Papers by Maria Elena Bertoli
Le Lenti del Passato. Approcci multiscalari all'archeologia, 2022
The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis which, although still in its initial phase, a... more The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis which, although still in its initial phase, aims to broaden the chronological limits of the research on the funerary evidence for the ex Province of Udine (Friuli Venezia Giulia) and at the same time to critically examine the data obtained and obtainable from each context. This paper analyzes the funerary evidence related to a chronological period that goes from the Neolithic to the III century AD.
Le Lenti del Passato. Approcci multiscalari all'archeologia, 2022
This paper proposes a reconstruction of the population dynamics and territorial arrangements that... more This paper proposes a reconstruction of the population dynamics and territorial arrangements that affected the territory corre- sponding to the current province of Ferrara, from the beginning of the historical terramare cycle to the dawn of the Early Iron age. This research involved a review of the paleohydrography and geomorphological features of the territory and a chronological revision of all the archaeological contexts thanks to bibliographical research. The results were finally incorporated into a series of phase maps, which led to an analysis of the territorial organization and distribution of the population in the area consi- dered. The study also necessarily dwells on the problematic aspects that characterize the area and that affect the reliability of the overall picture outlined. Indeed, the rare settlement evidence available for the Ferrarese most likely does not reflect the real occupation of the area during the periods under consideration.
Gortania - Geologia, Paleontologia, Paletnologia, 2021
[ITA] L'archeologia funeraria si pone come obiettivo primario quello di ricostruire il comportame... more [ITA] L'archeologia funeraria si pone come obiettivo primario quello di ricostruire il comportamento umano nella gestione della morte e dei cadaveri attraverso la raccolta di dati di diversa natura (archeologici, antropologici, archeozoologici, paleobotanici). Queste evidenze concorrono alla definizione dei "gesti funerari" e dei "sistemi di pensiero" di una comunità. Le evidenze funerarie del territorio friulano, in particolare quello occupato attualmente dalla provincia di Udine, sono state oggetto di numerosi studi e di analisi di diversa natura nel corso del tempo. In questa sede si intende presentare un lavoro che, sebbene nelle sue fasi iniziali, intende ampliare i limiti cronologici dell'indagine sulle evidenze funerarie della provincia di Udine e allo stesso tempo sviluppare un'analisi critica rispetto agli studi compiuti fino ad oggi, sui dati ricavati (e ricavabili) dai singoli contesti. Nel presente articolo si prenderanno in esame testimonianze funerarie relative ad un arco cronologico che spazia dall'età pre-protostorica al III secolo d.C., sebbene per alcune necropoli utilizzate senza soluzione di continuità si siano considerati anche i secoli successivi.
[ENG] Funerary archaeology aims to offer a reconstruction of human behavior towards death and funerary rituals through a multidisciplinary approach (archaeology, anthropology, archeozoology and paleobotany). These evidences contribute to the definition of the “funerary habits” and the “systems of thought” of a community. Funerary evidence in the territory of Friuli Venezia Giulia, especially in the province of Udine, has been the object of numerous studies and analyses in the past years. The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis which, although still in its initial phase, aims to broaden the chronological limits of the research on the funerary evidence of the province of Udine and at the same time to critically examine the data obtained (and obtainable) from each context. This paper gives consideration to funerary evidence related to a chronological span that goes from Pre-Protohistory to the III century AD, although for some necropolis which were used seamlessly, successive centuries have also been taken into account.
Conference Presentations by Maria Elena Bertoli
European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) , 2025
From the Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age, the area between the Alps, the Carpathians, the Balka... more From the Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age, the area between the Alps, the Carpathians, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean emerged as a dynamic crossroads of interaction and exchange. These areas provide some of the earliest evidence of textile production in prehistoric Europe. However, a comprehensive investigation of the connections between these areas in this chronological framework has never been proposed.
Over the past 30 years, major steps have been made in textile research. The potential of textile production for understanding past societies, economies, and trade networks has been clearly illustrated. Moreover, textiles were a valuable trading good, which promoted the circulation of ideas and artisan skills, as well as objects, forging connections between communities. Textile studies have been previously carried out in the area of investigation proposed. However, a comprehensive narrative of textile production in these regions has never been suggested.
This session aims to understand the intensity of these connections throughout the Alpine area and the Mediterranean through raw materials, archaeological textiles, textile tools, textile impressions on pottery, and experimental archaeology. We aim to gather different contributions on textile production in the area proposed from the Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age, to weave the narrative of these regions and their interconnections.
We invite contributions on raw materials, textile tools, archaeological textiles, textile impressions on pottery, and experimental archaeology to disentangle the connections between Central European and Mediterranean dress cultures. By weaving together different strands of evidence, we aim to create a comprehensive narrative of textiles and their significant role in the prehistoric landscapes of these regions.
NESAT XV - North European Symposium for Archaeological Textiles, Warsaw, 22-24 May 2024, 2024
Archaeological evidence of prehistoric flax processing is very limited: only at Must Farm in the ... more Archaeological evidence of prehistoric flax processing is very limited: only at Must Farm in the UK, a Late Bronze Age site dated c. 850 BCE, the evidence of the complete operational chain has been identified (presented in NESAT XIV by Harris and Gleba). Generally, semi-finished products such as fibre bundles or balls of thread are the most common evidence that is recovered, although they remain exceedingly rare in the archaeological record. Some of these materials, for example, come from Italian sites such as La “Marmotta” (Late Neolithic), Lucone di Polpenazze (Early Bronze Age), Molina di Ledro (Early-Middle Bronze Age), as well as pile-dwelling settlements of Eastern Switzerland (Neolithic-Bronze Age). The processing debris, on the other hand has rarely been considered in the studies of prehistoric linen production and, furthermore, should be revisited in light of recent identification of splicing as the main thread making technology during European prehistory. Splicing appears to require little or no retting, while at the same time extraction of fibre produces idiosyncratic debris, that differs from that of the traditional processing usually used as a reference archaeobotanical and archaeological studies.
We present here the results of recent analysis of previously unpublished balls of linen yarn from the Bronze Age north Italian site Molina di Ledro in the collection of the new Museo della Natura e dell'Uomo in Padua (Italy). These are compared to the data collected during experimental studies focused on reproducing the operational chain of flax processing for splicing and creation of a reference collection for future archaeobotanical investigations of prehistoric sites. The two sets of data are furthermore compered to other, previously studied finds from north Italy, Switzerland, the UK and elsewhere.
Early Textile Study Group Conference, Cambridge, 21-22 September 2024, 2024
Archaeological evidence of pre- and protohistoric textiles is relatively limited. Neolithic and B... more Archaeological evidence of pre- and protohistoric textiles is relatively limited. Neolithic and Bronze Age pile-dwelling sites in the circum-Alpine area, as waterlogged contexts, favored the preservation of fabrics in charred and waterlogged state. From the pile-dwelling sites of Eastern Switzerland (Neolithic-Bronze Age) and north Italian settlements, such as Lucone di Polpenazze del Garda (Early Bronze Age) and Molina di Ledro (Early-Middle Bronze Age), come some of the most interesting materials to investigate the development of pre- and protohistoric textile economies. A few textile fragments from Italian and Swiss pile-dwelling sites have selvedges, starting and finishing borders. These elements represent both a technical necessity and a decorative feature of the fabrics, providing a unique insight into prehistoric textile technology.
We present here the results of recent analysis of previously unpublished textiles from the Early-Middle Bronze Age site of Molina di Ledro (Trento, Italy) in the collection of the new Museo della Natura e dell' Uomo in Padua (Italy). These data are compared to other finds from the settlement of Molina di Ledro and from the Early Bronze Age site of Lucone di Polpenazze del Garda (Brescia, Italy), as well as previously studied finds from Switzerland and elsewhere.
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Papers by Maria Elena Bertoli
[ENG] Funerary archaeology aims to offer a reconstruction of human behavior towards death and funerary rituals through a multidisciplinary approach (archaeology, anthropology, archeozoology and paleobotany). These evidences contribute to the definition of the “funerary habits” and the “systems of thought” of a community. Funerary evidence in the territory of Friuli Venezia Giulia, especially in the province of Udine, has been the object of numerous studies and analyses in the past years. The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis which, although still in its initial phase, aims to broaden the chronological limits of the research on the funerary evidence of the province of Udine and at the same time to critically examine the data obtained (and obtainable) from each context. This paper gives consideration to funerary evidence related to a chronological span that goes from Pre-Protohistory to the III century AD, although for some necropolis which were used seamlessly, successive centuries have also been taken into account.
Conference Presentations by Maria Elena Bertoli
Over the past 30 years, major steps have been made in textile research. The potential of textile production for understanding past societies, economies, and trade networks has been clearly illustrated. Moreover, textiles were a valuable trading good, which promoted the circulation of ideas and artisan skills, as well as objects, forging connections between communities. Textile studies have been previously carried out in the area of investigation proposed. However, a comprehensive narrative of textile production in these regions has never been suggested.
This session aims to understand the intensity of these connections throughout the Alpine area and the Mediterranean through raw materials, archaeological textiles, textile tools, textile impressions on pottery, and experimental archaeology. We aim to gather different contributions on textile production in the area proposed from the Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age, to weave the narrative of these regions and their interconnections.
We invite contributions on raw materials, textile tools, archaeological textiles, textile impressions on pottery, and experimental archaeology to disentangle the connections between Central European and Mediterranean dress cultures. By weaving together different strands of evidence, we aim to create a comprehensive narrative of textiles and their significant role in the prehistoric landscapes of these regions.
We present here the results of recent analysis of previously unpublished balls of linen yarn from the Bronze Age north Italian site Molina di Ledro in the collection of the new Museo della Natura e dell'Uomo in Padua (Italy). These are compared to the data collected during experimental studies focused on reproducing the operational chain of flax processing for splicing and creation of a reference collection for future archaeobotanical investigations of prehistoric sites. The two sets of data are furthermore compered to other, previously studied finds from north Italy, Switzerland, the UK and elsewhere.
We present here the results of recent analysis of previously unpublished textiles from the Early-Middle Bronze Age site of Molina di Ledro (Trento, Italy) in the collection of the new Museo della Natura e dell' Uomo in Padua (Italy). These data are compared to other finds from the settlement of Molina di Ledro and from the Early Bronze Age site of Lucone di Polpenazze del Garda (Brescia, Italy), as well as previously studied finds from Switzerland and elsewhere.
[ENG] Funerary archaeology aims to offer a reconstruction of human behavior towards death and funerary rituals through a multidisciplinary approach (archaeology, anthropology, archeozoology and paleobotany). These evidences contribute to the definition of the “funerary habits” and the “systems of thought” of a community. Funerary evidence in the territory of Friuli Venezia Giulia, especially in the province of Udine, has been the object of numerous studies and analyses in the past years. The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis which, although still in its initial phase, aims to broaden the chronological limits of the research on the funerary evidence of the province of Udine and at the same time to critically examine the data obtained (and obtainable) from each context. This paper gives consideration to funerary evidence related to a chronological span that goes from Pre-Protohistory to the III century AD, although for some necropolis which were used seamlessly, successive centuries have also been taken into account.
Over the past 30 years, major steps have been made in textile research. The potential of textile production for understanding past societies, economies, and trade networks has been clearly illustrated. Moreover, textiles were a valuable trading good, which promoted the circulation of ideas and artisan skills, as well as objects, forging connections between communities. Textile studies have been previously carried out in the area of investigation proposed. However, a comprehensive narrative of textile production in these regions has never been suggested.
This session aims to understand the intensity of these connections throughout the Alpine area and the Mediterranean through raw materials, archaeological textiles, textile tools, textile impressions on pottery, and experimental archaeology. We aim to gather different contributions on textile production in the area proposed from the Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age, to weave the narrative of these regions and their interconnections.
We invite contributions on raw materials, textile tools, archaeological textiles, textile impressions on pottery, and experimental archaeology to disentangle the connections between Central European and Mediterranean dress cultures. By weaving together different strands of evidence, we aim to create a comprehensive narrative of textiles and their significant role in the prehistoric landscapes of these regions.
We present here the results of recent analysis of previously unpublished balls of linen yarn from the Bronze Age north Italian site Molina di Ledro in the collection of the new Museo della Natura e dell'Uomo in Padua (Italy). These are compared to the data collected during experimental studies focused on reproducing the operational chain of flax processing for splicing and creation of a reference collection for future archaeobotanical investigations of prehistoric sites. The two sets of data are furthermore compered to other, previously studied finds from north Italy, Switzerland, the UK and elsewhere.
We present here the results of recent analysis of previously unpublished textiles from the Early-Middle Bronze Age site of Molina di Ledro (Trento, Italy) in the collection of the new Museo della Natura e dell' Uomo in Padua (Italy). These data are compared to other finds from the settlement of Molina di Ledro and from the Early Bronze Age site of Lucone di Polpenazze del Garda (Brescia, Italy), as well as previously studied finds from Switzerland and elsewhere.