Rome «La Sapienza», from 17 October to 10 November 2021 a first archaeological season of excavation took place in a sector of the Phoenician and Punic necropolis of Dermech in Carthage, within the park of the Antonin's thermal baths beside the Borj-Jedid hill,. Beneath the Roman and Byzantine remains, nine tombs-pit and single chamber with vertical shaftdug into the rock, have been unearthed in a sector datable to the 7 th and 5 th centuries BC.
Microchemical Journal, 2022
This study examined a set of Red Slip Ware (RSW) from Cánovas del Castillo and a sector of the Ph... more This study examined a set of Red Slip Ware (RSW) from Cánovas del Castillo and a sector of the Phoenician necropolis of San Severiano/Guardia Civil (Cádiz, Spain), dating back to the 8 thand 6 th century B.C. Optical Microscopy (OM), X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD) and Electron Microscopy coupled with EDS system (SEM-EDS) allowed to characterize their mineralogy, chemistry, microfossils content and firing conditions as well as to explore technological procedure and selection of raw materials. Petrographic analysis indicated the occurrence of two fabrics and a loner sample. Paleontological analysis of well-preserved microfossils revealed that benthic organisms were prevalent in the two main fabrics, while planktonic specimens were dominant in the loner. The destabilization of microfossil chambers combined with XRPD data suggested temperatures of firing in the range of 750-850 • C and the use of Ca-rich illitic clays. X-ray maps showed a Fe-enrichment in the Red Slip surface. This study showed an interesting correlation between framboidal iron oxides, monazite, microfossils and raw materials, and thus supported the use of sedimentary rocks of the bay of Cádiz, excluding the loner for which a foreign origin was suggested. Finally, the results highlighted the influence of Phoenicians in one of the most western colony, producing their ceramic marker between two centuries.
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 2021
The present study concerns the Phoenician-Punic site of Motya, a small island set in Western Sici... more The present study concerns the Phoenician-Punic site of Motya, a small island set in Western Sicily (Italy), in the Marsala Lagoon (Stagnone di Marsala), between Trapani and Marsala. A big disposal pit, datable to between the first half of the 8th and the mid-6th century bc, was identified in Area D. This context was sampled for plant macro-remains through bucket flotation. Palynological treatment and analysis were also performed on soil samples collected from each of the identified filling layers. The combination of the study of macro-and micro-remains has shown to be effective in answering questions concerning introduced food plants and agricultural practices, and native plants, including timber use. Here we investigate if a waste context can provide information about Phoenicians at Motya and their impact on the local plant communities. We found that human diet included cereals (mostly naked wheat), pulses and fruits. A focus was placed on weeds (including Lolium temulentum and Phalaris spp.) referable to different stages of crop processing. This aspect was enriched by the finding of cereal pollen, which suggests that threshing (if not even cultivation) was carried out on site. Palynology also indicates an open environment, with little to no forest cover, characterized by complex anthropogenic activities. Anthracology suggests the presence of typical Mediterranean plant taxa, including not only the shrubs Pistacia lentiscus and Erica multiflora, but also evergreen oaks. The presence of a stone pine nut and of Pinus pinea/pinaster in the pollen rain is noteworthy, suggesting the local occurrence of these Mediterranean pines outside their native distribution range. This represents the first such find in the central Mediterranean. Finally, the present study allows us to compare Motya's past environment with the present one. The disappearance of Juniperus sp. and Erica arborea from the present-day surroundings of the Marsala lagoon appears to be related to land-overexploitation, aridification or a combination of both processes.
Vicino Oriente XXIV, 2020
In 2017, during a salvage excavation carried out by the Department of Antiquities and Cultural He... more In 2017, during a salvage excavation carried out by the Department of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage of Palestine, an Iron Age shaft tomb close to the site of Khirbet Bir el-Kharayib in Central Palestine came to light. The funerary equipment of the tomb goes within the Iron Age IIA pottery tradition. Vessels of this period primarily consist of Red Slip Ware bowls and juglets, Black Slip Ware juglets, Simple Ware jars, jugs and juglets, and Cooking Ware pots. A Bichrome Ware jug, a bronze bowl and a zoomorphic figurine complete the funerary set.
Solid state electrochemistry based on the voltammetry of immobilized microparticles (VIMP) method... more Solid state electrochemistry based on the voltammetry of immobilized microparticles (VIMP) methodology is applied to a series of 80 Phoenician Red Slip samples from the archaeological sites of Motya (Sicily, Italy), Mogador (Morocco), Ramat-Rahel (Israel), Sulky (Sardinia, Italy), Tas Silg (Malta), Pantelleria (Italy), and Cádiz (Spain), dated from the 8 th to the 6 th century BC. Upon attachment of sub-microsamples to graphite electrodes in contact with aqueous H 2 SO 4 electrolyte, voltam-metric features due to the reduction of Fe(III) minerals and the oxidation of Fe(II) ones, complemented with electrocatalytic effects on oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions, provide characteristic electrochemical fingerprints for pottery samples. A consistent sample grouping discriminating between different potteries from different archaelogical sites, is obtained, all results being consistent with morphological, compositional and minera-logical data. Petrographic analysis supports the grouping, defining the manufacture and firing procedure for the different archaeological context.
Workshop by Federico Cappella
by Bruno D'Andrea, Marie De Jonghe, Hédi DRIDI, Leonardo Bison, Fabiola Zielli, Manel BEN MANSOUR, Nina Ferrante, Lamia Fersi, Michele Guirguis, Jeremy Artru, Federico Cappella, and Lylya Khlyfy
L'objectif de cette école thématique est de croiser les approches disciplinaires, les terrains de... more L'objectif de cette école thématique est de croiser les approches disciplinaires, les terrains de recherches, les périodes et les corpus de sources afin de proposer aux jeunes chercheurs une ouverture méthodologique et scientifique autour d'une thématique commune d'étude, à savoir celle du goût dans les sociétés phénicienne et punique. Cette école thématique constitue la première action du programme AGEMO et fixera les termes, les contours et les enjeux du débat. Pour cela, nous nous limiterons aux deux premiers axes du programme que sont : -le goût comme construction culturelle-les goûts et les habitudes alimentaires L'accent sera également mis sur les questions inhérentes à la méthodologie choisie pour aborder les problématiques liées au goût tant du point de vue de l'esthétique que du style de vie, sans omettre les notions de distinction sociale et d'identité.
marieThe objective of this doctoral workshop is to cross disciplinary approaches, fields of research, periods and corpus of sources in order to offer young researchers a methodological and scientific opening around a common thematic study, and to explore all its potentialities. This doctoral workshop is the first action of the AGEMO programme and will set the terms, outlines and challenges of the debate. To do this, we will ask ourselves about the question of taste in Phoenician and Punic societies, limiting ourselves to the first two axes of the program, which are:-taste as a cultural construction-tastes and eating habits Emphasis will also be on questions inherent to the methodology chosen to address taste-related issues from both an aesthetic and lifestyle perspective, including the notions of social distinction and identity.
Conference Presentations by Federico Cappella
Science Applications Becoming Culture, 2020
The site of Motya, also called Mozia or Mothia, is a small islet in the middle of the Mediterrane... more The site of Motya, also called Mozia or Mothia, is a small islet in the middle of the Mediterranean, found in the Marsala lagoon, along the western coast of Sicily. Due to its strategic and harboured position, as well as the presence of a freshwater source, the site has been constantly occupied since the 17 th century BCE. Motya is best known for its Phoenicio-Punic occupation, which started in the 8 th century BCE and continued until the siege of Motya, in 397 BCE. The results here presented focus on the archaeobotanical materials coming from a disposal pit found in the residential area (D area) of the site, which dates back approximately to the 7 th century BCE. Four depositional layers have been identified. Carpological and anthracological remains, preserved mostly by charring, were retrieved in-situ using the bucket floatation technique. Once dry, the light fraction was sieved through a series of piled up meshes of size 2, 1 and 0.5 mm, and hand-picked under the microscope. Also the heavy fraction, water sieved on a 1 mm mesh, underwent screening. The carpological remains were observed under a stereomicroscope and identified using a series of atlases. A Nomarski microscope was used to carry out observations on anthracological remains. Overall, more than 3000 seeds/fruits, belonging to over 70 taxa, and 700 charcoals, corresponding to 21 taxa, were retrieved from the deposit. Other than plants strictly referable to the diet of the inhabitants of the island, such as cereals (Hordeum vulgare and Triticum aestivum/durum), pulses (such as Pisum sativum, Lens culinaris and Vicia faba) and fruits (including Punica granatum and Vitis vinifera, whose arrival is attributable to Phoenicians), the assemblage is rich in weeds and other wild plants. These specimens provide interesting information about past agricultural practices, crop processing and past environment. For example, a high amount of Lolium temulentum, whose grain size is similar to that of cereals, indicates that this weed was removed by hand-picking from the edible crops. A total of 54 weed taxa have been found and a good correspondence with the current weed flora of the islet of Motya was found. The analysis of macro-remains is accompanied by the palynological study of sediments, complementing the results and providing hints on the reconstruction of the past island's landscape.
115° Congresso della Società Botanica Italiana, 2020
The present study concerns the analysis of the plant remains found in the archaeological site of ... more The present study concerns the analysis of the plant remains found in the archaeological site of Motya, a small islet (ca. 40 ha) located in the Stagnone di Marsala, a coastal lagoon of western Sicily. Due to its strategic, harbored position in the middle of the Mediterranean and the presence of fresh-water springs, the site was chosen by Phoenicians as a settlement in the 8th century BCE until the siege of Motya in 397/6 BCE.
The study of macro-remains, retrieved using bucket floatation, focused on two closed contexts: the votive favissa found on the side of the Temple of Cappiddazzu and a disposal pit in Area D, both dating back to the 7th-6th centuries BCE. These have yielded a wide set of data which allows to reconstruct different aspects of plant use of Phoenicians at Motya. In the former, where the remains of seven sacrificed bovines were found, carpological remains were preserved mainly through mineralization. Over 50% of these are represented by taxa poisonous to livestock (Anagallis arvensis, some Boraginaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Dittrichia graveolens (1)) accompanied by fodder plants (including Astragalus boeticus and Medicago polymorpha), edible-officinal and ornamental plants (Cupressus sempervirens) and plants probably issuing from fruit and flower offerings (Verbena officinalis, Vitis vinifera). Furthermore, many of the retrieved plants present officinal properties and are used in traditional medicine. Examples include Ajuga iva, a popular medicinal plant in Africa and Asia, used as a cure for a variety of diseases including hyperthension, digestive and gastro-intestinal disorders (2), as well as Borago officinalis and D. graveolens, known as treatments for respiratory conditions (3,4).
In contrast, plants collected from the disposal pit in Area D are preserved mostly by charring and may be referred to food consumption (a wide variety of cereals, pulses and fruits, including Olea europaea and Punica granatum), agricultural practices (weeds of cultivated fields, such as Lolium temulentum and Phalaris sp.) and past environment.
The analysis of the two contexts allows to get an overview of the plant use of Phoenicians at Motya, both in terms of ritual plant use, diet and agriculture.
FOLIA PHOENICIA 6, 2022
The following pages represent an attempt to compare the repertoires of the central Levant and Cyp... more The following pages represent an attempt to compare the repertoires of the central Levant and Cyprus with that of the central and western Mediterranean using the two most distinctive Phoenician jugs. The aim is to trace the spread of these two types of jugs in the Mediterranean between the end of the 10th and the 7th century bc, and to identify similarities and diferences both in morphology and in decoration in the diferent areas of difusion.
Vicino Oriente XXVIII, 2024
The paper concerns two Nuragic handmade and burnished bowls of dark grey fabric discovered at Mot... more The paper concerns two Nuragic handmade and burnished bowls of dark grey fabric discovered at Motya and dated to the Sicilian Recent Bronze Age (Motya IIIB, 1250-1100 BC). These findings have to be possibly placed in the context of a well establishing trade between Sardinia, Sicily and Cyprus during the late Bronze Age and they would seem to be evidence of cultural interconnections between these islands.
Vicino Oriente, 2024
First contacts between Levantine sailors and the native peoples of Sicily do not begin with the a... more First contacts between Levantine sailors and the native peoples of Sicily do not begin with the arrival of the Phoenicians on the island. Although there is more evidence during the Iron Age, new archaeological data from Motya outline a different and more complex scenario: Levantine seamen, in fact, have sailed to the central Mediterranean since at least the 2nd millennium BC. Some Levantine imported ceramic finds from Motya dated between the 17 th and the 7 th century BC are presented in the following pages.
Vicino Oriente, 2024
Red Slip (RSW) is a specialized ware exported by Phoenician seafarers from the Levant throughout ... more Red Slip (RSW) is a specialized ware exported by Phoenician seafarers from the Levant throughout the Mediterranean during the first half of the 1st millennium BC. RSW characterizes the ceramic repertoire of the earliest phases of the Phoenician settlements of Central and Western Mediterranean during the late 9th-6th centuries BC. During this time span, the RSW repertoire underwent some important transformations that can be considered the outcome of the new Western Phoenician culture.
Vicino Oriente XXVII, 2023
During the XLII season (2022) of excavations in Zone D at Motya, under the floor levels of the "H... more During the XLII season (2022) of excavations in Zone D at Motya, under the floor levels of the "House of Triton's Horn", Sounding IV reached a pit filled up with archaic ceramic fragments. Here a cut-out bottom of a Greek hydria inscribed on both sides with different scripts and languages was found. The finding spot, the associated ceramics, the ceramological and epigraphic examination of the fragment allowed to hypothesize that it probably belonged to one of the merchants who used to live in that residential part of Motya towards the end of 7 th and the beginning of the 6 th century BC. Other finds from the same stratigraphic context, including an Etruscan amphora, some fragments of bucchero and the Etruscan inscription found in 2017, show the international connections of the local trade élite, suggesting for a certain while a specific Tyrrhenian vocation.
Vicino Oriente XXVII, 2023
La MAC a effectué du 18 mai au 15 juin 2023 la troisième campagne de fouille. Les recherches ont ... more La MAC a effectué du 18 mai au 15 juin 2023 la troisième campagne de fouille. Les recherches ont été menées dans la nécropole phénicienne archaïque dite de Dermech (VIIe-VIe siècle av. J.-C.) dans le parc des Thermes d'Antonin et à la nécropole punique de la colline de l'Odéon (IVe-IIe siècle av. J.-C.) dans le quartier dit des « villas romaines », au nord de la cité.
Vicino Oriente, 2021
Dans le cadre de la coopération scientifique entre l’Institut National du Patrimoine et l’Univers... more Dans le cadre de la coopération scientifique entre l’Institut National du Patrimoine et l’Université de Rome « La Sapienza », une première campagne de fouille a eu lieu dans un secteur de la nécropole punique de Dermech à Carthage, dans l'enceinte du parc des thermes d'Antonin et aux abords de la colline de Borj-Jedid, du 17 octobre au 10 novembre 2021. Sous les vestiges romains et byzantins, neuf tombes-à fosse et à chambre unique avec puits d'accès vertical-creusées dans le roc, ont été dégagées dans un secteur datable du VIIème et Vème siècles av. J.-C. Within the framework of the scientific cooperation agreement between the Institut National du Patrimoine and the University of Rome «La Sapienza», from 17 October to 10 November 2021 a first archaeological season of excavation took place in a sector of the Phoenician and Punic necropolis of Dermech in Carthage, within the park of the Antonin's thermal baths beside the Borj-Jedid hill,. Beneath the Roman and Byzantine remains, nine tombs-pit and single chamber with vertical shaftdug into the rock, have been unearthed in a sector datable to the 7 th and 5 th centuries BC.
Microchemical Journal, 2022
This study examined a set of Red Slip Ware (RSW) from Cánovas del Castillo and a sector of the Ph... more This study examined a set of Red Slip Ware (RSW) from Cánovas del Castillo and a sector of the Phoenician necropolis of San Severiano/Guardia Civil (Cádiz, Spain), dating back to the 8 thand 6 th century B.C. Optical Microscopy (OM), X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD) and Electron Microscopy coupled with EDS system (SEM-EDS) allowed to characterize their mineralogy, chemistry, microfossils content and firing conditions as well as to explore technological procedure and selection of raw materials. Petrographic analysis indicated the occurrence of two fabrics and a loner sample. Paleontological analysis of well-preserved microfossils revealed that benthic organisms were prevalent in the two main fabrics, while planktonic specimens were dominant in the loner. The destabilization of microfossil chambers combined with XRPD data suggested temperatures of firing in the range of 750-850 • C and the use of Ca-rich illitic clays. X-ray maps showed a Fe-enrichment in the Red Slip surface. This study showed an interesting correlation between framboidal iron oxides, monazite, microfossils and raw materials, and thus supported the use of sedimentary rocks of the bay of Cádiz, excluding the loner for which a foreign origin was suggested. Finally, the results highlighted the influence of Phoenicians in one of the most western colony, producing their ceramic marker between two centuries.
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 2021
The present study concerns the Phoenician-Punic site of Motya, a small island set in Western Sici... more The present study concerns the Phoenician-Punic site of Motya, a small island set in Western Sicily (Italy), in the Marsala Lagoon (Stagnone di Marsala), between Trapani and Marsala. A big disposal pit, datable to between the first half of the 8th and the mid-6th century bc, was identified in Area D. This context was sampled for plant macro-remains through bucket flotation. Palynological treatment and analysis were also performed on soil samples collected from each of the identified filling layers. The combination of the study of macro-and micro-remains has shown to be effective in answering questions concerning introduced food plants and agricultural practices, and native plants, including timber use. Here we investigate if a waste context can provide information about Phoenicians at Motya and their impact on the local plant communities. We found that human diet included cereals (mostly naked wheat), pulses and fruits. A focus was placed on weeds (including Lolium temulentum and Phalaris spp.) referable to different stages of crop processing. This aspect was enriched by the finding of cereal pollen, which suggests that threshing (if not even cultivation) was carried out on site. Palynology also indicates an open environment, with little to no forest cover, characterized by complex anthropogenic activities. Anthracology suggests the presence of typical Mediterranean plant taxa, including not only the shrubs Pistacia lentiscus and Erica multiflora, but also evergreen oaks. The presence of a stone pine nut and of Pinus pinea/pinaster in the pollen rain is noteworthy, suggesting the local occurrence of these Mediterranean pines outside their native distribution range. This represents the first such find in the central Mediterranean. Finally, the present study allows us to compare Motya's past environment with the present one. The disappearance of Juniperus sp. and Erica arborea from the present-day surroundings of the Marsala lagoon appears to be related to land-overexploitation, aridification or a combination of both processes.
Vicino Oriente XXIV, 2020
In 2017, during a salvage excavation carried out by the Department of Antiquities and Cultural He... more In 2017, during a salvage excavation carried out by the Department of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage of Palestine, an Iron Age shaft tomb close to the site of Khirbet Bir el-Kharayib in Central Palestine came to light. The funerary equipment of the tomb goes within the Iron Age IIA pottery tradition. Vessels of this period primarily consist of Red Slip Ware bowls and juglets, Black Slip Ware juglets, Simple Ware jars, jugs and juglets, and Cooking Ware pots. A Bichrome Ware jug, a bronze bowl and a zoomorphic figurine complete the funerary set.
Solid state electrochemistry based on the voltammetry of immobilized microparticles (VIMP) method... more Solid state electrochemistry based on the voltammetry of immobilized microparticles (VIMP) methodology is applied to a series of 80 Phoenician Red Slip samples from the archaeological sites of Motya (Sicily, Italy), Mogador (Morocco), Ramat-Rahel (Israel), Sulky (Sardinia, Italy), Tas Silg (Malta), Pantelleria (Italy), and Cádiz (Spain), dated from the 8 th to the 6 th century BC. Upon attachment of sub-microsamples to graphite electrodes in contact with aqueous H 2 SO 4 electrolyte, voltam-metric features due to the reduction of Fe(III) minerals and the oxidation of Fe(II) ones, complemented with electrocatalytic effects on oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions, provide characteristic electrochemical fingerprints for pottery samples. A consistent sample grouping discriminating between different potteries from different archaelogical sites, is obtained, all results being consistent with morphological, compositional and minera-logical data. Petrographic analysis supports the grouping, defining the manufacture and firing procedure for the different archaeological context.
by Bruno D'Andrea, Marie De Jonghe, Hédi DRIDI, Leonardo Bison, Fabiola Zielli, Manel BEN MANSOUR, Nina Ferrante, Lamia Fersi, Michele Guirguis, Jeremy Artru, Federico Cappella, and Lylya Khlyfy
L'objectif de cette école thématique est de croiser les approches disciplinaires, les terrains de... more L'objectif de cette école thématique est de croiser les approches disciplinaires, les terrains de recherches, les périodes et les corpus de sources afin de proposer aux jeunes chercheurs une ouverture méthodologique et scientifique autour d'une thématique commune d'étude, à savoir celle du goût dans les sociétés phénicienne et punique. Cette école thématique constitue la première action du programme AGEMO et fixera les termes, les contours et les enjeux du débat. Pour cela, nous nous limiterons aux deux premiers axes du programme que sont : -le goût comme construction culturelle-les goûts et les habitudes alimentaires L'accent sera également mis sur les questions inhérentes à la méthodologie choisie pour aborder les problématiques liées au goût tant du point de vue de l'esthétique que du style de vie, sans omettre les notions de distinction sociale et d'identité.
marieThe objective of this doctoral workshop is to cross disciplinary approaches, fields of research, periods and corpus of sources in order to offer young researchers a methodological and scientific opening around a common thematic study, and to explore all its potentialities. This doctoral workshop is the first action of the AGEMO programme and will set the terms, outlines and challenges of the debate. To do this, we will ask ourselves about the question of taste in Phoenician and Punic societies, limiting ourselves to the first two axes of the program, which are:-taste as a cultural construction-tastes and eating habits Emphasis will also be on questions inherent to the methodology chosen to address taste-related issues from both an aesthetic and lifestyle perspective, including the notions of social distinction and identity.
Science Applications Becoming Culture, 2020
The site of Motya, also called Mozia or Mothia, is a small islet in the middle of the Mediterrane... more The site of Motya, also called Mozia or Mothia, is a small islet in the middle of the Mediterranean, found in the Marsala lagoon, along the western coast of Sicily. Due to its strategic and harboured position, as well as the presence of a freshwater source, the site has been constantly occupied since the 17 th century BCE. Motya is best known for its Phoenicio-Punic occupation, which started in the 8 th century BCE and continued until the siege of Motya, in 397 BCE. The results here presented focus on the archaeobotanical materials coming from a disposal pit found in the residential area (D area) of the site, which dates back approximately to the 7 th century BCE. Four depositional layers have been identified. Carpological and anthracological remains, preserved mostly by charring, were retrieved in-situ using the bucket floatation technique. Once dry, the light fraction was sieved through a series of piled up meshes of size 2, 1 and 0.5 mm, and hand-picked under the microscope. Also the heavy fraction, water sieved on a 1 mm mesh, underwent screening. The carpological remains were observed under a stereomicroscope and identified using a series of atlases. A Nomarski microscope was used to carry out observations on anthracological remains. Overall, more than 3000 seeds/fruits, belonging to over 70 taxa, and 700 charcoals, corresponding to 21 taxa, were retrieved from the deposit. Other than plants strictly referable to the diet of the inhabitants of the island, such as cereals (Hordeum vulgare and Triticum aestivum/durum), pulses (such as Pisum sativum, Lens culinaris and Vicia faba) and fruits (including Punica granatum and Vitis vinifera, whose arrival is attributable to Phoenicians), the assemblage is rich in weeds and other wild plants. These specimens provide interesting information about past agricultural practices, crop processing and past environment. For example, a high amount of Lolium temulentum, whose grain size is similar to that of cereals, indicates that this weed was removed by hand-picking from the edible crops. A total of 54 weed taxa have been found and a good correspondence with the current weed flora of the islet of Motya was found. The analysis of macro-remains is accompanied by the palynological study of sediments, complementing the results and providing hints on the reconstruction of the past island's landscape.
115° Congresso della Società Botanica Italiana, 2020
The present study concerns the analysis of the plant remains found in the archaeological site of ... more The present study concerns the analysis of the plant remains found in the archaeological site of Motya, a small islet (ca. 40 ha) located in the Stagnone di Marsala, a coastal lagoon of western Sicily. Due to its strategic, harbored position in the middle of the Mediterranean and the presence of fresh-water springs, the site was chosen by Phoenicians as a settlement in the 8th century BCE until the siege of Motya in 397/6 BCE.
The study of macro-remains, retrieved using bucket floatation, focused on two closed contexts: the votive favissa found on the side of the Temple of Cappiddazzu and a disposal pit in Area D, both dating back to the 7th-6th centuries BCE. These have yielded a wide set of data which allows to reconstruct different aspects of plant use of Phoenicians at Motya. In the former, where the remains of seven sacrificed bovines were found, carpological remains were preserved mainly through mineralization. Over 50% of these are represented by taxa poisonous to livestock (Anagallis arvensis, some Boraginaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Dittrichia graveolens (1)) accompanied by fodder plants (including Astragalus boeticus and Medicago polymorpha), edible-officinal and ornamental plants (Cupressus sempervirens) and plants probably issuing from fruit and flower offerings (Verbena officinalis, Vitis vinifera). Furthermore, many of the retrieved plants present officinal properties and are used in traditional medicine. Examples include Ajuga iva, a popular medicinal plant in Africa and Asia, used as a cure for a variety of diseases including hyperthension, digestive and gastro-intestinal disorders (2), as well as Borago officinalis and D. graveolens, known as treatments for respiratory conditions (3,4).
In contrast, plants collected from the disposal pit in Area D are preserved mostly by charring and may be referred to food consumption (a wide variety of cereals, pulses and fruits, including Olea europaea and Punica granatum), agricultural practices (weeds of cultivated fields, such as Lolium temulentum and Phalaris sp.) and past environment.
The analysis of the two contexts allows to get an overview of the plant use of Phoenicians at Motya, both in terms of ritual plant use, diet and agriculture.