La Sicilia Preistorica. Dinamiche interne e relazioni esterne, 2022
The archaeological site of Castellaccio di Fiaccati/Le Rocche was identified in 1980, when the wo... more The archaeological site of Castellaccio di Fiaccati/Le Rocche was identified in 1980, when the works of a limestone quarry on a small rocky relief overlooking the Torto river, 3 km SE from the village of Roccapalumba (Palermo), dissected a fissure in the rock, probably of natural origin, which returned abundant ceramic sherds, a very rich lithic industry on flint and obsidian and faunal remains dating back to the Middle and Late Neolithic (VI-V millennium BC). In 2016, a new group of archaeo- logical material from a collapse that occurred in the area under investigation in 1980 was handed over to the Soprintendenza di Palermo. It consists of a large number of ceramic fragments with engraved and excisa decoration and several hundred ce- ramic fragments in painted figulina all decorated in trichrome. This ceramic is associated with an abundant lithic industry on flint and obsidian and a rich industry on bone. The subject of the study will be the materials delivered in 2016 that have con- tributed to a better definition of the more incisive and direct presence of groups of trichrome ceramics in Western Sicily, where there is a cultural horizon that sees the absolute predominance of painted ceramics associated with brown ceramics decorated with excision and/or engraving.
Atti della XLIII Riunione Scientifica delI'I.I.P.P, L'età del Rame in Italia, Bologna 26-29 Novembre 2008, 2011
Recent field-works carried out in the southern Imera valley have exposed new evidence for the pre... more Recent field-works carried out in the southern Imera valley have exposed new evidence for the presence of Bell Beaker wares in Sicily. As a consequence, it is possible to propose the existence of a third area placed in the central part of the island, alongside with the two already defined in its North and South-western ends. New considerations about the social and economic meaning of the Beaker presence in Sicily are advanced.
It Il riparo sotto roccia di Vallone Inferno, situato all'interno del territorio del comune d... more It Il riparo sotto roccia di Vallone Inferno, situato all'interno del territorio del comune di Scillato (PA) nella parte settentrionale della catena montuosa delle Madonie, e stato oggetto di otto campagne di scavo dal 2008 al 2015. Il sito si trova all'interno di una valle di formazione carsico-fluviale in una posizione strategica, in quanto risulta essere una naturale via di comunicazione tra le alte e le basse Madonie e quindi un crocevia per i pascoli. Il villaggio di Case Bastione e situato nella parte centrale dell'altopiano degli Erei, un'area collinare posta nella Sicilia centrale, lungo la valle del fiume Morello, un affluente dell'Imera Meridionale. Questo sito e stato oggetto di cinque campagne di scavo, tra il 2007 e il 2015. Sono stati analizzati e comparati i campioni faunistici provenienti dai livelli riferiti al Bronzo antico di entrambi i siti, i quali si presentano molto similari tra loro, con una prevalenza di fauna domestica composta da ovicap...
Case Bastione is a large settlement occupied from the Late Neolithic to the Bronze Age and lying ... more Case Bastione is a large settlement occupied from the Late Neolithic to the Bronze Age and lying within the western Erei uplands in the valley of the Morello river (central Sicily). The first excavation seasons (2007, 2009, 2013) investigated the Late Copper Age and Early Bronze Age layers (mid 3rd to mid 2nd mill. cal. BC). The campaigns have yielded extensive evidence of domestic structures, and also of a number of craft activities, such as textiles, pottery making, lithic production and possibly metallurgy. Data about the absolute and relative chronologies, based on radiometric dating and the typological analysis of the rich pottery complex, are discussed. Abundant zoological remains also highlight the role of animal husbandry in the subsistence strategies of the village community. The paper ends with a preliminary discussion of geomagnetic and archaeometric analyses carried out during the 2013 campaign.
Archaeological investigations carried out at Case Bastione (Enna, central Sicily) provide a key i... more Archaeological investigations carried out at Case Bastione (Enna, central Sicily) provide a key insight into the cultural and environmental changes that occurred during the transition from the Copper Age to the Bronze Age. Preliminary data of an ongoing paleoenvironmental reconstruction through archaeobotanical analyses are here presented. The selective exploitation of vegetation, the adaptation of lifestyle to local resources, and changing climatic conditions are analysed using different on-site and off-site environmental and archaeological proxies. The environment around the site was constituted by mixed oak woodland. Dietary preferences were reconstructed through the analysis of carpo-remains. Isotopic values provide new data on the 4.2 ka BP event and its effects on vegetation in central Sicily. In a whole, first results from Case Bastione give new light to human choices of vegetal resources exploitation. Comparison of the local results with the regional pollen data support the hypothesis that the growth in population and settlement in the inland part of the island since the Late Copper Age may reflect changing climatic conditions in coastal areas. environment since prehistoric times (Behre, Jacomet 1991; Mercuri, Sadori 2013). This combination of studies by complementary disciplines demonstrates that the full integration of analysed datasets focused on anthropogenic and natural processes provides the most powerful way to understand human activity and adaptation to landscapes and environments (
The archaeological site of Le Rocche was identified in 1980, when a campaign of excavations was c... more The archaeological site of Le Rocche was identified in 1980, when a campaign of excavations was carried out by the Soprintendenza of Palermo. In 2016, a new group of archaeological material from a collapse that occurred in the area under investigation in 1980 was handed over to the Soprintendenza di Palermo. It consists of a large number of ceramic fragments with engraved and excisa decoration and several hundred ceramic fragments in painted figulina all decorated in trichrome. This ceramic is associated with an abundant lithic industry on flint and obsidian and a rich industry on bone. The subject of the paper will be the materials delivered in 2016 that have contributed to a better definition of the more incisive and direct presence of groups of trichrome ceramics in western Sicily.
The archaeological site of Le Rocche was identified in 1980, when a campaign of excavations was c... more The archaeological site of Le Rocche was identified in 1980, when a campaign of excavations was carried out by the Soprintendenza of Palermo. In 2016, a new group of archaeological material from a collapse that occurred in the area under investigation in 1980 was handed over to the Soprintendenza di Palermo. It consists of a large number of ceramic fragments with engraved and excisa decoration and several hundred ceramic fragments in painted figulina all decorated in trichrome. This ceramic is associated with an abundant lithic industry on flint and obsidian and a rich industry on bone. The subject of the paper will be the materials delivered in 2016 that have contributed to a better definition of the more incisive and direct presence of groups of trichrome ceramics in western Sicily.
The results of recent archaeological excavations conducted on the Terravecchia of Caltavuturo are... more The results of recent archaeological excavations conducted on the Terravecchia of Caltavuturo are presented. The site, now uninhabited, was seat of the first settlement of Caltavuturo and began to be depopulated in the 16th century because the defensive needs that had characterized the previous centuries reduced. The center was definitely abandoned in the 18th century in favor of the present town. In the area are preserved the imposing castle walls and part of the mother church of St. Bartholomeo, and the so-called dammusi. Archaeological excavations give the opportunity to investigate this cult structure with its numerous tombs and crypts and to confirm the existence of a settlement at least since the 10th century.
Exchanges and cultural contacts between central Sicily
and the Mediterranean in the 4th and 3rd m... more Exchanges and cultural contacts between central Sicily and the Mediterranean in the 4th and 3rd millennium BC Recent archaeological researches carried out in the Erei upland (central Sicily) are defining the dynamics of prehistoric occupation for the inner part of the island, suggesting a stable occupation from the Neolithic up to the Iron Age. The Erei upland is an area only apparently distant from the Mediterranean but that, on the contrary, was well connected to it thanks to the numerous passes of the Madonie and Nebrodi mountains and to a dense hydrographic system. The communities living here actively participated to the networks of exchanges and cultural contacts crossing the basin throughout the prehistory. These cultural contacts are well represented by data concerning the material culture, evidenced by the presence of Spatarella and Piano Conte wares in the Early Copper Age, of Bell Beakers in the Late Copper Age, of Aeolian and Aegean pottery in the Early Bronze Age.
Demography and Migration Population trajectories from the Neolithic to the Iron Age, 2020
Recent researches carried out in central Sicily are producing a great deal of new data on the lat... more Recent researches carried out in central Sicily are producing a great deal of new data on the late prehistory of this key area, suggesting the development between the 3rd and the early 2nd millennium cal. BC of a complex socio-economic formation. This is marked by a considerable population increase, also supported by favourable climatic conditions. Such a complex social formation is characterized by substantial domestic and funerary architectures, and a rich material culture. At the beginning of the 2nd millennium cal. BC this climatic phase ends abruptly, provoking a crisis which reached its peak in the Middle Bronze Age, with the definitive collapse of the earlier social structures and a negative demographic trend. Finally, in the late 2nd millennium cal. BC there is a new phase of settlement expansion. The paper will discuss the environmental and cultural evidence for these various phases of growth and decrease of demographic trends.
Archaeological investigations carried out at Case Bastione (Enna, central Sicily) provide a key i... more Archaeological investigations carried out at Case Bastione (Enna, central Sicily) provide a key insight into the cultural and environmental changes that occurred during the transition from the Copper Age to the Bronze Age. Preliminary data of an ongoing paleoenvironmental reconstruction through archaeobotanical analyses are here presented. The selective exploitation of vegetation, the adaptation of lifestyle to local resources, and changing climatic conditions are analysed using different on-site and off-site environmental and archaeological proxies. The environment around the site was constituted by mixed oak woodland. Dietary preferences were reconstructed through the analysis of carpo-remains. Isotopic values provide new data on the 4.2 ka BP event and its effects on vegetation in central Sicily. In a whole, first results from Case Bastione give new light to human choices of vegetal resources exploitation. Comparison of the local results with the regional pollen data support the hypothesis that the growth in population and settlement in the inland part of the island since the Late Copper Age may reflect changing climatic conditions in coastal areas.
Archaeological investigations carried out at Case Bastione (Enna, central Sicily) provide a key i... more Archaeological investigations carried out at Case Bastione (Enna, central Sicily) provide a key insight into the cultural and environmental changes that occurred during the transition from the Copper Age to the Bronze Age. Preliminary data of an ongoing paleoenvironmental reconstruction through archaeobotanical analyses are here presented. The selective exploitation of vegetation, the adaptation of lifestyle to local resources, and changing climatic conditions are analysed using different on-site and off-site environmental and archaeological proxies. The environment around the site was constituted by mixed oak woodland. Dietary preferences were reconstructed through the analysis of carpo-remains. Isotopic values provide new data on the 4.2 ka BP event and its effects on vegetation in central Sicily. In a whole, first results from Case Bastione give new light to human choices of vegetal resources exploitation. Comparison of the local results with the regional pollen data support the hypothesis that the growth in population and settlement in the inland part of the island since the Late Copper Age may reflect changing climatic conditions in coastal areas.
The rock shelter of Vallone Inferno is located within the Scillato (PA) district area in the nort... more The rock shelter of Vallone Inferno is located within the Scillato (PA) district area in the northern part of the Madonie mountain chain. The deposit within the shelter was investigated during eight excavation campaigns from 2008 to 2015. The shelter opens in a valley of fluviokarstic origin set in a strategic position as it represents a natural way of communication between high and low altitudes of Madonie area and a crossroad for the livestock pasture. The Case Bastione Village is placed in the central portion of the Erei uplands, in a hilly area in central Sicily in the Morello river valley, a tributary of Southern Imera River. The deposit of the Village has been investigated during five excavation campaigns from 2007 to 2015. The faunal samples of Early Bronze Age coming from both sites have been analysed and compared: the faunal spectrum is very similar being in both cases livestock - particularly caprines with less pig and cattle - strongly prevails over wild game, represented mainly by red deer.
The data discussed in this paper comes from two separate research projects carried out in the mid... more The data discussed in this paper comes from two separate research projects carried out in the middle valley of the River Salso or Southern Imera. In an area of about 120 square kilometers there are seventeen sites with materials related to the Copper Age, from its initial stages to the nal ones. This paper is a brief review of the evidence identi ed and an analysis of the of settlement patterns and the pottery styles that characterized all the Copper Age in central Sicily.
La Sicilia Preistorica. Dinamiche interne e relazioni esterne, 2022
The archaeological site of Castellaccio di Fiaccati/Le Rocche was identified in 1980, when the wo... more The archaeological site of Castellaccio di Fiaccati/Le Rocche was identified in 1980, when the works of a limestone quarry on a small rocky relief overlooking the Torto river, 3 km SE from the village of Roccapalumba (Palermo), dissected a fissure in the rock, probably of natural origin, which returned abundant ceramic sherds, a very rich lithic industry on flint and obsidian and faunal remains dating back to the Middle and Late Neolithic (VI-V millennium BC). In 2016, a new group of archaeo- logical material from a collapse that occurred in the area under investigation in 1980 was handed over to the Soprintendenza di Palermo. It consists of a large number of ceramic fragments with engraved and excisa decoration and several hundred ce- ramic fragments in painted figulina all decorated in trichrome. This ceramic is associated with an abundant lithic industry on flint and obsidian and a rich industry on bone. The subject of the study will be the materials delivered in 2016 that have con- tributed to a better definition of the more incisive and direct presence of groups of trichrome ceramics in Western Sicily, where there is a cultural horizon that sees the absolute predominance of painted ceramics associated with brown ceramics decorated with excision and/or engraving.
Atti della XLIII Riunione Scientifica delI'I.I.P.P, L'età del Rame in Italia, Bologna 26-29 Novembre 2008, 2011
Recent field-works carried out in the southern Imera valley have exposed new evidence for the pre... more Recent field-works carried out in the southern Imera valley have exposed new evidence for the presence of Bell Beaker wares in Sicily. As a consequence, it is possible to propose the existence of a third area placed in the central part of the island, alongside with the two already defined in its North and South-western ends. New considerations about the social and economic meaning of the Beaker presence in Sicily are advanced.
It Il riparo sotto roccia di Vallone Inferno, situato all'interno del territorio del comune d... more It Il riparo sotto roccia di Vallone Inferno, situato all'interno del territorio del comune di Scillato (PA) nella parte settentrionale della catena montuosa delle Madonie, e stato oggetto di otto campagne di scavo dal 2008 al 2015. Il sito si trova all'interno di una valle di formazione carsico-fluviale in una posizione strategica, in quanto risulta essere una naturale via di comunicazione tra le alte e le basse Madonie e quindi un crocevia per i pascoli. Il villaggio di Case Bastione e situato nella parte centrale dell'altopiano degli Erei, un'area collinare posta nella Sicilia centrale, lungo la valle del fiume Morello, un affluente dell'Imera Meridionale. Questo sito e stato oggetto di cinque campagne di scavo, tra il 2007 e il 2015. Sono stati analizzati e comparati i campioni faunistici provenienti dai livelli riferiti al Bronzo antico di entrambi i siti, i quali si presentano molto similari tra loro, con una prevalenza di fauna domestica composta da ovicap...
Case Bastione is a large settlement occupied from the Late Neolithic to the Bronze Age and lying ... more Case Bastione is a large settlement occupied from the Late Neolithic to the Bronze Age and lying within the western Erei uplands in the valley of the Morello river (central Sicily). The first excavation seasons (2007, 2009, 2013) investigated the Late Copper Age and Early Bronze Age layers (mid 3rd to mid 2nd mill. cal. BC). The campaigns have yielded extensive evidence of domestic structures, and also of a number of craft activities, such as textiles, pottery making, lithic production and possibly metallurgy. Data about the absolute and relative chronologies, based on radiometric dating and the typological analysis of the rich pottery complex, are discussed. Abundant zoological remains also highlight the role of animal husbandry in the subsistence strategies of the village community. The paper ends with a preliminary discussion of geomagnetic and archaeometric analyses carried out during the 2013 campaign.
Archaeological investigations carried out at Case Bastione (Enna, central Sicily) provide a key i... more Archaeological investigations carried out at Case Bastione (Enna, central Sicily) provide a key insight into the cultural and environmental changes that occurred during the transition from the Copper Age to the Bronze Age. Preliminary data of an ongoing paleoenvironmental reconstruction through archaeobotanical analyses are here presented. The selective exploitation of vegetation, the adaptation of lifestyle to local resources, and changing climatic conditions are analysed using different on-site and off-site environmental and archaeological proxies. The environment around the site was constituted by mixed oak woodland. Dietary preferences were reconstructed through the analysis of carpo-remains. Isotopic values provide new data on the 4.2 ka BP event and its effects on vegetation in central Sicily. In a whole, first results from Case Bastione give new light to human choices of vegetal resources exploitation. Comparison of the local results with the regional pollen data support the hypothesis that the growth in population and settlement in the inland part of the island since the Late Copper Age may reflect changing climatic conditions in coastal areas. environment since prehistoric times (Behre, Jacomet 1991; Mercuri, Sadori 2013). This combination of studies by complementary disciplines demonstrates that the full integration of analysed datasets focused on anthropogenic and natural processes provides the most powerful way to understand human activity and adaptation to landscapes and environments (
The archaeological site of Le Rocche was identified in 1980, when a campaign of excavations was c... more The archaeological site of Le Rocche was identified in 1980, when a campaign of excavations was carried out by the Soprintendenza of Palermo. In 2016, a new group of archaeological material from a collapse that occurred in the area under investigation in 1980 was handed over to the Soprintendenza di Palermo. It consists of a large number of ceramic fragments with engraved and excisa decoration and several hundred ceramic fragments in painted figulina all decorated in trichrome. This ceramic is associated with an abundant lithic industry on flint and obsidian and a rich industry on bone. The subject of the paper will be the materials delivered in 2016 that have contributed to a better definition of the more incisive and direct presence of groups of trichrome ceramics in western Sicily.
The archaeological site of Le Rocche was identified in 1980, when a campaign of excavations was c... more The archaeological site of Le Rocche was identified in 1980, when a campaign of excavations was carried out by the Soprintendenza of Palermo. In 2016, a new group of archaeological material from a collapse that occurred in the area under investigation in 1980 was handed over to the Soprintendenza di Palermo. It consists of a large number of ceramic fragments with engraved and excisa decoration and several hundred ceramic fragments in painted figulina all decorated in trichrome. This ceramic is associated with an abundant lithic industry on flint and obsidian and a rich industry on bone. The subject of the paper will be the materials delivered in 2016 that have contributed to a better definition of the more incisive and direct presence of groups of trichrome ceramics in western Sicily.
The results of recent archaeological excavations conducted on the Terravecchia of Caltavuturo are... more The results of recent archaeological excavations conducted on the Terravecchia of Caltavuturo are presented. The site, now uninhabited, was seat of the first settlement of Caltavuturo and began to be depopulated in the 16th century because the defensive needs that had characterized the previous centuries reduced. The center was definitely abandoned in the 18th century in favor of the present town. In the area are preserved the imposing castle walls and part of the mother church of St. Bartholomeo, and the so-called dammusi. Archaeological excavations give the opportunity to investigate this cult structure with its numerous tombs and crypts and to confirm the existence of a settlement at least since the 10th century.
Exchanges and cultural contacts between central Sicily
and the Mediterranean in the 4th and 3rd m... more Exchanges and cultural contacts between central Sicily and the Mediterranean in the 4th and 3rd millennium BC Recent archaeological researches carried out in the Erei upland (central Sicily) are defining the dynamics of prehistoric occupation for the inner part of the island, suggesting a stable occupation from the Neolithic up to the Iron Age. The Erei upland is an area only apparently distant from the Mediterranean but that, on the contrary, was well connected to it thanks to the numerous passes of the Madonie and Nebrodi mountains and to a dense hydrographic system. The communities living here actively participated to the networks of exchanges and cultural contacts crossing the basin throughout the prehistory. These cultural contacts are well represented by data concerning the material culture, evidenced by the presence of Spatarella and Piano Conte wares in the Early Copper Age, of Bell Beakers in the Late Copper Age, of Aeolian and Aegean pottery in the Early Bronze Age.
Demography and Migration Population trajectories from the Neolithic to the Iron Age, 2020
Recent researches carried out in central Sicily are producing a great deal of new data on the lat... more Recent researches carried out in central Sicily are producing a great deal of new data on the late prehistory of this key area, suggesting the development between the 3rd and the early 2nd millennium cal. BC of a complex socio-economic formation. This is marked by a considerable population increase, also supported by favourable climatic conditions. Such a complex social formation is characterized by substantial domestic and funerary architectures, and a rich material culture. At the beginning of the 2nd millennium cal. BC this climatic phase ends abruptly, provoking a crisis which reached its peak in the Middle Bronze Age, with the definitive collapse of the earlier social structures and a negative demographic trend. Finally, in the late 2nd millennium cal. BC there is a new phase of settlement expansion. The paper will discuss the environmental and cultural evidence for these various phases of growth and decrease of demographic trends.
Archaeological investigations carried out at Case Bastione (Enna, central Sicily) provide a key i... more Archaeological investigations carried out at Case Bastione (Enna, central Sicily) provide a key insight into the cultural and environmental changes that occurred during the transition from the Copper Age to the Bronze Age. Preliminary data of an ongoing paleoenvironmental reconstruction through archaeobotanical analyses are here presented. The selective exploitation of vegetation, the adaptation of lifestyle to local resources, and changing climatic conditions are analysed using different on-site and off-site environmental and archaeological proxies. The environment around the site was constituted by mixed oak woodland. Dietary preferences were reconstructed through the analysis of carpo-remains. Isotopic values provide new data on the 4.2 ka BP event and its effects on vegetation in central Sicily. In a whole, first results from Case Bastione give new light to human choices of vegetal resources exploitation. Comparison of the local results with the regional pollen data support the hypothesis that the growth in population and settlement in the inland part of the island since the Late Copper Age may reflect changing climatic conditions in coastal areas.
Archaeological investigations carried out at Case Bastione (Enna, central Sicily) provide a key i... more Archaeological investigations carried out at Case Bastione (Enna, central Sicily) provide a key insight into the cultural and environmental changes that occurred during the transition from the Copper Age to the Bronze Age. Preliminary data of an ongoing paleoenvironmental reconstruction through archaeobotanical analyses are here presented. The selective exploitation of vegetation, the adaptation of lifestyle to local resources, and changing climatic conditions are analysed using different on-site and off-site environmental and archaeological proxies. The environment around the site was constituted by mixed oak woodland. Dietary preferences were reconstructed through the analysis of carpo-remains. Isotopic values provide new data on the 4.2 ka BP event and its effects on vegetation in central Sicily. In a whole, first results from Case Bastione give new light to human choices of vegetal resources exploitation. Comparison of the local results with the regional pollen data support the hypothesis that the growth in population and settlement in the inland part of the island since the Late Copper Age may reflect changing climatic conditions in coastal areas.
The rock shelter of Vallone Inferno is located within the Scillato (PA) district area in the nort... more The rock shelter of Vallone Inferno is located within the Scillato (PA) district area in the northern part of the Madonie mountain chain. The deposit within the shelter was investigated during eight excavation campaigns from 2008 to 2015. The shelter opens in a valley of fluviokarstic origin set in a strategic position as it represents a natural way of communication between high and low altitudes of Madonie area and a crossroad for the livestock pasture. The Case Bastione Village is placed in the central portion of the Erei uplands, in a hilly area in central Sicily in the Morello river valley, a tributary of Southern Imera River. The deposit of the Village has been investigated during five excavation campaigns from 2007 to 2015. The faunal samples of Early Bronze Age coming from both sites have been analysed and compared: the faunal spectrum is very similar being in both cases livestock - particularly caprines with less pig and cattle - strongly prevails over wild game, represented mainly by red deer.
The data discussed in this paper comes from two separate research projects carried out in the mid... more The data discussed in this paper comes from two separate research projects carried out in the middle valley of the River Salso or Southern Imera. In an area of about 120 square kilometers there are seventeen sites with materials related to the Copper Age, from its initial stages to the nal ones. This paper is a brief review of the evidence identi ed and an analysis of the of settlement patterns and the pottery styles that characterized all the Copper Age in central Sicily.
This volume consists of a series of archaeological scientific articles by colleagues who have had... more This volume consists of a series of archaeological scientific articles by colleagues who have had the opportunity to share their work with Stefano Vassallo, being able, in this way, to appreciate the professional and, even more, human qualities with which he has carried out his work in his more than thirty-year career.
Il volume affronta con metodo moderno e sperimentale l'analisi di un'area territoriale della Sici... more Il volume affronta con metodo moderno e sperimentale l'analisi di un'area territoriale della Sicilia centrale, interessata dall'attraversamento del fiume Salso, l'antico Himera, nel quale ricadono diversi insediamenti del Bronzo antico della facies di Castelluccio. In particolare l'area del bacino centro-occidentale rivela la presenza di diversi villaggi del Bronzo antico, e restituisce una grande quantità di materiali ceramici. Dopo un inquadramento geomorfologico della zona, il volume analizza i materiali ceramici ritrovati, procedendo nel rinvenimento di forme pertinenti e confrontandole con le coeve già presenti in Sicilia. Inoltre si propone una traccia dell'evoluzione diacronica delle forme di insediamento e delle relative tipologie morfologiche, fissando le dimensioni estensive degli abitati fino all'ipotesi di una strutturazione territoriale dei villaggi, evidenziando un arroccamento nelle fasi finali del Bronzo antico.
We are taking the applications for the 9th season of archaeological excavation at the prehistoric... more We are taking the applications for the 9th season of archaeological excavation at the prehistoric village of Case Bastione (Villarosa, Sicily). Populated from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age (5th-2nd millenium BC), the site is placed along the Morello valley, in the very hearth of the island. Researches carried out here in the last decade have revealed important evidences for domestic architecture, every-day life, crafts and productive activities, together with a rich material culture dating to the Late Copper and Early Bronze Ages (mid-3rd to mid-2nd millennium BC).
The archaeological company Arkeos, in collaboration with the Superintendency for Cultural Heritag... more The archaeological company Arkeos, in collaboration with the Superintendency for Cultural Heritage and Environment of Enna, Sicily, and with the municipal councils of Pietraperzia and Villarosa, is organizing the Second International Summer School 2013 called Archaeology in central Sicily: the prehistory of the Erei. It will offer the chance for students and other enthusiasts to participate in archaeological investigations into two of the most important prehistoric settlements recently discovered in central Sicily. It is expected that there will be a range of Italian and international students and others taking part. Led by a team of experts with much experience in Sicily and beyond, participants will have the opportunity to learn and to practise the most recent techniques of stratigraphic excavation and survey. The Summer School will also include participating in the laboratory activities of cataloguing, recording and digitizing of the prehistoric archaeological materials and all the relevant data collected during the excavations. During the course of the fieldwork members will also be able to attend a series of lectures given by leading archaeologists and other experts on important issues related to the methodological and practical aspects of the archaeology and prehistory of Sicily.
The presence in Sicily of the so-called "Bell Beaker package" (i.e, beakers, shell and bone ornam... more The presence in Sicily of the so-called "Bell Beaker package" (i.e, beakers, shell and bone ornaments, metal objects, megalithic burials), have been recognized since the first half of the last century. These have been traditionally interpreted as elements coming mostly from the western Mediterranean, acquired by the communities particularly of western Sicily, and integrated in the local material culture between mid-3rd and early 2nd millennium a.C. The Sicilian Bell Beaker is present in this area mostly as part of the grave goods of rock-cut graves. The available evidence is however limited by the lack of data from the villages, almost unknown in the western part of the island. Furthermore, these funerary contexts have been often upset by quarries or by uncontrolled excavations, with the most valuable objects flowed into private collections. The chronological attribution of the Sicilian Beakers, mostly based only on typological comparisons, is then some how affected by the lack of reliable stratigraphic data and updated radiocarbon determinations. In the last decade, however, new researches carried out mostly in central Sicily, together with updated analysis of old contexts excavated last century in central-eastern Sicily, allow to reconsider the social meaning of the Sicilian Bell Beaker, its chronological interpretation, dating between 2600-2300 cal. a.C., and its distribution pattern, now interesting also the central part of the island. The recent investigations, concentrated particularly along the Imera meridionale river valley, also allowed to explore some important domestic contexts, yielding significative data for the Bell Beakers, always accompanied with locally produced wares. These data, also integrated by a series of radiometric, archaeometric and petrographic analysis, from one side allow to reconsider the role of Bell Beakers for the constitution of an early social differentiation of the Late Copper Age Sicilian communities. On the other, these data also indicate the existence of extended networks of contact and exchange between inner Sicily and the wider Mediterranean basin
The field surveys carried out during the last 20 years in the western part of the Erei uplands, a... more The field surveys carried out during the last 20 years in the western part of the Erei uplands, along the middle Imera meridionale river valley, started in 1995 with the project “Torcicoda Valley Project”. It has taken from the outset a 'global' perspective for the study of the landscape, through the use of a broad multi-disciplinary approach, which has made possible a diachronic reading of the 'total history' of this territory, from prehistory to the present day. This made it possible to document the ‘long term’ anthropic transformations of the geographical space represented by this small valley, connecting the ancient urban center of Enna with the Imera valley. The research, therefore, has been further extended with a series of surveys conducted as part of several scientific projects, carried out also thanks to European funds from the POR Sicilia 2000-2006 program, together with preventive archeology activities promoted by the Superintendency of Enna. Thanks to this systematic field research, it is now possible to reconstruct the settlement dynamics and the aspects of the material culture of the communities that have lived in this part of central Sicily, from prehistory to the Greek-Roman ages, up to the medieval and post-medieval periods. In addition, a series of detailed archaeological maps of certain specific territories, such as the Lago di Pergusa basin and the municipalities of Pietraperzia and Villarosa, have been produced.
9,35 MASSIMO CULTRARO, ALESSANDRO ZANINI Introduzione ai lavori PRIMA SESSIONE 9,45 FRANCESCA SPA... more 9,35 MASSIMO CULTRARO, ALESSANDRO ZANINI Introduzione ai lavori PRIMA SESSIONE 9,45 FRANCESCA SPATAFORA, ENRICO PROCELLI Il villaggio dei Faraglioni di Ustica nel contesto della media età del Bronzo nella Sicilia nord-occidentale 10,00 SEBASTIANO TUSA L'insediamento di Mursia a Pantelleria nel quadro delle relazioni con il Mediterraneo orientale 10,15 FILIPPO IANNÌ, ENRICO GIANNITRAPANI Case Bastione (Villarosa, EN) e il Castellucciano della Sicilia centrale 10,30 DOMENICA GULLÌ Il territorio di S. Angelo Muxaro nell'età'del Bronzo 10,45 Pausa
Through recent excavations carried out at Tornambè (Pietraperzia) and at Case Bastione (Villarosa... more Through recent excavations carried out at Tornambè (Pietraperzia) and at Case Bastione (Villarosa), together with new analisys of the evidence yielded at La Muculufa Sanctuary (Butera), it has been possible to define anew the chronological and typological serialisation of the Castelluccio facies in the Salso river valley, now based on solid stratigraphic sequences and various absolute dates. The division of this cultural aspect in four sub-phases, each showing its own formal and stylistic features, has been confirmed, furthermore supporting the hypothesis to identify in the Salso valley a peculiar aspect of the Castelluccian culture of central and southern Sicily.
The settlement of Case Bastione is located in the North-Western area of Enna, Villarosa, along th... more The settlement of Case Bastione is located in the North-Western area of Enna, Villarosa, along the eastern side of Morello river (Giannitrapani et alii 2014). The large settlement (more than 2 ha) lies at the foot of a rocky ridge delimiting Stelo Lake and it is placed on a terrace that looks over the Ferrari dam, built in the 60s on the Morello River. Since 2007, there have been six excavation field campaigns by Cooperativa Arkeos: during these investigations, it was possible to verify how the occupation of the area started at the end of the Neolithic and developed continuously throughout the Copper age until the advanced phases of Early Bronze Age. The stratigraphic investigations so far regarded the latest phases of the prehistoric settlement. In many areas of the excavation, several hut structures of the facies Castelluccio were found. According to the absolute radiocarbon datings and pottery typological analysis, they date to mid 3rd-beginning of 2nd mill. B.C. Daub – used here as coating layer of the perimeter walls – was identified in several areas of the excavation. Its detection and recording was not always of simple observation, even if preservation conditions are quite good, probably due to the chemical-physical properties of the soils and intense fire they were exposed to. Hut 1 of Case Bastione (EBA) has 2 different phases of use and its destruction was probably due to a fire that allowed to preserve the daub. A first analysis of mixtures and prints (Speciale 2015) let us outline some issues on the architectural techniques and hypothize the features of the elevation, also thanks to comparisons with other huts of the same period in Sicily. The study of new data from Hut 5 (LCA), still ongoing, will give new perspectives on the architectural techniques.
Case Bastione è un vasto insediamento posto nella valle del fiume Morello, nella parte occidental... more Case Bastione è un vasto insediamento posto nella valle del fiume Morello, nella parte occidentale dell'area collinare degli Erei (Sicilia centrale), occupato dal neolitico finale all'età del bronzo. Nel corso delle prime sei campagne di scavo (2007, 2009, 2013-2016) condotte fino ad oggi nel sito da Arkeos e dalla Soprintendenza di Enna, in collaborazione con il Comune di Villarosa, ente proprietario dell'area archeologica, sono stati indagati in particolare i livelli relativi il Rame Finale e il Bronzo Antico (metà III–metà II mill. cal. a.C.). Tali indagini hanno consentito di mettere in luce diverse strutture domestiche che si alternano a quelle di tipo artigianale, connesse con la tessitura, la trasformazione dei prodotti agricoli, la produzione di vasi e di industria litica, forse la metallurgia. Nel corso delle campagne di scavo sono state inoltre condotte accurate analisi chimiche, fisiche, archeometriche, archeozoologiche, e radiometriche. Queste ultime hanno consentito di ottenere una serie di 21 datazioni C14, permettendo di definire con puntualità il range cronologico delle varie fasi di vita dell'insediamento e delle relative strutture; è stato inoltre condotto lo studio tipologico del ricco complesso di ceramiche rinvenuto nei diversi settori di scavo. Nel Dataset è inserita la documentazione riguardante le prime tre campagne di scavo (2007-2009-2013) e relative le indagini condotte nelle Aree Alpha, Beta e Gamma.
Historical continuity of botanical research from the molecular to the systemic scale - Riunione della Società Botanica Italiana, sezione pugliese. Bari, 25-01-2019
First results of Case Bastione archaeobotanical analyses
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and the Mediterranean in the 4th and 3rd millennium BC
Recent archaeological researches carried out in the Erei upland (central Sicily) are defining the dynamics of prehistoric occupation for the inner part of the island, suggesting a stable occupation from the Neolithic up to the Iron Age. The Erei upland is an area only apparently distant from the Mediterranean but that, on the contrary, was well connected to it thanks to the numerous passes of the Madonie and Nebrodi mountains and to a dense hydrographic system. The communities living here actively participated to the networks of exchanges and cultural contacts crossing the basin throughout the prehistory. These cultural contacts are well represented by data concerning the material culture, evidenced by the presence of Spatarella and Piano Conte wares in the Early Copper Age, of Bell Beakers in the Late Copper Age, of Aeolian and Aegean pottery in the Early Bronze Age.
deposit within the shelter was investigated during eight excavation campaigns from 2008 to 2015. The shelter opens in a valley of fluviokarstic
origin set in a strategic position as it represents a natural way of communication between high and low altitudes of Madonie area
and a crossroad for the livestock pasture. The Case Bastione Village is placed in the central portion of the Erei uplands, in a hilly area in central
Sicily in the Morello river valley, a tributary of Southern Imera River. The deposit of the Village has been investigated during five excavation
campaigns from 2007 to 2015. The faunal samples of Early Bronze Age coming from both sites have been analysed and compared: the faunal
spectrum is very similar being in both cases livestock - particularly caprines with less pig and cattle - strongly prevails over wild game, represented
mainly by red deer.
and the Mediterranean in the 4th and 3rd millennium BC
Recent archaeological researches carried out in the Erei upland (central Sicily) are defining the dynamics of prehistoric occupation for the inner part of the island, suggesting a stable occupation from the Neolithic up to the Iron Age. The Erei upland is an area only apparently distant from the Mediterranean but that, on the contrary, was well connected to it thanks to the numerous passes of the Madonie and Nebrodi mountains and to a dense hydrographic system. The communities living here actively participated to the networks of exchanges and cultural contacts crossing the basin throughout the prehistory. These cultural contacts are well represented by data concerning the material culture, evidenced by the presence of Spatarella and Piano Conte wares in the Early Copper Age, of Bell Beakers in the Late Copper Age, of Aeolian and Aegean pottery in the Early Bronze Age.
deposit within the shelter was investigated during eight excavation campaigns from 2008 to 2015. The shelter opens in a valley of fluviokarstic
origin set in a strategic position as it represents a natural way of communication between high and low altitudes of Madonie area
and a crossroad for the livestock pasture. The Case Bastione Village is placed in the central portion of the Erei uplands, in a hilly area in central
Sicily in the Morello river valley, a tributary of Southern Imera River. The deposit of the Village has been investigated during five excavation
campaigns from 2007 to 2015. The faunal samples of Early Bronze Age coming from both sites have been analysed and compared: the faunal
spectrum is very similar being in both cases livestock - particularly caprines with less pig and cattle - strongly prevails over wild game, represented
mainly by red deer.
The available evidence is however limited by the lack of data from the villages, almost unknown in the western part of the island. Furthermore, these funerary contexts have been often upset by quarries or by uncontrolled excavations, with the most valuable objects flowed into private collections. The chronological attribution of the Sicilian Beakers, mostly based only on typological comparisons, is then some how affected by the lack of reliable stratigraphic data and updated radiocarbon determinations.
In the last decade, however, new researches carried out mostly in central Sicily, together with updated analysis of old contexts excavated last century in central-eastern Sicily, allow to reconsider the social meaning of the Sicilian Bell Beaker, its chronological interpretation, dating between 2600-2300 cal. a.C., and its distribution pattern, now interesting also the central part of the island. The recent investigations, concentrated particularly along the Imera meridionale river valley, also allowed to explore some important domestic contexts, yielding significative data for the Bell Beakers, always accompanied with locally produced wares. These data, also integrated by a series of radiometric, archaeometric and petrographic analysis, from one side allow to reconsider the role of Bell Beakers for the constitution of an early social differentiation of the Late Copper Age Sicilian communities. On the other, these data also indicate the existence of extended networks of contact and exchange between inner Sicily and the wider Mediterranean basin
there have been six excavation field campaigns by Cooperativa Arkeos: during these investigations, it was possible to verify how the occupation of the area started at the end of the Neolithic and developed continuously throughout the Copper age until the advanced phases of Early Bronze Age. The stratigraphic investigations so far regarded the latest phases of the prehistoric settlement. In many areas of the excavation, several hut structures of the facies Castelluccio were found. According to the absolute radiocarbon datings and pottery typological analysis, they date to mid 3rd-beginning of 2nd mill. B.C.
Daub – used here as coating layer of the perimeter walls – was identified in several areas of the excavation. Its detection and recording was not always of simple observation, even if preservation conditions are quite good, probably due to the chemical-physical properties of the soils and intense fire they were exposed to. Hut 1 of Case Bastione (EBA) has 2 different phases of use and its destruction was probably due to a fire that allowed to preserve the daub. A first analysis of mixtures and prints (Speciale 2015) let us outline some issues on the architectural techniques and hypothize the features of the elevation, also thanks to comparisons with other huts of the same period in Sicily. The study of new data from Hut 5 (LCA), still ongoing, will give new perspectives on the architectural techniques.