R.H. Tykot, C. Alexander, K.A. Brown, K.P. Freund, I.M. Muntoni

Transcription

1 Survey of Neolithic Agricultural Sites in the Tavoliere (Italy): A Report on Ceramic and Lithic Finds as well as Aerial- and Ground-Based Remote Sensing R.H. Tykot, C. Alexander, K.A. Brown, K.P. Freund, I.M. Muntoni 2016 AIA Annual Meeting San Francisco, January 8, 2015

2 Passo di Corvo reconstructed hut and inner ditches

3 Aims of this Research Over 800 Neolithic sites in the Tavoliere known but very few excavated or dated Was this area the first in Western Europe to adopt the neolithic package? How densely populated was it at any one time? Were the sites hierarchical? How widely did pottery circulate? Were finewares produced centrally? Can we see evidence for exchange between sites? But how were these all discovered?

4 We still lack evidence about the boats available in the Neolithic

5 Tavoliere Sites Discovered through Aerial Photography La Panetteria enclosure and internal ditches (WWII era photo)

6 Major Agricultural Zone Today Monte Aquilone

7 J75 Masseria Durando II stakes temporarily mark find locations

8 all finds recorded by GPS

9 This site largely destroyed due to soil collection, but exposed side walls remain even vineyards surveyed! excellent support from landowners

10 Most ceramics are heavily encrusted with carbonate muriatic acid used

11 Variety of Finds incised, slipped, painted

12 Decorated ceramics were assigned to specific typologies Impressed ware Passo di Corvo ware Masseria La Quercia ware

13 Neolithic sites in the Tavoliere with obsidian tested 93 Lipari (Gabellotto), 12 Palmarola

14 Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (pxrf) Advantages Non-destructive Any size sample Quantitative analysis Low Z elements (w/ vacuum) Fits in back-pack for carry-on Bruker III-SD portable XRF Settings for obsidian analysis filter with 6 μm Cu, 1 μm Ti, 12 μm Al 40 kv, 11 μa, 120 seconds results calibrated against standards Comparison of two obsidian samples from different sources

15 Distinguishing European Obsidian Sources Rb over Nb Carpathian Palmarola Lipari Sardinia subsources Melos Island Carpathian Lipari Melos Palmarola Pantelleria Sardinia Standards Zagreb 0 Pantelleria Sr over Nb

16 All Tavoliere artifacts match with Lipari or Palmarola F e / S r All from Lipari match with Gabellotto Gabellotto Canneto Dentro Tavoliere Rb/Sr

17 Lipari and some Palmarola Obsidian in Croatia (islands of Tremiti, Palagruža, Sušac, Hvar, Korcula + Danilo, Lok. Musa, Pokrovnic, Krivace, Kargadu) Kargadur Fornace Cappuccini Santa Maria in Selva Colle Cera Settefonti Catignano Ripoli Fossecesia Krivace Pokrovnic Danilo Lok. Musa Susac Palagruza PALMAROLA Santo Stefano S. Cecilia Masseria La Lamia Masseria Candelaro Passo di Corvo Pulo di Molfetta Masseria di Gioia Oria Sant Anna CI 250 Km LIPARI Obsidian sites with 10+ artifacts tested (sites on Tyrrhenian side not shown) PANTELLERIA

18 Flint (Chert) also widely used in the Tavoliere PCA using Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Ba, Fe High-quality Gargano flint, plus local Apennine flint

19 Collecting clay samples from the Tavoliere region

20 Clay tiles brought back to the US, fired at 650 C, then reanalyzed

21 pxrf on Ceramics Multiple spots tested to check on heterogeneity

22 Surveyed sites (red circles); clay samples from six streams (triangles)

23 Polyhedra show great success in discriminating 6 clay sources and assigning ceramic artifacts represents canonical discriminant scores of 622 sherds

24 Network map showing similarity between clay sources and sites with 20+ sherds Higher (red) values indicate greater similarity within the northern region, and weak links with the southern region.

25 Use of Magnetometry with colleagues Tommaso Mattioli and Andrea Di Miceli (ArcheoRes)

26 Use of Fixed-Wing UAV (D rone)with Near Infrared Camera with colleague Manuel Hofer (Technical University Graz, Austria)

27 Near-infrared imagery, magnetometry, and field walking at FG3663 reveals ditches and other features

28 How much open-water travel occurred in the Neolithic? These routes are based on obsidian distribution, but what went in the opposite directions? Gargano flint also appears to have been brought to Croatia

29 Important Questions Now to Address 1. When did the Neolithic package of domesticated fauna and flora, ceramics, and year-round settlement first arrive in southern Italy? How rapidly was it adopted across the Tavoliere? Answer: need to do many AMS dates from stratified contexts 2. What types of interaction structured Neolithic society on the Tavoliere? Is it possible to identify distinct communities of practice as it relates to the production and consumption of cultural resources (e.g. ceramics, lithics, etc.)? Answer: need to conduct analyses on excavated artifacts 3. Is there spatial patterning in the distribution of different artifact classes within a particular site? What might this imply in terms of the use of space? Can we recognize distinct traditions of production and consumption at the household level, perhaps resulting from exogamy or other social practices? Answer: need to conduct excavation and detailed ceramic studies Two sites now selected for future excavation. We hope to hear positively from NSF!

30 Thanks to the University of South Florida, the British Academy, and the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research (University of Cambridge) for their financial support, and to the Soprintendenza Archeologia della Puglia for the permission to conduct this research.

31 Website: