Combined metagenomic and archaeobotanical analyses on human dental calculus: A cross-section of lifestyle conditions in a Copper Age population of central Italy

Abstract Background The analysis of ancient calcified dental plaque is a powerful archaeobotanical method to elucidate the key role of the plants in human history. Methods In this research, by applying both optic microscopy and gas chromatography mass spectrometry on this matrix, a detailed qualitative investigation for reconstructing the lifestyle of a Roman imperial community of the Ager Curensis (Sabina Tiberina, Central Italy) was performed. Results The detection of animal micro-remains and molecules (e.g., hairs, feather barbules, markers of dairy products), starch granules of several cereals and legumes, pollen (e.g., Juglans regia L., Hedera sp. L.) and other plant micro-debris (e.g., trichome of Olea sp., hemp fibers), and phytochemicals (e.g., Brassicaceae, Lamiaceae herbs, Ferula sp., Trigonella foenum-graecum L., wine, and Humulus lupulus L.) in the dental calculus sample demonstrated that plant-derived foods were regularly consumed together with animal resources. Conclusions This nutritional plan, consistent with the information reported in ancient written texts, suggested that the studied population based its own subsistence on both agriculture and husbandry, probably also including beekeeping and hunting activities. All together, these results represent proofs for the comprehension of food habits, phytotherapeutic practices, and cultural traditions of one of the first Roman settlements in the Sabina Tiberina area.

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The technology of Copper Age funerary pottery from Central Italy: An integrated study of compositional analyses and manufacturing traces

Archaeometry ◽

10.1111/arcm.12559 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 62 (4) ◽

pp. 712-730

Author(s):

V. Forte ◽

O. Tarquini ◽

M. Botticelli ◽

L. Medeghini

Keyword(s):

Central Italy ◽

Copper Age ◽

Integrated Study

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Towards an absolute chronology for the Copper Age in central Italy: A note based on the conelle site and culture

Papers of the British School at Rome ◽

10.1017/s0068246200010412 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 64 ◽

pp. 273-282 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Robin Skeates

Keyword(s):

Central Italy ◽

Copper Age

VERSO UNA CRONOLOGIA ASSOLUTA PER L'ETÀ DEL RAME IN ITALIA CENTRALECon la recente pubblicazione di dodici nuove determinazioni radiocarboniche per Conelle d'Arcevia nella regione Marche, è ora possibile, da una parte, collocare la sequenza cronologica di questo importante sito dell'età del rame su una base più solida, e, dall'altra, cominciare a costruire una struttura cronologica assoluta per l'età del rame in Italia centrale. Per l'età del rame, tre ampie fasi possono ora essere proposte: una età del rame iniziale, datata al 3550–3050 a.C.; una media età del rame, datata al 3050–2750 a.C.; e una tarda età del rame, datata al 2750–2200 a.C. Tale struttura ora richiede conferma e potenziamento attraverso la produzione di nuove datazioni radiocarboniche.

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Insights into the Copper-Bronze Age diet in Central Italy: Plant microremains in dental calculus from Grotta dello Scoglietto (Southern Tuscany, Italy)

Journal of Archaeological Science Reports ◽

10.1016/j.jasrep.2017.07.005 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

pp. 30-39 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Marta Mariotti Lippi ◽

Lisa Pisaneschi ◽

Lucia Sarti ◽

Martina Lari ◽

Jacopo Moggi-Cecchi

Keyword(s):

Bronze Age ◽

Central Italy ◽

Dental Calculus

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New challenges in the study of lithic raw materials in central Italy at the dawn of metal working societies: La Pietra and other radiolarite quarry-workshops in Tuscany

Journal of Lithic Studies ◽

10.2218/jls.v3i2.1466 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sem Scaramucci ◽

Vanessa Volpi ◽

Armando Costantini ◽

Marco Giamello ◽

Alessandro Donati ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Raw Materials ◽

Methodological Approach ◽

Central Italy ◽

Raw Material ◽

Copper Age ◽

Field Surveys ◽

Archaeological Data ◽

Geochemical Analyses ◽

First Time ◽

Non Destructive

In central-southern Tuscany radiolarite has been used as a lithic raw material throughout prehistory. During the Copper Age it was selected for the local production of leaf-shaped artefacts. In the area considered, the Copper Age record is almost totally restricted to burials and virtually no settlements have been investigated so far. Radiolarite artefacts are found mostly as refined arrow and, possibly javelin, heads used as grave goods.Within this context, the discovery and recent investigation of the large radiolarite quarry of La Pietra (Roccastrada, Grosseto) and of the related workshops is of great interest. Our aim here is to integrate the record from this site with other contemporary evidence of radiolarite exploitation. A programme of surveys has thus begun on the other radiolarite outcrops of the area in order to verify the existence of further rock quarrying or working. The discovery of a previously unknown quarry-workshop and two previously unknown workshops on radiolarite outcrops is presented here for the first time. The geological and archaeological data coming from the quarry-workshops will be used, in a future stage of research, to source the radiolarite artefacts found in Copper Age graves of Central Italy. The Copper age armatures are valuable artefacts mostly kept in museums and fully non-destructive analyses must be applied to them. To tackle these challenges, we followed a methodological approach which integrates field surveys, the individuation of petrographic markers of the most exploited radiolarite horizons and geochemical analyses. For geochemical characterization, we made use of pXRF portable spectrometer and here we present some preliminary results in the light of current methodological debate.In conclusion, even if some methodological questions remain open, we verified the feasibility of this programme of geographical, geological and geochemical characterizations and need now to increase our dataset in order to reconstruct a viable picture of Copper age lithic economy in central-southern Tuscany.

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those from Rendina (no. 38) and Fonti di San Callisto (no. 36) (fig. 7, 1 and 2) to the almost abstract, as on the three figurines from Riparo Gaban (nos 8, 9 and 10) (fig. 5, 3 and fig. 7, 3 and 4). In these last cases, the depiction of the sexual organs is so stylised that they could perhaps be included in our third category, of sexual symbols. However, we have included them here because, however stylised, the sexual organs are shown on these figurines in approximately correct anatomical relation (i.e. breasts are shown below heads and vulvas below breasts), so as to suggest that whole female figures are being represented; as will be seen this is not the case with the other examples of sexual symbolism. If, for the purposes of this discussion, we ignore the great typological diversity of the figurines and consider them all together, we find an overwhelming preponderance of female figures over male ones. In fact there are only two specifically male figures, both probably from Copper Age contexts: the surface find from the Copper Age settlement site of Ortucchio in central Italy (no. 35) (fig. 8) and the large figure from a votive pit in the Sicilian Copper Age cemetery of Piano Vento (no. 58) (fig. 9). The significance of the dating of these figurines will be discussed below. In contrast, the number of female figurines is at least 30, and possibly 35, if the 'probably female' examples are included. Moreover, if we are right in attributing some of the north Italian heads (particularly nos 16, 20 and 21) to figurines of specifically female type, the number would go up still further. It is worth making the point here that among the Italian figurines we do not find a specific category of sexless figures, as occurs elsewhere, e.g. at Knossos, where in Ucko's analysis (1962: 40), there were more sexless figures than sexed ones. In our list, the figurines with 'no indication of sex' are almost all fragmentary and represent body parts, especially heads, which are not sexually specific. The only complete figurines which have no sexual features shown are the two stone figurines from Cerno and Arnesano (nos 1 and 46) (fig. 6) and these in fact represent heads on largely unworked cylindrical shafts. There are also four cases of heads which do not seem to be broken off, but complete in themselves (nos 39 (fig. 10), 40, 50 and 51); this category represents a special case and will be discussed below. It is likely that most of the figurines were originally specifically sexed and that the majority was female. Female figurines occur in both the earlier and later chronological periods, in all areas of Italy and on all the types of sites where figurines are represented. Although the female sex of the figurines is not in doubt, there seems to be little emphasis on fertility. None of the Italian figurines is shown as pregnant and, although V Tinè has claimed that the example from Favella (no. 47) might have been in the birthing position, this is far from clear. None of the figures is shown doing anything; they are mostly depicted as standing, with a few shown seated (nos 4, 25, 38 and possibly 47). In as far as there is emphasis on the sexual organs, it is possible that sexuality is being emphasised rather than fertility. In any case, while there seems to be little emphasis on the limbs and other 'non-sexual' body parts, heads and faces are given at least as much attention as bodies — in contrast to the the Upper Palaeolithic 'Venuses' — and we should be careful about placing too much emphasis on the sexual organs depicted. Cultural indicators of gender Most of the figurines appear without indications of dress or any associated artefacts. The only exceptions are the clay head from Grot ta Pacelli (no. 40), which has an apparent elaborate headdress and four, or possibly five, figurines which have V-shaped features, incised, impressed or in relief, on the neck, which are sometimes interpreted as necklaces. One example is the bone figurine from Riparo Gaban (no. 8) which has a 'necklace' and a possible 'belt', both incised, on a female figurine with both breasts and vulva marked (fig. 7, 3). The other two definite incised Vs occur on figurines from Vhò (no. 14), which is a clear female figure with breasts shown in relief (fig. 2, 2)and from Arnesano (no. 46), where it occurs on a stone figurine without indications of sex (fig. 6, 1). One of the clearly female figurines with breasts from Passo di Corvo (no. 44) has a series of impressed dots in a V-

Gender & Italian Archaeology ◽

10.4324/9781315428178-22 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 116-145

Keyword(s):

Central Italy ◽

The Other ◽

Copper Age ◽

Body Parts ◽

The North ◽

Specific Category ◽

Female Figures ◽

Settlement Site ◽

Large Figure ◽

Almost All

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Context Types of site Figurines have been found in four broad categories of sites: village sites in the open (30 figurines, 18 sites); occupied caves (11 figurines, 3 sites); caves and rock-shelters used for burial and other cult purposes (8 figurines, 5 sites); other funerary sites (11 figurines, 4 sites). There seems to be a clear chronological distinction in the types of context. In the earlier period the vast majority of figurines come from settlement contexts — either open villages or occupied caves — while a few come from cult caves. By contrast, all but one of the 12 figurines of the later period (Late Neolithic and Copper Age) come from burials, mostly individual, either from the tombs themselves or from votive pits closely associated with graves. As we shall see, there are also typological distinctions between the types of figurines found in different contexts. Some of these may represent chronological rather than (or as well as) contextual differences, but a possible difference may also be detected between the figurines from settlement sites and those from cult caves within the earlier Neolithic time range. There are also regional differences in the proportions of different types of context occurring. In northern Italy, 13 sites have produced figurines; of these 8 are village sites, 2 are occupied caves, 1 is a tomb and the other 2 are either certainly or possibly cult cave/ rockshelter sites. In central Italy only 4 sites, all settlements, have produced figurines, while in southern Italy, 9 sites have produced figurines; of these 6 sites are settlements, 1 is a tomb and 2 are cult caves. The situation in Sicily stands out as markedly different in many ways: here 5 sites have produced figurines, of which only 2, both Neolithic, are occupation sites (one cave, one village), 2 are cemetery sites of Copper Age date, and 1 is a cult cave, used in both the Neolithic and the Copper Age (but yielding 2 figurines one definitely, the other presumptively, from Neolithic levels). Specific contexts Unfortunately we have specific evidence of location for very few of the figurines. For those coming from settlement sites, none seem to have been associated with buildings of any kind, domestic or other. Some are unstratified surface finds, while others were found in residual layers, redeposited from earlier levels. The only clear contexts in which figurines have been found is in pits (Rivoli, Vhò), a hollow (Alba) and a compound ditch (Passo di Corvo) and in all cases these may represent secondary depositions, as rubbish. In the occupied caves the figurines, when stratified at all, are found either in original occupation layers or in later layers with other redeposited material. The situation is a little better with the cult caves/rock-shelters. While two figurines, one from Grotta di Ponte di Vara (no. 17) and one from Grotta di San Calogero (no. 51), are unstratified, those from Riparo Gaban (nos 8-10) and Grotta di San Calogero (no. 50) come from stratified Neolithic deposits. Moreover, we have two examples from primary and significant depositions: these are the two distinctive clay heads from the central Apulian cult caves of Grotta di Cala Scizzo (no. 39) and Grotta Pacelli (no. 40). The first was found placed in the corner of an artificial stone enclosure at the back of a small cave used for cult purposes, in a layer with late Serra d'Alto and Diana wares and a C date of c.4340 - 3710 cal.BC (lc). The second was placed face downwards on a hearth inside a limestone slab-built monument; the pottery from this level was of Serra d'Alto type, typologically slightly earlier than that from Grotta di Cala Scizzo. On the basis of their contexts, it seems reasonable to interpret these two figurines as performing some function in the rituals carried out in these caves. This is discussed further below. For some of the 11 figurines from cemeteries or individual tombs we have more detailed evidence of context. Of the two stone figurines attributed to the Late-Final Neolithic, the one from Arnesano (no. 46) in southeast Italy apparently came from a rock-cut tomb of

Gender & Italian Archaeology ◽

10.4324/9781315428178-20 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 109-110

Keyword(s):

Southern Italy ◽

Central Italy ◽

Northern Italy ◽

The Other ◽

Time Range ◽

Copper Age ◽

Late Neolithic ◽

The One ◽

Artificial Stone ◽

Rock Shelters

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Copper Age Settlement and Economy in Le Marche, Central Italy: A Social Perspective

Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology ◽

10.1558/jmea.v10i1.49 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Robin Skeats

Keyword(s):

Central Italy ◽

Copper Age ◽

Social Perspective

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Environmental implications and evidence of natural products from dental calculi of a Neolithic–Chalcolithic community (central Italy)

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-89999-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Alessia D’Agostino ◽

Gabriele Di Marco ◽

Mauro Rubini ◽

Silvia Marvelli ◽

Elisabetta Rizzoli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Central Italy ◽

Special Focus ◽

Dental Calculus ◽

Plant Resources ◽

Environmental Implications ◽

Natural Substances ◽

Pollen Types ◽

Chalcolithic Period ◽

The Stability

AbstractIn this contribution, we investigated the role of plants in the prehistoric community of Casale del Dolce (Anagni, FR, central Italy), through microparticles recovered from dental calculus. The finding of a great amount of pollen types, even in form of compact lumps, could indicate use of natural substances, such as honeybee products and/or conifer resins. This plant-microremain record also suggested environmental implications relative to the Neolithic and Chalcolithic period. Additionally, the stability of the tartar microenvironment had preserved starches and other microparticles, such as one epidermal trichome, a sporangium, and fragments of plant tissue, rarely detected in ancient dental calculus. The detection of secondary metabolites in the ancient matrix confirmed the familiarity of this community with plant resources. All these data supply various interesting food for thought and expand the knowledge about the potential of dental calculus in archaeological and archaeobotanical fields with a special focus on palaeoecology.

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