The ancient site of Elaiussa Sebaste (SE coast of Turkey) was one of the main trading harbours of the Mediterranean, growing in the Augustan period and maintaining its prestige until the Byzantine ...era. The Arabic invasion that occurred in the second half of the 7th century AD marked its definitive abandonment. A very prominent historical topic concerns the palaeoenvironmental evolution of the northern and southern harbours of Elaiussa Sebaste, including their decline and burial. A wide interdisciplinary study plans to analyse 8 cores drilled in the modern plains, which correspond to the setting of the 2 harbours basins. This geoarchaeological investigation aims to provide a first model of the environmental evolution recorded in the northern port basin, obtained by means of litho- and biofacies analyses from one of the 8 cores (ELA6) that best represents a good reference-succession in order to interpret this evolution. It consists of sediments deposited in a timespan from the 2nd century BC to the 6th century AD, corresponding to the developments of the ancient town and its harbours. The geophysics evidences the depth of the bedrock and the overlaying deposits. Sedimentology, macropalaeontology, and micropalaeontology define a sequence of shallow marine palaeoenvironments, with clear influence of fresh water. The palynology focuses the attention on a short core-interval corresponding to the timespan of 150-190 AD approximately, when the human impact might have controlled this evolution by building and cultivating. A hypothetical scenario might link some natural events (i.e. the uplift of the area, the increase of the sedimentation rate) to the human impact. These causes may have resulted in the siltation of the harbour that finally ended all harbour-related activities. During the timespan of the 2nd century BC to the 4th century AD, the northern harbour of Elaiussa-Sebaste may represent a good test to apply the Ancient Harbour Parasequence.
The funeral ritual of cremation has been practiced since ancient times and is an important source of information for the reconstruction of past mortuary behavior. In this study, 387 cremation tombs ...from five sites in the Po Valley (northern Italy) belonging to different periods (from the Bronze Age to the Roman Age) were examined to identify possible diachronic differences in cremation rituals. Anthropological analyses consisted of sex and age-at-death determination and estimation of the minimum number of individuals. Factors such as color variations of bones, fragmentation, skeletal completeness, and presence of animal bones were investigated as indicators of the funeral ritual. Different representation of the two sexes and different age-at-death were compared, as were single burials versus multiple ones. The results demonstrated significant differences among periods for almost all variables considered. The Bronze Age sample presented a higher frequency of single graves. The Iron and Roman Age samples showed a higher frequency of subadults than the Bronze Age. The cremations from all periods showed high frequencies of arm and leg bones, but the Roman Age sample showed a higher frequency of vertebrae and pelvic girdle elements. Larger fragments (≥ 20 mm) prevailed in the Roman Age, as did the presence of animal bones and blackened bones. We discuss these results by comparing them with sociocultural data of the human communities settled in the Po Valley during the Bronze, Iron, and Roman Ages. In conclusion, our study revealed different funerary rituals in northern Italy among the three periods.
The thesis project concerned the conservation of a roman fragmentary mural painting, found during the archaeological excavation held in the court of the medieval Palazzo Govone-Caratti at Alba in ...2008. The aim of the project was the study of the items from a historical, artistic and scientific point of view with an interdisciplinary approach. The results of the study supported the restoration of the fragmented plasters focusing on the reconstruction of their original disposition.
This paper shows the results of a multidisciplinary study carried out on the mortars from the Late Roman
Villa dell’Oratorio
(fourth-sixth
ad
), an aristocratic mansion built in the lower Valdarno ...(Florence, Italy). Thirty-one bedding mortar and plaster samples were analysed through optical microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy for determining the chemical, mineralogical and petrographic characteristics, while their main physical properties were measured by geotechnical procedures. The collected data indicates that the analysed mortars are made up of very fine to coarse river sand aggregate mixed with white to yellowish-white natural hydraulic lime binder mainly consisting of mixtures of prevailing calcite and hydraulic compounds. With regard to the origin of the raw materials, the aggregates were recognized to be selected Arno river sands, and the binders are the burning product of a local marly limestone (
ex Alberese
). Therefore, the mortars of the Late Roman
Villa dell’Oratorio
are one of the first uses of natural hydraulic lime in the lower Valdarno.
This study describes and discusses a rare case of metastatic carcinoma that affected the skeleton of an adult male recovered in the necropolis of Casal Bertone in Rome (Italy). The necropolis, which ...dates back to the Imperial Age (1st to 2nd century AD), is located near some residential structures and a large place identified as a fullery (fullonica).
Anthropological and paleopathological studies of the skeletal remains were performed via careful macroscopic, microscopic, radiological (X-ray and CT scan), and histological investigation.
The skeleton displayed mixed osteoclastic and osteoblastic lesions that mainly involved the axial bones, in particular the sternum, the ribs, the spine, and the scapular and pelvic girdles. The anatomical distribution and the destructive and proliferative nature of the lesions suggested diffuse metastases arising from a soft-tissue primary cancer. The age and sex of the individual, as well as radiographic and histological pictures, allowed diagnosis of an advanced prostate cancer with extensively diffused bone metastases.
At present, this is the only case of prostate cancer from the Imperial Age recovered in Rome.
During the Roman age, fishing, fish farming and fish processing represented a significant part of the economy around the Adriatic Sea. Ancient written sources celebrate the Northern Adriatic for the ...abundance of fish, particularly the western side as well as the associated estuaries and lagoons. However, they do not refer to Adriatic plants for the processing of different fish species, either caught or farmed. The written documentation is largely reflected in the archaeological record. Around the Adriatic there are some archaeological remains interpretable as installations for the breeding of fish (piscinae or vivaria), concentrated on the Eastern side of the Adriatic Sea (Istria), while structures for fish processing are less visible. The abundance of fish and the availability of salt, along with the presence of fresh water supplies, make the hypothesis that not only was fish farming practised, but also the salting and processing of fish to make various fish sauces – at least for internal consumption and perhaps also for limited trade – appear highly plausible. Factors that may explain the presence of only faint traces of such activity include: the perishable characteristics of breeding, processing and other facilities in areas with a sandy seabed (well described by Columella); significant changes in the coastal environment (a rise of 1,50 m in sea level since Roman times); the possibility of making salted fish and fish sauces with equipment of limited archaeological impact or survivability (referenced by Late Antique sources); the possibility of trading salted fish and fish sauces by wooden barrels.
This paper describes the results obtained using an archaeogeophysical-based approach for discovering new Roman structures belonging to the ancient settlement of Forentum, currently identifiable by a ...well-preserved sanctuary from the third century BC. The investigated area has been affected by invasive anthropic activities that have partially damaged the Roman structures. Extensive geophysical measurements, including detailed ground-penetrating radar investigations supported by magnetometric data, have allowed for the identification of an impressive complex of structures composed of various buildings. Magnetometric and electromagnetic anomalies suggest the existence of an “urban” dimension close to the Gravetta Sanctuary, totally unearthed and unknown until now, organized into regular patterns in a similar way to the most famous site in the vicinity of Bantia, or the famous Apulian archaeological sites of Ordona and Arpi.
In this paper, we study the possibility of topographic and cartographic techni-ques used during the Roman era being equally as those used a century ago. For this, we analysed the classical text ...sources when searching for data about the roman in-auguratio. Specific focus of the search was the phase known as contemplatio, which presents obvious analogies with modern topographic technical operations. To pro-ve this hypothesis, we analysed the location of the main centers founded by the romans in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula (Hispania), a territory conquered by the Roman power. In this location they were able to deploy a new territorial plan-ning. The regularity of the schemes and its design, based on distances modulated in roman units of measurement, allow us to deduce the existence of a pre-established plan. Finally, these geometrical schemes include places with a very singular geniusloci, as is the case of Santiago de Compostela. This suggests that the location of this important medieval pilgrimage centre had its origin in a foundation of no less sym-bolic importance in the ancient world.
En el presente trabajo se estudia la posibilidad del uso durante la época romana de técnicas topográficas y cartográficas tan sofisticadas como las que se han utili-zado hasta hace menos de un siglo. Para ello, se analizan las fuentes clásicas sobre la inauguratio romana, especialmente la parte conocida como contemplatio, que pre-senta analogías evidentes con operaciones técnicas topográficas modernas. Para demostrar esta hipótesis se revisa la ubicación de los principales centros fundados por los romanos en el noroeste de la península ibérica, un territorio conquistado por el poder romano donde pudieron desplegar sin limitaciones una ordenación del territorio conforme a sus planteamientos. La regularidad de su diseño, en función de unas distancias moduladas en unidades de medición romanas, permiten deducir la existencia de un plan preestablecido. Por último, en estos esquemas se integran lugares con un genius loci muy singular, como es el caso de Santiago de Compostela, que permiten sugerir que la ubicación de este importante centro de peregrinación medieval tiene su origen en una fundación de no menor importancia simbólica en el mundo antiguo.
Riassunto: Il complesso nuragico di San Marco (Medio Campidano) sorge in prossimità di una chiesetta campestre consacrata al Santo omonimo a poche centinaia di metri dalla periferia Est del centro ...abitato, alla base del costone sudoccidentale della Giara di Gesturi. Le indagini archeologiche, avviate nel 2001 e attualmente in corso, hanno dato modo di verificare la frequentazione e la composita sovrapposizione abitativa cui il complesso nuragico e l’area ad esso limitrofa sono stati interessati nel corso dei secoli, dall’età nuragica all’alto Medioevo. Abstract: The nuragic complex of San Marco (Medio Campidano) is located in proximity of a consecrate rural church to the Saint with the same name a few hundred meters from the E outskirts of the inhabited center rising downstream himself stately of the SW side of the Giara of Gesturi. The archaeological investigations developed him, to various resumptions, from 2001 and currently still in progress, they have given way of verifying the populating and the composite housing overlap which the nuragic complex and the area to it neighboring they have been interested during the centuries from the nuragic age to the tall middle age.
Crucifixion is a cruel method of execution. This capital punishment was perfected during the Roman Empire. Despite being a frequent practice, there is only one well-documented anthropological case of ...crucifixion in the world at the Jerusalem burial cave (Giv’at ha-Mivtar, first century AD). We found a particular lesion on the foot of a skeleton from an isolated Roman burial discovered by excavation in 2007 in northern Italy. Here we suggest crucifixion as a possible cause of the lesion, but this interpretation is complicated by the poor preservation of the bone surfaces and the damage and holes in other skeletal parts. To assess the biological identity of the deceased and the possible effects of
ante-mortem
violence on this subject, we performed an integrated (anthropological, taphonomic, and genetic) analysis of the remains. Burials showing evidence of violence or deviant burials may shed new light on past human societies. In this case, our interdisciplinary approach provides insight into a particular form of capital punishment.
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